Helix vs. Casper Mattress Comparison

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The Helix Midnight is a hybrid mattress designed for side sleepers and anyone who needs extra cushioning at their pressure points. The Casper Original is a memory foam mattress with Zoned Support foam that works for every sleeping position. While the Helix Midnight is better for hot sleepers and people who like to be hugged by their mattress, the Casper mattress outperforms the Helix Midnight for stomach sleepers and people with back pain.  

In this Helix vs. Casper mattress comparison, we’re going to share all of the information that you need to determine which bed is right for you. This includes their similarities and differences, price points, and what it’s like to buy a mattress from each of these popular brands.

Product
Firmness
Score
Helix Midnight Mattress
Helix Midnight Mattress
Medium-firm: 6/10
4.3/5
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Casper Original Mattress
Medium-firm: 6/10
4.8/5
Helix Midnight Mattress
Product
Helix Midnight Mattress
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6/10
Score
4.3/5
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Product
Casper Original Mattress
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6/10
Score
4.8/5

Helix Midnight vs. Casper Original Overview

Helix Midnight is best for…Casper Original is best for…
Side sleepersPeople with back pain
Hot sleepersEvery sleeping position
Memory foam loversCouples

Who Should Choose the Helix Midnight Mattress?

  • Side sleepers: The Helix Midnight mattress is designed for side sleepers who like a bed with a medium-firm feel. The top memory foam layer of the mattress cradles the body, providing exceptional pressure relief for the shoulders and hips.  
  • Hot sleepers: The Helix Midnight boasts generous breathability thanks to innerspring coils, open-cell foam, and an airy mattress cover. The result is a bed that sleeps cooler than all-foam mattresses, which is great for people who struggle with staying cool at night. 
  • Memory foam lovers: The Helix’s top layer is made from a 2” layer of body-conforming memory foam that has the hugging feel memory foam fans enjoy.

Who Should Choose the Casper Original Mattress?

  • People with back pain: The Casper Original has an ergonomic transition layer that offers extra support to the body’s core and softer foam for the shoulders and feet. The balance between contouring and support provides both outstanding pressure relief and spinal alignment: ideal for people with back pain.  
  • Every sleeping position: The Casper’s medium-firm feel and Zoned Support foam make a sleeping surface that supports back, stomach, side, and combination sleepers, depending on your body type.  
  • Couples and those who co-sleep: Just like most all-foam beds, the Casper does a good job minimizing motion transfer and limiting sleep disruptions. The Casper is suitable for all sleeping positions, so couples who sleep in different positions (for instance, a side sleeper and a stomach sleeper) can each find comfort on the Casper. If you toss and turn at night, see the best mattresses for combination sleepers

Helix Midnight vs. Casper Original: Top Similarities 

  • Superb motion isolation: Both beds have thick comfort layers that dampen motion transfer, helping couples sleep together with fewer interruptions.  
  • Best for lightweight and average-weight people: Both mattresses are best for people who weigh less than 230 lbs. 
  • Excellent pressure relief: Both the Casper and Helix evenly distribute your body weight, which eases pressure at joints like the hips and shoulders.
  • Bed-in-a-box format: Both the Helix and the Casper can be ordered online and will arrive at your door compressed into a box, which makes it easier to move your mattress through narrow doorways and hallways.

Helix Midnight vs. Casper Original: Top Differences 

  • Sleep position suitability: While Casper’s medium-firm feel and Zoned Support allow it to work for all sleeping positions (depending on your body type), the Helix’s softer, more pressure-relieving surface is generally a better mattress for side sleepers.  
  • Feel: The Helix’s top layer has the “hug” of memory foam, while the Casper mattress feels more balanced, with slight contouring but no deep body cradle. Thanks to the springiness of the Helix’s coil layer, it’s also a bit bouncier than the all-foam Casper.  
  • Construction: The Casper is a three-layer, all-foam mattress, while the Helix is a four layer hybrid bed made from layers of foam and pocketed coils.   
  • Temperature regulation: Thanks to greater airflow through the Helix’s coil support system, the Helix Midnight sleeps cooler than the all-foam Casper mattress.

Helix Midnight vs. Casper Original: Firmness & Feel Differences

While the Helix and Casper have similar firmness levels, the way that they feel is noticeably different

What’s the Firmness Of the Helix Midnight & Casper Original Mattresses? 

Mattress firmness is measured on a 1–10 firmness scale, with higher numbers yielding a greater firmness level. The Casper Original mattress falls at a 6/10, meaning it’s a medium-firm mattress. Medium-firm beds are said to have the universal firmness because it’s the feel that most sleepers prefer. The Helix Midnight is also a medium-firm bed with a 6/10 firmness level. 

It is important to remember that mattress firmness is subjective and also can be influenced by your body type. If you have a more lightweight body type, however, a medium-firm mattress may feel firmer since your body may not sink as deeply into the bed’s comfort layers. Likewise, sleepers who weigh over 230 lbs. may sink further into the mattress, which will make the bed feel softer.

What Do the Helix Midnight & Casper Original Mattresses Feel Like?

The Helix mattress has a top layer of medium-firm memory foam that cradles the body for a hugging feel. The Helix’s conforming feel brings wonderful pressure relief for side sleepers and a moderate hug for back sleepers who like a traditional memory foam feel. The spring support system underneath offers responsiveness so you won’t feel stuck.

Casper uses a polyfoam top layer that’s more responsive, which means the foam responds more quickly when you move. The top layer of foam in the Casper mattress has more of a traditional pillow top feel rather than a memory foam cradle. Underneath this soft foam is Casper’s Zoned Support memory foam, which brings extra support to the body’s trunk and more contouring at the top third and bottom third of the mattress. 

What’s It Like to Sleep On the Helix Midnight & Casper Original Mattresses?

The Helix Midnight’s hybrid construction provides the best features of both an innerspring and memory foam mattresses—which makes it suitable for a wide variety of sleepers. Side sleepers of all body types will get ample pressure relief from the bed’s soft comfort layers, and back and side stomach sleepers who weight under 230 lbs will also feel lifted and cradled by this mattress. If you sleep on your back or stomach and weigh more than 230 lbs, you should look for a more supportive mattress.

The Casper’s zoned support layer will help average- and lightweight sleepers stay propped up in a healthy posture throughout the night in any sleeping position, but heavyweight sleepers likely won’t get the support they need on this bed.

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Casper mattress
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Helix Midnight mattress

The Helix Midnight vs. Casper Original Mattresses By Body Type

Helix Midnight Performance By Sleeping Position:
Body Type:BACK SLEEPERSSTOMACH SLEEPERSSIDE SLEEPERS
Lightweight (< 130 lbs):  4 4 5
Average weight (130 – 230 lbs):
Heavyweight (> 230 lbs): 
Casper Original Performance By Sleeping Position:
Body Type:BACK SLEEPERSSTOMACH SLEEPERSSIDE SLEEPERS
Lightweight (< 130 lbs): 5 4 4
Average weight (130 – 230 lbs):
Heavyweight (> 230 lbs): 

1 = Very poor, 2 = Not good, 3 = Fair, 4 = Good, 5 = Excellent

Average-Weight Sleepers (130–230 lbs)

The Helix Midnight mattress works well across the board for average-weight sleepers. This bed’s medium-firmness level provides an ideal balance of comfort and support for all sleeping positions, and the bouncy innerspring coil layer helps combination sleepers move around with ease.

The Casper Original bed provides a balance of ergonomic support and comfort for back and side sleepers, but stomach sleepers should opt for the Helix Midnight or a bed with a firmer support layer to prevent sinkage and back pain throughout the night.

Heavyweight Sleepers (> 230 lbs)

The Helix Midnight provides firm enough support to keep heavyweight sleepers propped up in the side sleeping position, but heavyweight stomach and back sleepers will find this mattress adequate at best.

The Casper mattress also likely won’t give heavyweight sleepers the support they need.We recommend that heavyweight back and stomach sleepers check out Helix’s mattress designed for sleepers over 230 lbs, the Helix Plus or the best mattresses for heavy people.

Lightweight Sleepers (< 130 lbs)

Both of these beds perform well for lightweight sleepers of all sleeping positions. The Helix Midnight earned a perfect score in the side sleeping position—it did a great job at relieving pressure from the hips and shoulders.

The Casper’s responsive foam layers gave it a slight edge over the Helix for combination sleepers, and its ergonomic support layer provides an ideal sleeping surface for lightweight back sleepers—but ultimately, you won’t go wrong with either of these mattresses if you weigh under 130 lbs.

Differences In Mattress Construction 

The Helix Midnight is 12″ tall and is made from a blend of memory foam, polyfoam, and innerspring coils.

Helix Midnight Mattress Materials 
Casper Original Mattress Materials
Soft Touch Design CoverBreathable mattress cover
Memory Plus Foam (2”)Airscape perforated foam (1.5″)
High-Grade Polyfoam (1”)Zoned memory foam (2″)
Pocketed Coils (8”) + DuraDense Foam (1”)High-density base foam (7.5″)
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Casper mattress construction
helix midnight mattress construction
Helix Midnight mattress construction

Cover

The Helix mattress comes wrapped in a cool soft cover that is designed to be breathable and stretchy. The Casper’s mattress cover is also stretchy and durable, but is also made of recycled materials.

Comfort Layers

The top layer of the Helix is made from the brand’s proprietary Memory Plus Foam, a medium-firm memory foam that deeply contours to the body. Next is a thin layer of high-grade polyfoam that absorbs motion from the coils beneath and protects the body from sinking in too far. 

The top layer of the Casper mattress is made of Airscape Foam that has a soft feel, yet is still more responsive than memory foam. This top comfort layer is hole-punched to promote breathability and cooler sleep. The second comfort layer in this bed is Casper’s ergonomic Zoned Support, which boasts firmer memory foam along the middle third of the bed and softer foam at the feet and shoulders. 

Support Layers

The Helix support system boasts a thick 8” layer of individually wrapped coils for breathable targeted support. The Casper’s support layer is a high-density foam that further dampens motion transfer and brings some stability to the edges.

Helix Midnight vs. Casper Original Pricing

SizeHelix Midnight PricesCasper Original Prices
Twin$936.30$1095.00
Twin XL$899.00$1145.00
Full$1049.00$1233.00
Queen$1199.00$1495.00
King$1549.00$1945.00
California King$1549.00$1945.00

For exclusive discounts on both beds see our Helix mattress coupons and Casper mattress coupons.

Helix Midnight vs. Casper Original Mattress Performance Ratings & Differences

Temperature

The Helix Midnight sleeps cooler than the Casper. Because the Casper is made from 100 percent foam, there isn’t the same level of breathability as there is on the hybrid Helix bed. While both beds sleep cool enough for the average sleeper, we’d recommend that hot sleepers opt for the Helix over the Casper. For other choices, see the best cooling mattresses.

Motion Transfer

Both the Helix and Casper mattresses do an excellent job stifling motion where it occurs, ensuring that it doesn’t spread to the other side of the mattress. Light sleepers who sleep with a partner, child, or pet sleep best on mattresses that dampen motion (like the Helix and Casper). 

While we believe both beds will work for most couples, the Helix spreads just a bit more motion because of its supportive layer of springy coils. If your primary concern is motion transfer, the Casper may be the better bed. See our picks for the best mattress for couples that isolate motion and accommodate two sleepers well. 

Edge Support 

Helix and Casper both excel at delivering sturdy and comfortable edges. Both beds allow couples to spread out and lie along the edges, and they’re each stable enough for people to use the perimeter for support while getting into or out of bed. 

Pressure Relief 

The Casper and Helix both deliver above-average pressure relief, offering the cushiony feel and cradling loved people with joint pain. Because the Helix mattress has a layer of memory foam along the top, it’s the best choice for lightweight folks who need cushioning. 

The Casper’s polyfoam requires a bit more weight for maximal give, so it’s best for side sleepers who weigh between 130–230 lbs. The Casper is a good mattress for lower back pain and for those who have sensitive areas along their spines, while the Helix provides a more general close, conforming feel.

Pain Relief 

A bed that keeps your back in a healthy posture throughout the night will help prevent back pain. The Casper’s ergonomically Zoned Support system provides superior spinal alignment compared to the Helix, at least for most sleepers. Casper’s added firmness at the body’s core helps keep stomach sleepers’ hips from sinking in too far, which prevents the spine from arching out of alignment. Also, its softer feel at the head and foot of the mattress means side sleepers experience more give at their shoulders, which helps to keep the spine aligned. 

While the Casper is generally better for proper alignment—and with it, back pain relief—the Helix does a remarkable job supporting the spines of back sleepers and side sleepers. These people are likely to find good alignment on either mattress. If you wake up in pain, see the best mattresses for back pain.

Durability

Overall, our mattress testing team thinks the Helix mattress is more durable than the Casper. Thanks to the resilience of innerspring coils, the Helix is likely to last a year or two longer than the Casper mattress. However, both beds are made with high-quality materials and durable builds that mean they should last longer than the average bed. Expect around six to eight years of use from the Casper and seven to 10 years on the Helix.

Shipping, Returns, & Warranties 

Helix

Helix Sleep ships mattresses for free to all 50 United States and to parts of Canada for a fee. Every new Helix mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial period and a 10-year warranty.

Casper

Casper mattresses come with free shipping to the contiguous U.S. and parts of Canada for free and to Alaska and Hawaii for an added fee. Casper mattresses also come with a 100-night trial period that starts the day that you receive your new bed and comes with an industry-standard 10-year limited warranty. It covers similar defects as the Helix warranty, including body impressions greater than 1” deep and flaws in the foam.

Other Models Available

Product
Firmness
Score
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Casper Hybrid Mattress
Medium-soft: 5.5/10
4.9/5
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Casper Nova Hybrid Mattress
Medium-soft: 4/10
3.9/5
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Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress
Medium-soft: 5/10
4.5/5
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Casper Element Mattress
Medium-firm: 6/10
2.8/5
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Helix Dawn Luxe Mattress
Medium-firm: 7/10
4.5/5
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Helix Dawn Mattress
Firm: 8/10
4.0/5
Product Image
Helix Dusk Luxe Mattress
Medium-firm: 6/10
4.5/5
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Product
Casper Hybrid Mattress
Firmness
Medium-soft: 5.5/10
Score
4.9/5
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Product
Casper Nova Hybrid Mattress
Firmness
Medium-soft: 4/10
Score
3.9/5
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Product
Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress
Firmness
Medium-soft: 5/10
Score
4.5/5
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Product
Casper Element Mattress
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6/10
Score
2.8/5
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Product
Helix Dawn Luxe Mattress
Firmness
Medium-firm: 7/10
Score
4.5/5
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Product
Helix Dawn Mattress
Firmness
Firm: 8/10
Score
4.0/5
Product Image
Product
Helix Dusk Luxe Mattress
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6/10
Score
4.5/5

Our Final Take

The Helix Midnight combines a hugging memory foam feel (excellent for side sleepers) with responsive innerspring coils for a cool sleep, making it the best of these beds for hot sleepers who spend time on their sides. The Casper’s medium-firm feel and Zoned Support make it better for lightweight stomach sleepers and people with back pain.

Helix & Casper FAQs

Which bed is softer, Helix or Casper?

Both of these beds have a medium-firm firmness level, which measures in at about a 6/10 on a firmness scale where 10 is the firmest bed. The Casper has a fluffy, pillow top feel that may feel softer than the Helix, but both beds will also soften over time.

How long do I have to wait to sleep on my Casper or Helix mattress?

Once you unbox your new Helix or Casper bed-in-a-box mattress, you’ll be able to sleep on your bed within a few hours. Helix recommends you wait at least 2 hours, while Casper asserts that you can sleep comfortably on your new mattress within minutes of unboxing.

Do I need to flip or rotate my Helix or Casper mattress?

You shouldn’t flip your Helix or Casper mattress—these beds are designed with the layers arranged in a specific order to maximize your comfort, so make sure to sleep right side up on your new mattress. Casper recommends rotating the mattress every 6 months to increase durability.