Helix vs. Purple – 17 Mattresses Tested & Compared

Both Purple and Helix have a range of mattress options in varying types. The collections offer varied thicknesses and price points as well. Wondering which mattress is the best pick for you? Let’s find out in this side-by-side comparison of Helix vs. Purple.

Our Testing & Selection Process

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

In This Comparison
Compare the Models | Performance Tests | Firmness | Support

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 Helix vs. Purple.

This first table shows the factor scoring of all current models that we have tested:

Compare Helix 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
Overall Score	8.28	8.50	8.99	8.26	8.58	9.21	9.32	8.45	9.29	8.76	8.73
Cooling	9.0	9.0	9.0	9.0	9.0	10	9.0	8.0	9.0	9.0	9.0
Motion Transfer	5.0	5.9	7.2	7.1	9.0	7.7	10	6.3	9.4	7.5	7.6
Response	9.5	9.3	9.1	6.4	5.7	9.0	9.5	8.1	10	8.9	9.5
Edge Support	8.3	8.1	9.5	8.9	7.8	9.5	8.9	9.1	10	9.2	7.9
Sex	9.3	8.5	8.4	8.4	8.6	8.4	7.7	9.6	8.6	8.3	8.3
Pressure Relief	8.0	9.0	10	8.0	9.0	10	10	9.0	9.0	9.0	9.0
Off-Gassing	9.4	9.4	9.2	9.4	9.4	8.3	9.2	9.4	9.4	8.9	9.4
Company	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5

Compare Purple Scores

Factor	Purple	Purple Flex	Purple Plus	Purple Restore	Purple Restore Plus	Purple Restore Premier
Overall Score	8.99	7.69	8.49	8.31	8.88	8.47
Cooling	10	8.0	9.0	9.0	9.0	9.0
Motion Transfer	10	6.5	7.0	6.0	7.2	6.7
Response	10	10	10	10	10	10
Edge Support	5.1	7.1	7.3	8.9	10	9.9
Sex	8.8	9.1	9.1	9.6	9.9	8.8
Pressure Relief	9.0	6.0	9.0	8.0	9.0	9.0
Off-Gassing	8.9	8.9	6.9	6.1	7.2	2.8
Company	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5	8.5

This second table shows the testing data from each test. In many cases, the difference between scores can be minimal, but this table helps to highlight these differences.

Compare Helix 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
Price (Queen)	$1,099	$1,099	$1,899	$599	$1,099	$2,749	$1,899	$1,099	$1,124	$1,099	$1,099
Cooling	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Outstanding	Excellent	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Sinkage – Depth	2.36″	2.28″	2.14″	1.95″	1.98″	2.64″	2.15″	2.36″	1.50″	3.07″	1.94″
Sinkage – Feel	Deep	Moderate	Moderate	Minimal	Minimal	Very Deep	Moderate	Deep	Very Minimal	Extremely Deep	Minimal
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	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 – Mostly Recovered	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.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	0.4 sec.	0.6 sec.	0.8 sec.	1.5 sec.	1.2 sec.	1.0 sec.	0.4 sec.	0.9 sec.	0.3 sec.	0.6 sec.	0.4 sec.
Bounce – Height	13.64″	10.24″	8.21″	9.21″	10.19″	8.08″	7.47″	17.15″	9.38″	8.57″	9.10″
Bounce – Feel	Very High	High	Moderate	Moderate	High	Moderate	Low	Extremely High	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
Edge Support – Sitting	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	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Outstanding	Excellent	Good
Comfort Layer Thickness	3.0″	3.0″	5.0″	1.8″	3.0″	6.0″	5.0″	3.0″	5.0″	3.0″	4.0″
Mattress Thickness	12.0″	12.0″	14.0″	8.0″	12.0″	16.0″	14.0″	12.0″	13.0″	12.0″	12.0″
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 nights	100 nights	100 nights	100 nights	100 nights	100 nights	100 nights	100 nights	100 nights	100 nights	100 nights
Warranty	10 years	10 years	15 years	10 years	10 years	10 years	15 years	10 years	10 years	10 years	10 years

Compare Purple Data

Factor	Purple	Purple Flex	Purple Plus	Purple Restore	Purple Restore Plus	Purple Restore Premier
Price (Queen)	$1,399	$1,095	$1,595	$2,295	$2,595	$3,495
Cooling	Outstanding	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Sinkage – Depth	2.24″	1.66″	2.03″	1.90″	1.99″	1.82″
Sinkage – Feel	Moderate	Very Minimal	Moderate	Minimal	Minimal	Minimal
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	2.23 m/s²	12.72 m/s²	11.62 m/s²	13.90 m/s²	11.27 m/s²	12.36 m/s²
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.2 sec.	0.2 sec.	0.2 sec.	0.2 sec.	0.2 sec.	0.2 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	0.3 sec.	0.3 sec.	0.3 sec.	0.3 sec.	0.3 sec.	0.3 sec.
Bounce – Height	12.79″	11.29″	11.28″	14.42″	12.20″	9.46″
Bounce – Feel	Very High	High	High	Extremely High	Very High	Moderate
Edge Support – Sitting	7.75″	4.50″	5.00″	4.00″	2.75″	3.25″
Edge Support – Lying	Mediocre	Mediocre	Fair	Excellent	Outstanding	Outstanding
Comfort Layer Thickness	5.5″	2.0″	4.0″	3.0″	5.0″	3.0″
Mattress Thickness	9.5″	8.0″	11.0″	11.0″	13.0″	13.0″
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	4 days	4 days	11 days	14 days	10 days	26 days
Trial	100 nights	100 nights	100 nights	100 nights	100 nights	100 nights
Warranty	10 years	10 years	10 years	10 years	10 years	10 years

Best Mattress For

Before diving into the specific tests, let’s highlight some of the best models for specific needs. The table below marks some honorable mentions for several factors that may be important to you.

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

Factor	Winner	Score
Best Overall	Helix Midnight Luxe	9.32
Best Cooling	Helix Midnight Elite, Purple	10
Most Sinkage	Helix Sunset	3.07″
Least Sinkage	Helix Plus	1.50″
Lowest Motion Transfer	Helix Midnight Luxe, Purple	10
Fastest Response Time	Helix Plus, Purple, Purple Flex, Purple Plus, Purple Restore, Purple Restore Plus, Purple Restore Premier	10
Most Bounce	Helix Moonlight	17.15″
Least Bounce	Helix Midnight Luxe	7.47″
Best Edge Support	Helix Plus, Purple Restore Plus	10
Best for Sex	Purple Restore Plus	9.9
Best Pressure Relief	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	9.4
Best Company	Helix	9.5

We test 10 different factors that impact the comfort and feel of the mattress, as well as assess the company as a whole. 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?

Helix offers a mix of hybrids in varying firmnesses and with varying comfort materials and covers. Most all of their mattresses come in three varieties—Standard, Luxe, and Elite.

For this comparison, we’ll be looking at the:

• Helix Midnight (budget-friendly)
• Helix Midnight Luxe (great value)
• Helix Midnight Elite (luxury pick)

The Midnight collection is a well-rounded mattress that is suitable for a wide range of sleepers in any sleeping position.

Purple manufactures a mix of foam and hybrid options, all of which include their patented Purple gel pad. In this comparison, we’ll be looking at the following models:

1. Purple Original (foam + Purple gel pad)
2. Purple Restore Plus (hybrid + Purple gel pad)
3. Purple Restore Premier (hybrid + Purple gel pad)

The Purple Original is a foam + Purple gel pad mattress and the Restore mattresses are both hybrids.

Lower-scoring mattresses including the Purple Plus, Purple Restore, and Purple Newday were excluded based on their lower overall performance scores.

So with that context in mind, let’s get started.

Both Helix and Purple had identical average cooling performance scores—an average of 9.00 out of 10. Both brands had limited heat retention and great breathability.

Cooling Test	Score	Baseline	Max Temp	Ending Temp
Helix Midnight	9.0	83.6°	90.7°	85.5°
Helix Midnight Elite	10	80.1°	91.3°	84.0°
Helix Midnight Luxe	9.0	83.8°	91.0°	86.6°
Purple	10	79.7°	89.2°	84.0°
Purple Restore Plus	9.0	81.7°	91.7°	84.7°
Purple Restore Premier	9.0	83.0°	91.3°	86.2°

• 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

One mattress from each brand earned a perfect 10 out of 10 score—the Helix Midnight Elite and the Purple Original.

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.

On average, Helix had deeper sinkage than Purple. Helix mattresses had a range of Minimal to Very Deep sinkage, with an average sinkage of 2.25″. Purple sinkage was more restrictive—Minimal to Moderate sinkage, with an average sinkage of 2.03″.

For reference, the average level of sinkage across all mattresses tested to date is 2.18″.

Sinkage Test	Sinkage Feel	Sinkage Depth
Helix Midnight	Minimal	1.98″
Helix Midnight Elite	Very Deep	2.64″
Helix Midnight Luxe	Moderate	2.15″
Purple	Moderate	2.24″
Purple Restore Plus	Minimal	1.99″
Purple Restore Premier	Minimal	1.82″

For the deepest sinkage, opt for the Helix Midnight Elite (2.64″), or for minimal sinkage, the Purple Restore Premier (1.82″) is a great pick.

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

Deeper sinkage can be beneficial for side sleepers or those looking for a bit more contour and dramatic hug.

Motion transfer levels are lower on Helix mattresses compared to Purple mattresses. The average motion transfer level on Helix is 7.16 m/s² and the Purple average is 8.62 m/s².

Across all mattresses we’ve tested to date, the average motion transfer is 8.50 m/s². Anything below 5.00 m/s² could be considered low motion, but that doesn’t mean that a lower number wouldn’t be better.

Motion Transfer Test	Score	Acc. Range
Helix Midnight	9.0	7.25 m/s²
Helix Midnight Elite	7.7	10.21 m/s²
Helix Midnight Luxe	10	4.03 m/s²
Purple	10	2.23 m/s²
Purple Restore Plus	7.2	11.27 m/s²
Purple Restore Premier	6.7	12.36 m/s²

That being said, the Purple Original had the lowest levels of motion transfer among all mattresses in this comparison (2.23 m/s²) with the Helix Midnight Luxe close behind at 4.03 m/s².

The mattress with the highest motion transfer is the Purple Restore Premier at 12.36 m/s².

The level of motion transfer on the Helix vs. Purple mattresses is shown in the videos below.

Regarding response time, Purple mattresses are the only mattresses with perfect 10 out of 10s. The majority of these mattresses are mostly recovered by 0.2 seconds and fully recovered by 0.3 seconds—incredibly fast.

Response Test	Score	Mostly Recovered	Completely Recovered
Helix Midnight	5.7	1.0 seconds	1.2 seconds
Helix Midnight Elite	9.0	0.3 seconds	1.0 seconds
Helix Midnight Luxe	9.5	0.3 seconds	0.4 seconds
Purple	10	0.2 seconds	0.3 seconds
Purple Restore Plus	10	0.2 seconds	0.3 seconds
Purple Restore Premier	10	0.2 seconds	0.3 seconds

The Helix Midnight, Helix Midnight Luxe, and Helix Midnight Elite had response scores below 10, with the Midnight being the worst at a 5.7.

On average, we see a mostly recovered response time of 0.4 seconds and a fully recovered time of 0.8 seconds.

All Purple mattresses in this comparison are significantly better than the average (as well as the Helix Midnight Luxe).

A closer visual of the level of responsiveness for each mattress is documented in the videos below.

Talking through bounce, it’s important to mention that bounce is largely preferential. Some sleepers will enjoy higher levels of bounce while others are looking for more subdued bounce. There is no right or wrong answer here.

Bounce Test	Bounce Feel	Bounce Height
Helix Midnight	High	10.19″
Helix Midnight Elite	Moderate	8.08″
Helix Midnight Luxe	Low	7.47″
Purple	Very High	12.79″
Purple Restore Plus	Very High	12.20″
Purple Restore Premier	Moderate	9.46″

Comparing Helix to Purple, Purple has a wider range of bounce (3.33″) compared to Helix’s range of bounce (2.72″).

The videos below illustrate bounce levels via a ball bouncing on the mattress.

The average level of bounce across all mattresses tested to date is 9.61″.

The Helix Midnight Luxe has the lowest level of bounce at 7.47″ with the Helix Midnight Elite close behind at 8.08″. Both of these mattresses have less bounce than average.

The Purple Restore Premier (9.46″) and Helix Midnight (10.19″) are just slightly more bounce than average.

And the Purple Original (12.79″) and Purple Restore Plus (12.20″) have significantly higher levels of bounce than average.

Between Helix and Purple, Helix had better edge support on average.

Helix’s average edge support sinkage was 4.0″, while Purple’s average sinkage came in at 5.17″. This is compared to the average edge support sinkage on all mattresses we’ve tested to date, which is 4.10″.

When it comes to edge support, being average isn’t where you want to be. 4.0″ or less is what I would call great edge support. Much worse than that and it starts to feel less than great when it comes to both support and comfort.

Check out the table below for a full rundown of edge support on the complete collection:

Edge Support Test	Score	Sitting Sinkage	Lying Support
Helix Midnight	7.8	5.00″	Good
Helix Midnight Elite	9.5	3.00″	Excellent
Helix Midnight Luxe	8.9	4.00″	Excellent
Purple	5.1	7.75″	Mediocre
Purple Restore Plus	10	2.75″	Outstanding
Purple Restore Premier	9.9	3.25″	Outstanding

The best performers here are the Helix Midnight Elite, Purple Restore Plus and the Purple Restore Premier. All three of these mattresses have less edge sinkage than average.

Check out the images below for a visual of edge support when seated on each mattress.

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.

The table below shows how sex performance varies between these two brands, with Purple outperforming Helix and being the better mattress choice for sex.

Sex Test	Sex Score	Bounce	Edge Support	Noise	Pressure Relief	Cooling
Helix Midnight	8.6	8.9	7.5	8.0	9.0	9.0
Helix Midnight Elite	8.4	7.5	10	10	10	10
Helix Midnight Luxe	7.7	7.1	8.8	8.0	10	9.0
Purple	8.8	10	4.1	10	9.0	10
Purple Restore Plus	9.9	10	10	10	9.0	9.0
Purple Restore Premier	8.8	8.4	9.7	10	9.0	9.0

Helix has a sex average of 8.55 and Purple has an average of 9.21 out of 10.

Helix is not a bad performer, but certain mattresses do lose points for lower bounce levels and lacking edge support.

The only mattress in this comparison to nearly earn a perfect sex score is the Purple Restore Plus with a 9.9 out of 10.

Pressure relief is good on all of these mattresses in this comparison, with consistent scores between 9.0 – 10 out of 10. That being said, the average pressure relief for Helix mattresses is better (9.09) than the average on Purple mattresses (8.33).

Pressure Relief Test	Score	Comfort Layer	Support Layer
Helix Midnight	9.0	3.0″	9.0″
Helix Midnight Elite	10	6.0″	10.0″
Helix Midnight Luxe	10	5.0″	9.0″
Purple	9.0	5.5″	4.0″
Purple Restore Plus	9.0	5.0″	8.0″
Purple Restore Premier	9.0	3.0″	10.0″

When thinking about the overall pressure relief of a mattress, we mainly consider the thickness of the comfort layer compared to the total thickness of the mattress.

Generally, we want to see at least 3.0″ of comfort material and at least 9-10″ of mattress thickness (for adults). Mattresses with a thicker comfort layer (like the Purple Original) can sometimes get away with a thinner total thickness without it significantly negatively affecting pressure relief.

But for fantastic pressure relief, you will usually need to opt for thicker options like the Helix Midnight Luxe or Helix Midnight Elite, both of which scored a perfect 10 out of 10.

The amount of comfort material and total mattress thickness are two of the most important factors when considering pressure relief.

Off-gassing is less strong with the Helix Midnight and Helix Midnight Luxe than it was on the Helix Midnight Elite as well as all Purple mattresses.

Off-Gassing Test	Score	Initial Smell	Smell Duration
Helix Midnight	9.4	Moderate	2 days
Helix Midnight Elite	8.3	Strong	6 days
Helix Midnight Luxe	9.2	Moderate	3 days
Purple	8.9	Strong	4 days
Purple Restore Plus	7.2	Strong	10 days
Purple Restore Premier	2.8	Strong	26 days

All Helix mattresses in this comparison off-gas between 3-6 days. Purple mattresses range from 4-26 days to fully dissipate any odors.

For reference, the average off-gassing period is 5 days. If you’re sensitive to strong odors, this could be an issue for you.

When it comes to company policy, Helix standard mattresses and all Purple mattresses are similar. They both have the same length of trial and a 10-year warranty.

Shipping and returns are both free as well and both brands manufacture mattresses from within the US.

Company	Helix	Purple
Score	9.5	8.5
Trial Period	100 nights	100 nights
Warranty	10 years	10 years
Shipping	$0	$0
Returns	$0	$0
Trust	Outstanding	Good
Country of Origin	USA	USA

If you opt for the Helix Luxe or Helix Elite collection, the warranty extends to 15 years, which can definitely be a benefit for sleepers thinking about the long haul.

For comparison, the average trial period is 165 nights and the average warranty is 14 years (excluding 23% of all mattresses that offer lifetime warranties.)

Both Helix and Purple offer a range of firmnesses. The table below lists the firmness of all tested mattresses from each brand.

The firmness range of Helix spans from 3.5 – 8 out of 10 and Purple has a firmness range of 4 – 7 (out of 10, where 10 is the most firm).

Firmness	Rating	Feel
Helix Dawn	8	Firm
Helix Dusk	6	Medium-Firm
Helix Dusk Luxe	6	Medium-Firm
Helix Kids	7	Slightly Firm
Helix Midnight	6	Medium-Firm
Helix Midnight Elite	5.5	Medium
Helix Midnight Luxe	6	Medium-Firm
Helix Moonlight	3.5	Extra Soft
Helix Plus	7	Slightly Firm
Helix Sunset	4	Soft
Helix Twilight	8	Firm
Purple	5	Medium
Purple Flex	6.5	Medium-Firm
Purple Plus	6	Medium-Firm
Purple Restore	5, 7	Medium, Slightly Firm
Purple Restore Plus	5, 7	Medium, Slightly Firm
Purple Restore Premier	4, 6	Soft, Medium-Firm

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.

Depending on your sleeping position, body weight, and other personal preferences, you may find any of the mattresses above to be best for you.

Check the following sleeper profile charts below. This table would be accurate for any sleeper looking primarily at the 6 main mattresses we’re highlighting in this comparison.

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

People who may not like this firmness include:

• Lightweight side sleepers: If you are a lightweight side sleeper the Purple Original is likely the best option from Purple. The Helix Moonlight or Helix Sunset are also very supportive and comfortable. To a lighter sleeper, the slightly softer feel allows for easier contour that better supports your body on its side.
• Heavy weight back or stomach sleepers: If you are a heavier-weighted back or stomach sleeper the best models are going to be the Purple Restore, Purple Restore Plus, Helix Twilight or Helix Dawn. These have a medium to firm feel, which has the best chance of creating the ideal support dynamic.
• Plus sleepers: Plus-sized sleepers would be best with the Helix Plus.

Design

Both Helix and Purple offer a mix of hybrids, although Purple is the only brand to include the Purple gel pad.

That being said, the Purple gel pad doesn’t always necessarily mean better performance. The average Purple overall score is 9.38, lower than Helix’s average overall score of 9.53.

Here’s a quick overview of the mattresses covered in this comparison:

Design	Type	Mattress Thickness
Helix Midnight	Hybrid	12.0″
Helix Midnight Elite	Hybrid	16.0″
Helix Midnight Luxe	Hybrid	14.0″
Purple	Specialty	9.5″
Purple Restore Plus	Specialty	13.0″
Purple Restore Premier	Specialty	13.0″

Materials

Here is a breakdown of the insides of Helix vs. Purple:

Helix vs. Purple: Which Should You Buy?

So bottom line, between Helix and Purple, which mattress is right for you? Here is a recap of each mattress score as well as our recommendation

Helix Mattresses

Helix Mattresses	Score	Best For	Firmness	Check Price
Helix Midnight	8.58	Budget Pick, 12″ Thickness	Medium-Firm (6)	Check Price
Helix Midnight Elite	9.21	Best overall performance	Medium (5.5)	Check Price
Helix Midnight Luxe	9.32	2nd best performance, best value pick	Medium-Firm (6)	Check Price

Purple Mattresses

Purple Mattresses	Score	Best For	Firmness	Check Price
Purple	8.99	Least Expensive (Good) Purple	Medium (5)	Check Price
Purple Restore Plus	8.88	Best Performance from Purple, Arguably Best Value from Purple	Medium (5), Slightly Firm (7)	Check Price
Purple Restore Premier	8.47	The best soft mattress from Purple	Soft (4), Medium-Firm (6)	Check Price