Find out who came out on top in our side-by-side mattress comparison of the internationally-awarded Emma Original mattress and the Ecosa mattress.
With multiple international awards from independent testing agencies combined with its relatively lower prices, the Emma mattress has become synonymous with value for money the world over. But how does it compare with its New Zealand counterparts?
Boasting adjustable firmness, a waterproof protective layer and a longer than average warranty length the Ecosa mattress presents a strong argument for its case as top mattress in a box, but let’s see how well all these bells and whistles fare in actual practice?
The German-made Emma and China-assembled Ecosa mattress have a similar construction build with three foam layers, one of which features ergonomic grooves to allow for improved pressure-relief. So while comfort and support are generally fulfilled, there was a noticeable difference in terms of breathability. The Ecosa mattress felt like it retained more heat than was comfortable during the night, a possible pitfall of its otherwise practical waterproof layer (also helps to protect against dust-mites).
While the possibility of rearranging the Ecosa mattress’ layers to suit your own preference is enticing, the execution of the feat is not as easy as one would have liked. In our experience, the process takes at least two people to manage and the way the first two top layers are encased in a single sock instead of separate foam layers seems to discourage reconfiguration. Given that, it might suggest there is an ideal arrangement to the foam layers and that customisation albeit possible comes at the expense of reaping the benefits of its original construction build. Another thing to note was that motion isolation in Ecosa was most effective in the firm configuration and not as good in other firmness options.
The 15 year warranty is without a doubt an advantage but practically speaking keeping your mattress for 15 years might not be ideal. You’ll probably want to replace it before then as the integrity of the foam depreciates over time. Since defects due to normal wear and tear are not covered under warranty, it’s important to take into consideration whether manufacturing defects or normal wear and tear are likely to catch up to you first past the 10 year mark (average mattress lifespan) when deciding on the value of a 15 year warranty.
Like Koala, Ecosa also offers same-day delivery and so undeniably surpasses Emma in this regard. So if speed of delivery is of high importance, you would be better of with one of them than an Emma.
Overall, the Emma mattress has proven itself to be a worthy investment despite this and definitely worth considering as your top choice. It has passed international technical testing, proven its quality with its practical features (machine-washable cover layer and handles) and offers great 7-zoned support on top of a reasonable price tag!
