How it feels
Soft — 4 on our gauge, and the softest mattress we are willing to recommend. There is close to three inches of yield before the coil unit engages, and lying down on it after a week on a medium-firm hybrid feels like being caught rather than supported.
Whether that is wonderful or alarming depends almost entirely on what you weigh.
The weight question, which decides everything
Our 135 lb tester rated the Sunset Luxe 9.6 for comfort, the highest single score we have ever given a mattress. Our 240 lb tester recorded 3.1 inches of hip sink on it, the worst spinal alignment figure in our records.
There is no version of this mattress that works for both people. If you are buying for a couple with a large weight difference, this is a Split King or nothing.
Pressure relief
The lowest peak shoulder pressure we have ever recorded, by a clear margin over the Midnight Luxe. For a side sleeper under about 150 lb who wakes with a numb arm or an aching hip, this mattress solves the problem outright rather than mitigating it.
Our lightest tester stopped logging morning shoulder pain from night two and did not report it again across thirty nights.
Support
8.1, which is the lowest number we will publish alongside a recommendation, and it is entirely a function of who is lying on it. Within the intended weight range the zoned lumbar coils keep alignment inside three degrees of neutral. Outside it, the numbers fall apart.
Back sleepers of any weight should look elsewhere. Stomach sleepers should not be considering a soft mattress at all.
Temperature and sharing the bed
+3.6°F over eight hours: warm. Thicker comfort foam means more insulation between you and the coils, and the Sunset has more of it than any other Helix Luxe model.
Motion isolation is excellent at 9.0, for the same reason — there is a lot of foam absorbing the drop before it reaches the springs. Edge support is 8.3, which is respectable but you will feel the perimeter yield when you sit.
Sunset Luxe or Midnight Luxe?
Midnight, unless you are under about 150 lb and sleep strictly on your side. The Midnight is the safer purchase for almost everyone, including most side sleepers, and it holds up as your weight changes.
The Sunset is a specialist mattress. Bought by the right person it is the best mattress on this site; bought by the wrong one it is the worst.