Casper Vs. Helix: Head-to head Comparison
TLDR;
Here, we’ll compare Casper and Helix, highlighting each brand’s offerings and features.
Shopping for mattresses isn’t easy, and it’s even more complicated thanks to the many online retailers who ship beds directly to your door. With so many options, it’s tough to narrow down the choices and select the mattress that will give you the best night’s sleep. Fortunately, we have all the information you need to make an informed and sleep-inducing selection.
Read on for more about both brands and their respective collections, or skip to the summary section, if you’re in a hurry.
Here we’ll look at Casper and Helix mattresses, two brands which both have a range of price points, features, and firmness options. Casper has three collections which begin at budget-friendly and trend upward, with all three featuring the same proprietary blend of memory foam. Helix beds have more variety with 11 selections across varying firmness levels and options for partners with different preferences. Read on for all the details on how these two brands compare.
Who Is It For?
We’ll start with Helix because the simple answer to the question “who is it for?” is essentially: everyone. The brand has mattresses from Twin to California King sizes and has firmness levels from plush to extra-firm. They also produce mattresses with different firmness selections per side to accommodate partners who can’t agree. Our team notes that Helix has an answer for every sleep dilemma, albeit at a higher price point than Casper.
Casper’s collections start with the budget-friendly Essential and range up to the Casper and Wave options, which are thicker and feature additional layers of supportive foam. However, the three mattresses are similar in firmness level, meaning low- to medium-firm is your only option with Casper. For that reason, our team feels the Casper is a one-size-fits-all type of choice for people who either don’t know what they need or who aren’t picky about custom features.
The Collections
Between Casper’s three lines and Helix’s range of choices, there’s a lot to look at when it comes to each brand’s collections. In addition to the firmness selection and plushness of Helix, there are also standard and luxe versions which vary in mattress height.For brevity, we’ve included the starting price point for each category of mattress in Helix’s collection.Collection | Sizes | Price |
| Helix Sunset | Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Starts at $600 |
| Helix Sunset Luxe | Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Starts at $995 |
| Helix Midnight | Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Starts at $600 |
| Helix Midnight Luxe | Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Starts at $995 |
| Helix Twilight | Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Starts at $600 |
| Helix Twilight Luxe | Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Starts at $995 |
| Helix Dawn | Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Starts at $600 |
| Helix Dawn Luxe | Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Starts at $995 |
| Specialty: Helix Nightfall | Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Starts at $700 |
| Specialty: Helix Dual Balanced | Queen, King, Cal King | Starts at $1,190 |
| Specialty: Helix Dual Extra | Queen, King, Cal King | Starts at $1,190 |
| Casper Essential | Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Starts at $350 |
| Casper | Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Starts at $595 |
| Casper Wave | Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King | Starts at $1,095 |
Construction of the Mattresses
Casper’s three mattress styles range in height from 8.5 to 11.5 inches and step up from three to four to five layers of memory foam. Primary construction components include open-cell foam, high-density foam layers for support, transitional foam layers for comfort, and a hypersensitive pressure-point reducing layer in the Wave.
In contrast, Helix’s mattresses are hybrid models with both memory foam and individually wrapped coils for support. The company’s proprietary Memory Plus Foam is present in all mattresses, along with Dynamic Foam, which is a reactive component that helps cushion your body as you move.
The two brands are diverse in their construction methods, especially given that Helix produces hybrid mattresses while Casper’s are memory foam only.
Trial Period and Guarantee
Both Casper and Helix offer 100-night sleep trials, after which you can return the mattress for a full refund if you don’t like the bed. With Helix, however, they request that you try the bed for at least 30 days to “break it in.” If you’re uncomfortable with the bed after that period, the company will send you another “layer” to add to the top.
This really impressed our team, as it’s an offer above and beyond what most companies provide. You will either receive a “topper” to make the mattress firmer or more plush, and if you’re still unhappy, they’ll take it all back at and give you a full refund.
Both Casper and Helix provide 10-year warranties on their beds, but Helix also offers an upgraded 15-year warranty on their LUXE collection.
Firmness Level
Casper’s mattresses all range in firmness from low- to medium-firmness, with the basic Essential model being the most bouncy and responsive. The other two models are stiffer and more resistant to both movement and that “sinking” feeling.
With Helix, our team loves that you can select practically any firmness option. Firmness levels start at “Plush Feel” (like a cloud) and range up to “Firm Feel” (with no sink or give). The customization of your mattress means you have the freedom to select what works for you (but be sure to take Helix’s sleep quiz first to find your perfect match).
Comfort
Although it can seem daunting to sort through all of Helix’s collections and feature lists, our team was impressed by how attuned the company is to consumers’ needs. Whether you are a side or back sleeper, sleep alone or with a person or pet, or prefer a different firmness than your bedmate, they have the solution to whatever challenge you can offer up. In the end, Helix’s comfort level appears to outrank Casper’s, as personalization plays a huge part in the mattress buying process.
With Casper, there are three choices for mattress thickness and memory foam features, and if you prefer a firmness that’s low medium, you can’t beat the affordability of their collections. However, Helix really pulls through when it comes to accommodations for sleep styles, firmness preference, and even body size and height.
Overall, our team considers both Casper and Leesa mattresses comfortable, but for those seeking firmer sleep experiences, we do acknowledge these beds may not be the best option.
Smell Effect
Both Casper and Helix mattresses can be expected to have a “new bed” smell, but as no toxic products are used in the construction of either, “off-gassing” is not a concern. Just open a window, and the new bed smell will dissipate soon!
Motion Isolation
Casper’s Casper and Wave mattresses have the least amount of motion transfer, while the Essential mattress has a bit of bounce to it. With Helix, a plusher mattress will likely mean less motion isolation, so the state of the motion transfer is up to your preference on firmness. Beds with more support for side sleeping will also have more “give” than a back-sleeper bed, so this is a consideration too.
The Ordering Process
Ordering a Casper mattress is fairly straightforward: select your mattress collection choice and click on a size. Then add the bed to your cart and check out.
With Helix, we recommend taking the brand’s sleep quiz first to ensure you’re choosing the right fit for your sleep needs. Then, you’ll select a mattress based on firmness, side sleeper or all positions support, and Standard or Luxe construction. There are also custom options such as a dual-sided mattress for partners with different sleep styles, mattresses for plus size sleepers, and more.
Delivery and Packaging
Both Casper and Helix mattresses arrive at your doorstep packaged in compact cardboard boxes. You’ll remove the cardboard and vacuum-sealed plastic to “activate” the bed, then wait a couple hours of for the mattress to plump up
Conclusion
So which is best for me?
When it comes to choosing a mattress, there’s no such thing as a winner – it’s all about choosing the best mattress to suit your sleep needs, comfort preferences and budget. However, there are a few things you can take into consideration when making the right decision for you.
Firstly, take stock of your sleep needs. If you’re a fussy sleeper, with specific preferences, then Helix offers a great variety of options – 11 levels of firmness to choose from. On the other hand, if a low to medium-firm mattress is what you need, then Casper’s collection of three mattress options may have just the right solution for you, and at a more budget-sympathetic cost.
Next, consider the feel of the mattress and the kind of sleep experience you’d like to have. Helix mattresses are of hybrid construction, meaning they combine memory foam and separately wrapped coils to give the various levels of firmness and support. Casper mattresses are made of three to five levels of varying types of memory foam, giving multi-level foam support that may well suit the softness needed for side sleepers.
Lastly, there’s the all-important factor of price. Helix offers a more advanced range that naturally comes at higher price points, while Casper’s range of three mattresses is more oriented to those on a tighter budget. Luckily, when it comes to Casper vs Helix, there is definitely something to suit every sleeper and every budget.
Lee Levy
Lee is an experienced reviewer and passionate about trying new products. She is a side sleeper and always looking to ways to avoid back pains in her sleep. Lee is a mom for two little princesses and a devoted wife, living in Brooklyn, NYC.