Purple Vs Leesa Mattress Comparison – Which Will You Choose?

If someone is looking for a great online mattress, they might have narrowed their search to the Purple and Leesa. These two companies have been pioneers in the bed-in-a-box market, and the mattresses are very high-quality. Because of this, people might be having a hard time choosing between the two. I have all the information people need to make the right decision. I will break down the construction and help people find the right mattress for them.

Purple vs. Leesa

Product

Firmness

Score

Product

Purple Mattress

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6.5/10

Score

4.1 / 5

Check Price

Read Purple Mattress Review

Product

Leesa Original Mattress

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6.5/10

Score

3.9 / 5

Check Price

Read Leesa Original Mattress Review

So, which mattress will it be: the Purple or the Leesa? Read on for my full comparison.  

Key Similarities

• They are very popular mattresses and have great customer service.
• They are both bouncy, responsive mattresses.
• They are close in terms of firmness.

Key Differences

• With discounts, the Leesa is more affordable than the Purple.
• They feature some very different materials in their construction.
• The Purple has a firm-yet-squishy gel feel, and the Leesa has a balanced foam feel.

Purple Construction

• The Purple is 9.5” tall and features three separate layers.
• The cover is soft and thin and doesn’t affect the feel of the mattress.
• The first layer is 2” of a Purple Smart Comfort Grid, which is a hyper-elastic polymer with a squishy feeling.
• Next, there are 3.5” of a Plush Comfort Foam.
• The base layer is 4” of polyfoam, which is a pretty standard base layer on the market.

Leesa Construction

• The Leesa is 10” tall and features three separate foam layers.
• The cover is soft and thin and doesn’t affect the overall feel of the mattress significantly.
• The first layer is 2” of a proprietary LSA-200 foam, which gives the mattress softness and bounce.
• This is followed by 2” of a contouring memory foam.
• The final layer is 6” of a Core Support Foam, which is a pretty standard base layer for an all-foam mattress.

Construction Differences/Notes

• The LSA-200 has a mixture of memory foam and latex qualities. It is soft but also responsive, so people should get nice pressure relief without getting stuck in the mattress. Overall, it has a balanced foam feel that a lot of sleepers will really enjoy.
• The gel grid is made of a hyper-elastic gel polymer, which is a very unique material that stays flat and firm until a certain amount of pressure is applied. It will collapse under the heavier parts of the body and stay supportive across the rest of the mattress.
• The Purple should be a great choice for many types of sleepers. The gel grid will support back and stomach sleepers and offer comfort to side sleepers.
• The Purple should be the more durable mattress, because hyper-elastic gel polymer is one of the more durable materials I have seen used in a mattress. It shouldn’t sag the way foam can sometimes do and will last an extra long time.
• The Purple is a bit more breathable than the Leesa. They are both breathable mattresses, but the Purple’s gel grid allows for quite a bit of airflow.

Firmness/Feel Differences

In terms of firmness, the Purple feels like a 7/10 and the Leesa feels closer to a 6.5/10. It is worth noting that the Purple will feel different depending on one’s weight. If someone is a lighter person, they won’t activate the gel grid so much, and the mattress will feel firmer. If someone is a heavier person, they will activate the gel grid more, and the mattress will feel softer. That being said, in my experience, the Purple felt great when I was on my back. The gel grid collapsed under the hips, but the rest of the mattress supported the other parts of the body. When I was on my side, I felt a bit of pressure on the shoulders and hips and think I might be too light to really get the most out of the gel grid. However, when I moved to my stomach, the mattress supported me very well overall. On the Leesa, I also felt supported when I was on my back. Still, I will say that I felt better support on the Purple. Moving to my side, I felt less pressure on my shoulders and hips. For someone my weight, the Leesa was a great match on my side. Stomach sleeping, I will say that I needed more support. The Purple has a very unique squishy gel feel that is both firm and pressure relieving at the same time. The Leesa, on the other hand, has a balanced foam feel where people will sink into the mattress, but not too far. While the mattresses have a different feel, they are both quite bouncy. They are responsive, so it should be easy to move around on both mattresses without getting stuck and also switch positions. Find more information about Purple’s hyper-elastic gel polymer in the video below. See an overview of the firmness and feel of the Leesa mattress with the video below.

Motion Transfer Differences

Between the two mattresses, the Leesa handled motion transfer better than the Purple, perhaps because Leesa has memory foam in its second layer, and the LSA-200 has some memory foam qualities. Memory foam is one of the best materials for dealing with motion transfer and, while I do like the unique feel of Purple’s gel grid, it is not the best at cutting down on motion transfer. After putting a glass of water on both mattresses and pushing into the area surrounding it,a I saw much less disturbance on the Leesa mattress. Also, I asked Marten to lie down on both mattresses and asked Marten to move around on the other side. I felt less of his movement on the Leesa. If someone sleeps with a partner, they should disturb them less on the Leesa mattress. As a result, it could be the best mattress for couples who don’t want to be disturbed by their partner’s movements. People can see how Purple performed in the motion transfer tests in the video below. Now, compare this to the Leesa mattress’s motion transfer with the video below.

Edge Support Differences

If someone sleeps with a partner, they also want to think about how much of their mattress they can really use. Can they sit or lie down near the edge securely, or will they feel like they are going to fall off? Sitting down and lying down near the edge of both mattresses, the Purple mattress feels more secure. Especially when I am lying down, I also feel less like I am going to roll off the mattress. Overall, the Purple features better edge support as a result. People can see the edge support differences in the photos below.

Marten’s Take

Marten is a staff writer for us and has a much different body type: He is 6’7″ and weighs about 230 lb; I am 5’9″ and 160 lb. Here is what he thought about these mattresses and how appropriate they are for heavier sleepers: In terms of firmness, I said both mattresses were a 6.5/10. The Purple felt a little softer to me than it did to Joe, because I am a heavier person and activate the gel grid more than Joe. When I am back sleeping on the Leesa, I feel really nice overall support and body contouring. My hips sink into the top layer just the right amount, and the top foam layer presses into the lumbar area. When I move to my side, I feel great pressure relief on the shoulders and hips. However, on my stomach, the mattress is a bit too soft for me, and I am bowing in at the hips. On the Purple, I feel great back sleeping, as my hips sink into the top layer, but the rest of the mattress stays flat and supportive. Moving to my side, I feel great pressure relief on my shoulders and hips. When I am on my stomach, I also feel well supported. If someone is a heavier back or side sleeper, both mattresses could work for them. If someone is a heavier stomach sleeper, they should lean toward the Purple. Marten’s experience with the Purple is what I expected. He is a larger person so, when he was on his side, he activated the gel grid more than I did. So, it felt softer to him than it did to me. While he liked the Leesa for side sleeping, much heavier side sleepers might press too far into the mattress and feel some firmness on their shoulders and hips.

Who Should Pick Purple:

• Those who sleep on their back or stomach- If someone sleeps primarily in these two positions, the Purple should be a better choice. It is the more supportive mattress, and it should keep people from sinking too far into the mattress. The mattress only collapses under the heavier parts of the body, while staying firm and supportive everywhere else. It is actually one of our best mattresses for stomach sleepers.
• Heavier side sleepers- Larger people should be able to apply enough pressure to really activate the gel grid. When this happens, the mattress will collapse under the shoulders and hips, giving great pressure relief and comfort. At the same time, the mattress won’t let people sink in too far and bottom out. It is generally the best mattress for heavy people who sleep on their sides.
• Hot sleepers- The Purple should be the cooler sleeping mattress as well. The gel grid allows for quite a bit of airflow, so the mattress is very breathable and people should have fewer issues with overheating on the Purple mattress.
• People who are looking for a long-term investment- The hyper-elastic gel polymer is a very durable material, so it should stand up to many years of use. If people want a mattress to last them for some time, the Purple should be the right choice.

RELATED: Finding The Best Mattresses

Who Should Pick Leesa:

• Light- or medium-weight side sleepers- If someone isn’t a very large person, they should feel better side sleeping on the Leesa mattress. They should sink into the mattress a bit and feel nice pressure relief on their shoulder and hips. They might not be heavy enough to really activate the Purple’s gel grid.
• Those who like a balanced foam feel- If someone likes the feeling of a foam mattress, but they don’t want to get stuck, the Leesa should be the way to go. The foam is soft, but it is also quite responsive, so people will get nice pressure relief without getting stuck.
• People who want a more affordable mattress- If shoppers include discounts, the Leesa will cost them less. If both mattresses sound like they could be to their liking, peopl could save money by choosing the Leesa.

Overall

If people consider this information, it shouldn’t be very difficult to decide between the Purple and Leesa mattresses because the differences are so big. Back and stomach sleepers as well heavier side sleepers should prefer the Purple, while side sleepers who want to save some money should like the Leesa. Please leave any specific comments or questions about the Purple or the Leesa in the comment section below. Readers should take a look through this article multiple times, assess their own needs and preferences, and then make a more informed decision.