Is the updated Helix Midnight mattress any good? I’ve been sleeping on it for a week — here’s what I think so far

Helix Sleep has overhauled its entire lineup of mattresses, including the hugely popular Helix Midnight. Is the updated Midnight an improvement on the original? After sleeping on it for the past week, I’m so far impressed by its blend of pressure relief for side sleepers, premium build quality and value for money.

Helix ranks highly in our best mattress of the year guide and the Midnight sits in Helix’s Core (entry level) range, with a queen priced at $1,373.75 at MSRP and usually on sale for around $1,099 depending on the discount available.

As a fan of the Midnight’s more sophisticated sibling the Midnight Luxe, I was keen to see if the new updates to the original narrowed the performance gap between the two. Pressure relief is just as good, plus edge support seems sturdier than in our original Helix Midnight mattress review. Here’s a more in depth look at my first week sleeping on the Midnight mattress…

Helix Midnight mattress: Price, trial & warranty

• Regular 20% off sales brings a queen down to $1,099
• Discounts drop to 27% off for major sales and holiday, plus freebies
• The Midnight now comes with a limited lifetime warranty

Since its revamp the Helix Midnight has undergone a minor price increase, with a Twin and Twin XL now costing $50 more, and the biggest sizes costing $100 more. However, the price of a queen remains to same, $1,373.75. But you'll never have to pay that — a regular 20% off sale take a queen down to $1,099 most months.

Twin: MSRP $998.75 (usually sold at $799)
Twin XL: MSRP $123.75 (usually sold at $899)
Full: MSRP $1,248.75 (usually sold at $999)
Queen: MSRP $1,373.75 (usually sold at $1,099)
Short queen: MSRP $1,373.75 (usually sold at $1,099)
King: MSRP $1,811.25 (usually sold at $1,449)
Cal king: MSRP $1,811.25 (usually sold at $1,449)
RV king: MSRP $1,811.25 (usually sold at $1,449)

The best time to buy a Midnight is during major sales and holidays, like the upcoming Memorial Day mattress sales. We expect to see discounts reach as high as 27% off plus free pillows, which is the discount we saw during Black Friday.

The Midnight comes with a 100 night sleep trial, plus its warranty period has recently extended from 10 years to limited lifetime. While you will almost certainly replace your Midnight within 10 years, a lengthy warranty period is indicative of a quality product.

Helix Midnight mattress: twin $998.75 $799 at Helix Sleep
At full MSRP a queen is $1,373.75 but a regular 20% off Helix mattress sale takes that down to $1,099. If you want to buy at the best price and with free bedding thrown in, we recommend waiting for the Memorial Day where we expect to see discounts reach 27%. Mattress purchase comes with a 100 night sleep trial and lifetime warranty.

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Unboxing my new Helix Midnight mattress

• Comes vacuum compresses rolled and sealed in a box
• Shipping is free within the US
• Expands fully within 30-45 minutes

Like the best mattresses in a box, the Helix Midnight comes vacuumed compressed, rolled and sealed in a box for easy transport and delivery. The appeal of buying a mattress online this way is that the savings that brands make on bricks and mortar stores and storage trickle down to the consumer. That means that mattresses in a box are generally cheaper than mattresses that come traditionally flat, without any compromise on quality or craftsmanship.

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While convenient, mattresses in a box can be incredibly heavy so we would recommend waiting until there's two of you to shift the mattress to your room of choice.

Helix has partnered with LoadUp to offer a delivery and removal service, should you want it. The additional cost and availability depends on your exact location, which is calculated at checkout. Otherwise, delivery is free within the US and is shipped within 3-5 business days of ordering.

Most mattresses in a box take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours to fully expand after being compressed. The Helix Midnight takes an impressive 30 to 45 minutes to fully expand.

I was quietly skeptical that this could be true but the Midnight immediately sprang to life after being cut from its wrapping and was ready to sleep on within the hour. While there was a very minimal smell when the Midnight was released from its box (this is called mattress off gassing) but it quickly dissipated and wasn't at all overpowering.

My first week testing the new Helix Midnight mattress

Night 1: We're not on the Luxe anymore

I went from sleeping on the Helix Midnight Luxe, which we deem to be the best mattress for side sleepers on the market today. I love the Luxe for its exceptional pressure relief and lumbar support (and you can read more in my Helix Midnight Luxe mattress review) so the Midnight was always going to have big shoes to fill.

My initial thoughts were that the Midnight is shallow. But at 11.5" tall, it's actually pretty average — but the Luxe has an extra 2" for its plush pillow top, which is partly why it's one of the best luxury mattresses you can buy.

However, once I became accustomed to its neater build, I could appreciate that the updated Midnight is actually slighter taller than it used to be. That's down to the updated BreatheKnit cover with a layer of quilted gel memory foam for enhanced pressure relief.

Helix rates the Midnight as a 6/10 for firmness, but I would describe it as being slightly softer at 5-6/10. Climbing into bed on the first night, the touch points of the mattress — my shoulders, hips and knees — immediately sunk into the bed, removing any pressure from those areas.

That said, I was surprised the next morning to find myself on my back. I can only assume that I shifted around during the night in order to get comfortable. Still, although it's plush, the Midnight boasts enough support for me to sleep comfortably on my back, so this wasn't an issue.

Night 2-7: Adjusting to the plushness

I share my bed with my husband (and often our kids and cat), so sturdy edges are important. The best hybrid mattresses tend to offer excellent support around the bed's edge, thanks to their responsive and robust supportive layers. In our original review of the Midnight edge support was an issue, despite its support steel coils for reinforced support.

So far, this hasn't been my experience. I'm sleeping right up to the bed's edge and I feel adequately supported. That said, edge support is better on the Luxe and Elite models and is full perimeter, as opposed to just the two sides on the Midnight. If you have mobility issues or are of a heavier build, it could be worth going for a higher spec model.

Happily, and consistent with our original review, motion isolation on the Midnight continues to be excellent. In the week that I have been sleeping on it, I haven't been startled awake when children (and animals) climb in an out of bed, which is always a bonus.

So far, temperature regulation has been reliable. However, it will be interesting to see how the standard breathable knit cover holds up as we nudge closer to summer and temperatures begin to soar. If you're a very hot sleeper, there is an option to upgrade to a GlacioTex cooling pillow top cover (+$299). In its upgraded version, this now boasts slightly denser foam.

While I'm yet to wake up in any pain, as someone with recurrent lower back issues I would personally upgrade to the new ErgoAlign layer for targeted lumbar support (+$199.) Lumbar support is a feature of some of the best mattresses for back pain and I appreciate the option of including that level of support in my mattress without having to pay a premium price for a specialist bed.

Helix Midnight mattress: My early thoughts

It's widely accepted that the minimum time it takes to get used to sleeping on a new mattress is 30 nights, which is why any decent sleep trial will exceed that. So seven nights spent sleeping on the Helix Midnight isn't really a true reflection of what it will feel like (I'll save that for my full review.)

However, I can say at this early stage that pressure relief for side sleepers is excellent. What's more, the Midnight is supportive enough for me (an average weight woman) to sleep comfortably on my back.

That said, it is a little too plush for my heavier weight back sleeping husband who requires firmer support. Differing sleep needs is a common gripe among bed sharing couples, and the sink in softness of the Midnight may be a deal breaker for one of you.

If that's the case, I would recommend either upgrading to the Luxe (which, at a true 6/10 for firmness, is slighter more supportive than the 5/10 that we rate the Midnight) or investing in a dual support mattress topper.

Would I recommend the Helix Midnight? If you're a light or average weight side sleeper looking for a reasonably priced mattress with plenty of pressure of pressure relief, excellent motion isolation and a decent enough temperature regulation and edge support, then yes — I recommend the Midnight. But if you're heavier than average or predominantly a back or stomach sleeper, this mattress isn't for you.