Wow, I thought I would get faster at researching and writing these articles. It seems like it is taking longer, perhaps because I am finding more locations throughout the Internet to uncover good information to share.
Purple is worth the price to many customers, however, there are many who don’t think it is worth it and have complaints including poor quality materials and products, not comfortable, bad return policy and process, not receive 100% refund, and hidden costs.
One of the most famous online bed-in-a-box companies is Purple, selling an extensive range of proprietary mattresses. It has wowed prospective buyers with its patented Hyper-Elastic Grid designed for optimum comfort and support.
Update Jan 2, 2023: $400 limited time discount here.
Its creative advertisements, marketing techniques, and plausible policies have piqued the interest of many potential buyers. But has the company been able to deliver a product mirroring its claim? Here, we have discussed the products and customer reviews based on real-life experiences.
Customer Ratings & Research Analysis
Bed Frames Plus conducted research during the month of January 2020. 11.5% of mattress buyers in the past three years purchased Purple brand. Some highlights include (10 is the best and 1 is the worst ratings):
- 70% of customers purchased online vs in a store.
- 20% purchased in the past 6 months, 40% between 6 months and 1 year, 30% between 1 and 2 years ago, and 10% between 2 and three years ago.
- Buying experience ratings:
2: 10%
7: 20%
8: 50%
10: 20%
I would call this a success, but I will try to contact more customers next month to compare the results. - Quality of the product ratings :
3: 10%
7: 20%
8: 30%
9: 20%
10: 20%
I would also consider this a success. - Sagging/dip/sinkage
10: 50%
8:20%
7: 10%
6: 10%
5: 10%
Sagging is one of the most common issues I have found while researching complaints, but sagging does not seem to be an issue with Purple. - Sleeping style: If you are researching before buying it is important to look at the analysis and compare the results to your sleeping style. Purple owners sleep styles follow:
Side: 10%
Stomach: 10%
Back: 10
Side and stomach: 30%
Side and back: 40% - How hot does it sleep: Owners rated how hot it sleeps with ratings between sleeps very cool to sleeps very hot.
1: 10%
2: 30%
3: 20%
4: 20%
5: 10%
6: 10%
This is very impressive as sleeping hot is another very common complaint I find during my research. I am a hot sleeper so these results are very interesting to me. - The return process/policy/experience: This was not required by 90% of respondents. The owners who did go through the return process all rated the experience a 2, which is terrible.
I am finding more and more customers having challenges returning mattresses recently and I will be curious to see what the trend is as I continue to do this research each month. Make sure to bookmark this website so you don’t miss seeing the trends.
Considering another company? Check these out:
Purple Mattresses Overview
The mattresses feature a design for individuals who have difficulty sleeping peacefully. Its elastic polymer grid is designed to relieve pressure points and provide excellent back support, regardless of your sleep position.
Its universal firmness level is suitable for almost all sleeper types, but the company commends it to be ideal for ordinary built people. If you are above the recommended weight-scale, you should opt for a Purple Hybrid, which is thicker and apt for big built.
Other than its premium comfort, Purple claims remarkable motion isolation, zero off-gassings, even weight distribution, temperature neutrality, and durable construction. Considered fairly priced, the mattress is above the average market rate for foam thanks to its proprietary materials and premium quality.
Moreover, the company also offers 100-night risk-free trials, hassle-free returns, and a 100% cashback guarantee for safe shopping. Besides, you can even opt for white glove delivery services for professional assistance in setting up the bed, which makes sense as the mattress is surprisingly heavy.
With so many benefits to offer, Purple seems too good to be true. However, the brand has garnered more than 22,000 positive reviews and approximately 17,000 5-star ratings online. Customers rave about the performance and robust construction. There are few complaints related to limited edge support and higher price range on leading review sites.
But is that all? To be honest, no. When we checked the customer feedback on portals such as Reddit, Amazon, and consumer report websites, we found out Purple mattresses and bedding accessories have numerous serious complaints. We have categorized them based on performance, price, customer support, and shopping policies.
Other Purple articles to help you decide:
Poor Quality Materials and Products:
Poor quality materials and products include sheets with holes, dipping foam, deteriorating with divots, and power base did not work upon delivery.
Purple is a well-known brand popular for its exceptional comfort and long-lasting mattresses. The company also manufactures bedsheets, pillows, and bed frames — all known for their premium quality. To support its claim, the company offers a 10-year warranty period and 100-nights of risk-free trials.
However, customer reviews are quite different from the assertions the company makes on its website. Many consumers experience irreversible damages soon after use.
Noticeable indentations on the surface, holes in the bedsheet, and broken bed frames are common complaints. This shows that Purple products can’t withstand years of use even by individuals with the recommended weight range.
Above all, the return policies are not as friendly as the company says it to be. Here we have shared experiences from true customers, but you can even find more on various other customer-feedback websites.
A leading review site, Sleep Like The Dead, rate it “C” on durability and “D+” on marketing accuracy and integrity of customer reviews on the official website.
I am so so disappointed that I purchased Purple products at such an expensive price, believing that they were good quality products. I have had my bed for about a year and a half. Almost immediately, everything started deteriorating.
The bamboo sheets had holes in them within days…The mattress started deteriorating in weeks… Within a few months there were large divots in the mattress on both sides between the Purple grid and the outside foam material.
Jason of Culver City, CA, May 9, 2020, Verified Reviewer, Consumer Affairs
“My complaint is about the Refund Policy for this company as it relates to the adjustable power base.
My complaint also relates to the misrepresentations made in their marketing about their product as it relates to who manufactures the mattress and adjustable power base… we were told that they couldn’t provide us with any help because they didn’t actually make the power base…”
Purple customer, October 14, 2020, BBB
Not Comfortable
Owners of Purple have complained about it not being comfortable in various online forums stating things such as “it may not break eggs but it will break your back”, “too hard”, “very hot”, “has a dip”, and “very uncomfortable”.
Purple’s comfort level is poor to very poor. A foam topper is needed to alleviate the aches and pains it causes and to make it bearable.
It is so poor at heat dissipation that you’ll be dripping with sweat by morning in spite of keeping the room at 72 degrees F. It may not break eggs falling on it but it WILL break your back. It is a regrettable purchase.
Gregory of Denham Springs, LA July 24, 2020, Verified Reviewer
“Honestly I was not too impressed with the Purple. We ended up buying another one from Nectar cause the Purple was just too hard to sleep on and I found it very hot. I really wanted to love this mattress cause of the reviews just could not do it.”
Rhonda of Junction City, KS, May 4, 2020, Verified Buyer
It’s been a little over a year now that I got the Purple bed Mattress (King Size). At first the mattress was somehow good…Unfortunately both sides of the mattress has a dip and it is really uncomfortable to sleep on, and it causes pain to my back and also my wife’s.
Felyppe, May 21, 2018, Amazon
Return Experiences
Many customers claim issues with Purple’s return process including not hassle-free, difficult to contact customer service, heavy to move, call and email for instructions on how to return but no response, did not get all the refund, and some customers claim false advertising.
“DO NOT BUY PURPLE MATTRESS. Although I thought it was great to sleep in we needed to return due to shoulder pain, they talk us into upgrading for the more expensive mattress and tell me the return is no problem, they handle all of it. I keep emailing and calling for instructions because the new one is on the way and the old one needs to be taken out.
No one gets back to you…Purple is NOT helping- all of the sudden it’s all my responsibility to do their job and what they advertise. DON’T BELIEVE THEIR FRIENDLY ATTITUDE. it’s not what they advertise. They are liars and falsely advertise.”
Marietta of West Covina, CA, June 21, 2020, Consumer Affairs
“I wanted to love it. After using the mattress for 2 months, I still don’t love it. I am a stomach sleeper and I sleep better in hotels than I do on the Purple. So I tried to return the mattress inside the 100 day trial period for a full refund. Instead of getting a full refund, I’m told I can get a 62% refund if I bring the 200-pound mattress to the retailer myself. So much for the “100-night risk free trial” and so much for the “we’ll pick it up for free”.”
A of Fort Collins, CO, October 21, 2019, Consumer Affairs
Hidden Costs
The below customer applied a promo code for a $150 discount and they charged him more for the purple, and the free sheets and pillow that Purple claimed is a “coupon”. Customers should take a screenshot or photo of the checkout pages and compare that to the receipt and credit card charge.
“…I searched for any promo codes that may be available to apply to my purchase and found one that gave me an additional $150.00 off the $2972 plus tax total.
When my PayPal receipt came to my email I realized that I was charged a total of $3241.14. A difference of $287.14… I was told it was because I “stacked coupons”. They used the coupon and did not honor the deal from the website which I argued was NOT a coupon but a price from the internet purchase… No stacking coupons and that the “free gift” was a coupon. I then requested my purchase be canceled!!!! I would have never thought applying the “Promo Code” would increase my purchase total.
Raymond of Tallahassee, FL, Raymond of Tallahassee, FL, Consumer Affairs