Our Bear vs Purple mattress comparison reveals how these 2 popular flagship mattresses stack up when examining price, feel, performance, sleep trials, and more to help consumers when shopping for a new bed.
Our Bear vs Purple mattress comparison reveals how these 2 popular flagship mattresses stack up when examining price, feel, performance, sleep trials, and more to help consumers when shopping for a new bed.
Bear and Purple mattresses each offer a balanced medium-firm feel great for the average sleeper. These popular bed-in-a-box brands are well-loved by customers, which can make it tough for a new mattress shopper to decide between the two.
Fortunately, these mattresses have unique materials that create sleeping experiences better for different sleepers. In this review, we’ll compare the Purple and Bear mattresses side-by-side so you can learn which is right for you.
The Bear mattress is an all-foam mattress while the Purple is a hybrid mattress made from layers of polyfoam and a hyper-elastic polymer grid. Even though they both boast a medium firm (6.5/10) firmness level, they feel vastly different and work best for different people. Let’s take a look at how these beds compare.
Known to help relieve pressure points and aid in muscle recovery
Medium firm: 7.1/10
Memory foam with graphite gel
100 days
10-year limited warranty
Proven pressure relief for people with back pain; good for back and side sleepers
Medium-firm: 6.5/10
Hybrid: hyper-elastic polymer and foam
100 days
10-year limited warranty
The flagship Bear mattress is the least expensive of these two mattresses. Its all-foam construction delivers a similar medium-firm firmness level as the Purple, but with a more responsive feel. What this means is that it’s easier to move around at night on the Bear, making it a good choice for combination sleepers. The Bear delivers more support and less contouring than the Purple, which is why it’s best for stomach sleepers. Finally, the Bear is one of the coolest mattresses that you’ll find that isn’t an innerspring bed. Hot sleepers tend to prefer the Bear to the Purple.
The Original Purple mattress has a unique feel that is often described as a weightless or floating feeling. Its top layer is made from a hyper-elastic grid that buckles when enough weight is applied, creating a close contour that’s impressively supportive. In comparison to the Bear mattress, the Purple does a better job at cushioning pressure points and keeping the spine aligned for back and side sleepers.
The Bear and Purple mattress vary slightly in their dimensions as outlined below, although both fall within standard ranges for each size of mattress. While the Purple is 0.5” thinner, this slight difference doesn’t change who’s best suited by each bed. Purple offers a split king option, but this is no different from ordering 2 twin XL mattresses, which you could also do with the Bear.
Bear |
Purple |
|
Thickness | 10″ | 9.5″ |
Twin Size | 39″ x 75″ | 38″ x 75″ |
Twin XL | 39″ x 80″ | 38″ x 80″ |
Full Size | 54″ x 75″ | 54″ x 76″ |
Queen Size | 60″ x 80″ | 60″ x 80″ |
King Size | 76″ x 80″ | 76″ x 80″ |
Cal King Size | 72″ x 84″ | 72″ x 84″ |
Learn more about mattress sizes.
Both the Purple and Bear beds are budget-friendly mattresses that deliver cutting-edge technology at competitive prices. At full price, the Purple is more expensive, costing $299 more for the queen-size bed. To get the best deal, click on any of the links throughout this article for exclusive Mattress Advisor discounts.
Casper |
Purple |
|
Twin | $500 | $649 |
Twin XL | $600 | $749 |
Full | $700 | $949 |
Queen | $800 | $1,099 |
King | $900 | $1,399 |
Cal King | $900 | $1,399 |
The biggest difference between the Bear and Purple beds is the construction of their comfort layers. The Bear mattress uses memory foam as its top layer while the Purple mattress uses a proprietary comfort grid unlike anything you’ll find from other mattress companies.
Purple’s hyper-elastic polymer grid material works in a way that achieves both optimal pressure relief and full-body support. The grid holds its shape until a certain amount of pressure is applied. At that point, it collapses, allowing that part of the body to sink in. As a result, the grid evenly distributes weight along the body’s surface, yielding a floating, weightless sensation. The pressure-relieving properties and body alignment works best for side and back sleepers.
In comparison, the Bear mattress’s top layer is made from a thin layer of memory foam. With graphite and gel infusion, the surface is even cooler than the Purple’s. The next layer is a supportive polyfoam that stops heavier parts of the body from sinking in too far. This balanced feel keeps the hips in line with the rest of the body, something that’s needed by stomach sleepers.
The Bear mattress is a 3-layer memory foam mattress. The upper foam layer is the only memory foam layer, which creates a minimally plush give. With cooling gel and graphite throughout, the memory foam doesn’t retain too much heat. Beneath the comfort foam is a 2” transition layer that’s to thank for the almost bouncy feel of the Bear mattress. The support foam enhances durability and strengthens the edges.
The Purple mattress is a unique hybrid bed that pairs layers of foam with Purple’s proprietary smart grid technology. The Purple Grid hugs the body similarly to how memory foam does, but without the sinking feeling. Thanks to ample airflow through this layer, the Purple mattress sleeps cool. The transition layer is made from a pliable polyfoam that cradles heavier parts of the body that sink through the comfort layer. The base foam layer is a high-density polyfoam for added durability.
We’ve tested the Purple and Bear mattresses at our in-house mattress lab. See how they compare when it comes to factors that influence your sleeping experience.
Bear | Purple | |
Shipping | 10 | 7 |
Trial Period | 9 | 9 |
Return Policy | 10 | 10 |
Warranty | 9 | 9 |
Set-Up Test | 7 | 6 |
Motion Transfer Test | 7.75 | 7.5 |
Edge Support Test | 8.5 | 8.5 |
Pressure Relief Test | 7 | 8.5 |
Spinal Alignment Test | 8.5 | 9.5 |
Responsiveness Test | 9 | 7 |
Cooling Evaluation | 9 | 8 |
Durability Evaluation | 8 | 9 |
Customer Service Score | 9 | 9 |
Social Impact Score | 6 | 4 |
TOTAL SCORE | 8.6/10 | 8.4/10 |
The Bear mattress is an excellent budget-friendly all-foam mattress. It’s a great option for hot sleepers, athletes, and combination sleepers. The Purple mattress is unlike any other mattress. Its smart comfort grid offers the conforming feel of memory foam without the heat retention or sagging.
Bear claims that its celliant mattress cover boosts blood circulation, helping to expedite healing. Its breathable cover and graphite and gel memory foam free trapped body heat for a cool, dry night’s sleep. And it’s balanced support offers excellent spine alignment for stomach sleepers.
Purple’s technology creates an almost weightless feel that supports optimal body alignment and cushion for both back and side sleepers.
But the best mattress depends on your sleeping position, body weight, and personal preferences. Each of these mattress brands backs their mattresses with a 100-night sleep trial and free shipping and returns, so you can try them out with zero financial risk.
More Bear and Purple Comparisons:
If you still need to narrow down your options and eliminate some options, check out our mattress comparison tool.
Compare Mattresses
Comments (0)