I slept on the Emma Premium Pillow for a month – not too soft, not too firm, this pillow could be ‘the one'

Temperature-regulating, customisable, and supportive – the Emma Premium Pillow certainly markets itself as having all the hallmarks of one of the best pillows around.

Plus, that height-adjustable three-layer design means the brand promises it will be 'the one' for you whether you're a side, back, or front sleeper. A triple threat promise that it’s hard not to be impressed by. However, the Emma Premium Pillow is over £100, which does seem a considerable sum, for a pillow.

Is it worth the investment? Our Emma Premium Pillow review puts it to the test to find out. Here’s our reviewer with everything you need to know.

Emma Premium Pillow review

Specifications

• Construction materials: polyester, elastane, foam
• Product size: H adjustable x W70 x D40cm
• Care instructions: Cover is machine washable at 60°C
• Manufacturer sleep trial: 30 nights

How I tested

Richard Jones

I’m Richard, a writer and editor who specialises in health and wellness. I’m especially interested in sleep, and how it affects general health. For this review, I tested the Emma Premium Pillow, sleeping on it for several weeks to test out the pillow's comfort, support, breathablity, ease of care, and its impact on my overall sleep quality in that time.

My sleep stats:

• As a 6 foot tall side sleeper I tend to need a high loft pillow that matches my shoulder width in order to keep my head and neck well aligned
• Previously prefered to sleep with two firm pillows and on an incline due to allergies (hayfever, dust) and breathing problems
• Can get neck and back pain if pillows aren’t firm enough

Construction

Whilst some customisable pillows like the Simba Hybrid Pillow and its 'nanocube' fill (that's a lot of little blue foam cubes to the uninitiated) can be a bit fiddly to adjust, Emma has kept it really simple with the construction of the height-adjustable Emma Premium Pillow.

On the outside, you have the knitted polyester cover which then unzips to reveal three foam inserts that you can take out or add back in to adjust the pillow height.

There's a grey foam layer and two white foam layers. Both the grey foam, which by my measurements is around 4cm high, and the thinnest and softest white foam layer, which I measure to be 5cm in depth, are domed. The middle foam layer which measures approximately 3cm high is more rectangular in shape and made from HRX foam layer (HRX stands for High Resiliency Extra).

The dark grey foam layer, which feels very squidgy and dense compared to the lighter white foam layers, is made from 'ThermoSync foam'. Emma doesn't give much detail about this material on the product page of the brand's website, beyond saying that it's temperature regulating.

However, ThermoSync foam is also used in the construction of the Emma Luxe Cooling Mattress, and our review of this mattress discovered that temperature regulation is achieved by infusing the foam with graphite particles which help to absorb body heat. So I assume this is also the case with the ThermoSync foam used in the Emma Premium Pillow.

There's then a layer of HRX Foam (HRX stands for High Resiliency Extra), and a layer of softer foam.

What type of sleeper does it suit?

The customisation available with the height-adjustable Emma Premium pillow is its main USP, as you can alter the loft of this pillow according to your sleep style.

As a side sleeper with wide shoulders, I’m always after as much elevation as possible, so I preferred sleeping with all of the foam inserts inside. That's because the best pillows for side sleepers are those that keep the neck in alignment with your spine, so side sleepers need a pillow that's high enough to match the width of one of their shoulders.

However, a back or front sleeper might want to take out the middle foam section, leaving the grey Thermosync foam and the softest foam layer for a less elevated pillow.

Some might just find – as I did – that it can be hard to squeeze the foam inserts back into the pillow after taking them out as they tend to stick to each other rather than gliding in and out smoothly.

How comfortable is it?

As with any pillow, comfort is a subjective thing, and one person's 'just right' is another's 'not firm enough'.

This isn’t one of those big, soft, down-filled pillows you get in 5-star hotel rooms. Foam just doesn’t have the pillowy softness that you get from a down fill.

However, as 6ft side sleeper with fairly wide shoulders I like a dense pillow that has enough height to keep my head well raised rather than dipping down. That hotel-like, sink-in sort of pillow doesn't suit me as I don’t feel like those pillows prop up my head enough or make me feel supported when I sleep.

Overall, I think the Emma Premium pillow is definitely in Goldilocks territory – not too soft and not too firm. It offers cushioning and support and has enough customisation options to suit front, back, and most side sleepers. The only caveat being that side sleepers with a wider build might still need a bit more height than the Emma Premium pillow offers.

To put it into perspective against other premium pillows I've tested, the Simba Hybrid Firm Pillow can be customised to be higher than the Emma Premium pillow, which means your head is more elevated. That means the Simba option may well suit side sleepers with wider shoulders like me better. I also liked the firmness the Simba option offers.

In my opinion, the Emma Premium Pillow is a middle ground between the Simba Hybrid Firm Pillow and the original Simba Hybrid Pillow.

The Emma Premium offers more support than the Simba Hybrid Pillow, which is softer and more down-like. This makes the Simba Hybrid pillow a lot less elevated, so it wasn't the right fit for me, although it remains a popular choice with back sleepers or those side sleepers with narrower shoulders.

How breathable is it?

Bedding that features synthetic fillings can be prone to making us overheat at night, as synthetic materials don't offer the same breathability as natural fibres.

However, thankfully Emma addresses this probem with the Thermosync foam layer that's designed to improve temperature regulation.

Whatever adjustments you make to the pillow's inner foam layers, you just want to make sure that you keep this insert as the top layer inside your pillow so that it's next to your head.

This Thermosync layer works in tandem with a knitted, textured pillow cover designed to allow to air circulate through it so that the heat from your head can dissipate.

While any cooling effect perhaps wasn't extremely noticeable, I still found these features worked well during a recent heatwave, keeping my face fairly cool as I slept and preventing any uncomfortable night sweats. It’s always a certified selling point when the cool side of the pillow remains just that.

Is it good for those with allergies?

Foam and synthetic fill pillows are generally considered a safer bet for people with allergies than down or feather pillows. That's because some down pillows can harbor dust mites, mould, and other allergens besides the down itself.

That’s not to say that dust can’t build up with synthetic or foam pillows either, but with a cover that is machine washable at 60°c you’ll be able to prevent dust and dirt build up on the Emma Premium pillow which should help with any allergies you might have.

I usually struggle with allergies keeping me awake at night, and although I can't entirely put it down to the pillow alone, I did find that during my month trying out the Emma Premium Pillow my allergies were subdued.

Care instructions

Like most foam pillows, you can’t machine wash the foam inserts, but you can still unzip the Emma Premium pillow's cover and pop it in the washing machine.

Emma states that the cover is machine washable up to 60°c, which is a pretty high temperature compared to similar pillows with removable covers.

Verdict

The Emma Premium pillow's versatility will no doubt suit a range of sleepers, with its customisable height potentially allowing you to create the exact right pillow height for your preferred sleep position.

I found this pillow was a good middle ground – not too soft, not too firm, not too low, not too high – offering a good mix of support and cushioning. And, the fact that any overheating has been addressed with the layer of Thermosync foam is good news for hot sleepers.

However, that £115 RRP is definite an investment. That said, Emma does offer a 30 night sleep trial on the Emma Premium Pillow, which gives you time to test it out and find out if one of its three adjustable heights is for you. Plus, if you can snap it up when there are bedding deals on offer, you might be able to pay a lot less.

For its price point, it's just a shame that none of the synthetic materials used in this pillow's construction appear to be derived from recycled sources, and, as synthetic materials are generally non-biodegradable and can contribute to environmental pollution, this may not be the pillow for you if you're after an eco-friendly option.

On the flip side, synthetic pillow fillings are popular with allergy sufferers as dust mites aren't a fan of these plastic-derived materials – I certainly didn't notice this pillow triggered any of my allergies whilst I slept on it – and the fact the exterior is machine washable at 60°c will be a big plus point for some.

All in all, I think this pillow is a good all-rounder, and if you're struggling to find a pillow that quite nails it for you in the comfort stakes then the Emma Premium Pillow is well worth a test out.