Written by Loren Bullock, Lead Product Tester
Casper vs. Purple compares a well-known mattress authority and a science-oriented brand with materials determined to take the market by storm.
Which mattress will come out on top? A versatile memory foam bed with a spine support system or a unique polymer grid that combines responsiveness with pressure relief?
For this comparison between the Casper and Purple mattresses, I tested the Casper mattress while Julia was Team Purple. Weโll look at the materials, feel, support, and other features to help you determine which mattress suits you best.
Product
Type
Score
Our Casper vs. Purple Video Comparison
Casper The One Mattress
Product Details
Our Recommendation
Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Who Iโd Recommend the Casper For
- People with back pain โ The Casper Original mattress has a middle support layer with three ergonomic zones. This provides variable support for different parts of your body, so you may notice the mattress is firmer under the hips and stomach but softer under the shoulders. I found the zoned support helps promote healthy spine alignment in different positions which keeps pressure off your lower back.
- Average-weight sleepers โ I think people who weigh 130 to 230 pounds should be the best fit for this Casper mattress. The bed has a medium-firm feel that should provide a good balance of pressure relief and support for average-weight sleepers.
- Lightweight stomach sleepers โ Stomach sleepers who weigh under 130 pounds should like Casperโs mid-range firmness. I think they should also like zoned support that keeps the hips raised and the spine aligned.
Purple Mattress
Product Details
Our Recommendation
Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Who Iโd Recommend the Purple For
- Hot sleepers โ When we cut open the Purple mattress, I saw a unique, temperature-neutral grid system with 1,400 air channels designed for continuous airflow. Julia called this grid โthe star of the show,โ as itโs infused with gel, so the construction is unlikely to overheat.
- People with pressure buildup โ This mattress uses a 2-inch Purple GelFlex grid to cradle your shoulders, hips, and other sensitive areas. Julia found that the grid envelopes your body, which helps relieve pressure and tension and prevents it from building up again.
- Combination sleepers โ The Purpleโs grid promotes a high level of responsiveness by quickly adapting to your movements. I think this should work great for combination sleepers who switch between their back, stomach, or side. They should find it easy to change positions, making transitions seamless.
Comparing Casper vs. Purple: Top Similarities
- Pressure relief โ Both the Purple and Casper mattresses rank high in the pressure relief department. Although the way they achieve pressure relief looks a bit different โ the Casper uses foam exclusively while the Purple combines foam with its proprietary grid โ the level of pressure relief is high in both mattresses.
- Trial and Warranty โ As Julia said, โThough each mattress performs differently, they both offer the same policies โ the industry-standard 100-night sleep trial and 10-year warranty. Plus, shipping and returns are free.โ
- Sinkage and bounce โ The construction and firmness of both the Casper and the Purple promote equal levels of bounce and sinkage. Both beds allow gentle cradling and a bit of bounce to make repositioning easy, although most sleepers may find the Purple slightly more responsive due to its spongy grid.
Comparing Casper vs. Purple: Key Differences
- The height โ Although both beds are made from foam, the Casper is slightly taller than Purple, standing at 11 inches. The Purple is 9.5 inches, so I think it may be a better option for those looking for a thinner bed.
- The price โ Although both beds are made from foam, the Casper is slightly taller than Purple, standing at 11 inches. The Purple is 9.5 inches, so I think it may be a better option for those looking for a thinner bed.
- Mattress construction โ The Casper has a classic memory foam mattress design while the Purple combines foam with a hyper-elastic polymer grid. They have different firmness levels and the variation in construction gives each bed a slightly different feel. Expect more of a โsinkโ sensation with the Casper, while the Purple may feel more bouncy and responsive due to the flexible grid underneath.
Comparing Firmness, Support & Feel
Firmness
On a 10-point firmness scale in which 10 is the hardest, Julia said the Purple is 4 out of 10, which weโd call a medium-soft.
I tested the Casper, and I feel itโs a 6 out of 10, offering a sensation of foam that cradles your body without letting you sink too far. Casper contains Zoned Supportโข, which delivers extra firmness in the center to help hold the hips level with the rest of the spine. The Purple may feel slightly firmer to stomach and back sleepers since the grid offers slightly less sinkage than the Casperโs topmost layer of foam.
Read More: Mattress Firmness Guide
Support
Support is important for spine alignment, regardless of the sleeping position you prefer. However, some people need more or less support depending on their weight and preferred sleeping position.
The Casper has Zoned Supportโข, which helps ensure the hips stay aligned in different positions, but mostly for those who weigh 130 to 230 pounds (heavyweight sleepers may sink a bit more, which could cause spine misalignment).
Feel
I think the Casper has a quick response time because its memory material is below proprietary materials. Even though it has the benefits of memory material, it evades the slow-rising response of typical memory foam beds.
โThe Purpleโs feel is harder to describe,โ according to Julia. She describes the feel as โ a squishy, rubber stress ball.โ The quick-responding grid beneath the cover shifts with your body as you adjust on the mattress.
This gives the Purple a spongy, bouncy feel, and even though it has a different feel than its competition, we think it should be comfortable for most sleepers.
Comparing Sinkage and Bounce
Both beds have a gentle cradling effect and an overall medium cushioning depth. However, the Purpleโs sinkage depends on the amount of pressure applied to the polymer grid, which stands out with side sleepers whose weight rests in a narrower area. We often find that side sleepers tend to sink deeper than back and stomach sleepers of similar weights.
I found that Casperโs bounce comes from its proprietary comfort top layer. Purpleโs slightly higher bounce level is due to its Hyper-Elastic Polymerโข top layer, otherwise known as GelFlexโข.
By combining medium-level sinkage, quick responsiveness, and bounce, repositioning is easy on both brands, though slightly enhanced with the Purple because of its flexible grid.
Comparing Motion Transfer
Each bed performs well in the motion transfer category. We found that there is relatively high motion isolation in both the Casper and the Purple, so light sleepers that have partners, kids, or pets shouldnโt be bothered at night. This is due to the fact that both beds are made out of foam.
However, I think the Casper should isolate motion a bit better than the Purple. The Purpleโs grid makes it bouncier, while the Casperโs all-foam design absorbs the most motion.
Comparing Cooling
All-foam mattresses tend to overheat because the materials are dense and often have trouble promoting airflow. However, both the Purple and the Casper found a way to avoid this problem by incorporating breathable features into their constructions.
โPurple is going to sleep cooler than the Casperโ, according to Julia. The Casper uses proprietary AirScapeโข foam, which contains thousands of perforations for constant airflow. On the other hand, the Purple mattress has a hyper-elastic polymer that uses hundreds of tiny spaces to provide a temperature-neutral surface. As a result, we think the bed is unlikely to overheat, even for hot sleepers.
Find yourself hot at night? Find the best mattress for hot sleepers here.
Comparing Construction (Materials & Quality)
Casper Construction
Casper is an all-foam mattress that comes compressed and delivered to your house in a box. The construction features three layers and is 11 inches tall, so itโs not the tallest mattress out there. Its zip-off cover consists of a soft white top and gray sides made of thick polyester.
- The top layer has Casperโs proprietary AirScapeโข foam. This foam has holes poked through for airflow, helping with temperature regulation. It also gives some bounce to make getting in and out of bed easy.
- The second layerโs Zoned Supportโข structure feels firmer at the head and feet and softer toward the middle. I found the foam is softer for the upper and lower extremities, which often need extra pressure relief.
- The base layer contains a piece of durable, dense poly foam support. This layer adds stability and prevents sagging while also supporting the upper comfort layers.
Purple Construction
The Purple has foam layers underneath a grid of hyper-polymer elastic. The company ships it in a bag, which is similar to shipping in a box with the exception that the bag is reusable and comes with handles.
The brandโs classic white cover looks crisp and feels soft with its viscose blended with Lycra and polyester materials. Its zip-off cover envelops a 9.5-inch tall mattress.
- The first layer consists of a GelFlexโข grid unique to the brand that is 2 inches thick and temperature neutral. โThis hyper-polymer material is the primary comfort layer,โ Julia shared. The cells bend and buckle to give pressure relief and support where needed. The grid is also durable and serves to protect the layers underneath.
- The second layer contains a 3.5-inch piece of transitional poly foam. This foam layer helps with responsiveness and adds an extra layer of cushioning.
- The base layer includes a 4-inch poly foam foundation that supports the mattress.
Comparing Company Policies & Price
- Warranty โ Both Casper and Purple offer a 10-year warranty.
- Shipping โ Casper ships the mattress for free in the U.S. and Canada. Thereโs an additional fee for shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, Yukon, Nunavut, and N.W.T. Purple also ships to the U.S. and Canada, but additional fees apply for Hawaii and Alaska. They donโt ship to U.S. Territories.
- Trial Period โ Both brands offer a 100-night trial for you to test their product and ensure itโs the right fit for you.
- Returns โ Sleepers can return their Casper mattress for free and get a full refund only after keeping it for at least 30 days and submitting a return request before the trial is up. For the Purple mattress, you also have 100 days to return it but have to keep it for at least 21 days.
- Price โ Thereโs a price difference between the Casper and the Purple, Depending on the size you choose, you can expect about a 100-dollar difference between the brands. However, some sizes have relatively similar prices.
| Size | Casper Price (w/o discount) | Purple Price (w/o discount) |
| Twin | $895 | $799 |
| Twin XL | $995 | $999 |
| Full | $1,195 | $1,199 |
| Queen | $1,295 | $1,399 |
| King | $1,695 | $1,799 |
| Cali King | $1,695 | $1,799 |
| Split King | N/A | $1,998 |
Casper vs. Purple Compared Side-by-Side
| Features | Casper | Purple |
| Height | 11โ | 9.5โ |
| Cover | Polyester | Viscose, Lycra, and polyester |
| Materials | AirScapeโข comfort foam, memory foam,and poly foams | Hyper-Elastic Polymer Gridโข and poly foams |
| Cooling | Open-cell top layer and memory foam placed lower in bed | Temperature-neutral Hyper-Elastic Polymerโข |
| Firmness | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Support | Great | Great |
| Motion Transfer | Minimal | Minimal |
| Edge Support | Good | Great |
| Sinkage | Gentle cradle | Gentle cradle, depending on position |
| Bounce | Minimal | Great |
| Warranty | 10-year limited | 10 years |
| Trial Period | 100 nights | 100 nights |
| Certifications | CertiPUR-USยฎ | CertiPUR-USยฎ |
| Adjustable Base Compatible | Yes | Yes |
| Shipping | Ships to U.S. and Canada | Ships to the U.S. and Canada. Additional fees apply for Alaska and Hawaii |
| Made in the USA | No | Yes |
| Read Full Review | Casper Mattress Review | Purple Mattress Review |
| Shop Now | Casper Mattress | Purple Mattress |
Final Thoughts
We think these two mattresses provide excellent value for money, and although one is slightly cheaper than the other, the quality is there in both cases.
The feel might be what sets them apart the most. Purple is softer due to that grid material that allows more sinkage, whereas Casper is firmer and somewhat more supportive.
Both are bouncy enough for combination sleepers but also have decent motion isolation to keep couples and co-sleepers happy. For this reason, itโs up to you to decide which one is better for your particular needs and preferences.
Product
Type
Score
More Casper Comparisons:
More Purple Comparisons:
Loren Bullock
Lead Product Tester
About Author
Loren is the Lead Reviewer at Sleep Advisor. She has prioritized sleeping for as long as she can remember, rarely deviating from seven to nine hours each night.
Combination Sleeper
Education & Credentials
- Certified Sleep Science Coach