Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress review − a mattress made for marriage

My partner and I share a bed, but not a sleep style. He prefers a softer mattress to take some pressure off his aching back, while I appreciate a firmer surface to keep my spine aligned. In the past, we've struggled to find a mattress that meets both of our needs, but the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress feels just right for the two of us.

Lined with hundreds of supportive steel coils, each of which is carefully positioned for ergonomic alignment, the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress is an upgrade on your average box mattress. Retailing for around $1,300 for a Queen, this bed is just about affordable for the average American. I decided to put the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress to the test to work out whether it's worth the money.

As an H&G sleep expert, I'm part of the search to find the world's best mattress. While the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress won't be knocking our reigning champion off its top spot any time soon, this high-tech hybrid has a lot to offer for couples with different sleep needs and anyone in need of pressure relief. My partner says his back pain hasn't been as bad since we switched to the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress, which is a relief for both of us.

Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress review

I tested the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress for a few months at the start of last year. Whenever I test any mattress, I consider the six key attributes that make a good bed: comfort; support; cooling properties; motion isolation; edge support; and weight bearing capacity. I also consider the practical aspects of buying a bed, from mattress sleep trials to delivery details.

Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress Specifications

Who would the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress suit?

• Couples with different sleep styles: the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress is a true medium, made to support all sorts of sleepers. Since we started testing the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress, my partner and I have been sleeping comfortably for the first time in a long time.
• Side sleepers: out of all the sleep positions, side sleepers will feel most comfortable on the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress. There's plenty of give to cushion your joints and sufficient support to keep your spine in line.
• Hot sleepers: the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress combines the plush comfort of memory foam with the airflow of an innerspring. I'd say it's suitable for hot sleepers and summer nights, though you might want to dress it with a set of the best cooling sheets.

What's it like to sleep on the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress?

• Comfort and support: when I first lay down on the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress, I could feel myself sinking through the top layer of low-density foam, but I still felt supported. Helix sells this mattress as a true medium, ideal for side sleepers, and I'm inclined to agree. On a firmness scale of 1 to 10, I'd give the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress a 6.5 or a 7. I tend to flip from my side to my stomach throughout the night. The Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress felt soft enough to relieve the pressure from my hips yet firm enough to stop my back from arching when I slept on my stomach. My partner agrees that this plush mattress helped to alleviate his back pain, thanks to integrated pressure point relief.
• Breathability: as a hot sleeper who suffers from night sweats, I need a bed to keep me cool. The Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress did a decent job. Every time the spring coils compressed and depressed beneath my body weight, they pushed air through the bed, helping to dissipate heat and wick moisture. The soft-touch knitted cover also helped to boost breathability. Still, in its standard model, I wouldn't rank the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress among the best cooling mattresses. If you're a seriously hot sleeper, I suggest you upgrade and get the GlacioTex Pillow Top. That'll keep you cool, though it'll set you back another $350.

• Motion isolation: like any hybrid mattress, the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress has a nice level of bounce. That makes it much easier to get into and out of bed, but it does impact the motion isolation of the mattress. To see just how much motion transfers through the mattress, I filled a glass with water and set it in the center of the bed. Then, I took a dumbbell, the sort you'd find in any home gym, and moved it around the mattress. Wherever I placed the weight on the bed, it made the glass tip in that direction. The closer I came to the cup, the more the glass began to move. This indicates poor motion isolation, and that's what I experienced overnight. Every time my partner changed position in his sleep, I could feel it. If you're looking for a hybrid mattress with excellent motion isolation, I suggest the Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt Mattress, instead.
• Edge support: I expected more from the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress. On their website, Helix claims to reinforce the sides of their beds with a row of extra-strong steel coils. As someone who often sleeps on the edge of the bed, shunted to the side by my young son, I was looking forward to sleeping more comfortably. But I spoke too soon. I couldn't even sit on the side of the mattress to tie my sneakers without worrying that I'd slip off the sides. The WinkBeds Luxury Hybrid Mattress has far superior edge support (and motion isolation, for that matter).
• Sleep trial: the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress comes with a 100-night mattress sleep trial. That's just enough time to test your bed through several seasons, paying close attention to thermoregulation, before you need to commit to your purchase. If you're an indecisive shopper, and you'd like more time to make up your mind, I suggest you look for a mattress with a longer sleep trial: the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress is one of my favorites.
• Warranty: the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress comes with a 10-year mattress warranty. That might not sound quite as impressive as a lifetime warranty, but it's more realistic. You won't get much more than 10 years of use out of a hybrid mattress, anyway, and then you'll need to look for another.

How does the Helix Midnight Hybrid rate online?

The Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress boasts a 4.5 average star rating from more than 6,900 verified customer reviews. Happy customers praise the comfort and support of the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress, though several reviews mention that it took a while to get used to the feeling of the new bed. If you want to learn how to break in a mattress more quickly, I suggest you consult our expert guide.

There are a smattering of more mixed reviews, most of which concern the firmness of the mattress. Some people think that the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress feels too firm, while others think it feels too soft. Firmness is such a subjective thing, so I wouldn't pay too much attention to these reviews. What concerns me, and a few unhappy customers, is the poor edge support and lack of motion isolation.

Should I buy the Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress?

The Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress retails for $1,332 for a Queen. When you consider the cost of the high-density foam and supportive steel springs, that feels like a pretty reasonable price. Plus, if you're smart about it, you can always bag the bed for less in the mattress sales.

The Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress would make a great mattress for a guest room. The medium firmness should support all sleep positions and the cooling knit cover boosts breathability throughout the bed. The motion transfer and lack of edge support might prove problematic in the long-term, but your guests should be able to sleep comfortably for a few nights at a stretch.

How we test mattresses

We put a lot of thought into how we test mattresses. Our experts sleep on beds for months, ideally through several seasons, to monitor their performance throughout the year. We assess each bed against the same criteria: comfort; support; cooling properties; motion isolation; edge support; and weight bearing capacity.

Some of our tests are more subjective. The best way to measure the edge support of a mattress is to sit on the side of the bed and see how far you fall. Other tests are more scientific. We use a system of weights and water glasses to measure the motion isolation of a mattress. We also consider all the practical aspects of buying a mattress, from sleep trials to warranties to details of delivery.

Where possible, we compare our findings against verified customer reviews to show a range of perspectives on the same product. Finally, we bring it all back to the price of the mattress to help you determine value for money.