Purple vs. GhostBed Mattress Comparison

Comparing the Purple & GhostBed Mattresses

The GhostBed Classic is designed by GhostBed, a brand owned by Nature’s Sleep. As the brand’s flagship mattress, the GhostBed is made with Dunlop latex, gel memory foam, and a foam support core. It’s considered a medium-firm.

The Purple Original mattress is Purple’s flagship mattress. It’s an all-foam mattress that’s designed with Purple’s proprietary ‘Smart Grid’ comfort layer, which uses hyper-elastic polymer and has a buckling-column gel design. This mattress is also considered a medium-firm level, but will have a slightly softer feel.

Differences

• The GhostBed uses gel memory foam, but the Purple’s grid-style comfort layer allows it to sleep cooler than the GhostBed.
• The GhostBed can support sleepers of any weight and height, whereas the Purple Original is best suited for lightweight and average-weight sleepers. The thicker GhostBed is sturdier for heavier sleepers while the Purple has a softer construction. 
• The difference in thickness and comfort layer materials provides a unique feel in each mattress. The GhostBed’s latex layer will provide bounce and ease of movement more so than the Purple, making it the best mattress for combination sleepers, between the two.

Similarities

• As memory foam mattresses, both are firmer than average, providing less of a sinking feeling than other models of the same construction. Both are roughly a 6.5/10 on our firmness scale and make our list on the best mattress for stomach sleepers. 
• Both the GhostBed and Purple reduce motion transfer fairly well and make little to no noise when bearing weight.
• The base layer of each mattress is very similar height and construction, meaning the edge support and durability are likely to be similar between the two memory foam mattresses.

Who is the Purple Original Mattress Best For?

Best For…

• Sleepers who enjoy firmer beds that conform moderately to the body
• Average weight and heavyweight sleepers 
• Those who sleep hot
• Sleepers who awaken easily due to their partner or pet’s movement or noise
• You enjoy the feeling of sleeping “on” a mattress rather than “in” it

May Not be Best For…

• Those who want a traditional memory foam feel
• Heavyweight sleepers, as the mattress does not provide adequate support

Read our full Purple Mattress Review to learn more! 

Who is the GhostBed Mattress Best For?

Best For…

• Sleepers seeking a balance of pressure relief and support
• Those interested in a mixed-foam or latex bed that sleeps relatively cool
• Couples or co-sleepers who need motion isolation and noise reduction
• Average weight sleepers in all sleeping positions

May Not be Best For…

• Lightweight sleepers, especially side sleepers, who may feel that the bed is too firm around the shoulders and hips

Read the full GhostBed Mattress Review to learn more.

Things to Consider When Picking A Mattress

Firmness / Feel

The Purple Original and GhostBed Classic are 6.5/10 and 6/10, respectively, on the firmness scale, which corresponds with a medium-firm. They both offer a balanced feel, combining some conforming with pressure relief and paint point alleviation, but they have some subtle differences that we’ll explain below.

The high elasticity of the latex and memory foam comfort layers in the GhostBed create a nice conforming around the sleeper’s body, and you’ll feel like you’re sleeping “on” the GhostBed rather than “it” it. It won’t cradle quite as much like a memory foam bed, however, as the latex gives the GhostBed a quicker response to pressure than memory foam mattresses.

The Purple, on the other hand, leaves sleepers feeling like they’re sleeping “in” the mattress rather than “on” it. The Smart Grid will conform to your body in areas where pressure is exerted, but the support layers beneath it and the grid’s column structure create a more responsive feel than other mixed-foam beds. The benefit of this “floating” feel is that the spine will remain aligned while sleepers of all types receive adequate cushioning.

Motion Isolation

Both the Purple Original and the GhostBed Classic excel in reducing motion transfer and minimizing noise when weight is exerted on the mattress. This quality makes either bed a great mattress for couples and co-sleepers who wake easily throughout the night due to their partner or pet’s movements.

Edge Support

Neither the Purple Original nor the GhostBed has great edge support. Regardless of your height or weight, you’ll notice significant sinkage at the edges of these beds. Edge support is an important quality to consider if you have trouble getting in and out of bed, and it can also be an indicator of a mattress’s overall durability.

That being said, it’s important to keep in mind that most all-foam and latex beds have fair to poor edge support. Innerspring and hybrid models have the benefit of dense coil systems that reinforce the edges to reduce sinkage whereas all-foam and latex models do not. 

Pressure Relief 

Pressure relief refers to how well a bed is able to reduce pain in pressure points like the hips, shoulders, and neck in various sleeping positions. The Purple’s Comfort Grid does a nice job of reducing pressure for lightweight and average weight sleepers. Heavy sleepers may find that the grid adds more pressure.

Pressure relief on the Purple also varies by sleeping position. It provides nice cushioning for the shoulders and hips for most back and stomach sleepers, but heavier stomach sleepers may experience too much sagging in the hip area for proper spinal alignment.

The GhostBed also offers nice pressure relief, thanks to the latex and memory foam top layers. Most sleepers, regardless of weight, should experience nice conforming and comfort on the GhostBed. Note that very lightweight sleepers, especially those who enjoy sleeping on their sides, may find that the medium-firm feel of the bed adds pressure to the shoulders and hips, but this varies on a case by case basis. For softer mattresses that contour around the body, see our picks for the best mattress for side sleepers.

Spine Alignment 

Spinal alignment is related to support but is not exactly the same thing. Maintaining proper spinal alignment throughout the night is essential for preventing daytime aches and pains. Because both the Purple Original and GhostBed Classic are medium-firm in feel, it’s no surprise that they offer nice spinal alignment for sleepers in most weight categories and sleeping position categories.

On the GhostBed, lightweight sleepers who enjoy a firmer sleeping surface will enjoy the mix of conforming and support, and they’ll sink into the latex layer as the night goes on. Average weight sleepers will enjoy the bed regardless of sleeping position, and heavyweight sleepers who sink further into the mattress will do fine as well. The thick, high-density support core of the GhostBed provides enough support to prevent sagging for this weight category and makes it a supportive mattress for back sleepers to protect their spine.

The Purple’s ability to maintain proper spinal alignment in sleepers also depends on their weight category and sleeping position. Lightweight sleepers should feel pretty supported in various sleeping positions because the Comfort Grid conforms closely enough to cushion the body while the bottom foams distribute weight and maintain the even sleeping surface. 

Average weight sleepers will also find the bed reasonably comfortable, but stomach sleepers may experience hip sagging, which could throw the spine out of alignment. Heavyweight sleepers may not find adequate support and spinal alignment on the Purple, as the grid seems to add pressure in various sleeping positions for this weight group.

Durability 

Both the GhostBed and Purple Original are relatively new mattresses to the market, so it’s difficult to predict exactly how long the lifespan of each is. However, based on the makeup of each mattress and various customer reviews, we think they will have average durability for mixed-foam and latex mattresses. As always, rotating the mattress and maintaining its cleanliness is recommended to help prolong its lifespan.

Temperature 

When compared, the Purple will sleep cooler than the GhostBed Classic, but that isn’t to say the GhostBed sleeps hot. Most mixed-foam mattresses, especially those that contain memory foam, tend to sleep warm because this material traps heat from the sleeper’s body. 

The Smart Grid in the Purple Original has an open structure, improving airflow through the top layer to help the bed sleep very cool. The GhostBed, while not as cool as the Purple, sleeps cool relative to other latex and mixed-foam beds. This is because the bed’s top comfort layers are less dense than other foams, providing more airflow and releasing heat from the sleeper’s body. A bed’s ability to provide a cool or temperature neutral sleep is something to consider if you sleep hot, are overweight or live in a climate that’s warm year-round. For more considerations, see our choices for the best mattress for hot sleepers.

Purple vs. GhostBed Mattress Construction

Purple Construction

The Purple mattress features the company’s proprietary ‘Smart Grid’ in the comfort layer. Rather than a single layer of foam that’s often featured in all-foam mattresses, the grid is a buckling-column gel that conforms where the sleeper’s body is lying but remains unchanged elsewhere. The result is a bed that feels conforming yet responsive; it has a unique feel when compared to most memory foam beds. The grid also helps keep the mattress breathable and isolates motion exceptionally well. 

The support foam of the Purple will support and cradle around pressure points, contouring around the hips and shoulders for light to heavy weight side sleepers.

GhostBed Construction

The GhostBed Classic is made from high-quality foams and latex for a medium-firm feel that provides close conforming and pressure relief. It contains two comfort layers and a base layer and weighs 89 pounds in a Queen size, which is heavier than other all-foam beds. It measures 11” in height. The cover is also breathable, with outer edges built sturdier to provide better edge support. 

The aerated latex foam and  gel memory foam layers will increase airflow around the sleeper and contour around the body to provide optimal pressure relief. Back sleepers of all sizes should find comfort sleeping on the GhostBed’s layers. 

Sizing & Price Comparisons 

Check out our GhostBed Mattress Coupons & Purple Mattress Coupons to learn more. 

Shipping and Returns for Purple & GhostBed

GhostBed and Purple offer generous shipping and return policies with the purchase of these mattresses. The Purple is available to ship free anywhere in the contiguous United States, but shipping is available for a fee to Canada, Alaska, and Hawaii as well. The GhostBed ships free in the contiguous United States and with a shipping fee to Alaska and Hawaii. Both ship as a bed-in-a-box and need to be unrolled and decompressed after arriving. 

Both mattresses deliver within 3 to 5 business days, and you’ll have between 100 and 101 nights to try the bed and make a decision about whether to return it. If you decide to return the GhostBed, you’ll be offered a full refund. If you decide to return the Purple Original, you’ll also be offered a full refund and shipping and handling expenses are covered. Keep in mind that both companies require customers to test the mattress for at least 30 nights to allow it to fully break-in prior to returning it.

Still Can’t Decide? Here are some of our other comparisons:

GhostBed vs Leesa

GhostBed vs Tuft & Needle

GhostBed vs Nectar

GhostBed vs Casper

Purple vs Lull

Purple vs Nectar

Purple vs Bear

Purple vs Casper

Our Final Take

Because both the GhostBed Classic and the Purple Original are so similar in many areas, including firmness, price and policies, that the best option for you should be determined by their differences. If you prefer sleeping “on” a mattress rather than sleeping “in” it, you may enjoy the GhostBed more. If you sleep hot, you may also enjoy the Purple for its cooling properties. We recommend reviewing your height, weight, sleeping position, and overall feel preferences and re-reading our review (making note of the “best for” and “not best for” lists) to determine which might be the best mattress for you.