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The all-foam Nectar mattress is one of the most popular mattresses sold online. But it’s not to be outdone by the hybrid Helix Midnight, which is the Helix brand’s most popular model. Each of these mattresses has a lot to offer, but only one of them will be right for you. Which should you choose: the Nectar or the Helix? Read our comprehensive Helix vs Nectar review to find out.
In our review, we’ll address firmness, feel, construction, and performance so you can determine whether the Nectar or the Helix Midnight is best for you.
The Helix Midnight and Nectar are both high-quality mattresses, but neither bed will be well-suited to everyone. Here’s a quick overview of who will prefer the Helix Midnight and who is most likely to want the Nectar.
Get up-close-and-personal with the Helix Midnight and the Nectar in our in-depth video review! Our reviewer, Marten, will assess each bed’s construction and share his experiences with sleeping in all positions on these beds.
Helix vs Nectar: Similarities and Differences
Even though the Helix Midnight and Nectar are sold by different brands and have very different constructions, they do have a few factors in common. Let’s look at their similarities and differences.
Similarities
Differences
They’re both sold by popular mattress companies.
The Helix Midnight is thicker than the Nectar.
Both mattresses come with great customer service terms.
The Helix Midnight has coils, while the Nectar is entirely made out of foam. Because of this, they feel very different.
They both feature memory foam in their construction.
The Helix Midnight is firmer than the Nectar.
At full price, the Helix Midnight is more affordable than the Nectar
Firmness and Feel Differences
When you’re considering a new mattress purchase, evaluate the bed’s firmness and feel. These factors have a big impact on whether the mattress is well-matched to your preferred sleep position and sleep needs. Let’s kick off the in-depth portion of this review by looking at the firmness and feel of the Helix Midnight and Nectar.
How Firm Are the Helix and Nectar Mattresses?
We ranked the Helix Midnight around a 7/10 on the firmness scale, and we ranked the Nectar around a 6.5/10. The industry standard for medium firmness is 6.5/10, so this suggests the Nectar is right around medium firm and the Helix Midnight is a bit firmer.
Firmness is a bit subjective, and the way you perceive firmness will vary a bit depending on your weight. For instance, heavier folks will probably find that these mattresses feel a bit firmer, while lighter-weight people will tend to find these mattresses a bit softer.
Sleeping on the Helix and Nectar Mattresses
We spent time sleeping on both the Helix Midnight and Nectar mattresses and tried them out in all three sleeping positions:
Helix Midnight
We felt great while back sleeping on the Helix Midnight. The hybrid mattress offered a nice blend of comfort and spinal support.
We felt decent but not fantastic while side sleeping on the Helix Midnight. Our heavier-weight reviewer felt some pressure around the shoulder and hip. Lighter-weight people will find better pressure relief in this position.
The Helix Midnight didn’t feel quite supportive enough for stomach sleeping. Our hips bowed into the mattress a bit, which pulled the spine out of alignment.
Nectar
We enjoyed good overall support while back sleeping on the Nectar. The foam pressed into our lumbar area for extra spinal support. At the same time, we experienced a pleasant amount of body contouring and pressure relief.
While side sleeping, our heavier-weight reviewer pressed through the Nectar’s comfort layers and into the firmer support layer underneath. Light- and medium-weight sleepers might experience better pressure relief in this position.
The Nectar felt too soft for stomach sleeping. Our hips bowed into the mattress and threw the spine out of alignment.
RELATED: Best Mattress for Side Sleepers
What Do The Helix and Nectar Mattresses Feel Like?
The Helix Midnight has a balanced foam feel. It’s a hybrid mattress that layers memory foam over pocketed coils. This construction creates a mattress that is both responsive and pressure-relieving.
The all-foam Nectar has more of a classic memory foam feel: It contours the body, relieves pressure, and has a slow response to pressure. There’s almost no bounce on this mattress.
RELATED: Best Memory Foam Mattress
Average Weight Sleepers – 130lbs – 230lbs
The Helix Midnight should provide a balance of comfort and support to most average-weight back sleepers. Average-weight side sleepers are likely to find that the mattress feels too firm and doesn’t relieve enough pressure around the shoulder and hip. This firmer feel is a boon for average-weight stomach sleepers, most of whom should find adequate support on the Helix Midnight. Note that folks who weigh closer to 230 pounds might need a firmer mattress overall.
The Nectar offers a pleasant blend of body contouring and spinal support to average-weight back sleepers. The bed’s body contouring memory foam is also ideal for side sleepers, who should enjoy adequate pressure relief around the shoulder and hip. The Nectar is likely not supportive enough for average-weight stomach sleepers.
Heavyweight Sleepers – Over 230lbs
The Helix Midnight could be supportive enough for heavyweight back sleepers who weigh closer to 230 pounds, but heavier folks might want to take a look at the Helix PLUS for greater support. The Helix Midnight is probably going to feel too firm for heavyweight side sleepers, who need a plusher comfort layer in order to obtain enough pressure relief. The Helix Midnight is not supportive enough for heavyweight stomach sleepers.
It’s possible that some heavyweight back sleepers could feel well-supported on the Nectar, but most people will want a more supportive mattress. Similarly, heavyweight side sleepers could find enough pressure relief on the Nectar, but some folks will want to look for a thicker comfort layer. Like the Helix Midnight, the Nectar is not supportive enough for heavyweight stomach sleepers.
Lightweight Sleepers – Under 130lbs
The Helix Midnight offers a pleasant balance of comfort and support to lightweight back sleepers. It will probably feel too firm for lightweight side sleepers. That firmness is good news for lightweight stomach sleepers, who should enjoy decent spinal support on this mattress.
Like the Helix Midnight, the Nectar offers a blend of pressure relief and spinal support to lightweight back sleepers. Its memory foam comfort layer promises lightweight side sleepers decent pressure relief. This mattress is not supportive enough even for lightweight stomach sleepers.
Mattress Construction Differences
Alright, so now you have an understanding of what it’s like to sleep on top of the Helix Midnight and Nectar mattresses. Now let’s dive deeper into these beds by taking a close look at their constructions. We’ll compare each mattress layer by layer and assess how their materials influence performance.
Helix Midnight
Layer
Description
Cover
The Helix Midnight features a breathable, Breathe Knit cover. You can also choose to switch out this cover for a GlacioTex™ Cooling Pillow Top.
Comfort Layer #1
The Helix Midnight’s primary comfort layer is made from a proprietary blend of Memory Plus Foam, which has the slow-moving feel of memory foam.
Comfort Layer # 2
Beneath this layer, there are two layers of Helix Responsive Foam, which provide the mattress with some good bounce and support.
Support Layer #1
The Helix Midnight’s support layer is made from individually-wrapped coils, which lend the mattress support, durability, and bounciness. The individually-wrapped construction also helps minimize motion transfer compared to more conventional coils.
Support Layer #2
Underneath the coils, there’s a layer of base foam that provides structure and support for the mattress overall.
Nectar
Layer
Description
Cover
The Nectar features a cover made with polyethylene, which is very breathable. It’s also quilted with a touch of memory foam for extra pressure relief.
Comfort Layer #1
The Nectar’s main comfort layer is made from a gel memory foam with a classic memory foam mattress feel. It contours the body, relieves pressure, and responds slowly to pressure. It’s also infused with gel to help with cooling.
Comfort Layer #2
Beneath the gel memory foam layer, there’s a transition layer that’s a touch firmer.
Support Layer
The Nectar’s support layer is made from a high-density support foam. Like the Helix Midnight’s base foam layer, this layer offers structure and support for the mattress as a whole.
Mattress Height
Both the Helix Midnight and Nectar mattresses are 12″ tall.
Helix vs. Nectar Mattress Size Options and Price
To see the most up-to-date size and pricing information for the Helix Midnight and Nectar mattresses, check out the charts below.
Helix Midnight
Size
Dimensions
Price
Twin
38″ x 75″
$936.30
Twin XL
38″ x 80″
$1061.30
Full
54″ x 75″
$1248.80
Queen
60″ x 80″
$1373.80
King
76″ x 80″
$1748.80
California King
72″ x 84″
$1748.80
Nectar
Take a look at the following chart for the most up-to-date Nectar sizing and pricing information:
You’re almost to the end of this review, but there are a few more critical factors to consider! We put the Helix Midnight and the Nectar through a wide range of tests to assess their temperature regulation, motion transfer, edge support, and more. To see how they stack up to other brands, check out our mattress comparisons page for more comparisons like Helix vs Tempur-Pedic and Nectar vs DreamCloud.
Sleeping Hot Or Cold
The Helix Midnight is the winner here. Its coils allow for more airflow through the mattress, which helps it sleep cooler.
Motion Transfer
The Nectar takes the win. The thick memory foam comfort layer does a great job of absorbing motion and minimizing movement transfer across the surface of the mattress. This could be a decent mattress for couples.
Edge Support
The Helix Midnight wins this round. The coils in the support layer helped us feel more secure while sitting and lying down near the edge of this mattress.
Durability
This category is too close to call! These mattresses are approximately the same in terms of durability, though it’s possible the Helix Midnight could eke out a slight edge thanks to the long-lasting coils. But the Nectar isn’t looking to be outdone; it comes with a forever warranty, which suggests the brand is confident this mattress won’t sag.
Off-Gassing
We observed a bit of off-gassing from both the Helix Midnight and the Nectar. This should dissipate within a few days.
Noise
At the time of writing, we called this a tie. We didn’t observe any notable noise from either mattress. That said, it’s possible that the Helix Midnight’s coils could start to squeak after many years.
Sex
A great mattress for sex will make it easy for couples to change positions on top of the mattress. In this case, the Helix Midnight is the winner because it’s bouncier and more responsive than the Nectar. Couples should find it easy to move around on top of the Helix Midnight.
Warranty Info
The Helix Midnight comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty. The Nectar comes with a 365-night sleep trial and a Forever Warranty.
Marten has been writing about mattresses and sleep health for six years. He is the lead reviewer at Mattress Clarity where he tests mattresses, bedding, and sleep accessories.
In his role here, Marten’s reviewed over 500 mattresses and 150 sleep accessories (so you can rest assured that if he recommends a product, it’s been put through the wringer in our Austin studio). In addition, he has written more than 400 articles reviewing the quality of sleep and sleep products as well as sleep health. He’s especially interested in the correlation between sleep and mental health.
Marten’s also got a personal stake in sleep health. After writing dozens of pieces on the dangers of sleep apnea, he decided to get tested for the condition. Realizing he did, in fact, suffer from sleep apnea, he immediately started using a CPAP machine. He knows all too well the importance of a healthy night’s sleep and is passionate about helping others get the healthy, restorative sleep they deserve.
He received his bachelor’s degree in Film Production from Denison University and his master’s degree in Film Studies from Emory University.
We felt decent but not fantastic while side sleeping on the Helix Midnight. Our heavier-weight reviewer felt some pressure around the shoulder and hip. Lighter-weight people will find better pressure relief in this position.
The Helix Midnight didn’t feel quite supportive enough for stomach sleeping. Our hips bowed into the mattress a bit, which pulled the spine out of alignment.
The Nectar felt too soft for stomach sleeping. Our hips bowed into the mattress and threw the spine out of alignment.
RELATED: Best Mattress for Side Sleepers
