diff --git a/tests/unit/image/test_xarray_helper.py b/tests/unit/image/test_xarray_helper.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b5c865
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/image/test_xarray_helper.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import numpy as np
+import pytest
+import sparse
+from xarray import DataArray
+
+from depiction.image.xarray_helper import XarrayHelper
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def dense_dataarray() -> DataArray:
+    data = np.array([[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6]])
+    return DataArray(data, dims=["x", "y"])
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def sparse_dataarray() -> DataArray:
+    data = sparse.COO.from_numpy(np.array([[1, 0, 0], [0, 0, 6]]))
+    return DataArray(data, dims=["x", "y"])
+
+
+def test_is_sparse_dense(dense_dataarray) -> None:
+    assert not XarrayHelper.is_sparse(dense_dataarray)
+
+
+def test_is_sparse_sparse(sparse_dataarray) -> None:
+    assert XarrayHelper.is_sparse(sparse_dataarray)
+
+
+def test_ensure_dense_dense(dense_dataarray) -> None:
+    result = XarrayHelper.ensure_dense(dense_dataarray)
+    assert isinstance(result.data, np.ndarray)
+    assert np.array_equal(result.data, dense_dataarray.data)
+
+
+def test_ensure_dense_sparse(sparse_dataarray) -> None:
+    result = XarrayHelper.ensure_dense(sparse_dataarray)
+    assert isinstance(result.data, np.ndarray)
+    assert np.array_equal(result.data, sparse_dataarray.data.todense())
+
+
+def test_ensure_dense_copy(dense_dataarray) -> None:
+    result = XarrayHelper.ensure_dense(dense_dataarray, copy=True)
+    assert isinstance(result.data, np.ndarray)
+    assert np.array_equal(result.data, dense_dataarray.data)
+    assert result is not dense_dataarray
+    assert np.shares_memory(result.data, dense_dataarray.data) == False
+
+
+def test_ensure_dense_no_copy(dense_dataarray) -> None:
+    result = XarrayHelper.ensure_dense(dense_dataarray, copy=False)
+    assert result is dense_dataarray
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    pytest.main()