The short answer: Buy it if foam leaves you hot or 'stuck', and you sleep on your side or back. Skip it if you dislike unusual textures, or want written trial terms on the listing.
Purple Mattress (Original) (Queen)
The grid bed: a rubbery polymer lattice that collapses under the shoulder and hip but pushes back under the waist.
Why it is here: A 2-inch GelFlex Grid that collapses under shoulders and hips and holds firm under the torso, with air channels running through it.
- Sold by the maker's own Amazon store
Scale: maker's number.
- Side sleepers
- Back sleepers
- Stomach sleepers
- Combination sleepers
- Build
- Foam bed with a 2 in GelFlex Grid on top, about 9.25–11 in overall
- Trial
- Not stated on listing
- Warranty
- Not stated on listing
- Sold by
- Purple Innovation (the maker)
- Price band
- Upper
Good fit if
Foam traps heat for you, and you want pressure relief that does not feel like sinking.Look elsewhere if
You dislike unusual textures; some people never get used to the grid.Other versions: Full
Purple Mattress specs at a glance
| Build | Foam bed with a 2 in GelFlex Grid on top, about 9.25–11 in overall |
|---|---|
| Firmness | Medium-Firm (maker: 4 of 5) |
| Zoned support | No zoning claimed |
| Trial | Not stated on listing |
| Warranty | Not stated on listing |
| Sold by | Purple Innovation (the maker) |
| Certifications | Not stated on listing |
| Weight limit | Not stated on listing |
| Price band | Upper |
| ASIN (queen) | B0876HX533 |
What the Purple Mattress is
A foam bed topped with a 2-inch GelFlex Grid, a lattice of hyper-elastic polymer. The maker rates it 4 out of 5 on its own scale (we read that as medium-firm) and sells it directly on Amazon as Purple Innovation.
How the grid handles back pain
Each cell of the grid buckles when pressure is concentrated (a shoulder, a hip) and stays upright when it is spread (your back, your thighs). So the grid gives where you need give and holds where you need support, without the slow sink of memory foam. Air moves through the open cells.
Who should skip the Purple Mattress
- People who dislike unusual textures.
- Stomach sleepers who need firm.
- Anyone who wants a trial length on the listing; ours did not state one.
If the Purple Mattress is not the one
Purple Restore Hybrid (Soft) (Queen)
Purple's grid on a coil base, in the softer version that side sleepers with shoulder pain tend to ask about.
- Sold by the maker's own Amazon store
Scale: our reading of the maker's label.
- Side sleepers
- Back sleepers
- Stomach sleepers
- Combination sleepers
- Build
- Hybrid, 11.5 in, 2 in GelFlex Grid over an 8 in coil unit (600 coils listed)
- Trial
- Not stated on listing
- Warranty
- Not stated on listing
- Sold by
- Purple Innovation (the maker)
- Price band
- Premium
Good fit if
You sleep on your side, your shoulder and hip ache by morning, and you want a cooler surface than memory foam.Look elsewhere if
Budget matters. This was the most expensive mattress in our set at our last check.
Casper Original Hybrid (Queen)
A medium hybrid whose main idea is zoning: softer at the shoulders, firmer under the waist and lower back.
- Sold and shipped by Amazon.com
- 100-night home trial
- 10-year warranty
- Zoned support
Scale: our reading of the maker's label.
- Side sleepers
- Back sleepers
- Stomach sleepers
- Combination sleepers
- Zoned support
- Build
- Hybrid, 11 in, zoned foam with encased coils
- Trial
- 100 nights
- Warranty
- 10 years (limited)
- Sold by
- Amazon.com
- Zoning
- Firmer foam under hips, waist and lower back; softer at the shoulders (maker's wording)
- Price band
- Upper
Good fit if
You sleep on your side and your back in the same night and your lower back is the part that hurts.Look elsewhere if
You need a firm bed; the overall feel is medium.
Purple Mattress: what readers ask
Is the Purple mattress good for back pain?
For many side and combination sleepers, yes. The grid relieves pressure while supporting the torso.
Is Purple firm or soft?
Purple rates it 4 out of 5 for firmness, which we read as medium-firm.
This page is general shopping information, not medical advice. If your back pain is new, getting worse, or keeps you awake whatever you sleep on, talk to a clinician before you spend money on a bed. Full disclaimer.