Purple Vs Tuft And Needle – Which Should You Choose?

The original Purple mattress features a unique material and feel, while the original Tuft and Needle is a comfortable and budget-friendly mattress. These two beds are very different from each other, so it might be hard to tell how they stack up. Not sure whether the Purple or Tuft and Needle is right for you? Then read on for our in-depth comparison! By the end of this post, you should have the clarity necessary to identify the mattress that best suits your sleep needs and preferences.

Purple vs. Tuft & Needle

Product

Firmness

Score

Product

Purple Mattress

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6.5/10

Score

4.1 / 5

Check Price

Read Purple Mattress Review

Product

Tuft & Needle Mattress

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6.5/10

Score

3.6 / 5

Check Price

Read Tuft & Needle Mattress Review

Purple And Tuft And Needle Mattress Overview

At first glance, these are very different mattresses—so it’s probably not surprising to learn that the Purple and the Tuft and Needle are best suited to different types of sleepers. Who Should Get The Purple?

• Hot sleepers who need a mattress that sleeps cool
• Larger people who need a supportive mattress
• Folks who are looking for a more durable mattress

Who Should Get The Tuft and Needle?

• Folks who are looking to save money
• Light- and medium-weight side sleepers
• People who like a balanced foam feel

Purple Vs Tuft And Needle Mattress Video Comparison

Want to take a closer look at each of these mattresses? Then check out our in-depth video review! Our reviewer, Marten, will assess each bed’s construction and share his experience with sleeping in all positions on the original Purple and the Tuft and Needle.  

Similarities Between The Purple And Tuft And Needle?

On paper, these mattresses don’t look much alike. But they actually have several things in common.

• Both the original Purple and the original Tuft and Needle come from companies with good customer service terms
• These mattresses are pretty similar in terms of firmness
• Both of these are responsive mattresses that shouldn’t make you feel stuck
• Both mattresses feature a similar base foam in their support layer

Key Differences Between The Purple And Tuft And Needle?

A quick comparison of the Purple mattress and Tuft and Needle reveals several key differences between these two beds.

• The beds feature different materials, most notably in their comfort layers
• They feel very different: the Purple is made from squishy-yet-firm gel polymer, while the Tuft and Needle has a balanced foam feel
• Thanks to its gel grid, the Purple is more breathable than the Tuft and Needle
• The Purple is more supportive than the Tuft and Needle
• The Tuft and Needle costs less than the Purple

Firmness And Feel Differences (Including Firmness Rating)

When you’re shopping for a new mattress, firmness and feel are two of the most important factors to consider. These factors will play a major role in determining whether a mattress suits your comfort needs and sleep preferences. So let’s take a close look at the firmness and feel on the Purple and Tuft and Needle!

How Firm Are The Purple And Tuft and Needle?

We ranked both the Purple and the Tuft and Needle around 6.5/10 on the firmness scale. That’s the same as the industry standard for medium firmness, so this suggests both mattresses are right around medium-firm. That said, it’s important to note that firmness is a bit subjective, because it depends in part on the weight of the sleeper in question. For instance, heavier-weight sleepers are likely to find that the Purple feels softer, while lighter-weight folks will probably perceive the Purple as firmer. For the Tuft and Needle, the reverse could be true: Heavier folks might feel that the bed seems firmer than lighter-weight people do.

Sleeping On The Purple And Tuft And Needle Mattresses

We hopped onto both mattresses and lay down in all three sleeping positions. You’ll see the Purple and Tuft and Needle behave differently when we are back, side, and stomach sleeping. Purple We found the Purple to be a fantastic match for back sleeping. The mattress’s gel grid collapsed a bit under our butt and hips for some pressure relief, while the rest of the mattress stays supportive. While side sleeping, our heavier-weight reviewer found that his body activated the gel grid by collapsing the grid under pressure points. When the grid collapses, it creates cradling pressure relief. Note that lighter-weight folks might not experience as much pressure relief. The Purple gave us the support we need while stomach sleeping. Our hips feel aligned with the spine, so we’re not experiencing back pain. Tuft And Needle The Tuft and Needle provided a decent balance of comfort and support while back sleeping. Our hips sink in just a touch for some pressure relief, but not so far that they throw the spine out of alignment. While side sleeping on the Tuft and Needle, we experienced nice pressure relief around the shoulder and hip. We sank into the top layer of Adaptive foam and felt very little pressure in those areas. We felt that the Tuft and Needle isn’t supportive enough for stomach sleeping. Our hips sank too far into the mattress, throwing the spine out of alignment.

What Do The Purple And Tuft And Needle Mattresses Feel Like?

The Purple has a unique feel that is simultaneously squishy and firm. That’s thanks to the gel grid, which collapses when enough pressure is applied (for pressure relief) and stays upright everywhere else (for support). Thanks to this grid, the mattress is bouncy and responsive. The Tuft and Needle features a balanced foam feel. The top layer of Adaptive foam is soft and body contouring, but it’s also surprisingly responsive. The mattress is fairly bouncy, so sleepers should receive nice pressure relief without feeling stuck.

Average Weight Sleepers – 130 lbs – 230 lbs

The Purple is well suited to average-weight back sleepers who are on the heavier side of the spectrum, but it will probably feel too firm for back sleepers who are closer to 130 pounds. The same goes for side sleepers: Folks who weigh closer to 230 pounds should be heavy enough to activate the gel grid and enjoy cradling comfort around their pressure points, but lighter folks won’t activate the grid and will likely feel that the mattress is too firm. The Purple’s supportive grid should make this mattress a good match for average-weight stomach sleepers. Most average-weight back sleepers will probably enjoy a pleasant balance of support and comfort on the Tuft and Needle. Side sleepers will probably also appreciate this mattress thanks to its pressure-relieving Adaptive foam layer, which contours the body. The Tuft and Needle is probably not supportive enough for average-weight stomach sleepers. RELATED: Best Mattress For Back Sleepers

Heavyweight Sleepers – Over 230 lbs

The Purple should be well suited to many heavyweight back sleepers, although folks who weigh 300 pounds or more might need to look for a more supportive mattress with coils. Heavyweight side sleepers will activate the gel grid and enjoy cradling support around their pressure points (although note once again that much heavier folks might need a mattress with a softer and thicker comfort layer). The Purple should be supportive enough for heavyweight stomach sleepers who weigh 230 pounds or so, but much heavier folks might need a more supportive mattress overall. The Tuft and Needle might not be supportive enough to maintain proper spinal alignment for heavyweight back sleepers, who could find that their hips dip too far into the mattress. Similarly, heavier-weight side sleepers might press through the comfort layer and into the firmer support layer underneath, causing pressure points. Heavyweight stomach sleepers will probably find that the mattress isn’t supportive enough to maintain spinal alignment in this position. Overall, it is not the best mattress for heavy people.

Lightweight Sleepers – Under 130 lbs

The Purple will likely feel too firm for lightweight back and side sleepers, who won’t be heavy enough to activate the gel grid for pressure relief. That said, the Purple’s supportive nature could make it a great match for lightweight stomach sleepers. The Tuft and Needle should offer a blend of support and comfort to lightweight back sleepers. It should also offer plenty of pressure relief to lightweight side sleepers, who will appreciate the soft feel of the Adaptive foam comfort layer. The bed’s simple construction should be supportive enough for lightweight stomach sleepers.

Mattress Construction Differences

Alright, you now know what it’s like to sleep on top of the original Purple and the original Tuft and Needle. Now it’s time to dive deeper into these beds with an up-close look at their construction!

Cover

The Purple mattress is encased in a SoftFlex cover that is soft, breathable, and flexible enough to move with the gel grid. The Tuft and Needle’s cover is thin, soft, and breathable.

Comfort Layer

The Purple’s top comfort layer consists of 2” of the brand’s proprietary Purple Grid. As noted above, this grid remains bouncy and firm until enough pressure is applied, at which point it collapses to provide pressure relief. The grid is made from a hyper-elastic gel polymer, which is very durable. A thick foam encasement surrounds this gel grid and helps strengthen the mattress’s edge support. Underneath the gel grid, there’s a foam transition layer. The Tuft and Needle’s comfort layer is made from 3” of the brand’s proprietary Adaptive foam. This material combines the properties of memory foam and latex foam to balance pressure relief and responsiveness. This layer is open-celled and infused with graphite and cooling gel, all of which helps the mattress sleep cooler than conventional memory foam.

Support Layer

Underneath the Purple’s foam transition layer, there’s a support layer made from high-density base foam. This layer provides structure and support for the mattress overall. The Tuft and Needle’s support layer is right underneath the mattress’s comfort layer. It’s made from 7” of open-celled, high-density polyfoam.

Mattress Height

The Purple is 9.25” tall, while the Tuft and Needle is just a touch taller at 10”.

Purple And Tuft And Needle Mattress Size Options And Price

To see the most up-to-date size and pricing information for the Purple and Tuft and Needle mattresses, check out the following charts. Purple

Size	Dimensions	Price
Twin	38″ x 75″	$999.00
Twin XL	38″ x 80″	$1099.00
Full	54” x 75”	$1399.00
Queen	60″ x 80″	$1499.00
King	76″ x 80″	$1999.00
California King	72″ x 84″	$1999.00
Split King	76″ 80″	$2198.00

Tuft and Needle

Size	Dimensions	Price
Twin	39″ × 75″	$645.00
Twin XL	39″ x 80″	$695.00
Full	54″ x 75″	$795.00
Queen	60″ x 80″	$895.00
King	76″ x 80″	$1295.00
California King	72″ x 84″	$1295.00

Purple And Tuft And Needle Performance Differences

So now you know what it feels like to sleep on top of the Purple and Tuft and Needle mattresses as well as each bed’s construction. Let’s finish off this comparison with a look at some key performance metrics. We tested each of these mattresses with regards to temperature regulation, motion transfer, edge support, and more. Let’s see how they did! For more information on how these mattresses stack up to others, check out our mattress comparison page to see our other popular comparisons like Purple vs Nectar and Tuft and Needle vs Brooklyn Bedding.

Sleeping Hot Or Cold

The Purple is the clear winner here because it creates a temperature neutral sleeping surface that shouldn’t make you sleep hot. That’s thanks to the hyper-elastic gel polymer grid, which is highly breathable. Between the two, it is the best cooling mattress.

Motion Transfer

The Tuft and Needle wins out. The Adaptive foam is soft and contouring, which means it absorbs motion fairly well. This could make the Tuft and Needle a better mattress for couples. In contrast, the Purple’s bouncy gel grid doesn’t do a great job of minimizing motion transfer across the mattress.

Edge Support

The Purple takes the win. It features a wrap-around foam encasement that strengthens the mattress’s edge support and helped us feel more secure while sitting and lying down near the edge of the mattress.

Durability

The Purple takes another win. The gel grid is remarkably durable, and this should be a long-lasting mattress.

Off-Gassing

We didn’t notice any off-gassing from the Purple, but we did observe some off-gassing from the Tuft and Needle. This should dissipate within a couple days.

Noise

We called this a tie. We didn’t observe any notable noise from either mattress.

Sex

When people hunt for a mattress for sex, they’re typically looking for a bed that makes it easy to move around. Based on that criterion, both the Purple and the Tuft and Needle could be a good match. They’re both responsive mattresses, and couples shouldn’t feel stuck in either bed.

Warranty Info

Even though they’re sold by different brands, these mattresses feature the same warranty terms. Both the Purple and the Tuft and Needle come with a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.