Napp vs Emma – mattress in a box comparison. Here are two mattresses that are different to each other in many ways. I actually have both of them in my house right now, so as well as the details about the construction and price, I can give you my personal opinion on the differences in the feel of these mattresses.
Want the quick comparison? Napp offers more contouring pressure relief and has a softer feel while still being supportive. Emma feels bouncier and firmer to lie on, but still offers great pressure relief without being TOO firm. Both offer great motion isolation and great value. My personal preference of the two is Napp purely because I personally like a softer mattress, but for those of you in couples with different firmness preferences, the Emma is probably going to be the better compromise for the two of you.
Here’s an overview of Napp Vs Emma to get you started. The Emma Comfort mattress is a brand new offering to NZ, after Emma listened to customer feedback that their previous mattress was WAYY too firm for most people. I’m stoked to see Emma implementing customer feedback and am happy to confirm the current mattress is very comfortable.
| Napp | Emma | |
|---|---|---|
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| Price | $800 - $1550 | $779 - $1199 (click on any of my links to see awesome bundle deals from Emma) |
| What Do They Make? | One Mattress Adjustable Bases | One Mattress Pillow Mattress Protector Mattress Topper |
| Construction | 3 Foam Layers, Exclusive Hygroflex Foam | 2 Foam Layers, Zoned Core |
| Firmness | Around 6 Out Of 10, Medium Feel With Contouring | 6 -7: Medium Firm With A Bouncy Feel |
| Sleep Trial | 100 Nights | 100 Nights |
| Warranty | 10 Years | 10 Years |
| New Zealand Owned? | Yes | No - German |
| Made In New Zealand? | Yes - Made In Auckland With Materials From Australia | No -China |
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Napp Vs Emma: Similarities
There are a couple of similarities between Napp and Emma. These are:
- Both offer generous sleep trials (100 nights) with hassle free returns
- Both offer 10 year guarantees on their mattresses
- Both are all foam mattresses inside in a removable and washable cover (though as you’ll see below the composition of those foams is different)
Napp VS Emma: Differences
These are vastly different mattresses in many ways. The differences to point out are:
- Napp is NZ made and owned, whereas Emma is owned and China made
- Emma is slightly cheaper than Napp (and tend to run huge sales). Don’t hold this against Napp, remember you’re supporting NZ businesses and jobs when you buy from them.
- Napp is a medium feel with a good degree of contouring from the foams, while Emma has a bouncier feel with less contouring, and a slightly firmer feel.
- Napp uses Outlast cooling technology developed by NASA in its cover, the only NZ brand to do so
- Emma’s cover has handles, and is cover designed for easy removal of the top part only: this makes for easy cleaning. I’ve only seen this feature on Tempur (which is a mattress costing thousands more than either Napp or Emma, so kudos to Emma for including this handy feature)
- Napp construction is two thick memory foam layers atop a polyfoam core. Emma construction is one thick comfort foam layer atop a thick zoned high resiliency layer
Close-Up On Each Mattress
Napp:
Cover:
Made from a breathable stretch knit. The cover packs some great features:
- Water resistant
- Removable for cleaning
- Cool to touch
- Created with Outlast© technology. This was originally developed for NASA, and uses phase change molecules to absorb, store, and release heat. Sound technical? All you really need to know is that this cover is going to work hard to help you feel comfortable. It’s not “moisture wicking”, it’s active temperature management
Internal Layers:
There are three foam layers inside the Napp mattress, each with a very specific purpose:
1. 5 cm layer of Hygroflex foam. This is a foam specially formulated to have great pressure point relief and temperature control. It’s kind of like a hybrid foam: it acts like both a memory foam and a high resilience foam. This means you’ll get the pressure relief you need without feeling like you’re sinking into the mattress like a traditional memory foam. Its open cell structure is how it helps with temperature control.
2. 5 cm layer of gel infused high density memory foam. This foam layer acts as both a second comfort layer and a transition layer supporting the firm base foam below. The memory foam properties of this layer promote the pressure relief you need from the comfort layers while the high density rating of it keeps you from feeling the hard base foam below. Since this is a high density memory foam, the gel infusion plays an important role. The gel particles draw body heat away and out of the mattress. It’s crucial to have a heat controlling mechanism in this layer as there is no way for heat to escape the polyfoam base (this is true for pretty much all memory foam mattresses).
3. 15 cm layer of high density polyfoam. This is pretty standard for a memory foam mattress so there’s not much comment to make here.
Emma:
The Emma mattress is also 25cm high mattress with 2 foam layers, instead of the 3 you get with Napp. Note the zoning in the core which helps target specific body weight points. Napp 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 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.
Price Comparison
Napp costs more than Emma, but you’re getting NZ made, and three layers of foam inside your mattress instead of two.
Napp mattress prices start at $800, which I have to say is an ABSOLUTE BARGAIN given the quality and make of this mattress. Yes, it costs more than Emma, is it worth it for a few hundred dollars? I’d buy it.
Emma often run huge sales, and at the moment you can get an awesome deal where you get a mattress, a mattress topper (allowing you to experiment with making the mattress firmer or softer by flipping the topper) AND a mattress protector from just $874, which is a massive 55% saving.
Feel And Firmness
I would say that Napp is rated at around a 6 out of 10 for firmness: it has a true medium feel. The cover is actually cold to touch (don’t worry, you won’t notice this once you put sheets on). When you lie on Napp, you feel yourself sinking just enough into the foams to know you’re on memory foam, but the foams are fast responding so you don’t get as much sink as Tempur. To me, Napp is the perfect balance of contouring and support.
The new Emma Comfort mattress is slightly firmer than Napp, I’m going to rate it a 6 – 7 out of 10. I slept on it really comfortably for a week. When you lie on Emma, you’ll notice the foam is actually quite bouncy, it doesn’t really contour much, which is something a lot of people prefer. It does a great job of motion isolation despite being bouncy, unlike a spring core bed!
Buy Napp If:
- You want to buy NZ made
- You want a medium feel and enjoy the contouring memory foam provides
- You’re a lighter person
- You sleep mainly on your side
- You’re not sure what firmness you need or you’re a couple with different requirements (Napp is the best compromise to suit you both)
- You want lightening fast customer service
Buy Emma If:
- You like a bouncier mattress that still does a great job of motion isolation
- You love the feel of a medium firm mattress
- You like the idea of an easy zip off cover for cleaning
- You want zoned support in the main core of the mattress
- You want handles in your mattress cover to move it around easily
- You want to buy a great bundle including pillows, protectors, and even a mattress topper for less than the price of other mattress brands
Napp Vs Emma – Which Is Better?
These are mattresses that are very different to each other, so it’s hard to say which is better because it’s really up to you and your needs.
Napp has a slightly softer medium feel than the Emma Comfort, and more of that contouring memory foam feel. However, Emma will appeal to those seeking medium to firm mattress with some bounce, and also those looking for a bargain bundle. To be honest, Emma’s price for their mattress, topper and protector is pretty unbeatable.
My personal preference is for Napp because I like the contouring feel of it over the bounce and I like to support NZ made, but there’s absolutely no arguing with the value Emma provides. It’s up to you!
