Casper vs. Helix: 18 Mattresses Compared

Our Testing & Selection Process

This guide highlights the most important factors in determining if Casper or Helix offers the right mattress for you.

In This Comparison
Compare the Models | Performance Tests | Firmness | Support & Sleeping Positions | Design | Materials | Summary

At NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.

We score each mattress using a series of performance tests. Here is a full comparison of all current models we’ve tested between Casper vs. Helix.

The first two tables show the factor scoring of all current models that we have tested:

Compare Casper Mattress Scores

Factor	Casper	Casper Nova Hybrid	Casper Original	Casper Original Hybrid	Casper Select	Casper Snow	Casper Wave Hybrid
Cooling	9.0	9.0	9.0	9.5	9.0	10	9.0
Motion Transfer	9.0	8.7	8.4	8.5	8.3	8.6	8.0
Response	10	10	10	10	10	9.9	10
Edge Support	9.4	9.5	9.6	10	9.6	9.9	9.9
Sex	9.2	9.9	9.8	9.7	9.3	9.8	9.9
Pressure Relief	9.0	10	9.0	9.5	9.0	9.5	10
Off-Gassing	9.0	8.6	8.8	8.8	9.4	9.4	9.1
Company	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8

Compare Helix Mattress Scores

Factor	Helix Dawn	Helix Dusk	Helix Dusk Luxe	Helix Kids	Helix Midnight	Helix Midnight Elite	Helix Midnight Luxe	Helix Moonlight	Helix Plus	Helix Sunset	Helix Twilight
Cooling	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5	10	9.5	9.0	9.5	9.5	9.5
Motion Transfer	7.2	7.7	8.5	8.4	9.4	8.7	10	8.0	9.7	8.6	8.7
Response	10	10	10	9.7	9.5	10	10	10	10	10	10
Edge Support	9.0	8.9	10	9.5	9.0	10	9.5	9.6	10	9.8	9.1
Sex	9.6	9.6	9.7	9.7	9.7	9.7	9.4	9.7	9.6	9.6	9.7
Pressure Relief	9.0	9.5	10	9.0	9.5	10	10	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5
Off-Gassing	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.5	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.7	9.8
Company	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8

The next two tables show the data from each test. In many cases, the difference between scores can be minimal, but this table helps to highlight these differences.

Compare Casper Mattress Data

Factor	Casper	Casper Nova Hybrid	Casper Original	Casper Original Hybrid	Casper Select	Casper Snow	Casper Wave Hybrid
Overall	9.30	9.49	9.29	9.55	9.28	9.66	9.51
Max Temp.	85.6° F	91.0° F	85.2° F	86.5° F	85.8° F	90.9° F	91.0° F
Max Sinkage	1.75″	2.46″	1.69″	1.91″	1.63″	2.14″	2.38″
Total Motion Transfer	8.91 m/s²	10.07 m/s²	11.30 m/s²	10.87 m/s²	11.73 m/s²	10.55 m/s²	12.88 m/s²
Response Time	0.2 sec.	0.2 sec.	0.2 sec.	0.2 sec.	0.3 sec.	0.6 sec.	0.2 sec.
Total Bounce	6.53″	10.46″	9.80″	8.21″	6.93″	8.73″	10.78″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage	4.25″	4.00″	3.75″	2.25″	3.75″	3.25″	3.25″
Edge Support – Lying Support	Good	Very Good	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Very Good
Sex Overall	9.2	9.9	9.8	9.7	9.3	9.8	9.9
Comfort Material	3.00″	5.00″	3.50″	3.50″	4.50″	3.00″	5.00″
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	12 days	18 days	15 days	15 days	7 days	7 days	11 days
Trial	100 days	100 days	100 days	100 days	100 days	100 days	100 days
Warranty	10 years	10 years	10 years	10 years	10 years	10 years	10 years

Compare Helix Mattress Data

Factor	Helix Dawn	Helix Dusk	Helix Dusk Luxe	Helix Kids	Helix Midnight	Helix Midnight Elite	Helix Midnight Luxe	Helix Moonlight	Helix Plus	Helix Sunset	Helix Twilight
Overall	9.22	9.35	9.70	9.37	9.46	9.81	9.76	9.39	9.72	9.57	9.48
Max Temp.	91.9° F	90.7° F	87.3° F	90.5° F	90.7° F	91.3° F	91.0° F	92.0° F	91.8° F	91.9° F	91.2° F
Max Sinkage	2.36″	2.28″	2.14″	1.95″	1.98″	2.64″	2.15″	2.36″	1.50″	3.07″	1.94″
Total Motion Transfer	16.03 m/s²	14.13 m/s²	11.15 m/s²	11.38 m/s²	7.25 m/s²	10.21 m/s²	4.03 m/s²	13.20 m/s²	6.31 m/s²	10.60 m/s²	10.28 m/s²
Response Time	0.3 sec.	0.3 sec.	0.3 sec.	0.8 sec.	1.0 sec.	0.3 sec.	0.3 sec.	0.5 sec.	0.2 sec.	0.4 sec.	0.3 sec.
Total Bounce	13.64″	10.24″	8.21″	9.21″	10.19″	8.08″	7.47″	17.15″	9.38″	8.57″	9.10″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage	5.00″	5.25″	3.00″	4.00″	5.00″	3.00″	4.00″	3.75″	3.00″	3.50″	4.75″
Edge Support – Lying Support	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Very Good	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Exceptional	Excellent	Very Good
Sex Overall	9.6	9.6	9.7	9.7	9.7	9.7	9.4	9.7	9.6	9.6	9.7
Comfort Material	3.00″	3.00″	5.00″	1.75″	3.00″	6.00″	5.00″	3.00″	5.00″	3.00″	4.00″
Off-Gassing – Smell	Moderate	Moderate	Strong	Minimal	Moderate	Strong	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Strong	Moderate
Off-Gassing – Days	2 days	2 days	3 days	2 days	2 days	6 days	3 days	2 days	2 days	4 days	2 days
Trial	100 days	100 days	100 days	100 days	100 days	100 days	100 days	100 days	100 days	100 days	100 days
Warranty	10 years	10 years	15 years	10 years	10 years	10 years	15 years	10 years	10 years	10 years	10 years

Best Mattress For

Before we get into the gritty details, let’s honor some specific mattresses first. The mattresses noted below are recognized as the best for each respective performance category.

Depending on what exactly you’re looking for, you may find Casper or Helix to be better suited for your needs.

Factor	Winner	Value
Best Overall	Helix Midnight Elite	9.81
Best Cooling	Casper Snow, Helix Midnight Elite	10
Most Sinkage	Helix Sunset	3.07″
Least Sinkage	Helix Plus	1.5″
Lowest Motion Transfer	Helix Midnight Luxe	4.03 m/s²
Fastest Response Time	Casper, Casper Nova Hybrid, Casper Original, Casper Original Hybrid, Casper Wave Hybrid, Helix Plus	0.2 sec
Slowest Response Time	Helix Midnight	1.0 sec
Most Bounce	Helix Moonlight	17.15″
Least Bounce	Casper	6.53″
Best Edge Support	Casper Original Hybrid	2.25″ max sinkage
Best for Sex	Casper Nova Hybrid, Casper Wave Hybrid	9.9
Best Pressure Relief	Casper Nova Hybrid, Casper Wave Hybrid, Helix Dusk Luxe, Helix Midnight Elite, Helix Midnight Luxe	10
Least Off-Gassing	Helix Dawn, Helix Dusk, Helix Kids, Helix Midnight, Helix Moonlight, Helix Plus, Helix Twilight	Moderate, 2 days
Best Company	Helix	25 year warranty for Luxe & Elite

We test 10 different factors that impact the performance, comfort, and value of the mattress. Testing categories include:

1. Cooling
2. Sinkage
3. Motion Transfer
4. Response
5. Bounce
6. Edge Support
7. Sex
8. Pressure Relief
9. Off-Gassing
10. Company

Which Mattresses Are We Comparing?

Casper offers a mix of hybrids and foam mattresses. For the sake of simplicity, we’ve selected 3 popular Casper mattresses for this side-by-side comparison.

1. Casper Original (foam)
2. Casper Original Hybrid (hybrid)
3. Casper Wave Hybrid (hybrid)

Helix offers 20 different mattresses, in varying firmnesses, although all have similar material composition. For this comparison, we’ll be looking at the three-piece quality tier—Standard, Luxe, and Elite.

Nearly all Helix collections (excluding Kids) are available in these three tiers. For this comparison, we’ve selected the Midnight collection, which has a medium-firm feel and would be our top pick for the most balanced feel.

1. Helix Midnight (hybrid)
2. Helix Midnight Luxe (hybrid)
3. Helix Midnight Elite (hybrid)

The cooling performance average is slightly higher on Helix mattresses (9.67) compared to the average on Casper mattresses (9.50).

The best cooling performance comes from the Helix Midnight Elite, which scored a perfect 10 in this category. The mattresses with the lowest performance include the Casper Wave Hybrid and the Casper Original, which both had a 9.0 cooling score.

Cooling Test	Score	Baseline	Max Temp	Ending Temp
Casper Original	9.0	64.2°	85.2°	-11.9°
Casper Original Hybrid	9.5	68.8°	86.5°	-11.5°
Casper Wave Hybrid	9.0	77.8°	91.0°	-7.2°
Helix Midnight	9.5	83.6°	90.7°	-5.2°
Helix Midnight Elite	10	80.1°	91.3°	-7.3°
Helix Midnight Luxe	9.5	83.8°	91.0°	-4.4°

• Baseline Temperature – the temperature of the mattress before anyone lies on it
• Maximum Temperature (0 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after lying on it for 15 minutes
• Ending Temperature (after 5 minutes) – the temperature of the mattress after being lied upon and having no one on it for 5 minutes

The Casper Original is an all-foam mattress so it’s not that surprising that cooling struggles a bit when compared to hybrid mattresses. But I would have liked to have seen better cooling from the Casper Wave Hybrid.

The Casper Wave Hybrid mattress includes a layer of cooling gel specifically designed for improving cooling, much like the Heat Delete Bands on the Casper Snow Hybrid. And the mattress has a high price tag to match.

For cooling performance, you’d be better off opting for the Casper Original Hybrid (for a score of 9.5 out of 10 and over $800 in savings*) or the Casper Snow Hybrid (which had a cooling score of 10 out of 10 and still a savings of over $400*)

* Savings based on queen-size mattress

All three Helix mattresses tested here had great cooling performance, with the Helix Midnight Elite taking center stage.

While all Helix mattresses are hybrids, the Midnight Elite takes it to the next level with a robust blend of cooling foams and micro coils. These materials work together to enhance cooling performance, giving it a perfect score—10 out of 10.

Below, you can watch a video of how the heat dissipates on each mattress during our cooling test. For this test, we lie on the mattress for 15 minutes, get off the mattress, and then take periodic surface-level temperature measurements.

Casper mattresses have less sinkage with an average of 1.91″. Comparably speaking, Helix mattresses have deeper sinkage with an average of 2.25″.

For reference, the average level of signage across all mattresses tested to date is 2.17″.

Sinkage Test	Sinkage Depth	Max Sinkage
Casper Original	Very Minimal	1.69″
Casper Original Hybrid	Minimal	1.91″
Casper Wave Hybrid	Deep	2.38″
Helix Midnight	Minimal	1.98″
Helix Midnight Elite	Very Deep	2.64″
Helix Midnight Luxe	Moderate	2.15″

The Casper Original and Casper Original Hybrid both have less sinkage than average, as well as the Helix Midnight.

The Casper Wave Hybrid and Helix Midnight Elite have deep sinkage, significantly more than average.

The Helix Midnight Luxe falls somewhere in the middle with sinkage levels that are essentially average.

Deeper sinkage can be great for side sleepers or those looking for deeper hug and contour, while less sinkage may be better for back or stomach sleepers.

The level of sinkage for each mattress is documented in the images below.

Looking at motion transfer, we saw better performance from Helix compared to Casper. Casper has an average motion transfer score of 8.3 and Helix has an average motion transfer score of 9.36.

Motion Transfer Test	Score	Acc. Range
Casper Original	8.4	11.30 m/s²
Casper Original Hybrid	8.5	10.87 m/s²
Casper Wave Hybrid	8.0	12.88 m/s²
Helix Midnight	9.4	7.25 m/s²
Helix Midnight Elite	8.7	10.21 m/s²
Helix Midnight Luxe	10	4.03 m/s²

The average level of motion transfer across all mattresses tested to date is 8.49 m/s².

Casper mattresses in this comparison have higher levels of motion transfer than Helix mattresses.

The level of motion transfer on each mattress is also documented in the videos below.

Considering response time, both Casper and Helix had excellent performance, with all mattresses scoring perfect 10s except for the Helix Midnight, which still maintains a score of 9.5.

Response Test	Score	Mostly Recovered	Completely Recovered
Casper Original	10	0.2 seconds	0.7 seconds
Casper Original Hybrid	10	0.2 seconds	0.4 seconds
Casper Wave Hybrid	10	0.2 seconds	0.8 seconds
Helix Midnight	9.5	1.0 seconds	1.2 seconds
Helix Midnight Elite	10	0.3 seconds	1.0 seconds
Helix Midnight Luxe	10	0.3 seconds	0.4 seconds

The average speed of material response time is 0.4 seconds to be mostly recovered and 0.8 seconds to be fully recovered.

All mattresses featured in this comparison were faster than average except for the Helix Midnight, which was slower than average.

The level of responsiveness for each mattress is documented in the videos below.

Casper mattresses have a narrower range of bounce (2.57″) compared to the bounce range on Helix mattresses (2.72″), but both brands offer moderate and high levels of bounce.

Bounce Test	Bounce Height	Bounce Range
Casper Original	Moderate	9.80″
Casper Original Hybrid	Moderate	8.21″
Casper Wave Hybrid	High	10.78″
Helix Midnight	High	10.19″
Helix Midnight Elite	Moderate	8.08″
Helix Midnight Luxe	Low	7.47″

The mattress with the lowest amount of bounce is the Helix Midnight Luxe and the mattress with the highest amount of bounce is the Casper Wave Hybrid.

The average level of bounce is 9.64″, comparing all mattresses tested to date.

The Casper Original, Casper Original Hybrid, and Helix Midnight Elite all fall in the “moderate” bounce.

Bounce is more of a preferential factor and the “ideal bounce” varies between different types of sleepers.

The level of bounce for each mattress is documented in the videos below.

For lower levels of bounce, you may want to consider other all-foam mattresses by Casper. The Casper (6.53″) and Casper Select (6.93″) both have less bounce than the other Casper mattresses featured in this mash-up.

Casper barely outperforms Helix in terms of edge support, with Casper having an average edge support score of 9.83 and Helix scoring 9.5 (on average). Both brands offer very supportive options.

Check out the table below to see how each mattress compares.

Edge Support Test	Score	Max Sinkage	Lying Support
Casper Original	9.6	3.75″	Excellent
Casper Original Hybrid	10	2.25″	Excellent
Casper Wave Hybrid	9.9	3.25″	Very Good
Helix Midnight	9.0	5.00″	Very Good
Helix Midnight Elite	10	3.00″	Excellent
Helix Midnight Luxe	9.5	4.00″	Excellent

The average score for edge support is 9.4, with a max sitting sinkage of 4.10″. All Casper and Helix mattresses featured in this comparison scored above average with the one exception being the Helix Midnight (with 5.0″ of sinkage).

The level of edge support is documented in the images below.

This part of our scoring looks at the expected sex performance based on several performance factors.

The best mattresses for sex have high bounce, good edge support, quiet materials, and good pressure relief and cooling.

These 5 factors make up the NapLab sex performance score and from these factors, we can generate a sex score for each mattress.

On average, Casper is better for sex, with an average sex score of 9.8 while Helix has an average score of 9.6. That being said, all of these mattresses have pretty strong performance.

The table below shows how sex performance varies between Casper and Helix mattresses.

Sex Test	Sex Score	Bounce	Edge Support	Noise	Pressure Relief	Cooling
Casper Original	9.8	10	9.6	10	9.0	9.0
Casper Original Hybrid	9.7	9.6	10	10	9.5	9.5
Casper Wave Hybrid	9.9	10	9.9	10	10	9.0
Helix Midnight	9.7	10	9.0	9.0	9.5	9.5
Helix Midnight Elite	9.7	9.5	10	10	10	10
Helix Midnight Luxe	9.4	9.4	9.5	9.0	10	9.5

If good sex is absolutely critical, you can’t beat the Casper Wave Hybrid, which earned a 9.9 out of 10. This mattress has high levels of bounce paired with great edge support as well.

The Helix Midnight Luxe has the poorest sex performance, which is really just a product of lower bounce levels and struggling edge support.

Pressure relief is an important part of how a sleeper engages with a mattress. Comparing Casper and Helix, Casper had a pressure relief average of 9.5 and Helix had a slightly higher average of 9.83.

Pressure Relief Test	Score	Comfort Layer	Support Layer
Casper Original	9.0	3.5″	7.0″
Casper Original Hybrid	9.5	3.5″	7.0″
Casper Wave Hybrid	10	5.0″	7.0″
Helix Midnight	9.5	3.0″	9.0″
Helix Midnight Elite	10	6.0″	10.0″
Helix Midnight Luxe	10	5.0″	9.0″

Again, we do see one outlier, the Casper Original which only has a pressure relief score of 9.0 despite having the same thickness of comfort materials as many other mattresses featured here.

For comparison, the average level of comfort material across all mattresses tested to date is 4.20″.

The Casper Original, Casper Original Hybrid, and Helix Midnight all have less comfort material than average. The Casper Wave Hybrid, Helix Midnight Luxe, and Helix Midnight Elite all have more comfort material than average (also the only ones scoring a 10 out of 10 in this category).

Off-gassing is strong on both Casper and Helix mattresses, but it dissipates significantly faster on the Helix models than it does on Casper.

Off-Gassing Test	Score	Initial Smell	Off-Gassing Period
Casper Original	8.8	Strong	15 days
Casper Original Hybrid	8.8	Strong	15 days
Casper Wave Hybrid	9.1	Strong	11 days
Helix Midnight	9.8	Moderate	2 days
Helix Midnight Elite	9.5	Strong	6 days
Helix Midnight Luxe	9.8	Moderate	3 days

The average off-gassing period is 5 days. All Helix mattresses are done off-gassing between day 2 and 6.

But with Casper mattresses, we’re seeing an off-gassing period that ranges from 11 days up to 15 days.

If you’re sensitive to strong odors, this could be an even bigger win for Helix.

Although Casper and Helix have the same trial and warranty terms for their standard mattresses, Helix offers a longer warranty for the Helix Luxe or Helix Elite models.

Company	Casper (All Mattresses)	Helix (Standard)	Helix Luxe + Elite
Trial Period	100 nights	100 nights	100 nights
Warranty	10 years	10 years	15 years
Shipping	$0	$0	$0
Returns	$0	$0	$0
Country of Origin	USA	USA	USA

The average trial length is 165 nights, which both Casper and Helix fall short of, but 100 nights is still over 3 months to decide. Both brands offer free returns if the mattress ends up not working out.

Regarding the warranty, only 26% of the mattresses we’ve tested (190 tested to date) have lifetime warranties. The average of the other 74% is 14 years.

By these metrics, the Helix Luxe and Helix Elite collections have a warranty that is 1 year longer than average. The Casper warranty is 4 years shorter than average (if we exclude the lifetime warranties from the data.)

Looking at all available mattresses, Casper ranges in firmness from 4.5 to 6.5 out of 10 (if we include ALL available Casper models). Helix’s range is much wider, 3.5 to 8 out of 10.

If you’re specifically looking for a very soft or firm mattress, Helix will likely be the better fit since it has mattresses with that firmness.

For a medium or medium-firm feel, either the Casper or Helix could work.

Check the table below to see the firmness details of each mattress.

Firmness	Rating	Label	Read Review
Casper	6	Medium-Firm	Read Review
Casper Nova Hybrid	4.5	Soft	Read Review
Casper Original	6	Medium-Firm	Read Review
Casper Original Hybrid	6	Medium-Firm	Read Review
Casper Select	6.5	Medium-Firm	Read Review
Casper Snow	5	Medium	Read Review
Casper Wave Hybrid	5.5	Medium	Read Review
Helix Dawn	8	Firm	Read Review
Helix Dusk	6	Medium-Firm	Read Review
Helix Dusk Luxe	6	Medium-Firm	Read Review
Helix Kids	7	Slightly Firm	Read Review
Helix Midnight	6	Medium-Firm	Read Review
Helix Midnight Elite	5.5	Medium	Read Review
Helix Midnight Luxe	6	Medium-Firm	Read Review
Helix Moonlight	3.5	Soft	Read Review
Helix Plus	7	Slightly Firm	Read Review
Helix Sunset	4	Soft	Read Review
Helix Twilight	8	Firm	Read Review

Considering support, both Casper and Helix make supportive mattresses. Casper has all-foam and hybrid options while Helix focuses only on hybrid (foam with a pocketed coil base).

If you’re looking for something softer, the Casper Nova Hybrid (4.5), Helix Moonlight (3.5), or Helix Sunset (4) would be the best options. These mattresses would be a good pick for lightweight sleepers or those who sleep on their side and enjoy a bit more contour.

For a medium to medium-firm feel we have lots of options, including the Casper Snow (5), Casper Wave (5.5), Helix Midnight Luxe (6), and Helix Midnight Elite (5.5), among others (see the table above for full list).

For a firmer feel than the rest of the field, check out the Helix Twilight, which has the firmest feel, an 8 out of 10. This mattress would be a good pick for moderate to heavy-weight sleepers who prefer to sleep on their back or stomach.

Not sure which firmness is right for you?

Use the table below to better determine the firmness range that may be best suited for you, based on your personal weight and preferred sleeping position.

Design

Casper makes all-foam or hybrid mattresses and Helix specializes in hybrid mattresses only. Use the table below to check out different options and their thickness.

Design	Type	Thcikness
Casper Original	Foam	10.5″
Casper Original Hybrid	Hybrid	10.5″
Casper Wave Hybrid	Hybrid	12″
Helix Midnight	Hybrid	12″
Helix Midnight Elite	Hybrid	14″
Helix Midnight Luxe	Hybrid	16″

Materials

Here is a look inside Casper vs. Helix mattresses.

Casper vs. Helix: Which Should You Buy?

So bottom line, between Casper and Helix, which mattress is right for you? Here is a recap of each mattress score as well as quick-pick recommendations for who may be best suited for each.

Casper Mattresses

Casper Mattresses	Score	Best For	Firmness	Check Price
Casper Original	9.29	None; Opt for The Casper for Lower Price	Medium-Firm (6)	Check Price
Casper Original Hybrid	9.55	Low Profile Hybrid, 10.5″ Thick, Best Value	Medium-Firm (6)	Check Price
Casper Wave Hybrid	9.51	Pressure Relief, Gel Pod Layer, 12″ Thick	Medium (5.5)	Check Price

Helix Mattresses

Helix Mattresses	Score	Best For	Firmness	Check Price
Helix Midnight	9.53	Under $1000, Thin Cover	Medium-Firm (6)	Check Price
Helix Midnight Luxe	9.68	Best Value, Pillow-Top Cover	Medium-Firm (6)	Check Price
Helix Midnight Elite	9.72	16″ Thick, Best Performance	Medium (5.5)	Check Price

Disclosure – Derek Hales has a history with Casper that some may view as relevant to his reviews of Casper products. In 2016, Casper Sleep sued Derek Hales in federal court over his reviews of its products. In 2017, the lawsuit ended with a settlement. See here for more information.