When it comes to the best mattress online, it's fair to say that Casper and Purple are among the most popular brands, so we've decided to pit them against one another in our Casper vs Purple mattress-in-a-box comparison. Both brands offer mattresses on a trial basis, and they have a variety of all-foam and hybrid models to choose from.
Purple has three models in its range: The Purple Mattress, the Purple Hybrid, and the Purple Hybrid Premier, and those can also be found on sale with the best Purple mattress deals.
As well as the all-foam Casper Original Mattress, which is also available in a Casper Original Hybrid Mattress (foam and springs), Casper has two additional hybrid mattresses: the Wave and the Nova, both of which are regularly on offer among the best Casper mattress deals. For our Casper vs Purple comparison, we’ll be looking at the Casper Original and The Purple Mattress.
Casper vs Purple: Specifications
Casper Original:
- Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King
- Depth: 11.5"
- Turn: No
- Filling: Memory foam
- Comfort: Medium-soft
- Trial: 100 nights
- Warranty: 10 years
- Price: $595-$1295
The Purple Mattress:
- Sizes: Twin to Split King
- Depth: 9.5"
- Turn: No
- Filling: Foam
- Comfort: Medium-firm
- Trial: 100 days
- Guarantee: 10 years
- Price: $649-$1,498
Casper vs Purple: Design
The Purple Mattress is also our top choice for the best cooling mattress. Both mattresses are designed to deliver continuous comfort and support as you sleep and rest in bed, and both are predominately made of foam, but with a slight difference between the two. The best way to tell the difference is to look at how each layer is constructed.
The Casper Original is 11.5" thick and made up of comfort and support layers. The top layer is 1.5" standard polyfoam to provide bounce without letting you sink into the mattress. The next layer is 2" of memory foam, providing zoned support for different areas of the body, with softer foam around the shoulders and neck for support and firmer foam around the hips to ensure better spinal alignment.
Then there's 1.5" of transition foam followed by 7" of high-density polyfoam to prevent sinkage and to ensure that pressure points are properly supported. Casper also wins points for sustainability, as it uses planet-friendly materials and sports a soft cover made from recycled plastic bottles.
As mentioned in our Purple Mattress review, one of the design features that helps Purple stand out here is its patented Purple Grid Technology. This top layer is made of Hyper-Elastic Polymer material designed to flex under your body's various pressure points. Why does that matter? It all works to help you enjoy a more supportive yet comfortable snooze.
The Purple Mattress also has over 2,800 open-air channels, making it the ideal cooling mattress for hot sleepers. The next layer is a high-density polyurethane foam certified by Certi-PUR US to increase both comfort and responsiveness, followed by a 4" layer of dense polyurethane foam.
Casper vs Purple design winner: Purple
The Purple Grid technology makes all the difference here. Both mattresses are made using high-quality materials, but Purple edges Casper based on its increased airflow, which is perfect for hot sleepers, and by delivering enhanced pressure support for combination sleepers. It really is a bit of a Goldilocks mattress.
Casper vs Purple: Price and warranty
Purple and Casper offer similar prices, although which one is truly cheaper depends on the size of your bed. The Purple costs more for a Twin size, but it's cheaper than Casper for the Full size. Although, on the whole, Casper is the cheaper mattress.
The Casper Original prices are as follows: Twin $595, Twin XL $695, Full $995, Queen $1095, King $1295, Cal King $1295
The Purple Mattress prices are as follows: Twin $649, Twin XL $749, Full $949, Queen $1099, King $1349, Cal King $1349, Split King $1498
As mentioned above, it's worth keeping an eye on deals round-ups for Casper and Purple as prices often fluctuate throughout the year, so you could make decent savings. Both mattresses come with a 10-year warranty. For longer warranties, try Saatva, which regularly runs offers as part of the best Saatva mattress discounts.
Casper vs Purple price winner: Casper
While the price difference between the two mattress brands isn’t huge, and Purple is cheaper for its Full size mattress, overall Casper is cheaper. This makes it particularly well suited to anyone with a smaller budget.
Casper v Purple: Comfort and support
When you’re considering any mattress, two of the most important factors are comfort and support. Of course, comfort is completely subjective, and factors such as your dominant sleeping style (side sleeper, back sleepers, and so on) and your body weight have a big impact on how comfortable a mattress will be for you. It's the same as when choosing from among the best pillows for sleeping.
The Casper Original is a bit firmer than The Purple Mattress, despite it having the same medium-firm rating. As such, we think it best suits side sleepers. The Casper is suited to light or average weight sleepers, so if you weigh over 250lbs you may find that you experience excess mattress sagging. Over time this will lead to added pressure on your hips and shoulders, which will cause pain.
The Casper does have a special perimeter for edge support, so getting in and out of bed is a lot easier. If you tend to sleep close to the edge, perhaps because your partner is a bit of a bed hogger, you won’t feel as though you’re about to roll out and tumble onto the floor.
The Purple Mattress is medium-firm, but thanks to the first layer of Hyper-Elastic Polymer it creates more of a 'floating' feel and is a lot softer to the touch. That first layer is also responsible for creating excellent airflow, keeping this mattress super cool and making it ideal for hot sleepers and for anyone during hot weather.
The Purple is best suited to side sleepers and back sleepers, as it offers ample cushioning to the shoulders and hips thanks to the robust polyfoam layers. Heavier sleepers may find they experience a little more pressure than if they’d opted for the Purple Hybrid model.
Casper vs Purple comfort winner: Purple
The Casper is a comfortable mattress, and make no mistake, but the Purple has the added bonus of extra spinal support and helps sleepers feel as they’re floating, making for a super-comfortable sleep. The Purple Mattress is also bouncier than the Casper, so it quickly recovers when you move position. This means it's ideal for combination sleepers who like to throw shapes while they snooze.
And remember, if you aren't quite in the market for a new mattress yet, take a look at our round-up of the best bed toppers to make your existing bed more comfortable.
Casper vs Purple: User reviews
We aren't just using our own experience in our Casper vs Purple comparison - we're also looking at what existing customers have to say about these mattresses too.
The Casper Original has excellent reviews, with over 27,000 5-star reviews on Google and four out of five Casper customers saying they sleep better than ever with this mattress. The Amazon reviews are also good, with a solid 4 out of 5 stars based on over 1,000 reviews. The top stars are awarded for durability and material quality.
Users claim that the Casper is comfortable and supportive, and as such they have noticed a reduction in back pain. There are a few negative points thrown up too, including how it sleeps a little hot; that it's a little too firm; and some experienced delivery issues.
The Purple Mattress has an impressive and higher 4.4 out of 5 stars based on over 25,000 reviews. Users have found that The Purple mattress is excellent for relieving backache and also offers heavier sleepers a comfortable night's sleep. Existing customers also rated the mattress well on value, believing its worth the price tag.
Again, there were some niggles. Some people found that The Purple wasn’t very fast or responsive when it came to people wanting to return the mattress, and that the company's requirement that you keep the mattress for at least 21 days before returning it was simply too restrictive for some.
It's worth pointing out here that sleep experts recommend you sleep on a new mattress for at least 30 days to see if it's right for you. Some customers also felt the Purple was firmer than advertised.
Casper vs Purple user reviews winner: Draw
Both the Casper and the Purple have similar ratings when it comes to user experience. Although, thanks to being sold on Amazon, Casper has more online reviews than Purple, so you can get a wider range of opinions and ask existing customers specific questions about the mattress.
Casper vs Purple: Trial period and shipping
Delivery time, warranty and other details that may be overlooked in the excitement of buying a new mattress are an important part of deciding whether the Casper vs Purple is right for you.
When you buy a Casper mattress you get a generous 100-night free trial period. If you decide the mattress isn’t right for you within that timeframe, call Casper's customer service and they will pick it up and offer a full refund. You also benefit from a 10-year limited warranty, so if something goes wrong with the mattress within that period, they’ll either fix or replace it. The Casper delivery cost is free, too.
Purple also offers a generous 100-night free trial period, but it requests customers to keep the mattress for at least 21 nights before they will accept the return. Again, that's because when you switch from a more traditional mattress, it can take some time to get adjusted to your new one. Purple also offers a 10-year warranty plus free delivery.
Casper vs Purple trial period winner: Draw
Both mattress companies offer the same shipping, returns, and warranty periods, so you don't have to make any decision between them here. If only the rest of this was so easy!
Casper vs Purple: Verdict
Overall, The Purple Mattress comes out on top. The Casper Original is a great mattress, especially if you are on a smaller budget, but we just love that Purple Grid Technology and believe it to be a real game-changer for mattresses in general. It's a golden ticket to better sleep, and the mattress sleeps cool overall, making it a comfortable snooze all-round.
The Casper and Purple have comparable price-points, but again the Purple stands in terms of user reviews with a higher rating. Many existing customers rave about the Purple's comfort level and additional support, and how it delivers extra support the hips and spine, and reduces back pain.
Casper vs Purple overall winner: Purple
If you're still undecided on which mattress would help you sleep well, we'd suggest taking a look at our guide to on how to choose a mattress for your preferred sleep position. For cozier sleep, read our round-up of the best comforters.
