Purple Hybrid 2 Review: Why I Returned My Purple Mattress
Retail Price: $1,499.00
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If you’ve shopped for a mattress within the past five years, then you’ve probably heard of Purple. You might have heard of them even if you haven’t been mattress shopping; after all, their egg-smashing commercial is pretty famous. Purple certainly has incredible marketing, and, after getting reviews from a couple of friends who own mattresses from the brand, I decided to go ahead and take the plunge myself. I ordered the Purple Hybrid (also called the Purple 2), but unfortunately, I ended up returning it. Since the Purple beds are somewhat unique, I thought I would share my experience with getting the bed, using it, and returning it.
Setting Up the Bed in the Bag
Purple mattresses are part of the “bed in a box” craze, which refers to beds that get compressed and stuffed into boxes they have no right fitting into in order to be shipped to customers. The Purple Hybrid came in a cylindrical purple bag, and it took about nine days to get to my house from the date of purchase.
If you’ve never unboxed a bed in a box (or bag, in this case), I have to say, it’s pretty cool. Purple provides a safety blade for you to use to open the bag without cutting any part of the mattress, which was really nice. All that was required was to lay the bag on the bed frame and cut it open. Inside, the bed was rolled up in quite a bit of plastic wrap. Since the bed was rolled up like a taquito, my mom and I had to slowly unroll it while removing the plastic wrap.
Finally, when all the plastic wrap was off, the bed laid flat and deflated inside one last layer of vacuum-sealed plastic. I cut it open and immediately the mattress sprung to life. It was pretty easy to set up, though it’s definitely good to have two people to unroll the mattress together. The internet advised me that it may take some hours for the bed to “inflate” to its full glory, but that I could certainly sleep on it the same night, and so I did.
The Purple Hybrid Is the Firmest Purple Mattress
I didn’t have any issues sleeping on this mattress; no pain or aches from day one. I was experiencing some back pain from sitting in a chair all day working and gaming, and I did wonder if the bed exacerbated it because, for some reason, the back pain felt worse during the month I tested out this bed. However, I never actually woke up with any pain, so I don’t think I should blame the bed.
The Hybrid was relatively comfortable, but I felt a little disappointed after about two weeks of sleeping on it. The marketing will certainly have you believe that the bed will be life-changing and the most amazing, comfortable mattress you’ll ever sleep on. For me, though, I liked the bed, but I didn’t love it. And that was a problem since it cost me $1,626 after taxes. I was comfortable laying in the Purple Hybrid, but I wasn’t blissful. For $1,600, I felt I should utterly adore my mattress, and I just didn’t.
The problem was that the Purple Hybrid is actually the firmest mattress Purple has to offer. I didn’t know that when I bought it. Rather, I had tested out the Purple mattresses at a nearby store and thought that the Hybrid was softer than the Original (which apparently isn’t true). I still feel like the Hybrid in the store was squishier than the one I got sent to me. Maybe it was all in my head, maybe the bed in the store was just broken in by hundreds of customers laying on it; truly, I have no clue. I bought it because it felt good in the store and that was that.
Unfortunately, though I could get a decent night’s rest in the bed, I couldn’t help but wish that I sunk deeper into the mattress. I weigh about 110-115 lbs, am short, and sleep mostly on my side. While the mattress did provide proper cushioning for my neck, shoulders, and back, I wanted it to feel plusher. I wanted to feel like I was being hugged by the mattress, but instead, I just felt like I was on top of it. I realized I was looking for a more cuddly feeling than what the Hybrid could offer me, especially at my weight. Being lightweight meant I didn’t sink into the mattress much at all, which was why I didn’t get any sense of that cuddly feeling.
At the same time, it’s not like the bed was hard as a rock. Sitting in the bed was actually quite nice because all of my weight was in the same spot as opposed to being more dispersed while laying down. I really enjoyed the way the Purple Grid dipped underneath my weight without feeling like I was falling into a hole in my bed. All in all, the Purple Hybrid was a comfortable bed, I just didn’t want to spend $1,600 on a mattress I liked but didn’t love.
What Does the Purple Hybrid Feel Like?
If you’ve seen any of Purple’s advertising, then you’ll know that the topmost layer of the bed is not made of typical bedding materials such as memory or latex foams. Instead, it is made of Purple’s own invention which they refer to as a Hyper-Elastic Polymer Grid. In the Purple Hybrid’s case, there are two inches of the Purple Grid sitting atop a thin cushioning of transitional foam and 7.5 inch pocketed coils.
The coils definitely gave this bed a bit of bounce, but it’s really the Purple Grid that you’re going to feel. Let me tell you, the first time you ever feel it, it’s probably going to feel strange. In the store, I could definitely feel the waffle texture of the Grid. However, once I got sheets on my Hybrid at home, I didn’t feel that anymore. I also got used to the Grid probably within 30 minutes at the store, so when I got my own bed set up at home, it didn’t feel foreign to me at all.
However, it is very different from traditional foam or spring mattresses. The Grid, to me, is super squishy but also buoyant. It’s a difficult feeling to describe. Some people say it feels like Jello or Scholl’s gel insoles. I think the closest thing you could compare it to is a waterbed. Even if you aren’t interested in purchasing a Purple mattress, you should definitely test one out if you get the chance. It’s just so interesting. I personally think the Purple Grid is super cool and I quite like how it feels; I might even like it better than memory foam. Unfortunately, the make of the Hybrid just didn’t offer me exactly what I was looking for.
The Return Process: Easy and Green
Since I didn’t end up keeping my mattress, I’d like to share my experience with the return process. First of all, Purple’s customer service is amazing. Stellar. Stupendous. Incredible. Fantastic. Easy.
I started my return by calling the number provided on the website. I was connected with a customer service agent immediately who sent me to the returns department; and no, I didn’t have to sit on hold for an hour (it was literally a minute or two). They asked why I was returning the mattress and let me know that they did offer exchanges, but were not pushy at all. They then sent me an email with instructions on how to proceed. I was probably only on the phone for five minutes. Purple also has a live chat with real people (not robots) who answer your questions, and I feel like they, too, may have been able to initiate the return process for me.
The email I received sent me to a form where I could choose what I wanted to do with the mattress; the same form also asked some questions about why I was returning the mattress. This wasn’t a “you need a good enough reason to return” but more of a “please tell us what’s wrong so we can improve in the future.”
There were five options total: add an extra 30 days to your 100-day trial, exchange the mattress, donate the mattress to a charity, recycle the mattress locally, or have Purple handle the return. After trying and failing to find a non-profit to donate to, I ultimately decided to let Purple handle the return, but only after asking them what would happen to the mattress (because I wanted to be green). By the way, I was able to reply to the return email they sent me which was super convenient; they always got back within 48 hours, but usually within 24.
Purple contacted an organization they work with called Sharetown, who then contacted me about three days later to schedule a time to pick up the mattress. Sharetown resells mattresses and donates a portion of the proceeds to charity, which I thought was a great option. It was convenient for me because they came to my house, wrapped it up, and carried it out, so I didn’t have to do anything at all. I was also relieved that the mattress would be reused and its existence gave back; the last thing I wanted was for it to end up in a landfill.
Sharetown left a receipt with me. All I had to do was take a picture of this receipt and email it to Purple. They started the refund the same day (even though it was a Sunday) and the money I spent was back in my bank account the next day. The process was quite smooth and customer service never left me hanging. This is why I would totally consider purchasing from Purple again and would say that if you want to try a Purple mattress but are afraid, don’t be. There really is no risk (as long as you don’t damage or stain the mattress, anyway!).
Questions I Had That I Can Now Answer
Before I got the mattress, there were a few questions I had about it that I struggled to find answers to. So, I’m going to pose those questions here and answer them for you, just in case your great mind thinks like mine.
Does it actually sleep cool?
I’m typically not a hot sleeper in general, but my dog does warm me up when he lays in bed with me. I didn’t really feel like the Purple was any hotter or colder than my previous mattress (a 13-year-old innerspring pillowtop number that measures harder than diamonds on the Moh’s scale). At the very least, within the month that I used it, I never woke up sweaty because of the bed. I do think that it is cooler than your average memory foam, though. Of course, everyone is different, so there are definitely some people who will sleep hot regardless of the bed’s technology.
Do you need to buy Purple’s sheets?
Purple makes it clear on their website that they think you should get their sheets. Something about how the mattress feels better with them because you’re better able to experience the Grid. Of course, Purple’s sheets are costly. Luckily, you do not need them.
However, you will benefit from choosing the right kind of sheets to go with any of the Purple mattresses. In my experience, the mattress feels best with nothing on it at all, but of course, it’s a terrible idea to sleep on any mattress without protecting it.
So, Purple recommends jersey-knit sheets for those not looking to break the bank buying from their own brand. I was able to find a set of these for about $25 at Target and I did feel like they made a minor difference in the feel of the bed. You could still use microfiber sheets, but the bed won’t feel quite as good as if you’re using stretchier sheets like the Purple sheets or jersey-knit sheets. Similarly, you’ll want to choose a mattress protector that is stretchier and doesn’t have a terribly thick cover.
Will my dog like it?
This may seem like a silly question to some, but I love my dog as much as I would a child birthed from my own loins. He seems to absolutely adore my parents’ bed, which has a memory foam topper, though I’m not sure if he likes it so much because of the topper or because he almost never gets to sleep in it.
Because the Purple Grid feels so weird at first, I was worried that my dog wouldn’t take to it and might not want to sleep in bed with me anymore. Well, my fears were unfounded. My dog didn’t seem to love the bed as much as my parents’ mattress, but he still jumped up and napped as before. Considering dogs are happy sleeping on hard surfaces like the floor, I think most are not so picky about mattresses as we are.
Purple Needs More Options
Before I finish up this retelling of my experiences with Purple, I need to complain a bit. When I say I like the Purple Grid, I sincerely mean it. However, it’s difficult for me to afford the Purple 3 or 4 which would be more suitable for my weight and sleeping position.
I really wish that Purple had more options. Aside from the Original, all of their beds are hybrid beds, and it seems as though adding pocketed coils increases the price of these mattresses. It would be nice if Purple took their Original model and made it customizable. For instance, you keep the same foam base but can choose how thick of a Purple Grid you want on it. This way, the price would stay a bit lower but also offer firmness options for all types of sleepers. Yes, the nature of the Grid means that it will support most people regardless of their sleeping positions, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to automatically love how the bed feels. As I explained, the Hybrid supported me but wasn’t cushy enough for my preference.
Similarly, Purple could allow you to modify the foams used for the base. For someone like me, a two-inch Grid would probably work if the foam used directly underneath it was more plush than firm. I just wish Purple would provide more budget options because I love the Grid, but neither the Original nor the Hybrid suit me, and the other models are too expensive.
Final Thoughts
The Purple Hybrid is by no means a bad mattress. It’s comfortable to sleep in and cushioned my shoulders and hips so that I didn’t wake up with any pain. Unfortunately, though it was comfortable, it wasn’t my perfect bed. I felt that my body was mostly on top of the bed and I would have preferred to sink in a little deeper. Still, I did enjoy the Purple Grid; it felt wonderful to sit on, and even though I didn’t sink into the bed as much as I would have liked, I was also glad not to get stuck in it. It was easy to change positions. I was definitely grateful that Purple’s customer service was so accommodating. They made the return process easy, and I got a full refund the day after I submitted my receipt. If you’re interested in Purple but you’re petite like me, you might not love the Purple Hybrid as it’s the company’s firmest option. However, average-weight or heavier sleepers might actually love this bed since they’re more likely to squish deeper into it than I did.
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Seri
A writer by day and gamer by night, Seri’s most prized possession is her computer. In fact, she built her desktop PC herself and repaired her college laptop with nothing but Google, Reddit, and determination to guide her. This do-it-yourself attitude was born from frugalness, so if you see Seri raving about something, it’s probably worth the price.