Loom and Leaf vs Purple Mattress

Not Your Average Memory Foam Bed

Typically, when we discuss a memory foam bed, we start by mentioning how affordable it is because part of the value proposition is the low price point. With Loom & Leaf, however, the story is much more about build quality and aesthetics.

The bed starts with dense foams for support and transitions up to contouring memory foam layers. That, in and of itself, isn’t all that special, but when you pay attention the cover, cooling gel, and overall design, you really get a sense for why we consider Loom & Leaf to be a luxury mattress.

On top of the gel memory foam is a laminated cooling gel strip that won’t necessarily turn a hot sleeper cold, but it will help to regulate temperature. The cooling gel is actually very similar to materials that you’ll see being used in burn units at hospitals. But, because it’s beneath the surface, it won’t be so cold that neutral (and cool) sleeping people can’t try out Loom & Leaf. There’s more info regarding the cooling strip on Loom & Leaf’s website.

Bringing everything together is an organic cotton pillow top cover that’s unmatched by most memory foam beds. It gives the bed an expensive-looking patina and earthy aroma that most people will agree is preferable to the typical “new mattress” smell.

They Offer Two Comfort Levels

With Loom & Leaf, you’re also not pigeonholed with just one firmness level to choose from. The company offers a “Relaxed Firm” and a “Firm” option that, together, allow the bed to work for all sleeping positions.

As the graphic above shows, the “Relaxed Firm” is pretty darn close to a medium-firm, meaning it will be the more popular option and should work for all sleep styles. That said, if you’re a petite side sleeper, the “Relaxed Firm” might even be too firm for you.

The “Firm” option is for people with back pain or individuals that simply want a firm mattress that still has a little give.

You will notice that Loom & Leaf doesn’t have anything on the soft side of the spectrum. That’s probably due to two things: (1) all beds soften over time, so the “Relaxed Firm” will migrate toward a medium over time and (2) there is no shortage of soft memory foam beds on the market, so why follow after what everyone else is doing.

What L&L Feels Like

The short response is that Loom & Leaf feels like a memory foam mattress. The long response is that it feels like a newer style of memory foam mattress with a fluffy pillow top. You won’t get that quicksand-like feeling where the bed envelopes your body. Instead, you’ll feel the pressure relief—and some sinking in—but also a heck of a lot of support.

Despite being a memory foam bed, you will sleep more on top of Loom & Leaf regardless of which comfort level you select. If you take a look at the image above, you’ll notice that Owen is getting pressure relief for his shoulder, but otherwise is in a fairly neutral position.

Retail Price Comparison

It’s difficult to compare prices when you’re dealing with Purple, but for the most part Loom & Leaf will be the more affordable bed. For instance, the MSRP for the queen size Loom & Leaf is $1,900, while the Purple Hybrid Premier starts at $2,200. The original Purple mattress is more affordable at around $1,000-$1,100, but for this comparison we think it’s more appropriate to compare the Purple Hybrid mattresses (formerly known as the New Purple 2,3 & 4).

Your next thought might be about discounts. I’m sad to report that both companies don’t always offer sales. That said, around major holidays you may find the companies offer discounts in the $100-$200 range, but we can’t promise anything. You might want to check LoomandLeaf.com and Purple.com for current deals and bundles.

Quick Overview Of Purple’s Lineup

Because of the names of their beds, Purple seems to confuse people a little. Here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect from all of the Purple mattresses.

• Original Purple — This is a 10″ thick mattress with support foam and 2″ of Hyper-Elastic Polymer.
• Purple Hybrid — This is a 12″ mattress with coils, foam, and 2″ of Hyper-Elastic Polymer. For reference, this bed used to be known as the New Purple 2.
• Purple Hybrid Premier 3 — Same as Purple.2, but with 3″ of Hyper-Elastic Polymer. This mattress used to be called the New Purple 3.
• Purple Hybrid Premier 4 — You guessed it: 4″ of Hyper-Elastic Polymer. This bed was formerly known as the New Purple 4.

The main difference between the four beds is that the New Purple mattresses have pocketed coils instead of foam as their support layer. As such, the New Purple beds are more bouncy and supportive, and allow for even more airflow.

More About Purple’s Secret Sauce

Most of the time when you read about a bed’s secret sauce, it’s really just ketchup. In Purple’s case, however, the “secret sauce” really is something worth learning about. It’s called Hyper-Elastic Polymer and you will see it on all of their mattresses. It’s a gel-like material that’s difficult to describe, but is similar to a Dr. Scholl’s insoles—only in the shape of a mattress.

Because it’s not a foam, Hyper-Elastic Polymer reacts in ways that you haven’t experienced before with a mattress. Somehow, Hyper-Elastic Polymer manages to be soft and firm, at the same time, and really comfy, yet odd.

If you want to learn more about Hyper-Elastic Polymer, Purple has a lot more information on their website.

Suitable For All Sleeping Styles

Given that they offer four different models, naturally, Purple has an option for everyone. For instance, the base Purple Hybrid is their firmest bed and is the best option for strict back and stomach sleepers.

The Original Purple and Purple Hybrid Premier 4.0 are the softest models that the company offers—these are best suited for side sleepers. The Purple Hybrid Premier 3.0 is our favorite pick for combination sleepers.

Having said all of that, we rate all of the Purple beds at close to a medium in terms of their firmness level. The base Purple Hybrid is a little firmer. The Hybrid Premier 4 is a little softer. And the Hybrid Premier 3 is pretty much right on the money.

For petite side sleepers, we would give Purple (the original bed) the win over Loom & Leaf.

The Best Option For Heavy People

As a general rule, we tell heavy people (i.e. over 250 lbs) to test coil beds first. Coil beds tend to be more durable and supportive over the long run, which is key for heavy people that will apply more stress to a mattress.

Loom & Leaf is one of the most supportive and durable foam beds, but we’d still prefer that you try the New Purple beds first.

Airflow For Hot Sleepers

Purple makes some of our favorite beds for hot sleepers, mostly because of the Hyper-Elastic Polymer top layer. It allows the beds to constantly circulate airflow and cool down the sleeper. They’re not technically “cooling beds,” but they are all a great option if you’re worried about heating up. We consider them truly neutral-sleeping beds.

Loom & Leaf is no slouch either when it comes to temperature regulation. Because of its cooling gel strip, it will help to prevent you from drowning in your own sweat in the middle of the night.

Purple and Loom & Leaf just have two different takes on the best method for cooling down hot sleepers. Neither is wrong.

Policy Information For These Beds

If you made it this far, I’m sure you’re aware of the fact that Saatva (Loom & Leaf) and Purple both offer free shipping, albeit via different carriers. For you, the end result will be the same: you won’t pay anything extra for shipping.

Loom & Leaf offers white glove delivery, which is largely considered a premium delivery method. It will take up to two weeks and requires you to schedule delivery, but other than that, your job is done. The movers/delivery personnel will do all of the hard work for you. They will place the mattress in whichever room you want—even if it’s upstairs—and make sure that it’s setup properly. They will even remove your existing bed for free. It truly is full-service delivery. Again, the only downside is that it takes longer.

Purple ships all four of their beds via FedEx Ground inside a six-foot Purple bag. In the past, they used to also offer free white glove delivery, however, we’ve noticed that they’re starting to ship via FedEx more regularly. The beds will be roll-packed and vacuum sealed to maximum space. As a heads up, the beds are fairly heavy so you will want a partner to help you bring the mattress inside and un-bag it. What’s nice with Purple, though, is that the beds will inflate/expand almost immediately. It’s impressive to watch an entire mattress pop into shape after being compressed for several days.

Now, once the beds are in your possession, a clock at Saatva and Purple HQ starts ticking. You get 100 nights and 180 nights to test your new Purple and Loom & Leaf mattress, respectively. The only caveat, as we mentioned above, is that Purple offers 100% free returns and Saatva (L&L) charges $99. In other words, you can afford to be more adventurous with Purple, but with Saatva you will incur a fee if you need to return the bed, so hopefully you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Moving over to the warranty sections, Loom & Leaf has a 15-year warranty, and Purple a 10-year warranty. You should read about the warranty on their respective websites, but the gist of it is that they protect you against manufacturing defects.