Emma Original vs. Simba Hybrid

Simba Sleep, originally a UK-based thread manufacturer established in 1979, made the transition to the sleep industry in 2002. For the last two decades, Simba Sleep has worked hard to perfect the hybrid mattress, developing patented technologies, such as Simbatex foam and miQro springs.

Emma, another relatively new mattress brand, founded in 2015, is a German-based company with manufacturing headquarters in Britain. Its signature memory foam Emma Original mattress is one of the most awarded mattresses in the UK and across Europe.

The Simba Hybrid mattress  and Emma mattress are two of the UK’s most popular bed-in-a-box options. Both regularly receive stellar reviews from customers and recognition from product testing agencies. Simba offers both the original Simba Hybrid and the Simba Pro. For the purpose of this review, we’ll be comparing the original Simba Hybrid with Emma’s Original mattress.

Construction Compared

At the core, the Simba Hybrid and Emma Mattress mattress are two different kinds of mattresses. The Emma mattress UK is a memory foam mattress (no springs) and the Simba mattress is a hybrid mattress (foam and springs).

The Simba Hybrid mattress features five layers:

• Knitted Polyester Cover – hypoallergenic and breathable
• Simbatex Foam (4 cm) – open-cell latex foam offers a luxuriously soft sleep surface, good airflow, and is infused with graphite for heat regulation
• MiQro Springs (2.5 cm) – super-light, conical springs help to evenly distribute weight and push warm air away
• High-Definition Transition Foam (3.5 cm) – memory foam adds additional body contouring, increased weight distribution, and enhanced edge support
• Zoned Support Foam (15 cm) – serves as a durable base layer with four support zones to offer customised support across your body, including high-pressure zones like the hips and shoulders

The Emma mattress features four layers:

• Polyester Cover – provides temperature regulation and wicks away moisture. It’s removable and washable.
• Airgocell Foam (3 cm) – proprietary open-pore foam that absorbs moisture and encourages airflow to keep the mattress cool
• Viscoelastic Memory Foam (2 cm) – contours to the body to help evenly distribute weight and pressure
• HRX Foam Base (19 cm) – provides a counter pressure that keeps the spine aligned and supported, while its point elastic structure minimises motion transfer

Both mattresses feature foam as the primary construction material, which is unusual for a hybrid mattress like Simba. Most hybrid mattresses feature spring or coils as their major layer, while Simba’s miQro spring layer is only 2.5 cm thick. Simba and Emma both also feature memory foam as a source of additional support.

However, Simba offers multiple features that Emma lacks. For example, zoned comfort in the base layer provides a more adapted sleep experience, while a spring layer offers highly responsive comfort that is good for partners of different weights and sleep preferences.

Firmness & Feel Compared

Both the Simba Hybrid mattress and Emma mattress UK have a medium firmness, ranking between 6 and 7 on the firmness scale. This firmness level is popular because it offers good support for all sleep positions. The Simba mattress may be slightly better for back and stomach sleepers, however, as it offers better eight distribution and zoned pressure relief.

Both mattresses feature memory foam, which is good for absorbing the extra pressure of side sleepers, while the Simba mattress offers slightly more support for side sleepers with the extra pressure-relief that comes from its springs and soft Simbatex top layer.

Temperature Regulation

As for temperature regulation, both Simba and Emma mattresses do a good job of keeping the sleep environment cool, however the Emma mattress has multiple layers working together to flush heat away. This is particularly important for a memory foam mattress, which is more likely to trap heat than a hybrid mattress.

Edge Support

One area in which the Emma mattress fails is edge support, as none of its layers specifically addresses this issue. The Simba Hybrid mattress, on the other hand, offers quite good edge support thanks to the HD transition layer.

Motion Isolation

Both mattresses offer good motion isolation, making each of them a good option for couples.

Size & Pricing Compared

The Emma mattress and the Simba Hybrid mattress both come in the five standard UK mattresses sizes: Single, Small Double, Double, King, and Super King. In addition, the Simba Hybrid mattress comes in three EU sizes: EU Single, EU Double L, and EU Queen. Both mattresses have a depth of 25 cm.

As is the case with more foam mattresses, the Emma mattress is more affordable than the Simba Hybrid mattress. For an average UK Double, the Emma mattress is £529 and, the Simba mattress is £769. Meanwhile, for the largest size offered by each brand, the UK Super King, the Emma costs £679, while Simba costs £969; a total difference of £290.

Here are more price details:

Single: £569 (Simba) vs £329 (Emma)

Small Double: £769 (Simba) vs £479 (Emma)

Double: £769 (Simba) vs £529 (Emma)

King: £869 (Simba) vs £609 (Emma)

Super King: £969 (Simba) vs £679 (Emma)

EU Sizes – Simba only:

EU Single: £619

EU Double L: £819

EU Queen: £919

Keep in mind that Simba frequently offers discounts of 25% or more off of their mattresses, reducing their prices by £100s. Therefore, it’s worth checking out their site before making a decision based off of pre-discounted prices. Emma and Simba both offer 10-year warranties, free shipping and returns, and a generous 200-night trial period.

Conclusion

Each of these mattresses succeeds in offering sleepers highly-supportive and comfortable sleep experiences. However, certain individuals may receive more benefits from one than the other.

Buy the Emma Original if you:

• prefer the body-contouring feel of memory foam
• sleep with a partner and would benefit from high-level motion isolation
• want a multi-award-winning mattress
• are looking for a mattress that will hold up for a long time
• like a mattress that excels at keeping your spine in a healthy, neutral position
• don’t want to spend too much on your mattress

Buy the Simba Hybrid mattress if you:

• are a side sleeper or need extra support in high-pressure areas
• prioritise a mattress with good edge support
• prefer a hybrid construction
• find memory foam mattresses to be too hot
• are looking for a mattress featuring specially-engineered, proprietary materials

Hopefully, this comparison has helped you get a better idea of the advantages that these two mattresses have to offer. For more information, read the Emma mattress review and the Simba mattress review, or browse our site to discover the many other best-selling sleep brands available in the UK.