Leesa vs. Purple Mattress Comparison

Leesa and Purple are two fan-favorite online mattresses. Thanks to differences in the comfort system of these beds, they’re likely to appeal to different customers. 

The Leesa is a memory foam mattress that hugs the body and supports every sleeping position. The Purple has a unique gel grid top layer that brings a weightless, floating feel. While both mattresses provide the pressure relief and support that side and back sleepers need, the Leesa’s balanced foam feel better supports stomach sleepers. Hot sleepers tend to prefer the ultra-breathable Purple mattress over the all-foam Leesa, and it is slightly better for lightweight side sleepers.

Comparing the Purple & Leesa Mattresses

Key Differences 

• Construction: The Purple is a hybrid mattress that pairs polyurethane foam with a proprietary gel grid top layer. The Leesa is a memory foam mattress with two layers of polyfoam and one of memory foam. 
• Feel: Even though both are medium-firm mattresses, their feel is quite different. People feel like they are weightless when floating on top of the Purple’s pressure-relieving grid. The Leesa is a more traditional foam mattress that cradles the body for a more cushiony feel. 
• Cooling: Because the Purple Grid comfort layer facilitates greater airflow than the Leesa’s body-hugging top foam layer, it sleeps cooler and is better than the Leesa for hot sleepers. 
• Sleeping Positions: Both mattresses are excellent for back sleepers and average-weigh side sleepers. The Leesa is a better mattress for stomach sleepers and the Purple for lightweight side sleepers. 

Key Similarities

• Body Size: Both beds are best for sleepers who weigh less than 230 pounds. 
• Good for Couples: Both mattresses provide above-average motion isolation and edge support, two attributes important for people who share the bed. 
• Packaging: Both are bed-in-a-box mattresses that ship to customers’ doorsteps compressed into a box. 

Who is the Leesa Mattress Best For 

• People who share the bed: Leesa’s three layers of foam isolate motion, so couples and those who sleep with pets or kids don’t wake up when their sleep partner moves. 
• Every sleeping position: The Leesa has a universal medium-firm feel that brings the cushioning side sleepers need and the contouring support preferred by back and stomach sleepers. This bed also works as a mattress for combination sleepers thanks to a responsive foam surface and its ability to support all sleeping positions. 
• Foam mattress lovers: The Leesa has a snuggly feel and lightly enveloping surface, so it’s best for people who like the hugging feel of memory foam.  

Not Best For…

• Heavier people: Bigger bodies require extra support and durable foams to minimize sagging and support healthy spine alignment. The Leesa doesn’t have durable innerspring coils, nor are its comfort layers built with the needs of heavier folks in mind. For more body-inclusive options, see the best mattresses for heavy people.
• Hot sleepers: All-foam beds don’t tend to sleep as cool as innerspring or hybrid mattresses. While Leesa takes steps to support temperature neutrality, this mattress is unlikely to be cool enough for people who struggle to stay cool on the average mattress. 
• Innerspring mattress fans: Do you like the bouncy feel of traditional mattresses? If so, you’re better off looking for a bed with innerspring coils.

Who is the Purple Mattress Best For 

• Back and side sleepers: The Purple Grid buckles at heavier body parts in a way that provides good body alignment for both side and back sleepers. For similar options, see the best mattresses for back sleepers.
• Hot sleepers: The top gel grid layer has over 1,800 air channels that support breathability along the Purple’s surface. This lack of heat retention is excellent for people who often wake up hot or sweaty. 
• People with back pain or body aches: The Purple’s unique surface makes you feel like you’re weightless. Even weight distribution means less pain at pressure points and healthy spinal alignment which can help relieve aches and pains.  

Not Best For…

• People who want to be hugged by their mattress: While Purple does deliver pressure-relieving contouring, it does not do so by softly enveloping the body. If you like the traditional memory foam feel, this may not be the best mattress for you. 
• Plus-size people: The top layer of the Purple mattress is just 2” thick. People who weigh more than 230 pounds are likely to sink through this layer, negating the pressure-relieving benefits. Instead, you may find increased pressure as your hips and shoulders make contact with the firmer support foam layers below. 
• Innerspring mattress fans: The Purple mattress doesn’t have the bouncy feel of a coil mattress.  

What to Consider When Picking a Mattress

Firmness / Feel

Mattresses are rated on a firmness scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being extremely soft and 10 extremely firm. The Leesa and the Purple mattresses are 6 and 6.5 on the firmness scale, putting them both at medium-firm levels. 

While these beds have similar firmnesses, their feels are vastly different. The Purple Grid makes you feel like you’re floating on the surface, enjoying a weightless sleeping experience. The Leesa has a distinct foam mattress feel, lightly hugging the body for a feel that’s closer to sleeping “in” than “on” the surface. 

Both mattresses work well for back and side sleepers who weigh less than 230 pounds, although the Purple does a slightly better job at responding to the curves of lighter side sleepers. The Leesa is better than the Purple for most stomach sleepers because the Purple Grid can cause excess hip sinking in this position.   

Motion Isolation

For couples—especially light sleepers—who share a bed, motion transfer can ruin a good night’s sleep. The Leesa and the Purple were both designed to minimize motion transfer, so both are good options for people who sleep with a partner, child or furry family member. The Leesa just slightly outperforms the Purple in this category, so if you’re a super light sleeper, the Leesa may be the one for you. For other mattresses that isolate motion, see the best mattress for couples.

Edge Support

Certain people need a mattress with solid edges. Folks who rely upon the edges to safely enter and exit bed, such as elderly people with body pain, are safest on a mattress with good edge support. Another group of people for whom a sturdy edge matters are couples sharing a queen-size or smaller mattress. On smaller beds, couples need every inch of space so that everyone can have room to move around and sleep soundly. 

Both Leesa and Purple have the right type of edges for couples who need to spread out. However, neither mattress boasts a reinforced perimeter or durable innerspring coils, two things that you’ll find in the beds with the sturdiest edges. If you rely on solid edge support to help you get into bed, you may be better off considering a hybrid or innerspring mattress. 

Pressure Relief

The Leesa mattress conforms closely to sleepers’ bodies, cushions pressure points for excellent pressure relief. The Purple mattress, too, eases stress on the joints thanks to the way it evenly distributes body weight. While back sleepers are likely to experience excellent pressure relief on either mattress, lighter side sleepers may experience more give and less pressure on the Purple. If you are waking up in pain, see the best mattress for back pain.

Spine Alignment

Spinal alignment is important for sleepers of all shapes, sizes, and ages, but different beds work better for different sleepers when it comes to proper body alignment. The Purple mattress’s gel grid top layer distributes weight in a way that provides exceptional spine alignment for back and side sleepers who weigh less than 230 pounds. 

The Leesa also does a good job supporting alignment in these people, but it does a much better job than the Purple at providing alignment for stomach sleepers. This is because its soft comfort layer paired with firm support foam balances the cushion and support needed by stomach sleepers. The Purple can cave in at the hips of stomach sleepers—not great for the spine. 

Neither mattress is designed to support bigger bodies. If you weigh more than 230 pounds, you’re unlikely to experience healthy alignment on these mattresses.  

Durability

According to previous mattress reviews, the Leesa is designed to last between six to eight years, putting it on the same level of durability as other mixed-foam mattresses in the same category. The Purple mattress may outlast the Leesa by a few years because the Purple Grid top layer (used in every Purple model) is more resistant to body indentations than the Leesa’s soft foam comfort layer.  

Cooling / Temperature 

The Leesa’s mixed-foam construction hugs the body and can trap heat, making this mattress not as suitable for hot sleepers as the Purple. However, the breathability of the rest of the mattress’s construction means better temperature neutrality than most other all-foam beds. The Purple mattress’s proprietary Smart Comfort Grid allows airflow along the surface, making it one of the best mattresses for hot sleepers. 

Leesa Mattress Construction

The Leesa all-foam mattress consists of three layers. A 2” top layer of soft, responsive polyfoam hugs the body without inhibiting ease-of-movement. What this means is cushion and pressure relief without feeling trapped. Next is a 2” layer of memory foam that brings contouring, pressure relief, support and a distinct memory foam mattress feel. 

The final layer is a 6” high-density polyfoam support core. This durable foam reinforces the mattress, protects against sagging and further reduces motion transfer. The Leesa mattress is 10” thick and rates at 6 on the 1-10 firmness scale.

Purple Mattress Comparison

Starting from the outside of the Purple mattress is a mattress cover consisting of viscose, polyester and Lycra. This allows the cover to be soft and stretchy. The top layer of the mattress features the proprietary Purple Grid, an innovative bedding technology that buckles only at areas of high pressure, giving you a sense of “floating” when you sleep. 

The Purple Grid facilitates airflow to prevent the entrapment of body heat. Under this layer is a 3.5” foam transitional layer that prevents you from sinking into the mattress. The final layer is a 4” support layer of high-density polyfoam that further minimizes motion transfer. Overall, the mattress measures at 9.5” and rates at approximately 6.5/10 on the firmness scale.

Sizing & Price Comparisons 

For the best price on a new mattress, see our Leesa mattress coupons and our Purple mattress coupons.

Shipping and Returns 

Leesa Mattress

Leesa ships their mattresses for free to all 50 states. For an added fee, you can select white glove delivery. With this service, a team sets up your new mattress and disposes of your old one. 

Once you receive your new bed, you have a 100-night trial period during which you can decide if you want to keep the Leesa. Leesa accepts returns after a 30-day adjustment period. If you return your mattress, Leesa issues a full refund. 

Leesa mattresses come with a 10-year warranty—the most common mattress warranty. During this time, Leesa will repair or replace your mattress if there’s a defect in materials or workmanship. 

Purple Mattress

Purple mattresses ship for free within the continental U.S., with shipping available for a fee to Hawaii, Alaska and Canada. Once your new mattress arrives, you have a 100-night sleep trial to make sure that it’s the right mattress for you. If, after the 21-day waiting period, you decide to return your Purple bed, Purple provides a 100 percent refund after the return process is complete. 

Every Purple mattress comes with an industry-standard 10-year warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship. 

More Leesa Mattresses

See our Leesa Legend Mattress Review to learn more.

Check out our Leesa Hybrid Mattress Review to learn more.

Check out our Leesa Studio Mattress Review to learn more.

More Purple Mattresses

Read our full Purple Hybrid Mattress Review to learn more.

See our full Purple Hybrid Premier Mattress Review for more info.

Haven’t made a decision yet? Check out these other comparisons:

• Purple vs. Layla
• Purple vs. Amerisleep
• Purple vs. Bear
• Purple vs. GhostBed
• Purple vs. Lull
• Purple vs. Puffy
• Purple vs. Nectar
• Purple vs. Tuft & Needle
• Purple vs. Tempur-Pedic
• Purple vs. Saatva
• Leesa vs. Tuft & Needle
• Leesa vs. Layla
• Leesa vs. GhostBed
• Leesa vs. Amerisleep
• Leesa vs. Purple
• Leesa vs. Puffy
• Leesa vs. Bear
• Leesa vs. Tempur-Pedic
• Leesa vs. Saatva
• Leesa vs. Casper
• Leesa vs. Helix

Our Final Take

Hot sleepers and lightweight side sleepers are likely to prefer the unique construction of the Purple mattress. But if you like being hugged by your mattress, or if you spend most of your time stomach sleeping, the Leesa all-foam mattress is a better option.