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Maintaining physical and mental health starts with getting enough high-quality, restorative sleep. Physically, sleep helps prevent chronic diseases, like diabetes and depression [1] Good contouring sinkage can give sleepers the feeling of being “hugged” by their mattress, but too much sink can result in misalignment of the spine, especially for stomach and back sleepers. , and may slow the onset or progression of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, while poor sleep patterns can increase those risks. [2] Sadeghmousavi S, et al. The Effect of Insomnia on Development of Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of Neuroinflammation. Oct. 6, 2020 Mentally, a good night’s sleep helps people with their daily functioning, recovery, and emotional balance, according to Joel Frank, PsyD, psychologist and founder at Duality Psychological Services in Sherman Oaks, California. “In sleep, our brains consolidate, memories are sorted, learning is integrated, and emotional complexities are given space to breathe,” he said.
A good night’s sleep becomes increasingly important as we age. But restorative sleep can be compromised when people experience pain or insomnia, sleep with bed partners, or sleep on uncomfortable beds. To help you find the right mattress, we reviewed the Purple mattress (the company’s original mattress). Read on to learn more about our experience with the brand’s flagship mattress.
While the brand lists the Purple mattress as a medium-firm mattress, our testers found it on the firmer side. Mattress companies typically describe medium-firm as a 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, but our Reviews Team testers rated it as a seven out of 10.
If you’re concerned about sinking into the Purple mattress, don’t be. Our testers felt like they were lying on top of the mattress instead of sinking into it. We had the same experience when we tested the Purple Restore Hybrid, which also has a firm level of support.
We think the original Purple mattress is a good choice for anyone looking for a medium-firm mattress that’s comfortable but not too soft.
Our Reviews Team scored the Purple mattress’s performance in edge support, cooling, motion transferⓘ The amount of movement felt on one side of the mattress when a bed partner moves on the other side of the bed. , bounce, and pressure relief. Although the Purple mattress can support many sleeping positions, its poor edge support may be a deal-breaker for some people, especially those with mobility challenges or who like to sleep close to the edge of the bed.
We rated performance results to determine whether this mattress is a good choice for people with different body types or sleeping position preferences.
Our testers reported that the mattress was responsive, making it easy to move around. Because of its responsiveness and bounce, we think it could be a good choice for combination sleepers, which are people who change positions often throughout the night.
Our team was disappointed to discover that the Purple mattress has poor edge supportⓘ This refers to the bed’s stability along the edges. . Even though it has a layer of edge support foam, our testers felt the mattress sink considerably when sitting or lying on the edge.
Although we think this mattress is a good choice for back sleepers, our team of testers would not recommend the original Purple mattress for higher-weight people (over 250 pounds) who tend to sleep on their side or stomach. The mattress is firmer than the average medium-firm, but its limited edge support may not provide enough support to side sleepers who sleep toward the edges of the bed. Additionally, stomach sleepers need a fairly firm mattress to keep their hips elevated and their spine aligned, and we don’t think this mattress is supportive enough for higher-weight sleepers in the stomach position.
For more recommendations for side sleepers, see our reviews of the 10 best mattresses for side sleepers.
Research shows that mattresses can help with chronic pain relief by promoting restorative sleep.a [3] Whale K. and Gooberman-Hill R. The Importance of Sleep for People With Chronic Pain: Current Insights and Evidence. The Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. June 2, 2022 The original Purple mattress’s medium-firm feel may be an ideal level of support for people with back pain. According to one review, medium-firm mattresses have been shown to promote comfort and sleep quality in people with low back pain. [4] Caggiari G, et al. What Type of Mattress Should Be Chosen to Avoid Back Pain and Improve Sleep Quality? Review of the Literature. Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. Dec. 8, 2021.
The Purple mattress performed fairly well in our pressure relief testing. According to our test results, back sleepers can expect to feel minimal pressure on areas like the shoulders, spine, and hips when sleeping on this mattress. For side sleepers, our tests showed that the shoulders and hips may feel slightly more pressure, but not like they would when sleeping on a firm mattress.
The responsiveness of the Purple mattress made it easy to change positions and move around, which can help people with pain get in and out of bed easier and adjust their position with less effort. The responsive surface of the mattress also hugged the lower back while still promoting an on-top feeling.
Our testers noticed the Purple mattress also performed well in motion isolation, making small movements on the mattress barely noticeable. This is good for people who share a bed and don’t want to be disturbed by their partner’s movements.
Our Reviews Team considered the results from pressure relief, motion isolation, and support testing to understand what the Purple mattress would be like for someone living with chronic pain or recovering from an injury. Since the Purple mattress performed well in pressure relief, minimal motion transfer, and responsiveness when changing sleep positions, we believe it may be a good choice for people looking for a mattress that offers pain relief.
For more recommendations, read our review of the 10 best mattresses for back pain.
If you’re experiencing chronic pain, changing your mattress may not be enough to manage your condition. Pain is often due to a combination of symptoms that require a proper workup, diagnosis, and treatment plan tailored to you. Consult with your doctor to get directed and personalized recommendations for your pain.
Most of our testers didn’t mind the feeling of the GelFlex grid on the Purple mattress, but they noted it was different from the typical feeling of a quilted or uniform mattress surface. Not all of our testers were OK with this difference, with one tester saying that the Purple was definitely not for them.
The experts we interviewed pointed out that mattress feel and preference are highly personal and can affect sleep quality. “For some, the slightest sensory discrepancies, be it a tag on a pillowcase or a wrinkle in the sheets, can cause sleep disturbances. [People] must be attuned to their unique preferences,” explained Frank.
In our tests, the grid offered significant benefits and performed well with the majority of our testers, especially when it came to balancing pressure relief and support, which is difficult to find with most mattress materials. The grid seemed to distribute weight evenly and offered good support along pressure pointsⓘ The parts of the sleeper’s body that are in direct contact with the mattress, such as the backside, shoulder, hips, and ribcage. , cradling the hips and shoulders with minimal pressure. We recommend the original Purple mattress for back and stomach sleepers based on its firmness, support, and pressure relief scores.
“The Purple mattress provided more balanced support for my lower back compared to the memory foam mattresses I tried. I didn’t feel like I was sinking into my bed while on my back.”
From our tester
In our Reviews Team’s survey of 600 people who recently purchased a mattress, 90% of Purple mattress owners were satisfied. Most respondents who owned Purple mattresses also said that their mattress helped them sleep better (85%) and improved their sleep quality (86%).
We recommend trying out the Purple mattress for yourself, if possible. Purple has some of its mattress models in brick-and-mortar mattress stores. But if you cannot try one near you, you can order a mattress online and use the brand’s 100-night sleep trial. The Purple trial period is shorter than the four-month or one-year trial other companies offer, which we feel is a disadvantage for this brand.
Purple has three collections of mattresses, all of which include its unique GelFlex grid material:
| Essential | Restore | Rejuvenate Luxe | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price for queen | $1,299–$1,899 | $2,399–$3,699 | $5,496–$7,495 |
| Firmness options | Medium, medium firm, firm | Soft, firm | Soft, medium, firm |
| Mattress type | Foam | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| White-glove delivery | Yes, on select models | Yes, on select models | Yes, on select models |
* Cost of mattress excluding promotions, discounts, and shipping charges
**Availability of white-glove delivery may change. Check with customer service to make sure it’s available for your order. White-glove delivery is free installation of new mattress and removal of old mattress.
As of April 2024, Purple is accredited with the Better Business Bureau, with an A+ rating and 4.26 out of 5 stars from 301 reviews. Reviewers on Google rated Purple 4.5 out of 5 stars with almost 30,000 reviews.
You can reach Purple customer service by:
Credit card payment options include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Other options include Amazon Pay and PayPal. Purple also offers financing through Affirm.
The company currently offers 5% off the purchase price, both online and at Purple retail showrooms, for military members, health care professionals, first responders, truck drivers, students, and teachers. The discount code can be combined with other promotional codes or offers.
If you’re still undecided and want to learn more about affordable mattresses, visit our review of the six best affordable mattresses.
The unique design and materials in the Purple mattress impacted performance positively and negatively. We especially liked this mattress’s responsive and supportive surface, making it comfortable for back, side, and combination sleepers. Our team also liked that it offers a fair amount of pressure relief and has cooling features, making for a more comfortable night’s sleep.
But the mattress’s edge support—an important consideration for people with mobility challenges who need a firm edge to balance on—was disappointing. For those who share a bed, unless you and your bed partner sleep mainly in the center of the bed, the weak edge support may be a deal-breaker for those looking to maximize their sleeping area.
As with choosing any mattress, consider your preferences and sleep style when choosing a Purple mattress. The original Purple mattress is good for people looking for a pressure-relieving mattress that provides good support.
You can buy a Purple mattress online from its website or from a mattress retailer. If you want to try a Purple mattress, you can find a brick-and-mortar mattress store that carries them using the website’s store finder or purchase the Purple mattress online and take advantage of the brand’s 100-day trial period.
According to the company, Purple mattresses last about 10 years with normal use, which is also the length of its warranty. This aligns with the industry standard for mattress longevity.
While there’s no ideal time to purchase a Purple mattress, the company often has promotions around holidays that can save you a significant amount of money.
The Purple mattress is made of its GelFlex grid, a brand-exclusive hyper-elastic polymer, and layers of comfort memory foam, edge support foam, and base support foam.
The original Purple mattress has a medium-firm feel. Our testers rated it a seven out of 10 on the firmness scale.
The Purple mattress is priced between $999–$2,198, depending on the size. A queen size retails for $1,499 without sales.
Have questions about this review? Email us at reviewsteam@ncoa.org.
