On this page
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. How that works. Prices are those we recorded when reviewing; check the brand for today’s price.
Some of the key strengths of the Helix mattress include:
- Proprietary algorithm: prior to ordering a Helix mattress, you take a 2-3 minute sleep quiz that collects data about your body type and sleeping preferences. This data is input into a proprietary algorithm that seeks to determine a customized composition for your mattress.
- Hybrid design: the Helix mattress includes support foam, Helix’s dynamic foam, and pocketed micro-coils. Many sleepers find that a hybrid design helps to capture the best benefits of numerous mattress types.
Potential drawbacks for the Helix mattress include:
- Limited track record: the Helix company has not been selling their mattresses for a long enough time period to be able to determine how well they are likely to last over many years of regular use.
- Questions about customized design: while Helix’s algorithm is a unique way to try to match a sleeper and a mattress, there is a great deal of subjectivity on self-identified inputs like firmness preference and pressure points. Because the algorithm is proprietary — and thus obviously not available for public evaluation — it is more difficult to know how effectively it matches customers with the right mattress option.
Helix Mattress Pricing
Helix has one mattress model that is offered in 6 different sizes. Prices for each size are listed below.
| Mattress Size | Standard Price |
|---|---|
| Twin | $600 |
| Twin XL | $700 |
| Full | $850 |
| Queen | $995 |
| King | $1,195 |
| California King | $1,195 |
About the Helix Mattress
Helix Mattress Specifications
The Helix mattress is made up of 4 different layers. The top layer is 2” of Dynamic Foam, which technically is neither memory foam nor latex but which has some features that are like those foam types. The second layer is 2” of individually-wrapped, pocketed microcoils. The third layer is 2” of transition foam, and the bottom layer is 4” of support foam.
Helix states that the minimum density for any foam in the mattress is 1.8 PCF, and the most recent data available indicates that the foam comfort layer has a density of 3 PCF. The ILD of the foam layers ranges from 10-36, and this varies based on the specific mattress composition determined by the company’s proprietary algorithm.
Where It’s Made
The Helix mattress is manufactured in the USA.
Buying Logistics
Sleep Trial / Refunds
The Helix mattress comes with a 100 night sleep trial. During this trial period, you can return the mattress and receive a full refund. If you decide to return the mattress, Helix arranges to have it picked up and donated or recycled.
Purchases made through Amazon may have a different process and terms for returns. Helix’s product pages on Amazon indicate that the sleep trial is still 100 nights, but products sold on Amazon are typically subject to Amazon’s return policy and process. It is important to check with Amazon and/or Helix if you are planning to purchase from Amazon.
Delivery
Helix offers free shipping to all 50 U.S. states. Because mattresses are made-to-order, it usually takes 7-10 business days for a mattress to arrive after it’s ordered.
The mattress is delivered to your doorstep inside sealed plastic packaging that is inside of a delivery box. After you remove the mattress from the packaging, it should decompress and regain its shape within 45 minutes.
Helix does not offer haul-away services for your old mattress.
Warranty
The Helix mattress comes with a 10-year warranty. During this time, the company will replace or repair your mattress if there are any defects in craftsmanship. Transportation and/or shipping costs associated with warranty repair or replacement are potentially covered up to $100. You can find the full warranty terms at helixsleep.com.
Customer Service
Even though Helix is a young company, they have cultivated a good reputation for customer service. This is to be expected given their emphasis on customizing each mattress for the individual sleeper. However, it is still too early to know whether the company will maintain this reputation as their mattresses see more and more years of use. The company does not have a rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Mattress Performance
Performance of the Helix mattress hinges on how their algorithm determines the mattress composition to account for the individual sleeper (or couple) based on four criteria, as described below:
- Feel: this is another way of describing firmness and the comfort level of the mattress.
- Support: this relates to the extent to which a person sinks into the mattress, which affects proper spinal alignment.
- Temperature regulation: this refers to how much heat the mattress retains, which is largely a function of the materials and composition of the mattress.
- Point elasticity: this refers to the ability of a mattress to be proportionally responsive based on the part of the mattress on which pressure is applied. In other words, a mattress with high point elasticity responds only where pressure is applied and not across the mattress.
After taking a short sleep quiz, the company suggests a proposed mattress design with specific characteristics based on these criteria. An example is pictured below.
Customers can make further modifications to further refine the mattress to their preferences, and the final configuration will have a significant affect on the mattress performance.
Support
Because the Helix mattress design can be adjusted to provide more or less support depending on a sleeper’s needs, many people find this to be a very supportive option. However, the algorithm used to make these determinations is not perfect and cannot account for all the factors that affect support and proper spinal alignment.
Durability
One concern with the Helix mattress is that its comfort layer uses foam with a density of 3 PCF, which is below our preferred minimum of 3.5 PCF (the level we used in selecting our Best Memory Foam Mattress). While this does not mean that the mattress will not be durable, lower-density foams do have a greater risk of sagging or becoming indented. If this occurred with the Helix mattress, it would obviously impair the ability of the mattress to maintain its customized level of support and feel.
Firmness
Helix offers a wide range of firmness options depending on the outcome of the algorithm or based on a customer’s stated preference. Before taking the sleep quiz on the Helix site, you may want to familiarize yourself with the typical firmness scale in our Guide to Mattress Firmness.
Motion Transfer
The amount of motion isolation from the Helix mattress is likely to depend on how the customization algorithm sets the level of point elasticity. While the Dynamic Foam used in the Helix mattress should not be expected to have the same extreme motion isolation properties of traditional memory foam, it should provide enough motion isolation to prevent most people from being disturbed during sleep.
Offgassing
Very little smell or offgassing is reported with the Helix mattress. Any smell should dissipate within a few hours or at most a few days.
Sleeping Hot
As with firmness, Helix allows customers to tailor their mattress to increase or decrease its temperature regulation properties. People who are very concerned about sleeping hot can receive a Helix mattress that will have less contouring and less heat retention.
Intimacy
The primary barrier to sexual activity from foam mattresses stems from sinking into the mattress, which can cause people to feel stuck and unable to move in the mattress. Shoppers concerned about this issue would want to customize their mattress to have more firmness and point elasticity.
Mattress Comparison
The table below provides a comparison of some mattresses with similarities to the Helix mattress in terms of construction and feel.
| Brand | Mattress Type | Support Layer | Comfort Layer | Price (Queen) | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helix | Hybrid | Foam + Coils | Specialty Foam | $995 | Online |
| Casper | Foam | Foam | Memory Foam + Poly foam | $950 | Online + some retail |
| Leesa | Foam | Foam | Avena Foam | $940 | Online + 1 showroom |
| GhostBed | Latex Hybrid | Foam | Memory Foam + Latex | $795 | Online only |
| Saatva | Innerspring | Hourglass coils | Coils + Foam | $999 | Online only |
| Purple | Foam | Foam | Hyper-Elastic Polymer | $999 | Online only |
