I Finally Shopped for a Mattress Like an Adult — and I’ve Never Slept Better

I am forty years old and this summer was the first time in my life that I’d taken the act of selecting a new mattress for my home as seriously as I should. That’s because for the first time I allowed my body to tell me what I needed, not just my budget or my schedule.

When my husband and I were in our 20s and making very little money we needed to make our first joint mattress purchase. We walked into a department store and bought the cheapest mattress they sold. The full transaction took all of 20 minutes, most of which was spent selecting the mattress delivery date. I don’t think we even sat on it at the time — we needed a mattress fast and could barely afford one, so the lowest price was all that mattered back then. Funny enough, I never remember complaining much about the one we ultimately chose. Falling asleep on it was always easy to do, and we were seemingly out and about more than were ever at home back then. 

Then our 30s came along and it was time to invest in a new mattress once again. Although it’s recommended to switch your mattress out every seven years, I’m sure we had already had our bargain-buy mattress for close to 10 years at that point. That time around, the simplest way to buy a mattress was to just shop for one online. Around 2014, mattress-in-a-box companies started popping up everywhere and ads for affordable foam mattresses were tough to avoid. Once again, we just picked one randomly that claimed to be super soft — without really touching or feeling it out — then we sped-read through the description and clicked to buy. Only this time, we didn’t sleep quite as well on our new mattress as we did before. Over the years, my sleep quality decreased for sure,  and I attributed that to all sorts of reasons — like stress, noise and temperature, scratchy sheets — not ever thinking that perhaps our random mattress choices over the years, paired with our aging bodies and needs, might also be to blame. 

Thankfully, as a lifestyle editor, throughout my career I’ve had the opportunity to learn a lot more about the importance of good sleep health and paying attention to your circadian rhythm. I’ve learned how to be more open to the type of mattress I need, not just the type I think I want. For instance, I may love diving into a super soft mattress when I’m staying at a luxurious hotel, but sleeping on one long-term with my chronic lower back pain is probably not the best idea. As part of the unveiling of their newest premium mattress collection, which launched in May, Purple gave journalists an opportunity to learn about and test drive their newest mattress offerings. As part of the adventure, I was encouraged to visit one of Purple’s nearby storefront locations for an in-person consultation. I brought my husband along with me and we spent around 30 minutes bouncing back and forth from mattress to mattress in the collection — some firm some soft, some affordable, some more of a splurge  — and for the first time, we were asking questions, and the right ones, too. Things like: Does this mattress offer any type of edge control? (Sleeping with a partner means sometimes someone may wind up sleeping on the edge of the bed.) Does it offer extra support for the days when our bodies don’t feel their best? (My back has its moments.) Is it a cooling mattress? (We’re both hot sleepers.)

After getting thoughtful answers to our burning questions and having a better understanding of the many differences between the mattresses offered, ultimately we landed on trying out the Purple RestorePremier Hybrid Mattress in firm, paired with the Purple Premium Plus Smart Base. A few days later the white glove delivery service arrived with our new mattress and base, and set them up for us in minutes. Forty-five restful nights later, I’m here to report that we’re getting some of the best sleep of our lives. I’m talking about going to bed early just because and sleeping in because it’s harder than ever to part ways with our bed. Here’s why this new mattress and adjustable base are working for us, and might for you too.

Like I said, I suffer from chronic back pain. One or two nights on a mattress with little or no extra support and I’m going to feel lingering stiffness and pain for days. This new hybrid mattress features superior pressure relief. I feel cradled from the start and supported where it matters most — my lower back, neck, and shoulders. If you share a bed with someone, the RestorePremier Hybrid also has independently responsive coils for dynamic pin-point support and advanced Edge Support System which means no one’s restless night is going to send the other person over the edge — pun intended. 

This is the first “firm” mattress I’ve experienced that is soft enough to feel luxurious but firm enough to give your resting body the overnight comfort and support it needs to be at its best. Before I started seeking more support in a mattress, waking up with an achy back was commonplace for me. If you’re experiencing lots of back and muscle pain, I recommend trying a hybrid mattress like this one that’s designed with support in mind.

I’m a very hot sleeper, and my husband is too, so breathability and cooling technology were key features on our dream mattress must-haves list. Purple’s signature GelFlex Grid (which is inside all of the brand’s mattresses and pillows) is widely known and praised by fans for its cooling powers. I get it now. Our mattress always feels cool and inviting, especially during these hotter summer months. In the past, I would sometimes overheat in the middle of the night and wake up drenched. This hasn’t happened once on the RestorePremier mattress — it’s like it has temperature regulation down to a science. The mattress’s moisture-wicking cover keeps us cool and dry at night, which means less restlessness and more quality sleep for us both. (Oh, and less laundry too.)

If I hadn’t visited an actual storefront and spent time discussing our biggest sleep hurdles as a couple, I don’t think an adjustable base would have even been a  part of my vocabulary, but adulting meant that I had to acknowledge that my husband’s loud snoring was keeping me up at night and having to use a lumbar pillow meant it was tough for me to get comfortable in bed. The Purple Premium Plus Smart Base sold me with three game-changing features — it has a lumbar support mode, an anti-snoring mode, and a head and foot massage function (that’s whisper-quiet). The first thing I do when I lay down is reach for the remote and get our settings in order. The under bed lighting and raised headrest mode for movie nights in bed are just the cherries on top. 

The biggest lesson in this experience for me has been that it was time to stop shopping for a mattress like I’m shopping for clearance clothing, and start paying closer attention to how the features that a mattress offers align with your needs and the investment you’re making. I appreciated that companies like Purple offer premium mattresses for every budget, and I didn’t have to walk out feeling like I needed to spend my life savings to get the mattress that worked best for us.

And speaking of savings, you can take up to $900 off a bundle that includes a mattress and smart base of your choice during Purple’s Labor Day sale — my combo of the RestorePremier mattress and Premium Plus Smart Base is discounted by $700!

If you decide to try something from Purple’s new premium mattress collection, remember they offer a 100-night free trial, which also gives us peace of mind because sometimes the right choice isn’t always your first choice. 

Buy: Purple RestorePremier Hybrid Mattress, Queen, $3,195 (normally $3,495), Purple Premium Plus Smart Base, Queen, $1,895