Helix Midnight Elite Review

4/11/2025 Update – Helix has re-designed their entire mattress line, including the Midnight Elite. The new line launched on 4/1 and our tests and photos below are based on the newest Helix Midnight Elite version.

In This Review
Performance Tests | Firmness | Support & Sleeping Positions | Design | Materials | Comparisons | FAQs

At NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.

We test 10 different factors that impact the performance, comfort, and feel of the mattress. We then take the results of those tests and compare them to every mattress we’ve tested to date.

Check out the full performance table below to see how this mattress ranks:

Factor	Helix Midnight Elite	Average
Overall Score	9.24	8.53
Price (Queen)	$2,999	$1,442 (Hybrid only)
Cooling – Score	10	8.6
Sinkage – Depth	2.57″	2.17″
Sinkage – Feel	Deep	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	9.2	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	6.84 m/s²	8.70 m/s²
Response Time – Score	7.6	8.8
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.5 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	1.5 sec.	1.0 sec.
Bounce – Height	6.86″	9.22″
Bounce – Feel	Low	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	9.1	8.6
Edge Support – Sitting	3.75″	4.02″
Edge Support – Lying	Excellent	Good
Sex – Score	7.7	8.3
Pressure Relief – Score	10	8.6
Comfort Layer Thickness	6.5″	4.2″
Mattress Thickness	16″	12.1″
Off-Gassing – Score	8.9	8.2
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	4 days	7 days
Company – Score	9.7	8.6
Trial	100 nights	176 nights
Warranty	Lifetime	39% have lifetime warranties, average of other 61% of mattresses is 13 years

How is Helix Midnight Elite Different?

The Helix Midnight Elite is a 16″ hybrid mattress with an overall performance level that is better than average and a price tag that costs considerably more than average. Looking at the average queen-sized hybrid, the Midnight Elite is $1,557 more than average.

Advantages

Advantages include better cooling performance, lower levels of motion transfer, and better edge support. When seated or lying at or near the edge, this mattress remains supportive.

Neutral Factors

This mattress has deep sinkage and low levels of bounce. Both of these factors are considered neutral factors since depending on personal preferences, the feel can be a positive or a negative attribute.

Disadvantages

The Midnight Elite has a slower material response time and a lower sex score. The low sex score is a result of low bounce since bounce makes up 60% of the sex score. This doesn’t mean that couples won’t enjoy the Elite, but it certainly could be a factor worth considering.

It also has a shorter trial period, only 100 nights, and the high price tag may make this mattress cost-prohibitive for some sleepers.

The Helix Midnight Elite has outstanding cooling. During our tests, I did not feel any notable level of heat retention around my body.

To the contrary, the mattress maintained a cool-to-the-touch feel for the duration of our cooling tests. The materials and design are helping to improve cooling performance in a number of areas.

We have higher-performance foams that don’t retain as much heat and breathe better. In addition, we have a microcoil layer in the core serving as an air gap in addition to a pocketed coil base, helping to bring airflow into the mattress.

Last but not least, we have a high-performance cooling cover that utilizes phase change materials to create a cool-to-the-touch feel.

• 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 (5 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after being lied upon and having no one on it for 5 minutes

Even after lying on the cover for 15 minutes it still maintained a cooler feel. In our objective temperature tests, we measured a max surface level temperature of 89.0° F. This is 0.8° less than the average of 89.8° F, based on all of our tests to date.

After getting off the mattress the temperature declined by 5.6 degrees from minutes 0 to 1, which is 1.0° cooler than the average 0 to 1 minute decline of 4.6°.

Heat Dissipation Over Time

When we consider the combination of objective data, my subjective experiences, and an analysis of the materials, I’m confident in my view that cooling is outstanding.

The Helix Midnight Elite has deep sinkage. During our tests, we measured a pressure point sinkage depth of 2.57″.

This is 0.40″ more sinkage than the average sinkage depth of 2.17″, based on all of our tests to date. Despite the deeper sinkage, the mattress creates a balanced and even feel.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

The memory foam layers in the mattress are really the star of that show. Those foams would create a more dramatic, exacting hug around the body.

However, the quilted cover and other poly foam comfort layers help to balance out the overall feel. The mattress is able to deliver outstanding pressure relief and comfort, create hug and contour for the body, and do it all without feeling overly enveloping or creating any type of a “stuck” feel.

Overall, I’m really pleased with the comfort and sinkage dynamic on the mattress.

The Helix Midnight Elite has a very low level of motion transfer. During our tests, we measured a total acceleration range of 6.84 m/s². This is 21% less motion transfer than the average of 8.71 m/s².

The newly formulated Helix memory foam layers are the primary reason for the lower motion. Those foam are incredibly dense at a PCF of 4.0 (top 2.0” memory foam) and 7.0 (1.0” memory foam in the core).

The 7.0 PCF memory foam is without question the most dense foam I’ve ever tested. That denser material reduces bounce, absorbs energy, and disperses motion, resulting in lower motion transfer from side to side.

The level of motion transfer is also documented in the video below.

In our motion transfer chart, which visualizes our accelerometer data, we can see the highest motion peaks from 0 to 0.22 seconds. Motions decline thereafter, but it’s not until 1.30 seconds that we return to near-zero levels of energy.

I was a bit surprised at the longer-than-average motion transfer duration. Even so, I’m not terribly concerned by it.

Ultimately, the low motion intensity ensures that the total motion transfer level is kept to a very reasonable level and I don’t expect motion will be an issue for most sleepers.

The Helix Midnight Elite is a mixed bag for material responsiveness, with a fast mostly recovered response time and a slow fully recovered response time.

In our mostly recovered test, we measured a recovery speed of 0.5 seconds, which is 0.07 seconds slower than the average of 0.43 seconds, based on all of our tests to date.

In our fully recovered responsiveness test, we measured a recovery speed of 1.5 seconds, which is 0.52 seconds slower than the average of 0.98 seconds.

This mattress has a fairly complex design with many types of material, including poly foam, memory foam, microcoils, and pocketed coils.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

The coils, microcoils, and poly foam all rebound back to shape quickly, which allows the mattress to earn a fast mostly recovered response time. However, the memory foam layers are another story.

That memory foam in the core is incredibly dense at 7.0 PCF and when compressed takes quite a while to fully recover. The more dramatically it is compressed the longer it takes to recover to its original shape.

The poly foam, microcoil, and coil layer are all helping to mitigate the slower response from the memory foam, and yet, it’s still a slow responsiveness speed for the full material recovery.

The Helix Midnight Elite has a low level of bounce. During our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 6.86″. This is 2.37″ less bounce than the average of 9.23″, based on all of our tests to date.

As with our motion transfer and response test, the memory foam layers are having the biggest impact on bounce. The memory foam is fairly thick at 3.0” (split across a 2.0” and 1.0” layer) and incredibly dense.

Denser foam materials almost always create lower bounce, as that extra material absorbs more energy. This energy absorption is great for reducing motion transfer, but those same properties also reduce bounce.

The level of bounce is also documented in the video below.

The lower bounce negatively impacts ease of movement and sex performance. Fortunately, the other foams and materials have a reasonably fast material responsiveness, so ease of movement is still fine overall.

All that to say, a lower bounce brings with it pros and cons. Motion is lower, but sex is also negatively impacted.

The Helix Midnight Elite has excellent sitting edge support and excellent lying edge support.

In our sitting edge support test, we measured a sitting sinkage compression of 3.75″. This is 0.27″ less sitting sinkage than the average of 4.02″, based on all of our tests to date.

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

The mattress did a nice job of retaining its shape with no collapse of materials while sitting along the edge. While lying directly on the edge of the mattress, I felt that the support was excellent in all sleeping positions.

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

The Midnight Elite is equipped with two rows of reinforced coils that run along the entire perimeter of the mattress.

These reinforced coils, in combination with the 16.0” total profile height, high-quality materials, super dense 7.0 PCF memory foam, and medium feel create the right conditions to deliver excellent support along the edge of the mattress.

The Helix Midnight Elite has fair sex performance. On the positive side, noise is minimal and we recorded perfect 10/10 scores for both pressure relief and cooling. In addition, edge support was excellent at just 3.75” of sitting edge sinkage.

A more robust edge is preferable for amorous activities as it extends the usable surface area of the mattress.

Lastly, we need to talk about bounce. Bounce is the only weak spot on the mattress, but it’s also a huge weak spot. Bounce is by far the most critical factor for sex performance.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Rating
Bounce	65%	6.8	Low
Edge Support	20%	9.1	Excellent
Noise	5%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	10	Outstanding
Cooling	5%	10	Outstanding

More bounce is almost always better than less. At 6.86” of total bounce height, the Midnight Elite is well below average. That lower bounce makes sex on the mattress more strenuous and tiring, as the mattress just doesn’t work with couples in the same way that a mattress with more bounce is going to.

Ultimately, it’s the denser memory foams that are absorbing so much of the energy and bounce. That memory foam is great for pressure relief, body contouring, motion transfer, and durability, but it’s also fair to say it’s not ideal for sex.

The Helix Midnight Elite has an outstanding level of pressure relief. During our tests, I felt no pressure points anywhere on my body. On the contrary, the Midnight Elite is among the most comfortable pressure-relieving experiences I’ve tested to date.

The mattress is equipped with 6.5″ of comfort material, which is 2.32″ more comfort material than the average comfort layer thickness of 4.18″, based on all of our tests to date.

That extra comfort material is great, but the foam quality is also especially impressive.

The Midnight Elite uses a 2.0” memory foam with a 4.0 PCF and a 1.0” memory foam within the core that has a 7.0 PCF. A 7.0-pound density foam is incredibly dense and the most dense foam I have tested to date.

A density of 1.8 to 3.0 is more typical and even a 4.0 PCF is quite rare. Suffice it to say, foam density at 7.0 is simply unheard of. Denser foam materials are great for pressure relief and comfort, but also for durability.

Denser materials typically last longer, prevent sagging, and reduce body impressions.

In our pressure mapping tests, we measured a max PSI of 0.62, which is well below the high-pressure point benchmark we want to avoid, which is a PSI of 2.0.

Pressure Map – Side Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Side Sleepers	0.12	0.56

Pressure Map – Back Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Back Sleepers	0.07	0.62

Pressure Map – Stomach Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Stomach Sleepers	0.07	0.54

When I consider our objective pressure mapping tests, material thickness, material quality, and my subjective experience on the mattress, I’m confident most sleepers will find the pressure relief to be outstanding.

The Helix Midnight Elite had a strong smell upon the initial unboxing. The mattress smelled for 4 days. This is 2.5 days shorter than the average smell duration of 6.5 days.

Helix mattresses come with a 100-night trial period and a lifetime warranty. Shipping and returns are both free.

Company Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Data
Trial Period	15%	8.0	100 nights
Warranty	10%	10	Lifetime
Shipping	5%	10	$0
Returns	20%	10	$0
Trust	50%	10	Outstanding
Country of Origin	0%		USA

Comparing 98+ brands tested to date, the average trial period is 176 nights, 76 nights more than Helix offers.

The Helix Midnight Elite is available in a single firmness, 5.5 out of 10, with a medium feel.

This firmness is suitable for a wide range of sleepers, but especially those who are looking for something just a touch softer than the standard 6 out of 10, medium-firm feel that is most common among mattress brands.

Support on the Helix Midnight Elite is outstanding. During our tests, I felt fully supported in all sleeping positions.

The mattress is equipped with a 9.5″ support layer. This is 1.59″ thicker than the average support layer thickness of 7.91″, based on all of our tests to date.

In addition, the mattress has a thicker-than-average comfort layer that’s 6.5” thick. For a mattress to create support it needs to keep the body supported, in a neutral alignment while also creating comfort and pressure relief.

The Midnight Elite achieved both of these requirements with ease. I am especially impressed with the material quality of the mattress.

The mattress uses a 2.0” memory foam with a 4.0 PCF and a 1.0” memory foam with a 7.0 PCF. The quilted cover uses 1.5 and 1.8 PCF foams, and we have another 1.8 PCF foam on the base.

Check out the table below to see the sleeper weights and sleeping positions that would be best suited for this mattress.

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

Denser foams help to create better durability and longevity in the mattress as denser foams resist sagging and body impressions.

This mattress has a significantly thicker than average comfort total comfort layer, a significantly thicker than average total profile, and higher density memory foams.

In addition, the mattress uses a high-performance coil unit with zoned support, creating extra support in the middle of the mattress and extra support along the edge of the mattress.

Based on all of my tests to date, an analysis of the materials, and my subjective experiences, I’m confident most sleepers will find support on the Helix Midnight Elite is outstanding.

Design

The Helix Midnight Elite is a 16″ hybrid mattress that comes in a single firmness option—Medium. It has a high-profile design that is a part of Helix’s top-tier collection.

Helix divides its mattress collection into three tiers—Core (Standard), Luxe, and Elite. As you’d expect, higher tiers also have a higher price tag.

The Midnight is the most budget-friendly, the Midnight Luxe is a balance of great performance and still a reasonable price, and the Midnight Elite (this review) is the most expensive and highest-tier model.

The Elite is designed for sleepers who want more high-end materials and maximum performance.

Materials

The Helix Midnight Elite is 16″ thick and contains a combination of foam and coils alike. From top to bottom, here is a full list of the materials used in this mattress:

• 2.5” quilted cover
• 2.0” memory foam
• 1.0” microcoils
• 1.0” memory foam
• 0.5” poly foam
• 8.0” pocketed coils
• 1.0” support foam

The table below shows a more detailed look at the exact specifications of the materials used in the Midnight Elite, according to the manufacturer.

Thickness	Layer Type	Density
1.0″	Pillow Top	1.5 PCF
0.75″	Gel Memory Foam	1.8 PCF
2.0″	Memory Foam	4.0 PCF
0.75″	Microcoils	N/A
1.0″	Memory Foam	7.0 PCF
0.75″	Poly Foam	1.5 PCF
8.0″	Pocketed Coils (Zoned)	N/A
0.75″	Support Foam	1.8 PCF

There are some discrepancies in how Helix measures materials and how materials were measured in the NapLap Studio. According to Helix, the Elite is a 15″ mattress, but our measurements reveal it to be even more robust, a full 16″ of high-quality materials.

The Cover

The cover of the Helix Midnight Elite is made of GlacioTex Elite cooling fabric and has a cool-to-the-touch feel. This fabric comes standard on the Elite, but is a $199 upgrade for the Helix Midnight or Helix Midnight Luxe collection.

The cover has a zipper on half of the mattress to allow you to insert or remove the top grouping of comfort materials.

Helix recommends spot-cleaning the cover as needed. The cover is not machine washable, nor can you remove it entirely from the top of the mattress.

Although the mattress we tested did not have them, the Helix Elite series does have the option to include graphite cooling ribbons (aka: CoolForce), designed to pull heat away from the body, at an additional cost of $199.

For reference, the Midnight Elite mattress we tested comes standard with the GlacioTex cooling cover, but did not have the graphite cooling ribbons, yet it still earned a 10/10 for cooling performance.

The Comfort Layer

Unlike other Helix collections, the Elite collection is the only one which is a removable top comfort layer. The comfort insert is shipped separately from the rest of the mattress and needs to be added prior to sleeping on the mattress.

Simply unzip a portion of the cover, slide the comfort insert in, and zip it back up.

The contents of this comfort layer include two layers of foam and one layer of microcoils, sandwiched in the middle of the foams.

Directly beneath the cover, there is a 2.0” memory foam followed by a 1.0” microcoil layer. Beneath the coils is a 1.0” memory foam, which helps to provide deeper contour and pressure relief.

Helix also offers an optional support layer that you can add, the ErgoAlign support layer. This layer is designed to support spinal alignment, especially along the midsection.

This layer sits directly below the cover and is designed as a supportive foam that helps to reinforce support along the mid-section, thereby allowing less sinkage in the middle of the mattress.

I will say, this layer is quite firm and will not be right for all sleepers. We’ve already heard from some of our readers / viewers who purchased this optional foam upgrade that it made their mattress way too firm, creating an uncomfortable support dynamic.

However, if you really struggle with back pain caused by too much sinkage in the middle of your mattress then adding this layer can help. This optional layer costs an additional $199 and is available in the Core, Luxe, or Elite collections within the Helix lineup.

The Support Layer

The support layer is 9.5″ thick in total. It has a 0.5″ poly foam directly below the comfort layer, which acts as a transitional layer between comfort materials and support materials.

The rest of the support layer is made up of 8.0″ pocketed coils and a 1″ high-density support foam base.

The coils feature a zoned unit + edge support coils. Varying coil gauges help to provide optimal support and comfort, no matter where you are sitting or lying on the mattress.

Product Evolution

The Helix Midnight Elite launched in spring 2023 as a third luxury tier for the Helix lineup. The Elite was developed as a thicker and plusher alternative to the Helix Luxe, the brand’s previously most luxurious model.

The Elite lineup has a 16″ mattress height compared to the 14″ height of the Luxe collection and a 12″ height on the standard Helix mattresses.

We tested the Elite in 2023 and again in 2025. The table below shows how the two mattresses compare and any relevant changes.

Here’s a comparison of the 2023-2024 version compared to the 2025 version.

Check the table below for a side-by-side comparison of the 3 Helix Midnight Luxe versions we’ve tested over the years.

Specs	2022-2024 Version	2025 Version
Overall Score	9.21	9.24
Thickness	16″	16″
Firmness	Medium (5.5)	Medium (5.5)
Cover	GlacioTex Cooling Cover	GlacioTex Cooling Cover
Comfort Layer	1.5” Quilted cover 1.0” Poly Foam 1.0” Pocketed Microcoils 1.5” Poly Foam 1.0” Pocketed Microcoils 1.0” Poly Foam	2.5” Quilted Cover 2.0” Memory Foam 1.0” Microcoils 1.0” Memory Foam
Support Layer	1.0” Support Foam 8.0” Pocketed Coils 1.0” Support Foam	0.5” Poly Foam 8.0” Pocketed Coils 1.0” Support Foam

Other Mattresses to Consider

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Check out some of the top FAQs on the Helix Midnight Elite mattress below and get the answers you’re looking for.