Emma Mattress Overview

The Emma mattress is a memory foam mattress which offers its consumers a comfortable, supported and cool nights sleep. Far from being a traditional memory foam mattress, Emma combines 3 different types of foam to provide its sleepers with the best aspects of each. Emma’s Airgocell® foam layer was developed by the Emma team to provide sleepers with optimum comfort. 

A European Sleep Experience

Emma, though produced in the US, uses innovative European technology to bring a European sleep experience to its American customers. What does this mean? Well, for starters, air conditioning is not as present in Europe as it is in the US. In fact, the majority of European homes don’t have AC units at all. This means that, especially in the summer, overheating during sleep is a big concern. Thus, Emma had to design a mattress that had enough cooling qualities to mitigate the summer heat (since Emma was founded in Europe). In addition, Emma has won various consumer testing awards in Europe for its innovative design. This is not to say that Emma is all European though, all mattresses that are sold in America are American made!


Go to Emma website


Purple Mattress Overview

The Purple mattress is a gel mattress that offers impressive pressure support. Perhaps the most unique aspect of the Purple mattress is its Purple Grid. This grid is made up of a material called hyper-elastic polymer®. Basically, the grid works to relieve pressure by collapsing in the areas that your body needs, i.e. its high pressure points, and holding shape where your body needs support. 

The Purple Mattress Egg Test

If you’ve done any research on Purple on your own, then you no doubt came across the purple mattress egg test. The purple mattress egg test consists of the Purple team dropping eggs from a rather high height under a form of compression (i.e. a sheet of glass, or a human body). The egg and compression are dropped onto the Purple Grid™. Afterwards, the team shows that the eggs have not been cracked, but cradled by the grid. The test is aimed at exhibiting the pressure relieving aspect of the grid.


Go to Purple website


 

How is the Emma Mattress Made?

Cover – First, Emma’s cover regulates the climate, allowing air to flow through throughout the night. This also mitigates the overheating that can sometimes be associated with memory foam. 

Comfort Layer –The top layer is the Airgocell® foam layer previously mentioned, which adapts to pressure and movement. This layer accounts for motion-isolation and mitigates the sinkage feeling that is sometimes caused by pure memory foam mattresses. 

Transition Layer – The next layer of the Emma mattress is a visco-elastic memory foam layer. This layer provides the classic memory foam feel that is so popular throughout the mattress industry. This layer evenly distributes body pressure and provides significant comfort. 

Base Layer – The base of the Emma mattress is made of an HRX material layer. This layer acts as the main support for the mattress as well as the sleeper. It accounts for pressure relief and spinal alignment to ensure a supported sleep.


How is the Purple Mattress Made?

Cover – To start off, the soft-flex cover contours to the mattress as the mattress contours to you. The material is also extremely breathable, ensuring a cool sleep. 

Comfort Layer – To top the interior layers is the Purple Gridpreviously mentioned. The flagship Purple mattress has 2” of this grid, which again acts as a pressure relieving layer. The grid is made to collapse under the body’s most important pressure points. In addition to relieving pressure, the grid is also designed with open air channels, which allow air to flow through the mattress. This is aimed at keeping you cool while you sleep. 

Transition Layer – Next, there is a layer of transition polymer foam to provide an intermediary between the base and the grid.

Base Layer – The base of the Purple mattress is made of high density polymer foam. This foam makes up the majority of the mattress in terms of composition. The four inches of foam ultimately act as the foundation of the mattress.


Emma vs. Purple Firmness

Emma

The Emma mattress ranks about a 6 out of 10 on the firmness scale. Memory foam mattresses are traditionally softer than other types of mattresses. However, we ranked the Emma as a medium-firm mattress, as the blend of different types of foams prevents too much sinkage. If you push your hand into an Emma mattress you will notice a soft feel but one that bounces back quicker than the traditional memory foam mattresses.

Back –  Sleepers that prefer to relax on their back will enjoy the Emma, as it distributes weight evenly and provides a comforting feel as well.

Side – The Emma mattress is ideal for side sleepers who, as mentioned above, require softer mattresses to account for their heavier pressure points. 

Stomach – The Emma mattress may be less ideal for stomach sleepers, as, as mentioned, they often need slightly firmer mattresses, especially to support their hips.

Purple

The Purple mattress ranks about a 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale (10 being the firmest). While the grid does give some when you push into it, the nature of the material is to provide some bounce. Thus, you never feel as though you sink very far into the mattress. 

Back – This mattress could be a good choice for back sleepers, as the grid does a good job of evenly distributing pressure. 

Side – For side sleepers, on the other hand, the Purple mattress may be a bit too firm, as side sleeping exerts an even greater amount of pressure on the hips and shoulders, requiring a softer mattress.

Stomach – This level of firmness is ideal for stomach sleepers, as they require a bit more support around the hip area in order to keep their spine in line. 


Emma vs. Purple Motion Transfer

The Emma mattress does exhibit anti-motion transfer qualities common to memory foam mattresses. The memory foam layer, in combination with the Airgocell® foam layer combat motion well. Thus, with the Emma mattress, it is unlikely that you will be disturbed by your partner’s movements throughout the night.

Given the composition of the Purple Grid, the Purple mattress does not isolate motion quite as well as memory foam mattresses. The grid has a bit of a bouncy feel, and this feeling is distributed throughout the bed. Thus, if you or your partner are a tumultuous sleeper, then you will likely feel the result of this on the Purple mattress.


Emma vs. Purple Amenities

Both the Purple and Emma mattresses offer pretty standard amenities for the online bed-in-a-box market.

Purple vs. Emma Pricing

Size


Purple 


Emma


Twin$929$799
Twin XL$1,049$899
Full$1,349$999
Queen$1,499$1,199
King$1,899$1,399
California King$1,899$1,399