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proprietary image of the tuft & needle original mattress

Overall Rating

7.7

Tuft & Needle Original

Bottom Line

An all-foam mattress that balances support and comfort.

15% off mattresses

Full Mattress Review

VS

proprietary photo of the purple mattress

Overall Rating

8.1

Purple Mattress

Bottom Line

An innovative mattress with next-level cooling for hot sleepers.

$1,399 from Purple (queen)

Full Mattress Review

Tuft & Needle and Purple are both U.S.-based mattress brands. Tuft & Needle began as a startup in 2012, then merged with Serta Simmons Bedding in 2018. Purple began as a family-owned wheelchair manufacturing company in 1989, then became a mattress brand in 2015. Both companies continue to assemble their mattresses in the U.S. today.

The Tuft & Needle Original and the Purple Mattress are flagship mattresses for each of their brands. Both are considered foam beds because their support cores are made of polyfoam. Since these beds share similar features, shoppers may struggle to identify which one to choose. That’s why we hand-tested both mattresses, as well as compared relevant company policies and customer reviews found online.

Quick Look

Tuft & Needle
Purple
Price Range (Queen)

$995

$1,099

Firmness Options

Medium Firm (6)

Medium Firm (6)

Standout Features
  • Balanced pressure relief and support
  • Approachable pricing compared to the competition
  • Exceptional temperature neutrality
  • Very responsive compared to traditional foam
Sleep Trial & Warranty
  • 100 nights
  • 10-Year, Limited
  • 100 nights (21-night requirement)
  • 10 Year, Limited
Customer Service
  • A+
  • A+

Our Testing Team’s Take

We have an in-house Test Lab at our Seattle headquarters, and that’s where we’ve refined our original mattress testing methodology over the last eight years. Objective tests play a large role in our hands-on mattress evaluations. We use top-of-the-line technology to measure how well each mattress relieves pressure, disperses heat, and limits motion transfer. 

In addition to objective tests, we also engage in subjective testing of each mattress. Not only do our testing team members lie down on each mattress in the Test Lab, but they also take beds home to see how they feel over several weeks of nightly use. Because our testing team members span a wide range of sleep position preferences and body weights, their opinions on each beds’ ability to provide comfort and support can help you determine which is the best mattress for you.

Our Verdict

Like many other foam mattresses we’ve tested, the Tuft & Needle Original and the Purple Mattress both rate highest in the categories of pressure relief and motion isolation. Sleepers who enjoy feeling lightly cradled by their mattress may enjoy both of these beds. The ability to reduce motion transfer also makes these mattresses good choices for sleepers who share a bed with a partner and don’t want to be disrupted by their movements.

These mattresses don’t rate as highly when it comes to ease of movement or off-gassing. People with limited mobility may face resistance when rolling over or getting out of bed, because of the way the mattresses hug the body. Those who are sensitive to smells might not like that these beds can take several days or, according to Tuft & Needle, up to two weeks to air out after being opened.

Brad-684x684

Brad Nehring

Senior Product Analyst

Side sleeper

215 lbs.

Sleeps with a weighted blanket

“The T&N Original provides a lot more bounce than the average all-foam mattress – for me, that’s a good thing because I can move across the surface more easily. At the same time, couples may notice a bit more motion transfer.”

While the beds share more commonalities than differences, there are ways to distinguish between them. The Purple Mattress costs a few hundred dollars more, so value shoppers tend to prefer the Tuft & Needle Original. However, the Purple Mattress does a better job of staying cool through the night thanks to its proprietary grid layer, making it the better choice for people who sleep hot.

Jeremy Klein

Jeremy Klein

Senior Product Testing Manager

Side sleeper

160 lbs.

Nightly melatonin user

“The Purple’s unique “grid” design really sets it apart from traditional all-foam beds on the market. As someone who sleeps hot and enjoys deep cushioning, this mattress nicely checks both boxes.”

Construction and Materials

Although the Tuft & Needle Original and the Purple Mattress both have polyfoam support cores, there are differences between them. The most notable difference is that the Purple Mattress’ comfort layer is a grid of their proprietary buckling column gel rather than a foam layer.

Construction AnalysisTuft & Needle OriginalPurple Mattress
CoverMicro-polyamide and polyester blendViscose, polyester, Lycra spandex
Comfort LayerPolyfoam
Polyfoam (ventilated)
2″ buckling column gel
Transitional LayerPolyfoam (open-cell, graphite-infused, cooling gel-infused)3.25″ polyfoam
Support Core9″ polyfoam4″ Polyfoam

Tuft & Needle Original Breakdown

On our firmness scale, the Tuft & Needle Original rates as medium firm, or 6 out of 10. The bed measures 10 inches tall, and that space contains five layers, including the cover. The cover of the Tuft & Needle Original is made of a blend of micro polyamide and polyester, and the company claims that it is designed to promote cooling. 

The uppermost comfort layer of the Tuft & Needle Original is made from a type of polyfoam that the company calls T&N Flex foam. This type of foam is designed to respond to the body and firm up as you sink more deeply into the mattress. The next comfort layer is made of T&N Release foam. This layer is ventilated with small holes to promote airflow. This layer also adds to the bed’s cushioning.

Next is a layer of T&N Adaptive foam, which is infused with graphite and cooling gel to reduce heat build-up. This polyfoam is open-cell polyfoam, which means the foam contains small open cells to help with cooling. The support core measures 6.5 inches and consists of a high-density polyfoam. This layer provides firmness and stability to the bed.

Purple Mattress Breakdown

Like the Tuft & Needle Original, the Purple Mattress is a medium firm (6) mattress. At 9.25 inches, its profile is comparable to the Tuft & Needle Original’s 10-inch profile. The Purple Mattress contains four layers, including its cover made from a blend of viscose, polyester, and Lycra spandex. The company calls it the SoftFlex cover, and notes that it was designed to stretch in a way that works well with the Purple grid beneath it.

The layer beneath the cover is called the GelFlex Grid. This grid is made of a buckling column gel that cradles the body. Large holes in the grid allow heat to dissipate and are likely the driving force behind the mattress’ high rating in temperature regulation. Beneath the grid layer is a 3.25-inch layer of transitional polyfoam that both adds to the bed’s cushioning and keeps sleepers from sinking too deeply.

The Purple Mattress’ support core is made of polyfoam. This polyfoam differs from the polyfoam layer above it, in that it is higher in density and less soft. This bottom layer stabilizes the bed and also keeps sleepers from sinking in too deeply.

Mattress Sizing and Weight

Both the Tuft & Needle Original and the Purple Mattress are sold in twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, and California king sizes. The Purple Mattress is also available in a split king size. A split king is composed of two separate twin XL mattresses that form the size of a king bed when pushed together on the same frame. Split king beds often appeal to sleepers who share an adjustable bed with a partner, or those who want to reduce motion transfer.

Both mattresses have similar profiles, but the Purple Mattress weighs about 16 pounds more than the Tuft & Needle Original. Still, most people will want help from another person when attempting to lift or carry either bed.

ModelProfileWeight (Queen)
Tuft & Needle Original Mattress10″72 lbs.
Purple Mattress9.25″88 lbs.

Performance Ratings

Our testing team found that the Tuft & Needle Original and the Purple Mattress performed similarly in multiple areas of testing. Both received high scores for pressure relief and motion isolation, which is common for foam beds. A high score on pressure relief indicates that sleepers tend to feel comfortable on these mattresses and don’t develop painful pressure points. Strong motion isolation shows that the beds are a good choice for couples who share a bed.

Both mattresses share the same firmness level of medium firm (6), which is why they rated highly among similar types of sleepers. All side sleepers liked these beds, but those weighing between 130 and 230 pounds found them the most comfortable. Of back sleepers, only those weighing between 130 and 230 pounds liked the beds, and those outside this range found the mattresses  either too soft or too firm. Most stomach sleepers didn’t feel comfortable on these mattresses regardless of their body weights.

There are a few ways in which the Tuft & Needle Original and the Purple Mattress differ. The Purple Mattress scores higher in terms of temperature regulation because the open pockets in its grid layer allow heat to disperse. As a result, people who tend to sleep hot may prefer The Purple Mattress. The Purple Mattress also costs about $300 more than the Tuft & Needle Original, so value seekers may opt for the Tuft & Needle and save some money.

Category

T&N Original Mattress Purple Mattress
Motion Isolation 7.5 /10 8 /10
Ease of Movement 5 /10 5 /10
Temperature Regulation 5 /10 7 /10
Pressure Relief 7.5 /10 8 /10
Odor Emissions 5.5 /10 5.5 /10
Edge Support 6.5 /10 6.5 /10

Mattress Pricing

Foam beds usually cost less than other models because foam is a synthetic material that isn’t as expensive to manufacture as other materials like latex or steel. The price of foam mattresses can vary, with the low-cost options only costing a couple hundred dollars and high-end foam mattresses priced in the thousands. Both of these beds are in the low-to-mid range in terms of pricing, but the Purple Mattress costs a few hundred dollars more than the Tuft & Needle Original.

Both mattresses come with a 100-night sleep trial, during which you can return the mattress if it doesn’t work out for you, as well as a 10-year limited warranty that covers manufacturing defects. Basic shipping policies are also similar for both beds, but if you want White Glove Delivery, which includes in-home setup and old mattress removal, you’ll have to order from Purple because Tuft & Needle doesn’t have that option available.

PolicyTuft & Needle Original MattressPurple Mattress
Sleep Trial100 nights100 nights
Warranty10 year, limited10 years, limited
ShippingFree to contiguous US, extra fee for Alaska and HawaiiFree to contiguous US, extra fee for Alaska and Hawaii
White Glove DeliveryNot availableAvailable for an added fee

What Customers Are Saying

Both the Tuft & Needle Original and the Purple Mattress have garnered tens of thousands of positive customer reviews online. Many people claim that they’ve received the best sleep of their lives on these beds. Comments about pain relief and improved sleep quality are common. People also praise both beds for how comfortable they are. Many also claim the Purple Mattress remains cool throughout the night.

Although pain relief is commonly mentioned in customer reviews, a small percentage of reviewers of both beds mention that the mattresses cause back pain. In many of these cases, the reviewers are stomach sleepers or back sleepers that weigh over 230 pounds. If you are considering either of these mattresses, think about your body weight and sleep position preferences before making a purchase to help ensure you end up with the best bed for you.

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