After Sleeping on a Purple Mattress for 5 Years, I Have No Regrets

It’s the end of an era for me — I slept on the Purple Hybrid Premier 3 mattress for five years. I’ve now swapped it out for a different bed, but I’m going to summarize my very long experience with that mattress. 

One thing I liked about this mattress is its unique feel. All Purple mattresses have a Purple GelFlex Grid that helps relieve pressure. This proprietary cushioning technology gives this bed a comfortable feel like no other.

Before I get into the nitty-gritty, it’s important to note that the Purple bed I’ve slept on for five years is no longer available. Purple has updated its entire lineup, but talking about my experience sleeping on this particular mattress is still valuable because some of the new Purple beds have a similar feel. 

First impressions

Whenever anyone tries out a Purple mattress for the first time, they have a strong reaction, one way or the other. Some people immediately fall in love with the feeling while others think it’s too strange — primarily because the Purple Hybrid Premier mattress (or any Purple bed for that matter) is probably unlike any bed you’ve tried in the past due to the Purple GelFlex Grid.

When I first tried the Purple Hybrid Premier mattress, I thought, “This is so comfortable. I’ve never tried anything this comfortable before, and I really wanna sleep on this thing.” Five years later, you get used to the feeling, and the Purple bed feels more like a responsive, comfy mattress.

The firmness and feel of the Purple Hybrid Premier 3 

Feel

The first thing we start with when discussing Purple beds is the proprietary comfort layer called the Purple GelFlex Grid. 

Over the years that I’ve slept on this bed, its name has changed several times, but the material has remained the same. This stretchy, squishy, responsive material almost resembles Dr. Scholl’s insole. It’s essentially Purple’s bread and butter and has a unique feel that might take some getting used to when you first start sleeping on the bed. 

Firmness

The Purple Hybrid Premier 3 came in only one firmness option. When my team and I tested it, we found it to be around a medium, which works well for me because I’m more of a side and back sleeper. However, Purple recently revamped its mattress collection to provide more choices. 

Now, when you check out a new Purple Restore mattress, you can choose between soft or firm. 

Who’s the Purple Hybrid Premier best for? 

Sleeping position 

I generally fall asleep on my side, but I often wake up on my back or side. Rotating between sleeping positions on a Purple mattress feels effortless, which helps me have fewer disruptions during the night. The Purple Hybrid Premier accommodated both my sleeping positions thanks to its medium firmness level. 

Body type

I’m a bit heavier, which means I felt the Purple Hybrid Premier 3 to be a little softer than a medium. This worked out well for me because I primarily sleep on my side, and side sleepers generally prefer softer beds. My sleeping partner, on the other hand, is more of a stomach sleeper, and even though they’re lighter than me, they did develop some minor back pain over time and would’ve been better served by a slightly firmer mattress (which we have now). This just goes to show how subjective firmness can be.

Purple Hybrid Premier performance 

Motion isolation  

The responsive nature of the Purple mattress is something I enjoyed the entire time because I’m a side and combination sleeper. That said, it isn’t something my sleeping partner liked because my tossing and turning sometimes woke them up in the middle of the night. However, I wouldn’t say that was because of the mattress’s inability to isolate motion. The responsiveness is just something you’ll have to deal with if you’re someone who tosses and turns a lot at night. If that’s the case and your partner is a light sleeper, a memory foam bed that deters you from tossing and turning might be a better proposition.

Temperature

Purple loves to talk about how well these beds regulate temperature on its website. There are no Purple beds that our testing team would classify as “active cooling,” but thanks to that GelFlex Grid material, the Purple beds do sleep temperature-neutral. 

I slept on this thing for several hot summers and didn’t really have temperature issues. I would still need to crank the AC in my bedroom when it got super hot during July and August, but the bed did a solid job of regulating temperature. I think that’ll be something you’ll enjoy about a Purple bed if you decide to get one for yourself. 

Durability

Purple also likes to point out the durability of its mattresses, and I agree with this to a certain extent. 

The GelFlex material is going to be the most durable. Unlike certain foams, I don’t see that stuff degrading over time. The rest of the bed had the same components you’d find in most other mattresses, like coils and foams, and those will degrade over time. However, I didn’t notice it in the five years I slept on this mattress. The warranty is 10 years, so I didn’t expect to see any durability issues after only five years. At least until the 10-year mark, I think the GelFlex Grid material would hold up well. 

Final thoughts

I don’t have anything significant to complain about with the Purple Hybrid Premier 3. I slept great for a long time, and we’re swapping it out mainly because my partner wants to try something else. Finding a mattress that satisfies two different types of sleepers is challenging, and it can take a lot of trial and error to find one that works for both people.

I didn’t experience any persistent aches and pains during the entire five-year span of sleeping on the Purple Hybrid Premier 3. I’m not someone who generally has aches and pains, but it’s worth noting that I’m still back pain-free despite being in my 30s. I think that has less to do with the mattress itself and more with the fact that its firmness level works well for me and my personal sleeping preferences.

My body adjusted to the Purple bed’s unique feel in no time. Most mattress brands offer at least a 100-night trial period, which Purple offers. I recommend taking advantage of that trial period to try out a Purple mattress and see if it’s right for you.

It’s the end of an era for me and my partner, but we’re excited about the new Purple mattress lineup. Our CNET sleep experts have thoroughly tested and reviewed Purple’s new lineup, so be sure to check out those reviews and videos if you’re interested in one of its new beds.