Bear vs. Purple Mattress Comparison

Overall Rating

7.6

Bear Original

Bottom Line

The Original is Bear’s classic memory foam model. With a firmer feel, the bed provides plenty of support for side and back sleepers.

Check Price on BearMattress.com

35% off + free pillows with code: SF35

Full Mattress Review

VS

Overall Rating

8.1

Purple Mattress

Bottom Line

The Purple Mattress provides strong pressure relief and airflow through its Purple Grid, sleeping cooler than other all-foam beds.

Check Price on Purple.com

$1,399 from Purple (queen)

Full Mattress Review

Our Testing Team’s Take

During the almost 10 years we’ve spent reviewing the best mattresses, our Seattle-based team has tested nearly 2,000 of them. In that time, we’ve honed our process to focus on what matters most to people’s mattress shopping – including subjective qualities like support and comfort, and objective measurements like heat retention, motion isolation, and pressure relief. Our team of experts tests each model against the same set of standards both in the sleep lab and during at-home field testing. 

Our Verdict  

The Bear Original and Purple Mattress are both a solid value but at pretty different price-points. The Purple is a luxe option that costs around twice as much as the Bear. But, with the added cost comes a well-rounded performance and increased durability. The Bear is a more budget-friendly pick that’s equally supportive but with fewer wow factors.

Daniel Noyed

Senior Product Editor

Back sleeper

165 pounds

Dunks head in ice water to wake up

As a back sleeper, I had a pretty nice time on the Bear. It’s pretty firm compared to most memory foam beds out there, which was an interesting change of pace. It took a bit of adjustment to get used to, but I got into a good rhythm over the course of the week. The Bear is a great option for people who want memory foam with a firmer feel, but I can see how it’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea.

Both these memory foam beds are best for side and back sleepers between 130 pounds and 230 pounds. They also cater well to couples and sleepers looking for motion isolation. Purple and Bear both market these mattresses to hot sleepers, but our testing found that the Purple Mattress is much better for people who want a cooling mattress. Its highly promoted Purple Grid isn’t a gimmick – it really does relieve pressure without significant heat retention. Shoppers seeking a truly firm mattress should look to the Bear. 

Policy-wise, the two companies are similar, with Bear having a slight edge over Purple thanks to its longer sleep trial, lifetime warranty, and optional White Glove delivery.

Jeremy Klein

Senior Product Testing Manager

Side sleeper

160 pounds

Nightly melatonin user

The Purple’s unique “grid” design really sets it apart from traditional all-foam beds on the market. As someone who sleeps hot and enjoys deep cushioning, this mattress nicely checks both boxes.

Construction and Materials

The Bear Original and Purple Mattress each have three layers, take a look below to see how their materials compare.

Purple Mattress Breakdown 

The Purple Mattress cover’s fabric is a stretchy blend of viscose, polyester, and Lycra. The first comfort layer is the mattress’ claim to fame, its GelFlex Grid. It’s 2 inches of hyper-elastic polymer that’s molded into a grid shape. The material is meant to flex with the body and adapt to its shape while letting air flow through the grid. Foam wraps the GelFlex Grid to increase edge support. 

The transitional layer is made from 3.25 inches of polyfoam that’s meant to cushion your body while preventing the mattress from bottoming out beneath your weight. The 4-inch high-density polyfoam support core is fairly thin compared to other foam support cores, but it anchors the mattress well and provides solid stability. The mattress has a medium firm feel that ranks as a 6 out of 10 on our firmness scale.

The Purple’s layered construction is straightforward, but the inclusion of the GelFlex Grid sets it apart from other, more traditional all-foam mattresses. 

Bear Original Breakdown  

Like the Purple Mattress, the Bear Original also has three main layers. The cover features a polyester blend that you can upgrade to a Celliant polyester blend. Celliant is a type of fiber that’s engineered to regulate body temperature and increase blood circulation. Bear includes this fabric to help athletes and active people recover faster. 

The comfort layer is a graphite- and gel-infused memory foam that contours along with the body’s shape to ease pressure points. The two infusions aim to prevent heat retention. A polyfoam transitional layer adds some responsiveness and prevents you from sinking into the mattress. The final layer is the high-density polyfoam support core. Altogether, these layers make a firm mattress (7) that’s one step firmer than the Purple. 

Mattress Sizing and Weight

Both the Bear Original and Purple mattresses are on the thinner side of average. They measure within an inch of each other height-wise, but the Purple is considerably heavier, likely because of its hyper-elastic polymer. Both beds come in the same standard range of dimensions: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, and split king. 

Performance Ratings 

Our testing groups reported nearly identical scores for comfort and support while sleeping on these two mattresses, which is pretty unusual. Overall they were both excellent fits for side and back sleepers between 130 pounds and 230 pounds, with the Purple scoring slightly higher marks for side sleepers. Both beds’ medium firm and firm feels provided the optimal blend of cushioning and spinal support for testers in these groups. 

However, both models fell short for stomach sleepers, particularly those under 130 pounds and above 230 pounds. Foam’s adaptive surface can restrict stomach sleepers’ movements and make them feel as if they’re “trapped” in the mattress. 

These beds also had similar performances to one another in our motion isolation and edge support categories. They prevented motion transfer pretty well – if you’re a light sleeper you shouldn’t notice too much when your partner moves. Neither bed has a reinforced perimeter and they both compress at the edges a bit as a result. 

The major performance differences lie in pressure relief and heat retention. The Purple outscored the Bear Original in both metrics. The GelFlex Grid does its job well – it adapts to the body’s shape to absorb impact and prevent pressure points and it doesn’t trap body heat while doing it.

Full Reviews: Bear & Purple Models

Bear Original

Overall Rating:

7.6 /10

Price Range:

$511 – $1,099

Mattress Type:

Foam

Firmness Options:

Firm (7)

Bear Elite Hybrid

Overall Rating:

8.5 /10

Price Range:

$1,231 – $2,548

Mattress Type:

Hybrid

Firmness Options:

Medium (5), Medium Firm (6), Firm (8)

Bear Pro Hybrid

Overall Rating:

8.3 /10

Price Range:

$738 – $1,558

Mattress Type:

Hybrid

Firmness Options:

Firm (7)

Bear Star Hybrid

Overall Rating:

7.9 /10

Price Range:

$974 – $2,078

Mattress Type:

Hybrid

Firmness Options:

Medium Firm (6)

Purple Mattress

Overall Rating:

8.1 /10

Price Range:

$799 – $1,798

Mattress Type:

Foam

Firmness Options:

Medium Firm (6)

Purple Rejuvenate Mattress

Overall Rating:

8.4 /10

Price Range:

$4,495 – $8,990

Mattress Type:

Hybrid

Firmness Options:

Medium (5)

Purple Restore Mattress

Overall Rating:

8.5 /10

Price Range:

$1,845 – $3,690

Mattress Type:

Hybrid

Firmness Options:

Firm (7)

Mattress Pricing

Price-wise, the Bear Original Mattress and the Purple Mattress are in different ballparks. The Purple is about double the cost of the Bear Original, which isn’t a huge surprise considering the company’s focus on unique materials, proprietary technology, and extensive marketing. That said, the Bear Original also has thoughtful features and patented sleep tech despite its lower cost.

The average cost of an all-foam mattress is between $700 and $1,200 in a queen size. You’ll find the Bear at the lower end of this spectrum and the Purple around the high end. However, consider that adding a cooling cover to the Bear can increase the bed’s cost by roughly $200 and you can shop sales to get the Purple at a lower price-point. 

What Customers Are Saying 

Bear Original Mattress owners like how well their mattress supports their back and spine, with side and back sleepers reporting that they find it particularly comfortable. Bear’s focus on muscle recovery seems to be working too. Athletes with the upgraded cover report that the Celliant fiber works well and helps them stay comfortable after exercise. However, some people find the bed a bit too firm.

The Purple gets rave reviews from hot sleepers, who think the Purple Grid technology delivers on its promises to keep them cool while relieving pressure points. People do say that the Grid takes some getting used to and that its unique feel isn’t right for everyone. Customers also report that it lacks edge support. 

Consider your sleeping position, body weight, and habits when choosing between the Bear and Purple Mattresses. 

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