Original, if you don’t sleep hotEmma Hybrid Pillow
50×70 cm
The 50×70 flip pillow is the default on the scored Original beds if you skipped ThermoSync and AirGrid on purpose.
We slept on Original. Performance is still in transit.
Lite, Original, Pro and Elite are eight-week tests. The Original we slept on is the 5-layer bed Emma now lists as Original+ outlet — Emma also sells a newer same-name Original we have not slept on. Performance 26, 28 and 30 are a new AirGrid collection, not Elite with a sticker. We have ordered all three. Nobody here has slept on them yet.
The short verdict
This is not Pro vs Original. That call is already written. This is the collection split. If someone asks “just tell me which Emma family,” stay on Original until Performance has scores — unless you specifically want the new grid, the foam rail, and a height pick of 26, 28 or 30, and you are fine using the 200-night trial as the safety net.
Choose the Original collection if…
- You want a number we own. Pro 4.5, Elite 4.4, Original 4.2, Lite 3.8 — all eight-week tests.
- You want to lie on one in Harvey Norman before you pay. Performance is not on those floors.
- You need it this week. Original reviews cite 2–7 working days. Several Performance sizes currently show 84–98 days.
- Budget is the constraint. Hub Single promo still starts at Lite €359–€419. Performance 26 live 90×190 is €649.
Choose Performance if…
- You want the new AirGrid stack, not the Elite we already scored.
- You care about the foam edge frame. Original has no rail. We have not sit-tested Performance yet.
- Height is the decision: 26 less sink (Oisín, Ciarán), 28 mid (Seán), 30 deepest cushion (Aoife, Siobhán).
- You can live with a first look, or you will wait for September scores. The 200-night trial is the exit if the feel is wrong.
Health & medical disclaimer
Comfort quotes from our testers are not clinical findings. Performance notes below are who ordered which height, not nights slept. No mattress treats or cures pain. If you live with ongoing spinal, joint, or muscular pain, speak with your GP or a chartered physiotherapist before buying on the back of a review. See our back pain and side sleeper guides.
Spec comparison
Original cells are from the published reviews and the 31 August /emma hub stamp. Performance cells are Emma’s published spec plus live Irish prices — not eight-week scores.
| Factor | Original collection | Performance collection | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| What this page is | Four scored 8-week reviews: Lite, Original, Pro, Elite | Three first looks: 26, 28, 30. Nobody here has slept on them yet | Scores start in September 2026. The 200-night trial is the safety net if you buy Performance before then. |
| Heights | Lite 22 cm · Original 25 cm · Pro 27 cm · Elite 27 cm | 26 cm · 28 cm · 30 cm | Performance height is the only difference between the three. Original tiers also change layers and cooling tech. |
| Layers | Lite 4 · Original 5 · Pro 6 · Elite 7 | 7 on every height (same improved AirGrid Tech stack) | Elite is the only Original with first-gen AirGrid. Performance puts improved AirGrid on all three. |
| Cooling tech | Lite Airgocell · Original Airgocell + MemoryAdapt · Pro ThermoSync · Elite first-gen AirGrid | Improved AirGrid Tech on 26, 28 and 30. No Airgocell named on the layer walk | Emma’s 72% cooling line is on the 26 vs a full-foam bed — Emma’s test, not ours. |
| Edge construction | No foam rail. Sit-edge scores: Lite 4.5 · Original 3.0 · Pro 4.0 · Elite 3.5 | Foam edge frame on all three — untested here | We will sit-test Performance when it lands. Do not treat the rail as a published edge score. |
| Advertised weight cap | Lite 100 kg/side · Original, Pro, Elite 130 kg/side | Same 10-year warranty wording as the rest of Emma Ireland; we have not published a separate Performance cap | Original review sweet spot is under 90 kg. Hub points 75–110 kg at Pro. Oisín (95 kg, stomach) is waiting on Performance 26. |
| In-store in Ireland | Harvey Norman carries the Original range in selected stores | We have not found 26, 28 or 30 in Harvey Norman, EZ Living or DID | Trying Original in-store does not start the 200-night trial. That clock is Emma direct. |
| Delivery Emma currently shows | Typically 2–7 working days on the scored reviews (Elite 2–5; Original/Pro/Lite 3–7) | 28: 2–7 days every size. 26 and 30: 7–21 on some sizes, 84–98 on others | Schema transit time, not a courier promise. The 200-night clock starts when it arrives. |
| Trial / warranty | 200 nights direct · 10 years | 200 nights direct · 10 years | Same Emma Ireland policy on both collections when you buy on emma-sleep.ie. |
| Single-size from-price (31 Aug 2026) | Hub typical promo: Lite €359–€419 · Original €479–€559 · Pro €479–€575 · Elite €549–€659 | Live 90×190: 26 €649 · 28 €1,079 · 30 €849 | As of 31 August 2026 the Performance 28 is currently listed above the 30 on emma-sleep.ie. Original sale bands are from the /emma hub stamp. |
| Who it is for (published) | Lite guest/budget · Original 60–90 kg side/combo · Pro 75–110 kg, warm sleepers · Elite hot side sleepers under 100 kg | 26: Oisín + Ciarán ordered (less sink) · 28: Seán · 30: Aoife + Siobhán (deepest cushion) | Performance row is who ordered which height, not nights slept. |
Original former names: Hybrid Original → Lite, Hybrid Premium → Original (now Original+ outlet), Hybrid Thermosync → Pro, Hybrid AirGrid → Elite. Performance is not part of that rename.
Category scores — Original only
These are the published review scores. Performance has no overall, comfort, support, cooling, motion or edge number from us yet. Full methodology: how we test.
Lite cooling 5.0 is the published review score (NapLab 10/10 on that page). Original cooling 3.5 is MemoryAdapt heat after 3–4 hours. Do not read Lite’s 5.0 as the whole collection.
Honest trade-offs
Cooling
Scored winner depends which Original you pick. Performance is untested here.
On Original, MemoryAdapt traps heat — Oisín noticed warmth after 3–4 hours (cooling 3.5/5). Pro’s 20 mm graphite ThermoSync is why that bed exists (4.8/5). Elite’s first-gen AirGrid also scored 4.8/5. Lite has no memory foam and a 5.0 cooling score on its review.
Performance’s published cooling line lives on the 26 first look: Emma says 72% higher capacity to level out temperature spikes than a full-foam mattress. That asterisk is Emma’s. Seán already knows first-gen AirGrid from Elite; he will say in September whether the new grid is actually cooler.
Edge support
Original has scores. Performance has a foam rail we have not sat on.
Lite 4.5/5 is the strongest sit-edge in the Original range we tested. Original 3.0/5 — 4.5-inch sinkage vs a 3.95-inch industry average. Pro 4.0/5 sitting, still “a bit unstable” when dressing. Elite 3.5/5. Performance adds a foam edge frame on all three heights; the first looks flag that as new versus the older range. It is not a 4.x score.
Delivery and in-store
Original is the one you can lie on this week. Performance is mail-order, and some sizes are slow.
Harvey Norman carries Original in selected Irish stores. Performance is emma-sleep.ie only in the listings we have found. Performance 28 currently shows 2–7 days on every size. Several 26 and 30 sizes show 84–98 days. The trial clock starts when the roll arrives, not when you pay.
Value
Original is the cheaper family on the numbers we have dated.
Hub typical Single promo (31 August stamp on /emma): Lite €359–€419, Original €479–€559, Pro €479–€575, Elite €549–€659. Live Performance 90×190 the same day: 26 €649, 28 €1,079, 30 €849. As of 31 August 2026 the Performance 28 is currently listed above the 30 on emma-sleep.ie. Never pay Emma RRP on Original; check live price on Performance the morning you order.
What the testers said — and what they ordered
Original quotes are from the published reviews. Performance lines are who ordered which height. Not the same thing.
Aoife — 65 kg, side, runs cold
Original scored · ordered Performance 30Original: “The foam wraps around my shoulder and hip exactly where it needs to.” Shoulder map 8.8/10. On Pro, shoulder also 8.8/10 after break-in.
Performance: Ordered the 30. Emma’s FAQ calls it the deepest cushion; she is 65 kg and wants the thickest firmer MemoryAdapt (4.5 cm) so a light shoulder can get in. She has not slept on it.
Ciarán — 85 kg, back, lumbar sensitivity
Pro scored · ordered Performance 26Original: Foam softening and hips a fraction lower by week 6. Pro: “The best Emma mattress I’ve tested for back support.” Lumbar 8.5/10 vs 7.8 on Original.
Performance: Ordered the 26 with Oisín. Extra MemoryAdapt on 28/30 is how hips disappear on a heavier back or stomach — that is why they took the short one. Plan, not a diary.
Siobhán — 70 kg, combination, light sleeper
Motion scored on Original · ordered Performance 30Original / Pro: Motion isolation 4.5 on both reviews. Partner movement was “a faint ripple.” Original edge pushed them toward the middle.
Performance: Ordered the 30 with Aoife. She wanted the zoned springs because Dara does not lie still. Foam rail is new versus the older range. Unscored.
Oisín — 95 kg, stomach, runs hot
Neither Original was his bed · ordered Performance 26Original: Pelvis 5.0/10. Heat after 3–4 hours. Pro: Pelvis 6.5/10 — better, still borderline.
Performance: Ordered the 26 because Emma’s page said it would hold him up, and because 28/30 add foam he does not want. Hip sink is the first night’s job when it lands.
Seán — mid height, runs hot
Default Emma pick is still Pro · ordered Performance 28On the scored range, Pro is still the default “just tell me which Emma.” He ordered Performance 28 for Drumcondra as the mid height — more contour than 26, not Emma’s deepest 30. Aoife will do guest nights once it lands. Numbers in September, not adjectives now.
What you are paying for in the stack
Original — four different recipes
- Lite (22 cm, 4 layers): Airgocell + 3-zone springs. No memory foam. Guest-room / budget job.
- Original (25 cm, 5 layers): Airgocell, MemoryAdapt 3.0 cm, HRX, 5-zone InfinitySpring 15.8 cm. The bed we tested, now Original+ outlet.
- Pro (27 cm, 6 layers): UltraDry + 20 mm ThermoSync + Airgocell + thinner MemoryAdapt + 7-zone extra-tall 18.5 cm springs.
- Elite (27 cm, 7 layers): First-gen AirGrid 3.5 cm, Airgocell, MemoryAdapt 3.0 cm, SupportBase, 7-zone springs 16 cm. Former Hybrid AirGrid.
Performance — one stack, three depths
- Cool-knit cover — top half zips off, 40°C wash
- Improved Emma AirGrid Tech — same grid on 26, 28 and 30
- Firmer MemoryAdapt — 26: 2 cm · 28: 3.5 cm · 30: 4.5 cm
- SupportBase — 26: 5 cm · 28: 5.5 cm · 30: 6.5 cm
- Zoned pocket springs + foam edge frame
- Second SupportBase
- Bottom cover — single-sided; rotate 180°, never flip
Foam thicknesses on Performance are Emma’s FAQ, copied onto the first looks. We have not cut a 26/28/30 open.
Price bands we have already published
Original Single figures are typical promo from the 31 August /emma hub. Performance 90×190 figures are live emma-sleep.ie prices the same day. Emma’s live price moves.
| Bed | Status | Single / 90×190 we have dated |
|---|---|---|
| Original Lite | 8-week review | €359–€419 typical promo |
| Original (5-layer we tested) | 8-week review | €479–€559 hub promo · review sale ~€391 (RRP €559) |
| Original Pro | 8-week review | €479–€575 hub promo · review sale €380–€530 (RRP €959) |
| Original Elite | 8-week review | €549–€659 typical promo (RRP from €1,099) |
| Performance 26 | First look | €649 live |
| Performance 28 | First look | €1,079 live |
| Performance 30 | First look | €849 live |
As of 31 August 2026 the Performance 28 is currently listed above the 30 on emma-sleep.ie. Buy on emma-sleep.ie for the full 200-night trial.
Pillow & topper
Match the setup
Original and Performance want different pillows. Do not bury a new AirGrid under extra foam.
Original, if you don’t sleep hot
Performance or a hot OriginalEmma Adapt Cooling Pillow
40×70 cm
Going Performance for the new grid, or staying on Original and still running warm? Put ThermoSync at your face instead of stacking another layer on the bed.
Don’t put foam on AirGrid
If Performance feels wrong, that is a different height in the collection, not a topper problem. The 6 cm Original topper is only for the 5-layer Original that still feels too firm.
Original topper reviewSlide the roll onto the frame before you unwrap. Performance wants slats no more than 7 cm apart. Compatible bases: Emma Original Bed, Emma Metal Bed, or best beds.
Emma Original vs Performance — common questions
Bottom line
Stay on Original if you want a scored Emma tonight. Pro is still Seán’s default inside that family; Elite if you want the AirGrid we have already slept on; the 5-layer Original if you fit 60–90 kg and do not overheat; Lite for guest rooms. Buy Performance only if the new grid, the foam rail, and a 26/28/30 height pick are the reason you are here — and you will use the 200-night trial until September scores land. That is the whole collection decision. Inside Original, use Pro vs Original.
Last updated September 2026. Full tests: Emma hub. First looks: 26, 28, 30.
Keep reading
Explore more sleep content to help you make the best choices.
Emma Sleep Ireland Guide
Lite, Original, Pro, Elite, and the Performance first looks
Read moreEmma Original Pro vs Emma Original
If you are already inside the Original range — Pro or the 5-layer we tested
Read moreEmma Original Elite Review
The scored first-gen AirGrid bed — 4.4/5 after eight weeks
Read moreEmma Performance 26 First Look
Shortest new height — Oisín and Ciarán ordered it
Read moreEmma Performance 28 First Look
Mid height — the one Seán ordered for Drumcondra
Read moreBest Cooling Mattress
If heat is the whole decision, start with the cooling roundup
Read more