Helix Sunset 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 Sunset Elite	Average
Overall Score	9.08	8.54
Price (Queen)	$2,999	$1,480 (Hybrid only)
Cooling – Score	10	8.6
Sinkage – Depth	2.60″	2.17″
Sinkage – Feel	Very Deep	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	8.9	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	7.39 m/s²	8.68 m/s²
Response Time – Score	7.7	8.8
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.4 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	2.1 sec.	1.0 sec.
Bounce – Height	6.39″	9.19″
Bounce – Feel	Low	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	8.7	8.6
Edge Support – Sitting	4.25″	4.00″
Edge Support – Lying	Excellent	Good
Sex – Score	7.4	8.3
Pressure Relief – Score	10	8.6
Comfort Layer Thickness	6.5″	4.2″
Mattress Thickness	16″	12.1″
Off-Gassing – Score	7.8	8.2
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	8 days	7 days
Company – Score	9.7	8.6
Trial	100 nights	174 nights
Warranty	Lifetime	40% have lifetime warranties, average of other 60% of mattresses is 13 years

How is Helix Sunset Elite Different?

The Helix Sunset Elite is a 16″ hybrid mattress with an overall performance level that is higher than the average level and a price that is also more than average—$2,999 for a queen mattress, over twice the price of the average hybrid ($1,480).

Advantages

Advantages of the Sunset Elite include exceptional cooling performance, low levels of motion transfer, and exceptional pressure relief. This mattress has a comfort layer that is 6.5″ thick, 2.3″ thicker than average.

The overall mattress thickness is also thicker than average, 16″ total thickness compared to the average level of 12.1″ thick.

Neutral Factors

This mattress has very deep sinkage and low levels of bounce. While this is considered a neutral factor you’ll really want to make sure that you love sinkage to find this mattress supportive and comfortable.

Edge support is also a bit of a neutral factor, with performance that is very near-average.

Disadvantages

The Helix Sunset Elite has a slower material response time. In our tests, this mattress responded within the average level to be “mostly recovered”, but took 2.1 seconds for full recovery (1.1 second longer than average).

The sex score also struggles, thanks to the low levels of bounce. Additionally, the Sunset Elite comes with a 100-night trial period, 74 nights shorter than the average trial period.

Lastly, let’s talk about price. At $2,999 for a queen mattress, the Sunset Elite is one of the most expensive soft mattresses we’ve tested to date. If you’re on a tighter budget, I’d highly recommend checking out the Helix Sunset ($1,099) or Helix Sunset Luxe ($1,699) for lower-priced alternatives with a similar, soft feel.

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

The Sunset Elite has multiple design and material choices that are helping to better manage heat. First, we have the Glaciotex cover. This cooling cover creates a cool-to-the-touch feel and maintains much of that cooling feel even after lying in the same position for a while.

• 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

In addition, we have a foundational layer of pocketed coils and a microcoil layer within the comfort layer, both of which are helping to bring airflow into the mattress.

Lastly, the mattress uses high performance, high quality poly and memory foam throughout the comfort layer. These foams seem to do a nice job at resisting heat absorption.

Heat Dissipation Over Time

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

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 Sunset Elite has very deep sinkage. During our tests, we measured a pressure point sinkage depth of 2.60″. This is 0.43″ more sinkage than the average sinkage depth of 2.17″, based on all of our tests to date.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

The mattress creates a dramatic body contouring hug. That hug is created in part due to the sinkage depth, in part due to the softness, and in part due to the higher density memory foams within the mattress.

After you’ve been on the mattress for a few seconds you can really feel those slower responsiveness memory foams within the core of the mattress conforming to the exact shape of your body.

This is neither good nor bad, but it is a specific feel. To be comfortable on this mattress you’ll want to prefer a more significant body contouring hug and also like the feel of memory foam.

The Helix Sunset Elite has a low level of motion transfer. During our tests, we measured a total acceleration range of 7.39 m/s². This is 15% less motion transfer than the average of 8.68 m/s².

This mattress benefits from two key material and design choices. First, the softness of the mattress allows for more sinkage. And second, the mattress uses 3.75” of memory foam throughout the comfort layer.

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

When combined together you have a mattress that’s soft and allows for deeper sinkage into layers of memory foam that don’t return much energy, don’t have much bounce, and do a great job at absorbing motion.

In our motion transfer chart, which visualizes our accelerometer data, we can see the highest motion peaks from 0 to 0.14 seconds. Motion drops off thereafter and by 0.79 seconds we’ve returned to near zero levels of energy.

Overall, I’m pleased with the level of motion. The motion intensity is below average and the motion duration is nothing I’m concerned by. I expect most sleepers will be more than happy with this level of motion transfer.

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

In our mostly recovered test, we measured a recovery speed of 0.4 seconds, which is 0.02 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 2.1 seconds, which is 1.11 seconds slower than the average of 0.99 seconds. This mattress is really a tale of two material types.

We have poly foam, microcoils, and pocketed coils that are all highly responsive and spring back to shape quickly.

However, we also have a substantial 3.75” memory foam layer, including a 1.0” 7.0 PCF (pounds per cubic feet, a measure of density) layer and a 2.0” 2.5 PCF layer.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

These higher density memory foams form more closely to your body’s shape and take longer to reform to their original shapes after they have been compressed.

It’s these higher density memory foam layers in particular that are leading to the considerably slower than average full material responsiveness time.

The slower response, in combination with the deeper sinkage and soft feel, make this mattress harder to move around on and change positions during the night.

The Helix Sunset Elite has a low level of bounce. During our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 6.39″. This is 2.80″ less bounce than the average of 9.19″, based on all of our tests to date.

The lower bounce is a product of the thick 3.75” of memory foam used within the comfort layer of the mattress. In particular, the higher density 7.0 PCF 1.0” memory foam layer and 2.5 PCF 2.0” memory foam are absorbing a ton of energy. PCF stands for pounds per cubic feet. It’s a measure of density and in general, the more dense a foam layer is, the more durable it’s going to be.

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

While this energy absorption is great at reducing motion transfer, it also means there is less bounce returned on the mattress. The lower bounce negatively impacts ease of movement and sex performance.

The Helix Sunset Elite has good sitting edge support and excellent lying edge support.

In our sitting edge support test, we measured a sitting sinkage compression of 4.25″. This is 0.25″ more 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.

While lying directly on the edge of the mattress, I felt that the support was excellent in all sleeping positions. Typically, soft mattresses really struggle with edge support.

The softer feel creates more sinkage and simply affords less pushback to the body, which can weaken support at the edge.

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

When we compare the Sunset Elite to firmer Helix mattresses, we can definitely see in our measurements and our subjective experiences that lying edge support isn’t quite as good.

Even so, compared to the broader market of mattresses, the Sunset Elite still creates excellent edge support.

The total profile height of 15”, high-density foams, and two rows of reinforced edge support coils are all helping to deliver excellent edge support for both lying and sitting.

The Helix Sunset Elite has fair sex performance. On the positive side, noise is minimal and both pressure relief and cooling are outstanding. Edge support is also good, even if it’s not amazing.

We measured 4.25” of sitting edge sinkage, which is slightly more than average, but still robust enough to create adequate support for most couples.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Rating
Bounce	65%	6.5	Low
Edge Support	20%	8.4	Good
Noise	5%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	10	Outstanding
Cooling	5%	10	Outstanding

The one area where the mattress struggles is bounce. At just 6.39” of total bounce height, the Sunset Elite has notably less bounce than average. When it comes to sex, more bounce is almost always better.

The lower bounce, in combination with softer feel and deeper sinkage, means that sex is more strenuous and difficult. As a result, the total sex score is well below average.

The Helix Sunset Elite has an outstanding level of pressure relief. During our tests, I felt no pressure points anywhere on my body. To the contrary, the mattress is exceedingly comfortable to lie on.

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.

Beyond simply having more comfort material than average, the quality of those comfort materials is also impressive.

Most notably, we have a 1.0” memory foam with a density of 7.0 and a 2.0” memory foam with a density of 2.5. This memory foam creates amazing contour, hug, and pressure relief.

In addition, denser foams are more durable compared to less dense foams. That extra density helps resist body impressions and sagging, which means the comfort and pressure relief is better maintained over time.

Beyond these high-density memory foams, the other foam layers have a density of 1.5-1.8. Lastly, we have an 8.0” pocketed coil unit with zoned coils. Zoned coils create more support in the middle of the mattress, creating better spinal alignment and helping to better resist body impressions.

In our objective pressure mapping tests, we measured a max PSI of 0.81. A 2.0 PSI is a high-pressure point, and the Sunset Elite came nowhere near that mark in any of our tests.

Pressure Map – Side Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Side Sleepers	0.11	0.81

Pressure Map – Back Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Back Sleepers	0.08	0.79

Pressure Map – Stomach Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Stomach Sleepers	0.08	0.68

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 Sunset Elite had a strong smell upon the initial unboxing. The mattress smelled for 8 days.

This is 1.5 days longer 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 98+ brands tested to date, the average trial period is 176 nights, 76 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 Sunset Elite is available in a single firmness with a rating of 4 out of 10 on the firmness scale, giving the mattress a soft feel.

A soft feel can provide deeper hug and contour, which is good for sleepers who are looking for a plush feel or concerned with pressure point build-up.

Support on the Helix Sunset Elite is outstanding. During our tests, I felt well supported in all sleeping positions. That said, it’s clear that the mattress is best suited to the needs of side sleepers.

The soft feel and deeper sinkage do a perfect job at creating a neutral spinal alignment and alleviating pressure for side sleepers. To be fair, some back and stomach sleepers will still find the mattress supportive, but you’ll really need to prefer the soft feel and deep sinkage.

Typically, back and stomach sleepers need a medium-firm feel with only moderate sinkage (check out our review of the Helix Midnight Luxe and Midnight Elite if you’re a back / stomach sleepers).

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.

The mattress uses a zoned pocketed coil unit. This coil unit creates more support for the heavier parts of the body, namely the midsection. In addition, we have a thicker than average comfort layer with high performance foams at every level.

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.	Maybe	Yes	Maybe
250-300 lbs.	Maybe	Yes	Maybe

The comfort layer creates ample pressure relief, which allows sleepers to stay in the same position comfortably for an extended duration.

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 Sunset Elite is outstanding.

Design

The Helix Sunset Elite is a 16″ hybrid mattress that comes in a single firmness option—Soft. This mattress is plush and soft, designed mainly for side sleepers or those who are looking for a deeper level of hug.

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 Sunset is the most budget-friendly, the Sunset Luxe is a balance of great performance and still a reasonable price, and the Sunset 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 Sunset Elite is 16″ thick and contains a combination of foam, microcoils, and a pocketed coil base. It has a plush quilted cover, with a soft feel. From top to bottom, here is a full list of the materials used in this mattress:

• 2.50” quilted cover
• 1.00” memory foam
• 1.00” micro coils
• 2.00” copper memory foam 
• 0.75” poly foam
• 8.00” pocketed coils
• 0.75” support foam

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

Thickness	Layer Type	Density
1.0″	Pillow Top	1.5 PCF
0.75″	Gel Memory Foam	1.8 PCF
1.0″	Memory Foam	7.0 PCF
0.75″	Microcoils	N/A
2.0″	Memory Foam	2.5 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″.

The Cover

The Helix Sunset 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 Sunset or Helix Sunset 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.

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

The Support Layer

The support layer is 9.5″ thick in total. It has a 0.75″ 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 0.75″ 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 Sunset 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 mattresses that are 16″ thick, compared to the 14″ height of the Luxe collection, and a 12″ height on the standard Helix mattresses.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Frequently Asked Questions

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