Helix Plus Elite Review

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 Plus Elite	Average
Overall Score	9.34	8.55
Price (Queen)	$2,999	$1,826 (Plus-Sized only)
Cooling – Score	10	8.6
Sinkage – Depth	2.64″	2.18″
Sinkage – Feel	Very Deep	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	8.7	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	7.87 m/s²	8.66 m/s²
Response Time – Score	8.6	8.8
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.3 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	1.4 sec.	1.0 sec.
Bounce – Height	6.98″	9.16″
Bounce – Feel	Low	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	10	8.6
Edge Support – Sitting	3.00″	4.00″
Edge Support – Lying	Outstanding	Good
Sex – Score	7.9	8.3
Pressure Relief – Score	10	8.7
Comfort Layer Thickness	6.0″	4.2″
Mattress Thickness	15.5″	12.2″
Off-Gassing – Score	8.3	8.2
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	6 days	7 days
Company – Score	9.7	8.6
Trial	100 nights	172 nights
Warranty	Lifetime	40% have lifetime warranties, average of other 60% of mattresses is 13 years

How is Helix Plus Elite Different?

The Helix Plus Elite is a 15.5″ plus-sized mattress with an overall performance level that is considerably higher than average, but also a price tag that is higher than average as well, nearly 2X the cost of the average mattress. But if you’re looking for a high-quality, high-performance mattress specifically designed for heavier sleepers, this mattress is a fantastic option.

Advantages

The Helix Plus Elite mattress has exceptional cooling performance, less motion transfer than average, and exceptional edge support. When seated at the edge, this mattress only has 3.0″ of sinkage, 1.0″ less than the average sinkage level.

It is 15.5″ thick (3.3″ thicker than average) and has a 6″ comfort layer, 1.9″ thicker than average. This extra material helps the mattress deliver exceptional pressure relief, a 10/10 in our scoring tests.

Neutral Factors

This mattress has very deep sinkage and low levels of bounce. These factors are considered neutral since, depending on what kind of feel you prefer.

Disadvantages

The two biggest disadvantages of the Helix Plus Elite include a lower sex score (thanks to the lower bounce level) as well as the higher price. At $2,999, the Helix Plus Elite is 61% more than the average plus-sized mattress, which may be cost-prohibitive for some sleepers.

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

The mattress is equipped with a cooling cover that Helix calls Glaciotex. This cover creates a notably cool-to-the-touch feel and remains cool for the duration of our cooling tests. In addition, we have high-performance foams that all breathe well.

The pocketed coil unit on the base brings air into the mattress, while the microcoil layer within the comfort layer serves as an air gap, further helping to reduce heat retention. Lastly, our Plus Elite also included the optional cooling ribbons, which Helix calls CoolForce.

• 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

The subjective cooling experience and our objective data on Helix Elite models with and without the cooling ribbons have been similar across our tests.

In my view, these ribbons are likely to have some positive impact on cooling performance, but most of the cooling heavy lifting comes from the cooling cover, design, and material choices within the mattress at large.

In our objective temperature tests, we measured a max surface level temperature of 89.4° F. This is 0.4° less than the average of 89.8° F, based on all of our tests to date.

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 Plus Elite has very deep sinkage. During our tests, we measured a pressure point sinkage depth of 2.64″.

This is 0.46″ more sinkage than the average sinkage depth of 2.18″, based on all of our tests to date. The mattress creates a balanced body contouring hug.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

This mattress is designed for heavier people and, as such, creates tons of support and pushback. At the same time, it also has an incredibly thick and robust comfort layer.

That comfort layer does an amazing job at creating a balanced feel of comfort and pressure relief for heavier and lighter-weighted bodies alike. Often, mattresses designed for heavier people can struggle to create a balance of support vs. comfort.

Those models can be so focused on creating sufficient support that they become overly firm and fail to relieve pressure. This mattress design avoids this issue.

The Plus Elite uses a mix of memory foam, poly foam, microcoils, and coils to create a balance body contouring hug, deeper sinkage, and fantastic pressure relief.

The Helix Plus Elite has a low level of motion transfer. During our tests, we measured a total acceleration range of 7.87 m/s². This is 9% less motion transfer than the average of 8.67 m/s².

The combination of a thick comfort layer, dense memory foam in the core (0.5” of 7.0 PCF memory foam), and a below-average level of bounce helps to reduce motion transfer.

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 0.14 seconds. Immediately after motion declines notably and by 0.65 seconds, we’ve returned to near-zero levels of energy.

I’m pleased with both the motion intensity and motion duration, and I do not expect motion transfer will be an issue for most sleepers.

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

In our mostly recovered test, we measured a recovery speed of 0.3 seconds, which is 0.12 seconds faster than the average of 0.42 seconds, based on all of our tests to date.

In our fully recovered responsiveness test, we measured a recovery speed of 1.4 seconds, which is 0.41 seconds slower than the average of 0.99 seconds.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

The Plus Elite has a mix of different foam and material types that have radically different response speeds. The majority of the material within the mattress is incredibly responsive, including the coils, microcoils, and poly foam layers.

However, we also have a 0.75” memory foam within the quilted cover and a 0.5” memory foam within the core. The 0.5” memory foam within the core is incredibly dense at a 7.0 PCF.

Denser memory foams are fantastic for durability, comfort, and pressure relief. However, that super dense foam is also slower to recover back to its original shape.

Even though it’s a relatively small quantity of total material within the mattress, it still has the effect of substantially slowing down the full material responsiveness of the Plus Elite.

The Helix Plus Elite has a low level of bounce. During our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 6.98″. This is 2.18″ less bounce than the average of 9.16″, based on all of our tests to date.

The same material and design choices that help to reduce motion transfer are also at play, reducing bounce. Specifically, we have a thicker-than-average comfort layer and 1.25” of memory foam, including a 0.5” of super dense 7.0 PCF memory foam.

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

Those memory foam layers in particular greatly absorb and disperse energy, which significantly reduces bounce.

That lower bounce is a major reason why motion transfer is lower. However, the lower bounce also has a negative impact on ease of movement and sex performance.

The Helix Plus Elite has outstanding sitting edge support and outstanding lying edge support.

In our sitting edge support test, we measured a sitting sinkage compression of 3.00″. This is 1.00″ less sitting sinkage than the average of 4.00″, based on all of our tests to date.

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

Lying edge support was equally impressive. While lying directly on the edge of the mattress, I felt that the support was outstanding in all sleeping positions.

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

The Plus Elite utilizes two rows of reinforced coils that run along the entire perimeter of the mattress.

These coils, in combination with the thicker-than-average total profile high, high-density memory foam, and medium-firm feel, are all working together to help improve edge support performance.

The Helix Plus Elite has fair sex performance. The Plus Elite has an unusual mix of performance for amorous activities. Noise is minimal, while pressure relief, cooling, and edge support all earned perfect scores.

With just 3.00” of sitting edge sinkage, the mattress edge is incredibly robust, which helps to extend the usable surface area. That said, where the mattress isn’t so great is bounce.

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

The Plus Elite has 6.98” of bounce, which is well below average and well below the 10” level we hope to see. The limited bounce simply makes the mattress more strenuous and tiring to have sex on.

The Helix Plus Elite has an outstanding level of pressure relief. During our tests, I felt no pressure points on my body. The mattress does a fantastic job at creating ample comfort and pressure relief, while still supporting the body in all positions.

The mattress is equipped with 6.0″ of comfort material, which is 2.34″ more comfort material than the average comfort layer thickness of 4.16″, based on all of our tests to date.

In addition to simply having more comfort material, the quality of those comfort materials is also impressive. In particular, we have a 0.5” memory foam within the core of the mattress with a 7.0 PCF.

Denser foams last longer, resist sagging better, and are generally more comfortable. A 3-4 PCF would generally be considered a great quality, high-density foam.

So, to see a 7.0 PCF is incredibly rare and great to see. This ultra-dense memory foam is surrounded by 1.5-1.8 foams quilted within the cover, a 1.5” poly foam layer with a 3.5 PCF, and other 1.5-1.8 PCF poly foams in the mattress.

In our objective pressure mapping tests, we measured a max PSI of 1.08. Max PSI on the back and stomach was considerably lower, and none of the pressure measurements came anywhere close to the high-pressure point of 2.0 PSI.

Pressure Map – Side Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Side Sleepers	0.14	1.08

Pressure Map – Back Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Back Sleepers	0.09	0.64

Pressure Map – Stomach Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Stomach Sleepers	0.08	0.46

When I consider our objective pressure maps, 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 Plus Elite had a strong smell upon the initial unboxing. The mattress smelled for 6 days. This is 0.5 days shorter than the average smell duration of 6.5 days.

Helix has an excellent company score with consumer-friendly terms and conditions. The mattress includes a 100-night trial period and a lifetime warranty. Shipping and returns are both free as well.

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 99+ brands tested to date, the average trial period is 173 nights, 73 nights more than Helix offers. Helix also offers a lifetime warranty, an advantage only offered by 39% of all mattresses we test.

Helix has been around since 2015, and based on my experiences with them and feedback from my readers over the years, they are a brand that I have a high degree of trust with.

All Helix mattresses are made in the US.

The Helix Plus Elite is available in a single firmness, 6.5 out of 10, giving the mattress a medium-firm feel.

This firmness is widely accepted among a wide range of sleepers, accommodating sleepers of all sleeping positions and most body weights.

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

The mattress is equipped with a 9.5″ support layer. This is 1.58″ thicker than the average support layer thickness of 7.92″, based on all of our tests to date.

For a mattress to create the best support, it needs to be capable of fully supporting the body and creating ample pressure relief. The Plus Elite easily accomplishes both of these requirements.

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

The 15.5” total profile height means it has a thicker-than-average comfort layer and a thicker-than-average support layer. Material quality at every level is incredibly impressive.

The ultra-dense 7.0 PCF memory foam and dense 3.5 poly foam primary comfort layers will greatly help to resist body impressions and sagging.

Moving on, the mattress has a medium-firm feel, which makes it a good choice for all sleeping positions. In addition, the mattress utilizes a zoned pocketed coil.

This creates more support in the middle of the mattress, which helps to better support the body, since most of us carry the majority of our weight in the middle.

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

Design

The Helix Plus Elite is a 15.5″ plus-sized mattress that comes in a single firmness option—Medium-Firm. 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 Helix Plus is the most budget-friendly, the Plus Luxe is a balance of great performance and still a reasonable price, and the Plus Elite (this review) is the most expensive and highest-tier model.

Materials

The Helix Plus Elite is 15.5″ thick and contains a combination of foam, microcoils, and a pocketed coil base. It is extremely robust and uses many different layers to produce a truly dynamic feel. From top to bottom, here is a full list of the materials used in this mattress:

• 2.25” quilted cover
• 1.50” poly foam (cooling bands / ribbons is integrated within this layer, aka “CoolForce”)
• 0.75” micro coils
• 0.5” memory foam
• 1.00” poly foam
• 0.75” poly foam
• 8.00 pocketed coils
• 0.75” poly foam

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

Thickness	Layer Type	Density
1.0″	Pillow Top	1.5 PCF
0.75″	Gel Memory Foam	1.8 PCF
1.5″	Poly Foam	3.5 PCF
0.75″	Microcoils	N/A
0.5″	Memory Foam	7.0 PCF
1.0″	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 Plus Elite is a 15″ mattress, but our measurements measured it between 15″ and 16″, depending on exactly where we measured the top of the cover.

We are calling the total profile height 15.5″ thick.

The Cover

The cover of the Helix Plus 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 Plus or Helix Plus Luxe.

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.

The Helix Elite series has the option to include graphite cooling ribbons (aka: CoolForce), designed to pull heat away from the body, at an additional cost of $199.

The mattress we tested in our studio did have these cooling ribbons, as shown in the photo above.

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 comfort layer is 6.0″ thick, if we include the 2.25″ quilted cover. Below the quilted cover is a 1.5″ poly foam (gray), which contains the CoolForce layer, for advanced cooling performance.

Next, is a 0.75″ microcils, which are small coils pocketed in thin fabric, designed for enhanced pressure relief. The 0.5″ memory foam (gray) below the microcils has a very dense feel and helps support sleepers as they engage more deeply with the layers.

The bottom piece of the comfort layer is a 1.0″ poly foam (off-white foam) that closely mimics the feel of a support layer.

The Support Layer

The support layer is 9.5″ thick and made of two poly foam layers and an 8.0″ zoned pocketed coil base. The poly foam placed at the top and bottom of the support layer is 0.75″ thick and designed to sandwich the pocketed coils.

The coils themselves move independently of each other, with targeted zones that place stronger coils in areas where there is more pressure (ie: midsection).

Together, these foams and coils work together for better support, pressure relief, and overall mattress performance.

Product Evolution

The Helix Plus Elite has undergone a series of changes over the years, but NapLab has been around for multiple iterations, continuing to test the newest version of this mattress.

Earlier versions of the Helix Plus Elite had slightly different materials but retained a consistent firmness and similar feel.

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

Check the table below for a side-by-side comparison of the 2 Helix Plus Elite versions we’ve tested over the years.

Specs	2024 Version	2025 Version
Overall Score	9.62	9.34
Thickness	16″	15.5″
Firmness	Medium-Firm (6)	Medium-Firm (6)
Cover	GlacioTex Cooling Cover	GlacioTex Cooling Cover
Comfort Layer	1.0″ Quilted Cover 0.75” Poly Foam 1.0” Micro Coils 0.75” Poly Foam 1.0” Micro Coils 1.5” Poly Foam 1.0” Poly Foam	2.25” Quilted Cover 1.50” Poly Foam 0.75” Micro Coils 0.5” Memory Foam 1.00” Poly Foam 0.75” Poly Foam
Support Layer	8.0” Pocketed Coils 1.0” Support Foam	8.0″ Pocketed Coils 1.0″ Support Foam

The newer 2025 Plus Elite tests have a slightly lower overall performance score, but it is still an extremely score in the top 5% among all mattresses tested to date.

Looking at all testing categories, the 2025 version of the Helix Plus Elite outperformed the 2024 version for better edge support and also has a lifetime warranty (a perk that was added towards the end of 2024).

But it also has slightly higher levels of motion transfer, a slightly slower material response time, and a lower sex score.

Switching from two layers of microcoils down to just one is likely a contributing factor in the lower bounce level. In addition, adding the 7.0 PCF memory foam is also decreasing bounce. And lower bounce negatively impacts the sex score of this mattress.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Frequently Asked Questions

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