Here I’m going to be talking about how the Original Bear mattress stacks up to all the beds from Helix Sleep.
Bear makes beds that are targeted towards more athletic types. Helix makes a bunch of different beds that are somewhat custom.
but if you’re looking at the two and trying to decide between them, you’re probably wondering what the major reasons are to go with each option.
And lucky for you, you’ve come to the right place because that’s exactly what I’m going to try to go over in this article.
I’ll be discussing all of the policy elements for both beds, things like shipping, returns, what you’re getting as far as trial periods and warranties.
Then I’ll delve into the other items directly related to these mattresses, like their feels, their firmness levels, their pricing, constructions.
And at the end I’m even going to have a final verdict for you.
Table of Contents
Policies
You’re getting pretty standard stuff whether you go with Helix or Bear, starting with completely free shipping.
They’ll arrive stuffed in a box that’s around four feet tall. All you got to do is just drag that box inside, dump out all the contents, rip off all the plastic packaging and unroll your new bed onto your foundation.
Since they all have coils, the Helix beds will probably pop right into shape after the unboxing. The Bear mattress will probably take around two to three days to fully expand since it is an all foam bed that’s been compressed for a while. But in any case that’s totally normal.
Once the beds are in your possession, you also get a 100 night risk free sleep trial to test the beds out in the comfort and privacy of your own home to develop an opinion on whether or not you actually want to keep them.
If you find that you no longer want the beds for whatever reason or really no reason at all, you can get completely free returns with both.
You just call the company up and they’ll usually send a local carrier to swing by your home and pick up the beds at no extra cost.
But on the other hand, if you decide to keep them, they’re both backed by 10 year warranties. Even though it’s not the most enthralling or exciting thing to do, I do recommend reading over those warranties because they will contain certain items that will potentially void them.
As well as what types of foundations are best for the beds. Spoiler alert, pretty much every type of foundation is going to be good for these beds – slotted bed, frames, adjustable bed frames and even the floor.
Aside from their pretty similar policy information, these two beds don’t really share that much in common, so let’s just dive right into this comparison and start going over the major reasons as to why you would get one over the other, starting out with the original Bear mattress.
Bear Mattress
This is a 10 inch thick bed that’s entirely comprised of foam layers.
Starting from the bottom, you have a dense support core of polyfoam, then you transition up to a layer of a more responsive foam, and on top you have a layer of graphite gel memory foam that’s designed to help with temperature regulation.
This construction adds up to give Bear mattress that quintessential memory foam feel.
You’re going to lay down on this bed and sink into that top layer, which will conform to the shape of your body quite nicely.
Some sleepers really enjoy that sinking and quality that memory foam provides because it can make you feel like you’re cradled in the bed.
But others don’t really like it too much because it can also make you feel like you’re trapped in the mattress when you go to rotate between sleeping positions.
But if you are a memory foam lover then you probably are going to want to go with Bear over Helix.
Also because it is an all-foam mattress, it’s probably going to work best for medium and petite sized individuals.
If you’re heavier, say over or around 250 pounds, I always recommend getting a hybrid mattress just because the coils within them provide a lot more support for bigger body types.
Luckily Bear does offer Bear hybrid, which uses a supportive layer of eight and a half inch pocketed coils, making it a super good option for heavier folks.
Another thing for Bear mattress is that it uses a Celliant cover.
If you didn’t know already, Celliant is basically a textile that’s been recognized by the FDA as a general wellness device. It’s supposed to help promote restful sleep, improve recovery times and increase circulation as you sleep.
I’m not scientist, so I don’t really have any physical evidence to back up that Celliant actually works as a product. But a lot of sleepers out there swear by this stuff.
If you lead more of an athletic lifestyle and you’re interested in the restorative qualities that a Celliant cover could potentially provide, then maybe Bear mattress would be right for you.
The last thing for Bear is that it’s the more affordable option when you compare to Helix.
As of when I’m doing this article, a queen size Bear mattress currently retails for right around $800. Whereas all the Helix core models usually retail for right around a thousand dollars.
Both companies do offer discounts and promotions from time to time. After discount it’ll come down closer to the $650 range.
Helix as a brand also does run discounts, as of right now you can pick up all their core models after discount for $900.
Helix Mattress
Let’s now move over to Helix.
Why would you go with this option over Bear mattress?
One thing for Helix is that they just offer way more options. Helix as a brand offers six core models. All six of those core models are also available in lux versions.
On top of that, they even offer Helix plus, which is an ultra supportive bed for heavier folks. And they even have a natural and organic mattress called Birch.
Having all these different options to choose from could be pretty confusing to the vast majority of us.
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But Helix actually offers a sleep quiz to determine which one of their beds is right for you.
Basically you fill out a short questionnaire that asks you things related to your BMI as well as other things, like what type of feel and firmness you prefer, what type of sleeper you are and at the end of it, it spits out the bed that’s most suitable for your sleeping preferences.
I think it’s a pretty novel concept that Helix adopted to direct consumers quickly and easily through their mattress lineup. It’s something that’s pretty unique to Helix as a brand.
Their beds also span across the entire firmness spectrum. If you’re looking for a truly soft or a firm mattress, they have those different options to choose from, unlike the Original Bear mattress, which is currently only offered in one firmness level.
Another thing for Helix is that all of their beds come with coils by default, making them the better option for heavier folks right off the bat.
As I mentioned earlier, if you are a heavier person, you want to look into getting a hybrid bed and since all of these beds come with coils by default, they’re going to be safe picks for heavier individuals in general.
All of the Helix beds also have a little bit of a different feel than the original Bear mattress. They’re going to have more of a neutral foam feel as opposed to a memory foam one.
Some Helix beds do lean toward the memory foam end of the spectrum, but in general the majority of them have that more familiar neutral foam feel that just about anyone is going to find accommodating.
When you lay down on a Helix bed, you’re going to find that they offer a pretty good amount of pressure relief from their comfort foams used on top, while also providing a good supportive foundation from the coils used underneath.
So if you know that you don’t want a memory foam bed and you want something with a layer of coils instead of support foam, then go with Helix all day.
And that’s pretty much it when it comes to comparing Bear versus Helix.
Any way you want to slice it, both of these are pretty dang good options. They each have their bells and whistles just like a lot of these other online beds.
But what it comes down to is basically this.
Go with the Original Bear mattress if you want the more affordable option with a memory foam feel and a Celliant cover.
And then go with Helix if you just want more options to choose from that’ll work for all body types and you’re looking for more of a neutral foam feel.
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Alex P. Davis has a BA in Interior Design from The New York School of Interior Design and 10 years of experience expertly designing sophisticated interiors.