Helix vs. Helix Luxe vs. Helix Elite

Helix has a large and complex mattress lineup. In this guide we compare the standard Helix vs. Helix Luxe vs. Helix Elite in the ultimate side-by-side comparison.

In This Comparison
Performance Tests | Firmness | Support & Sleeping Positions | Design | Materials

This comparison is going to focus primarily on the 3 flagship tiers of the Helix Midnight, which is the Helix Midnight vs. Midnight Luxe vs. Midnight Elite. However, we will reference other Helix models as they are relevant.

While we have not tested every Luxe and Elite model we do expect relative performance to be similar to what we tested on the Midnight Luxe and Midnight Elite.

At NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.

We test 8 different factors that impact the comfort, feel, and value of the mattress. Testing categories include:

Factor	Helix Midnight	Helix Midnight Elite	Helix Midnight Luxe
Cooling	9.5	10	9.5
Motion Transfer	9.4	8.7	10
Response	9.5	10	10
Edge Support	9.0	10	9.5
Sex	9.7	9.7	9.4
Pressure Relief	9.5	10	10
Off-Gassing	9.8	9.5	9.8
Company	9.8	9.8	9.8

The table below shows the data we generated to determine these scores.

Factor	Helix Midnight	Helix Midnight Elite	Helix Midnight Luxe
Overall	9.46	9.81	9.76
Max Temp.	90.7° F	91.3° F	91.0° F
Max Sinkage	1.98″	2.64″	2.15″
Total Motion Transfer	7.25 m/s²	10.21 m/s²	4.03 m/s²
Response Time	1.0 sec.	0.3 sec.	0.3 sec.
Total Bounce	10.19″	8.08″	7.47″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage	5.00″	3.00″	4.00″
Edge Support – Lying Support	Very Good	Excellent	Excellent
Sex Overall	9.7	9.7	9.4
Comfort Material	3.00″	6.00″	5.00″
Off-Gassing – Smell	Moderate	Strong	Moderate
Off-Gassing – Days	2 days	6 days	3 days
Trial	101 days	100 days	101 days
Warranty	25 years	10 years	25 years

Standard vs. Luxe vs. Elite: Which Is the Winner?

The table below shows which of these mattresses is the winner in each scoring category we test for.

Factor	Winner	Value
Best Overall	Helix Midnight Elite	9.81
Best Cooling	Helix Midnight Elite	10
Most Sinkage	Helix Midnight Elite	2.64″
Least Sinkage	Helix Midnight	1.98″
Lowest Motion Transfer	Helix Midnight Luxe	4.03 m/s²
Fastest Response Time	Helix Midnight Elite, Helix Midnight Luxe	0.3 sec
Most Bounce	Helix Midnight	10.19″
Least Bounce	Helix Midnight Luxe	7.47″
Best Edge Support	Helix Midnight Elite	3″ max sinkage
Best for Sex	Helix Midnight, Helix Midnight Elite	9.7
Best Pressure Relief	Helix Midnight Elite, Helix Midnight Luxe	10
Least Off-Gassing	Helix Midnight	Moderate, 2 days

Across the board, the Helix Midnight Elite has the most wins in our testing categories and is the overall winner in this head-to-head matchup.

Motion transfer and off-gassing being the only categories where the Elite did not outperform the others.

Tests that featured the Luxe and Helix Midnight as winners tended to be more preferential factors, like most / least bounce.

The cooling performance on all three collections of Helix mattresses is great. These mattresses do not struggle with heat retention and have excellent breathability when lying on the mattress.

Cooling Test	Score	Baseline	Max Temp	Ending Temp
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

If you’re looking for exceptional cooling performance, the Helix Midnight Elite takes the win here as it has a phase change cover with a cool-to-the-touch feel (Helix calls this cover GlacioTex).

Note: You can upgrade any standard Helix or Helix Luxe mattress to the GlacioTex cooling cover for $199 additional cost.

If you would describe yourself as a “hot” or “warm” sleeper then I think the cooling cover upgrade is well worth the added costs.

Helix Midnight Cooling Test

Helix Midnight Luxe Cooling Test

Helix Midnight Elite Cooling Test

Sinkage levels between these three collections varies greatly, largely due to the differences in the cover and top comfort layers.

Sinkage Test	Sinkage Depth	Max Sinkage
Helix Midnight	Minimal	1.98″
Helix Midnight Elite	Very Deep	2.64″
Helix Midnight Luxe	Moderate	2.15″

The average level of sinkage across all mattresses tested to date is 2.20″, making the standard Helix and Helix Midnight Elite slightly below average, while the Midnight Elite is a good bit above average.

Images below show the level of sinkage for each mattress.

• The Helix Midnight (and all standard Helix mattresses) has the thinnest cover among these three styles which gives it minimal sinkage.
• The Helix Midnight Luxe has a slightly plusher cover and thicker level of comfort material. This allows for a bit more sinkage than we saw on the Helix Midnight—2.15″, but still less sinkage than the average across all mattresses tested to date.
• The Helix Midnight Elite has the deepest sinkage in this comparison, 2.64″ which is the 2nd deepest sinkage among all Helix mattresses. The Helix Sunset is a softer mattress and has 3.07″ of sinkage. This is 0.44″ deeper sinkage than the average mattress.

Remember, this comparison is specifically looking at the Midnight version of the standard, Luxe, and Elite Helix mattresses.

Firmer Helix mattresses will have less sinkage than softer mattresses within the Helix lineup. If you want a firmer mattress with more sinkage, consider the Helix Twilight Elite or the Helix Dawn Elite. For a softer mattress with less sinkage, consider the Helix Moonlight or Helix Sunset.

Motion transfer was lowest on the Helix Luxe mattress, compared to the standard Helix and the Helix Elite.

Motion Transfer Test	Score	Acc. Range
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 Helix Midnight Luxe only generated 4.03 m/s² of motion transfer. The average amount of motion transfer is 7.92 m/s². By this metric, the Helix Midnight has slightly less motion transfer than average and the Helix Midnight Elite has more motion transfer than average.

The Elite had more motion transfer than I wanted to see, but not entirely surprising. So what causes the extra motion?

The answer likely lies within the comfort layer as there are 3 layers of poly foam and 2 layers of microcoils. While the microcoils help with pressure relief and cooling, they don’t do any favors for motion transfer.

The level of motion transfer is documented in the video below. The graphs which follow each video show a quantifiable version of motion transfer based on accelerometer data.

Helix Midnight Motion Transfer

Motion levels on the Helix Midnight peak at 4 m/s² and dip down to -3.5 m/s². Energy continues to transfer across the mattress until nearly 1 full second before being absorbed into the mattress.

Helix Midnight Luxe Motion Transfer

Motion levels on the Midnight Luxe peak at only 2 m/s² and dip down to -2 m/s². This is nearly half the levels that we saw on the Helix Midnight (standard mattress). Energy levels are absorbed by 1.2 seconds.

Helix Midnight Elite Motion Transfer

Motion levels on the Midnight Elite peak around 4 m/s² and dip down to -6 m/s². This is the most motion transfer of all 3 models tested in this comparison.

Although the energy is greater, the Elite did do a better job at absorbing the motion, with levels being fully absorbed by 0.63 seconds, nearly half the time than what we saw on the Luxe and Standard Helix mattresses.

The response time on the Midnight Luxe is the fastest compared to the Elite and standard Helix mattresses.

Response Test	Score	Mostly Recovered	Completely Recovered
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 response time across all mattresses that we’ve tested to date is 0.4 seconds to be mostly recovered and 0.9 seconds to be fully recovered.

Both the Midnight Luxe and Midnight Elite are mostly recovered faster than the average. But for complete recovery, the Midnight Elite takes a full second while the Midnight Luxe is nearly instantaneous.

The standard Helix Midnight mattress is quite a bit slower in this testing category.

Note: This slower response time doesn’t necessarily apply to all Helix standard mattresses and may be exclusive to just the Midnight firmness. The table below shows the response times for other standard Helix mattresses.

Standard Helix Mattress Response Time

Mattress	Feel	Mostly Recovered	Completely Recovered
Helix Sunset	Soft	0.4 sec.	0.6 sec.
Helix Moonlight	Soft	0.5 sec.	0.9 sec.
Helix Dusk	Medium-Firm	0.3 sec.	0.6 sec.
Helix Dawn	Firm	0.3 sec.	0.4 sec.
Helix Twilight	Firm	0.3 sec.	0.4 sec.

You can see these material responses of the Midnight Standard, Luxe, and Elite in real-time in the video below.

Helix Midnight Response Test

Helix Midnight Luxe Response Test

Helix Midnight Elite Response Test

The level of bounce varies greatly between standard, Luxe, and Elite Helix mattresses. Although firmness will certainly impact this, for the most part, you can expect the results as listed below.

Bounce Test	Bounce Height	Bounce Range
Helix Midnight	High	10.19″
Helix Midnight Elite	Moderate	8.08″
Helix Midnight Luxe	Low	7.47″

The average amount of bounce across all mattresses tested to date is 9.62″.

The Helix Standard mattresses has the highest level of bounce among all Helix collections. At 10.19″, the Helix Midnight is more bounce than the average mattress comparing all mattresses tested to date.

The Helix Luxe mattresses has low levels of bounce at 7.47″ on the Midnight Luxe. This is 2.15″ less than average. This mattress has a plusher cover and top layer which contribute to the lower level of bounce.

The Helix Elite mattresses have a moderate level of bounce. These mattresses have a plusher cover, like the Luxe, but they counteract the contour by also having 2 layers of microcoils designed into the comfort layer. This balanced out the contour with coils for a moderate level of bounce.

Bounce levels can also be viewed in real-time via the short video clips below.

Helix Midnight Bounce Test

Helix Midnight Luxe Bounce Test

Helix Midnight Elite Bounce Test

Helix edge support is best on the Helix Midnight Elite with only 3.0″ of sinkage when sitting directly at the edge and excellent lying edge support.

Edge Support Test	Score	Max Sinkage	Lying Support
Helix Midnight	9.0	5.00″	Very Good
Helix Midnight Elite	10	3.00″	Excellent
Helix Midnight Luxe	9.5	4.00″	Excellent

The Midnight Luxe has the 2nd best edge performance with 4.0″ of sinkage when sitting and excellent lying edge support.

The standard Helix Midnight is good, but just not at the same level as the other two collections. When sitting at the edge, we measured 5.0″ of sinkage, which is 2 full inches greater than sinkage on the Elite.

When lying at the edge, support was very good, but again, not at the same level as the Luxe or the Elite. For reference, the average level of sinkage (when sitting right at the edge of the mattress) is 4.29″.

Helix Midnight Edge Support

Helix Midnight Luxe Edge Support

Helix Midnight Elite Edge Support

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.

When comparing standard Helix vs. Helix Luxe vs. Helix Elite, the standard Helix and Helix Elite tie for best for sex.

Sex Test	Sex Score	Bounce	Edge Support	Noise	Pressure Relief	Cooling
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

These two collections of mattresses have higher bounce than the Helix Luxe, which really gives them the advantage in this category.

The Helix Midnight Elite actually outperforms the standard Helix Midnight in all categories except for bounce which, could warrant the title as overall “best for sex” winner. But because the bounce is slightly higher on the standard Midnight, it boosts the score and both mattresses ended up with a 9.7 for sex score.

Pressure relief is best for the Helix Luxe and Helix Elite, compared to the standard Helix mattresses.

Pressure Relief Test	Score	Comfort Layer	Support Layer
Helix Midnight	9.5	3.0″	9.0″
Helix Midnight Elite	10	6.0″	10.0″
Helix Midnight Luxe	10	5.0″	9.0″

The Elite and Luxe have thicker comfort layers by up to 2X compared to the standard Helix. This extra comfort material improves pressure relief as there is more material to contour and support your body as you sink into the materials.

The Midnight Elite has the additional advantage of a 10″ support base compared to the 9″ support on the standard Helix and Luxe.

For comparison, here is the comfort layer on the standard Helix Midnight mattress.

Off-gassing was quickest on the standard Helix Midnight, slightly longer on the Helix Midnight Luxe, and longest on the Helix Midnight Elite. This gradual increase from model to make makes sense, as there is incrementally more foam in the Luxe compared to the standard and more yet in the Elite copmared to the Luxe.

Off-Gassing Test	Score	Initial Smell	Off-Gassing Period
Helix Midnight	9.8	Moderate	2 days
Helix Midnight Elite	9.5	Strong	6 days
Helix Midnight Luxe	9.8	Moderate	3 days

The Elite is shipped in two different boxes and also has a stronger smell right out of the box.

The average off-gassing period is 3.8 days so the Elite is longer than average. Off-gassing on the standard Helix and Luxe Helix was better than average.

All Helix mattresses come with a 100-night trial period and a warranty that ranges from 10-15 years. Shipping is free as well as returns if the mattress ends up not working out.

Company	Helix
Trial Period	100 nights
Warranty	10 years
Shipping	$0
Returns	$0
Country of Origin	USA

The standard Helix mattresses come in at a lower price point and have a 10-year warranty. The Helix Luxe and Helix Elite are costlier options and the extra cost is backed by a 15-year warranty on these collections.

The firmness level of any Helix mattresses varies greatly from model to model. That being said, the Elite collection provides a plush feel that makes the mattress slightly softer than the standard and Luxe versions of the same model mattress (ie. Midnight vs. Midnight Luxe).

In the case of the Midnight, we noted the following firmness levels below.

Firmness	Rating	Label	Read Review
Helix Midnight	6.0	Medium-Firm	Read Review
Helix Midnight Elite	5.5	Medium	Read Review
Helix Midnight Luxe	6.0	Medium-Firm	Read Review

As a reminder, here is the firmness range on other Helix mattresses we have tested.

• Very Soft: The Helix Moonlight, Helix Moonlight Elite, and Helix Sunset Elite all have very soft feels between 3-3.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale.
• Soft: The Helix Sunset and Helix Sunset Luxe are a 4 out of 10 on the firmness scale with a soft feel.
• Medium: The Helix Dusk Elite and Helix Midnight Elite have slightly softer feels than the non-Elite versions (around 5.5 out of 10).
• Medium-Firm: The Helix Dusk, Helix Dusk Luxe, Helix Midnight, and Helix Midnight Luxe all have medium-firm feels of 6 out of 10.
• Slightly Firm: The Dawn Elite and Twilight Elite would be expected to slightly softer feels than the non-Elite versions (around 7.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale).
• Firm: The Helix Dawn, Helix Dawn Luxe, Helix Twilight, and Helix Twilight Luxe are all firm mattress options (8 out of 10).

If you’re not sure which firmness is best for you, check the tables below. To use these tables, find your body weight and preferred sleeping position.

As you can see, not all firmnesses are suitable for all sleepers. It’s important to know your ideal firmness prior to purchasing a new mattress.

SOFT Mattresses

Typically soft mattresses are best suited for lighter weight sleepers and side sleepers. Within the Helix line this includes the standard, Luxe, and Elite versions of the Helix Moonlight and Sunset.

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleeper	Side Sleeper	Back Sleeper
Under 150 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
150-225 lbs.	Maybe	Yes	Maybe
225-300 lbs.	No	Maybe	No

MEDIUM Mattress

Medium and medium-firm mattresses are ideal for a much wider range of sleeping positions and body types. The vast majority of sleepers need a medium to medium-firm feel.

Within the Helix line this includes the standard, Luxe, and Elite versions of the Helix Dusk and Helix Midnight.

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleepers	Side Sleepers	Back Sleepers
Under 150 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
150-250 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
250-300 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes

FIRM Mattress

Firm mattresses are best suited to heavier weighted sleepers and back / stomach sleepers. Within the Helix this includes the standard, Luxe, and Elite versions of the Helix Dawn and Helix Twilight.

In addition, the Helix Plus falls within this range.

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleepers	Side Sleepers	Back Sleepers
Under 150 lbs.	Maybe	No	Maybe
150-250 lbs.	Maybe	No	Maybe
250-300 lbs.	Yes	Maybe	Yes

Design

All of these Helix mattresses are designed as hybrids. As you go up in price tier, the mattresses get thicker and have deeper comfort layers, and overall better performance.

Design	Type	Thickness	Cover
Helix Midnight	Hybrid	12″	Thin (optional: cooling cover for $199)
Helix Midnight Elite	Hybrid	16″	Plush, phase change cooling cover
Helix Midnight Luxe	Hybrid	14″	Plush (optional: cooling cover for $199)

Materials

Each of these mattresses uses a blend of memory foam or poly foam, pocketed coils, and a high-density support foam base.

Here is an inside look for the standard Helix vs. Helix Luxe vs. Helix Elite.

Helix Midnight Standard Materials

The Helix Midnight has a 3″ comfort layer made of 2.0″ memory foam and a 1.0″ transitional poly foam. The support layer is made up of 8.0″ pocketed coils and a 1.0″ support foam base.

Helix Midnight Luxe Materials

The Helix Midnight Luxe has a 5″ comfort layer made of 2.0″ memory foam, 2.0″ gel memory foam, and a 1.0″ transitional poly foam. The support layer is made up of 8.0″ pocketed coils and a 1.0″ support foam base.

Helix Midnight Elite Materials

The Helix Midnight Elite has a 6″ comfort layer, not even including the 1.5″ quilted cover. Comfort layers include a 1.0″ poly foam, 1.0″ microcoils, another 1.5″ poly foam (memory foam feel), 1.0″ pocketed coils, and 1.0″ poly foam (latex foam feel).

The base of the comfort layer is a 1.0″ support foam before transitioning into the support system below. The support layer is made up of 8.0″ pocketed coils and a 1.0″ support foam base.

Note: The top 6 layers of the mattress are actually encased within a separate cover. When the mattress ships, the “comfort layer” arrives separately and you need to insert these materials before the mattress is ready to sleep on. The layer contains 6.5″ of material but compresses down to 6.0″ once encased in the fabric cover.

Which Mattress Should You Buy?

The standard Helix vs. Helix Luxe vs. Helix Elite offers a wide range of performance and price points.

Should You Buy the Standard Helix Mattress?

I would recommend the standard Helix mattress if you’re looking for:

• Thin cover. The standard Helix has a thin cover that is stretchy and breathable.
• Lower price. The standard Helix mattress is the most affordable within this 3-collection comparison.
• Less sinkage. The Helix Midnight mattress has 1.98″ of sinkage, which is less sinkage than average. If you don’t want too much contour, the standard Helix is a solid pick.

Should You Buy the Helix Luxe Mattress?

I would recommend the Helix Luxe if you’re looking for:

• Thicker profile. The Helix Luxe has a 14″ mattress height, 2″ thicker than the Helix standard mattresses.
• Lowest motion transfer. In our tests, the Luxe had the lowest levels of motion transfer, about 50% less than the average level of motion across all mattresses tested to date.
• Best value. The Helix Midnight Luxe had an overall score of 9.76, only 0.05 of a point below the Elite, but is priced $850 less (for a queen). If you don’t need the super thick comfort layer of the Elite, the Helix Luxe is a great alternative.

Should You Buy A Helix Elite Mattress?

I would recommend the Helix Elite if you’re looking for:

• Maximum thickness: The Helix Elite mattress has a 16″ profile height with 7.5″ of that being dedicated to a quilted top cover and comfort layer.
• Exceptional pressure relief: Because of the extra thickness, the Helix Elite is amazing for sleepers suffering from back pain, side / hip pain, among other ailments.
• The best of the best: If you want the best and price is less of a factor, the Helix Elite is the top-scoring Helix mattress we’ve tested to date. It has the most materials and best performance in nearly all testing category (excluding motion transfer).