Sleep Number vs Purple Mattress Comparison
- Last Updated: February 27, 2023
If you’re in the market for a new mattress you’ve likely come across Sleep Number and/or Purple. Known for their innovative technology, both Purple and Sleep Number have set out to change the way we sleep. But what exactly makes these brands so special and which one is right for you?
In our Purple vs Sleep Number review, we go inside both brands to take a look at their mattress lineups, construction features, and sleep technology. We’ll also discuss purchase details such as sleep trials, warranties, pricing, and more in our Sleep Number vs Purple mattress comparison.
In This Article
Purple Mattress vs Sleep Number Bed
Sleep Number
Sleep Number was founded by husband and wife, Robert and JoAnn Walker, who struggled to find the perfect mattress to suit both their needs. Rather than resort to sleeping in separate beds, they created a lineup of adjustable air beds that allows sleepers to independently adjust the mattress firmness on either side of the bed.
Sleep Number beds fall into 2 categories: the 360 smart bed collection, made up of the following 4 series: Classic, Performance, Innovation, and Memory Foam mattresses, as well as the value bed collection which includes the S1 and the S3 models.
Purple
Purple is brought to us by brothers Tony and Terry Pearce. Both engineering marvels, Tony has over 13 years of experience in advanced aerospace materials, while Terry boasts 20+ years of experience in manufacturing, design, and project management. Their experience, combined with a desire to change the way we sleep, resulted in the creation of Purple, a mattress brand like no other.
Purple is available in 3 different models: The Purple Mattress, Purple Hybrid, and Purple Hybrid Premier. All 3 models feature Purple’s innovative hyper-elastic polymer gel. Known as the Purple Grid, the honeycomb structure has a silicone-like feel that provides superior pressure relief and enhanced breathability and cooling.
Mattress Construction
Mattress construction varies significantly between these 2 brands, and even more so between each individual model. The biggest difference between Purple and the Sleep Number mattresses is the support system.
While most of today’s most popular mattresses are made from memory foam, latex, or a combination of foam and coils, both Purple and Sleep Number have ditched tradition. Let’s take a look!
Purple construction
Purple mattresses are made with a hyper-elastic polymer gel known as the Purple Grid. The Purple Grid has a flexible, silicone-like feel that is designed in a grid-like fashion, covering the entire surface of the mattress. The columns of the grid are designed to buckle under pressure, alleviating pressure points while remaining supportive where you need it most.
The original Purple mattress includes the grid and thick layers of foam beneath. While the Purple Hybrid and Purple Hybrid Premier mattresses include the Purple grid, foam layers, and individually wrapped coils for maximum comfort and support.
Sleep Number construction
The majority of Sleep Number beds, on the other hand, are adjustable air mattresses supported by a combination of foam layers and customizable air chambers. Individuals are tasked with finding their perfect Sleep Number, which correlates to mattress firmness. This is done by increasing or decreasing the fill of air in the air chambers.
The Sleep Number 360 smart beds include smart technology, such as sleep tracking. Sensors inside the mattress track your heart rate and your breathing rate, as well as details such as how often you toss or turn throughout the night. This information is then used to create a sleep report, or sleep score to help you identify how well you slept.
Check out our Sleep Number buying guide for a breakdown of their extensive mattress lineup.
Mattress Firmness & Feel
It is difficult to determine an accurate mattress firmness since we are taking a look at both brands as a whole. However, Sleep Number offers a wider range of firmness options due to the customizable air chambers. When choosing between the different Sleep Number models, choose mattresses with thicker comfort layers for a plusher feel. Conversely, less foam in the top layers translates to an overall firmer surface feel.
That being said, Sleep Number uses a single air chamber on either side of the bed. When lying on the mattress the air is pushed towards the head and feet and can leave the midsection unsupported. Customer reviews show this is a common problem, leaving many frustrated with the lack of support. Some of the best adjustable air beds we’ve reviewed include multiple air chambers on either side of the bed for better spinal alignment.
While the Purple mattresses are not adjustable, the unique design means Purple tailors to your body and your pressure points. In fact, Purple is one of the best mattresses for pressure relief. Overall, the Purple mattresses have a medium to medium-firm feel though we did find this rating varied quite a bit due to body weight and sleep position.
Temperature-Regulation
When it comes to breathability and cooling, Purple beats out the competition again and again! As you can see below, the open-grid structure allows for maximum airflow and breathability. Additionally, the bouncy, latex-like feel of the Purple grid retains zero heat. This is absolutely one of the best mattresses for hot sleepers.
Sleep Number does a pretty good job of regulating temperature as well. However, foam (especially memory foam) tends to retain heat. And since the comfort layers of the Sleep Number beds are made with foam, the Sleep Number mattresses have a greater tendency for heat retention. In an effort to combat this Sleep Number beds include cooling technology which certainly helps, but Purple still has the advantage here.
Sleep Number vs Purple Mattress Purchase Details
Sleep Trial
Sleep Number beds come with a 100-night risk-free sleep trial. There is one stipulation though, you must keep the mattress for a minimum of 30 nights before initiating a return or exchange. This break-in period gives you ample time to adjust to your new mattress and determine if it is right for you.
Purple mattresses also come with a 100-night risk-free sleep trial. Like Sleep Number, purple also has a minimum break-in period but it’s a bit shorter than Sleep Number. Purple only requires you to keep the mattress for at least 21 days prior to returning or exchanging.
Warranty
Sleep Number value beds and 360 smart beds come with a 15-year limited warranty. We always encourage buyers to read through warranty details before purchasing as many mattress companies have requirements so as not to void your warranty. In the case of Sleep Number, we have had a plethora of complaints related to transparency issues as it concerns the warranty, as well as returns and exchanges.
Purple mattresses come with a 10-year limited warranty. This is valid for the original purchaser only. Learn more about Purple’s warranty requirements here.
Shipping & Returns
While both Sleep Number and Purple are delivered straight to your doorstep their shipping policies differ quite a bit. Sleep Number is only available via white glove delivery. This service includes setup and costs an additional $199.
Purple, similar to most bed in a box mattresses, comes rolled up and is delivered to your doorstep free of charge. Shipping fees may apply for residents of Hawaii and Alaska.
Cost of the Sleep Number vs Purple Mattresses
The prices listed below do not include any eligible discounts as both Purple and Sleep Number change their coupons regularly. As you can see below, Sleep Number has a more exhaustive list of mattress sizes available though not all models are available in all mattress sizes. Interest free financing is available with both brands.
Sleep Number Mattress Prices
c2
c4
p5
p6
i8
i10
iLE
Twin
$699
$1499
$2049
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Twin XL
$799
$1599
$2099
$2499
$3249
N/A
$4699
Full
$899
$1649
$2374
N/A
$3524
N/A
$4974
Queen
$1099
$1799
$2499
$2999
$3699
$5199
$5299
King
$1599
$2299
$2999
$3599
$4399
$5899
$5999
Split King
$1799
$2499
$3399
$3999
$5199
$6699
$6899
Cal. King
$1599
$2299
$2999
$3599
$4399
$5899
$5999
Flex Top King
$1799
$2499
$3399
$3999
$5199
$6699
$6899
Flex Top Cal. King
$1799
$2499
$3399
$3999
$5199
$6699
$6899
Purple Mattress Prices
The Original Purple mattress has a new upgrade option available called the Purple Plus. This option includes an additional 2″ of premium memory foam in the support layer and costs an additional $400, regardless of mattress size.
The Split King option from Purple is actually 2 Twin XL mattresses laid side-by-side, as such, Purple essentially doubles the cost of the Twin XL which results in quite a price jump from King to Split King.
Original Purple
Purple Hybrid
Hybrid Premier 3″
Hybrid Premier 4″
Twin
$699
N/A
N/A
N/A
Twin XL
$899
$1699
$2299
$2999
Full
$1099
$1899
$2499
$3199
Queen
$1299
$2099
$2699
$3499
King
$1699
$2599
$3299
$4099
California King
$1699
$2599
$3299
$4099
Split King
$1798
$3398
$4598
$5998
Customer Service
When I am making a purchase, I consider good customer service to be a part of the price I pay. While it is improbable for any company to have a 100% customer satisfaction rate, some companies drop the ball while others reign supreme.
Here at ASL Reviews, we have had an overwhelming amount of feedback regarding Sleep Number’s customer service. Reader’s note that Sleep Number lacks transparency in regards to both the purchase details and the warranty.
Furthermore, the durability of the Sleep Number components seems to be another common issue with customers expressing dissatisfaction in the breakdown of parts and expensive diagnosis and repair costs. This is especially frustrating as many customers have spent thousands of dollars on their Sleep Number setup.
While we have not had reader feedback on Purple, we did take a look at Trust Pilot reviews from both Purple and Sleep Number. Purple has an overall rating of 3.1 stars with only 15 reviews. Sleep Number averaged 1.5 stars with 55 reviews. Want to learn more?
What is Better Purple or Sleep number?
Choose Purple if:
- You sleep hot – Purple is one of the most breathable mattresses we’ve reviewed, staying cool all night long.
- You want superior pressure relief – The Purple grid is uniquely designed to buckle under your weight. This allows Purple to melt away your pressure points while still providing decent support.
- You are a heavy weight sleeper (+230lbs) – The Purple Hybrid and Purple Hybrid Premier are designed with pocketed coils and the Purple grid providing better durability and overall support than the Original Purple mattress.
- You are a combination sleeper – The Purple grid is highly responsive making it easy to move from one sleep position to the next.
- You’re budget-conscious – While we wouldn’t exactly classify Purple as a budget brand, overall, it beats Sleep Number when it comes to the most affordable pricing.
Choose Sleep Number if:
- You want customization – Most of the Sleep Number beds are adjustable air mattresses allowing sleepers to increase or decrease the firmness of the mattress, tailoring the bed to your needs.
- You share your bed with a partner – Sleep Number is a great option for couples who have different firmness preferences. The 360 smart bed series allows for dual-adjustability so that you and your partner can have different firmness levels throughout the night, based on your sleep preferences.
- You want to track your sleep – The 360 smart bed series includes sleep tracking technology. You’ll receive a sleep report in the morning to let you know how well you slept and see where you could make improvements.
- You want more bed size options – Sleep Number offers a greater range of bed sizes such as their California Split King, Flex Top King, and Flex Top California King. Purple is not available in these sizes.
Still undecided on the perfect mattress? Check out our top picks for Best Mattress or browse through our mattress reviews for more information. Don’t forget to check out our mattress coupons and deals for the latest discounts.
