Purple Vs. casper: Head-to head Comparison
TLDR;
Here, we’ll compare Purple and Casper, highlighting each brand’s offerings & features.
The latest trend in the ever-evolving sleep industry is online mattresses.
Affordable and simple to buy, these mattresses are shipped straight to your door just days after ordering – no store visits or talking to pushy salespeople required.
The catch is the sheer number of quality options available. So many great online mattress companies are now in business that it can be hard to know where to turn.
Our detailed mattress comparisons are the solution. We break down all the most important components of the top brands and products to make your choice easier.
Read on for more about both brands and their respective collections, or skip to the summary section, if you’re in a hurry.
Today, Purple and Casper are the two brands in question.
Known for their quality memory foam mattresses, both brands have a loyal following of satisfied customers for different reasons.
- Purple offers comfortable mattresses that eliminate pressure points and promote air circulation.
- Casper offers luxurious mattresses with pressure-point reducing foam for forgiving support.
Here’s our exhaustive comparison of these two popular mattress brands.
Who Is It For?
Purple and Casper both rate their mattresses as mid-firmness. However, this rating is slightly misleading because so many memory foam mattresses are so firm that these feel soft in comparison.
We’d rank the multi-layer all-foam mattresses from each brand as low-medium firmness, although they each provide a lot of support. Also, of note is that both Purple and Casper sell a few different models of mattresses, each with slightly different comfort, firmness levels, and construction methods.
For example, Purple sells two models: the Original Purple and New Purple. The Original comes in one firmness level while the New Purple comes in three firmness levels. Casper, on the other hand, sells three models: the Casper, the Wave, and the Essential. Each of these is available in a single firmness level.
This information taken into consideration, sleepers of all types will be able to find a Purple or Casper mattress that they like.
Both of these brands make mattresses that appeal to a wide variety of sleeping types (side, stomach, back) and firmness preferences.
The Collection
Purple sells two main types of mattresses.The first is The Original Purple Mattress, available in a single 9.5-inch thick model with a 2-inch thick memory foam gel layer top.The second is The New Purple Mattress, available in three firmness levels: a 11-inch thick model with a 2-inch thick gel layer, a 12-inch model with a 3-inch thick gel layer, and a 13-inch model with a 4-inch thick gel layer.Casper sells two main types of mattresses.The first is the original model, the Casper. It’s 10 inches thick with four layers. Casper’s other models include the 11.5-inch thick Wave (five layers) and the 8.5-inch thick Essential (three layers).Rather than offer multiple firmness levels for each mattress, each Casper model is available in a single firmness level.Here are the prices for The Original Purple Mattress:| Size | “Original” Purple |
| Twin | n/a |
| Twin XL | $699 |
| Full | $899 |
| Queen | $999 |
| King | $1,299 |
| California King | $1,299 |
| Size | “New” Purple 12-Inch | “New” Purple 13-Inch | “New” Purple 14-Inch |
| Twin | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Twin XL | $1,299 | $1,899 | $2,499 |
| Full | $1,499 | $2,099 | $2,699 |
| Queen | $1,599 | $2,199 | $2,799 |
| King | $1,899 | $2,699 | $3,499 |
| California King | $1,899 | $2,699 | $3,499 |
| Size | Essential | Casper | Wave |
| Twin | $350 | $595 | $1,250 |
| Twin XL | $400 | $645 | $1,450 |
| Full | $500 | $895 | $1,950 |
| Queen | $600 | $995 | $2,250 |
| King | $725 | $1,195 | $2,750 |
| California King | $725 | $1,1195 | $2,750 |
Construction of the Mattress
Purple and Casper use different construction methods and materials to achieve comfortable mattresses.
The Original Purple Mattress boasts an all-foam construction. It has a plus top layer, a supportive middle layer, and a solid base layer.
The top layer is most interesting. It’s 2-inches thick and incorporates Purple’s famous Smart Comfort Grid technology. Constructed from a blend of materials, this technology promotes breathability and eliminates pressure points.
The New Purple Mattress also features the Smart Comfort Grid technology for pressure reduction on its top layer.
The big difference between the New Purple and the Original Purple is that the New Purple favors a layer of pocketed spring-coils instead of two additional foam layers. This makes the mattress arguably more comfortable and supportive than an all-foam design.
The Original Casper mattress also has an all-foam design. The open-cell top layer is comfortable and keeps the user cool at night. Three additional layers provide extra comfort and support while enabling the mattress to contour to the shape of your body.
Unlike Purple, none of Casper’s mattresses contain springs. All of them boast a complete memory foam construction.
The difference between the Original Casper and the Essential and Wave is simply in the number of foam layers used.
The Essential has just three foam layers while the Wave has five foam layers. The addition or subtraction of these layers is what accounts for differences in firmness level.
Trial Period and Guarantee
The industry standard trial period is 100 nights – and this is what Purple offers.
Their 100-night trial is enough to get a feel for your mattress. Don’t like it? You can send it back for free (shipping is free too).
If you do like your Purple mattress and decide to keep it, you’ll get a 10-year warranty on the matters.
Casper also meets the industry standard with a 100-night trial.
Their team will come pick your mattress up for you if you don’t want to keep it. You’ll receive a complete refund with no extra shipping or return costs.
One thing we do like about Casper’s return policy is that they donate all gently-used return mattresses to charity.
Casper offers a 10-year warranty on their mattresses.
Although both Purple and Casper meet industry standards in regards to their trial periods and guarantees, they pale in comparison to industry leaders which offer up to 365-night trial periods and lifetime warranties.
Firmness Level
Purple and Casper both advertise their mattresses as medium-firm.
However, it seems like this is a new marketing tactic aimed to target both users that like a soft mattress and users that like a firm mattress.
In our opinion, both mattresses are on the soft-medium firmness side.
Although far from soft, both the Original Purple and New Purple are plush. Remember that you can tailor the New Purple’s firmness with three options.
Casper’s mattresses are also a little on the soft side. But don’t start thinking that they’re unsupportive. Despite the soft top layer, they provide plenty of support for a good night of sleep.
Comfort
Both mattresses sleep comfortably, largely in part to their memory-foam construction.
The Original Purple features unique Smart Comfort Grid Technology to contour to your body, reduce pressure points, and lock you into place.
The Original Casper is just as comfortable. However, it feels a little softer and plusher than the Purple. In other words, it’s just a little bouncier and you feel less locked into place.
Smell Effect
Neither Purple or Casper has much smell. You might notice a slight “new product” odor which will go away quickly. There is no “off-gassing” or “toxic materials” with either mattress.
Motion Isolation
Motion isolation is the name of the game for Purple’s mattresses.
Their Smart Comfort Grid technology contours to your body to lock you in place. It eliminates motion transfer. You won’t notice a partner in bed moving around at night.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Casper is quite bouncy. Although it’s not enough to wake you if your partner is moving around, just note that Casper doesn’t try to eliminate motion transfer.
The Ordering Process
Like most online mattresses, ordering a Purple or Casper mattress is easy. Simply go to their website, select your mattress preferences, and checkout. It’s that simple.
Delivery and Packaging
Purple and Casper make delivery of your new mattress easy.
You can expect both mattresses to arrive in roughly a week. They’ll each come in a box between 54 and 175 pounds depending on the size and model.
Both brands offer complimentary “White Glove Service.” The team will set your mattress up and remove your old one upon request.
Conclusion
So what’s the ultimate mattress choice?
Comparing mattresses is no simple feat. With so many different features to consider, it can seem confusing and downright tricky figuring out the best mattress choice for you. So we compared two well-known brands Purple and Casper, and detailed all the similarities and differences to make your decision a bit lighter.
Purple offers two mattress models – the more basic and affordable Original, and the New Purple, which comes in a range of 3 firmness and thickness levels. Purple is distinguished by the Smart Comfort Grid, made of open cell foam that adds comfort and cool, and ensures great motion isolation. The Original is foam only, while the New Purple combines coil springs and foam for a firmer options.
When it comes to Casper, you have three different mattresses to consider, each which their own firmness level. The Essential is the most basic mattress, with 3 foam layers, while the Casper mid level design has 4 layers, and the advanced Wave has 5 layers and offers the most luxurious experience (and priced to match).
Both brands would be considered on the low to mid-firm scale, yet Casper overall is on the softer side. If you like plush and firm, then you might prefer Purple. Soft, firm or somewhere in between? Purple and Casper are good options to consider.
Lee Levy
Lee is an experienced reviewer and passionate about trying new products. She is a side sleeper and always looking to ways to avoid back pains in her sleep. Lee is a mom for two little princesses and a devoted wife, living in Brooklyn, NYC.