Helix Dusk Luxe mattress review in brief
Back and stomach sleepers are looking for the Goldilocks of mattresses — they need a sleep surface that is supportive enough to keep the spine nicely aligned, but not so firm that it results in pressure build-up. After three weeks of testing, plus a week of additional testing at a later date, we can confirm that the Helix Dusk Luxe is just right.
But how does it stand up against some of the other beds in our best mattress guide? Below you'll find our in depth review of the Helix Dusk Luxe, where we rate its performance across all key areas including motion isolation, pressure relief and edge support. However, if you only have time for the highlights, here’s our Helix Dusk Luxe review in brief…
Type: Hybrid
Materials: Memory foam, other foam, coils
Firmness (out of 10): Medium (6)
Depth: 13.5 inches
Trial period: 100 nights
Warranty: Limited lifetime
Price: From $1,373 to $2,873
The Helix Dusk Luxe is a specialist hybrid mattress crafted specifically with front and back sleepers in mind. It's 13.5-inch tall and consists of six layers – a mix of individually wrapped springs and multiple types of foam. There's plenty of cushioning and a bit of bounce but despite the medium feel, this is still a mattress you lie on top of, rather than sink into.
Like the best top-rated beds, the Dusk Luxe strikes the right balance of comfort and support, successfully keeping your spine aligned and hips supported throughout the night while the cloud-like pillow top provides enough pressure relief to keep aches and pain at bay.
The Helix Dusk Luxe does a decent job when it comes to temperature regulation. But if you sleep hot, you’ll want to splurge on the GlacioTex Cooling Cover. In terms of motion isolation, our tester liked that she could barely feel someone getting in and out of the bed, but did feel movement when the other person changed sleep positions.
Comfort is where this mattress really shines, though, thanks to the inclusion of a quilted pillow top cover — it's a dream for stomach sleepers. But it does well in most other key areas too. We were impressed by the edge support along the sides. You won’t slip off while sleeping or have difficulty getting out of bed. That said, the foot of the bed and the corners are less supportive.
This is a premium mattress and you'll be paying a premium price, even during regular mattress sales. A queen Helix Dusk Luxe typically sells for around $1,899, taking into account the standard 20% off. However, major holidays typically see a bump in discount, with 25%, 27% and even 30% off sales spotted by our sleep team. You'll get 100 nights to try it out plus a limited lifetime warranty to back your purchase.
Keep on reading to see how the mattress held up over the course of three weeks and during various tests. By the end, you’ll realize why we consider the Helix Dusk Luxe one of the best mattresses for stomach sleepers – and we find it a suitable option for back sleepers, as well.
Helix Dusk Luxe mattress review: price
- From the Helix Luxe collection, a premium mattress
- Helix offers 20% off year-round, upped to 25% on special occasions
- Come with a limited lifetime warranty and 100-night trial
The Dusk Luxe is from the Luxe mattress collection at Helix. This is the brand's mid-way option, more expensive than the Core line but cheaper than the sumptuous Elite beds. However, in the wider mattress market, we consider the Helix Dusk Luxe to be a premium design,
At full MSRP, a queen Dusk Luxe mattress costs $2,398.66. But you'll never have to pay full MSRP for the Dusk Luxe, with a year-round 20% off Helix mattress sale reducing a queen to around $1,899. This places it alongside other premium beds, such as the Saatva Classic and the Avocado Green mattress.
Here is a guide to the MSRP of all Helix Dusk Luxe mattress sizes, plus what you can typically expect to pay:
- Twin MSRP: $1373.80 (normally sells for $1,099)
- Twin XL MSRP: $1,623.80 (normally sells for $1,299)
- Full MSRP: $1,998.80 (normally sells for $1,599)
- Queen MSRP: $2,373.80 (normally sells for $1,899)
- King MSRP: $2,873.80 (normally sells for $2,299)
- California king MSRP: $2,873.80 (normally sells for $2,299)
- Short queen MSRP: $2,373.80 (normally sells for $1,899)
- RV king MSRP: $2,873.80 (normally sells for $2,299)
But savvy shoppers (and those who don't need a new bed right away) might want to time their purchase to a major sale event. During Memorial Day and President's Day this year, Tom's Guide readers could claim 27% off the Dusk Luxe with code TOMS27. Helix offered 25% off in the standard sale.
The best deal in recent months occurred over Memorial Day, when alongside 27% off every Luxe or Elite Helix mattress came with a free bedding bundle. We think it's unlikely this special offer will return before Black Friday.
Every Helix mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a limited lifetime warranty. Standard delivery is free but for an extra charge you can upgrade to white glove delivery and old mattress removal, available in select areas.
Helix Dusk Luxe mattress review: design
- A 13.5-inch hybrid with six internal layers and a pillow top
- Support and cooling upgrades are available for a fee
- Uses high density response foams and zoned coils for support
The Helix Dusk Luxe is a 13.5 inch tall luxury hybrid mattress consisting of six internal layers plus a plush pillow top. Like all the best hybrid mattresses we've tested, the Dusk Luxe uses both foams and coils to create comfort.
Starting from the bottom, the Dusk Luxe sits on a layer of DuraDense foam, designed to lend support and durability to the comfort layers above. Next comes the spring base, featuring reinforced coils at the edges and through the lumbar zone (the middle of the mattress.)
Above this is a layer of transition foam, which is designed to deliver support to the body. Sitting on this is another layer of transition foam, this time with a medium feel, before a comfort layer of specialist 'response' foam, intended to move with the body for adaptive support. Next, a layer of gel memory foam is used to enhance pressure relief before the quilted top with Tencel cover that finishes the mattress.
There are several upgrades available with the Helix Dusk Luxe, for a fee. Hot sleepers, you can switch the breathable Tencel cover for a cooling GlacioTex alternative, while a graphite ribbon 'CoolForce' layer is offered for those who regularly overheat. An additional ErgoAlign layer (denser support at the middle third integrated into the transition layer) can help sleepers with back pain.
All of Helix's hybrid mattresses are manufactured at the 3Z factory in Arizona using CertiPUR-US certified foams that are free from harmful chemicals. They're also GREENGUARD Gold Certified, ensuring they're low in the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to off-gassing. Instead of fiberglass, Helix uses a Rayon barrier woven with fire-retardant yarn.
Helix Dusk Luxe mattress review: Support and comfort
- A medium feel with super support for back and stomach sleeping
- Plenty of pressure relief but not enough cushioning for side sleeping
- A responsive feel, the foams quickly adapt to your shape
Since our testing, the Helix has revamped its mattress line-up, including upgrading the Tencel cover and adding denser foams to the Luxe range. We plan to retest the new Dusk Luxe soon but we predict the overall feel won't have changed much — our Helix Midnight Luxe mattress review team agreed the new model felt like the old one, but better.
After three weeks of testing, our lead reviewer — a back and stomach sleeper who's 5ft5in tall and weighs 170lbs — declared the Helix Dusk Luxe Mattress to be one of the most comfortable mattresses she's ever tried.
This was backed up by further testing, when a member of our sleep team spent a week using the mattress. As a dedicated stomach sleeper who gravitates towards firmer mattresses, she was skeptical the 'medium feel' of the Dusk Luxe could provide the support she needs. However, after a few nights she was ready to eat her words: the enhanced support lifted her hips to keep her spine aligned, while the cushioned top prevented pressure being placed on the stomach.
We rate the Dusk Luxe 6 out of 10 on the mattress firmness scale, which aligns with Helix's self-assessment. But that number might be a little misleading. Although the plush top provides foam cushioning at the knees, shoulders and hips, this isn't a mattress you sink into.
While the back and stomach sleepers on our wider testing panel praised the Dusk Luxe, the side sleepers found it less comfortable. The best mattresses for side sleepers have more cushioning at the hips and shoulders, to alleviate pressure build-up.
A lack of sink does, however, makes it easier to move around on the Dusk Luxe Mattress. Our secondary tester likes to change position in the night and she was pleased with how easy it was to adjust on the Dusk Luxe.
To further test the Helix Dusk Luxe's pressure relief, we placed a 20lb. weight in the center of the mattress. It sunk about half an inch. Again, this will better suit front and back sleepers who want some contouring while maintaining a medium level of support.
We haven’t tested the Dusk Luxe with the ErgoAlign layer but a member of our sleep team with back pain did try the Helix Midnight Elite with the upgraded support and found it soothed her aches.
Score: 4 out of 5
Helix Dusk Luxe mattress review: performance
- Minimal motion transfer
- Average temperature regulation
- Strong support at the edges
We tested a queen-size Helix Dusk Luxe mattress for three weeks, followed by a further week of additional testing. Our review team evaluated its motion isolation, edge support, and heat retention by sleeping on the mattress and doing a series of tests that involved dumbbell weights and feedback from other people.
Motion isolation
People with fidgety partners don’t want to be awoken in the middle of the night, which is why motion isolation is included as a part of our mattress methodology.
We observed the motion isolation of the Helix Dusk Luxe by placing an empty wine glass in the middle of the mattress and dropping a 20lb. weight from 4, 10, and 25 inches away. The wine glass swayed when we dropped the dumbbell from 10 and 25 inches away. From four inches away, the wine glass toppled over sometimes, but other times it wobbled before righting itself.
Our lead reviewer was also able to test this aspect by sharing the bed with someone else. When the other person was getting in and out of the bed, they barely felt them moving. However, the motion transfer was about average when the person moved from their back to their stomach, or vice versa.
The motion transfer for the Helix Dusk Luxe is good and should satisfy many customers, but if you're sharing a bed with an extremely restless partner, the best memory foam mattresses will do a better job of absorbing movements than a hybrid such as this one.
Score: 4 out of 5
Temperature regulation
The Helix Dusk Luxe retained more heat than we expected; however, it's not the worst our tester has experienced. For reference, our lead tester does not identify as a hot sleeper.
While the hybrid design did well against 80-degree nights during the three-week testing period, there were moments when our tester felt like the breathability of the mattress was average. Although her comforter was light, some nights, our tester could only sleep with a sheet, even with the A/C set at 76F and the fan on.
The quilted Tencel cover is soft but not cool to the touch. There is the option to upgrade to a GlacioTex Cooling Cover, which claims to draw heat away from your body, while very hot sleepers can also add CoolForce Graphite ribbons, intended to absorb and dissipate heat.
If you tend to overheat at night, consider paying extra for the GlacioTex upgrade or investing in one of the best cooling mattresses instead.
Score: 3.5 out of 5
Edge support
When we set a 20-lb. dumbbell along the edges of this mattress, it sunk about half an inch, which matches the sinkage in the middle of the bed. (Ideally, the sinkage of edges should be less than or equal to that in the center of the mattress.)
Despite reinforced coils along the perimeter, it was clear in our testing that the sides of the mattress are more reinforced and supportive than the foot of the bed or the corners. Our tester felt completely supported getting in and out of the bed and never thought she’d roll off when sleeping near the side. When sitting on a corner, she tended to slip off and sink much lower when sitting at the foot of the bed.
Score: 4 out of 5
Helix Dusk Luxe mattress review: Delivery and setup
- Mattress comes vacuum-sealed, rolled, and boxed
- Free FedEx shipping, but no White Glove delivery option
- Slight off-gassing smell at first
Helix ships its Helix Dusk Luxe mattress for free via FedEx. However, Helix has recently teamed up with delivery firm LoadUp, which means you can arrange to have your new mattress set up and your old mattress removed. Prices for this service depend on your location and should be arranged at checkout - just enter your zip code for an estimate.
For standard delivery, the mattress arrives rolled up and vacuum sealed. At least in terms of a queen, it can be easily moved from the porch to the bedroom by one person. But again – if you have mobility issues, have a friend or family member assist you. (A queen Dusk Luxe weighs 115lbs.)
Removing the mattress from the box was easier than most since it only required cutting the tape, resulting in the cardboard box springing open. We appreciated the lack of glue or staples along the edges, which can make removing a mattress more difficult.
Both the mattress and the free pillows expanded fully in about 15 minutes. Helix suggests waiting about two hours for the mattress to expand, which is quick even for the best mattresses in a box. Our tester slept on it that night.
There was a slight off-gassing smell from the mattress and the pillows when removed from their plastic, but it went away almost immediately. However, your experience will vary based on how large your room is, as well as how long you wait to unbox your mattress.
Helix Dusk Luxe mattress review: customer reviews
- Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars from over 1,400 reviews
- Lots of praise for overall comfort and pain relief
- Opinions are split on temperature regulation
The Helix Dusk Luxe is sold online through the Helix website and from third-part retailers such as Amazon, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Wayfair. You can also try the Dusk Luxe mattress in person at select Helix partner showrooms.
Customers rave over the comfort of this mattress, pointing out that for something that’s so supportive, it's also soft. Many back sleepers commented that after sleeping on a Helix Dusk Luxe, their back pain disappeared.
Some reviewers, however, complain that the mattress is too firm (while a few negative comments find it too soft.) This isn't unusual when buying a mattress as firmness is subjective and if the Dusk Luxe seems to firm at first, we recommend waiting a few weeks for the mattress to soften. If it's still not right for you, you can return the Dusk Luxe within Helix's 100-night trial period.
Opinions are split on the temperature-regulating properties of the Dusk Luxe. Some sleepers say it's comfortable while others complain that it traps heat, even with the addition of the upgraded cooling cover.
Should you buy the Helix Dusk Luxe mattress?
The Helix Dusk Luxe is worth the money for people who favor sleeping on their back or stomach. The cushioning is softer than expected for a stomach sleeper bed but it's also responsive, so you won't sink into the surface. We highly rate the support across the entire mattress, as it keeps you on top of the bed for healthy spinal alignment with enough plushness to prevent pressure build-up.
That said, the Dusk Luxe is not a mattress for side sleepers — not a surprise, as it's not the target audience. It may not be the ideal mattress for hot sleepers, either, though keep in mind our reviewer tested it out during one of the hottest times in Texas in recorded history. With the GlacioTex Cooling Cover upgrade, it might have fared better in this area.
The sides of the mattress are supportive but the foot of the bed may not be as reinforced – a heads up if you're inclined to sit there when getting dressed or putting on your shoes in the morning. Meanwhile, you’re unlikely to feel a partner get in and out of bed but you may feel their movements when they change positions at night. If you share a bed with a restless sleep partner, the DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress may be a better choice as it boasts some of the best motion isolation we've seen from a hybrid.
Overall, the Helix Dusk Luxe is an exceptional mattress for stomach sleepers and back sleepers who want to feel equal parts relief and support. A 100-night trial allows you plenty of time to try it out before making a final decision.
Helix Dusk Luxe mattress review: Alternatives to consider
Our highest rated mattress, we awarded full marks all-round in our Saatva Classic Mattress review. It's available in three firmness levels — Plush Soft, Luxury Firm and Firm — with Luxury Firm the closest to the Dusk Luxe. However, dedicated stomach sleepers might prefer the Firm. Look out for regular Saatva mattress sales which often reduce a queen from $2,099 to around $1,799.
The Dawn mattress is from the Core collection at Helix, which means it's not quite as luxurious as the Dusk Luxe. But it's also not as expensive, with a queen often selling for $1,099. In our Helix Dawn Mattress review we praised the firm support of the hybrid bed and recommend it to back and stomach sleepers who want to invest in a high quality mattress but don't have a huge budget.
Siena is one of our favorite budget mattress brands and the Premier Hybrid continues the brand's tradition of offering quality sleep for less. Don't expect the indulgent comfort (or longevity) of the Dusk Luxe but in our Siena Premier Hybrid mattress review we described it as "a solid performer" with a high build quality and in the year-round Siena mattress sale a queen is only $424.
