DreamCloud vs Emma vs Nectar: Which boxed mattress should you buy in Presidents’ Day sales?

DreamCloud vs Emma vs Nectar, featuring all three mattresses with a light blue background
(Image credit: DreamCloud / Emma / Nectar)

Are you torn between buying a DreamCloud, Emma or Nectar mattress? All three are affordable beds-in-a-box that are comfortable in their own right – but knowing how each of them performs (and how strong their sales are) will help you pick a clear winner in the showdown between DreamCloud vs Emma vs Nectar. 

Below, we've compared the DreamCloud Hybrid, the Emma Original and the Nectar Mattress to help you decide which is the best mattress for your needs a budget. Fortunately, all three are discounted in this year's Presidents’ Day sales and come with a full year for you to try them out at home. Keep scrolling to find out which of these popular boxed mattresses you should should bring home this Presidents' Day...

DreamCloud vs Emma vs Nectar: Presidents' Day Deals

The DreamCloud: $839, $419 at DreamCloud
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was £1,332 now £665

The DreamCloud: was $839, now from $419 at DreamCloud
The DreamCloud is one of the best-value luxury hybrids on the market. This mattress offers the best of both worlds with a mixture of contouring foams with springs that is perfect for back and stomach sleepers. We think it's one of the best mattresses for back pain – and hot sleepers will love how it doesn’t get too hot thanks to the cooling gel-infused layer and soft-to-touch cashmere blend cover. The DreamCloud Presidents’ Day Sale knocks 50% off all sizes, dropping the price of a queen to $665 (was $1,332). You also get a 365-night home trial, forever warranty and free shipping and returns. 
Read more: DreamCloud Mattress review

Emma Original:$659,$329 at Emma 
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Emma Original: was $659, now from $329 at Emma
The Emma Original is made out of breathable Point Elastic Airgocell foam, Halo memory foam and HRX support foam. It is perfect for side sleepers who want to feel that body-hugging comfort all-foam mattresses tend to offer. Despite it being a great choice for side sleepers, we also found it comfortable for back and front sleeping. Whilst the Emma Original is a good mid-range mattress, its Presidents’ Day sale makes it an absolute steal. You can get 55% off, which drops the price of a queen Emma mattress to just $580 (was $1,159). You also get a 365-night home trial,  10-year warranty and free shipping. 
Read more: Emma Original mattress review

The Nectar Mattress:$699 $349 at Nectar
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The Nectar Mattress: was $699, now from $349 at Nectar
The Nectar mattress regularly tops our guide to the best memory foam mattresses. That’s because this medium-firm offering is comfortable for almost all sleeping positions, especially side sleepers. It offers exceptional cushioning around the shoulders and hips – and for couples, it expertly handles motion transfer so you won’t experience any more disturbed night sleep courtesy of a restless partner. Our testers also found that the Nectar has decent edge support for those who like to take up as much of their sleep surface as possible. For Presidents' Day, Nectar is holding steady with its 40% off discount. That still knocks a queen-sized mattress to $659 (was $1,099). You'll get free shipping and returns, as well as a one-year trial and a forever warranty.
Read more: Nectar Mattress review

DreamCloud Hybrid vs Emma Original vs The Nectar: The mattresses

The DreamCloud Mattress photographed on a wooden bedframe placed in a dark blue bedroom and with a couple laughing and sitting on the mattress

(Image credit: DreamCloud Sleep)

The DreamCloud is a luxury hybrid at a mid-range price, which helps it earn a spot in our best hybrid mattress guide. This 14-inch tall, five-layer mattress-in-a-box combines an innerspring base with multiple layers of foam for a balance of relief and support. The quilted cashmere-blend cover offers an extra touch of luxury whilst helping to keep this mattress feeling cool and fresh all night long. 

It has a medium-firm rating but our testers found it much firmer than advertised – closer to an 8 out of 10 on the firmness scale. Still, it provides consistent pressure relief and comfortably contours the body. The coils offer a little bounce and increase breathability, so hot sleepers won’t get too warm overnight. It's suitable for all types of sleepers, with side sleepers enjoying a small amount of sink-in comfort, whilst back and stomach sleepers will enjoy the feeling of sleeping on top of the mattress. Just beware if you're on the smaller side, as you may need a little extra time to break this one in.

Best mattress: the Emma Original Mattress placed on a stylish bed frame and covered in a white duvet and pillows

(Image credit: Emma)

The Emma Original is a popular memory foam mattress that's comfortable for all types of sleepers. Side sleepers, however, will really love the body-hugging comfort it offers. This mattress is made up of three types of foam, including a Halo Memory Foam layer for additional spinal support. The cover is woven with a moisture-wicking fiber so that hot sleepers won’t get too warm whilst they sleep. 

The Emma has a medium rating, sitting at around 5 out of 10 on the firmness scale. Because there are no springs, there’s no real bounce to this mattress so you will feel as though you sink into the surface when you lay down, something that may turn off heavier sleepers who want to be able to move around a little more freely. Couples will also find this mattress a good choice as it isolates motion well – perfect for those who have a restless partner or operate on a different sleep schedule. Edge support could be better, but that's typical of most foam-only beds.

Nectar Memory Foam mattress in a bedroom

(Image credit: Nectar)

The Nectar Mattress heads our list of the best memory foam mattresses because it boasts excellent value and a comfortable sleeping experience for most people. There's loads of cushioning around the shoulders and hips, which makes it the ideal choice for side sleepers. However, many back and stomach sleepers can also find a great deal of support and comfort here – but heavier individuals may find a hybrid like the DreamCloud more supportive for their needs.

The Nectar has a medium-firm feel that's between a 6.5 and 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale, but you’ll still experience that sink-in luxury that memory foam mattresses are known for. The 12-inch Nectar features three types of foam, including pressure-relieving memory foam. On top is a polyethylene cover to wick away moisture, and whilst you can remove it Nectar advises against this to keep the foam layers intact. (Taking off the cover will void your warranty.) Bed-sharers will appreciate the Nectar's low level of motion transfer so you’re unlikely to get disturbed when one of you moves around. 

DreamCloud Hybrid vs Emma Original vs The Nectar: Value for money

The DreamCloud, Emma Original and Nectar Mattress are all great values for money with each of them offering their own standout features. You can often get good deals on each of these mattresses throughout the year with regular sales popping up around major holidays, including Presidents’ Day. 

The DreamCloud is our only hybrid mattress on the list. Usually, hybrids come at a higher price than memory foam. However, regular DreamCloud mattress sales keep it competitively priced amongst the competition. The standard offer is 40% off, but right now you can save 50% on all sizes of the DreamCloud Hybrid. At just $665 for a queen, that's one of the lowest prices we've ever tracked for it. Better yet, DreamCloud also offers a 365-night home sleep trial, a forever warranty and free shipping and returns. You can add a discounted bedding bundle from $79.

The Emma Original is the most budget-friendly out of the three mattresses featured here. The Emma Presidents’ Day sale cuts 55% off the Emma Original, so you’ll be saving $580 on a queen-size Emma Original with it now costing just $579. This makes it one of the best memory foam mattress prices we’ve seen so far during this year's Presidents' Day mattress sales. Emma also offers a generous 365-night home sleep trial, along with a 10-year warranty and free shipping and returns. 

The Nectar Original may have the smallest percent-off discount among these three beds, but it's still a great value for a high-quality mattress. However, Nectar isn't doing anything different for the holiday as 40% off is the evergreen Nectar mattress sale. Still, that brings the price of a queen to $659, which is a great deal for a mattress of that size. Like the DreamCloud and Emma, Nectar offers a 365-night home trial plus free shipping and returns. There's also a forever warranty and an optional discounted bedding bundle from $99.

DreamCloud Hybrid vs Emma Original vs The Nectar: which should you buy?

Buy the DreamCloud Hybrid if…

You want a luxury hotel mattress at an affordable price: The DreamCloud is proof that you don't need to spend a lot on a luxurious hotel-quality mattress. A 50% discount for Presidents' Day yields some of the lowest prices we've ever seen from DreamCloud. The one-year trial and lifetime warranty are nice, too.

You’re a back or stomach sleeper: The DreamCloud Hybrid is a medium-firm mattress but feels firmer than advertised. This means it’s perfect for back and side sleepers who want that extra support around their pressure points. 

You want a bit of bounce: If you want that body-hugging comfort of foam but still want to enjoy that bit of bounce that comes with springs, then the DreamCloud is a great choice choice. You'll get the best of both worlds, along with excellent motion isolation and a cool night's sleep.

Check out our DreamCloud coupon codes, where you’ll find unbeatable deals on everything from mattresses to pillows and bedding. Whether you're upgrading your sleep setup or refreshing your bedroom essentials, these offers have you covered.

Buy the Emma Original if…

You mostly sleep on your side: If you want to feel like your mattress is giving you a big old hug whilst you sleep then you’ll love the Emma Original. The Halo Memory Foam, Point Elastic Airgocell and High Resiliency Extra (HRX) Supreme Foam work together to support your spine whilst offering all-over contouring plus extra cushioning along key pressure points.

You share a bed: If you’re fed up with being disturbed by a restless partner then the all-foam construction of this Emma Original will help you avoid sleep divorce. It does a great job of absorbing and isolating motion, meaning no more mid-night disturbances. 

You’re on a budget: This is one of the cheapest all-form mattresses that you can buy. Emma often runs sales throughout the year so you can always get a good discount no matter when you’re looking to buy. Currently, the queen-size Emma Original is just $579, and it comes with a 365-night trial and a 10-year warranty. 

Buy the Nectar Mattress if…

You’re a combination sleeper. It doesn’t matter whether you sleep on your back, stomach, side or a combination of them each. The medium-firm Nectar has you covered. With three layers of foam, this mattress is not just comfortable, it’s supportive for most sleepers, too. 

You sleep hot but want memory foam: Memory foam is known for getting hot whilst you sleep, but Nectar created a specialized cooling cover using polyethylene fibers to wick away heat and moisture. Provided you don't have severe night sweats, you'll fare well with the Nectar.

You're willing to spend a little more (but still want a great deal): The Nectar may be pricier than the Emma Original, but it's still an affordable mattress that comes with industry-leading amenities (one-year trial, lifetime warranty). 

Rachael Penn
Contributor

Rachael is a freelance journalist based in South Wales who writes about lifestyle, travel, home and technology. She also reviews a variety of products for various publications including Tom’s Guide, CreativeBloq, IdealHome and Woman&Home. When she’s not writing and reviewing products she can be found walking her Sealyham and West Highland terrier dogs or catching up on some cringe-worthy reality tv.