Why You Can Trust CNET Helix Plus Mattress Review 2024: A Durable Hybrid Bed Gets a Fresh New Look
Helix Sleep recently made some changes to the Plus mattress. It looks a bit different, and now there are two other options to consider. In this review, we’ll cover everything you should know about this ultra-durable hybrid mattress.
- Certified Sleep Science Coach
Helix Plus
Like
- Durable steel coils provide the bed with enhanced support
- Neutral comfort foams above offer nice pressure relief
- Ideal for much heavier body types
- Available with cooling cover upgrades
- Excellent edge support
Don't like
- Not for those on a tight budget
- People under 150 pounds might not need the added support
- Not ideal for fans of memory foam
Product details
- Type Hybrid mattress
- Firmness Medium-firm
- Trial 100 nights
- Warranty 15-year limited warranty
Helix Sleep is one of those online brands that we’ve come to know and love. Every bed from this brand is different and targeted for specific sleeping preferences. The brand’s core lineup consists of quality hybrid mattresses at an affordable price, but as a brand, they don’t stop there.
It also has two other lines of mattresses, the Luxe and Elite beds, and there are six beds to choose from in both of those collections.
Helix Sleep also has the Helix Plus beds, ultra-supportive hybrid options designed to support much heavier people. The brand recently introduced three versions of the Plus to its lineup: a Core, Luxe and Elite model. In this review, I’ll cover everything you need to know about the Helix Plus core model and who it might be most ideal for.
First impressions of the Helix Plus mattress
In the past, we tested a few different iterations of this mattress. The previous model to this one felt like a neutral hybrid bed with lots of support, but it was around a medium firmness on our scale. This new model now looks very similar to the other beds in Helix’s core lineup and also feels much firmer.
Once it arrived at our space in a large box, we unboxed it, which took no time at all, and the process itself was really easy and fun to do. Ripping off a bunch of plastic and cardboard kind of makes you feel like a kid again, tearing into your presents on Christmas morning.
After we let the bed properly inflate and off-gas, it was ready to be tested. Upon feeling the bed, I immediately noticed the cooling pillow top to be cool to the touch and thought it made the bed look and feel more comfortable. When I hopped, I thought the bed was firmer than where we originally had it at around a medium.
Since the bed is designed for heavier people, who sink into beds more and perceive them to be softer, bigger body types could find this bed to be more in line with medium firmness. If you’re an average-sized person, this bed might feel a bit too firm for your liking. The bed does provide an ample amount of support, though. I’d say it stacks up to the likes of other ultra-supportive options like Saatva HD, Big Fig and WinkBed Plus.
Video: Helix Plus mattress review
Watch me review the Helix Plus mattress in this video review.
Helix Plus mattress firmness and feel
What does Helix Plus feel like?
This new core rendition of Helix Plus presents sleepers with more of a neutral hybrid feel. Simply put, it feels like a supportive and durable hybrid bed that’s generally comfortable and accommodating. It doesn’t have much of a sink-in sensation that you’d otherwise get with a memory foam mattress. Instead, it feels like a neutral bed that offers lots of push-back and resistance from its high-density foams and extra-supportive coils.
Beds that have a pillow top feel or neutral hybrid feel are often safe choices. They just provide a general level of comfort that should be able to accommodate almost anyone. Unless you know you want a dense memory foam option or a super responsive latex foam feel; I think the feel of this Helix Plus mattress will work just fine for you.
How firm is the Helix Plus mattress?
I mentioned that the Helix Plus is a bit firmer than a medium nowadays, but how much firmer is it? Well, our team thought it was now right around a proper medium-firm on our scale, so the new model has gotten firmer.
This firmness makes the bed most suitable for back and stomach sleepers. If you’re a side or combination sleeper, you could get by on this mattress, but only if you prefer sleeping on something much firmer. If you’re the type of side sleeper who prefers softer options, this may not be the right mattress for you.
Keep in mind that this bed is not designed for the average-sized person. Much heavier people often sink into beds a bit more than average-sized folks, finding beds to be softer than medium body types. So, if you’re a much heavier individual, this bed might be right around a medium when it comes to firmness.
Helix Plus mattress construction
The Plus is an enhanced hybrid bed that’s constructed with high-quality materials. It’s comprised of the following layers:
1. On the bottom, there’s a layer of base foam. This is a thin, dense foam that acts as a foundation for the rest of the bed’s layers.
2. Then you have the bed’s main support system of TitanCore steel coils, designed to be extra durable and withstand a lot of weight.
3. Next is a transition layer of Ultra-Dense Helix Responsive Foam., which acts as a buffer between the coils and the comfort elements on top.
4. Just beneath the pillow top is a layer of high-density Helix Dynamic Foam. This is a comfort layer designed to be more durable than your average foam.
5. Rounding the mattress out is its Breathe Knit cover, which should help the bed sleep temperature-neutral. You can spend up for the GlacioTex Pillow Top, which helps the bed sleep cooler.
Helix Plus mattress performance
Motion isolation
Compared to other ultra-supportive hybrid options online, we’d say this bed deadens a decent amount of cross-mattress movement. It shouldn’t isolate motion as well as dense memory foam options like Nectar or TEMPUR-Pedic, but I don’t foresee your movements reverberating through the bed, causing your partner to wake up on this mattress or vice versa.
Edge-to-edge support
The TitanCore steel coils in the mattress provide Helix Plus with a solid amount of edge support. There’s no real roll-off sensation if you happen to sleep closer to those edges, and you should feel plenty of support along the bed’s perimeter.
The dense nature of the comfort foams used above the coils also helps to keep you placed firmly along those edges. If your partner is a major bed hog, you can rest easy knowing this bed’s got your back.
Temperature
Like many other beds within the online space, Helix Plus is advertised to sleep on the cooler side. Based on our tests, we found the standard Breathe Knit cover to be temperature-neutral. The GlacioTex Pillow Top will add a cooling factor to the mattress, which should appeal to hot sleepers more.
Sleeping temperature often depends on other factors more than the bed itself. Your room’s overall temperature is the biggest influence in this regard, but it could also come down to the sheets you’re using or the pajamas you’re wearing. A bed can only do so much cooling-wise.
Durability
A quality hybrid bed such as this can last for several years, sometimes even over a decade. We’ve found that coil beds generally last longer than those that have dense support foam. Foam layers can degrade faster over time as you lay on them night after night, whereas coils retain their shape more since they’re made of metal. Since the Helix Plus is an ultra-supportive hybrid mattress. It’ll likely last you several years to come, especially if you’re a heavier person.
Who is the Helix Plus mattress best for?
Although the Plus could work for all body types, it is mainly intended to support folks on the much heavier side, so it might not be right for everyone. Here are the main things to consider about the bed and who it’ll work out best for.
Sleeping position
If you’re a heavy individual well over the 200-pound threshold, you could probably get by on this bed in any sleeping position. Heavier people usually find beds to be softer than the average-sized person since they have more mass to sink in.
If you’re of a medium-sized build, the bed will probably be ideal for back and stomach sleeping. It might provide too much resistance against your shoulders and hips if you’re a side sleeper who’s more petite. I’d say this bed is best for much heavier combination sleepers who tend to rotate around at night.
Body type
As mentioned above, this mattress is designed to support heavier folks, particularly those around 300 pounds and up. If you’re in or around that weight, oftentimes, you need a hybrid bed with an enhanced support system such as this one.
If you’re an average-sized person, this bed is probably overkill for you. You can get by on a regular hybrid mattress that’s more affordable and accommodating for your body type. If you’re on the much smaller side, an all-foam bed will likely support you and your wallet more as well.
Helix Plus mattress pricing
| Size | Measurements (inches) | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Twin | 38x75 inches | $1,061 |
| Twin XL | 38x80 inches | $1,186 |
| Full | 54x75 inches | $1,374 |
| Queen | 60x80 inches | $1,499 |
| King | 76x80 inches | $1,874 |
| Cal King | 72x84 inches | $1,874 |
For a bed of this caliber, I think the Helix Plus is offered at a great price point. After a discount, a queen size should run you around $1,200. Ultra-durable hybrid beds of this quality can easily cost upwards of two grand, so it’s nice to see the Helix Plus at a slightly more affordable value. Helix Sleep also likes to bundle in two free Dream pillows with every mattress purchase. Isn’t it awesome getting free stuff?
Helix Sleep typically runs discounts on its beds year-round as well.
Helix trial, shipping and warranty
As a brand, Helix backs its beds with above-average policies. Its beds ship to you in a box for free, and once it’s in your possession, you get a 100-night trial period to try it at home risk-free. If you happen to not like it within that time frame, you have a return option, but if you decide to keep it, you’re backed by a 15-year limited warranty. Just be sure to use the right foundation for the bed. Otherwise, you could void your bed’s warranty.
The final verdict
If you’re a much heavier person looking for an ultra-supportive hybrid bed, the Helix Plus might be one of your best options for the price. If you don’t mind spending up for a durable coil mattress with a neutral feel that’s slightly softer than a medium-firm, this could be the best bed for you out of Helix Sleep’s extensive lineup.
Also, if you want a mattress with options, like a pillow top upgrade with a cooling cover for hot sleepers, that’s definitely another perk for the Plus.
You might like the Helix Plus mattress if:
- You want a very supportive hybrid mattress
- You’re a heavier back or stomach sleeper
- You like a bed with some optional cooling cover upgrades
- You weigh more than 250 pounds
You might not like the Helix Plus bed if:
- You're looking for an all-foam mattress
- You’re a smaller-sized person who doesn’t need extra support
- You want a soft mattress for strict side sleeping
- You’re on a super strict budget
Other Plus mattresses from Helix Sleep
Besides the nearly two dozen other beds that Helix currently has in its lineup, this redesign of the Helix Plus also came with two other renditions of the bed. You now have a Helix Plus Luxe and a Helix Plus Elite to choose from nowadays.
The Plus Luxe is similar to the other beds in the Luxe line, only with an even more enhanced support system. The coils on this mattress are laid out in a Zoned support format, which helps promote proper spinal alignment as you sleep. The bed also has a pillow top for comfort, which provides lots of cushion and pressure relief on top.
The Plus Elite mattress takes this idea to the next, more luxurious level. Its pillow top features a GlacioTex Cover by default. Its removable comfort insert features a combination of foam and micro coils: there are technically three layers of coils in this one.
How does the Helix Plus compare to other mattresses?
Helix Plus vs. Big Fig
Both of these are more supportive hybrid options with heavier people in mind, but who is right for which bed? When it comes to firmness and feel, there’s a noticeable difference. Big Fig is a truly firm bed, and we’d say it’s quite a bit firmer than Helix Plus. Since it uses some latex foam and memory foam, WinkBed has a bit more of a nuanced feel compared to Helix Plus, which feels pretty neutral overall. Both are plenty responsive and supportive; it just comes down to the firmness and feel you prefer. If you want the more affordable option, though, check out Helix Plus.
Helix Plus vs. WinkBed Plus
Since they’re so similar, these beds are quite difficult to pick apart. Both are right around a medium-firm and have pronounced neutral feels, but I guess the main difference is that the WinkBed Plus comes with a pillow top by default. You will have to spend up for that enhanced comfort option if you decide to go with the Helix Plus mattress. Even with that upgrade, the Helix Plus is still more affordable than WinkBed Plus. Both beds offer plenty of support for much heavier people and are viable options for those over the 300-pound mark.
Helix Plus mattress FAQs
What's the weight limit for the Helix Plus?
According to Helix Sleep's website, this mattress can support two people each weighing 500 pounds, so it can handle up to 1,000 pounds of weight at once.
Is the Helix Plus mattress good for side sleepers?
Given its slightly firmer profile, I wouldn't classify this bed as a good option for side sleepers. Typically, side sleepers prefer sleeping on softer mattresses that provide lots of pressure relief for their shoulders and hips. While this bed might provide some of that, we don't think it's enough to move the needle for those sleeper types. If you're the type of side sleeper who prefers a firmer bed, maybe look into it, but it wouldn't be at the top of my list of recommendations.
What is the Helix Plus made of?
All of the materials used in this bed are Certi-Pur US certified, which means they're made in a nontoxic way. Additionally, all the support and comfort elements in the bed are designed to be more durable than your average hybrid bed. Its TitanCore steel coil system is made up of thicker gauge coils, and the high-density foam used above is made to last under lots of nightly weight over time.