Helix vs. Nectar Mattress Comparison

Nectar and Helix are bed-in-a-box online mattress companies. Helix is known for its specialized and customizable mattress models, while Nectar has gotten kudos for their 365 day sleep trial and forever warranty.

We’re going to look into how the Helix Midnight, Helix Midnight Luxe, Nectar, and Nectar Premier mattresses compare across construction, feel, special features, and cost. 

To help you decide which is the best mattress for you, we’ve put each Helix and Nectar side by side for the ultimate comparison.

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Helix vs Nectar Overview

 

	Helix	Nectar
Best For	Side sleepers, stomach sleepers, hot sleepers, people wanting lots of options	Back sleepers, side sleepers, combo sleepers, memory foam shoppers, those who want long warranty periods
Price Range	$799 – $2,499	$873 – $2,695
Special Features	Pressure-relieving Memory Plus Foam, breathable Tencel cover, all-natural materials (Birch mattress), gel-infused foams	Quilted memory foam topper, cooling mattress cover, gel-infused memory foam, supportive polyfoam

Key Similarities

• Responsiveness: Both the Helix mattresses and Nectar mattresses do a great job of keeping up with your movements so you can change positions easily.
• Firmness Level: All of the mattresses in this comparison have a medium to medium-firm firmness level that is ideal for the average sleeper.

Key Differences

• Construction: The Nectar and Nectar Premier are both memory foam mattresses, while the Helix Midnight and Midnight Luxe are hybrid mattresses with coil support layers.
• Temperature: The Helix mattresses sleep noticeably cooler than the Nectar mattresses, thanks to breathable coil layers and temperature regulating materials in the mattress cover.
• Warranty: Nectar mattresses are protected against defects as long as you are the original owner of the mattress. They call this their forever warranty. Helix mattress warranties range between 10–15 years. Check out our article on the Nectar Mattress warranty for more information.
• Sleep Trial: Helix gives you 100 nights to test out your new bed, while Nectar gives you a generous 365-day trial period.
• Children’s Mattress: Helix now offers a dual-sided hybrid Kids mattress that grows with your child, while Nectar doesn’t have any mattresses designed specifically for young sleepers.

Helix Midnight vs Nectar Original

Helix Midnight Review Highlights

• Popular Choice: The Helix Midnight is comfy for all sleeping positions and body types. The foam layers provide much needed cushion and pressure relief for side and stomach sleepers, while the coil layers provide the support that back sleepers need.
• Motion Transfer: The Midnight earned almost a perfect 10/10 for motion transfer. Our blindfolded testers could hardly detect another tester getting on and off of the mattress. This is an important feature for couples, especially if one person is a light sleeper who tends to wake up from noises.
• Breathable: We gave the Helix Midnight a high score for breathability and cooling because the mattress cover and coil layer allow warm air to escape, that way your sleep isn’t disrupted by body heat pooling underneath you. 
• Edge Support: Do you like to stretch out on your bed? If so, you’ll be pleased to learn that the Midnight scored high on edge support. During our review process, our testers felt well supported while sitting and lying near the edge of the bed.

Nectar Original Review Highlights

• Pressure Relief: The Nectar Original mattress earned a high score for pressure relief, so it’s a top choice for side sleepers and those with joint pain.
• Motion Transfer: Our motion transfer test involves blindfolds and red wine, but it’s a lot tamer than you may think! Our blindfolded testers could barely notice movement next to them, and a glass of red wine stayed almost perfectly still when we jostled the mattress.
• Edge Support: We gave this mattress a near-perfect score for edge support. If you like to stretch out or sleep near the edge of the bed, you’ll be well supported on the Nectar. 
• Responsiveness: No matter how much you toss and turn at night, the Nectar Original keeps up with you. The unique memory foam layers don’t hold impressions like traditional memory foam, so you never feel stuck in the mattress surface.

Compare Mattress Builds

The Helix Midnight and Nectar Original mattress are quite different in their construction, but they both have a medium feel (about 5/10 on the firmness scale). The Midnight is a hybrid mattress with foam and coil layers, and the Nectar is all-foam. We usually expect hybrid mattresses to be firmer, but the soft memory foam comfort layers on the Midnight give it a slightly softer feel than the Nectar. The Midnight also sleeps cooler, thanks to an extra breathable construction.

Here’s how these mattresses look on the inside.

The Helix Midnight is covered with a breathable knit fabric, and topped with Memory Plus Foam – a medium firm foam that cushions your pressure points. Next, a high grade polyfoam transition layer eases your body weight into the supportive layer of pocket coils. The whole mattress rests atop a base layer of durable high density foam.

The Nectar mattress has a plush quilted memory foam cover that is topped with a cooling polyethylene knit blend. The comfort layer of gel-infused memory foam provides even more pressure relief and equally distributes your weight across the mattress. The base of the mattress is higher density support foam, which prevents sinking and sagging. Plus, the bottom of the mattress is anti-slip.

Compare Price

The Helix Midnight and Nectar Original mattress have fairly comparable price points. Fortunately, both companies offer occasional discounts, as well as financing.*

*Helix financing available on orders $499–$2,400

	Helix Midnight	Nectar Original
Twin	$799	$873
Twin XL	$899	$1,043
Full	$1,049	$1,298
Queen	$1,199	$1,398
King	$1,549	$1,698
California King	$1,549	$1,698
Split King	N/A	$2,086

 

Helix Midnight Luxe vs Nectar Premier

Helix Midnight Luxe Review Highlights

• Responsiveness: The Helix Midnight Luxe earned top marks for responsiveness because the foam and coil layers adjust to your movements so quickly. You’ll never feel stuck in the top layers because they’ll have already adapted to your new sleeping position.
• Temperature Regulating: The Midnight Luxe mattress cover is infused with phase change material that keeps the mattress surface cool-to-touch. Additionally, the breathable coil system creates ample space for warm air to move away from your body.
• Spinal Alignment: This category is important for all sleeping positions. The Luxe earned a high score because our testers had very little arch to their posture while lying in multiple positions on the mattress.
• Pressure Relief: We gave the Helix Midnight Luxe mattress a high score for pressure relief because our pressure map revealed very little stress on our testers’ hips and shoulders.

Nectar Premier Review Highlights

• Cooling: One area Nectar really focused on for its Premier Mattress is cooling. This mattress does a great job of keeping you at an ideal temperature thanks to added features, like phase-change material.
• Pressure Relief: The Nectar Premier Mattress contours well to sleepers weighing less than 230 lbs.
• Motion Isolation: This mattress has excellent motion isolation thanks to its memory foam layers so you can sleep better knowing you won’t be woken up by your partner’s late-night bathroom break.
• Customer Experience: Nectar puts its customers first by offering a generous 365-day sleep trial and lifetime warranty.

Compare Mattress Builds

The Helix Midnight Luxe and Nectar Premier are each luxury offerings from their respective companies. They both incorporate advanced cooling technologies and have medium – medium-firm feels, but the Midnight Luxe is a hybrid mattress, while the Premier is all-foam. The durable coil layer in the Midnight Luxe makes it a better choice for heavyweight sleepers.

The Midnight Luxe has an extra breathable, temperature regulating cover. It’s actually cool-to-the-touch, thanks to phase change material in the fabric. A quilted pillow top and memory foam comfort layers give this mattress its medium feel and pressure-relieving properties, while the base layer of pocket coils improves motion isolation and supportiveness. All of the layers rest on a durable layer of high-density base foam.

In contrast, the Nectar Premier has a medium soft feel. The mattress cover is also made with phase change material, which adjusts to your temperature to give you the ideal sleep experience. Nectar uses temperature regulating tech and gel-infused foam in the comfort layer as well, which takes cooling to the next level.

Compare Price

The Helix Midnight Luxe and Nectar Premier are both considered high-end mattresses, though the Midnight Luxe generally has higher price points. Below are the prices for the Nectar Premier. You pay $123 more for the twin size Nectar Premier, but between $77–$352 less for the larger sizes. Helix offers financing through Klarna and Katapult, and Nectar offers financing through Affirm.

	Helix Midnight Luxe	Nectar Premier
Twin	$1,199	$1,273
Twin XL	$1,449	$1,323
Full	$1,749	$1,698
Queen	$2,049	$1,798
King	$2,499	$2,098
California King	$2,499	$2,098
Split King	N/A	$2,646

 

Helix Plus vs Nectar Premier Copper

Helix Plus Review Highlights

• Pressure Relief: Heavier sleepers tend to have more pressure on those sensitive areas like the hips and shoulder, so they need a mattress that can ease these pressure points. The Helix Plus showed minimal stress on these pressure points during our lab test.
• Spine Alignment: Side sleepers especially should look for a mattress that can offer an aligned spine. This keeps you from waking up with lower back pain. The Helix Plus mattress offered a near perfectly straight spine to our side sleeper.
• Cooling: No matter your size, sleeping hot and waking up sweating sucks. The Helix Plus is made with breathable layers that keep you cool all night.
• Durability: Plus-sized sleepers can struggle with keeping a mattress for its entire lifespan without premature sagging. That’s why the Helix Plus is made from premium materials and comes with a 15-year warranty.

Nectar Premier Copper Review Highlights

• Cooling: Foam beds have a reputation for sleeping hot, but the Nectar Premier Copper was designed to break this stereotype. Thanks to modern cooling technology, you should get plenty of airflow and breathability.
• Motion Transfer: With its high-density memory foam, the Nectar Premier Copper is able to absorb a lot of movement, so partners shouldn’t be disturbed by each other tossing and turning during the night.
• Pressure Relief: The Nectar Premier Copper should provide lots of comfort for sleepers under 230 lbs This is helpful for those experiencing back pain, shoulder pain, and even hip pain.
• Sleep Trial and Warranty: Nectar stands out with its competitive 365-day sleep trial and generous lifetime warranty. This should provide you with plenty of time to make sure this is the bed that suits your needs.

Compare Mattress Builds

The Helix Plus and Nectar Premier Copper couldn’t be more different in their build. The hybrid construction of the Helix Plus makes it best suited for heavy-weight sleepers, while the all-foam Nectar Premier Copper is better for those weighing less than 230 lbs.

The Helix Plus comes at about a 7.5/10 on the firmness scale. It combines several layers of foam with a XL pocket-coil unit to provide both comfort and support. Helix uses naturally cooling latex and a breathable cover to keep sleepers at an ideal temperature at night.

Nectar designed its Premier Copper mattress with coolness in mind. Like their Nectar Premier model, it uses phase-change materials to adjust to your temperature so you can stay cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s cool. The bed also incorporates copper and gel-infused foam for temperature regulation.

Compare Price

The Helix Plus and Nectar Premier Copper have higher prices than average bed-in-box mattresses since they come with special features. Of the two, the Helix Plus is the more affordable option, costing around $300-$800 less than the Nectar Premier Copper.

	Helix Plus	Nectar Premier Copper
Twin	$949	$1,673
Twin XL	$1,049	$1,723
Full	$1,249	$2,098
Queen	$1,749	$2,198
King	$2,199	$2,498
California King	$2,199	$2,498
Split King	N/A	$3,446

Compare Helix vs Nectar Sizes

Helix and Nectar have the same dimensions, except that Nectar offers a split king size.

	Helix	Nectar
Thickness	11” – 14”	12” – 14″
Twin	38” x 75”	38” x 75”
Twin XL	38” x 80”	38” x 80”
Full	54” x 75”	54” x 75”
Queen	60” x 80”	60” x 80”
King	76” x 80”	76” x 80
California King	72” x 84”	72” x 84”

Learn more about mattress sizes.

The Trial Period

Helix offers a 100-night sleep trial, and you must sleep on your mattress for at least 30 days before requesting a return. That way, your body has enough time to “break in” the mattress and adjust to the way the mattress feels. If you want a softer or firmer mattress, Helix will send you a topper free of charge during the trial period.

Nectar gives all of their mattress customers a full year — that’s right, 365 days — to sleep on their new mattress before making a final decision.

The Warranty

The Helix Midnight mattress has a 10-year limited warranty, and the Helix Midnight Luxe has a 15-year limited warranty. Nectar mattresses are all covered by a lifetime warranty, as long as you are the original owner of the mattress and purchased it directly from Nectar or an authorized retailer. 

Verdict: Which Is the Best Mattress Brand For You?

Helix mattresses are more durable, but Nectar mattresses have a lifetime “forever warranty.” Nectar is more affordable, plus you get a year-long trial period. Overall, we favor the Helix Midnight since it performed the best across the most categories, and we were equally impressed with the Midnight Luxe cooling technology.

We would sleep on any of the mattresses in this comparison, but here are our favorites for different kinds of sleepers.

• Best for side sleepers: The Helix Midnight Luxe pillow top and memory foam layers cushion side sleepers’ shoulders and hips. Similarly, the Nectar Premier Copper provides the right amount of pressure relief side sleepers need.
• Best for stomach sleepers: The Helix Midnight has a medium-firm feel that supports the lumbar region and cushions pressure points.
• Best for budget shoppers: The Helix Midnight is the most affordable mattress of the four, with the Nectar Original close behind.
• Best for couples: The Nectar Original mattress scored high for motion isolation and has a medium-firm feel that works for all sleeping positions.
• Best for combo sleepers: Either of the Helix Midnight mattresses will do a great job keeping up with your movements.
• Best for hot sleepers: The Nectar Premier Copper is the coolest mattress in this comparison, thanks to its phase-change materials and use of copper and gel-infused foams. The Helix Plus’s hybrid design also does a good job of promoting airflow.
• Best for back pain: The Nectar Premier is contouring, supportive, and pressure relieving – a perfect combo for those who want to wake up pain-free.
• Best for heavy-weight sleepers: The Helix Plus is specifically created for heavy-weight sleepers that need a little extra support than typical mattresses can provide.