Tuft & Needle vs Purple Mattress Comparison
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Key DifferencesQuick snapshot of the Purple vs Tuft & Needle
This comparison will include all the Purple mattresses and all Tuft & Needle’s in-house mattress models. Tuft & Needle also has a budget range called the Tuft & Needle Nod, which is available exclusively through Amazon. We touch on it briefly in the full Tuft & Needle review, so head on over there if you want to find out more.
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Perfect for |
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All sleeping positions for people under 230lbs (Tuft & Needle Original) Side and combination side sleepers under 230lbs (Tuft & Needle Mint) All sleeping positions and all body types (Tuft & Needle Hybrid) |
All sleeping positions for people under around 230lbs (Purple Original) All body types – back, stomach, and combination sleepers (Purple Hybrid) All body types and all sleeping positions – especially side sleepers (Purple Hybrid Premier) |
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Material Type |
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Memory Foam (Tuft & Needle Original, Tuft & Needle Mint) Inner Spring (Tuft & Needle Hybrid) |
Hyper-Elastic Polymer and Foam (Purple Original) Inner Spring (Purple Hybrid, Purple Hybrid Premier) |
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Firmness Scale |
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Medium to Medium-Firm (Tuft & Needle Original) Medium to Medium-Soft (Tuft & Needle Mint) Medium (Tuft & Needle Hybrid) |
Medium (Purple Original) Medium-Firm (Purple Hybrid) Medium to Medium-Firm (Purple Hybrid Premier) |
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Cooling properties |
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Medium |
Medium Cool |
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EDGE SUPPORT |
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Good (Tuft & Needle Original and Mint) Excellent (Tuft & Needle Hybrid) |
Good
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Thickness Options |
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10-Inch (Tuft & Needle Original) 12-Inch (Tuft & Needle Mint, Tuft & Needle Hybrid) |
9.5-Inch (Purple Original) 12-Inch (Purple Hybrid) 12-Inch and 13-Inch (Purple Hybrid Premier) |
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Pressure Relief |
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Excellent |
Excellent |
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MOTION ISOLATION |
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Excellent
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Good (Purple Original) Excellent (Purple Hybrid, Purple Hybrid Premier) |
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SUITABLE FOR SEX |
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Excellent |
Excellent
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DURABILITY |
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Good |
Good
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PRICING |
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Free Gift |
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What are the key differences between the two brands?
Tuft & Needle and Purple have a lot of similarities – but it is the key differences that are going to make a difference in your final choice of mattress.
- The feel – Purple has a completely unique offering in the mattress world and it all comes down to their Hyper-Elastic Polymer material, which gives their beds a special feel. In the all-foam and hybrid mattresses from Tuft & Needle, you are looking at a mattress with a foam feel across all the varieties.
- The price – Tuft & Needle knocks the socks off many other mattress brands when it comes to price (and the quality of mattress you get for your budget). While the Tuft & Needle Original is the one to look at here, their hybrid model won’t break the bank either and is a competitively priced hybrid mattress.
- The temperature – The airflow within the Purple mattresses is fantastic – and this affects cooling. This applies to the all-foam Purple Original, but this is elevated in the hybrid models which offers superb performance on this front.
Who is the Tuft & Needle mattress a better fit for?
- If you are shopping on a budget, the Tuft & Needle Original is especially affordable, while the hybrid model is a high-quality option if you have your heart set on a hybrid.
- If you don’t want to take any chances. Across all three models, you can rest assured that the risk around you or your partner not liking the feel is minimal. Tuft & Needle mattresses are really accommodating so, even if you have divergent sleeping preferences to your partner, it’s a safe choice. With its neutral foam feel across all three models, it is worth noting that 95% of people keep their Tuft & Needle mattress.
- If you’re a side sleeper looking for something a little softer, the softest mattress featured in this comparison is the Mint model.
Who is the Purple mattress a better fit for?
- If you like the thought of innovation – and you’re willing to give it a chance – the feel of Purple mattresses is different to any other bed available today. That’s because of their hyper-elastic polymer, which is featured as a comfort level in all their mattress models. Some love it, some really don’t – but you never know until you try.
- If you can’t take the heat, there are a few features of the Purple mattresses which make them temperature neutral. In their foam Original mattress, you get foam with the benefit of extra airflow. In the hybrids models, these beds are very well-ventilated, which is something to keep in mind if you sleep hot.
- If you want more mattresses to choose from, there is the Purple Original, the Purple Hybrid, and then the Purple Premier, which comes with two options when it comes to the thickness of the hyper-elastic polymer layer.
Tuft & Needle vs Purple company policy comparison
Both Purple and Tuft & Needle are giants within the mattress industry – and both companies started small with an aim to change the mattress market.
An inventive pair of brothers got together in 1989 and started dabbling in cushioning materials. Ultimately, this led them to create hyper-elastic polymer – the material used in all their mattresses. Since they started working in the mattress industry in 2013, they have firmly established themselves as one of the most popular online mattress brands in America. They have an A+ BBB rating and their foams are CertiPUR-US certified.
T&N is the brainchild of two software engineers who decided to apply their skills to the world of mattresses. Tuft & Needle has been around since 2018 and they have since joined forces with Serta Simmons. They have an A+ BBB rating. Their foams are CertiPUR-US certified and they have received Intertek Clean Air Certification. They are also Standard 100 OEKO-TEX certified for being free of a list of chemicals. The T&N Hybrid is both CertiPUR-US and GreenGuard certified.
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Shipping |
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Free within the United States. Shipping for a fee to Alaska and Hawaii |
Free shipping to the contiguous United States |
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International Shipping |
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No (limited Canadian shipping options available through Amazon) |
Purple ships to the United States and Canada |
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Warranty |
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10 Years |
10 Years |
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Sleep Trial |
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100 Nights |
100 Nights |
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Returns & Refunds |
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Free during the 100-night trial |
Free during the 100-night trial |
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Made in |
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USA |
USA |
Payment accepted, financing – Both companies have financing options available through Affirm.
Customer support – Both companies have live chat facilities on their websites as part of their customer service offering. We also had a look through a cross-section of online reviews for both companies around customer support and the comments were resoundingly positive. In the case of Purple, we found a few negative reviews around customer service, but these seemed to revolve around complaints around the returns and warranty policies. Tuft & Needle had very good customer service reports and exhibited a real effort to resolve disputes and complaints professionally and effectively.
Comparing construction layers and materials used
- Polyester/Micro-polyamide Cover
- 3" Gel and Graphite-infused T&N Adaptive Foam
- 7" Polyurethane High-density Support Foam
- Knit Polyester/Polyamide Blended Cover
- 3" Gel and Graphite-infused T&N Adaptive Foam
- 2" Transitional Polyfoam
- 6.5" High-density Polyfoam Support Layer
- 1" Quilted Comfort Foam
- 2" T&N Adaptive Foam
- Transitional Micro-coils
- Transitional Layer of Adaptive Foam
- 6" Pocketed Springs
- 1" High-quality Polyfoam
- SoftFlex Cover
- 2" Hyper-Elastic Polymer (Purple Grid)
- 3.5" Polyurethane Foam
- 4" High-Density Polyfoam Foundation
- StretchMax Cover
- 2" Hyper-Elastic Polymer (Purple Grid)
- 1" Polyfoam
- 7.5" Pocketed Coils
- Thin Polyfoam Foundation
- StretchMax Cover
- 3" or 4" Hyper-Elastic Polymer (Purple Grid)
- 1" Polyfoam
- 7.5" Pocketed Coils
- Thin Polyfoam Foundation
Tuft & Needle construction and materials used
The Tuft & Needle Original is a ten-inch all-foam mattress. At its base, it has a dense polyfoam foundation for support. As you work your way up the layers, the next layer is their proprietary foam called T&N Adaptive Foam which has an open-cell construction for breathability. It is also gel- and graphite-infused which has a bearing on cooling. The cover is made from a blended fabric of polyester and micro-polyamide which wicks moisture.
The Tuft & Needle Mint is a 12-inch mattress. Above its polyfoam base layer is a transitional layer of adaptive polyfoam, which is infused with ceramic cooling gel which traps heat when pressure is applied. Its top layer is T&N Adaptive Foam and the Mint has a knitted polyester/polyamide cover.
The Tuft & Needle Hybrid is a 12-inch mattress. At its base, it has a micro-layer of support foam which holds the individually-wrapped pocketed coils. Next up is a transitional layer of adaptive foam, followed by their T&N Adaptive Foam, which has some cooling properties. This is a dual-coil mattress, so the next layer features micro-coils for added support and responsiveness. This mattress has a quilted pillowtop as its top layer, with graphite-infused, open-cell comfort foam.
Purple construction and materials used
The outstanding material in all Purple mattresses is the company’s hyper-elastic polymer or “Purple Grid” which is used in varying thicknesses across the different models. In all of them, the grid layout promotes aeration through the mattress layers and makes for its bespoke sensation.
The Purple Mattress has two inches of hyper-elastic polymer topped with a SoftFlex cover. These two layers work together to give the mattress its breathability. The Purple Grid rests on top of a polyfoam layer and has a high-density polyfoam base.
The Purple Hybrid also has a two-inch Purple Grid with Purple’s Premium StretchMax cover. Under the Purple Grid is a layer of polyfoam, which sits on top of the pocketed coils and a thin foam support base.
The Purple Hybrid Premier comes in two thicknesses – 12 and 13 inches. In the 13-inch option, you get an extra inch of hyper-elastic polymer, with options for three or four inches of this proprietary material depending on your preference. This mattress also has a Premium StretchMax cover, followed by the Purple Grid, a polyfoam transitional layer, the pocketed coils and a thin layer of base foam right at the bottom.
More than you bargained (or budgeted) for
Whether you go for the extremely affordable Tuft & Needle Original or opt for one of the more expensive hybrid models, across all the mattresses in this comparison, you get great value for your dollars. With both, you are getting proprietary materials and well-made, comfortable beds that can last up to a decade.
The Tuft & Needle Original should be within the budget of most people but, if you need to go a bit cheaper, Tuft & Needle also has its Nod range, available exclusively through Amazon.
Mattress delivery
Purple
Purple offers free shipping within the contiguous United States and they also ship to Canada. Shipping times may vary, but they usually dispatch orders from their warehouse within three to five business days from the date you place your order and it can take an additional three to five business days for your mattress to arrive on your doorstep.
They have a white-glove delivery service available at a fee, but this can take a little longer to arrive. These mattresses are compressed, rolled, and arrive in a Purple bag. Unboxing is pretty easy, but we recommend the white-glove service if you could use a helping hand, live on the top floor of a three-storey walk-up, or find the whole idea of swapping mattresses quite stressful.
Tuft & Needle
Tuft & Needle offers free shipping within the contiguous United States and their standard shipping option is carried out by FedEx Ground. In most cases, your mattress should take three to five business days to arrive.
Tuft & Needle mattresses are also compressed, rolled, and arrive in a box. They also offer a white-glove delivery service and, if you go for a hybrid, we recommend you take it because they are on the heavy side.
- 10 years warranty
- 100 nights trial
- Free shipping
- Free returns
- Made in USA
Tuft & Needle vs Purple: performance comparison review
Firmness
MATTRESS FIRMNESS SCALE
| Soft | Medium Soft | Medium | Medium Firm | Firm | |
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T&N Original |
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T&N Mint |
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T&N Hybrid |
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Purple Original |
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Purple Hybrid |
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Purple Hybrid Premier |
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Tuft & Needle
Firmness is very relative but, for most people, the three Tuft & Needle mattresses should fall into these categories.
The Tuft & Needle Original is between a medium and a medium-firm, but offers enough pressure relief and support to work for all sleeping positions, except for a few side sleepers who might prefer something softer.
The Tuft & Needle Mint is the softest of all the mattresses in this comparison and is between a medium and a medium-soft. It is a really good option for side sleepers, with great cushioning around contact points while you’re on your side. If you are a side and combination sleeper, it should be one of your top options.
The Tuft & Needle Hybrid is a medium-firm and, with the comfort and support offered by the combination of coils and T&N Adaptive Foam, should be a very comfortable choice for all sleeping preferences.
Purple
While Purple doesn’t offer anything on the far soft or far firm side of the spectrum, their mattresses strike a keen balance between pressure relief and support to work for most sleepers.
The Purple Original is a medium mattress. The meeting point of the pressure relieving Purple Grid and the support of the foam construction means it marries benefits for all sleeping types.
The Purple Hybrid is a medium-firm and ups the ante when it comes to support.
The Purple Hybrid Premier is between a medium and a medium-firm, making it the Purple hybrid variety better suited to side sleepers for that added bit of comfortable cushioning. Note that the firmness levels on the Premier depends on the thickness you choose. If you go for the 13-inch option, you’re getting extra hyper-elastic polymer, which means you can expect the mattress to be a little softer.
Which mattress is more suitable for couples and sex?
Bounce and responsiveness are the primary factors couples should look at as they assess the suitability of potential mattresses for sex. The mattresses from these two companies are pretty similarly matched on this front. Across the board, Tuft & Needle mattresses have a responsive neutral foam feel. The hyper-elastic polymer in Purple mattresses give these beds their bouncy nature.
In the case of both brands, if you go for a hybrid, it adds even more springiness to the overall performance in this regard. No matter which bed you choose, if the bouncier the better is best for you and your significant other, Purple and Tuft & Needle both perform here.
Motion isolation and noise
Tuft & Needle – Memory foam is renowned for its ability to absorb motion and prevent transference across the mattress. In the case of Tuft & Needle, all three mattresses have this quality – and the Hybrid is right up there with the all-foam beds on this too (if not better – something which comes down to the pocketed coils and memory foam combination). They are also incredibly quiet.
Purple – The Purple Mattress performs much like a memory foam mattress when it comes to motion isolation and noise. It is a little better than the hybrid models, which happen to be some of the top motion isolating hybrid mattresses in our opinion. There was also very little sound detected from any of the mattresses in response to movement.
Body types and pressure relief
Tuft & Needle
Petite and average sized people have the choice of all three Tuft & Needle mattress models, while we recommend the hybrid for heavier people for additional support and added durability.
If you are a side sleeper, all these mattresses will provide enough pressure relief for your hips and shoulders for you to be comfortable. That said, the Mint is that little bit softer and is definitely the best bet for side sleepers.
If you are a back or stomach sleeper, the Tuft & Needle Original and Hybrid mattresses will be the best choice for you as they are firmer. However, they are not a true firm so, if you have special needs when it comes to support and alignment in these positions, you might want to have a look on the market for something firmer. If you are a side and combination sleeper, the Mint should work for you too.
By mattress, the Original and Hybrid are for all sleeping positions and the Mint is for side and combination sleepers.
The Purple
The Purple Mattress is best for petite and average sized people, while the hybrids are a great choice for petite, medium, and heavy sleepers.
The Purple and Purple Hybrid Premier are suited to all sleeping positions and, if you are a side sleeper, your choice of Purple mattress should probably be one of these two. The Purple Hybrid will work if you are a back, stomach, or combination sleeper.
Edge support
The edge support on the Tuft & Needle Original and Mint is not bad as far as memory foam mattresses go, but it isn’t particularly good either. The Hybrid, on the other hand, gives notable perimeter support. While most people won’t complain about this on the foam models, the Hybrid is probably best if you are sharing a smaller model.
While the Purple Mattress has additional foam panels on the side, this doesn’t really serve to bump up the performance in terms of edge support beyond the realms of good. This is better in the hybrid models.
Temperature regulation
While all the mattresses in this comparison are temperature neutral, there are a few subtle differences when it comes to temperature which could make a difference for some sleepers.
Memory foam has a bad reputation for sleeping hot. That is certainly not the case with the Tuft & Needle mattresses. Tuft & Needle mattresses have a cover which wicks moisture and is breathable – promoting airflow throughout the bed. Their open cell T&N Adaptive Foam is also graphite-infused, while the Hybrid is gel- and graphite-infused, to keep heat away from the body. It is always worth remembering that hybrid and firmer mattresses also tend to be a little cooler.
Purple, on the other hand, is just that little bit cooler. The open grid layout of their hyper-elastic polymer moves air around the mattress, while the material itself doesn’t retain heat. This is a clear choice when it comes to temperature.
MATTRESS TEMPERATURE SCALE
| Cool | Medium Cool | Medium | Medium Warm | Warm | |
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T&N Original |
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T&N Mint |
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T&N Hybrid |
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Purple Original |
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Purple Hybrid |
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Purple Hybrid Premier |
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Durability and longevity
We are very impressed by the overall quality of the beds available from Purple and Tuft & Needle. There are certain markers for longevity in the world of mattresses that come into play here. For instance, hybrid models tend to age better than foam beds; the heavier you are, the shorter the lifespan of your mattress, and so on. Apart from the general quality of materials, all these mattresses stand to last well within the average lifespan of a good-quality mattress, if not longer. Hyper-elastic polymer may have the upper-hand over memory foam when it comes to longevity too.
We had a look at online reviews to see how customers experienced durability of their mattresses – and neither brand is impervious to wear and tear. The Tuft & Needle mattresses had a few complaints of indents over time, while there were a few reports of sagging on the Purple mattresses.
Bed base
Both mattresses work with all types of foundations, which means your existing bed frame should be fine with any of these mattresses. Tuft & Needle recommends platform frames or closely-slatted frames for their all-foam mattresses. Purple recommends their platform bed base for optimal support. Both brands retail frames to go with their mattresses.
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Box Spring
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Solid Platform
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Adjustable
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Slats
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Divan
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Metal Grid
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Tuft & Needle vs Purple: Price and size comparison
TWIN | 39″ × 75″ | $350 |
TWIN XL | 39″ × 80″ | $395 |
FULL | 54″ × 75″ | $495 |
QUEEN | 60″ × 80″ | $595 |
KING | 76″ × 80″ | $750 |
CAL KING | 72″ × 84″ | $750 |
TWIN | 39″ × 75″ | $595 |
TWIN XL | 39″ × 80″ | $645 |
FULL | 54″ × 75″ | $845 |
QUEEN | 60″ × 80″ | $995 |
KING | 76″ × 80″ | $1,145 |
CAL KING | 72″ × 84″ | $1,145 |
TWIN | 39″ × 75″ | $895 |
TWIN XL | 39″ × 80″ | $995 |
FULL | 54″ × 75″ | $1,295 |
QUEEN | 60″ × 80″ | $1,495 |
KING | 76″ × 80″ | $1,795 |
CAL KING | 72″ × 84″ | $1,795 |
TWIN | 38″ × 75″ | $649 |
TWIN XL | 38″ × 80″ | $749 |
FULL | 54″ × 76″ | $949 |
QUEEN | 60″ × 80″ | $1,099 |
KING | 76″ × 80″ | $1,399 |
CAL KING | 72″ × 84″ | $1,399 |
SPLIT KING | 76″ × 80″ | $1,498 |
TWIN XL | 38″ × 80″ | $1,299 |
FULL | 54″ × 76″ | $1,499 |
QUEEN | 60″ × 80″ | $1,599 |
KING | 76″ × 80″ | $1,899 |
CAL KING | 72″ × 84″ | $1,899 |
SPLIT KING | 76″ × 80″ | $2,598 |
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TWIN XL
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38″ × 80″
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$1,899 - $2,499
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FULL
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54″ × 76″
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$2,099 - $2,699
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QUEEN
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60″ × 80″
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$2,199 - $2,999
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KING
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76″ × 80″
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$2,699 - $3,499
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CAL KING
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72″ × 84″
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$2,699 - $3,499
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SPLIT KING
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76″ × 80″
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$3,798 - $4,998
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Final verdict: Which mattress do we recommend?
As you will have seen from this comparison, when comparing Purple to Tuft & Needle, the two brands are very similar when it comes to performance. They both have something for every sleeping preference and body type, which means your future mattress could be one of the six mattresses in front of you right now. Ultimately, your final decision is going to come down to a couple of basic things:
Are you shopping on a budget? If so, the price of Tuft & Needle is going to be hard to ignore.
If price is no object, will your ideal mattress have a traditional feel? If you’re put off by the idea of something different and you’d rather stick with the safety of all-foam or a memory foam hybrid, the accommodating feel from Tuft & Needle will be the better choice. If the idea of something different has captured your interest, it is worth taking a chance on Purple. While it won’t be for everyone, they have a fairly large contingent of die-hard fans out there.
FAQ
While all three mattresses in the Tuft & Needle range will work for side sleepers, the soft construction of the Mint is especially good for pressure relief when lying on your side.
Tuft & Needle mattresses are very well made, but this doesn’t remove the possibility of sagging over time. Using the wrong foundation can contribute to sag – and Tuft & Needle recommends rotating your mattress regularly to prevent this.
The quality of the materials used, as well as the resilient nature of hyper-elastic polymer, gives Purple mattresses a lifespan of around six or seven years.
Purple mattresses are made from low-VOC materials and are not toxic. If you take your mattress apart, you will notice a coating of white powder on the Purple Grid, which stops this material from sticking to itself. This is not harmful to humans.