Purple and Casper are two of the oldest online mattress brands. They helped popularize the idea of getting a bed shipped to your door in a box. Both brands' “flagship” mattresses have undergone some changes over the past few years, which means we need to update our comparison.
No matter which mattress you choose, I predict you'll be happy, and it'll help you get a better night’s sleep. However, which bed is right for you can be a difficult question to answer. Fortunately, we've thoroughly tested these beds and if you know what you like, deciding between the Casper One and the Purple Mattress should be relatively simple -- mostly because the Purple Mattress is so unlike any other bed.
Purple Mattress
Like
- Unique feel
- Great temperature regulation
- Accommodating firmness
Don't like
- Unique feel is not universally comfortable
- Expensive compared to Casper
Casper One
Like
- Good for back and stomach sleepers
- Affordable
Don't like
- Too firm for some sleepers
What do Casper and Purple have in common?
Purple Mattress and Casper One construction similarities
Aside from being bed-in-a-box options from popular mattress brands, the Casper One and the Purple Mattress do have a few similarities.
Both mattresses are made with foam layers, which means they don't include coils. Beds that use comfort or support foam are ideal for medium- to petite-sized individuals because foam is generally less durable than coils throughout the life of the mattress. Heavier sleepers will need a hybrid bed with coils.
The Casper One and the Purple Mattress are also about the same thickness or height, measuring about 10 inches and built with three distinct layers.
Hybrid coil options exist with both brands, the Casper Dream Hybrid and the Purple Restore Hybrid, but those beds are more expensive and have largely different designs. For example, the support foam of the Nectar Classic is swapped for individually wrapped coils on the Nectar Classic Hybrid.
Purple Mattress and Casper One policy similarities
Both brands also back these mattresses with virtually the same set of policies:
- Free shipping in a box (possibly a bag)
- 100-night sleep trial
- Free returns and a full refund within the sleep trial
- 10-year warranty
Most brands offer this baseline set of policies. Some will go above and beyond with the trial period or offer longer warranties. There might be subtle differences when it comes to the brands' customer service departments, but if you want to return either bed, the policies are the same.
Purple Mattress and Casper One firmness and sleeper types
The Casper One and the Purple Mattress scored similarly on our new Mattress Smasher 9000 firmness testing device. On our scale of 1 to 10, 10 is the firmest and 1 is the softest.
- Purple Mattress score: 5.9
- Casper One score: 6.4
The Casper One is the noticeably firmer option, but the CNET Sleep team was surprised by its smasher score, expecting something closer to a 7 or 7.5 rather than the 6.4 it received. Even though the results turned out to be similar, we recommend that side sleepers choose the Purple Mattress because it'll do a better job of cradling your hips and shoulders.
Back and stomach sleepers looking for less give in their mattress might want to choose the firmer Casper One.
How are these beds different?
Casper One vs. Purple Mattress construction differences
At first glance, the Casper One and the Purple appear to be built similarly, but there's a huge difference in the top layer, or as we often call it, the “primary comfort layer.”
Both beds start with dense support foam and include a layer of transition foam between the support foam and the primary comfort layer.
The Casper One has a dense memory foam transition layer that adds a firm feel, offers pressure relief and helps absorb motion across the mattress. The top comfort layer is a soft, springy neutral foam that's airy and breathable.
The transition layer on the Purple Mattress is what's called “comfort foam,” which is similar to the top layer of foam on the Casper One because it doesn't have that distinct feel like memory foam. Its top comfort layer is called the “GelFlex Grid,” which is entirely unique to the Purple brand.
This stuff isn’t even foam. It's actually a polymer material that was originally developed for medical purposes to help prevent bed and seat sores. I’ll cover this material’s characteristics later in this comparison, but it’s significantly different from the foam found in the Casper One and virtually every other mattress.
Casper One vs. Purple Mattress feel differences
Because of the GelFlex Grid material on the Purple Mattress, it feels wildly different compared to the Casper One. I like to say the feel of the Purple Mattress is very gel-like. When lying down on your back or your stomach, the bed feels buoyant, like you're weightless and floating on top of the material.
However, if you switch to your side, the bed will conform to your body and provide cradling support. Plus, the bed is ultra-responsive, which means it moves with you and facilitates rotating between sleeping positions, unlike traditional memory foam.
Most people who try the Purple Mattress have a pretty strong reaction to it because it's so different. The reaction is usually positive. I personally love the feel of Purple, but it's by no means universally comfortable.
On the other hand, the memory foam layer gives the Casper One a dense feel that's balanced out by the more responsive layer above it. The bed has a similar feel to a memory foam bed, but without the sink-in quality.
Overall, I’d describe it as having a neutral but dense, foam feel, which is not something I’ve observed very often in beds.
Of the two, I would say the Casper One is the safer choice. Casper, as a brand, has consistently released mattresses that the vast majority of sleepers find comfortable. Personally, I prefer the feel of the Purple Mattress, but not everyone will agree because it's so different.
Casper One and Purple Mattress pricing
Before and after factoring in discounts, the Casper One has a serious price advantage over the Purple Mattress. Most Purple beds are a bit more expensive when compared to competing beds and I suspect that's because of its specialized materials. In order to manufacture the GelFlex Grid polymer, Purple uses proprietary equipment that's a trade secret.
As of writing, the Casper One's retail price is $999 for a queen-size with no discounts. In the past, I've seen it much higher, but also discounted for as low as $799. Prices tend to fluctuate for online beds and better prices can often be found during major holiday sales.
A queen-size Purple Mattress retails for $1,499 and is often discounted to $1,199 with additional bundle savings if you also purchase a base.
Casper One and Purple Mattress temperature regulation
The Purple Mattress objectively outshines the Casper One when it comes to temperature regulation. While the Casper One performs alright in this category with breathable foams, the design of the Purple Mattress gives it excellent performance.
It isn’t active cooling with a cold cover like the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe, or the EightSleep Pod cover -- but the GelFlex Grid material doesn’t retain much heat in comparison to mattress foams, and the lack of surface area allows for lots of natural airflow.
I slept on a different Purple bed for five-years and it helped me get restful sleep throughout the summer when the temperature started to rise.
Should you choose Casper or Purple?
When comparing any mattress to Purple, the key difference is whether you want to try the unique, proprietary GelFlex Grid material. Exclusive to Purple, this innovative feature gives the mattress a one-of-a-kind feel unmatched by any other brand.
If you want to try something new, the Purple Mattress is a better choice, but if you want a safe choice, go with the Casper One. Couples might gravitate toward the Casper One because the odds of two people enjoying the gel-like feel of Purple are lower. Though I personally find the Purple Mattress one of the most comfortable sleeping experiences out there.
There are other minor differences between the two beds like price, firmness, temperature regulation and motion isolation, but it really comes down to the question: “Do you want to try the GelFlex Grid or not?”
How does the Casper One mattress compare to similar mattresses?
Casper One vs. Leesa Original
The Casper Original and the Leesa Original were once incredibly similar, to the point where I had a hard time telling the two apart in a blind mattress test. With the updated Casper One, these beds still have a similar design, but the Leesa Original has more of a soft, neutral feel in comparison to the dense, firm feel on the Casper One, and the Leesa Original is a medium firmness, which makes it more accommodating for side sleepers. Both beds are also in the same ballpark on price.
Casper One vs. Nectar
The Nectar mattress is a very popular online mattress option with similar design elements to the Casper One. Both have three-layer all-foam designs (although Nectar has a separate hybrid option for an additional cost); both are on the firm end of the spectrum and both use memory foam. Nectar has a classic, dense memory foam feel, while the Casper One has a much more responsive feel. Nectar is also a more affordable mattress.
How does the Purple Mattress compare to similar mattresses?
Purple Mattress vs. Nolah Original 10
The Nolah Original 10 is an affordable mattress with a unique feel thanks to a proprietary material. It doesn’t feel anything like the Purple Mattress, though, but it provides sleepers with an interesting blend of memory foam and a more responsive latex foam. Both beds are also roughly the same firmness, with the Purple Mattress on the firm end of medium and Nolah on the soft end of medium. The Nolah Original is also the more affordable option when compared to Purple, and it even offers a hybrid model.
Casper & Purple mattress FAQs
Is the mattress cover machine washable?
No. While the covers on the Casper One and the Purple Mattress both include a zipper, neither brand recommends removing them. If the cover gets dirty, it should be spot-cleaned.
Do Casper and Purple have free returns?
Yes. If you decide to initiate a return within each brand’s trial period, you can get a full refund and return the bed at no extra cost.
Are these beds safe?
Yes, both the Casper One and the Purple Mattress are CertiPUR US certified and contain no fiberglass.