Our Emma Original vs. Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud® Bed Comparison for 2024

Written by Olivera Jancikin, Content Writer

Our Testing Process

Here at Sleep Advisor, our Sleep Certified experts use a refined mattress and product testing process to give you unbiased product suggestions… Read our full product review process.

In This Article

You can’t decide between Emma Original and Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud® mattress? Our sleep expert will help you make the right decision in choosing the perfect bed.

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Looking for an all-foam mattress but not sure where to start? We’ll help you out by comparing two great foam beds – the Emma Original and Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud®. We reviewed each of these mattresses individually, but now it’s time to see how they stack up against each other.

Are you looking for superior edge support and a slow-moving memory foam feel? Or would you prefer cooling foams and a bit more pushback? Read on to find out which bed could give you a better night’s sleep.

Sleep Advisor’s Testing Methodology

Quick Comparison: Emma Original vs. Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud®

Who I’d Recommend the Emma Original For

• Combination sleepers  – The Emma Original is more responsive than the TEMPUR-Cloud®, which makes it easier to reposition on because you’re not disappearing into the foam. While we wouldn’t recommend this bed for most stomach sleepers as it’s too soft, those who switch between their back and side should find it a breeze. 
• Clumsy shoppers – If you’re prone to spilling your morning coffee on your mattress, you’ll be pleased to know that the Emma’s cover is removable and machine-washable. 
• Budget shoppers – We think the Emma Original offers fantastic value, with a price that should be accessible to many, whether you’re working with a smaller budget or looking for a cheaper bed for your guest room.

Who I’d Recommend the Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud® For

• Memory foam lovers – No one makes memory foam quite like Tempur-Pedic, the manufacturers of the original memory foam. This bed offers everything that memory material is known for – a deliciously deep hug, incredibly slow-moving foam, and super minimal motion transfer. 
• Heavier side and back sleepers – With its firmer support, we think the TEMPUR-Cloud® would be better suited to heavier side and back sleepers than the Emma Original, although stomach sleepers and those weighing over 300 pounds should look for a firmer bed altogether. The TEMPUR-Cloud® also comes in a hybrid option, which could be a better match.
• Luxury shoppers – There’s no doubt that you’re getting a premium product when you shop with Tempur-Pedic, though this does come at a higher price point than other all-foams, like the Emma Original. However, with its quality materials and durable design, you should be sleeping soundly for years to come. 

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Comparing Emma Original vs. Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud®: Top Similarities

• Pressure relief – Our testers reported experiencing great pressure relief on both mattresses. We recommend both for side sleepers, in particular, who are susceptible to pressure buildup at the shoulders and hips. People with joint pain should also feel comfortable on either mattress.
• Motion isolation – Although the TEMPUR-Cloud® offered slightly better motion control, we found minimal movement on both mattresses during our testing. This could make either bed a great choice for those who are easily awoken by a partner moving in the night. 
• Warranty – A 10-year warranty is provided with both mattresses, covering the beds against manufacturing defects. This should help ease any anxiety about making a new bed purchase. 

Comparing Emma Original vs. Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud®: Key Differences

• Edge support – Edge support tends to be lacking in all-foam mattresses, which is certainly the case with the Emma Original. However, we were rather impressed with the edge support offered by the high-density foams in the TEMPUR-Cloud®.
• Cooling – We wouldn’t recommend either mattress for super hot sleepers, but the Emma Original does include a breathable cover and aerated foams in its design to combat some of the heat retention foam is known for. Despite featuring a breathable cover, we found the TEMPUR-Cloud® to sleep warm, so bear this in mind. 
• Trial – The TEMPUR-Cloud® has a 90-night trial, which is industry-standard, but a lot shorter than Emma’s 365-night trial. While 90 days should be enough for most people to come to a decision, extra-indecisive shoppers may prefer to go with Emma.

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Comparing Firmness, Support & Feel 

Firmness 

Mattress firmness reflects how soft or firm a bed feels, and it’s important to note that it is subjective since lighter-weight people will experience a mattress as more firm than a heavyweight person will. Here at Sleep Advisor, our team rates mattress firmness on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being the softest. The Emma Original came in at a 5, making it medium-plush, while the TEMPUR-Cloud® ranked at 6.5, which is medium-firm.

Support 

A supportive mattress is important because it helps to ensure your spine remains in a healthy alignment while you sleep. 

We wouldn’t recommend either of these all-foam mattresses to stomach sleepers, unless they’re exceptionally lightweight, as we don’t think they offer enough support for the hips. However, light to average-weight side and back sleepers should feel well-supported on either mattress. 

We recommend that heavyweight sleepers consider a bed that’s made to support more weight.

Feel 

“If you love that classic, super slow-moving memory foam feel, then you’ll love TEMPUR-Cloud,” shared tester Emma. “You’d be hard-pressed to find something as contouring and memory foam feeling as Tempur-Pedic mattresses.” 

The Emma Original’s memory foam layer is sandwiched in the middle of the mattress, so it has less of a conventional memory feel, but its plush comfort layer still provides fantastic pressure relief, with a faster response time than a conventional memory bed like the TEMPUR-Cloud®. 

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Comparing Sinkage and Bounce

The TEMPUR-Cloud® envelopes you in a pressure-relieving hug. While we still experienced fantastic pressure relief on the Emma Original, there was slightly less sinkage, with more of a deep cradle. This is to be expected as the TEMPUR-Cloud® uses memory foam in both its comfort layers. Conversely, the Emma has a poly foam top layer, followed by thin memory foam. 

We found zero bounce on the TEMPUR-Cloud® and minimal bounce on the Emma Original. We found it much easier to reposition on the Emma as it was designed to be more responsive than traditional memory foam. 

Related: Explore the best mattresses for pressure relief.

Comparing Motion Transfer 

If you’re easily awoken by a partner tossing and turning, or getting in and out of bed, then you definitely need a mattress with good motion isolation. You’ll be pleased to hear that both mattresses performed incredibly well on our tests; we barely felt any movement traveling across the bed. 

However, the TEMPUR-Cloud® performs slightly better due to its slow-moving foams. “As far as motion isolation goes, you can’t get much better than the TEMPUR-Cloud,” Emma noted when testing the bed. “We felt practically no movement on the other side of the bed, so light sleepers, rejoice!” 

Comparing Cooling 

The Emma Original has several temperature-regulating features. First, there’s the UltraDry® cover that’s designed to wick away heat and moisture, though we didn’t find this to be that effective. However, the open-pore design of the first layer of foam gives it an air percentage of around 50 percent, and the base layer’s convoluted design also allows for airflow. While we wouldn’t recommend this mattress for hot sleepers, we think most people should stay at a comfortable temperature. 

The TEMPUR-Cloud®, on the other hand, slept much hotter as it features thick layers of heat-trapping memory foam, which Emma found to be very warm, despite the breathable cover. 

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Comparing Construction (Materials & Quality)

Emma Original Construction 

The all-foam Emma Original stands 10 inches tall and starts with an UltraDry® cover made from polyester and spandex, which can be removed for machine washing. The cover is designed to be soft, breathable, and moisture-wicking. 

• The comfort layer is made from a 1.5-inch unit of Point Elastic Airgocell® poly foam, which has been crafted to act like gel foam. Its open-pore design allows for airflow, which aids in temperature regulation. This layer offers a deep cradle, adapting to the sleeper to provide support and pressure relief.
• The second layer features 1.5 inches of Halo Memory Foam™, providing further adaptive pressure relief and support. 
• The base layer has a 7-inch unit of  HRX (High Resiliency Extra) foam. This material has been designed with three cut-out zones that provide targeted support at the shoulders and back, as well as allowing for more airflow. 

Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud® Construction 

The all-foam TEMPUR-Cloud® mattress is a total of 10 inches tall and features a breathable, moisture-wicking 360° stretch cover that’s designed to move with the sleeper.

• The comfort layer is plush, cushioning, and incredibly slow-moving; in fact, it takes a few minutes to expand once you get out of bed. It’s made with Tempur® foam, the brand’s proprietary memory foam. Tempur® foam is only found in Tempur-Pedic mattresses.
• The support layer features a firmer unit of Tempur® foam. This layer is even more slow-moving than the comfort layer, supporting the body in a deep hug while delivering fantastic pressure relief. This foam also eases the sleeper into the base layer.
• The base layer is made of a firm unit of conventional foam that provides additional support for the sleeper, as well as a durable foundation for the entire bed. 

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Comparing Company Policies & Price

• Warranty – The Emma Original and Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud® both come with a 10-year warranty that covers damages caused by manufacturing defects.
• Shipping – Both mattresses offer free bed-in-a-box shipping within the continental U.S., though Tempur-Pedic will ship to Alaska and Hawaii for 600 dollars. Emma also offers an old mattress removal service for 125 dollars.
• Trial Period – The TEMPUR-Cloud® has a 90-night trial period, while the Emma Original has a much longer 365-night trial.
• Returns – You’ll receive a full refund (minus any shipping fees) with both the Emma Original and TEMPUR-Cloud®, if returned within the respective trial periods. However, Tempur-Pedic requires you to have owned your mattress for at least 30 nights before returning it, and there may be a 175-dollar return fee. 
• Price – The Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud® is considerably more expensive than the Emma Original, making it more suitable for luxury shoppers. 

Size	Emma Original Price (w/o discount)	Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud® Price (w/o discount)
Twin	$599	$1,699
Twin XL	$835	$1,699
Full	$889	$1,899
Queen	$1,053	$1,999
King	$1,325	$2,399
Cali King	$1,325	$2,399
Split King	N/A	$3,398
Split Cali King	N/A	N/A

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Emma Original vs. Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud® Compared Side-by-Side

Features	Emma Original	Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud®
Height	10”	10”
Cover	Polyester and spandex	360° stretch fabric
Materials	Poly foam, memory foam	Tempur® material and conventional foam
Cooling	Breathable, moisture-wicking cover, breathable poly foam, convoluted foam	Breathable, moisture-wicking cover
Firmness	5/10	6.5/10
Support	Good	Good
Motion Transfer	Very minimal	Minimal
Edge Support	Moderate	Good
Sinkage	Deep Cradle	Deep Hug
Bounce	Minimal	None
Warranty	10-year	10-year
Trial Period	365 nights	90 nights
Certifications	CertiPUR-US®, OEKO-TEX®	CertiPUR-US®
Adjustable Base Compatible	Yes	Yes
Shipping	Ships free to continental U.S.	Ships free to continental U.S., $600 fee for Alaska/Hawaii
Made in the USA	No	Yes
Read Full Review	Emma Original Mattress Review	Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud® Review
Shop Now	Emma Original Mattress	Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud® Mattress

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Final Thoughts

Have you decided which bed you’ll go for? If you’re still not sure, let’s help you out. Both all-foam beds are 10 inches tall with great pressure relief and motion isolation, and they are best suited to light to average-weight side and back sleepers. 

However, those looking for a traditional memory foam feel from a brand that’s been making mattresses since 1992 should check out the TEMPUR-Cloud®. Shoppers interested in cooling foams, affordability, and a slightly more responsive feel may be better off with the Emma Original. 

Our full-length reviews of each bed can provide additional details if you need more information to help you finalize your decision.

Quick Comparison: Emma Original vs. Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud®

Olivera Jancikin

Content Writer

About Author

Olivera is a content writer for Sleep Advisor and is enthusiastic about sleep. She firmly believes in the benefits of daytime naps on top of getting a full 8-hour sleep at night.

Combination Sleeper

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