What is the Helix Twilight and should you buy it?

The image shows a woman sitting at the foot of the Helix Twilight mattress, which is placed on a wooden bed frame in a neutrally decorated bedroom

(Image credit: Future)

Helix’s USP is that it has a mattress to suit every body type and sleeping style, and nowhere is this truer than with the slightly unusual Helix Twilight, a firm mattress for side sleepers.

I'm currently testing a Helix Twilight Mattress and will be going under the covers to share whether or not it may be the right fit for your sleep needs. Helix already makes some of the best mattresses for side sleepers on the market, so is the Helix Twilight another addition to this list?

Offering a keen combination of support and comfort, the Helix Twilight is a fantastic option for average and heavyweight side sleepers, but back and front sleepers probably won’t get on with this mattress. Nor will lighter side sleepers, who could find it too unyielding.

Evergreen discounts on some of the best mattresses at Helix mean there’s always a mattress sale ongoing, so you'll never have to pay MSRP. But is the Helix Twilight worth the investment at any price? Keep reading for my thoughts...

Helix Twilight Mattress: Brief overview

The Helix Twilight shares many characteristics with the best firm mattresses on the market, but it’s aimed at side sleepers. I'm currently testing the Helix Twilight — you can read my initial thoughts on the Helix Twilight mattress — and rate its firmness at 8 out of 10 (firm).

Helix Twilight Mattress: Prices and deals

Evergreen Helix mattress sales mean you’ll never pay MSRP for the Helix Twilight, with the standard discount being 20%. We do see this rise to 25% fairly regularly, especially around major sales events, although we have seen the discount rise as high as 30% occasionally. You’ll normally get two free pillows with purchase.

Expect to pay $745.60 for a twin mattress with the standard 20% discount (MSRP $932) and $1,065.60 for a queen (MSRP $1,332). At major sales events, our exclusive code TOMS27 will take 27% off, reducing a twin to $680.36.

The Helix Twilight comes with a 100-night sleep trial and free shipping. Even better, Helix recently extended its warranty so that you’ll now get a limited lifetime warranty instead of the 10 years offered previously. There’s also the option to upgrade to White Glove Delivery and removal of your old mattress, with prices varying according to your ZIP code.

The Helix Twilight is, as you'd expect from a premium mattress, incredibly well made and well designed, with a build quality that we would expect to be highly durable. If it's the right fit for your body type and sleeping style, it's certainly worth investing in - just make sure you know when it's the best time to buy a mattress to ensure you maximise your savings.

Twin: MSRP $932 (on sale for $680.36)
Twin XL: MSRP $1061.33 (on sale for $774.77)
Full: MSRP $1,248 (on sale for $911.04)
Queen / Short Queen: MSRP $1,332 (on sale for $972.36)
King / Cal King / RV King: MSRP $1,732 (on sale for $1,264.36)

Helix Twilight Mattress: Customer, forum and expert opinions

Our experience with the Helix Twilight is obviously only the view of a select group of reviewers, so it's vital to see how the mattress is seen by other users and reviewers. Other reputable review sites agreed broadly with our findings, with most feeling the mattress is best suited to average and heavier weight side sleepers.

Helix Twilight Mattress: Design, comfort, support

The Helix Twilight is a hybrid mattress featuring a combination of coils and foams. It's quite a simple design, starting with a breathable knit cover; however, there is the option to upgrade to a GlacioTex cooling cover if you’re a very hot sleeper.

GlacioTex is used in some of the best cooling mattresses and does an exceptional job of keeping both mattress and sleeper cool and comfortable — but it's quite a slippery material. Up next is a layer of high-density copper gel memory foam that’s designed to offer pressure relief. (Copper is also known for its ability to help regulate temperature, as well as its antimicrobial properties.)

Under this is a layer of Helix Responsive Foam, for support followed by another layer of responsive foam and another layer of individually wrapped coils that help to isolate motion and keep you supported. A layer of thick high-density foam finishes off the mattress' design. It's a similar design to the DreamCloud mattress, although I feel this is more suited to back and stomach sleepers.

Comfort-wise, the Helix Twilight rates at 8 out of 10 on the firmness scale, but is still best suited to dedicated side sleepers.Average and heavyweight side sleepers will get plenty of comfort along with excellent spinal alignment and support.

However, I'm a lightweight sleeper and over the testing period, I began to feel a little pressure building up on my right hip. Lighter side sleepers will probably get on better with the Helix Midnight, which has a medium to medium firm feel. Learn more about it in our Helix Midnight Mattress review.

The image shows two women sliding the Helix Twilight mattress out of a cardboard box and placing onto a wooden bed frame — (Image credit: Future)

Surprisingly, given its firmer feel, we didn’t think that the Helix Twilight was suited for back and stomach sleepers.

Because it’s designed to offer a little ‘flex’ at the hips and shoulders, we felt that lumbar support was a little lacking in these sleeping positions. I'm a combo sleeper and found the mattress aggravated my neck pain when lying on my back.

Support across the mattress is excellent, with the firmer feel meaning there's excellent motion isolation - this is a good mattress for couples who share a bed with a restless partner.

The coil layer is reinforced on the lengthways sides, which means you'll get excellent edge support to spread out across the whole bed. However, I was disappointed to find the edges aren't reinforced at the head and foot of the mattress - this is not a stable surface to sit on at the end of the bed.

If you want edge support round the entire mattress, you'll need to upgrade to the Helix Twilight Luxe.

Surprisingly, given its firmer feel, we didn’t think that the Helix Twilight was suited for back and stomach sleepers. Because it’s designed to offer a little ‘flex’ at the hips and shoulders, we felt that lumbar support was a little lacking in these sleeping positions.

I'm a combination sleeper and found the mattress aggravated my neck pain when lying on my back.

Motion isolation for the Helix Twilight is excellent so it's a good mattress for couples who share a bed with a restless partner. Temperature regulation is also impressive, even with the standard cover.

Edge support is a little disappointing though – the reinforced sides are comfortable to sit on and allow sleepers to use the full width of the mattress, but you can’t sit on the ends of the bed without feeling as if you might slide off.

Helix Twilight Mattress: Our verdict

If you only sleep on your side and prefer a firmer mattress, the Helix Twilight could be a perfect fit. It's best suited to average and heavier weight side sleepers, who will find their spines kept aligned, pressure points cushioned and aches and pains eased.

Excellent motion isolation makes the Twilight a great choice for those sharing with a restless partner and temperature regulation is good as well, with the option to upgrade to a cooling cover if you're a really hot sleeper.

However, back and stomach sleepers are unlikely to find this bed comfortable, meaning it is designed to fit a more niche market.

Buy the Helix Twilight Mattress if…

✅ You’re an average or heavier weight side sleeper: If you’re of these builds and enjoy a firmer feel while sleeping on your side, the Helix Twilight could well be your dream mattress — and you’ll still get plenty of cushioning at your pressure points.

✅ You share your bed with a restless partner: The Helix Twilight scores high marks for motion isolation and you’re unlikely to feel any movement from a restless partner.

✅ You sleep hot: It’s not a dedicated cooling mattress but we were highly impressed with the cooling capabilities of the Helix Twilight. Plus, there's the option to upgrade to a GlacioTex cooling cover for extra relief.

Don’t buy the Helix Twilight Mattress if…

❌ You’re a lightweight sleeper: The Helix Twilight is too firm for lightweight side sleepers and won’t offer enough cushioning around the hips.

❌ You’re a combination sleeper: Unless you’re a dedicated side sleeper, we wouldn’t recommend the Helix Twilight as it just doesn’t have quite enough lumbar support to keep the spine aligned in other sleeping positions.

❌ You want all-round edge support: The Twilight might have good edge support lengthways but it’s pretty dismal at the top and bottom, with a large amount of sinkage that makes it comfortable to sit on in these spots.

Jo Plumridge is an experienced mattress reviewer with several years' experience covering all things mattresses and sleep, and who tests memory foam, hybrid and organic mattresses. What Jo doesn't know about a boxed mattress isn't worth knowing, so naturally we tasked her with producing a series of features for Tom's Guide looking at all aspects of mattresses, from how to pick between latex and memory foam (it's a tricky one), to the seven mistakes people make when buying a mattress for the first time. When testing the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid for Tom's Guide, Jo said: "I loved the back support and pressure relief it offered. Plus, it looks far more expensive than it is." When she isn’t writing about sleep, Jo also writes extensively on interior design, home products and photography.