PurpleFlex Mattress review: Purple's most affordable bed delivers impressive pressure relief on a budget

Purple's most affordable bed, the PurpleFlex Mattress, features its signature gel grid for great pressure relief, spinal alignment, and breathability.

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I've tested seven Purple mattresses over the years, and I've grown fond of the brand. I was initially apprehensive about its signature GelFlex grid, which is found across all of its mattresses. The grid is like a gel honeycomb with a stretchy material that quickly adapts to your body and an open structure to allow for airflow. It felt off-putting at first, but after those first few nights, I fell in love with the pressure relief these beds provided me. 

One of my early misgivings with the brand is how expensive the beds are. However, Purple has worked to offer lower-priced options that also feature the gel grid it's famous for, specifically the PurpleFlex (formerly NewDay). Now that I've gotten the chance to test it, I was blown away by how well it kept my spine aligned and relieved my pressure points. Below, I'll outline why this is one of the best mattresses for back and stomach sleepers who sleep alone.

Construction

Purple's responsive "GelFlex" grid sets it apart from other brands. The PurpleFlex's polymer grid is two inches thick and comprises the top layer of the mattress. The grid reminds me of a honeycomb with squares instead of hexagons. It has an open structure to allow for airflow, and it's hyper-elastic, so it squishes when you lie on it and quickly rebounds when you get up. The grid is surrounded by a foam border for increased edge support. The six-inch high-density base foam offers durability and support. The soft polyester cover is designed for breathability and stretch.

All foams used in the mattress are CertiPUR-US certified. The PurpleFlex is also made of Clean Air Gold-certified materials, meaning it has low VOC emissions.

Our review of the PurpleFlex Mattress

Setup

The PurpleFlex arrives at your door in a box the size of a minifridge. The queen mattress weighs 77 pounds — more in the packaging — so have someone to help you move it to your bedroom. 

Setting up the PurpleFlex was pretty standard, but it comes with instructions, a cutting tool for removing the plastic, and sleep masks, which my 10-year-old loves to wear all day. To set it up, you empty the vacuum-sealed mattress onto your foundation. Then, remove the plastic layers, being careful not to cut into the mattress.

I like to set up mattresses in the morning to give them time to expand and air out by bedtime. The PurpleFlex had a mild "new bed smell" when I first unboxed it, but it dissipated by night. 

If you don't want to set up your mattress yourself, Purple offers in-home setup for $200. They'll even take the packaging with them and remove your old mattress.

Comfort and support

The polymer grid layer responds to your body's contours the moment you lay on it. I could feel my pressure points squishing the grid and reaching the base foam, which helped me feel supported and kept my spine optimally aligned. In fact, the PurpleFlex has the best spinal alignment of any mattress I've tested. According to the Mattress Checker app, my spine was off from being perfectly aligned by 1.7 degrees. Anything below 6 degrees is considered good.

I'm a heavy guy who sleeps on his side, and I found the mattress was a tinge too firm for my tastes. Based on testing 90+ mattresses, I'd say it's a little firmer than average, making it better suited for back and stomach sleepers.

Still, I didn't wake up feeling sore. According to my Garmin Forerunner 945 watch, my sleep quality was average while testing the PurpleFlex.

Heat dissipation

I test how cool a mattress stays and how well it dissipates heat by measuring its surface temperature right before I lie down, right after I get up, and two minutes after. Over the two-to-four-week testing period, I take several measurements.

The PurpleFlex was among the best cooling mattresses. When I got up from it, it was, on average, 87.5 degrees Fahrenheit, two degrees less than the average of all the beds I've tested. However, it didn't dissipate heat quickly. After two minutes, the temperature only dropped 8.5 degrees, compared to the average of 12 degrees.

Subjectively, I never overheated on the PurpleFlex, even though I tested it during Michigan's hot and humid months. Overall, I'd say this is a solid option for hot sleepers.

Edge support

Edge support helps you feel comfortable when your partner starts to encroach on your side of the bed, and you're forced to the periphery. It also helps when sitting on the edge to put on your socks and shoes. And it makes getting into and out of bed just a little bit easier.

I test edge support by lying on the mattress with my outside shoulder aligned with the edge. Then, I slowly roll off the bed. If my body reaches a 45-degree angle to the bed before falling, the mattress has good edge support. On the PurpleFlex, I made it well past 45 degrees before having to catch my fall: great edge support.

I also use a yardstick to measure how much the bed's side sinks when I sit on it. On average, mattresses sink about 3.5 inches. The PurpleFlex sank 3 inches. The edge support foam seems to do the trick.

Motion isolation

Motion isolation is a lifesaver if you share a bed with someone. A mattress with outstanding motion dampening will keep your sleep from being disturbed when your partner shifts in the night. 

I test motion isolation by placing a soda can on the mattress and dropping a bowling ball to see if the can falls over. If the can stays upright, the motion isolation is excellent. With the PurpleFlex, the can fell over during each iteration of the test.

I also placed a vibrometer on the opposite side of the bed to gauge the intensity of the vibrations from the bowling ball. The PurpleFlex had a reading of 7.7 on the MMI scale, which is well above the 7.1 average of all the mattresses I've tested. The PurpleFlex's motion isolation is subpar.

Trial period and warranty

The PurpleFlex comes with a 100-night home trial period. After sleeping on it for at least 21 nights, if you don't like the mattress, you get a full refund. Purple arranges a time to pick up and remove the mattress. However, there is a minor catch in the return policy: The law tag must remain attached to the mattress. 

The PurpleFlex is backed by a 10-year warranty. If Purple determines the mattress is defective during this period, it will cover the cost of repairing or replacing it. Again, the law tag must be attached. Plus, there are other weird stipulations, like the mattress must not be used by a medical patient or stored at any point. The warranty also includes a pretty standard requirement: You must use the mattress on a firm, flat foundation or frame.

Cons to consider

The PurpleFlex may be too firm for most side sleepers. The polymer grid did a good job of helping me sink enough to keep my spine aligned while lying on my side. However, I'm heavier than most people, and lighter individuals may not sink in as much. Back and stomach sleepers will find the firmness more to their liking. Side sleepers may instead want to consider the Purple Plus, which is covered in the next section.

The PurpleFlex has poor motion isolation. If you share a bed with someone who tends to toss and turn in the night, you might want to consider another option. However, if you sleep alone, the subpar motion isolation is unlikely to affect you.

What are your alternatives?

The PurpleFlex is part of the Purple Essential Collection, which includes the Purple Mattress and the Purple Plus. The original Purple Mattress is $500 more expensive than the PurpleFlex, but it has an added layer of comfort foam and is softer, making it better for back and side sleepers. Yet, I had trouble sleeping comfortably on it. 

The Purple Plus is the softest of the bunch, designed for side sleepers. It's $900 more expensive than the PurpleFlex, but it has an added comfort foam layer and an extra base foam layer for more stability and support. I have not tested it yet, but another Business Insider member has and compliments it for its good motion isolation and responsive, pressure-relieving design that didn't cause any overheating. She thought the edge support was lacking, however. For a full rundown of the brand, check out our Purple mattress review hub.

If you're looking for a non-Purple mattress, I recommend the top pick in our best foam mattress guide, the Tempur-Pedic Cloud. It's about twice the price of the PurpleFlex, but I slept incredibly well on it. The Tempur-Cloud has great motion isolation, stays cool, and will appeal to all sleep styles. Read our full Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Mattress review. 

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the top pick in our main best mattress guide, the Leesa Sapira Hybrid. Its motion isolation is great, the average firmness will appeal to most sleep styles, and it dissipates heat well. However, it costs $500 more than the PurpleFlex. Still, I think it's worth it, especially if you share a bed with another person. Read our full Leesa Sapira Hybrid Mattress review.

The bottom line

If you've wanted to try Purple's unique gel grid without breaking the bank, the PurpleFlex mattress is the way to go. The grid helps keep your spine aligned while offering outstanding pressure relief. While the motion isolation could use some improvement, the edge support is great, and the bed stays cool. Overall, I recommend it for back and stomach sleepers who sleep alone.