Our verdict
The DreamLayer scores 5.9, an early read from 272 ratings, just short of the 300 we need to rank it. Fit range is strong at 8, because the boosters give you three set heights.
Buyer satisfaction is the weak part at 5.3. The raw average is 4.0 stars, and 12% of ratings are a single star.
Suits
- Sleepers who want a fixed choice of three heights rather than loose fill
- Anyone curious about Purple's grid at a lower price than the original grid pillow
- Combination sleepers who switch between back and side
Think twice if
- Smells bother you: 90% of odor mentions are negative
- Your budget sits well below $194 a pillow
Buyer ratings
What 272 buyers say
Buyers give the DreamLayer Pillow 4.0 out of 5 from 272 ratings. Adjusted for pool size, the DreamLayer Pillow averages 4.14, with 18% of its ratings at one or two stars.
- 5 star63%
- 4 star10%
- 3 star9%
- 2 star6%
- 1 star12%
Topics buyers raise most
- Comfort47 mentions: 89% positive, 11% negative
- Value for money36 mentions: 36% positive, 64% negative
- Pillow quality34 mentions: 91% positive, 9% negative
- Neck pain30 mentions: 77% positive, 23% negative
- Odor29 mentions: 10% positive, 90% negative
- Cooling27 mentions: 70% positive, 30% negative
- Adjustability26 mentions: 81% positive, 19% negative
- Support25 mentions: 92% positive, 8% negative
Odor is the clearest signal in the pool. It comes up 29 times and 26 of those buyers, 90%, are negative, so plan on airing the pillow before the first night. Value for money is the other sore point, 36 mentions with 64% negative.
Against that, support reads 92% positive across 25 mentions and pillow quality 91% across 34. Thirty buyers bring up neck pain, and 77% of those mentions are positive. That is what buyers report, not a promise, and lasting neck pain is a reason to see a clinician.
Fill and feel
GelFlex Grid on top of MicroAir foam
Purple puts its GelFlex Grid, a hyper-elastic polymer lattice, over a MicroAir foam core, and adds polyurethane foam booster layers underneath. The maker rates the feel soft and says the grid draws warmth away. If you know memory foam, Purple pitches this as the same molding feel with less heat, a claim only buyers can test, and 70% of 27 cooling mentions are positive.
Size and loft
Two boosters, three heights
Remove both boosters for 5 inches, keep one for 6, keep both for 7. That gives stomach, back and side sleepers each a starting point. The standard measures 22 by 16 inches and the king 32 by 16, according to the maker, and the pillow weighs about 3.8 kilograms, so it is no featherweight.
Care
A stretch-knit cover and not much else on care
The cover is a stretch knit of 78% recycled polyester and 22% spandex, and Purple describes it as washable. Beyond that the product fields give no care instructions, which is why care scores only 5. The grid and foam should stay out of the washer.
Value
Cheaper than its grid sibling, still near $200
A standard costs $194 and a king $228, sold singly. That matches the $194 median for gel grid pillows, a category of two. The original Purple Pillow, GelFlex Grid costs $211 and also scores 5.9.
Purple gives 30 nights on direct purchases, if the pillow is clean and undamaged, plus a 1-year limited warranty. More Purple models are on the Purple brand page.
Sizes and prices
Sizes, packs and prices
| Option | Size | Pillows | Price | Per pillow | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Standard | 1 | $194 | $194 |  |
| King | King | 1 | $228 | $228 | |
The score
How the 5.9 adds up
Six parts, the same weights for every pillow on this site. The full method, with the formula for each part, is on our scoring page.
| Part | Weight | Score | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buyer satisfaction | 35% | 5.3 | 4.0 stars from 272 ratings, adjusted 4.14; 18% one or two stars |
| Complaint profile | 20% | 5.7 | 26.6% of fault-type topic mentions are negative |
| Fit range | 15% | 8.0 | adjustable fill, 2 sizes |
| Materials & proof | 10% | 4.0 | No certification stated |
| Care & cover | 10% | 5.0 | Not stated by the maker |
| Value | 10% | 8.6 | $194 per pillow against a $194 median for gel grid |
Alternatives
Other gel grid pillows
Same brand
More from Purple
The DreamLayer Pillow is one of 7 Purple pillows we score. Who makes the DreamLayer Pillow, and what the trial and warranty say, is on the Purple brand page.
Questions
Questions about the Purple DreamLayer Pillow
Does the Purple DreamLayer pillow smell when new?
Many buyers say so. Of the 29 who mention odor, 90% are negative. Unwrap it a day or two before you need it and leave it somewhere airy.
How do you change the height of the Purple DreamLayer?
Take out or add back the two booster layers. No boosters gives 5 inches, one gives 6, both give 7.
