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Emma pillow review: our top picks for every sleep style
Whether you’re a front, side or back sleeper
Tested by Kim HawleySenior Health & Fitness Tester
Sleep brand Emma is best known for its top-quality mattresses in a box – we've reviewed them all at the Good Housekeeping Institute and they come out on top in our best mattress guide – but it’s also worth nabbing one of the brand's bestselling pillows if you're looking to upgrade your sleep set-up.
Emma offers a range of foam, microfibre and hybrid designs to suit all sleep styles, whether you’re a front, side, back or combination sleeper. They also come in different firmness levels depending on how much support you need.
Best of all, the brand offers a 30-night trial and a two-year guarantee, so if your pillow isn't right for you, you can easily return it and get your money back. Check out our favourites below, or keep reading for our full emma pillow review.
Best Emma pillows to buy now
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To help you find the best buy for you, the Good Housekeeping Institute recruited a panel of testers to try each Emma pillow for a minimum of two weeks before reporting back on their experience. They provided in-depth feedback on a variety of factors including design, comfort, support and washability. You’ll find a full breakdown of our rigorous testing process below.
Here's our experts' Emma pillow review.
Emma Comfort Cooling Pillow
Emma Comfort Cooling Pillow
Pros
- Soft touch cover
- Adjustable
- Easy to clean
Cons
- On the softer side which might not suit all sleep styles
- Tricky to get in standard pillowcases
Score: 89/100
As the name suggests, this microfibre design, which provides medium to soft support, is like sleeping on a cloud. “This pillow is an absolute dream!” said one panellist, while another told us: “It’s the comfiest pillow I’ve ever used."
It features a silky-soft padded cover and a top layer featuring Outlast technology designed to absorb heat and keep things breathable overnight. Inside, there are two removable layers, allowing you to adjust the height and firmness of the pillow to suit your preferences.
Though on the softer side, testers found it provided good support around the neck and shoulders, and they liked the plush, bouncy feel. As a bonus, the entire thing is washable – simply pop it in the machine at 40C.
The chunky design meant it was a little tricky to get into standard pillowcases, but that’s a minor niggle. Overall, a great down alternative with adjustable features and added cooling benefits.
Key specifications
| Support | Medium-soft |
|---|---|
| Filling | Microfibre |
| Machine washable | Washable at 40C |
| Adjustable | Yes |
Emma Adapt Pillow
Emma Adapt Pillow
Pros
- Good for side and back sleepers
- Offers good neck support
- Adjustable
Cons
- Not as well-suited to front sleepers
Score: 89/100
With three layers of plush memory foam, this is a reliable pick for side and back sleepers looking for something firm. It offered top-notch support around the head and neck, with several panellists saying it relieved pressure and helped ease aches and pains, too.
You can flip the pillow over for a slightly different level of firmness – we're big fans of the gel foam layer – or you can remove a layer or two to ensure it’s the perfect height for you.
The cover is also washable, so you can easily keep it fresh when things get hot and sweaty. Testers were impressed with its breathability, and said it washed extremely well, too.
Key specifications
| Support | Firm |
|---|---|
| Filling | Memory foam |
| Machine washable | Outer cover only |
| Adjustable | Yes |
Emma Hybrid Pillow
Emma Hybrid Pillow
Pros
- Very versatile
- Adjustable
- Felt breathable
Cons
- Might be too soft for some
Score: 87/100
Not sure whether you prefer a soft or firm design? Enter the Hybrid Pillow, which provides both options in one neat package. You can switch between the soft microfibre layer, designed to feel like a soft hug, and the firm memory foam layer, depending on your preference. If you want to adjust the pillow’s height to suit your sleeping position, the middle layer is also removable.
It received rave reviews from our panellists, who noted it was extremely quiet overnight, it regulated their temperature well and was easy to adjust. “I feel like I was getting better quality sleep,” one panellist told us.
It didn’t quite hit the right level of firmness for some, but if you’re searching for flexibility, you can’t go wrong.
Key specifications
| Support | Soft and firm |
|---|---|
| Filling | Memory foam, microfibre |
| Machine washable | Yes, up to 40C |
| Adjustable | Yes |
Emma Adapt Cooling Pillow
Emma Adapt Cooling Pillow
Pros
- Breathable
- Easy to clean
- Adjustable
Cons
- Some found it too firm
Score: 78/100
If you like the sound of the Emma Adapt above but you tend to run hot at night, the Adapt Cooling Pillow is worth considering.
It boasts a breathable knitted cover to wick away moisture and a ThermoSynch foam layer to regulate your body temperature as you snooze. The two remaining layers – which can be removed to create the perfect sleep surface for you – are designed to provide cushioning and support around your head and neck.
Our panel loved the washable cover, which remained soft to the touch post-wash and was easy to fit back onto the pillow. Some found it a little too firm, but most agreed that it was comfortable and breathable throughout the night.
Key specifications
| Support | Medium to firm |
|---|---|
| Filling | Memory foam, ThermoSynch cooling foam |
| Machine washable | Cover only, up to 60C |
| Adjustable | Yes |
How we test Emma pillows
At the Good Housekeeping Institute, our testing process is extremely rigorous. We don’t just ask one person to try the pillows for a night or two; instead, we recruit a panel of testers to trial each product for a minimum of two weeks before giving us detailed feedback on what they did and didn't like.
Panellists rated each pillow based on comfort, support, washability and breathability, letting us know whether they’d continue to use it after the trial period or not. Back in the GHI lab, our experts conducted further wash tests to check for shrinkage and changes in quality.
Once all testing was complete, we analysed all the feedback and awarded each product an overall score.
Why trust the Good Housekeeping Institute
We’ve been testing products at the Good Housekeeping Institute for over a century, so we know exactly what separates a good product from a disappointing one. Every pillow in this round-up has been tested to the exact same protocols by our senior sleep and wellness tester, Kim Hawley.
Once testing is complete, our sleep and wellness editor, Priyankaa Joshi, turns all the feedback into an easy-to-read review to help you make an informed decision before shopping.
Priyanka oversees all our sleep guides, including the best mattress protectors, the best sleep gadgets and the best cooling pyjamas. Priyankaa has over seven years' experience in sleep and wellness journalism, so knows a thing or two about what makes the ideal bedroom set-up.
More Tried and Tested sleep buys
- Need to upgrade your mattress? Check out our full Emma Mattress review
- We’ve tested the best mattress toppers for all needs and budgets
- If you're thinking about investing in a sleep tracker, read our sleep editor’s Oura Ring review
The verdict on Emma pillows
The Emma Comfort Cooling Pillow is our best choice if you’re after down-like softness and a medium-firm level of support.
For those after something firmer to provide lots of support, the Adapt Pillow is top recommendation.
If you’re looking for a Goldilocks level of firmness – not too firm, not too soft – Emma's two-in-one Hybrid Pillow is your best bet. And if cooling capabilities are key, opt for the Adapt Cooling Pillow.
Priyankaa is our sleep and wellness expert, specialising in expert-tested reviews and roundups on the latest health and fitness products. From walking boots to running machines, Priyankaa has written about hundreds of products and is passionate about providing in-depth, unbiased reviews. Plus, as an avid runner and gymgoer, she knows exactly what to look for when finding the right gymwear, fitness tracker or earphones.
Priyankaa has an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and over five years’ experience in health and fitness journalism. Priyankaa has written for Stylist’s Strong Women Training Club, where she regularly wrote about diversity in the fitness industry, nutrition tips, training advice and her experience completing various fitness challenges. She has also written for a variety of publications including Business Insider, Glamour, Bustle, Metro, HuffPost UK, gal-dem and more. Outside of work, Priyankaa can usually be found trying out a new gym class, seeking out London's best eats or watching a Spanish TV show in a bid to keep up her language skills.
Kim Hawley is the Senior Health & Fitness Tester at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she leads the independent testing of health, fitness, wellness and sleep products using evidence-led protocols and her extensive industry expertise.
With more than 30 years' experience in the health and fitness industry, Kim has worked as a lead personal trainer, fitness instructor and health writer, teaching at some of London's leading health clubs, including The Harbour Club, David Lloyd and The Chelsea Club. Kim has a particular interest in women's health, especially pre-, peri- and post-menopause, and combines hands-on industry experience with rigorous product evaluation. From fitness trackers and smartwatches to home gym equipment, recovery devices, wellness tech, supplements and sleep solutions, she oversees comprehensive testing to help consumers make confident, informed purchasing decisions they can trust.
