Helix Dawn Mattress review 2025: A stomach sleeper's dream

Helix Dawn Mattress Review In Brief

The Helix Dawn is a mid-range hybrid mattress designed for stomach sleepers, and after sleeping on it for three weeks I feel it would suit back sleepers too. That's thanks to a firmly supportive feel and plenty of pressure relief for those sleeping positions.

Helix of course is one of America's most trusted sleep brands and two of the brand's mattresses are featured among the top-rated options in our best mattress of the year guide because they performed incredibly well in all our in-house mattress tests.

As a stomach sleeper and occasional back sleeper I was the ideal person on the Tom's Guide mattress review team to put the Helix Dawn through its paces to discover if it does or doesn't live up to the hype. Here's what I discovered after four weeks of testing and whether I think it's worth buying in this year's Memorial Day mattress sales...

Stomach sleeping can be bad for your back if you have an unsupportive bed that doesn't keep your body on top of the mattress (necessary to prevent painful dipping of your spine). After just one night on the Helix Dawn, my spine felt straightened out and I felt more refreshed and rested than I had in a good while.

The Helix Dawn was also a hit among the back sleepers on the testing panel I assembled. Although the thick foams don't offer the cushioned contouring of a softer mattress, I could feel them yield beneath my body to distribute my weight evenly. The most effective pressure relief I felt was at my knees and hips, with the mattress providing ample support from my toes up.

However, this limited pressure relief would lead to pain in my shoulder if I spent too long lying on my side — dedicated side sleepers should consider a softer bed, such as the Helix Midnight (see our Helix Midnight mattress review) or the Saatva Classic Plush (see our Saatva Classic mattress review to learn why we rate it).

I think that most sleepers will be happy with the motion isolation and temperature regulation the Helix Dawn provides, while even my fussy mom approved of the edge support at the sides. I'll dive into these features more in the performance section.

After testing it for a month, I think the Helix Dawn is good value for money. The build quality is high and the support is superb. I recommend it to stomach sleepers who want a supportive mattress that costs under $1,100 for a queen, and to heavier back sleepers wanting a firmer feeling yet slightly bouncy mattress.

Helix Dawn Mattress review: Price & trial

• From the Helix Core range, a queen selling for $1,099 most months
• You can normally save up to 27% during major holiday sales
• Comes with a 100-night trial and limited lifetime warranty

The Helix Dawn is from the Core line-up of Helix mattresses. The monthly Helix mattress sale contains a 20% discount that reduces a queen to around $1,099, placing the mattress in the upper end of the mid-range market. That discount jumps to around 27% during major holiday sales such as the Helix Memorial Day mattress sale in May and the Black Friday mattress sales in November.

The Helix Dawn mattress comes in a large size range, including RV king and short queen. Here's how much the mattress costs in 2025, both MSRP and average sale price with a fairly regular 20% discount:

• Twin MSRP: $998.75 (normally sold at $799)
• Twin XL MSRP: $1,123.75 (normally sold at $899)
• Full MSRP: $1,248.75 (normally sold at $999)
• Queen MSRP: $1,373.75 (normally sold at $1,099)
• King MSRP: $1,811.25 (normally sold at $1,499)
• Cal king MSRP: $1,811.25 (normally sold at $1,499)
• Short queen MSRP: $1,373.75 (normally sold at $1,099)
• RV king MSRP: $1,811.25 (normally sold at $1,499)

I think the Helix Dawn Mattress is competitively priced and represents good value for the performance. It's one of the top-rated hybrid mattresses to buy online and is in the same ballpark (in terms of value vs performance) as the DreamCloud Premier Hybrid mattress (around $899 for a queen) and the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid mattress (around $999 for a queen).

There are upgrades available for the Helix Dawn too. These include a GlacioTex cooling cover for $299, and an ErgoAlign foam layer (for extra back support) for $199. Like all Helix Core mattresses, the Dawn is available in a Luxe and Elite model, for added luxury.

Benefits-wise you'll get free standard shipping, a 100-night sleep trial and a limited lifetime mattress warranty. Those aren't as competitive as the 365-night trial, lifetime warranty, and free white glove delivery (free installation, plus free old mattress and base removal) offered by luxury rival Saatva. However Helix benefits are still above average and the company doesn't charge a returns of exchanges fee whereas Saatva does ($99).

Helix Dawn: twin was $998.75 now $799 at Helix
You can usually save 20% on the Helix Dawn in monthly mattress sales with a queen reduced to $1,099 (MSRP $1,373.75.) If you can wait to buy, I'm expecting a bigger saving in the Helix Memorial Day mattress sale — hopefully the return of 25% off.

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Helix Dawn Mattress review: Design

• 11.5" tall hybrid mattress with six internal layers
• CertiPUR-US and GREENGUARD Gold certified, fiberglass free
• Optional cooling and support upgrades available

The Helix Dawn Mattress is a hybrid model from the brand's Core collection, which makes it the most basic of the Dawn designs. Despite that it still features six internal layers, including springs and foams.

Beneath the Dawn's breathable cover is a layer of gel memory foam followed by a layer of latex foam-alternative. Together, these are designed to provide responsive pressure relied.

Next is a double layer of response foams, to cradle the body while offering support. You'll find similar layers in all Helix Core mattresses, but the Dawn model features the brand's firmest foams.

Next is a layer of springs. These are individually wrapped to limit motion transfer and the lengthwise sides are reinforced (this should increase support when you sit on the edge of the bed.) Finally, a layer of base foam enhances the overall durability.

Hot sleepers can pay to switch the knit cover for a cooling GlacioTex design. And if you want extra support at the lower back, an ErgoAlign upgrade adds firmer foams to the central third of the mattress.

Helix Dawn Mattress review: Comfort & support

• A firm mattress, 8/10 on the firmness scale
• Strong support from head to toe for back and stomach sleepers
• Minimal contouring but good pressure relief

As soon as I lay down I liked the Helix Dawn, but some mattresses take time to break in so I spent four weeks sleeping on it to allow my body to fully adjust. And because comfort is subjective I asked people with different body types and sleep needs to sleep on my Helix Dawn too.

Helix rates the Dawn as an 8-9 out of 10 on the mattress firmness scale. I found this largely accurate and my testing panel agreed, although those with a lightweight build felt it was even firmer. For comparison, in my Plank Firm Mattress review I rated that bed as a 9 out of 10 on the firmness scale, so I think the Helix Dawn has a little more give than that ultra firm design.

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I'm primarily a front sleeper and carry weight at the hips, so I value a mattress that supports my lower back. The Helix Dawn is one you lie on top of, not sink into, so it held my spine straight overnight. As a result, I never woke up with lower back pain. I've tested several of the best mattresses for stomach sleepers and the Dawn's support ranks among my top picks now.

The back sleepers on my testing panel found the Helix Dawn the most comfortable. One member praised the immediate support, noting that while it was firm there was enough cushioning to create a cozy feel.

I tend to move onto my side during the night and found the Dawn comfortable for shorter bursts of side sleeping. Although I had to shake life back into my arm if I spent too long sleeping on my side.

That's because the Helix Dawn hasn't got much give. It's firm and responsive, so when you press into the bed it lightly adapts to your shape, bouncing back quickly when you move. This creates great pressure relief at the knees and hips but it lacked contouring at the shoulders.

For that reason, the members of my testing panel who favor side sleeping struggled to get comfortable on the Helix Dawn Mattress. Good side sleeper mattresses typically have a softer finish, which you don't get here.

For an objective test of pressure relief I placed a 50lb weight in the center of the Dawn, measuring the sink at around 1.5 to 2". This limited sink indicates some pressure relied but limited contouring, inline with our subjective results.

Score: 4.5 out of 5

Helix Dawn Mattress review: Delivery & set-up

• A boxed mattress that comes vacuum packed and rolled
• Expands quickly and is ready to sleep on after one hour
• Minor off-gassing smell that fades quickly

The Helix Dawn comes compressed, wrapped, rolled and packed in a box. I found it easy to set up, although I recommend asking a friend or family member to help you — my full size testing mattress was a two-person job. No side handles means it hard to grip the mattress too, but this is a minor issue for me.

I did noticed a slight mattress off-gassing smell after unboxing the Helix Dawn, although it was mild and dissipated quickly. Even those with sensitive noses are unlikely to be disturbed by the light chemical smell.

Out of the packaging the mattress expanded quickly. Helix recommends waiting 30 to 45 minutes for your mattress to reach full height and after this time had elapsed, it looked ready to go. Even among the best mattresses in a box we've tested this was a fast expansion time.

Standard delivery is free but Helix does offer delivery upgrades. You can add in-home set-up, old mattress removal, or a combination of the two, for an extra charge.

Score: 4.5 out of 5

Helix Dawn Mattress review: Performance

• Good motion isolation — your partner shouldn't disturb you
• Strong support at the lengthwise sides
• Maintains a neutral temperature with optional cooling upgrade

I've spent four weeks sleeping on the Helix Dawn and have gathered the opinions of a wider testing panel to se how the mattress performs compared to this year's best mattresses in a box for all sleepers. In addition to these objective tests I conducted a series of subjective tests in our sleep studio. A full run-down of the Tom's Guide testing process can be found in our mattress testing methodology.

Motion transfer

Bed sharing can disrupt your sleep, which is why motion isolation is key to our testing criteria — how much movement travels from one side of the mattress to the other?

To measure this, we use subjective testing. Balancing a wine glass on one side of the mattress, we drop a weight from set heights and distances on the other side. The more the wine glass wobbles, the more movement travels.

Dropping the weight from 25" away and four inches high resulted in a slight wobble. We repeated the test from 8" high and noted a larger wobble, with a significant wobble when dropped from 12".

This indicates good motion isolation, something our subjective tests supported. I sleep alone but I asked members of the panel to get on the bed as I rested. Even when my testers enthusiastically jumped in and out of bed, I remained undisturbed.

However, the combination of springs and responsive foams means some motion does travel. If you're a light sleeper (or you share with a particularly restless partner), consider the superior motion isolation often provided by the thick foams of the best memory foam mattresses.

Score: 4 out of 5

Temperature regulation

For the first few weeks of sleeping on the Helix Dawn I was highly impressed with the temperature regulation. This mattress isn’t cool to the touch — something you could reasonable expect from a top cooling mattress — but it did remain at a neutral temperature throughout the night.

During the end of my testing period the weather took a turn for the hotter. The combination of an east-facing window and improperly-adjusted central heating led to some warm mornings.

This meant I kicked my covers off pretty sharpish following my alarm, but I never woke up during the night from overheating. However, if you experience night sweats of hot flashes, expect the Dawn to retain some warmth.

Helix offers a GlacioTex cooling cover upgrade for hot sleepers. Using heat wicking fibers to draw warmth from the body, we tried GlacioTex during our Brooklyn Bedding Luxury Cooling Mattress Protector review — and awarded temperature regulation five stars.

Score: 4 out of 5

Edge support

The Dawn uses reinforced coils at the long edges of the mattress to strengthen edge support. I found these effective, as I could sit, lie and even dangle over the edge of the bed (I have a tendency to knock my phone off my night stand) and remain supported.

I also asked my mom's opinion on edge support. Dodgy knees means she needs to push against the side of the mattress to comfortably get in and out of bed — edge support is crucial to her.

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She was impressed, albeit not blown away, by the Helix Dawn. She noted there's some sink when you first sit but she felt supported overall and could get on and off the bed easily.

These results are backed up by our subjective testing. I balanced a 50lb weight on the side of the bed and measured only a 1.5 inch sink, similar to the support in the center.

However, the Dawn lacks reinforcements at the corners of the bed, as well as the head and feet. In these areas, the weight sank around two inches and from objective testing, it was harder to balance.

Score: 4.5 out of 5

Helix Dawn Mattress review: User reviews

There are upwards of 1,300 reviews for the Helix Dawn Mattress, with the majority of them positive. Customer praise the firm feel and support, with one reviewer noting "no more lower back pain" after sleeping on the Dawn.

Negative reviews often focus on the feel; some find it too soft, others too firm. As noted, mattress firmness is subjective, with body weight and sleep style impacting the feel. One of the many advantages of a mattress with a sleep trial, is you can try the bed at home to see how you respond to it. Helix' 100-night trial should be enough time to adjust.

Some reviews also note issues with longevity and this is something I'll keep an eye on moving forward. At the end of the testing period, I'm happy with the overall quality of the bed.

Many of these reviews are for the older Helix Dawn design — Helix revamped its entire mattress line-up in 2025. The changes to the Core models are minimal (primarily, an improved cover) but worth keeping in mind when perusing reviews.

Should you buy the Helix Dawn mattress?

The Helix Dawn Mattress seems aimed at me; a stomach sleeper seeking reliable support but without a massive budget. And I think it's pretty much a bullseye.

The support is excellent, with the firm foams holding my spine straight when lying on my front. It's also a good choice for back sleeping — all the back sleepers on our testing panel praised the Dawn — while the gentle contouring offers pressure relief to combi-sleepers who need comfort in every position.

However, side sleepers, particularly those with a light build, should check out our Helix Midnight Mattress review instead. A softer cousin of the Dawn, the Midnight features ample cushioning to cradle side sleepers throughout the night. Although the Dawn is comfortable for some side sleeping, too long in this position tended to result in arm tingles.

The Dawn also impressed in my performance tests. Bed sharers will appreciate how the thick foams absorb movement, and the sturdy sides allow you to stretch out without losing support. Some slight overheating might impact those with night sweats, but for the average sleeper, the Dawn remains neutral overnight.

With a high build quality and a mid-range price tag, the Helix Dawn Mattress delivers good value for money. Particularly if you can catch a Helix 25% off sale, as these pop up semi-regularly.

Helix Dawn Mattress: Alternatives to consider