Purple Restore Premier Review: Purple's Softest Hybrid Mattress

There are plenty of online mattress brands, and Purple is one of the biggest ones among them. It stands out, and when I talk to people about my job as a mattress tester, a common questions people ask is, "So what's the deal with Purple?"

What sets Purple apart from most other mattress brands is its use of a unique material not found in any other mattress I have tested so far. This material is the reason why Purple beds have interesting qualities that some sleepers, myself included, love. 

Purple has a lineup of beds with different options designed for different kinds of sleepers. The Purple Restore Premier is the most high-end option in the middle-tier "Restore Hybrid Collection" from Purple, sandwiched between the cheaper "Essential Collection" and the more premium "Rejuvenate Luxe Collection."

The Restore Premier is even more unique than the Restore Hybrid base model and the Restore Plus. My review covers everything you need to know about it.

Video: Purple Restore Premier review

Watch me review the Purple Restore Premier mattress.

First impressions of the Purple Restore Premier mattress

A few years back, Purple announced it was doing a large revamp of its entire mattress lineup which I was very curious to see because I had been sleeping on a previous Purple Hybrid model, the Purple Hybrid Premier 3, for five years. 

When this bed was delivered, the folks who dropped it off asked if we wanted them to unbox it for us -- which is not something we usually see. The bed came with what I call a "white glove delivery light" because it still showed up in a regular box, but we weren't required to unbox it. We decided to unbox it ourselves -- but for anyone who orders this mattress, I would take advantage of that offer because this bed is super heavy (up to 171 lbs) and hard to move. 

Jon Gomez/CNET

Once we removed it from the box, I immediately noticed the different exterior look of the mattress compared to the old Purple models. The cover went from a stark white color to a dark gray with subtle purple striping and dark purple side panels in a diamond pattern. I definitely enjoy the new look of the bed, but I would have loved to see the addition of handles on the sides to help move the mattress around.

Aside from the look of the mattress, the Purple Restore Premier did not reinvent itself and maintains the unique Purple feel that I enjoy. There was an interesting sensation on the perimeter of the mattress that we only observed on the Restore Premier that we'll get into, but overall my first impression was positive. 

Is the Purple Restore Premier mattress right for you?

For anyone who is interested in the unique feel and qualities of a Purple mattress but also wants a soft coil bed, the Restore Premier is the mattress for them. No other Purple mattress we have tested provides as much pressure relief for side sleepers and the bed also gives you the unique, gel-like feel and improved temperature regulation of the GelFlex Grid.

The Restore Premier is an expensive mattress so if you don't need something soft I would look at the base model Restore or Restore Plus first -- but for side sleepers looking for maximum pressure relief for their hips and shoulders the Restore Premier could be the way to go.

Purple Restore Hybrid firmness and feel

Restore Premier Hybrid feel

The feel of the Purple Restore Hybrid is pretty hard to describe because it is so unlike any other mattress.  On this bed you experience a uniquely responsive and squishy sensation that we describe as "gel-like." It moves with you really well because the material is so responsive and it conforms to your body's shape nicely while providing lots of support at the same time.

Wesley Ott/CNET

On your back or stomach I would also describe the feel of this bed to be buoyant, like you are just floating on top of the material, but on your side, I think it really cradles your body. 

Most people who try a Purple for the first time have a strong reaction to it -- mostly a positive one but sometimes a negative one. Some people who try a Purple find it too different for their liking. 

Restore Premier firmness and sleeper types

The Purple Restore Premier is now only available in one firmness option. While the model we were able to test was the discontinued soft model, we would estimate that the only available model of the Restore Premier will be around a medium, which will be more generally accommodating for all sleeping positions.

Jon Gomez/CNET

Based on our other testing of Purple mattresses and information available from Purple, we would recommend this bed for stomach, back and combination sleepers. Side sleepers might want something a bit softer to help cradle their pressure points, namely their hips and shoulders. Sleeping on your side on an overly firm mattress can cause discomfort that interrupts your sleep. I think the Restore Hybrid is better for side sleepers. 

Purple Restore Premier construction

The main support layer of the Purple Restore Premier is a 10-inch-thick layer of what Purple calls "Cool Flex" coils. These are quite a bit different from your standard set of pocketed coils. 

Jon Gomez/CNET

On the base model Restore and the Restore Plus, the coil layer is eight-inches-thick -- the extra height on the Cool Flex coils comes from extra foam on the tips of each individual coil. I have only observed foam-tipped coils on one other mattress, the Saatva Rx, and these coils are designed to improve the motion isolation and help the mattress move with you and provide more targeted pressure relief. 

On the Purple Restore Plus, the foam-tipped coils are replaced by a flat layer of transition foam, and the coils are one of the primary differences between the Plus and the Premier. 

Above the coil layer is the primary comfort layer of the Purple Restore Premier which is a three-inch-thick layer of the GelFlex Grid. This material is made of hyper-elastic polymer, and it is what gives Purple mattresses such unique qualities. And then the entire mattress is wrapped in a soft, breathable cover. 

Jon Gomez/CNET

The major construction difference between the Restore Premier and the base model Restore is an extra inch of the GelFlex Grid, which makes the mattress softer overall and makes the unique Purple feel more intense. 

In the past, you could get a mattress with four inches of hyper-elastic polymer, but now, three is the most you can get. 

Purple Restore Premier Hybrid performance

Edge support

The edge support of a mattress refers to how well the perimeter of the bed holds up under pressure. When sharing a mattress it is pretty common to wind up near the edge of the bed and if the edge support is poor it can feel like you are going to roll off the bed and be really detrimental to good sleep.

The edge support on the Purple Restore Premier is almost too good, at least on the soft model. There is a layer of supportive foam that sits around the perimeter coils, and the edge of the bed is so much firmer than the rest of the mattress that it sort of feels like the edge of the bed repels you and pushes you back toward the center. 

So, I would say the edge support is very good, and I don't think the issue I described will be a dealbreaker for most sleepers, but our team didn't enjoy the "repelling" from the edge. 

Motion isolation

If you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night because your partner tosses and turns a lot, having a mattress that isolates cross mattress motion well is important. Despite the responsive nature of the GelFlex Grid material in the Purple Restore Premier mattress, we observed it isolates motion surprisingly well.

It doesn't quite compete with memory foam beds that famously excel at motion isolation, but I don't see cross-mattress motion being a huge problem for most people.

The Restore Premier does perform the best of the Purple hybrid beds we have tested, probably because of those unique Cool Flex foam-tipped coils. 

Temperature regulation

One area where Purple as a brand excels is temperature regulation. Their beds don't feature active cooling elements like the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe or the Leesa Chill collection, but thanks to the GelFlex Grid material, the Purple Restore Premier is breathable and stays temperature neutral throughout the night.

I slept on a Purple bed for over five years through hot summers, and I can definitely say the bed didn't retain much heat. I still had occasional night sweats when I didn't have air conditioning, but that had little to do with the mattress. 

The Purple Restore Premier is the most expensive mattress in the Purple Restore collection and ranks among the most expensive beds we've tested. On the whole, Purple beds are usually a bit more expensive than its direct competitors, likely because Purple uses such unique materials that can't be found anywhere else. 

Purple's discounts also come and go, and the steepest discounts and bundle deals come around major shopping holidays like Memorial Day, President's Day and Black Friday. If you are interested in this mattress or any other mattress from Purple, I would recommend waiting for a holiday sale if you can to help save the most money.

We watch mattress prices constantly and will post our favorite deals around holidays so be sure to check it out before buying.

Purple Restore Premier mattress policies

Free shipping

The Purple Restore Premier mattress will ship to your door at no-extra cost, via FedEx or UPS, inside of either a large box or a large bag with what I am calling "white glove delivery lite." It will still arrive inside of a box, but the delivery team should unbox it for you, which is nice because this bed is very heavy and hard to move (146 lbs in the Queen size).

100-night trial 

All Purple mattresses, including the Purple Restore Premier, come with a standard 100-night trial period to determine if you actually like the mattress and want to keep it long-term. 

100 nights is what we usually see with most brands, and we think it is plenty of time to figure out if you want to keep a mattress. However, keep in mind that it can take a few weeks for your body to fully adjust to a new bed, no matter how well-suited it is to your preferences.

Return policy

If you don't like the Purple Restore Premier mattress after the first 21 nights, you can return it at no extra cost and get a full refund. Returning a mattress is actually pretty easy. Many people think you have to somehow ship the bed back to them, but that's not the case. 

Usually, they will arrange for someone in your area to pick it up, and then it often gets donated.

Warranty

All Purple mattresses are backed by a standard 10-year warranty. If you buy a mattress online, a 10-year warranty is the minimum you should expect.

How does the Purple Restore Premier compare to similar mattresses?

Restore Premier vs. Casper Dream Max

The Casper Dream Max is the softest mattress option available from Casper, and it has the same firmness profile as the discontinued soft model of the Restore Premier. The Dream Max features a pretty sophisticated zoned-support design, which provides more support under the center third of your body and more pressure relief everywhere else. This type of design is meant to alleviate back pain. The Dream Max also has a very accommodating, soft, neutral feel that pretty much everyone finds very comfortable. 

The Dream Max is a bit more affordable than the Restore Premier, but the Restore Premier is better at temperature regulation.

Restore Premier vs. Leesa Reserve Hybrid

The Leesa Reserve Hybrid is a new, luxury memory foam mattress available from Leesa. It has a classic, dense memory foam feel on top of support coils with a cooling cover to help you sleep cool. It also comes in three different firmness options: soft, medium and firm. This bed ships in two different boxes, with the coil support layer in one box and the comfort layer in another. If you decide the mattress is too soft or firm for you, there is an option to just replace the comfort layer which I think is a cool feature. 

The soft model of the Leesa Reserve is comparably soft to the soft model of the Restore Premier and the price point between the two is also similar. The biggest difference is that the beds have polar opposite feels, a dense memory foam vs a responsive, gel-like feel.

Final thoughts on the Purple Restore Premier mattress

I think the Purple Restore Premier is a niche mattress for someone who wants a Purple mattress and all the benefits of the Purple GelFlex Grid but who also wants a coiled, soft mattress. I don't think the firmer Restore Premier will be appealing to most people because you can save a lot of money going with the softer base Restore model. 

The unique foam-tipped coils could be a reason to choose the Premier instead of the Restore or Restore Plus, especially for couples who want improved motion isolation -- but I think the main reasons people will want this mattress is because of how soft it is. 

Personally, I am a huge fan of Purple mattresses and I would probably choose the Restore Plus for the lower price and the edge support issue we observed on the Premier. 

Jon Gomez/CNET

You might like the Purple Restore Premier Hybrid mattress if:

• You enjoy a bouncy mattress feel
• You want an especially soft mattress
• You want a unique-feeling mattress
• You are a hot sleeper

You might not like the Purple Restore Premier mattress if:

• You prefer a memory foam feel
• You want an especially firm mattress
• You are shopping on a budget

Other mattresses from Purple

Purple Plus: This is the next softest mattress available from Purple. The biggest difference between the Purple Plus and the Purple Restore Premier is that the support layer of the Purple Plus is foam instead of coils. We generally recommend foam mattresses for medium and petite sized people because foam isn't quite as durable over the course of several years in comparison to coils. Normally, motion isolation is a big advantage for foam mattresses, but I think these beds perform equally. The Purple Plus is also significantly more affordable than the Restore Premier.

Purple Restore Hybrid: The base model Restore Hybrid is the Purple mattress I recommend most people get, largely because of its value. A queen size has a retail price of $2,399, and it often gets discounted to around $2,000, which makes it significantly more affordable than the Restore Premier. 

The biggest differences between the Restore and the Restore Premier are construction and firmness. The Restore is an overall softer mattress and the GelFlex Grid is 2-inches-thick instead of 3-inches-thick. If you need something especially soft, the Purple Restore Hybrid is for you.