Here are two brands that look similar on the outside. Both advertise a lot and offer big deals. Both have a variety of mattresses to choose from. You’re left wondering how you’re supposed to make the right choice, especially since you’ll be buying this mattress online.
Don’t worry! I slept on the Ecosa original for a year and have tried all 3 Emma mattresses, so I can help. Each brand offers you a risk-free in-home sleep trial too so you can’t possibly get it wrong. Let’s dive in.
Behind The Brands: Ecosa And Emma
Before we look through the mattresses let’s take a look at each brand as a whole. I know that buying a mattress online can feel like a huge gamble so I think it’s really helpful to get an idea of exactly who you’re buying from.
Ecosa: Origin And Reputation
Ecosa was founded in Australia and has quickly grown into one of the most successful online mattress brands in Australia, New Zealand; and increasingly in other countries.
They have a reputation for firm mattresses, speedy delivery, and good customer service. Here’s what I think of those:
- Yes, their Original mattress is firm no matter how you configure it. It’s great quality though.
- Yes, delivery is speedy. I do live in a city though (Christchurch) so if you’ve got any insights into what delivery is like to rural areas please let me know.
- Yes, customer service is good. I mentioned we had an Ecosa mattress for a year before we sold it. The zip on the cover failed after 9 months, and they sent out a new cover the very next day. I’ve also used the chat feature on their website a few times to talk about various things and the replies have always been helpful and accurate.
Emma: The Journey And Public Perception
Emma was founded in Germany and now sells their mattresses in 20 countries (and counting). They’ve got to be one of the most successful mattress-in-a-box companies worldwide. This is down to their good quality products and irresistible sale deals.
They also have a reputation for firm mattresses. Previously, customer service was not good, but it’s got better.
- Yes, I agree their Original mattress is firm. Emma responded to consumer feedback and has expanded their range to include mattresses with a softer feel, my favourite of which is the Diamond Hybrid.
- Yes, unfortunately, when Emma launched in New Zealand customer service was lacking. This was around 2019 and I think what happened was they experienced greater demand than their team could cope with. I remember there used to be a lot of complaints and I had even told them that if they couldn’t sort it out I wouldn’t be able to recommend their products to you, my reader. Luckily things have improved and I have not heard of any problems in the last 2+ years. I’m watching them!
Ecosa Vs Emma: At A Glance
You’ll see that in this “at a glance” table, I’ve opted to compare the Ecosa Original with the Emma Comfort mattress. These are the two best sellers and are the most directly comparable in my opinion.
You can read more about the entire range in my individual reviews of Emma and Ecosa.
| Ecosa | Emma | |
|---|---|---|
 |  |
|
| What Do They Make? | 3 Mattresses Range Of Bedding | 3 Mattresses Pillow Mattress Protector Mattress Topper |
| Construction | Original Mattress= 3 Foam Layers, Zoned Core | Comfort Mattress = 2 Foam Layers, Zoned Core |
| Firmness | 7 - 8 Out Of 10, Firmest In The NZ Market | 6 -7: Medium Firm With A Bouncy Feel |
| Sleep Trial | 100 Nights | 120 Nights |
| Warranty | 15 Years | 10 Years |
| New Zealand Owned? | No - Australian | No - German |
| Made In New Zealand? | No - China | No - China |
Deep Dive: Construction Details
Again for simplicity, we’ll look at the Ecosa Original and the Emma Comort mattresses.
Unraveling Ecosa’s Layers
Ecosa is a 25 cm high mattress with 3 internal layers. This is pretty much standard across many mattresses in boxes, both here and internationally.
One of the things that really drew us to the Ecosa mattress when we were deciding what to purchase was the fact that you can adjust the firmness level by changing around the layers inside the mattress. However, even with the softer layer at the top, it’s still pretty firm.
Cover:
As mentioned earlier, Ecosa has two covers on its mattress. Ecosa might be the only brand I’ve researched (both here at home and internationally) that has this.
- Removable outer cover made of breathable stretch knit
- The removable, waterproof, and dust mite repelling inner cover (also removable so you can switch the mattress layers around as desired)
Foam Layers:
The first two layers are your comfort foams. The third layer is the support core layer. You can switch around all of the layers and have any one of them at the top of the mattress as your sleep surface. Again, Ecosa is the only mattress I’ve seen with this adjustable design.
- The blue layer is named “G-7”, and is a gel memory foam. Gel memory foam is known for its cooling properties. This layer is 3cm thick. Keep this layer on the top of the mattress for the “softest” feel this mattress can give you (remember, it’s not soft! It’s still very firm to me!). This is how we have our own Ecosa mattress configured.
- The white layer is a memory foam that Ecosa has designed themselves. Called Eco-Tex, this open-cell foam is designed to mimic the feel of latex (which is known for its cooling, durability, and bounce). This layer is 4cm thick, which means the two comfort layers combined make up 7cm of the 25cm total. Put the white layer on the top of your mattress to give it an even firmer feel!
- The largest section of the mattress is the high-density support foam, made from plant-based polyurethane. It makes up about 18cm of the mattress height. This layer is what you would put at the top of the mattress if you wanted it to feel like a rock. Ecosa is actually the first company I’ve seen suggesting you sleep directly on this polyfoam layer, but the airflow convolutions make it feasible. The convolutions will also allow further contouring support. (If you want this layer on top, you can’t just flip your Ecosa, you need the convolutions facing up to get the airflow benefits)
Exploring Emma’s Composition
The Emma Comfort mattress is also 25 cm high but has just 2 foam layers instead of the 3 you get with Ecosa. Note the zoning in the core which helps target specific body weight points. Ecosa doesn’t have that. Here’s what the inside of the Emma mattress REALLY looks like compared to the marketing image.
Cover:
This is a pretty standard stretch knit with a softer top and grippy material on the bottom to help it stay fixed to your base. The cool feature of the cover is that the zip enables you to unzip the top part of the cover right off without having to try to manhandle the entire mattress.
This is extremely handy for cleaning as you don’t have to remove the whole cover, simply unzip the top section in one smooth move! I’ve only seen this on Tempur mattresses here in NZ. The other standout feature of the cover is that it has handles. They feel a bit flimsy, but Emma is the only mattress in a box brand that has them in NZ.
Foams:
- The top layer is 5cm of “airgocell” foam. What does that mean? It’s a proprietary foam Emma uses as the comfort layer of their mattress. It’s bouncier and less contouring than a typical memory foam. It’s an open pore foam, which basically means it’s got quite a lot of air in it (50% to be exact), which helps it to be breathable and bouncy. It feels like a nice foam to lie on!
- The base layer is 20cm of HRX high-density foam, which is also an open pore to help with breathability (why all the fuss about breathability? All foam mattresses need innovations to help air escape, as they don’t have the traditional spring support unit, which allows air to circulate through your “usual” mattresses you’d see in a shop). The really special feature of this support layer is the zones cut into it. These help specifically target and support your body so your spine stays in line and you get the most comfortable sleep possible. I’ve seen many, many brands overseas market this as a luxury feature and charge a heap more for it, but we’re lucky to have Emma offering it to us here in NZ as a standard feature.
Side By Side: Comparing Similarities & Differences
Similarities
There are some similarities between Ecosa and Emma, but they’re fewer than you might expect:
- Both are around 25cm high
- Similar price points (Emma is slightly cheaper, and actually wins massively on the value front if you consider their bundle deals that get you pillows, protectors, and toppers with your mattress)
- Both are overseas owned companies, making their mattresses off-shore
- Both offer a 3 month+ in-home sleep trial
Differences
There are more differences than similarities between these two:
- Ecosa is Australian owned, Emma is German owned
- Ecosa has a “flat” feel while Emma has a “bouncy” feel (in fact, Emma is the bounciest of all the memory foam mattress-in-a-box brands I have experienced)
- Ecosa has interchangeable layers inside its mattress to adjust the firmness (but they’re all pretty firm no matter what you do). Emma comes in one configuration and the foam composition is totally different (more details below)
- Ecosa has 3 internal foam layers, Emma has two
- Ecosa has two removable covers. As well as the breathable knit outer, there’s also a waterproof inner cover. Ecosa is the only mattress I’ve seen offering this feature
- Emma has the easier care cover, with the handy zip that allows you to remove the top portion of the cover on its own – which is something I’ve only seen on Tempur mattresses, which are at least three times the price of Emma!
Feel, Firmness & Sleep Experience
As I’ve mentioned earlier in the article, these mattresses have a different feel. In my opinion, Ecosa is the firmest foam mattress in New Zealand, while Emma is more of a medium firm.
Ecosa feels more “flat” to me, while Emma has more bounce through the top as you can see in the kettle bell image. It also offers a bit more pressure relief, from my experience of both of them. This is because the very top layer of Emma is softer, but the firm, high resiliency zoned foam supports it firmly.
So, if you want bit of bounce and a bit more contouring, choose Emma. If you want flatter feeling mattress, choose Ecosa.
I think both of these mattresses are great choices for stomach sleepers (you need a firm mattress), or for back sleepers who want a firmer feel.
Remember, whichever one you choose, you’ve got more than 3 months to try it out at home.
Sleep Experience
I’ve slept on both these mattresses. Ecosa was my personal bed for a year. I slept on the Emma Comfort for two weeks to test it out. I slept well on both but:
Ecosa was a bit firmer than I’d have liked. I’m a side and back sleeper, so my personal preference is for something that contours my shoulder. No matter how i configured the Ecosa mattress, it just wasn’t quite soft enough for me. If you like a firmer mattress, it’s a great choice.
The Emma Comfort was a lovely mattress. I enjoyed sleeping on it, and it has more of a medium feel than the Ecosa. Why didn’t I keep it? Because my Winkl Lux is a touch softer again, and I personally prefer a softer mattress. For those looking for a true medium mattress though, Emma Comfort is for you.
The Ultimate Question: Ecosa Or Emma?
I don’t think one is better than the other. They are just different!
Ecosa’s big selling point is that you can change around the internal layers of the mattress to adjust the firmness level but after owning and sleeping on an Ecosa for a year and a half myself, I think that it’s pretty firm no matter what way you set it up. If you’re looking for a really firm mattress, choose Ecosa.
Emma’s big selling points are the features of the cover, it’s bouncier feel, and focus on zoning. Also, the medium firm feel of this mattress is going to be suited to a wider range of people. That, combined with the awesome deals Emma offer, makes it the mattress I would choose out of these two.
