I’ve Tested Every Purple Mattress. Here Are My Thoughts on the New Line

Purple mattress

Buy at Amazon

Like

• Purple mattresses are unique, one-of-a-kind beds
• They sleep temperature-neutral or cool
• All sleeping positions can find an accommodating bed
• Hyrbid options suit all body types

Don't like

• Purple mattresses are more expensive than your average online bed
• They are heavy beds, especially the hybrid models

If you haven't heard of Purple, you probably haven't been shopping for a bed online. It's one of the most popular and unique brands on the internet, offering a different take on a comfy sleeping experience. I'm going over five of Purple's mattresses across its three collections, discussing their designs, what they feel like, how much they cost and which one might work best for you.

I've tested well over 150 online beds, including every iteration of Purple for the past five years. And while many have come and gone, this lineup is by far the brand's best. 

I'll start with the more affordable Purple options, get into its premium beds and finally end with the Luxe collection. And that means I'll start with the bed that kicked off the brand's online popularity, the flagship Purple mattress.

Video: Purple Mattress Guide

Watch CNET video producer Owen Poole review the Purple mattresses. 

See more: Best mattress

First impressions

These new Purple beds look a lot different from what the brand has previously put out. The dark gray and purple exteriors on the Restore and Rejuvenate beds give them a luxurious look. However, the Essential collection has the Purple beds that most shoppers are already used to. As far as choices though, you've got tons now.   

Purple mattress

• The Purple mattress is roughly 10 inches thick and has three foam layers. 
• You've got dense foam on the bottom as its main support layer.
• Then you have a transition layer of a more neutral foam that gives the bed more pressure relief and acts as a buffer between the bed's sleeping surface and that dense foam at the bottom.
• Rather than a foam on top, it has a proprietary material called the GelFlex Grid. This is a stretchy and responsive polymer that's laid out in a grid format that offers a nice balance of support and pressure relief. Picture a giant Dr. Scholl's insole, but instead of in your shoe, it's in your bed.

All of the Purple mattresses feature this material somewhere, either as the primary comfort layer or as a transition layer, but I'll get into that later in this review.

The GelFlex Grid is surrounded by a foam border to give it some enhanced edge support, and Purple's SoftFlex cover wraps everything up.

Purple Restore Hybrid

This bed is similar to the flagship Purple mattress since it uses the same primary comfort and transition layers. The biggest difference between them comes down to their support layers. 

• Instead of dense foam, the Restore Hybrid has pocketed coils on the bottom for a more enhanced and targeted support system. This makes it more supportive for bigger body types.
• Above those coils, it also uses a neutral transition layer to add more pressure relief to the mattress.
• Like the Purple mattress, the top comfort layer is also that GelFlex Grid material – the brand's "secret sauce."
• This layer is also surrounded by a foam border to provide the bed with solid edge support, and the bed is wrapped up with the brand's SoftFlex cover with an antimicrobial finish.

Purple RestorePremier Hybrid  

This mattress sits at the top of Purple's Premium Collection. Its construction mirrors the Restore Hybrid, with two main additions. First, the foam transition layer of the bed sits within the coils instead of on top, almost like it's baked in to offer more motion isolation and edge support benefits.

Second, there's more Purple stuff. You get three inches of the GelFlex on the RestorePremier, while the Purple Mattress and Restore Hybrid have just two. This gives the RestorePremier lots of that unique Purple feel, with no roll-off sensation. If edge support is key, look no further.

Purple Rejuvenate

Purple's Luxe collection features the newest beds to the brand when it comes to design. They're all more luxurious, pillow top mattresses with a unique feel. The Rejuvenate is the entry-level option in the Luxe collection.

• It's around 15 inches thick and uses pocketed coils on the bottom for support, which feature a zoned support design to help keep your back properly aligned as you rest.
• Then there's a transition layer of a more neutral foam.
• Above that, there's the GelFlex Grid surrounded by an edge support foam border.
• And just beneath the bed's quilted cover, you've got the primary dual comfort layers of the mattress.

Since the GelFlex Grid is deeper in the mattress than directly on top, it feels like a more traditional style of pillow top bed compared with the other ones within the brand's lineup.

Purple RejuvenatePlus

If you thought the Rejuvenate was nice, things only get nicer from here. The RejuvenatePlus is one of the top-tier options from the Purple brand. It reflects the Rejuvenate in terms of the overall design, however, it's even thicker and more pressure-relieving. 

All the added comfort elements in its pillow top make it one of the most accommodating Purple beds to date. And if you're looking for an ultra-luxurious mattress, this one certainly checks that box. 

Purple firmness and feel 

What do Purple mattresses feel like?

Purple: The construction of the flagship Purple adds up to give it a unique feel. Since the GelFlex grid is something that not many people have tried on another mattress, it should give most people a new type of sleeping sensation that's also quite comfy.

Restore Hybrid: It feels similar to the flagship Purple, but it does have a bit more bounce from the coils, which should also help to support heavier people a bit more in the long run.

RestorePremier Hybrid: Even more of a unique feel from that added inch of GelFlex Grid. It's probably one of the most "purply" feeling beds we've ever tried.

Rejuvenate: It has less of a unique feel and more of a responsive pillow top one. If you've ever slept on a fancy hotel bed, it feels similar to that, with a touch of that unique purple feel mixed in.

RejuvenatePlus: Similar to the Rejuvenate, with a lot more pressure relief. Since it adds more comfort elements, it feels more plush, while still having a responsive pillow top feel.

How firm are Purple mattresses? 

Purple: The flagship Purple should be right around a flat medium for the average size person. If you're heavier, you may find it to be softer, while the more petite perceive beds to be firmer. However, it should work out just fine for all sleeper types.

Restore Hybrid: The soft version should be around a medium, while the firm is closer to a proper medium-firm. If you're more of a strict back or stomach sleeper looking for more support, check out the firm.

RestorePremier Hybrid: The soft model is around a medium-soft, while the firm version sits between a medium and a medium-firm. If you're a primary side sleeper interested in getting tons of pressure relief for your shoulders and hips, the soft model might offer that.

Rejuvenate: It's right around a medium-firm, working fine for all sleeper types, with a bit more support for back and stomach sleeping.

RejuvenatePlus: I'd say it's about a medium, probably a great option for all sleeper types, even side sleepers who want a bit more pressure relief.

Purple mattress performance

If you sleep with a partner, some other considerations come into play: How well does the bed deaden motion? How sturdy are the edges? Does it sleep hot or cold? Let's talk about that stuff now.

Motion isolation

The GelFlex Grid deadens cross mattress movement well. If you push down on one side, that motion shouldn't reverberate to the other. Similar to a dense memory foam bed, all the Purple mattresses should be great for light sleepers.

Edge support

Purple mattresses also have solid edge support. On most of the new models, a foam border surrounds the GelFlex Grid, which helps to strengthen the edges. Even though hybrid beds usually have better edge support than all-foam ones, I don't see anyone falling off these beds anytime soon.

Temperature 

All These Purple beds should sleep temperature neutral but some for different reasons. The Rejuvenate and RejuvenatePlus beds have cooling covers to help with sleeping temperature, while the other beds offer a nice amount of airflow due to the design of the GelFlex grid on top. Since there's not much surface area to that grid format, air can travel more freely through that layer than your average comfort foam.

See more: Best cooling mattress

Durability

The Purple Hybrid models, aka the Restore and Rejuvenate lines are going to be more supportive and durable than the original Purple mattress because they contain steel coils in the foundation layer. Hybrid mattresses last about three to five more years than an all-foam mattress.

Off-gassing

Your Purple mattress might have a funky smell when you unbox it, but this is also completely normal. This is called off-gassing, and it happens because the bed has been compressed for so long in all that plastic. It should dissipate after a couple days as well.

Who should sleep on it

Sleeping positions

Side Sleepers: Most side sleepers prefer softer options to provide pressure relief to their hips and shoulders. I think the Essential and Premium collections have the most accommodating beds for side sleeping, since they feature that body conforming GelFlex Grid as their main comfort layers.  

Stomach and Back Sleepers: If you sleep on your back or stomach, chances are you'll want a firmer bed. That being said, the GelFlex Grid is unique in that it offers equal parts pressure relief and support. I'd recommend any of the Purple beds to these sleeper types, except for the truly soft models like Purple Plus. Specifically, the Rejuvenate is a firmer option for back and stomach sleeping.

Combo sleepers: I'm personally a combo sleeper, meaning I'm constantly rolling between positions at night. The GelFlex Grid is really adaptive for combination sleeping. Its immediate response time makes switching from your back to your side to your stomach effortless.

Body type

The original Purple mattress is best for people under 230 pounds, while the hybrid Purple mattresses accommodate all body types. Heavier people could get by on the original Purple mattress, but the Premium and Luxe collections should provide more support.

Purple mattress price

A queen-size Purple goes for around $1,400 before discounts, but the brand usually offers discounts that bring it closer to the $1,000 range. This is one of the more affordable options from Purple.

It's around $2,300 for a queen size Purple Restore, so you are going to be spending up for those support coils. It may be worth it if you're a bit heavier. This is Purple's most affordable hybrid bed.

The Purple RestorePremier queen size retails for around $3,500, which is quite a bit to spend on a new bed. But it's a quality Purple mattress with the most amount of that unique feel.

There's no getting around it, the Luxe collection is expensive. The entry level Rejuvenate queen size is $5,500, and the two other beds go up from there. They could be worth it for some shoppers looking for a luxury product.

Pricing for online beds often changes, but Purple mainly offers cash discounts around major holidays.  

Final thoughts

So when it comes down to it, which bed from Purple is right for you?

Purple: Since this is the most affordable bed out of the ones I've discussed, most people should gravitate toward this model. It's within a reasonable budget and has that unique Purple feel that fans of the brand crave. And if you're an average size person, you can't go wrong with this bed's design.

Restore Hybrid: Consider this bed if you're interested in the flagship Purple, but also if you're heavier and need a more supportive version of the mattress with coils. 

RestorePremier Hybrid: If you want even more of that "Purple" feel alongside those coils, and you don't mind spending up for it, this bed could be the way to go.

Rejuvenate and RejuvenatePlus:These beds come with some sticker shock. But if it's within your budget, you're getting one of the most top of the line Purple beds the brand has ever produced.

Purple mattress policies

When getting an online bed, it's important to know the shipping, returns, trial periods and warranties.

• 100-night sleep trial
• 10-year warranty
• Free shipping and returns

You have time to test the bed out at home before you're stuck with it. If you decide it's not right for you within that time frame, you can return it and get a full refund. If you decide to keep your new Purple mattress after that trial period, you're backed by a nice warranty.

Unboxing

Once the box arrives at your door, just drag it inside and start unpacking it. Open the box, dump out the contents, rip off all the plastic and your new mattress will start to unfurl and inflate. 

Now remember, beds are big and heavy! So before you go unboxing your new mattress solo, you might want a friend there to help you out.

Once it's unboxed, there's a good chance it'll be a bit misshapen. Don't worry though, your new bed isn't broken! Since it's been compressed for shipping purposes, it just needs time to fully inflate. I'd say give it about a day or two to expand.

So aside from the bed looking and smelling weird right out of the box, the unboxing process is quick and easy. And having a friend there always makes the process more fun.