DreamCloud vs Purple – Which Should You Choose?

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The new DreamCloud and the original Purple mattress are both very popular online mattressesso if you’re hunting for a bed-in-a-box, these names have probably come up. The new DreamCloud is a luxury hybrid mattress that’s sold at a hybrid price, while the Purple has earned a cult following for its unique materials and feel.

Not sure which of these mattresses is right for you? You’ve come to the right place! In this comparison, we’ve pitted the new DreamCloud model against the original Purple mattress. In our DreamCloud vs Purple comparison, we’ll review each bed’s firmness, feel, construction, and performance so you can decide which option is the best match for your sleep needs and preferences.

DreamCloud vs Purple: General Overview

These are very different mattresses, and they’ll appeal to distinct types of sleepers. Here’s a quick overview of who might prefer the DreamCloud and who’s more likely to want the Purple.

Who Should Choose the DreamCloud Mattress? Who Should Choose the Purple Mattress?
Folks who like a firmer mattress Hot sleepers who need a mattress that sleeps cool
People who prefer an innerspring feel Heavier side sleepers, who need plenty of pressure relief
Lightweight people Heavier back sleepers

DreamCloud vs Purple Mattress Video Comparison

Get up-close-and-personal with the new DreamCloud and the Purple mattress in our in-depth video review! Our reviewer, Marten, will assess each mattress’s construction and share his experience with sleeping in all positions on these beds.

 

DreamCloud vs Purple: Similarities and Differences

Even though these mattresses are made by different brands and have very different constructions, they still have a few factors in common. Let’s look at the similarities and differences.

Similarities Differences
Both the DreamCloud and the Purple are popular online mattresses They have different comfort layers: The DreamCloud uses a touch of memory foam, while the Purple features the brand’s hyper-elastic gel polymer grid
Both mattresses come with good customer service terms The DreamCloud features coils in its support layer, while the Purple uses high-density foam
These are both supportive mattresses The DreamCloud has an innerspring feel, while the Purple has a unique, squishy, gel-like feel
These are both responsive mattresses We found the Purple to be softer than the DreamCloud
At full price, they’re very similar in terms of cost  

Firmness and Feel Differences

When you’re looking for a new mattress, firmness and feel should be two of the main factors that you use to assess every possible contender. That’s because these factors determine whether a mattress will be well-suited to your preferred sleep position(s) and other sleep needs. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the firmness and feel on both the DreamCloud and the Purple!

How Firm Are the DreamCloud and Purple Mattresses?

We ranked the DreamCloud around a 7.5/10 on the firmness scale, and we ranked the Purple around a 6.5/10. The industry standard for medium firmness is 6.5/10, so this suggests the DreamCloud is a firmer mattress while the Purple is right around medium-firm.

Note that firmness is a bit subjective. For instance, heavier folks might perceive the Purple to be softer, while lighter-weight folks might find that it feels firmer because of the way the Purple Grid operates.

Sleeping on the DreamCloud and Purple Mattresses

We hopped onto both mattresses and tried them out in all three sleeping positions:

DreamCloud

In our experience, the DreamCloud felt like a sound match for back sleepers. We enjoyed nice lumbar support in this position, and our spine felt well-aligned.

The DreamCloud felt too firm for side sleeping. We felt pretty jammed up around the shoulder and hip, and we experienced too much pressure to sleep comfortably in this position.

DreamCloud Mattress - Side Sleeping

Our heavier-weight reviewer felt that the DreamCloud was a bit too soft for stomach sleeping. His hips sank into the mattress too far and pulled the spine out of alignment. That said, light- and average-weight stomach sleepers might feel more supported in this position.

Purple

We found the Purple to be a fantastic match for back sleeping. The Purple Grid collapsed a bit under our butt and hips to offer some pleasant pressure relief, and it remained upright everywhere else to maintain spinal support.

Our heavier-weight reviewer felt great while side sleeping on the Purple. His body activated the gel grid so that it collapsed around the shoulder and hip to offer cradling pressure relief. Note that lighter- and average-weight sleepers might not activate the gel grid and could find that the mattress feels much firmer in this position.

Purple Original Mattress - Side Sleeping

The Purple provided us with adequate spinal support while stomach sleeping. The gel grid helped keep our hips elevated and aligned with the spine, and we didn’t experience any back pain in this position.

What Do the DreamCloud and Purple Mattresses Feel Like?

The DreamCloud has a bouncy and supportive innerspring feel. It does have a layer of memory foam on top, but this doesn’t create the slow-moving feel that’s often associated with memory foam. This is definitely a more responsive mattress, and it’s easy to move around on top of it.

Thanks to its gel grid, the Purple has a unique feel that is simultaneously squishy and firm. The grid collapses when enough pressure is applied (for pressure relief) and otherwise stays upright to provide support. This grid is very responsive and fairly bouncy.

Average Weight Sleepers – 130lbs – 230lbs

Average-weight back sleepers should enjoy plenty of spinal support and just a touch of pressure relief on the DreamCloud. Folks on the lighter end of the weight spectrum might find adequate pressure relief while side sleeping on this mattress, but anyone closer to 230 pounds will probably find that it feels too firm. The DreamCloud is probably not supportive enough for average-weight stomach sleepers.

The Purple could feel too firm for average-weight back sleepers, who might not be heavy enough to activate the gel grid and obtain pressure relief. Folks who weigh close to 230 pounds should activate the gel grid while side sleeping, which would offer plenty of pressure relief—but people who are on the lighter end of the weight spectrum will probably find that the Purple feels too firm in this position. The Purple should be a supportive option for average-weight stomach sleepers.

Heavyweight Sleepers – Over 230lbs

The DreamCloud could offer decent lumbar support to heavyweight back sleepers, but they may prefer the balance of spinal support and pressure relief on the Purple. This mattress will almost definitely feel too firm for heavyweight side sleepers. Meanwhile, it will probably feel too soft for heavyweight stomach sleepers, who might want to look for a dedicated mattress for heavy people.

The Purple should be well-matched to most heavyweight sleepers. It offers a balance of comfort and support while back sleeping and provides plenty of pressure relief when heavier folks activate the gel grid while side sleeping. Stomach sleepers who weigh close to 230 pounds should enjoy adequate support on the Purple, while folks who are much heavier will probably want to look for a firmer mattress overall.

Lightweight Sleepers – Under 130lbs

The DreamCloud should be well-suited to lightweight back and side sleepers, who should enjoy a balance of comfort and spinal support in these positions. This mattress is also supportive enough for lightweight stomach sleepers.

The Purple will probably feel too firm for lightweight back and side sleepers, who are unlikely to activate the gel grid and therefore won’t receive much pressure relief. The supportive nature of this mattress is good news for lightweight stomach sleepers, who should enjoy adequate spinal support in this position.

Mattress Construction Differences

Alright, so now you know what it’s like to sleep on top of the DreamCloud and Purple mattresses in all sleeping positions. Now, let’s take a look at these mattresses’ innards to really understand what makes them tick. We’ll assess these beds’ constructions layer by layer and reveal how their materials influence performance.

DreamCloud

Layer Description
Cover The DreamCloud boasts a cashmere cover that is very soft and breathable. The cover is quilted with foam for a touch of pressure relief right off the bat.
Comfort Layer #1 Beneath its quilted cover, the DreamCloud features a primary comfort layer made from gel memory foam. This layer offers soft pressure relief and is infused with gel to help with cooling.
Comfort Layer # 2 Underneath the comfort layer, there’s a transition layer made from firmer foam that helps prevent sleepers from sinking too far into the mattress.
Support Layer #1 The DreamCloud’s support layer features individually-wrapped coils, which lend the mattress its bounciness and create structure and support for the mattress overall. Because they’re individually wrapped, the coils do a better job of minimizing motion transfer compared to more conventional innersprings.

Purple

Layer Description
Cover The Purple features a SoftFlex cover that is thin, breathable, and stretchy enough to move with the Purple Grid.
Comfort Layer #1 The Purple’s top comfort layer consists of 2” of the brand’s proprietary Purple Grid, which is made from a hyper-elastic gel polymer. This unique material is bouncy and firm until enough pressure is applied, at which point it collapses to offer pressure relief. A thick foam encasement surrounds the Purple Grid and shores up the mattress’s edge support.
Comfort Layer # 2 Underneath the Purple Grid, there’s a foam transition layer that prevents sleepers from sinking into the support layer beneath.
Support Layer #1 The Purple’s support layer is made from a high-density base foam that creates support and structure for the mattress as a whole.

Mattress Height

The DreamCloud is 14” tall, while the Purple is notably shorter at 9.5”.

DreamCloud vs Purple Mattress Size Options and Price

To see the most up-to-date size and pricing information for the DreamCloud and Purple mattresses, check out the charts below!

DreamCloud

Size Dimensions Price
Twin 38″ x 75″ $839.00
Twin XL 38″ x 80″ $1089.00
Full 54″ x 75″ $1199.00
Queen 60″ x 80″ $1332.00
King 76″ x 80″ $1669.00
California King 72″ x 84″ $1669.00

Purple

Size Dimensions Price
Twin 38″ x 75″ $999.00
Twin XL 38″ x 80″ $1099.00
Full 54” x 75” $1399.00
Queen 60″ x 80″ $1499.00
King 76″ x 80″ $1999.00
California King 72″ x 84″ $1999.00
Split King 76″ 80″ $2198.00

DreamCloud vs Purple Performance Differences

You’re becoming a real pro! By now you understand the construction, firmness, and feel of both the DreamCloud and the Purple. But there are still a few key performance indicators to assess before we finish this review. We put both mattresses through a range of tests with regard to temperature regulation, motion transfer, edge support, and more. To see how they compare to other brands, see our mattress comparisons page to compare DreamCloud and Purple to other mattresses like Saatva and Amerisleep.

Sleeping Hot or Cold

The Purple is the winner here. The gel grid is breathable and temperature-neutral, so sleepers shouldn’t overheat on this mattress. That said, the DreamCloud gets points for its innerspring construction, which allows for decent airflow throughout the mattress.

Motion Transfer

Both of these mattresses are bouncy and responsive, which means neither one of them handles motion transfer extremely well. But between the two of them, the DreamCloud wins out. The memory foam in the comfort layer helps absorb some motion and minimize disturbance across the mattress.

Edge Support

The Purple takes the win. The strong foam encasement around the perimeter of the Purple Grid helped us feel more secure while sitting and lying down near the edge of this bed.

Purple Mattress - Edge Support

Durability

The Purple wins again. Its gel grid is extremely durable, and this should be a long-lasting mattress that won’t sag. That said, the DreamCloud is no slouch either: Innerspring mattresses are known for their durability.

Off-Gassing

We did observe some off-gassing from the DreamCloud, which dissipated within 48 hours. We didn’t observe any notable off-gassing from the Purple.

Noise

The Purple wins again! We didn’t observe any notable noise from this mattress, and because it doesn’t have any coils it’s unlikely to start squeaking over time.

Sex

We called this a tie. When people seek out a mattress for sex, they’re usually looking for a bed that makes it easy to change positions. Both the DreamCloud and the Purple are bouncy and responsive, so it should be easy to move around on both mattresses.

Warranty Info

The DreamCloud comes with a 365-night sleep trial and a Forever Warranty. The Purple comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

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Marten Carlson

Marten Carlson

Lead Mattress Reviewer

About Author

Marten has been writing about mattresses and sleep health for six years. He is the lead reviewer at Mattress Clarity where he tests mattresses, bedding, and sleep accessories.

In his role here, Marten’s reviewed over 500 mattresses and 150 sleep accessories (so you can rest assured that if he recommends a product, it’s been put through the wringer in our Austin studio). In addition, he has written more than 400 articles reviewing the quality of sleep and sleep products as well as sleep health. He’s especially interested in the correlation between sleep and mental health.

Marten’s also got a personal stake in sleep health. After writing dozens of pieces on the dangers of sleep apnea, he decided to get tested for the condition. Realizing he did, in fact, suffer from sleep apnea, he immediately started using a CPAP machine. He knows all too well the importance of a healthy night’s sleep and is passionate about helping others get the healthy, restorative sleep they deserve.

He received his bachelor’s degree in Film Production from Denison University and his master’s degree in Film Studies from Emory University.

Check out Marten in the Media: