The Purple mattress is quite different from the ubiquitous memory foam mattresses. This mattress uses a patented Smart Comfort Grid technology that, according to the manufacturer, makes memory foam ‘so 1999.’
But we’ve known Purple for its hyped marketing and spirited campaigns. So, does its claim of having made the coolest and the best pressure-relieving mattress really hold water?
Find out in our full Purple Mattress Review below.
Buying a memory foam mattress for the first time?
Actually, the Purple mattress does not use the normal memory foam that we’ve known in other mattresses. It uses a special type of hyper-elastic polymer that makes it a little bit less firm than memory foam.
This is a unique material that is quite hard to categorize and describe. It’s also a tad bit hard to compare with any other since it’s currently in a class of its own in the mattress realm.
All in all, it portrays most of the traits that memory foam is known for considering that they are both created from a blend of chemicals.
Foam mattresses are known for their excellent conformability. These beds contour around the body of the sleeper to offer excellent spinal and upper back and lumbar bones alignment.
Subsequently, they boast the best pressure-relieving and back pain reduction attributes compared to their latex and innerspring alternatives. They might be the best if you are in need of a mattress that will help in soothing your bad back and sores muscles. They also fit the bill for people who want the best bed for sciatica and arthritis.
However, do know that foam mattresses vary in construction design and will, therefore, meet various sleepers’ needs differently.
So, keep an eye on the following features before committing to a particular model
- Density/conformability
- Thickness
- Edge support
- Motion transfer
- Heat retention
- Your ease of movement on the bed
- Offgassing
- Warranty
- Certification
I’ve described each of the above aspects in detail in my other guide of the best mattresses. Click here for an in-depth insight into each of them.
The Purple Mattress- What is it? What does it promise?
The Purple is a unique type of mattress that derives its name from the color of its comfort layer. It is made of a hyper-elastic polymer. The manufacturer claims that this is an advanced material compared to the viscous-elastic polyurethane used in conventional memory foam mattresses.
It promises to intelligently adapt to your sleeping posture and conform to your body for top-notch comfort and support and pain-relief.
Its patented Smart Grid Comfort technology promises to neutralize your body temperatures to offer you a cool sleeping surface without perspirations (more about it later).
This is the original bed-in-a-box from this manufacturer that was received gladly by buyers who wanted a mattress that offered all the benefits of memory foam without causing them sweaty nights.
It’s an elder sibling to the New Purple Mattress that incorporates a layer of 7.5-inch coils. The new offering might be a great pick if you adore the bounciness that comes with innerspring mattresses. Its squeaky coils that scream with every turn, however, might be a put off especially during intimacy.
The original Purple mattress will make a great purchase if;
- You are looking for a mattress that will allow you to sleep in different postures
- If you are looking for a mattress that won’t choke you with petroleum odors
- You want a comfortable medium-firm mattress for your bad back
This mattress won’t fit you if you;
- Are heavier than average (180lbs+) and sleep on your stomach
- Want a firm mattress
- Are a diehard fan of a particular type of mattress. This mattress isn’t memory foam or latex. It’s, therefore, a little bit hard to compare to any other bed that we’ve reviewed here.
Pros
- Offers notable heat elimination compared to memory foam
- It’s comfortable
- Offers above-average support for lightweight to mid-weight sleepers
- Minimizes pressure points for most people
- Has incredible motion isolation
- Has no odors
Cons
- Not the best edge support
- Lightweight sleepers way below the 130-pound mark may find it excessively firm
- It’s heavier than most memory foam mattresses and, therefore, a bit hectic to lift
Company location and mattress certification
With the entry of new brands in the memory foam mattresses supremacy, it’s always a good idea to carry out due diligence on the country of origin and the materials used in the mattress for your safety.
This eliminates the risk of falling for mattresses that have been engineered from chemicals that might subject you to PBDEs, phthalates, heavy metals, and harmful VOC odors.
That’s not the case with the Purple mattress though. We appreciate that this model is made in the USA and has been certified to meet CertiPUR-US safety requirements.
This certification means that you won’t be subjecting yourself and your family to heavy metals and harmful chemicals that may negatively affect their health.
Construction
The original Purple mattress is made up of 3 layers;
Layer 1: 2-inch Hyper Elastic Polymer
The comfort layer of this mattress is where all the magic happens. As I told you before, this layer has been crafted from a hyper-elastic polymer and has a unique grid structure to it.
Being a little more viscous than memory foam, this comfort layer gives the Purple mattress a higher degree of conformability.
Its grid system, on the other hand, gives it a good amount of bounce and speedier resilience subsequently making it easy for you to change positions with ease.
On the same note, the grid design makes this layer more supportive without necessarily being overly denser.
Uniquely, the grid columns give in and collapse around your heavy and sharp regions and maintain support around the light regions.
This feature helps in minimizing pressure points and also helps in distributing your weight evenly across the mattress.
That’s not all…
We also like that the Smart Comfort Grid Technology creates some free-flow air channels that promote air circulation around the sleeping surface.
Put together, all these features make the Purple mattress a good contender in any debate of the best mattress for back pain relief.
Concerning, the free-flow air channels, most of its previous buyers actually confirm that it sleeps cool. In fact, some of them affirm that it gets cold. If you tend to sleep hot especially in summer, I bet this mattress will be a good fit for you.
Layer 2: Transition layer
The second layer is a 3.5-inch polyurethane pad that is considerably denser than the comfort layer at 1.8lbs but plusher than the base layer. Its essence is to offer you a medium-firm feel that lets you sink into the mattress without bottoming out.
So, it literally holds you mid-air. Note, however, that heavy sleepers maxing out at 180lbs+ might sink through and find it uncomfortably firm.
Base layer
The last layer is a 4-inch high-density poly foam that supports the top layers and the sleeper on top. Its 2-pound density ensures even support across the bed besides boosting its durability.
What is the cover made of?
This mattress features a knit fabric made from a blend of viscose 29%, polyester 67%, and Lycra 4%. Compliments to the Lycra and Viscose materials used here, the cover is generally stretchy and a good motion absorber.
Again, these 2 materials combine with polyester to give this cover excellent breathability and sweat-wicking capabilities thereby boosting this mattress’ cool-sleeping attributes.
Worth noting, however, is that the cover is quite thin (for breathability reasons). Therefore, it’s necessary, to top it up with a set of stretchy sheets to minimize the feel of the grid system. The Easeland 1800-thread count bed sheets might make a good choice here.
Will it suit your sleeping posture?
As I pointed out before, the Purple mattress is a medium-firm mattress. Its Smart Comfort Grid technology, however, makes it lean towards the softer side more.
That being said, this mattress makes a good choice for light-to-medium sized sleepers regardless of their sleeping styles.
Back sleepers tend to benefit the most from this mattress though. Its supportive grid system helps in distributing the weight evenly across the mattress with minimal to zero pressure points.
So long as you are not weighty enough to bottom out the transition layer, this mattress should offer what you need in terms of support and comfort if you are a side or stomach sleeper as well. As you cruise past the 180-pound mark, you might start to experience some pressure points around the hip and shoulder regions.
Is the Purple mattress good for couples?
Sure! In my opinion, the Purple mattress makes a really good mattress for couples. First, this mattress performs above-average in motion isolation.
It might not be a match to a high-quality latex or memory foam mattress, but its performance is still good enough to isolate you from the noise of your tossing and turning partner.
Secondly, this mattress’ Smart Grid technology makes it slightly bouncier than the average memory foam mattress. This will play a good role in creating and maintaining a good rhythm during sex.
On the same note, these grids’ columns make it a little bit more responsive and might, therefore, allow you to change positions and styles easily.
Even better, this mattress sleeps cooler than most of its memory foam alternatives and it’s not noisy. That being said, the Purple mattress has my full approval if you are looking for a good mattress for intimacy.
Will it help with my back pain issues?
At sleepify, we always recommend medium-firm mattresses for back pain and pressure point relief. This mattress’ unique construction design makes it a superb consideration here.
First, its grid system makes it a little bit more responsive than memory foam and, therefore, promises continuous support as you turn and toss.
Secondly, this thoughtful design also promotes even weight distribution. Moreover, the fact that it sleeps cool coupled with its motion isolation attribute means that there will be minimal disturbances emanating from heat or from your partner.
This results to a more restful night that might lead to a speedy healing process.
However, do note that this mattress might aggravate your situation especially if you are heavier than average. Such situations call for a little bit firmer mattress. It’s also a good idea to consult your doctor for further advice on the best mattress for your condition.
Availability, warranty, and trial period
Purple mattresses are sold only online at purple.com and other online retailers including Amazon.
If you buy it directly from Purple, this mattress will come with a 100-day trial period which is quite impressive. Even better, the delivery guys will set it up for you and even take away your old mattress if you wish.
On the other hand, it might ship faster if you buy it from Amazon. The only compromise, however, is that you get a shorter trial period- 30 days.
Regardless of where you get it, though, the Purple mattress comes with a 10-year non-prorated warranty.
What do other people say?
I was eager to hear other people’s reviews and feedback about the Purple mattress. And what I got after scouring the internet was quite impressive.
This mattress had 13k+ reviews on purple.com (when typing this). Of these, over 10k+ reviewers had given it a clean 5/5-star rating. On Amazon, it had garnered 750+ reviews with 63% of them rating it 5 out of 5.
Basically, this statics show that this mattress has been received with a lot of enthusiasm by most of its buyers.
Two things that clearly stood out from most of these reviews were back, shoulder, and lumbar joint pain relief and comfort.
Most of them also affirm that this mattress sleeps cool and minimizes tossing and turning.
Possible alternatives
In case this mattress does not meet your needs, here are a few other options that might interest you;
Modway Aveline 10-inch Gel infused memory foam mattress
The Modway Aveline is a cheaper alternative to the Purple mattress and might make a great choice for homeowners on a shoestring budget.
This CertiPur-us certified mattress has a medium-firm density and might, therefore, accommodate different sleeping positions.
It might not sleep as cool as Purple. But we appreciate that the memory foam used in its construction has gel to give it an open-cell structure for excellent heat dissipation. In fact, a high percentage of its previous buyers affirm that it sleeps cool.
Olee Sleep Hybrid Memory foam mattress
The Olee Sleep is a hybrid mattress employing an innerspring system and several layers of memory foam.
Unlike the Purple mattress, this one is a little bit firmer. Thus, it might make a good bet for heavy people who find the Purple mattress way too soft for their sleeping needs.
Among other things, we love that its construction also features gel infusion to render you a cool sleeping surface. Worth noting is that the Olee Sleep comes in full, queen, and King sizes only.
Lucid 16’’ Memory Foam and Latex Mattress
For those who would like to enjoy the benefits of latex and memory in one package, the Lucid 16’’ is the way to go. Its high profile design makes it a favorite choice for tall people.
It has a medium firm feel and most of its previous buyers say that it has helped them a lot with their back pain issues. We appreciate its bamboo cover that not only helps in boosting this bed’s hypoallergenic traits but also soothes you as you drift to sleep.
Moreover, since it is Lucid, it meets Certipur-us stringent health requirements. It also comes with by a rock-solid 25-year warranty. We’ve also covered how the Purple mattress compares to Sleep Number on Sleepify which may better suit your needs.
Conclusion
Does your current mattress cause you back pains and lots of tossing and turning? Is it becoming almost hard for you to get a medium-firm mattress that does not turn out to be either too firm or too soft?
Well, I bet the Purple mattress will make a great pick for you.
This mattress has been crafted from a hyper-viscous polymer that offers more conformability and responsiveness than memory foam.
Its comfort layer features a patented Smart Grid Technology with columns that offer support where you need it most besides maintaining a cool sleeping surface.
