In our Purple vs. Bear mattress comparison, discover the similarities and differences between these beds and find out who is a good fit for each.
Disclosure: By clicking on the product links in this article, Mattress Nerd may receive a commission fee at no cost to you, the reader. Read full disclosure statement.
In our Purple vs. Bear mattress comparison, discover the similarities and differences between these beds and find out who is a good fit for each.
Purple and Bear and popular bed-in-a-box mattresses with competitive pricing. Even though they both have a medium-firm firmness level, they’re made from diverse materials that are better suited for different sleepers.
The Purple mattress has a unique feel and sleeping experience thanks to a proprietary gel grid top layer (used in every Purple mattress model) that brings the pressure relief of memory foam without the heat retention or foam hugging feel. The Bear is a firmer-than-average memory foam mattress designed to expedite muscle recovery in athletes and active folks.
The Purple’s floating feel and cooling properties will likely work better than the Bear for side sleepers and people who sleep hot. The Bear’s supportive surface better supports stomach sleepers and has a small edge over the Purple for people with active lifestyles. Both mattresses come with a risk-free sleep trial and are made from CertiPUR-US certified foams. Let’s dive in and see what else sets these mattresses apart!
Who Should Buy this Mattress?
6.5
10 year limited warranty
100 nights
$$$
Read our full Purple mattress review to learn more!
Who Should Buy this Mattress?
7
10 year warranty
100 nights
$$
Read our full Bear mattress review to learn more!
Every mattress can be rated on a firmness scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the softest and 10 is the most firm. The Purple mattress falls at a 6.5/10 and the Bear ranks at a 7/10, putting both beds squarely in the medium-firm category.
In spite of similar firmnesses, the way these beds feel is quite different. The Bear mattress has an all-foam mattress feel, with very slight contouring around the body and minimal sinkage. The Purple has a unique feel that some people describe as “floating.” The gel grid top layer evenly distributes body weight without the hugging feel of foam. If you change positions during the night frequently, check out our recommendations for the best mattress for combination sleepers.
Both beds do a good job supporting back sleepers. The Bear is better for stomach sleepers because it is slightly firmer than the Purple. The Purple Grid tends to sink in just a bit too far at the hips for stomach sleepers. The Purple’s surface does a much better job cushioning pressure points of side sleepers than the Bear: the latter can feel too firm when side sleeping. Both beds have thin comfort layers and average support, so they’re best for people who weigh less than 230 pounds.
When someone gets in or out of bed, or whenever they change sleep positions, the movement can travel across the mattress and can interrupt sleep for an unsuspecting partner. That is why you want a mattress with excellent motion isolation if you sleep with a partner, child or furry family member. Both the Bear and the Purple mattresses deliver a high level of motion isolation, mostly because of their foam base layers. That’s great for people who rarely sleep alone.
Sturdy edges allow people to sleep along a mattress without rolling off, create a solid surface for sitting, and make it easier to get in and out of bed. While both the Purple and Bear mattresses have edges that are comfortable to lie along, neither are particularly sturdy for sitting. They simply don’t have the support that innerspring coils could offer. However, the Bear’s edges are slightly sturdier than the Purple’s: better for sitting and getting into bed.
Heavier areas of the body need sufficient cushioning to minimize pain and pressure. Side sleepers often struggle to find suitable pressure relief in a mattress because their hips and shoulders need adequate cushion. The Purple’s surface is much more accommodating to side sleepers than the Bear. The Purple’s unique comfort layer buckles at the shoulders and hips for a weightless, pressure-relieving sensation. Unfortunately, side sleepers are largely out of luck on the Bear’s surface because it’s too firm to provide adequate cushioning along the hips and shoulders.
Spinal alignment is one of the most important factors when considering a mattress, no matter your age or body weight. The Purple does an excellent job keeping the spine properly aligned for side and back sleepers who weigh less than 230 pounds. The Bear is best for stomach and back sleepers in the same body size range. For these sleepers, the Purple and Bear excel in spinal alignment, making them great picks for people with back pain.
Both the Purple and Bear mattress are durable, especially compared to beds without innerspring coils. Because of the thick foam in each mattress, we expect both beds to remain comfortable and in good condition for around seven to 10 years. The Purple Grid in the top layer of the Purple mattress is also expected to last for quite a while.
The Purple and Bear mattresses are good picks for hot sleepers who don’t want to sleep on an innerspring mattress. The Purple Grid is one of the coolest comfort layers around, with generous airflow that sweeps away excess body heat for a comfortable and dry night of sleep. The Bear is one of the coolest memory foam mattresses on our radar, thanks to cooling technologies found in nearly every layer. Still, it sleeps just a tad warmer than the Purple.
The Purple mattress has a stretchy and breathable cover made of polyester, viscose and Lycra. This cover facilitates the flex of the Hyper-Elastic Polymer Grid below, ensuring targeted support and pressure relief. This gel grid top layer remains supportive until a certain amount of pressure is applied, with a final sensation of weightless floating. The final two layers are made of polyfoam, which delivers excellent motion isolation and an affordable price point.
The Bear mattress starts with a Celliant fabric cover that converts body heat into infrared energy. When diverted back to the body, the infrared energy enhances blood flow, facilitating faster healing. The comfort layer of the mattress is a medium-firm memory foam that conforms to the body without sinking. A gel infusion in this layer absorbs body heat and disperses it to keep the sleeping surface cool. Transitional polyfoam also adds responsiveness, while the bed’s durable base foam boosts longevity.
If both mattresses seem too firm for you, see our list on the best mattresses for side sleepers.
Mattress Size | Bear Price | Purple Price |
Twin | $595 | $649 |
Twin XL | $695 | $749 |
Full | $895 | $949 |
Queen | $995 | $1,099 |
King | $1,195 | $1,399 |
California King | $1,195 | $1,399 |
Check out Bear Mattress Coupons & Purple Mattress Coupons for the best price on a new mattress.
The Purple mattress ships for free to the 48 contiguous states of the U.S., but if you’re in Hawaii, Alaska or Canada you’ll need to pay an extra shipping fee. The new mattress is compressed in a box, so it takes a few hours to inflate to its proper shape. You may select white glove delivery at checkout for an added fee if you’d like to have someone set up your new bed and get rid of your old one.
Starting from the date of delivery, you have 100 nights to test out the mattress to see if it’s to your liking. You can return your mattress for a full refund within that 100-day sleep trial period. However, before you can return your Purple mattress, you need to wait 21 days per the mattress break-in period. If you decide to return your mattress, someone will come to your door to pick it up.
For extra peace of mind, every Purple mattress comes with an industry-standard 10-year warranty. To learn more, check out our Purple mattress warranty breakdown.
Bear ships its products for free across the 48 states of the continental U.S., with a $100 fee to ship a mattress to Hawaii or Alaska. Even though the company does not offer the removal of an old mattress or new mattress setup, they make it easy for you to set up your new product by yourself. The bed will arrive compressed and rolled up into a box that’s easy to move with a two-person team.
Your Bear mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial. If you’re unhappy with your new mattress during the trial period, you can return it for a full refund. Bear sends someone to pick up the mattress, so you don’t have to worry about any extra work. However, Bear won’t accept returns until you’ve had your new bed for 30 days. This adjustment period gives both your body and the mattress time to adjust.
If you decide to keep your new mattress, it comes with a standard 10-year warranty.
The Bear hybrid is a five-layer hybrid mattress that marries the responsiveness and support of innerspring coils with the contouring pressure relief of memory foam. Its medium-firm feel is slightly softer than the original Bear or Bear Pro, and it’s an excellent mattress for people of all sleeping positions and body sizes.
See our Bear Hybrid mattress review to learn more.
The Bear Pro is a luxury memory foam mattress with a medium-firm feel that works for every sleeping position. The surface cradles the body more deeply than the original Bear mattress, creating a feel that’s much better for side sleepers.
Read our full Bear Pro Mattress Review to learn more.
The Purple Hybrid boasts springy, supportive pocketed coils instead of the original Purple’s all-foam support system. These innerspring coils create a slightly firmer feel, deliver a bit more bounce, and sleep even cooler than the classic Purple mattress.
See our Purple Hybrid Mattress Review to learn more.
The Purple Hybrid Premier has a thicker Purple Grid and a softer feel than either the original Purple or Purple Hybrid. Thanks to greater pressure relief and support, we recommend the Premier for side sleepers, soft mattress fans and heavier people.
See our Purple Hybrid Premier mattress review to learn more.
The Bear and Purple Original mattresses are each great beds sold at competitive price points. Side sleepers and elderly people with joint pain are likely to wake up with fewer aches and pains on the Purple mattress. However, athletes and stomach sleepers may find themselves better supported on the Bear. The Bear is also better for people who like the feel of an all-foam mattress, while the Purple is excellent for sleepers who like the idea of a weightless, floating sensation while sleeping.
Comments (0)