What is the Helix Plus and should you buy it in the Memorial Day mattress sales?

A man sits cross-legged on top of a Helix Plus mattress, in a white bedroom
(Image credit: Helix)

Helix is the brand behind some of our favorite mattresses on the market, and the Helix Plus is no exception. Like all the best mattresses for heavy people, it’s been specially engineered to support a combined weight of up to 1,000 lbs. 

But is the Helix Plus the best mattress for you? Despite having a higher weight capacity, the Plus provides plenty of pressure-relieving support, making it an excellent option for combination sleepers or couples with differing sleep needs. We also love that there's an option to upgrade to a cooling GlacioTex cooling pillow top cover for the ultimate in temperature regulating plushness. 

Right now there’s 25% off the Helix Plus in an early Memorial Day mattress sale. This means that you can buy a queen size Helix Plus mattress for just $1,099 at Helix, which translates to a healthy saving of $366.30. Plus, Helix will throw in two free pillows worth $150. So, should the Helix Plus mattress be on your Memorial Day shopping list? Let’s find out.

Helix Plus mattress: Overview

Pros

  • Medium firm feel suits most sleepers 
  • Competitively priced 
  • Option to upgrade to cooling cover

Cons

  • Could be more supportive for heavier bodies 

Helix’s USP is that they make beds for every body’ — and the Helix Plus has been designed specifically with plus size people in mind. It’s been specially engineered with reinforced steel coils and foams of varying density to accommodate a combined weight of up to 1,000 lbs — but it isn’t rock hard. The Plus is a medium firm bed with a certain amount of sink in support, which means it’s an excellent option for all sleep positions. 

The Helix Plus is part of the brand’s core range, which describes their entry-level beds. It's 11.5” tall and has four internal layers. It’s a competitively priced mattress compared to other beds with a higher weight capacity. However, you do  have the option to upgrade to the Helix Plus Luxe or the Helix Plus Elite, which offer more supportive layers, including a pillow top. 

The Helix Plus ranks highly in our best mattresses for heavy people, thanks partly to the option to upgrade to a GlacioTex cooling pillow top, and its standing as an excellent allrounder for heavier bodies.  

Helix Plus mattress: Price & trials

  • The Helix Plus is currently 25% off in Memorial Day sale 
  • Comes with a 100 night sleep trial and 10 year warranty
  • Regular Helix Plus sales range between 20% - 25% off with bedding freebies 

Regular Helix mattress sales range between 20% and 25%, with the best savings reserved for major sale events. Right now, in the lead up to the Memorial Day mattress sales, there’s 25% off the Plus. That brings the price of a queen down to $1,099 (was $1,465.30). What’s more, Helix will throw in two free pillows worth $150 with every mattress purchase. 

While this is a great deal, we have previously seen Helix sale events that include 25% off and a free bedding bundle set worth up to $330. This mattress comes with a 100 night sleep trial, 10 year warranty and free and fast shipping. Taking into account regular Helix savings places the Plus between the mid and the upper-mid price category. But let’s take a look at the price breakdown of the Helix Plus mattress at full MSRP:

  • Twin MSRP: $1,069.60
  • Twin XL MSRP: $1,194.60
  • Full MSRP: $1,382.10
  • Queen MSRP: $1,465.30
  • King MSRP: $1,882.10
  • Cal king MSRP: $1,882.10 
Helix Plus mattress:$1,069.60

Helix Plus mattress: From $1,069.60 $802.20 at Helix
The current Helix Plus sale takes 25% off ticket price, plus you'll get two free pillows thrown in too. That takes the price of the queen size down to $1,099 (was $1,465.30). Helix mattress sales generally fluctuate between 20% and 25%, so this is one of the best prices you’ll ever buy this bed for. However, previous sales have also occasionally included entire bedding bundles, so this isn’t quite the best deal we’ve ever seen.  

Helix Plus mattress: Design & materials

  • The Helix Plus is 11.5” tall and made up of 4 layers 
  • Reinforced steel coils specially designed to support plus size sleepers
  • Reinforced full perimeter edge support 

The Helix Plus mattress is 11.5” tall and contains four internal layers. It’s been specially engineered to accommodate a combined weight of up to 1,000 lbs, which is fairly standard for beds that cater to plus size bodies. This extra support is delivered through a durable combination of fully reinforced TitanCore steel coils and 4 lbs of foam with varying degrees of density. 

Best mattress for heavy people: Helix PLUS mattress

(Image credit: Helix)

As well as providing outstanding comfort and support, the individually wrapped steel coils bolster the bed’s edge support, which means you can safely sit on the bed’s edge before standing without it dipping or collapsing beneath you — this is crucial for anyone with mobility issues.

Meanwhile, the Ultra Dense Helix Dynamic Foam prevents plus size sleepers from sinking too deeply into the supportive layers of the mattress, while the Higher Density Helix Responsive foam acts in a similar fashion to responsive latex, helping to provide contouring and pressure relief where it's needed while you sleep.

A breathable cover comes as standard in Helix’s core range, but hot sleepers do have the option of upgrading their bed to a GlacioTex cooling pillow top cover — not only will this effectively regulate temperatures, it will also add a plush sleep surface.

Helix Plus mattress: Comfort & support

  • Medium-firm feel suits a range of sleep positions 
  • Foam layers with varying density hold sleepers on top of the mattress 
  • Option for hot sleeper to upgrade to GlacioTex cooling pillow top cover  

The Helix Plus delivers on both sturdy engineering for plus size bodies, and comfort and support.  Helix rates this bed as 7-7 out of 10 for firmness, which puts it in the medium-firm category. The initial layer of Ultra Dense Helix Dynamic Foam has been designed to relieve pressure from the touch points of the mattress, regardless of your sleep position. This makes it an excellent option for those who shift around during the night or share a bed with someone with differing sleep needs. 

It’s this layer of foam that prevents sleepers from sinking deeply into the mattress, instead holding them on top of the bed. Next up, the layer of Higher Density Helix Responsive Foam provides additional contouring and targeted pressure relief, while cradling the spine in healthy alignment with the rest of the body. 

This support is underpinned by the 8” reinforced TitanCore individually wrapped coils, which give the bed a responsive sleep feel. It’s these steel coils that add to the bed’s overall breathability, helping to keep hot air warmed by body heat circulating. 

Helix Plus mattress: Should you buy it?

You're a heavier weight sleeper: The Helix Plus mattress has been fully reinforced with TitanCore steel coils and dense foams to properly support plus size bodies. 

You're on a budget: The best mattresses for heavy people are specialist beds and often come at a premium price - the Helix Plus is one of the most competitively priced beds within this category. 

You're a combination sleeper: The Helix Plus is a medium firm mattress, which offer comfort and support to a range of sleep styles. That makes it a great option for combination sleepers and couples with differing sleep needs. 

You want a firm bed: The Helix Plus has been engineered to support a combined weight of us to 1,000 lbs - but it's by no means a firm bed. If you're after something, try the Titan Plus (below) instead. 

You like a taller mattress: If you like sitting on the side of the bed before standing, the depth of your mattress is important. The Helix Plus has a depth of 11.5". If you require something deeper, consider upgrading to the Helix Plus Lux - it has a depth of 13.5". 

You aren't big or tall: The Helix Plus has been designed specifically to support plus size bodies. Not you? Then try other bed's in Helix's impressive sleep suite, like the Helix Midnight (for side sleepers), or the Helix Dusk (for back and stomach sleepers).  

The bottom line 

The Helix Plus mattress is an excellent choice for plus size people looking for a bed that caters to all sleep positions. Whether you're a combination sleeper or the person you share you bed with has differing sleep needs, the Helix Plus is an excellent allrounder. Reinforced steel coils and comfort layers with foams of varying density hold you on top of the bed, while allowing a certain amount of sink-in support across touch-points of the bed. It's not quite the cheapest bed within this category, but it's well-priced, well-made and, with 4 out of 5 stars, well-loved by customers.  

Helix Plus mattress: Alternatives

Titan Plus:rom $699 $524.30 at Titan

Titan Plus: From $699 $524.30 at Titan
The Helix Plus might be a competitively priced bed for heavy bodies, but the Titan Plus is cheaper.  Head to Titan and you can pick up a Titan Plus mattress at 25% off MSRP, which means a queen size is available for $936.80 (was $1,249.) This is a decent discount, but we have seen discounts reach 30%. If you aren't in a huge rush, you might be better off waiting to see what next week's Memorial Day mattress sales bring.

WinkBed Plus:from $1,349 $1,049 at Winkbeds

WinkBed Plus: from $1,349 $1,049 at Winkbeds
The WinkBed Plus Mattress is engineered to support individuals who weigh over 250lbs. It features high-density foam, a zoned latex support layer, and reinforced edges. We're happy to report that those rising MSRPs have come back down, which means that once you take into account WinkBed's evergreen $300 off sale, a queen size WinkBed Plus costs $1,699 again.

Nicola Appleton
Sleep Editor

Nicola is the Sleep Editor at Tom’s Guide, where she helps steer the mattress and sleep content published on Tom’s Guide, including our Best Mattress for Back Pain buying guide. With a career in journalism spanning the best part of two decades, Nicola brings experience to the team and the knowledge of what makes a great article, whether that’s a how-to mattress cleaning feature, a deep dive into melatonin gummies, or an in-depth mattress review. As a sleep editor, few better understand how important a decent mattress is to the overall quality of our sleep, and precisely how our sleep impacts our physical and mental health. As well as tackling the vast topic of sleep, Nicola joins the raft of expert mattress specialists at Tom’s Guide, who test and compare a wide range of mattresses in order to guide readers towards the very best options on the market.