Leesa vs Purple Mattress

Leesa Wins On Price

I know we haven’t even discussed the feel or firmness of either bed, but we should touch on price since it could be a deal-breaker or -maker for you. And just so you’re aware, when we start throwing around numbers, we are referring to a queen size mattress.

The Leesa mattress sells for just under $1,100, which is affordable as is, but the company is big on offering coupons, so typically you can get a bed for around the $950 mark. You can check Leesa.com for their current deals if they are running any now.

Purple isn’t far behind, but their beds are more expensive—and Purple is fairly opposed to promoting cash discounts. The original Purple mattress has a selling price of about $1,000-$1,100 (queen size), which means in most cases Leesa will be at least $150-$200 less than Purple. That said, you can check Purple.com to see their promotions today and to look for any discounts or bundles.

While we often award major points for being more affordable, given how different these two beds are, we think you should take the time to learn about other elements before you make your final call.

Leesa Is Simple, Safe & Comfortable

If you want the safe pick, that’s Leesa. It’s the type of mattress most people will agree on, and most people will find comfortable. And if you look at the construction, you will understand why. The bed has three layers of foam, and that is it. Here’s a look inside the bed.

The bottom layer is just support foam—we see this on just about every foam bed we test. Next, you have a transition layer of memory foam, which serves dual purposes. It stops you from feeling the dense support foam and also allows for extra pressure relief for side sleepers.

The top layer is a new type of foam that’s unique to the flagship Leesa mattress. The new foam is called “LSA 200,” and we are big fans. It’s responsive, yet extra pressure relieving and is still breathable. It’s a major step forward from what Leesa used to have inside the mattress.

As you’d expect, Leesa has a soft-foam feel, a bit like Yogabed or the Casper mattress. You get the benefit of the memory foam, but you won’t really feel it. Overall, Leesa is just a comfortable bed that lacks a distinct feel—and we mean that in a good way. It’s almost so neutral that it’s hard to fathom anyone taking a hard stance against the bed.

If You Plan On Moving Soon, Get Leesa

I know this is a relatively minor point—and most of the time, I would just skip it—but it’s actually worth mentioning when comparing Purple vs. Leesa. The Leesa mattress weighs quite a bit less than the original Purple and way less than the New Purple mattresses.

A queen size Leesa weighs 71 lb, and Purple weighs 110 lb. That is a major difference. If you plan on moving with any regularity, we would strongly suggest you start with Leesa. We’re thinking of college students and young professionals mostly, but anyone that will be moving soon should test Leesa first. It’s not only lighter, but it holds its shape better when you’re moving it. The top layer with Purple is heavy and slinky, which makes their beds arduous to move.

Laying On A Purple Mattress Is Like…

Well, it’s like laying on a seven-foot-long Dr. Scholl’s insole. I know that sounds incredibly weird, but it’s the easiest way to describe what Purple beds are like. So what makes Purple so unique?

It all has to do with a proprietary material that the founders of the company invented many years before they started Purple. The material is called Hyper-Elastic Polymer, and you’ll see it on all of the Purple mattresses. Here’s a look at Hyper-Elastic Polymer.

Hyper-Elastic Polymer will bend, flex, and contort itself to fit the shape of your body. When you lay on your side, you get extra pressure relief under your shoulders and hips, but when you switch to your stomach or back, you feel almost weightless on top of the bed. This is the reason that we say Purple can manage all sleeping styles.

Purple Has A Medium Firmness Rating

Like Leesa, Purple beds are pretty much down the fairway in terms of firmness. Yes, firmness is subjective based on a number of factors (mostly your weight), but for the average consumer, the original Purple mattress is a medium.

For this post, we are focusing primarily on the original Purple mattress because it’s more of an apples-to-apples comparison with Leesa, but we wanted you to be aware of the Purple Hybrid mattresses, too.

Why Purple Is Awesome For Hot Sleepers

Because Purple has a gel-like material as its primary comfort layer, it’s not going to react to body heat the way a foam would. In other words, it’s not going to retain heat—it’s just a naturally cooler material. Couple that with the fact that there are hundreds of little pockets of air in that top layer, and you have a perfect storm for hot sleepers.

Purple is not a cooling mattress per se but rather a truly neutral-sleeping bed. It won’t make you cold like the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora will, but at the same time, you will not wake up drenched in sweat. We’re pretty confident that it will be the same story for Leesa, but no one is going to argue with the statement that Purple is the superior bed for hot sleepers.

How The Buying Process Works For Leesa & Purple

Whether you’re addicted to Amazon or just insist on never paying for shipping, you’ll be pleased to hear that Purple and Leesa offer 100% free shipping with all of their mattresses. Both companies use FedEx, and in most cases, the mattress shows up to your house within about seven business days. We’ve found that it’s usually quicker, but they sandbag you a little.

The setup process for both brands is similar as well. Leesa will show up in a modest size box and Purple, a bag. All you have to do is remove and discard the packaging once you’ve positioned the bed in your room. This takes almost no time at all. Here’s a look at the unboxing process for Leesa. It’s similar for Purple, but perhaps a little more involved since Purple beds are heavier.

Once you receive your new mattress, a virtual clock starts. You have 100 nights with both mattresses to come to a final decision. And did I mention that if you don’t want the bed at any point during the trial period, you can request a refund? Well, that is indeed the case.

Purple and Leesa offer completely free returns during the test windows. We usually advise that you do not rush your decision. There’s no reason to make your mind up in the first week. You should spend plenty of time with the mattress and think intently about whether you’re in love or just lust.

If you ultimately keep the mattress, both brands have fairly standard warranty policies. You get a 10-year warranty with Leesa and Purple. That’s nothing to write home about, but it should be just fine considering the average person gets a new bed every seven to twelve years. It’s a good idea to read the warranty for your new mattress because it will dictate what sort of foundation the bed is compatible with, among other important items.

Final Thoughts On How They Compare

We’ve laid out all of the major points to consider, and we can’t make the decision for you, but here’s really what Leesa vs. Purple all boils down to.

• Go with Leesa if you prefer a more traditional mattress with a neutral-foam feel. Alternatively, opt for Purple if you’d rather have something that’s totally new.
• Pick up one of the four Purple mattresses if you tend to get hot at night.
• Both beds suit all sleeping positions, so this isn’t a make-or-break consideration when evaluating Purple vs. Leesa.
• Leesa should be your choice if the price is your most important consideration.
• Leesa Hybrid or Purple Hybrid mattresses (i.e., beds with coils) are the best options if you weigh more than 230 lb.

Hopefully, you found this post helpful. If you did, great! If you did not, we have dozens of other mattress reviews and mattress comparisons for you to browse as well.