Helix Plus Luxe Mattress Review 2024: A Luxury Bed for Plus-Size Sleepers

If you’re on the heavier side, finding a mattress that truly supports your body can feel like an uphill battle. I’ve been there -- my weight over the past few years has taken a toll on my sleep quality and how well beds support me. From my back to my hips, and even my spine, the wrong mattress can leave you aching and rob you of a good night’s rest.

Thankfully, there is a solution: Helix Sleep -- a mattress model made to resolve the issues I, and others like me, suffer from.

8.4

Helix Plus Luxe

27% off sitewide + 2 free pillows with code:

$1,490 at Helix Sleep * Pricing based on Queen model

Like

• Hybrid mattress, ideal for heavier-sized people
• Great for those who prefer a traditional pillow top feel
• Add-on features including a cooling cover and an ergo align layer
• Thicker gauge coils for more durable support

Don't like

• Not the best option for side sleepers
• Not for those who prefer memory foam
• Not for those wanting to save some cheddar

Product details

• Type Hybrid mattress
• Firmness Medium-firm
• Trial 100 nights
• Warranty 15-year limited warranty

Helix Sleep is an online mattress brand that offers beds with varying firmnesses, feels and designs to suit any individual. The Helix Plus mattress line is targeted to help bigger body types fall asleep faster and cozier. Helix recently gave this line the Helix treatment; now offering the Helix Plus in three different models. For this review, I'll be covering the Helix Plus Luxe and why I believe it is one of the best online beds for larger people.

Video: Helix Plus Luxe review

Watch me review the Helix Plus Luxe mattress in this video review.

First impressions of the Helix Plus 

Pushing down on the front of the Helix Plus Luxe.

Dillon Lopez/CNET

This bed ships to you completely free with standard bed-in-a-box shipping, where the mattress arrives at your door in a box. The unboxing process is quick and easy to complete. Once it's out of the box, you may want to give the bed some time to off-gas and fully inflate, but it should be ready to go on night one.

Upon my initial tests, I found this to be a really supportive and comfortable mattress. The pillow top feels like you're laying on a supportive cloud; it almost feels like you are dozing off in the sky without a care in the world. Some people may think of a cloud to be soft but rather I felt buoyant and had no issue of sinking into the mattress. Right away, I knew this mattress was created to withstand a considerable amount of weight.

Helix Plus Luxe mattress firmness and feel

Dillon Lopez/CNET

What does the Helix Plus Luxe feel like?

As stated in my first impressions, this mattress is made with a Tencel pillow top that acts like a cloud. The mounded design feels as if there are rows of clouds that sway you to sleep. You get some cushion from it but since this bed is made to support larger individuals, there is plenty of supportive pushback while you are laying on the bed.

We often refer to this in our testing facility as a traditional pillow top feel. Imagine staying at a nice hotel. This is the kind of comfort the Helix Plus Luxe's feel provides. The bed's cushioning is comfortable enough that it doesn't feel like the bed is enveloping you. I prefer not to feel like I am my bed's midnight snack… slowly being drawn from the top of the bed into a sinking black hole.

Dillon Lopez testing how comfortable the Helix Plus Luxe is for back sleepers.

Dillon Payne/CNET

How firm is the Helix Plus Luxe mattress?

Our team found this mattress to be a medium-firm. All Helix Plus models will have this same exact firmness. Heavier people will find this bed to be more around a medium firmness since their weight will play a factor in how firm the bed will be.

Being a medium-firm, this makes the bed suitable for back and stomach sleepers. Usually, back and stomach sleepers prefer a firmer mattress since it provides more support for their sleeping position. If you are a side sleeper and prefer a firmer mattress, we see this bed being just fine. Since this review is for my fluffy people out there, we see this mattress being accommodating for all sleeping positions if you clock in heavier than a professional running back but lighter than a grizzly bear.

Helix Plus Luxe mattress construction

Since this bed is supposed to easily support the average sumo wrestler (330lbs, I had to look it up), the materials are going to have a little more strength and support over the other Helix models. Here's what's going on inside the bed:

I'm enjoying the feel and firmness of the Helix Plus Luxe.

Dillon Lopez/CNET

1. On the bottom, you've got a thin layer of support foam. This provides the base for everything else to rest.

2. This is the first foundation layer that separates this bed for the big dogs. The layer has 1,000 TitanCore steel coils which are thicker gauge and support more weight than Helix Sleep's typical coils. The coils are laid out in a zoned-support design. They're also reinforced along the whole perimeter of the bed.

3. Next is a transition layer of dense support foam to buffer between the support and comfort layers of the bed.

4. Then you have another layer, which in this case is a similar support foam to the previous layer.

5. Then you have the primary comfort layer to help cradle and contour to the sleeper's body. There is an option of replacing this with an ergo-align layer which would create a more zoned-support design to the comfort layer.

6. Rounding everything out is a quilted Tencel pillow top. There is an option of replacing this with a Helix Sleep's GlacioTex cooling cover. More on this and the ergo-align layer later.

Helix Plus Luxe mattress performance

Motion isolation

The tufted mounds from the pillow top design help with the motion isolation, but we wouldn't consider it to be the best at deadening motion. From our years of testing, we find dense memory foam beds usually perform well in this category. The Leesa Reserve and TempurPedic Pro Breeze models are superior when it comes to motion isolation. As far as we are concerned, we don't foresee anyone waking you up on the Helix Plus Luxe if they toss and turn throughout the night.

Edge-to-edge support

This bed also performs great in terms of supporting you along the edges. Since the edges feature reinforced coils, there's no apparent roll-off sensation when sleeping close to the perimeter of this mattress at night. If your partner tends to hog the bed, you shouldn't have any issues with falling off the Serenade.

Owen tests the edge support of the Helix Plus Luxe.

Jon Gomez/CNET

Temperature regulation

The pillow top is made of breathable Tencel fibers, we would say the temperature on this mattress is neutral. It is not going to cool you down but it certainly won't warm you up while you're sleeping either.

If you are looking for a cooling option, I recommend adding Helix's Glaciotex cooling cover at checkout. This is an add-on feature that will have cooling properties and be cool to the touch, which is something you wouldn't get with the Tencel cover. I personally sleep on the brand's outdated cooling cover and recommend it for any person who runs on the warmer side.

Durability

There is no lack of durability when it comes to the design of the Plus Luxe. The coils used in this mattress are thicker gauge made to withstand more weight than the other Helix mattresses. The foam layers are also made of denser material and are specialized for this type of mattress. These factors will likely allow the mattress to last, especially if you're a heavier person.

Who is the Helix Plus Luxe mattress best for?

If you haven't caught on by now, let me make it clear that this mattress is made for larger individuals. This is who will benefit the most from sleeping on this mattress.

Owen test how comfortable the Helix Plus Luxe is for stomach sleeping.

Dillon Lopez/CNET

Sleeping position

Heavier people will find this accommodating in almost any sleeping position since the Plus Luxe will have a more medium style firmness. If we were deciding for petite or average-sized individuals, this bed would be more suitable for back and stomach sleeping.

Body type

This mattress supports all body types. It is one of three Plus mattresses from Helix, which are made to support the lightest and heaviest body types.

Aly tests the Helix Plus Luxe to see if it is comfortable for petite individuals.

Dillon Lopez/CNET

Helix Plus Luxe mattress pricing

Over two thousand dollars is an expensive price tag for a bed. When you consider the types of sturdier materials put in this mattress, it makes sense this model is more expensive than other Helix Luxe models. Compared to other beds built for bigger figures, I'd say it's also pretty competitively priced.

Trial, shipping and warranty

Helix Sleep offers pretty basic policies when it comes to its 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 not to like it within that time frame, you can return it for free, but a small return fee may be taken from your refund in some states. On the other hand, if you decide to keep it, you're backed by a 15-year limited warranty with the Helix Luxe models. This is an additional 5 years in comparison to the Helix Core models' warranty.

How does Helix Plus Luxe compare to other mattresses? 

Helix Plus Luxe vs. Big Fig

These are two durable hybrid beds that come to mind when people ask me which mattress should a heavier person be sleeping on. The Big Fig mattress is one of the most marketable beds made for bigger figures, hence the name. The bed's support and durability match the Helix Plus Luxe. As for the cover and pillow top, this is where things are a little different. The Big Fig mattress does not have a tufted pillow top like the Plus Luxe, which will make the bed feel slightly firmer when you lay on it. The Big Fig's cover has cooling materials, whereas if you wanted a cooling cover on the Helix Plus Luxe, it would be an additional fee. Overall, the Big Fig mattress is the more affordable option if price is a concern to you.

Helix Plus Luxe vs Titan Plus Luxe

Both of these beds are manufactured in the 3Z Brands factory located in Phoenix, Arizona. The Titan Plus Luxe is the mid-tier mattress in the Titan mattress lineup. Similar materials will be found in the Titan Plus mattresses, like the TitanCore coils. Fewer are found in this bed in comparison to the Helix Plus Luxe. The Titan Plus Luxe also lacks the zoned-support design that is found in the Helix Plus Lux's support coils. The GlacioTex cooling cover is also an add-on for the Titan Plus Luxe, just like the Helix Plus Luxe. The main differentiator between these beds will be the feel. We categorize the Titan Plus Luxe as a responsive memory foam feel. There will be more of a sink-in sensation than what you would feel on the Helix Plus Luxe. So, if you prefer a bed with less support qualities and a memory foam feel, the Titan Plus Luxe is the better option.

The final verdict

I have been on a seven-year search for the best mattress for heavier individuals. The criteria includes looking for a mattress that provides support and comfort where I need it while not sacrificing the durability of the materials within the bed. I've tried a lot of hybrid beds in the past years, but this new Helix Plus Luxe model has impressed me. Helix Sleep has improved on the old design, taking the support it had from the original Helix Plus but then enhancing the mattress with these comfort layers and additional features at checkout.

You might like the Helix Plus Luxe mattress if:

• You want a bed built for heavier individuals
• You want a durable and supportive hybrid mattress
• You want a traditional pillow top feel
• You want a bed that offers an upgradable cooling cover
• You want a bed that offers an upgradable enhanced support layer 

You might not like the Helix Plus Luxe bed if:

• You're looking for a soft mattress
• You prefer the feel of a neutral or memory foam mattress
• You're on a super strict budget

Dillon Lopez/CNET

Helix Plus Luxe mattress FAQs