Nectar Classic vs. Purple Mattress Comparison

Overall Rating

8.3

Nectar Classic

Bottom Line

The Nectar Classic is a budget-friendly foam mattress that delivers close contouring and excellent pressure relief.

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Save 50% on mattresses & 66% on bundles

Full Mattress Review

VS

Overall Rating

8.3

Purple Mattress

Bottom Line

The Purple Mattress features a specialized grid layer that cushions your sore spots without retaining too much body heat.

Check Price on Purple.com

$1,399 from Purple (queen)

Full Mattress Review

In the online mattress world, two names frequently crop up: Nectar and Purple. The Nectar Mattress was launched in 2017 and quickly became one of the nation’s top-selling mattress-in-a-box models. Nectar introduced a slightly modified version of their flagship mattress in 2024, dubbed the Nectar Classic. 

Purple made a name for itself as the brand behind the Purple Grid, a hyperelastic polymer material with columns that flex in response to changes in pressure. Released in 2015, their flagship mattress, the Purple Mattress, pairs a layer of this gel grid with two additional layers of polyfoam, standing just under 10 inches tall.

Below, we’ll cover the beds’ materials and design specs, share findings from our testing lab, and provide a brief overview of each brand’s shipping, sleep trial, and warranty policies to help you decide whether either mattress is right for you.

Our Testing Team’s Take

More than 2,000 mattresses have passed through the Sleep Foundation’s Test Lab, where we measure everything from heat retention and pressure relief to motion isolation and edge support. 

One of the most important parts of our testing involves sending mattresses home with our testing team so they can get a sense of how the bed actually feels in their sleep environment. Since your weight and sleeping position can affect the way a mattress performs, our testing team represents a wide variety of body types and position preferences.

Our Verdict  

The Nectar Classic and Purple Mattress are two solid choices if you’re looking for a dependable all-foam mattress. 

Nectar’s flagship mattress is considered one of the best-value mattresses available online and comes with a generous 365-night sleep trial. The Purple Mattress will set you back a little more, but the price is well worth it if you’re a fan of its proprietary gel grid, which manages to be both breathable and flexible.

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.”

Both mattresses are rated as medium firm (6 out of 10 on our firmness scale), with a relatively thin layer of cushioning that gives way to denser polyfoam layers. This design is well suited to side sleepers and back sleepers between 130 and 230 pounds.

Like other all-foam beds, the Nectar and the Purple excel at motion isolation. If you sleep with a partner, you’re unlikely to feel it when they toss and turn, since the foam core absorbs movements before they can travel across the bed.

Nectar and Purple have an extensive selection of hybrid mattresses. These may be more suitable choices for people who prefer a responsive surface, or those who rely on the edges to get in and out of bed.

Jackson Lindeke

Executive Product Director

Side sleeper

180 pounds

Showers before bed

“When I first brought the Nectar home, I was pleasantly surprised by how firm and supportive it felt. Despite the memory foam feel, I still found it relatively easy to move around and didn’t get the ‘stuck feeling’ I often get with beds of this type.”

Construction and Materials

While the Nectar and the Purple are both technically all-foam beds, the Nectar has a more traditional makeup consisting of memory foam and polyfoam, while the Purple forgoes memory foam in favor of a proprietary gel grid.

Nectar Classic Breakdown 

The Nectar Classic is a 12-inch, all-foam mattress encased in a cooling poly-blend cover. Its comfort system is made of a 1-inch layer of memory foam, followed by 3 inches of polyfoam. Together, these layers give the bed a medium firm (6) feel. The memory foam contours closely to cushion the lumbar area for back sleepers, but most people will experience the sensation of sleeping “on” rather than “in” the mattress.

An 8-inch layer of higher-density polyfoam acts as the support core, encouraging healthy spinal alignment by preventing weight-bearing areas from sinking too far into the bed. If you prefer, you can also buy this bed as a hybrid, which features individually pocketed coils instead of polyfoam in the support core. The coils boost airflow and bounce, and stronger coils around the perimeter add stability along the edges of the bed.

Purple Mattress Breakdown 

Instead of memory foam, the Purple Mattress features a proprietary hyper-elastic polymer grid that flexes to cushion sensitive areas. The grid responds instantly to pressure, so it has a springier feel and is easier to move around on compared with traditional memory foam. It’s also more breathable, since the columns are hollow and leave room for air to flow between them.

The Purple Mattress has a 2-inch layer of this polymer grid, followed by 3.5 inches of polyfoam and a 4-inch polyfoam support core. The mattress measures 9.25 inches thick and our testers rated it as medium firm (6). To maximize the flexible qualities of the Purple Grid, this mattress features a stretchy polyester-spandex cover.

Mattress Sizing and Weight 

The typical profile of an all-foam mattress is about 10 inches. The Purple is slightly shorter, while the Nectar Classic is a couple inches thicker. You shouldn’t have any trouble using standard fitted sheets with either mattress.

The Purple and Nectar mattresses are also comparable in terms of weight. While both are relatively lightweight, you shouldn’t lift or move either without a partner.

Performance Ratings 

Hot sleepers may find that the Nectar Classic sleeps warm, which is normal for an all-foam bed. By contrast, the Purple Grid surface retains virtually no heat, although the rest of the mattress contains polyfoam so it still sleeps hotter than a hybrid or latex model. 

Both beds excel at pressure relief and motion isolation thanks to their polyfoam core, which doesn’t bounce in the same way as the coils in a hybrid or innerspring. However, this lack of bounce can also make it a little tougher to switch positions. Combination sleepers and people who value strong edge support may prefer one of Nectar or Purple’s hybrid mattresses.

Both the Nectar and the Purple put the focus on pressure relief, with thick comfort layers that contour to your curves. This system works well for side sleepers, who often experience pressure points in the hips and shoulders. The foam core also supplies support for back sleepers, particularly those who weigh between 130 and 230 pounds. Neither mattress is firm enough for stomach sleepers.

Full Reviews: Other Nectar and Purple Models

Nectar Classic Hybrid

Overall Rating:

8.3 /10

Price Range:

$499 – $1,498

Mattress Type:

Hybrid

Firmness Options:

Firm (7)

Nectar Premier

Overall Rating:

8.8 /10

Price Range:

$549 – $1,638

Mattress Type:

Foam

Firmness Options:

Medium Firm (6)

Nectar Luxe

Overall Rating:

8.4 /10

Price Range:

$999 – $2,198

Mattress Type:

Foam

Firmness Options:

Medium Firm (6)

Purple Restore Mattress

Overall Rating:

8.5 /10

Price Range:

$1,845 – $3,690

Mattress Type:

Hybrid

Firmness Options:

Firm (7)

Purple Rejuvenate Mattress

Overall Rating:

8.4 /10

Price Range:

$4,495 – $8,990

Mattress Type:

Hybrid

Firmness Options:

Medium (5)

Purple Plus Mattress

Overall Rating:

8.4 /10

Price Range:

$1,499 – $2,898

Mattress Type:

Foam

Firmness Options:

Medium (5)

Mattress Pricing and Policies

The Purple Mattress is almost double the price of the Nectar Classic. This is largely due to the proprietary technology used in the Purple Mattress, which may or may not be worth it depending on your personal preferences. Nectar also offers a longer sleep trial and a lifetime warranty.

What Customers Are Saying

As two of the leading mattress-in-a-box companies, Nectar and Purple have thousands of reviews — the overwhelming majority of which are positive.

People praise the Nectar Classic for its ability to prevent disturbances when sharing the bed. Back sleepers appreciate the fact that the bed is quite firm. Some people say the mattress does a good job of minimizing heat retention, but others say it sleeps hot. 

The Purple Grid is quite polarizing, with some sleepers saying it does a fantastic job of cushioning and boosting airflow, while others find it much too firm. This is one of those cases where it’s nice to have the sleep trial, so you can judge for yourself. Most reviewers agree that the foam core effectively cuts down on motion transfer when sharing the bed with a partner.

All-foam beds tend to have a shorter lifespan compared with hybrid and latex beds. A few reviewers comment that they’ve noticed soft spots developing after four to five years of owning their Purple or Nectar mattress.

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