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Jul 23, 2023

Helix Sunset Elite Mattress review

The Helix Sunset Elite Mattress — part of the brand’s luxurious Elite Collection — is a soft mattress meant primarily for side sleepers. It’s a hybrid bed made with multiple layers of foam and

The Helix Sunset Elite Mattress — part of the brand’s luxurious Elite Collection — is a soft mattress meant primarily for side sleepers. It’s a hybrid bed made with multiple layers of foam and micro-coils on a full-size coil base, along with a pillow top covered in a cooling fabric.

To get a better sense of how this mattress combines all these elements in the service of a better night’s sleep, I slept on the Sunset Elite for a month and found out everything you need to know to decide if it’s for you.

With a hybrid, pillow-top build that combines memory foam, coils and cooling fabric, the Helix Sunset Elite mattress is soft, supportive and one of the most comfortable beds we’ve tested. It’s perfect for side sleepers who need relief for pressure points.

The Helix Sunset Elite mattress has a quilted foam pillow top, followed by five layers of alternating foam and microcoils and a zoned coil base sandwiched between two additional layers of foam.

I usually don’t prefer pillow-top beds, but this mattress changed my mind. I immediately noticed the cushion-y, cloud-like feel when I lay down on the mattress. Unlike fiberfill pillow tops that you immediately sink into or memory foam mattresses that wrap around your body, the Sunset Elite combines elements of both textures in the best way. My body gently sank into the mattress without being completely enveloped, relieving pressure while providing support.

The Sunset Elite really feels more like a traditional mattress, with a little more give, and not a dense piece of foam. I was surprised and impressed that I could stay on my side longer than on other mattresses I’ve slept on without having to turn over because my shoulder hurt. I agree with Helix’s recommendation that this bed is good for side sleepers and would certainly recommend the Sunset Elite for a side sleeper who likes a soft bed.

The top cover of the Sunset Elite is made using Helix’s GlacioTex cooling fabric, designed to carry heat away from your body to regulate body temperature and keep you cool. The fabric feels cool to the touch, and I didn’t notice any heat buildup while I slept, which was especially welcome since some memory foam beds can trap heat. In addition, the breathable design, with a quilted top layer, helps prevent the foam from molding to your body and trapping heat. It’s good for a side sleeper who wants breathability along with the benefits of pressure relief.

Like many of the mattresses we’ve tested, the Helix is CertiPUR-US certified and GreenGuard Gold Certified. These certifications guarantee that a mattress doesn’t emit VOCs and is made without formaldehyde and flame retardants. I noticed no chemical smell when I opened the Sunset Elite; that was a common complaint when memory foam mattresses first entered the market but doesn’t seem to be an issue any longer, as manufacturers clearly seem to have made some improvements in manufacturing.

The Helix Sunset Elite is delivered to your doorstep, but the one big difference between this mattress and other mattresses in a box is that the Helix Sunset Elite ships to you in two boxes, one containing a layer of foam and the other holding the rest of the mattress. This was an issue in my case as I received the foam layer a few days after the base layer, so I couldn’t set the mattress up all at once. (And even compressed, a mattress is a big object to have lying around if you’re in a small space). Inserting the foam layer also requires unzipping the pillow top and maneuvering it into a zippered compartment, and this was a struggle to get in the correct position, especially working in a tight space.

Unfortunately, Helix doesn’t offer in-home setup for those who do not want to or can’t set up the mattress themselves. However, I found this bed easier to set up because it was lighter than others I’ve tested.

The Helix Sunset doesn’t have support around the perimeter of the bed, so it does sink when you sit on it. I didn’t find it to be a problem getting on or off the bed, but it’s also quite thick at 16 inches, which helps when you stand up, since it’s higher off the ground than most beds.

The Sunset Elite is an excellent mattress — one of the most comfortable I’ve slept on so far. Some hybrid beds can feel mostly like foam, enveloping and overly warm, but the Helix perfectly combines the virtues of foam and innerspring mattresses. It has the softness of memory foam without completely molding to my body, along with the firm support of microcoils and traditional coils throughout. While stomach sleepers, back sleepers and those who just like a firm bed will want to look at Helix’s firmer line of mattresses, I would recommend the Sunset Elite to side sleepers and others who prefer a soft bed but have found that other soft mattresses don’t relieve their pressure points well enough.