Layla Memory Foam Mattress vs. Purple Mattress Comparison

Overall Rating

8.4

Layla Memory Foam Mattress

Bottom Line

The Layla’s flippable design gives it two different mattress feels, and both sides provide the pressure relief of memory foam.

Check Price on LaylaSleep.com

Up to $200 off mattresses + 2 free pillows

Full Mattress Review

VS

Overall Rating

8.3

Purple Mattress

Bottom Line

The Purple Mattress recreates the pressure relief of foam with its Purple Grid technology, while allowing for plenty of cooling airflow.

Check Price on Purple.com

$1,399 from Purple (queen)

Full Mattress Review

Both Layla and Purple are companies known for innovative approaches to mattress design. The Purple Mattress was launched in 2015, and it features a unique material — its GelFlex Grid — for cushioning the body. Layla was founded in 2016, and their Memory Foam Mattress is a flippable model with a different firmness level on each side. 

It can be hard to pick between two mattresses that are so distinct. That’s why we created this guide that compares the Purple Mattress and Layla Memory Foam Mattress. We cover their construction, materials, pricing, and performance to help you decide which one is right for you.

Our Testing Team’s Take

When we bring a mattress into our Seattle-based Test Lab, it gets a thorough evaluation. We have a detailed testing methodology to uncover all of a mattress’ strengths and weaknesses. Over the last decade, we’ve used this approach to assess over 2,000 mattresses.

A key part of our testing is using specialized technology to precisely measure heat retention, motion transfer on the mattress surface, and pressure buildup around the joints. On top of that, we have testers take a mattress home to try it out in a real-world environment. 
This multi-step testing gives us different data points about each mattress, and we use that information to prepare our reviews and comparisons so that you can use our resources to zero in on the best mattress for you.

Our Verdict  

Neither of these models is a run-of-the-mill mattress. Both the Layla Memory Foam Mattress and the Purple Mattress have innovative elements that give them special appeal and result in above-average ratings from customers and the experts in our Test Lab.

Firmness is one factor that can help guide your decision about which mattress to buy. With its flippable design, the Layla Mattress gives you the option to use either its medium soft (4) or firm (7) side. 

Logan Foley

Editorial Director

Side sleeper

140 pounds

Has too many dogs in the bed

“The flippable Layla design is a fun and unique approach to solving the problem of finding the right firmness for you. It offers great motion isolation and contouring, but it lacks some of the support I need as a side sleeper.”

Although the Purple Mattress only comes in one firmness level, its medium firm (6) feel suits a wide range of sleepers. Comfort is highly subjective, so consider your personal firmness preferences as well as your body weight and sleeping position.

Another important difference between these mattresses is the type of material in the comfort layer. The Layla Mattress uses memory foam that closely contours to your pressure points. The Purple Mattress features the GelFlex Grid, which provides cushioning without the deep hug of memory foam. 

Brad Nehring

Senior Product Analyst

Side sleeper

215 pounds

Sleeps with a weighted blanket

Purple’s signature buckling column gel is definitely a unique material that you’ll either love or hate, but I personally really like the feel. As a side sleeper, I appreciate that it relieves pressure well and helps prevent heat buildup.

Price is also a key consideration when choosing a mattress. The Layla Memory Foam Mattress is more affordable than the Purple Mattress. It also comes with a sleep trial that lasts 20 days longer, giving you a bit of extra time to see if the mattress works for you. That said, Purple gives you plenty of time — 100 nights — for their sleep trial, and despite being more expensive, the Purple Mattress still offers solid value for your mattress dollar.

Construction and Materials

The Layla Mattress and Purple Mattress are both categorized as all-foam mattresses, but there are notable differences in how they are built. The following table shows how the layers of these mattresses are constructed.

Layla Memory Foam Mattress Breakdown 

The Layla Memory Foam Mattress has a flippable design, meaning that you can use it on either side. On one side, the firmness level is medium soft, which equates to a 4 on our firmness scale of 1 to 10. The other side is firm, or a 7 on that same scale. 

In total, the mattress is 10.5 inches tall, and its cover is made with a blend of fabrics, including polyester, rayon, viscose, and Lycra, which is a brand name for spandex. This cover is stretchy, soft, and breathable. In the center of the mattress is a 4.5-inch layer of dense polyfoam. This support core generates support and sturdiness no matter which side of the mattress you decide to use. 

On the side that is medium soft (4), the top layer is made with 3 inches of memory foam infused with copper gel. The memory foam cradles the body, offering extra cushioning for the joints and other hot spots. The copper gel is designed to help reduce heat buildup during the night.

The softer side has 2 inches of polyfoam beneath the memory foam. This transition layer is reinforced in specific zones in order to give more support to heavier parts of the body. In combination with the support core, this polyfoam layer works to reduce sinkage into the softer side of the mattress.

On the firm (7) side, the only comfort layer is 1 inch of copper gel-infused memory foam. Because this layer is thinner, you feel more firmness and pushback from the support core when sleeping on this side of the mattress.

Purple Mattress Breakdown 

The Purple Mattress is 9.25 inches tall and has a firmness level of medium firm (6). The cover is made with a blend of polyester and spandex, giving it plenty of stretch so that it can move in conjunction with the interior layers and avoid bunching up. 

Inside the mattress, there are three different layers. The top layer is 2 inches of Purple’s GelFlex Grid. This proprietary material is technically known as a column buckling gel, and it looks like a series of small squares made out of a pliable gel material. 

When weight is applied to the grid, the walls of the squares compress, allowing the material to adapt its shape and lightly cradle pressure points. The open spaces in the grid enable airflow, which cuts down on heat collection around the top of the mattress. Polyfoam is used as a frame around the perimeter of the grid, which decreases sinkage around the edge.

Underneath the GelFlex Grid is a transition layer of polyfoam. This layer is 3.25 inches thick, and it gives more sturdiness and firmness. The bottom layer of the Purple Mattress is 4 inches of high-density polyfoam that acts as a stable base for the mattress.

Mattress Sizing and Weight 

These mattresses are available in all of the six standard mattress sizes. The Purple Mattress is also offered in a split king size.

The Layla Memory Foam Mattress is over an inch taller than the Purple Mattress, but it weighs nearly 30 pounds less. This lighter weight makes it easier to flip the mattress over in order to change the firmness level.

Performance Ratings

In our testing, both the Layla Memory Foam Mattress and the Purple Mattress showed some of the characteristics that make them popular. 

We found that the performance of the Layla Mattress varies considerably based on which side you use. On the medium soft (4) side, the mattress provided impressive pressure relief by deeply hugging joints like the shoulders and hips. The softer side also had excellent motion isolation. On the downside, it got lower ratings for temperature control, edge support, and ease of movement. 

The firm (7) side of the Layla Mattress is basically a mirror image in terms of performance. This side offers less contouring but more edge support, temperature regulation, and ease of movement.  

The Purple Mattress got its highest scores in the motion isolation and pressure relief categories. During our tests, the unique grid material effectively cushioned to the body to deliver tailored support. However, we found that the mattress had relatively weak edge support. 

The Purple Mattress works well for side sleepers under 230 pounds and gives solid results to back sleepers under 130 pounds. Other sleepers tend to find that it lacks firmness and spinal support. 

Side sleepers under 130 pounds loved the soft (4) side of the Layla Memory Foam Mattress, but this side was too plush for most other testers. The firm (7) side was highly rated by back and stomach sleepers and was more supportive for people over 230 pounds.

Full Reviews: Other Layla and Purple Models

Layla Essential Mattress

Overall Rating:

7.7 /10

Price Range:

$249 – $499

Mattress Type:

Foam

Firmness Options:

Medium Firm (6)

Layla Hybrid

Overall Rating:

8.5 /10

Price Range:

$1,099 – $1,699

Mattress Type:

Hybrid

Firmness Options:

Reversible: Medium Soft (4), Firm (7)

Purple Plus Mattress

Overall Rating:

8.4 /10

Price Range:

$1,499 – $2,898

Mattress Type:

Foam

Firmness Options:

Medium (5)

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 and Policies

The Layla Memory Foam Mattress has a competitive price point that’s close to the average for a memory foam mattress. It isn’t the cheapest model on the market, but it’s affordable for many shoppers, especially since Layla often has discounts and promotions.

Although not as expensive as luxury-tier mattresses, the Purple Mattress has a higher price that is above average for an all-foam model. At least some of this price premium is tied to the proprietary grid material that is found in the comfort layer. Occasional sales can reduce the final price of the Purple Mattress and make it accessible to more shoppers.

The Layla Mattress comes with a slightly longer sleep trial and a lifetime warranty, which offers some additional value beyond its more economical price tag.

What Customers Are Saying

In general, the Layla Memory Foam Mattress and the Purple Mattress get impressive reviews from actual customers. Many people note that they feel more comfortable in bed and get better sleep after purchasing one of these mattresses. 

For the Layla Mattress, sleepers often speak highly of the pressure-relieving memory foam. Couples who share a bed appreciate that this material also isolates motion to keep vibrations from spreading across the bed. On the negative side, some people find that neither side feels quite right, leading them to return the Layla Mattress in favor of something with a medium (5) or medium firm (6) firmness level.

For many customers, the Purple Mattress is a revelation. Few materials can mimic the feel of the GelFlex Grid, and some people absolutely love the support it provides. That said, for other people, it just doesn’t feel right. Some customers find the Purple Mattress to be a bit too hard or too soft, and a small number of people express concerns about long-term durability.

Still have questions? Ask our community!

Join our Sleep Care Community — a trusted hub of product specialists, sleep health professionals, and people just like you. Whether you’re searching for the perfect mattress or need expert sleep advice, we’ve got you covered. Get personalized guidance from the experts who know sleep best.