The Purplish-mantled Tanager is distributed on the Pacific slope of the western cordillera of the Andes from north-west Colombia to north-west Ecuador. See the distribution map at xeno-canto. It is found in wet, mossy forest at between 1,500 and 2,200 metres.

It is mainly a rich purple-blue with a bright yellow throat and a chestnut crissum.

It is classified as Near Threatened by Birdlife International because of habitat loss within its restricted range.