Purple Vs. Helix: Head-to head Comparison
TLDR;
Here, we’ll compare Purple and Helix, highlighting each brand’s features and offerings.
It’s nearly impossible to tell which mattress is a winner and which will leave you counting sheep on the basis of looks alone. It’s also nearly impossible to take a full night’s sleep — or longer — on every mattress that you might want to test.
We can’t take a night’s sleep for you, but we’ve got your back when it comes to making these difficult purchasing decisions. That’s why we’re going to check out two of the most prolific companies in the mattress market today: Purple, and Helix.
Read on for more about both brands and their respective collections, or skip to the summary section, if you’re in a hurry.
Oddly, Helix mattresses appear to have no parts which are shaped like a Helix. Nor are helices present in any of Helix’s marketing materials. Regardless, Helix has a great lineup of mattresses which has something to offer for every person or pair or people that are seeking a new sleeping pad.
Purple’s mattresses are more thematically related to their name; the internal foam grid that is Purple’s secret sauce is, if removed, a deep royal purple hue. Purple’s mattresses are customizable and comfortable, but their selection is much smaller than Helix’s.
Who Is It For?
Simply put, Helix has a mattress for anyone and probably also for any two people who sleep in the same bed. No matter your preferences for side sleeping, back sleeping, cool sleeping, hot sleeping, or firmness, there is a Helix mattress that will address your desires.
There are even options for one half of the bed being one way, and the other half being a different way — so you and your partner won’t need to compromise on a reasonable middle which will leave both of you unhappy.
Purple, on the other hand, is for people who like to sleep cool and who want something more comfortable than a traditional spring mattress or memory foam mattress. There are a few firmness options, but no options which might reduce marital tensions caused by suboptimal mattress choice.
The Collections
Helix has several collections. One collection is named after the time of day, with different times of day correlating to different firmness’s. Confusingly, each time of the day has a “luxe” or normal variant which also purportedly impacts whether you’ll be more comfortable sleeping on your side or on your back.Another entire collection pertains to mattresses which are half one type and half of another type, for couples. In other words, the Helix collection is comprehensive, and it’s complicated.The Purple mattresses are much more straightforward in comparison. You can choose between the older and cheaper Original Purple, or the newer New Purple, which is expensive and also more customizable based on the firmness you want.| Size | New Purple | Helix Dusk Luxe | Helix Sunset | Helix Dual Balanced |
| Twin XL | $1299 | $1145 | $600 | N/A |
| Full | $1499 | $1345 | $750 | N/A |
| Queen | $1599 | $1595 | $895 | $1090 |
| King | $1899 | $1945 | $1145 | $1290 |
| Cal King | $1899 | $1945 | $1145 | $1290 |
Construction of the Mattress
Both of these mattress companies are weird regarding their mattress construction — but weird is good!
The Helix mattresses are constructed with several layers of foam positioned on top of coiled cylinders around the edge of the mattress. These layers are more breathable than traditional memory foam, as are the cylinders.
The cylinders give the perimeter of the bed a little bit of edge support and firmness, which means that if you balance your phone on the edge of the bed you won’t have to worry about the mattress crumbling underneath it and dropping your phone onto the floor.
In contrast, the Purple mattresses have several layers of foam which surround a purple-colored foam grid which is the heart of the mattress. The foam grid acts like springs, pushing any weight back up towards the ceiling.
Trial Period & Guarantee
When you buy Purple, you’re automatically enrolled in the 10-year warranty and the hundred-day sleep trial.
In comparison, the Helix mattresses have a constrained sleep trial that’s the same length as the Purple’s trial. The catch is that you can only return the Helix mattress after an initial 30-day trial. So, you’ll potentially need to deal with a bum mattress for up to 30 days if you choose Helix.
The Helix also has a limited 10-year warranty, which is roughly on par with the Purple warranty in its terms.
Firmness Level
For both the Helix and the Purple mattresses, the level of firmness is pliable, if you’ll forgive the pun. You can pick different firmness inserts for the New Purple mattress; the inserts range from super-plush to super-firm.
If you like firm mattresses, pick one level of firmness higher than what’s on the sticker when you pick out a Purple mattress. The Helix mattresses are more accurately labeled, meaning that if you want a firm mattress, simply pick the firm one from their lineup.
The same goes for softer mattresses. Overall, the firmness of the Helix mattresses have a broader range than the Purple mattresses, so you can address rarer preferences more easily.
Comfort
The Helix mattresses tend to be more comfortable than the Purple mattresses provided that you pick the right Helix mattress for your sleep preferences. The reason behind this is that Helix has a bed to cater to every combination of preferences regarding firmness, side or back sleeping, coolness, size, and practically any other factor you could think of.
Purple, on the other hand, only offers customization of firmness. This means that if you’re a side sleeper who likes the extreme plushness of the softest Purple mattress, you’re in luck — but if you don’t think it provides enough support for your side sleeping, you’re in trouble and there isn’t another Purple product which will help you out.
Smell Effect
Helix mattresses are explicitly low-scent, and are built with no latex, flame retardants, heavy metals, mercury, ozone depleters, formaldehyde, or other smelly and harmful chemicals.
Purple doesn’t have these same guarantees, but we promise it won’t kill you or smell extremely bad — it’ll just need a little airing out upon arrival.
Motion Isolation
The Purple is a much stronger mattress when it comes to isolating motion and protecting you from the movements of any other inhabitants of your bed. The patented Purple foam grid prevents any force from transferring from one area of the foam grid to another, instead directing the excess force upward and away from any other inhabitants in the bed.
This is a wonderful feature — and some Helix mattresses have similar features. Depending on the Helix mattress, motion isolating features like dense foam can be more emphasized or less. The results vary dramatically with the mattress that you pick, so overall Purple is the better isolator.
The Ordering Process
The Purple ordering process is much simpler than the Helix ordering process because there are far fewer factors to think about. You’ll only need to know the size of mattress you want, whether you want an Original Purple or a New Purple, and whether you want a firmness insert.
The Helix ordering process doesn’t even try to be simple or straightforward. You’ll need to pick the collection you want, the firmness in the collection, the sleeping style, the “luxe” level, and any combinations to make mattresses with different sides you and your partner.
Delivery and Packaging
Neither mattress company is particularly speedy in comparison to competitors when it comes to shipping. Purple’s mattresses ship within two business weeks of the order. Helix mattresses take either 3-7 days or 6-10 days to arrive depending on whether you order a non-luxe or luxe Helix mattress.
Shipping with both manufacturers is free in the US, but if you want a Helix mattress shipped to Canada, it’ll be a hefty $250 plus customs fees.
Conclusion
So how do I make up my mind?
Choosing a mattress is a real challenge, and when you have a lot of options, it doesn’t make it any easier. When comparing Purple and Helix brands, the main thing to consider is the size of the range. Purple has two models, Original and New, with the New Purple offering three options for thickness and firmness. Purple mattresses are constructed with a Smart Comfort Grid open cell foam structure, making them a comfortably cool option. The New Purple mattress is firmer, combining coils and memory foam, while the Original is a foam-only, more affordable option with more overall give.
Then things start to get more complicated. Helix offers an extensive mattress collection, with options to match every sleep preference. Every Helix mattress comes in two variations – Normal and Luxe – pertaining to the plushness. Helix even provides the option of mattresses where each half is a different type, making it so much easier to choose for a couple.
For those with complicated sleeping preferences and needs, Helix will have something for you. While Purple’s range may be less extensive, it still offers excellent, high quality mattresses in the mid-firm range.
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.