I hope you’re ready for a mattress showdown, because we sure are! On one side, we’ve got Leesa, an all-foam mattress designed with a balanced feel in mind. And on the other, Purple, a bed with an innovative open-grid construction that’s as bouncy as it is pressure-relieving.
In this comparison, I’ll give you a detailed review of each of these bed-in-a-box mattresses. I’ll share how they feel, what they’re made of, which sleepers I think they’re best for, pricing, and company policies. If you want to learn even more about each individual mattress, you can check out my Leesa mattress review or Purple mattress review.
Continue below for our full Leesa vs. Purple mattress review or skip to the summary for the quick version if you’re in a rush.
Leesa vs Purple
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Leesa vs Purple: Which is Better for You?
Depending on your shape, size, and sleep position preference, one of these mattresses will better suit your needs than the other. Below, you’ll see who I recommend both these mattresses to.
Who Should Buy Leesa
- I would recommend heavier sleepers go with the Leesa, which is built to withstand individual weights of up to 300 lbs.
- I think anyone who likes the feel of an all-foam mattress or is a memory foam lover would be happier on the Leesa.
- I’d recommend budget shoppers go with the Leesa mattress, which is more affordable than the Purple.
Who Should Buy Purple
- I think combination sleepers will be happier on the Purple, since it has a lot of bounce, which will allow them to easily switch positions throughout the night.
- The Purple mattress has lower motion transfer than the Leesa, which makes it a better choice for couples or anyone who sleeps with a pet, since they’re less likely to be disturbed by movement on the other side of the bed.
- The Purple’s open grid design should offer great breathability, allowing you to sleep cool. This makes it a better option for hot sleepers.
Leesa vs Purple: Similarities and Differences
Main Similarities
- Both the Purple and the Leesa are cooling mattresses. The comfort layers of both were engineered to neutralize the temperature of the mattresses. Leesa’s breathable foam is similar to latex in that it is packed with natural cooling properties that dissipate heat from the other foam layers. The open-grid comfort layer of the Purple mattress also defends against overheating by allowing air to flow freely throughout the pocketed design. However, I’d say the Purple sleeps cooler overall.
- Both the Leesa and the Purple are good choices for back sleepers, thanks to their medium-firm feels, which are ideal for those who sleep on their back, as they provide a combination of support and pressure relief.
Main Differences
- The Leesa is a more affordable option than the Purple mattress.
- The Leesa uses layers of foam, while the Purple uses the brand’s proprietary Hyper-Elastic Polymer grid on top of layers of poly foam.
- Those looking for a contouring feeling will likely prefer the Leesa mattress, since it has a layer of body-hugging memory foam.
- The Purple is a bouncier mattress than the Leesa.
Back sleeping on the Leesa.
Leesa vs Purple
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Leesa and Purple Mattress Feel Comparison
While feel is always going to be a personal thing, my aim is to demonstrate how each bed’s characteristics contribute to its overall vibe.
Since everyone experiences the firmness of a mattress differently (because of size and weight distribution), I decided to bring in three more testers to try out each of these beds. Below is the graphic showing the average firmness rating for each of the mattresses.
Leesa
First up the Leesa, an all-foam mattress made with breathable foam, memory foam, and poly foam. I gave the Leesa a 7 out of 10, which is just slightly above the industry standard of 6.5 for medium firmness. When I first laid down on the bed, I immediately experienced some pleasant body contouring, which provided satisfying pressure relief to my back.
As my body settled into the mattress, I noticed how the transition layer supported the comfort layer, creating a balanced foam feel. On my back, I was able to sink comfortably into the bed, but didn’t really feel stuck in the mattress, as the breathable foam layer and high-density polyfoam worked together to lift me up and out of the structure.
However, once I rolled onto my side, I can’t say this comfort rolled along with me. The firmness of the mattress resulted in some tension at my shoulders and hips, so I’m not sure I would recommend this bed for strict side sleepers. Stomach sleepers may benefit from this firmness, however, as it should help keep their hips and shoulders in alignment.
Overall, I was quite impressed by the support of this mattress. It provided some pressure relief and comfortable sinkage on my back and stomach.
Purple
Now let’s move onto Purple, a mattress that features a hyper-elastic polymer comfort layer designed to cushion your pressure points while supporting the rest of your body.
I gave the Purple a 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale, which is just a bit firmer than medium-firm. When I pressed my hand into the mattress, I immediately experienced the bounce of the open-grid comfort layer, which lifted me up and out of the structure. The polymer layer may feel firmer if you’re a lighter sleeper, since you may not reach the pressure threshold necessary to collapse the grid walls.
Once I hopped onto the bed, I could feel the hyper-elastic polymer comfort grid adapting to my body in real time. This material is very bouncy and kept me positioned on top of the structure, and I’d even go so far as to say that I felt like I was floating on my back.
As I moved around the mattress, the walls collapsed and cushioned my shoulders and hips, providing satisfying pressure relief no matter the position. That being said, I think this bed could be a good fit for those who toss and turn in the night.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the mattress’ ability to contour to my body, allowing me to sink comfortably into each of its layers. Its hyper-elasticity also did a good job of alleviating pressure on my back, hips, and shoulders, which made changing positions relatively easy.
Comparing What it’s Like to Sleep on the Leesa and the Purple
Everyone experiences a mattress differently, and these differences only multiply when personal characteristics like sleep positions and body types come into the equation. Let’s see how the Leesa and Purple could potentially feel for you!
Leesa
Back — The Leesa should help these sleepers sleep soundly with a healthy spinal alignment and cushioned lower back, thanks to its support and gentle pressure relief combo.
Side — If this is you, I’d recommend a plusher approach, like one of our best mattresses for side sleepers.
Stomach — These sleepers need a much firmer mattress that will keep their hips supported and spine in a neutral alignment. Refer to our best mattresses for stomach sleepers for some better suited options.
Body Weight — Light back sleepers should find the Leesa mattress to be a good fit, while light side sleepers will need something a bit softer. Lighter stomach sleepers should do okay as long as that’s their strict position of choice. I wouldn’t recommend the Leesa to heavier sleepers. I think they would find more support on a hybrid or innerspring bed.
Purple
Back — Most back sleepers should do fine on the Purple, but if you suffer from back pain, I’d recommend looking to our best mattresses for back pain.
Side — The Purple’s polymer layer should provide some nice contouring for these sleepers. However, if you’re a side sleeper who struggles with hip pain, you might want to take a peek at our best mattresses for hip pain.
Stomach — I think that these sleepers would be happier on a mattress that offers a firmer lift for the hips, which promotes healthy spine alignment, as opposed to a curved spine. Try one of our best mattresses for stomach sleepers on for size instead.
Body Weight — Light back and side sleepers should be happy with the balance of support and sinkage offered by the Purple, while stomach sleepers could experience excessive hip sinkage, sending their back into a misalignment. I wouldn’t recommend the Purple to sleepers over 250 lb because I don’t think it has the proper support. These sleepers should have better luck checking out our best mattresses for heavy people.
Comparing Leesa and Purple Prices
Whether you’re looking for a twin or a queen size, price is certainly an important factor to consider when buying a new mattress. Below, you’ll see our up-to-date pricing comparison chart for the Leesa and Leesa Hybrid.
Prices listed will be before discount or offer for each size.
Size Leesa Purple Twin $799 $599 Twin XL $849 $799 Full $999 $999 Queen $1,099 $1,149 King $1,299 $1,449 California King $1,299 $1,449
Leesa vs Purple
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Comparing Leesa and Purple Mattress Materials
Intro paragraph that sets up how we’ll dive into the layers of each of the mattresses to show how the construction is similar/different. This is where we’ll also direct readers to the full reviews of each mattress if they want to learn more, with a hyperlink to the reviews. (See live examples for how we treat this.)
Leesa
I’m going to walk you through a brief synopsis of each bed’s specific build below, but would encourage you to also check out our full reviews of the Leesa and Purple.
- Cover – Leesa’s mattress cover is made of a thick polyester blend. This soft and cozy material gives the mattress an immediately gentle feel.
- Comfort Layer – The comfort layer of this mattress is made of the brand’s breathable foam, a latex-like material that brings the structure some bounce and cooling relief. This layer has a quick response to pressure which could allow the sleeper to feel lifted on top of the structure.
- Transition Layer – Below the comfort layer, you’ll find a transitional section of memory foam. This material has a much slower response to pressure than the breathable foam, which helps to extend the body contouring of the top layer even deeper into the mattress.
- Base Layer – This mattress is supported by 6” of high-density polyfoam at the base. In addition to giving the structure its body and shape, the foundation also offers some deep compression support for heavier sleepers.
Purple
- Cover – A blend of polyester, viscose, and Lycra make up the cover of this mattress. This combination of materials wicks moisture away from the body and encourages airflow throughout the layers, making it a bit cooler than the average memory foam mattress.
- Comfort Layer – Up next, you’ll encounter 2” of hyper-elastic polymer. The grid-like design of this layer provides cooling, bounce, and pressure relief. As you move around the bed, you’ll feel the walls of the grid collapse under pressure, resulting in some great body contouring no matter your sleeping position. Purple considers the hyper-elastic polymer a “temperature neutral” material as it does a good job of dissipating body heat, something that many foams have trouble with.
- Transition Layer – Following the comfort layer is a 3.5” section of polyurethane foam. While not as soft as the memory foam transition layer we saw in the Leesa, this section offers transitional support that slows down the rate with which you press through the mattress.
- Base Layer – Four inches of polyfoam sit at the base of this mattress and offers foundational support to the layers above it.
Leesa vs Purple: Best Qualities
Now that we’ve sized up both mattresses, I’m going to conclude this comparison with some of my biggest takeaways.
Leesa Best Features
- If you’re looking for pressure relief without feeling stuck, then Leesa could be a great fit for you.
- Leesa’s foam layers work together to contour to the body and relieve pressure, creating a balanced foam feel.
- The Leesa’s breathable foam helps mitigate the heat-trapping tendencies of memory foam.
- The Leesa mattress is a great choice for back sleepers.
Leesa Original Mattress
Product Details
Our Recommendation
Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Purple Best Features
- The Purple is a bouncy mattress that’s ideal for combination sleepers.
- The Purple has pretty good motion transfer, making it a better option for couples, who don’t want to be disturbed by movement on the other side of the bed.
- The Purple grid offers some nice body contouring and pressure relief, and it’s open design gives it some added breathability for a cooler sleep experience.
Purple Mattress
Product Details
Our Recommendation
Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Comparing Company Policies
Leesa
- Trial Period- 100 nights
- Shipping- Free shipping to all US states including Hawaii and Alaska
- Warranty- 10-year warranty
Purple
- Trial Period- 100 nights
- Shipping- Free shipping to all US states except Hawaii and Alaska
- Warranty- 10-year warranty
Comparing Leesa and Purple Customer Service
We rate each company for their customer service based on factors like call wait time, politeness, and responsiveness. Companies can receive one of four ratings: Stellar, Great, Satisfactory, or Poor.
Leesa Sleepopolis Customer Service Rating
- Great: I was able to immediately connect with a human using the chat function on the Leesa site. I asked “Which Leesa is best for side sleepers” and got a pretty vague answer that all of their mattresses are designed for side sleepers, but once I asked for something soft (which is best for side sleepers) I was able to get some good specific recommendations.
Purple Sleepopolis Customer Service Rating
- Great: I was able to talk to a human using the chat bot on their site and my question was answered promptly.
Comparing Other Models from Leesa and Purple
Leesa Hybrid
- The Leesa Hybrid employs a mix of foam and coils, which makes for a bouncy, supportive, and medium-firm mattress structure. Coils also tend to add a bit more durability to the mattress.
- It’s softer than the original Leesa, which makes it a better choice for side sleepers.
- It’s got great motion isolation and edge support, so could be a nice pick for couples.
- Learn more about the Leesa Hybrid here.
Leesa Sapira Hybrid Mattress
Product Details
Our Recommendation
Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Leesa Legend
- The Legend is another hybrid mattress from Leesa, but is the brand’s luxury hybrid model.
- I like this bed for its plush feel, which could work well for strict side sleepers.
- Learn more about the Leesa Legend here.
Leesa Legend Mattress
Product Details
Our Recommendation
Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Studio by Leesa
- The Studio is the brand’s most budget-friendly bed, but its lower price tag doesn’t lead to lower comfort.
- It has plush memory foam for body-contouring and pressure relief.
- Learn more about the Studio by Leesa here.
Studio by Leesa Mattress
Product Details
Our Recommendation
Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Purple Hybrid, Purple Hybrid Premier 3″ and Purple Hybrid Premier 4″
The Purple mattress comes in three additional hybrid versions designed to meet the comfort needs of different sleepers. These mattresses contain pocketed innerspring coils that offer additional pressure relief and make these versions even bouncier than the original. They also use the brand’s proprietary grid design. Let’s dive into each of them below:
- Purple Hybrid is the most firm making it best for stomach sleepers, Purple 3 has a medium feel, which combo sleepers might enjoy, and Purple 4 is the softest version and offers comfortable pressure relief to side sleepers.
- Unlike the original Purple mattress, these mattresses do not come in a box.
- Check out my full Purple Hybrid mattress review.
Purple Hybrid Mattress
Product Details
Our Recommendation
Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Purple Hybrid Premier Mattress
Product Details
Our Recommendation
Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Other Common Leesa and Purple Comparisons
Leesa vs
- Casper vs Leesa
- Leesa vs Tempurpedic
- Leesa vs Nectar
- Leesa vs Tuft & Needle
- Casper vs Leesa vs Tuft & Needle vs Saatva
Purple vs
- Original Purple vs Purple Hybrid
- Casper vs Purple
- DreamCloud vs Purple
- Nectar vs Purple
- Saatva vs Purple
- Lull vs Purple
Our Review Process
Our Sleepopolis reviewers personally test each mattress. We start by unboxing the mattress to figure out how difficult (or easy) it is to get the mattress from the box to the bed. Then, we spend time laying on the bed in different positions, taking time to assess it on our backs, stomachs, and sides. Next, we perform our Sleepopolis tests, using specialized tools to measure qualities like motion transfer, bounce, and pressure relief. Our last step is to open up the mattress and take a look at each layer. These steps allow us to give our final verdict on the mattress. Jump back to our mattress picks.
