The Emma Original Mattress and the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress are two of the most searched-for beds in a box in the UK, so here is how they compare and which one to buy.
Emma and Nectar sit in the same part of the market: both sell a 25cm mattress in a box with a medium firm feel and a 10-year guarantee. The difference is construction. The Emma Original is a hybrid, pairing memory foam with a 5-zone pocket spring core, while the Nectar is an all-foam design with three layers of CertiPUR certified foam and a 7-zone supportive base. That gives the Emma a slightly more supported, on-the-mattress feel, and the Nectar the classic contouring hug where you sleep a little in the surface.
Our verdict is the Emma Original. It comes in comfortably cheaper against its own construction type than the Nectar does against all-foam rivals, and it offers more sizes, seven versus five, including EU dimensions for continental frames. Value and choice decide it.
That said, the Nectar takes the cooling dimension, with a stated cooling cover, open-cell foam and MTick certification for menopause-friendly temperature control. If overheating is your main complaint, read on before you decide.
Our verdict at a glance: which mattress wins?
The Emma Original wins because it delivers a zoned hybrid build at a price well below the typical hybrid, with more sizes to choose from.
WINNER
Stronger value against its peers
The Emma sits well below the typical price for a hybrid of this build, which means you get pocket springs and zoned support without the usual hybrid premium.
A hybrid feel with a supported edge
The 5-zone pocket spring core lets your hips sink slightly while your shoulders stay cushioned, and the comfort foam edge firms up the perimeter so you can sleep near the side without rolling off.
More size options
Seven sizes including EU Double and EU King, which matters if you have a continental bed frame, against Nectar's five.
RUNNER UP
Better for hot sleepers
The Nectar wins on cooling, with a heat-wicking cover, open-cell foam for airflow and MTick certification for menopause-friendly cooling and support.
A full year to decide
Nectar runs a 365-night manufacturer trial, longer than Emma's 200 nights, so you get four seasons at home before committing.
The classic memory foam hug
Its pressure-relieving memory foam contours closely to your shape, which means gentler pressure on hips and shoulders if you sleep on your side and prefer to sink in rather than sit on top.
Emma Original
Nectar
Firmness
Medium Firm
Medium Firm
Layers
6
5
Price Range
£252 to £544
On construction alone these two are too close to call. Both are 25cm deep with medium firm builds and zoned support, the Emma through a 5-zone pocket spring core and the Nectar through a 7-zone foam base. The real difference is feel: springs give the Emma a touch more pushback, while the Nectar's all-foam build cradles you more closely. Neither approach is better, they simply suit different sleepers.
Construction verdict: which wins on build?
On construction alone these two are too close to call. Both are 25cm deep with medium firm builds and zoned support, the Emma through a 5-zone pocket spring core and the Nectar through a 7-zone foam base. The real difference is feel: springs give the Emma a touch more pushback, while the Nectar's all-foam build cradles you more closely. Neither approach is better, they simply suit different sleepers.
How firm are both mattresses?
Which mattress feels better?
Emma describes the Original as medium firm, while Nectar rates its mattress a medium-firm feel at 6.5 out of 10. On paper they land in the same place, a balance of cushioning and support that suits most sleeping positions, and Nectar says its feel works well for back and combination sleepers in particular. In practice the constructions shape how that firmness comes across. The Emma's pocket springs adapt to different parts of your body while keeping you nearer the surface, a good match for people who change position through the night. The Nectar's memory foam adapts to your shape, easing pressure on hips and shoulders for side sleepers, though you will sleep slightly in the mattress rather than on it. If you like a distinctly soft, sink-in surface, both may feel a little solid.
Other important factors to consider before buying.
Beyond feel, the buying terms deserve a look before you commit. Both brands back their mattress with a 10-year guarantee, but the trials differ, and a longer trial is worth something if you are unsure about a new feel. The table below sets both out.
Emma Original
Nectar
Trial (nights)
200
365
Guarantee (years)
10
10
Environmental impact and sustainability
Emma Original
Nectar
Sustainability
Undefined
Undefined
Certifications
CertiPUR
Prices and sizes for both mattresses
Prices for both change often, so check the live tables below. Broadly, the Emma sits further below the typical price for its construction type than the Nectar does for its own.
Emma Original Mattress
The Emma Original wins this comparison. Three dimensions resolved and Emma took two of them: value and choice. It sits well under the typical price for a hybrid, which is unusual given that pocket springs normally push costs up, and it comes in seven sizes to Nectar's five, including EU dimensions. Nectar took the cooling dimension, with its heat-wicking cover, open-cell foam and MTick certification, so if you run hot at night it remains the better pick, and its 365-night trial gives you longer to decide. For most buyers, though, the Emma's combination of a zoned spring core, a supported foam edge, a washable cover and a lower price against its peers is the stronger overall package. Buy the Emma unless overheating is your main concern.
Decision helper
Consider your primary need: value and a supported hybrid feel versus cooling and a contouring foam hug. The first points to the Emma, the second to the Nectar.
WINNER
Stronger value against its peers
The Emma sits well below the typical price for a hybrid of this build, which means you get pocket springs and zoned support without the usual hybrid premium.
A hybrid feel with a supported edge
The 5-zone pocket spring core lets your hips sink slightly while your shoulders stay cushioned, and the comfort foam edge firms up the perimeter so you can sleep near the side without rolling off.
More size options
Seven sizes including EU Double and EU King, which matters if you have a continental bed frame, against Nectar's five.
RUNNER UP
Better for hot sleepers
The Nectar wins on cooling, with a heat-wicking cover, open-cell foam for airflow and MTick certification for menopause-friendly cooling and support.
A full year to decide
Nectar runs a 365-night manufacturer trial, longer than Emma's 200 nights, so you get four seasons at home before committing.
The classic memory foam hug
Its pressure-relieving memory foam contours closely to your shape, which means gentler pressure on hips and shoulders if you sleep on your side and prefer to sink in rather than sit on top.
Is the Emma Original or the Nectar mattress better?
The Emma Original is the better buy for most people. It won on value, sitting well below the typical hybrid price, and on choice, with seven sizes to Nectar's five. The Nectar took the cooling dimension, so hot sleepers may prefer it, but on the dimensions that resolved, Emma came out ahead.
Which is cooler to sleep on, Emma or Nectar?
The Nectar wins on cooling. Its cover is designed to wick heat away, its open-cell foam encourages airflow, and it carries MTick certification for menopause-friendly cooling and support. The Emma Original's fact sheet lists no equivalent cooling materials, so if you regularly overheat at night, the Nectar is the safer choice.
Do Emma and Nectar have the same firmness?
Very nearly. Emma describes the Original as medium firm, and Nectar rates its mattress medium-firm at 6.5 out of 10, so both sit in the middle of the range. The feel differs more than the firmness: the Emma's pocket springs give a touch more pushback, while the Nectar's memory foam cradles you more closely.
Which has the longer trial, Emma or Nectar?
Nectar offers the longer trial at 365 nights, run by the manufacturer, against Emma's 200 nights. Both come with a 10-year guarantee. Two hundred nights is still a proper stretch to judge a mattress at home, but if you want maximum time to decide, Nectar has the edge on terms.
Is the Nectar mattress good for side sleepers?
Yes, the Nectar suits side sleepers well. Its pressure-relieving memory foam contours to your shape, easing pressure on hips and shoulders, with a 7-zone base for spinal alignment. The Emma Original also cushions side sleepers through its MemoryAdapt foam and 5-zone springs, but the Nectar gives the deeper, more enveloping hug.
Editor
Jo Plumridge
Consumer journalist, 20 years. Writes on sleep and home for The Telegraph, TechRadar and Expert Reviews.