If you have done just a little bit of mattress research, you have probably come across Tuft & Needle’s Mint mattress and Purple’s original mattress. They each have some hilarious commercials, but how are the actual mattresses?
Well, I have tried them both, and I can say they are fantastic bed-in-a-box mattresses. They contain high-quality materials and are very comfortable.
If both of these mattresses sound like a good match, you could find yourself at an impasse. How are you supposed to choose? Well, let me help make your decision much easier.
Read on for my full comparison of the Mint and Purple mattresses.
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Key Similarities
- The Mint and the Purple are both very popular bed-in-a-box mattresses.
- They are sold for almost the same price.
- Both mattresses have three layers.
- They both feature a transition layer.
- The base layers are pretty much the same on both mattresses.
- They are both cooler-sleeping mattresses.
Key Differences
- The Mint contains an Adaptive Foam in its comfort layer, while the Purple contains a hyper-elastic gel polymer.
- Light- and medium-weight sleepers should agree that the Purple is firmer than the Mint.
- The Mint has a balanced foam feel, but the Purple has a squishy yet firm gel feel.
Mint Construction
- The Mint is 12” tall.
- There is a soft and knitted cover on top of the Mint.
- Then, the first layer contains 3” of Adaptive Foam.
- Next, there is a 2” adaptive transition layer.
- Finally, you have 7” of standard base polyfoam.
Read the full Mint mattress review
Purple Construction
- The Purple is 9.5” tall.
- The Purple’s cover is thin and very soft.
- On top, there are 2” of a Purple Smart Comfort Grid.
- Below that, there is a 3.5” layer of Plush Comfort Foam.
- On the bottom, there are 4” of polyfoam.
Read the full Purple mattress review
Construction Differences/Notes
- The Mint’s Adaptive Foam is a fascinating material. It is a softer foam that is easy to press your hand into. At the same time, it bounces back into place once you remove your hand. So, you will get some pressure relief from the Adaptive Foam, but you shouldn’t have trouble moving around on the mattress.
- Those of you who have slept on memory foam mattresses know that the material can make you sleep hot. However, Adaptive Foam does not have this issue. It features an open-celled structure which makes the material more breathable.
- Okay, so I said the Adaptive Foam is an interesting material. That’s true. However, the Purple’s hyper-elastic gel polymer is about as unique as you can get. It forms a gel grid that is firm and supportive until you press in hard enough. Once you apply enough pressure, that specific area of the mattress will collapse.
- This design makes the Purple a good match for combination sleepers. When you are on your back, the gel grid will collapse under your butt. When you are on your side, it will collapse under your shoulders and hips. Stomach sleeping, it shouldn’t collapse at all.
- The gel grid is also a very breathable material. Just looking at it, you can see there are huge spaces through which air can flow. I have tried a lot of mattresses and can say the Purple sleeps almost completely temperature neutral.
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Firmness/Feel Differences
Let’s talk about how firm these mattresses really are. At Mattress Clarity, we use a firmness scale of 1-10 with “1” being the softest and “10” being the firmest. The Mint feels like a 6/10, and the Purple feels like a 7/10.
I will say that you might have a different experience if you are a larger person. You could press further into the Mint and feel it be firmer. However, you could activate the gel layer on top of the Purple and feel like the mattress is softer.
So, how do I feel sleeping on the Mint?
- When I back sleep on the Mint, the mattress is pretty supportive. I do feel my hips sinking in but not too far. The mattress is quite soft, but I feel decent on the Mint when I’m sleeping on my back.
- Side sleeping on the Mint, the mattress is relieving most of the pressure on my shoulders and hips. I sink into the Adaptive Foam and into the transition layer and feel very comfortable.
- When I am on my stomach, I am not getting enough support from the Mint. Again, this is a softer mattress, and stomach sleepers usually need something on the firmer side.
Now, here is how I feel sleeping on the Purple.
- Back sleeping on the Purple, I feel more support than I felt on the Mint. My hips and butt collapse the gel grid layer, but the rest of the grid supports me.
- When I move to my side, the Purple is giving me a bit of pressure relief. However, I think I’m almost too light for this mattress. I am not heavy enough to get the most pressure relief from the Purple.
- Stomach sleeping, the Purple is more supportive than the Mint. The gel grid does not give way under my hips.
These mattresses are different in terms of firmness, but they are even more different when it comes to how they feel. The Mint has a balanced foam feel with a bit of bounce. I sink into the mattress, but I have no issues switching positions. The Purple, on the other hand, has a unique gel feel. It is squishy but also firm.
See more about the Mint’s firmness and feel in the video below:
Now, let’s take a look at the Purple.
Motion Transfer Differences
If you sleep with a partner, you’ve probably felt them moving around at night. This is what we call motion transfer. As your partner switches positions, their motion transfers to your side of the bed.
Some materials are better at isolating motion than others. For instance, softer foams like memory foam are known for cutting down on motion transfer.
While the top layer of the Mint is not memory foam, the Adaptive Foam does do well with motion transfer. I put a glass on one side of the bed, and then I pushed into the other side to mimic the motions your partner might make. I did not see too much disturbance in the water. When I did this on the Purple, I did see some more ripples in the water.
Also, I lay on the right side of both mattresses, and then Marten got in and out of the bed. I didn’t feel like he was disturbing me on the Mint. However, on the Purple, I did feel some of his movements.
This makes me think the Mint could be a better mattress for couples.
See how the Mint handles motion transfer in the video below.
Now, see how the Purple performs.
Edge Support Differences
For you couples out there, edge support is also something to think about when buying a mattress. Edge support is basically a measure of how secure you feel sitting or lying down near the edge of your mattress.
Sitting near the edge of the Mint, I feel very secure. The mattress actually features enhanced edge support. This also allows me to sleep toward the edge of the Mint without feeling like I am going to roll right off.
However, on the Purple, I don’t feel quite so secure. The gel grid, while supportive, does give way when I lie very close to the edge.
You can see the edge support differences in the photos below.
Marten’s Take
There are so many things to think about when you’re mattress shopping. One of the things you definitely want to factor in is your size and weight. Just because I feel comfortable on a mattress doesn’t mean that a lighter or larger person will have the same experience.
To give you another perspective on these two mattresses, I asked Marten to help us out. I am 5’9” and weigh 160 lbs, but Marten is 6’7” and weighs 230 lbs.
Here is what he thought about the Mint and Purple mattresses:
In terms of firmness, I thought the Mint was a 7/10, and the Purple was 6.5/10. I thought the Mint was firmer than Joe thought because I’m pressing further into the mattress. I am feeling some more firmness than Joe did, especially on my shoulders and hips.
However, on the Purple, my weight is activating that gel grid more than Joe’s weight did. This makes the mattress actually feel softer to me.
So, how did it feel sleeping on the Mint?
- While Joe got enough support on the Mint, the mattress is too soft when I am back sleeping. I feel like I am dropping into the mattress. I also need some more support in my lumbar area.
- When side sleeping, I press pretty far into the Mint. Even with the Adaptive Foam and transition layer, I feel like I am hitting the base layer. This is causing me to feel some pressure on my shoulders and hips.
- When I am on my stomach, the Mint is way too soft for me. Joe didn’t enough support on the Mint, and I’m feeling even less support. I need some more support under my hips.
Here is how I feel sleeping on the Purple.
- The Purple is a fantastic match when I am back sleeping. As Joe mentioned, the gel grid is designed to only collapse under the heavier parts of the body. So, the mattress is giving way under my butt and hips, but I feel supported everywhere else.
- Side sleeping, I feel almost no pressure on the Purple. Again, the mattress is only collapsing under the heavier areas, in this case, my shoulders and hips. I almost feel weightless side sleeping on the Purple.
- Moving to my stomach, I am definitely getting enough support. The gel grid does not collapse at all, and I feel nice even support across my whole body.
In general, I think the Purple is going to be a better match for heavier people in all three sleeping positions. However, some heavier sleepers might get enough support back sleeping on the Mint.
It is great to get Marten’s perspective on these two mattresses. As I mentioned above, larger people might have a different experience on the Purple. Marten’s account lets me know that the Purple is indeed a good fit for heavier people.
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Pick Mint If:
- You are a light- or medium-weight side sleeper. For side sleepers, pressure relief is the name of the game. You want to make sure you aren’t feeling pressure on your shoulders and hips. As long as you are not too heavy, you should feel superior pressure relief on the Mint. It is a softer mattress and the Adaptive Foam and transition layer should give you all the pressure relief you require.
- You like to sink into your mattress. Some people prefer to sleep on top of their mattress. Others like to sink in and feel their mattress envelop them. If you fall into the latter category, the Mint should be right for you. Lying on the Mint, you will sink in more than you will on the Purple.
- You like a softer mattress. If you are not a larger person, you should agree that the Mint is a softer mattress than the Purple. If you like a mattress that is comfortable and easy to press into, the Mint is a great choice.
Pick Purple If:
- You are a back sleeper. Back sleepers usually want to find a mattress that will support them while still allowing their hips to sink in. The Purple definitely has these features. Back sleeping, you will feel supported while the gel grid only collapses under your hips and butt.
- You are a stomach sleeper. On the other hand, stomach sleepers want a mattress that doesn’t collapse at all. With its interesting gel grid design, the Purple is very supportive for stomach sleeping. It shouldn’t give way under your hips, so you should feel well-aligned.
- You have extra support needs. If you are a larger person or just need more support, the Purple should be a better choice than the Mint. The gel grid is a very unique material that will support you in a number of positions.
Overall
Again, the Tuft & Needle Mint and Purple are both very high-quality mattresses. However, they really are right for different types of people. Light- and medium-weight side sleepers who like to sink into their mattress will like the Mint. Back sleepers, stomach sleepers, and those who like to sleep on top of their mattress will like the Purple. Please leave any other questions you have about the Mint and Purple in the comment section below.
The post Tuft & Needle Mint Vs. Purple – Which Will You Pick? appeared first on Mattress Clarity.