Purple vs. Casper Mattress Comparison

The Purple and Casper beds are two of the most popular bed-in-a-box mattresses. With vastly different sleeping surfaces, these beds offer unique benefits that make each a better fit for certain sleepers.  

The Casper is a mixed-foam mattress that combines soft, responsive polyfoam with zoned support memory foam for a pressure-relieving surface that’s great for every sleeping position. The original Purple mattress boasts the Purple Grid, a revolutionary material that evenly distributes body weight so you feel like you’re floating. 

The Casper is better for stomach sleepers and heavier people thanks to the bed’s layer of Zoned Support memory foam. This layer keeps the hips from sinking in too far, a common problem for plus-size sleepers and people who sleep on their stomach. The Purple mattress sleeps cooler than the Casper and has a weightless feel that we think elderly people will especially love.

Comparing Casper & Purple Mattresses 

Differences

• Comfort Layer: The Purple mattress features a proprietary Purple Grid comfort layer, while Casper’s comfort layer is a mix of polyfoam and memory foam.
• Sleep Position Suitability: Thanks to greater support along the body’s lumbar region, the Casper is the better mattress for stomach sleepers. Both beds work well for side and back sleepers.  
• Feel: The Casper mattress has a gentle hugging foam mattress feel. The Purple delivers similar pressure relief without the cradling sensation, instead offering a weightless, floating feel. 
• Temperature Neutrality: The Purple mattress has greater airflow along the surface, making it an overall cooler mattress than the Casper. 

Similarities

• Pressure Relief: Both beds deliver exceptional pressure relief, which is great for side sleepers.
• Spinal Alignment: The Purple Grid and Casper’s Zoned Support memory foam both encourage proper spine alignment for back and side sleepers. However, the Casper provides better alignment for stomach sleepers. 
• Packaging: Both Purple and Casper are known as bed-in-a-box mattress companies because the beds are shipped compressed in an easy-to-maneuver box. 
• Pricing: Both beds cost roughly the same in their various sizes, with Casper mattresses running just a bit less expensive.

The Purple Mattress Is Best For 

• People interested in a “floating” feel: The Purple Grid is a unique gel material that flexes with the body and buckles at areas of high pressure. This proprietary material can give sleepers a “weightless” sensation.
• Hot sleepers: The Purple Grid material along the mattress surface stores less body heat than the foams used in the comfort layers of other mattresses. Over 1,800 air channels provide ample breathability, meaning the surface remains cool and dry.  
• People with joint pain: The Purple’s surface evenly distributes weight, minimizing pressure and pain at sensitive joints.

Not Best For…

• Heavyweight people: At just 9.25” deep, the Purple bed likely won’t provide the support or cushion that heavier bodies need. We don’t recommend this mattress for people who weigh more than 230 pounds. 
• People who like being hugged by their mattress: Do you like being enveloped by plush, cloud-like foam? If so, the Purple may not be for you. The contouring is light and airy, unlike the cushioning of an all-foam bed. 
• Stomach sleepers: The Purple’s polymer grid top layer collapses when enough weight is applied, such as at a sleeper’s hips and glutes. While this contouring is good for the body alignment of side and back sleepers, it can cause back pain and discomfort in stomach sleepers.

The Casper Original Mattress Is Best For

• Memory foam mattress fans: With a soft top layer and contouring memory foam transition layer, the Casper has the body-cradling coziness that you expect from a high-quality foam mattress.  
• Couples and those who co-sleep: Casper’s layers of foam dampen motion, a property that supports deep sleep for people who share the bed. The edges are also sturdy and comfortable so you can carve out your own space. 
• Back and side sleepers: While Casper works well enough for lightweight and average-weight stomach sleepers, it really shines for back and side sleepers.The bed’s Zoned Support layer that keeps the hips in line with the spine in every position.

Not Best For…

• People who sleep hot: While Casper incorporates cooling technologies like perforated foam and a breathable cover, it’s not the best mattress for hot sleepers. With a moderate body hug and no innerspring coils, the Casper traps some body heat. 
• People who like a bouncy mattress: The Casper mattress does not have any innerspring coils, the material responsible for the springy feel of hybrid and innerspring beds. 
• Plus-size people: While the Casper is okay for heavier folks who weigh under 300 pounds, it’s not our top choice for sleepers who weigh more than 230 pounds. Bigger bodies can lead the surface to soften with time, and the soft foam layers can cause excess sinkage.

Read our full Casper Mattress Review to learn more!

Casper vs. Purple Video Comparison

Deciding Between Casper & Purple

Firmness / Feel

Mattress firmness is measured on a 1-10 firmness scale, with 1 being extremely soft and 10 extremely firm. The right firmness level for your body depends upon your weight and sleeping position. Sleepers who rest on their side often prefer a softer mattress, which cushions pressure points. Stomach, back and combination sleepers fare better on medium-firm mattresses, which offer flatter surfaces that encourage spinal alignment. Your weight is also a factor in firmness preference. Lighter folks tend to prefer softer beds and heavier people firmer mattresses. 

Both the Purple and Casper have middle-of-the-road firmness levels, at 6.5 and 6, respectively. This firmness works well for most sleeping positions. While the Casper works better for heavier people thanks to Zoned Support, both beds are best for people who weigh less than 230 pounds. For larger folks, see the best mattresses for heavy people.

To achieve pressure relief in all positions and ease of movement, see our list on the best mattresses for combination sleepers.

Motion Isolation

Motion isolation is an important factor for couples, who can experience disrupted sleep if they feel their partner switching positions or getting out of bed. The Purple minimizes motion transfer very well—as does the Casper—thanks to the naturally low motion transfer rate of foam. If motion isolation is important to you, both of these beds are excellent options. They hardly create any noise when bearing weight, making them a good mattresses for couples with different preferences.

Edge Support

Edge support is important for people who have trouble getting in and out of bed and for those who snuggle up along the mattress’s perimeter. The Purple offers relatively good edge support when you lie along the edges, but is a bit less supportive when sitting on the edge or getting in and out of bed. The Casper’s level of edge support is similar, both when sleeping on the edges or sitting on them. 

Pressure Relief 

Pressure relief is particularly important for side sleepers whose hips and shoulders need extra cushioning. A bed’s rate of pressure relief is closely linked to the materials used in its comfort layer and how well it conforms to sleepers’ bodies.

The Purple mattress does an excellent job distributing weight throughout the Smart Comfort Grid, providing great pressure relief for lightweight and average-weight people. Heavier sleepers may come into contact with the core layers and experience added pressure. The Casper is similar, providing great pressure relief for average-weight and lightweight sleepers, with heavyweight sleepers running into some added pressure as well.  

Spine Alignment 

Your ability to achieve spinal alignment on the Casper or the Purple depends upon your weight and sleeping position. In general, side sleepers should find sufficient cushioning and spinal alignment on the Purple for the hips and shoulders, and back sleepers will find a neutral alignment. Heavyweight sleepers (more than 230 pounds) and stomach sleepers may experience uncomfortable sinkage that leads to a misaligned spine.

The Casper mattress provides excellent spinal alignment for lightweight and average-weight back and side sleepers. It’s the Casper’s Zoned Support layer that provides the contouring that aligns the spine in every position. Heavyweight sleepers may experience pressure in their hips and shoulders (especially for side sleepers) or excess sink in their hips (especially for back and stomach sleepers).

Durability 

While gauging mattress durability isn’t an exact science, we’d say the Casper mattress has a lifespan of roughly six to eight years. The support core, which is relatively thick when compared to other all-foam beds, helps it last a bit longer than average. The Purple mattress will last roughly seven to ten years before a replacement mattress is needed. With the Casper, frequent rotations are recommended to prevent sagging and body impressions.

Cooling/Temperature

The open construction of Purple’s proprietary grid allows airflow through the top layer, keeping sleepers cool and the absorption of body heat to a minimum. Casper, on the other hand, maintains a comfortable sleep temperature, but we wouldn’t say it sleeps “cool.” The solid-foam base doesn’t promote much airflow, and while the comfort layers do a good job of releasing body heat, they’re no competition for the Purple’s breathable, spacious comfort grid. 

The open construction of Purple’s proprietary grid allows airflow through the layer, keeping sleepers cool and the absorption of body heat to a minimum, making it one of our best cooling mattresses. 

Purple Mattress Construction

The Purple is an all-foam mattress unlike any other. Purple’s claim to fame is its proprietary Purple Grid, a Hyper-Elastic Polymer layer that conforms where the body exerts pressure but doesn’t compress anywhere else. As a result, every Purple mattress model has a “floating” effect that many love. The stretchy polyester, viscose and Lycra blend cover flexes along with the Purple Grid, offering even more comfort and breathability.

Beneath the grid, a transitional layer of high-density polyfoam acts as a buffer to prevent sinkage. A 4” support foam layer reinforces the mattress. 

Casper Mattress Construction

The Casper Original mattress, the brand’s flagship model, is a mixed-foam mattress made with comfort layers of polyfoam and memory foam. These breathable and pressure-relieving layers are made up of a 1.5” plush polyfoam top layer and a 2” zoned memory foam transition layer. Together, these layers create body-contouring and a responsive feel. The zoned memory foam means the Casper is softer at the shoulders and firmer along the body’s heavier core for a balanced feel. 

The base layer of the Casper is a 7” layer of high-density polyfoam, which stabilizes the bed and prevents the top two layers from sagging. This support layer reinforces the edges to make it easier to get in and out of bed. Casper’s cover is a removable, washable polyester cover made partially from recycled bottles.

Sizing & Price Comparisons 

For the best price on a new mattress, check out our Casper mattress coupons and Purple mattress coupons. If you are interested in more of the top mattress brands, see the best mattress deals of 2021.

Shipping and Returns

Purple Mattress

Purple mattresses ship for free to the continental U.S., with shipping available for a fee to Alaska, Hawaii and Canada. The Purple trial period offers customers 100 nights from the day the new mattress arrives to decide whether or not it’s right for them.

See: Purple Return Policy

If you decide to return the bed, you must wait until after a 21-day adjustment period. Purple then issues a full refund and sends someone to your home to pick up the mattress. The Purple bed comes with a 10-year warranty, which is a standard warranty length compared to the rest of the bed-in-a-box mattress industry. For more, see Purple mattress warranty.

Casper Mattress

Casper’s shipping and return policies are very similar to Purple’s. The mattresses ship for free to the 48 contiguous U.S. and parts of Canada, with shipping to Alaska and Hawaii available for an additional fee. Casper beds come with a risk-free 100-night sleep trial and a slightly longer 30-day waiting period. You may return your mattress during this time for a full refund. The Casper Original mattress also comes with an industry-standard 10-year warranty: the same warranty length that Purple offers.

See: Casper Mattress Warranty

More Purple Mattresses

Read our full Purple Hybrid Mattress Review to learn more.

Read our full Purple Hybrid Premier mattress review to learn more.

More Casper Mattresses

Read our full Casper Wave Hybrid mattress review to learn more.

Check out our full Casper Nova Hybrid mattress review to learn more. 

Still Haven’t Decided on Your New Mattress? Check out our other comparisons: 

• Casper vs Nectar
• Casper vs Saatva 
• Casper vs Puffy
• Casper vs Leesa
• Casper vs Tuft & Needle
• Casper vs Brooklyn Bedding
• Casper vs Helix
• Casper vs. WinkBeds
• Purple vs Nectar
• Purple vs. Saatva
• Purple vs. Layla
• Purple vs. Leesa
• Purple vs. Puffy
• Purple vs GhostBed
• Purple vs Tuft & Needle
• Purple vs. Tempur-Pedic

Our Final Review

While the Casper and Purple are both some of the most popular bed-in-a-box mattress on the market, the Purple mattress is better for people who sleep hot. The Purple also offers great pressure relief, which is ideal for elderly folks with joint pain. The Casper mattress’s Zoned Support memory foam makes it a superior choice for most stomach sleepers and people who like the hugging feel of an all-foam mattress.