Sunset

We have one of the new king size Helix elite models from this year (they revamped the design earlier in 2025) and are loving it so far. We tried most of the brands you mentioned in stores and were originally thinking to get a Saatva or Winkbed. Then we tried the Helix Midnight and Sunset Elites and it was a game changer. Noticably more comfortable than any other mattress we tried and definitely better than their more popular (cheaper) midnight luxe model. Sure it cost more, but we wanted to invest in the best.

We got the Sunset since we're side sleepers and pretty light. Midnight was really good too, but personally preferred a little softer.

Hello all, I recently bought a Helix Midnight Elite mattress, and while overall I like it, it has an issue that many mattresses have for me. The issue is that the space between my waist and the mattress is not completely filled when I'm laying on my side. My hips are particularly wide vs. my waist (for the women reading this, even many "curvy" jeans leave me with a gap in the waistband!) so I need something with peak body conforming abilities I think. I know a softer mattress is is usually recommended for this, but when I tried the softer Helix Sunset Elite mattress in the store, I felt like I was laying on a slope where my shoulders were lower than my hips. I assume this is due to the zoned coils. So I'm looking for suggestions/specific recs - should I: 1. Get a soft mattress topper? If so, recs? 2. Buy a lumbar support pillow? If so, recs? 3. Start over, return the mattress and get a different one.

**Update 5/21/26** \- Thank you for an amazing AMA and thank you to everyone who asked a question. I hope this thread was able to help! I will continue to answer any questions that come in until the thread archives. If you need a personalized mattress recommendation be sure to use my mattress quiz here -[ https://naplab.com/mattress-quiz/](https://naplab.com/mattress-quiz/) (I manually respond to all of these requests, it's not an automated form). For all other questions please feel free to DM, chat, or email me here -[ https://naplab.com/contact/](https://naplab.com/contact/) \- And for all else, check out my site at[ https://naplab.com/](https://naplab.com/) \- there you can find all of my reviews, comparisons, best of lists, research guides, and a more. Not sure where to start? My [best mattress](https://naplab.com/best-mattress/) guide can help. Hi Reddit! My name is Derek Hales. I am a professional mattress tester and I’ve been testing mattresses since 2014. Over the years, I’ve tested 558 mattresses (and counting) from 116 different brands.  5 years ago I launched [NapLab.com](http://NapLab.com) and developed a new way to test mattresses. Instead of merely sleeping on a mattress and then writing a subjective assessment, I use a battery of 10 objective and data-driven tests (with 64 individual data points) to help quantify the performance criteria that are important for most sleepers. [Derek in our mattress testing garage](https://preview.redd.it/a4m6jfzdeb2h1.png?width=2000&format=png&auto=webp&s=c321e47ceca62a659200ed1bf97c9e7b0ccd9c8f) **My testing process includes:** * Objective durability tests using a 3700-pound industrial mattress testing machine called a rollator (see photos & videos in the imgur link below) * Thermal photographs to assess cooling performance / heat retention * Motion Transfer Testing - IE, how much energy and motion will you feel on the mattress when your partner moves around. We use an accelerometer to objectively measure the intensity and duration of motion transfer across the mattress * Sex performance testing using a weighted equation including 5 factors (bounce, edge support, noise, pressure relief, and cooling) * High FPS video and high resolution photo analysis to take precise & objective measurements for sinkage, material responsiveness, edge support, and bounce * In-depth Material Analysis - foam density tests using a densimeter (a plastic box that does digitally controlled water displacement density measurements) and coil gauge (thickness) using a digital caliper  * You can see our full range of tests and testing process here - [https://naplab.com/how-we-test-mattresses/](https://naplab.com/how-we-test-mattresses/) I’ve spent the majority of my adult life working to create videos, photographs, data, comparisons, guides, and reviews that can help people find a mattress that is perfectly suited to their needs. Over the years I’ve assembled a small team of friends and family to help me test mattresses bigger and better than I could do alone. Happy to answer any questions about mattresses, sleep, NapLab, the sleep / mattress industry, or anything else on your mind 🙂 Proof - [https://imgur.com/a/naplab-u-derek-naplab-reddit-ama-2026-proof-swQsrAI](https://imgur.com/a/naplab-u-derek-naplab-reddit-ama-2026-proof-swQsrAI) More Proof - we really love mattresses, so we made a [parody of the Pokemon Pokerap with 150 mattress brands](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV-pR6eXmTU) (just dropped today!) PS - if you need help choosing a mattress check out my mattress quiz - [https://naplab.com/mattress-quiz/](https://naplab.com/mattress-quiz/) \- I provide personalized mattress recommendations based on your needs, preferences, and budget. FYI, the quiz isn’t automated, I manually review all submissions so it does take me a little time to answer, but I can usually respond within 24 hours. 

Take a look at the Helix Sunset Elite. This is a high-end hybrid mattress with a soft feel. It's a mix of foam, pillow top, pockets, and other material types. Full review here - [https://naplab.com/mattress-reviews/helix-sunset-elite-review/](https://naplab.com/mattress-reviews/helix-sunset-elite-review/) \- It also has a deep level of sinkage. While the Luxe Breeze is a great mattress, it sounds to me that it's incompatible with your preferences. Perhaps due to the memory foam, perhaps due to the minimal sinkage, more likely a combination of both.

So the good news is we've got some options. First, I know you mentioned you can't sleep on your back due to snoring, but I may have some advice to help that. 1) The best option would be to get an adjustable foundation. This would let you raise the head and foot of the mattress, which in your case will both help to open the airway (reducing snoring), while also alleviating pressure on the lower back and, in many cases, the sciatic nerve. 2) If getting an adjustable isn't an option, you can get most of the way there by simply using a wedge pillow for your upper body and a regular pillow for the feet. The wedge pillow is nice because it's big solid block of foam (better than just stacking pillows together). 3) If neither of the above sound like good solutions then we'll tackle this while sleeping on your side. First, put a pillow between your legs. That'll help reduce pressure and keep the spine in alignment. Second, make sure you're using a sufficiently tall enough pillow for your head. Side sleepers especially need taller pillows to keep the neck supported. If the neck isn't support it can create ripple issues down the spine, causing pressure points elsewhere. 4) If it's possible to get a new mattress it would be worth considering an HD / Plus-size mattress. Most mattresses are tuned to support up to 250-300 pounds. If you're over that then the mattress may simply not be providing sufficient support. In which case, a plus-sized / HD mattress can help, because they use materials and designs that support 300-500 pounds. If you've got a regular mattress you could simply be seeing too much sinkage in the middle of the mattress, which means spine is misaligned, which means pressure points, which means more sciatic / lower back pains. Take a look at this page here - [https://naplab.com/best-mattress/best-mattress-for-heavy-people/](https://naplab.com/best-mattress/best-mattress-for-heavy-people/) \- it can walk you through the good options for those HD mattresses.

Quite by accident. My wife and I got married and needed a new mattress in 2014. I ended up doing a ton of research, had a terrible in-store experience, and bought a mattress online. That first mattress we liked, but it wasn't amazing, so we returned it and then I bought another bed online. It was better so we kept that one. As a fun weekend hobby project I built a website and wrote reviews for those 2 mattresses that I had tried. People really love the reviews and asked me to test other mattresses. So I kept ordering mattresses, testing them, and then writing reviews. It quickly blew up, was getting a ton of traffic, and within a few months I was able to leave my full time job and started my career as a professional mattress tester. In the first year we didn't have our expensive testing equipment or even nice cameras. I shot videos on my phone and did photographs with an old Nikon I had from when I was a kid. Our other equipment beyond that was pretty simple stuff, yard stick, ruler, medicine balls, etc. Gradually over time we expanded our tests and our equipment, adding nice cameras, professional lighting equipment, quality mics, etc. and then in more recent years we've grown big enough to afford the same type of industrial and technologically advanced equipment that bigger mattress brands use. I wouldn't recommend taking out a loan. Instead, start small, use what you have, and gradually grow into more complex and expensive testing if the reviews / site / channel does well.

We get a decent number of questions about the sex rating. People are mostly intrigued by the idea that we'd test it at all and want to know how we test. That said, the vast majority of questions and interest we get are more about what mattress to buy for X type of sleeper. Certainly I think our earlier scoring systems were less-than-great. The scores were all too high and too close together. Over the years we've made our scoring system more difficult to earn the highest scores, which has helped create more clear scoring distinctions between different mattress models and make it more clear who is the best (and who is the worst). Lastly, thanks for sharing your feedback about your experience on NapLab (and elsewhere). I'm glad to hear the we're hitting the right marks and the site is easy to use. I hope your new mattress a perfect fit for you! And if not, be sure to email me via the quiz tool and I can help you find something better suited to your needs.

Unfortunately, I have not tested many mattresses available in Europe. That said, many popular brands in Europe also sell different model versions within the US. I've tested many of those models, so I can provide you with a gut check on some of the most popular brands available to you. In addition, I've also listed information on other popular brands, some of which I haven't tested. Emma - I've tested a ton of models from the US and Canada and always found them to be good quality and good value mattresses. That said, the last few models I tested from Canada were pretty bad. Emma recently discontinued those models and launched 2 new models, so I'm hopeful the new models will be better. Nectar - same as Emma. I've tested a ton of US models and always found them to be solid. Simba - same as Emma / Nectar, good mattresses, though rarely at the same level as Emma / Nectar. I'd go with Emma or Nectar over Simba in most cases. Tempur - expensive, but a good choice if you like the feel of memory foam. Bett1 - not one I've tested, but feedback from my readers has always been really positive. In looking at their product page it seems to use good materials and a proven design. I expect the performance will be great. Dormeo - I haven't done full testing on this brand, but I have tried them at mattress trade shows and conferences. They seem to be a solid brand, but also one that's really expensive. IKEA - I've tested numerous models in the US and been incredibly disappointed with everything I've tested to date. I would recommend any of the above brands before IKEA.

The least expensive, easiest, and most impactful thing you can do to improve cooling is 1) get a more breathable set of sheets and 2) get a more breathable mattress protector. When it comes to cooling sheets, protectors, and bedding, I've yet to find anything better than Bedgear or SHEEX. I've been using these for personal use for nearly a decade. If you're looking to replace the mattress here's what I advise: 1) Look for a hybrid (foam on top of coils; avoid all foam mattresses) 2) Look for mattresses that have less memory foam 3) Look for a mattress that uses phase change materials and/or thermo reactive / cooling fibers (these are often included within the cover and/or just below the cover) 4) Spend at least $1.5K (for a Queen; cheaper models just don't have enough budget room to get quality cooling materials within them) While there are absolutely exceptions to these rules, the above guidelines will get you far better cooling outcomes in most cases. Shopping for a cooling mattress is really difficult. It's very easy for a mattress brand to make their mattress look and sound like it's incredible for cooling. And because mattress brands know everyone wants a cool mattress they will aggressively market their cooling features, even if the cooling performance isn't all that great. Even with my experience, while I can make pretty good educated guesses on how good / bad cooling performance will be, until I actually test it, lie on it, feel it, cut it open, and take thermal photographs of the mattress, I'm never 100% certain on what the performance will be like. Lastly, take a look at our list of the best cooling mattresses we've tested so far here - [https://naplab.com/best-mattress/best-mattress-for-cooling/](https://naplab.com/best-mattress/best-mattress-for-cooling/)

In general, yes, price is correlated to quality. But there is a point for diminishing returns. For DTC / online mattress brands you start to see diminishing returns at around $2K for a Queen, but especially once you hit $3K for a Queen. Mattresses that are less than $1K for a Queen are very hit or miss (and mostly miss). That said, there are a few gems in that sub-$1K bracket (see my favorites here - https://naplab.com/best-mattress/best-affordable-mattress/). Brick-and-mortar retailers and traditional / legacy brands are all over the place when it comes to diminishing returns. It varies more widely and by specific brands. In general, you won't find terrible expensive mattresses. They might not be amazing, but they are not terrible. Also, in general, you will not find awesome, cheap mattresses. There is simply only so much you a mattress manufacturer can do with respect to materials and material quality when they have less margin to work with. I always recommend spending at least $1K (Queen) for a new mattress.

Quite by accident. My wife and I got married and needed a new mattress in 2014. I ended up doing a ton of research, had a terrible in-store experience, and bought a mattress online. That first mattress we liked, but it wasn't amazing, so we returned it and then I bought another bed online. It was better so we kept that one. As a fun weekend hobby project I built a website and wrote reviews for those 2 mattresses that I had tried. People really love the reviews and asked me to test other mattresses. So I kept ordering mattresses, testing them, and then writing reviews. It quickly blew up, was getting a ton of traffic, and within a few months I was able to leave my full time job and started my career as a professional mattress tester. If you want to do this yourself you could try following my path. Review the matttress(es) you have on-hand. And if you get traction start buying / reviewing other mattresses. You might be able to try mattresses at friends / families homes to help you build up your review base and your experience.

Here's the questions and thoughts I'm thinking about... 1) Is it hurting your back because it's soft or because it's just a it's not a great mattress (it performed below average in my tests) or because it's not a mattress design well suited to your needs? Any of these could be true (and so could all 3 at the same time). 2) Body needs can change over time, so while a soft mattress may have been good for you in previous years, perhaps that is no longer the case. 3) The vast majority of sleepers need a medium-firm / luxury-firm. Only you can really say what your body needs in terms of firmness. Based on what you've shared here I would be hesitant to go to another soft, but perhaps this is just a case of S&F being a poor fit for you and a different model would be better. If I had to make a gut call based on the information here I'd say step up to a medium / medium-firm. It's usually a more well rounded choice and as you say, you can always soften with a topper. It's much harder to improve support via a topper if you end up going too soft and get stuck with a mattress that you don't like.

It's pretty straight forward for most brands that offer a trial period. Basically, you have X number of days to try the mattress. Within the trial period you can request a refund / return. The mattress brand will typically try to get you to keep the mattress after you request a refund. They'll offer you a discount and/or a topper (if it's still soft / too firm). You can accept those offers if you think they'll fix your problem. But if not, just decline and request the refund / return be processed. Typically they will send a couple of guys to pickup the mattress and those often get donated to a local charity. In some cases, they end up in a landfill if there are no local charities that can accept the mattress. All that said, you should have zero expectation of getting a refund / return if it's AFTER the trial period. If the trial period is 100 days and you make a request on day 101, it's too late. While most mattress brands are very easy to work within during the trial period after the trial period is over you have very little chance of getting a refund / return. So don't make that mistake and wait until after the trial is over. One last note, most brands require a 30 day break in period. Basically, you cannot return the mattress in first 30 days. This gives the mattress a chance to break in and your body a chance to get used to it.

I think the insert would be your best first step. One of the benefits of the Elite mattresses is you can just swap out the insert for a softer feel. I agree with the other comment about trying the Sunset Elite insert. In my experience, that is super soft. I also agree with the Nolah Evolution Plush being a good option but, if you find the Midnight Elite to be too firm, the WinkBed Soft will probably be too firm for you (it wasn't super soft in my experience).

This is my 3rd mattress and think we are keeping it. Helix Elite Sunset. It's the softest but not too soft. It is specifically for side sleepers although we sleep on back most of the time. We tried the Midnight version (middle of the road) and too hard. I also tried Brooklyn Bedding Thermobalance Elite in soft which I liked and Puffy which was too hard. It's alittle pricey but I like that the inside is replaceable so I figured I could buy a new inside and keep the mattress when it's time

I know the Helix Elite Sunset is Plush yet has the Ergoalign layer for your back. I couldn't deal with the Midnight and had to exchange for the Sunset - it was way too hard since i'm 125lb