Helix Dawn Mattress Review

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The Helix Dawn mattress is a supportive hybrid bed from the popular Helix brand. Due to its construction, this mattress will likely appeal to particular sleep styles and won’t be an appropriate match for other types of sleepers.

Not sure whether the Helix Dawn is well-suited to your sleep needs and preferences? Read on for our comprehensive, unbiased Helix Dawn mattress review! We’ll detail who might like the Helix Dawn (and who might not) and assess this mattress’s construction, firmness, feel, and performance.

Helix Dawn Mattress

Helix Dawn Mattress Review

The Helix Dawn is one of the company's firmest models. Because of this, it should be a supportive option for stomach sleepers.

Clarity Score 4.1/5

Material

Hybrid

Trial Period

100 nights

Shipping Method

Free shipping

Firmness

Firm: 7.5/10

Warranty

10-year warranty

Price Range

$899 - $1549

We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:

Couples
This bed has great motion isolation so you will not feel your partner tossing and turning at night.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for average weight back sleepers.
Stomach Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight stomach sleepers.

Financing Options

Financing options are available for this mattress.

Average Customer Rating
4.5/5

Helix Dawn Mattress

Helix Dawn Mattress Review

The Helix Dawn is one of the company's firmest models. Because of this, it should be a supportive option for stomach sleepers.

Clarity Score 4.1/5

Material

Hybrid

Warranty

10-year warranty

Firmness

Firm: 7.5/10

Shipping Method

Free shipping

Trial Period

100 nights

Price Range

$899 - $1549

We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:

Couples
This bed has great motion isolation so you will not feel your partner tossing and turning at night.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for average weight back sleepers.
Stomach Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight stomach sleepers.

Financing Options

Financing options are available for this mattress.

Average Customer Rating
4.5/5
Helix Dawn Mattress Review

Helix Dawn Mattress

The Helix Dawn is one of the company's firmest models. Because of this, it should be a supportive option for stomach sleepers.

Clarity Score 4.1/5

Material

Hybrid

Firmness

Firm: 7.5/10

Trial Period

100 nights

Warranty

10-year warranty

Shipping Method

Free shipping

Price Range

$899 - $1549

We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:

Couples
This bed has great motion isolation so you will not feel your partner tossing and turning at night.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for average weight back sleepers.
Stomach Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight stomach sleepers.

Financing Options

Financing options are available for this mattress.

Average Customer Rating
4.5/5

Helix Dawn Mattress Overview

As noted above, this mattress is fairly polarizing. It’s especially well-suited to some sleepers, while it won’t be at all comfortable for others. Here’s a quick overview of who’s most likely to want the Helix Dawn mattress and who might prefer to keep looking for another bed.

Who Might Like The Helix Dawn?

  • Stomach sleepers, who need plenty of support
  • Folks who prefer to sleep on a firmer mattress
  • People who enjoy a bouncier feel on top of their mattress

Who Might Not Like The Helix Dawn?

  • Side sleepers, who might not get enough pressure relief on this bed
  • People who enjoy sleeping on a soft mattress
  • Folks who prefer a memory foam feel

Helix Dawn Firmness And Feel

When we’re reviewing a mattress, we always consider its firmness and feel first. This will start to give you an idea if the Helix Dawn is the right mattress for you.

How Firm Is The Helix Dawn?

We ranked the Helix Dawn around a 7.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale. The industry standard for medium firmness is 6.5/10, so this suggests the Helix Dawn is quite firm. In fact, it’s the firmest mattress in the Helix line.

Note that firmness is a bit subjective, so you might rank this mattress a bit differently. But it’s safe to say that pretty much everyone will find this mattress to be on the firm side.

Sleeping On The Helix Dawn

We felt great while back sleeping on the Helix Dawn. The firm nature of this mattress kept our spine well supported and aligned. One possible downside? We didn’t experience much pressure relief in this position, so back sleepers who enjoy some body contouring might find that this mattress feels too firm.

The Helix Dawn will almost certainly feel too firm for side sleepers, who are liable to experience significant pressure. Our hip and shoulder felt jammed up, and we didn’t sleep comfortably in this position. Folks who spend the night on their side will want to look at a softer Helix model, such as the Helix Sunset or Helix Moonlight.

We found the Helix Dawn to be an excellent match for stomach sleeping. The firm, supportive nature of this mattress helped ensure that our hips stayed elevated and properly igned with the spine.

RELATED: Best Firm Mattress

Helix Dawn - Stomach Sleeping

What Does The Helix Dawn Feel Like?

The hybrid Helix Dawn mattress boasts a firm, responsive, and supportive feel. The bed is quite bouncy thanks primarily to hundreds of individually wrapped coils in the support layer. The bouncy and responsive nature of this mattress make it easy to move around and change positions.

Average Weight Sleepers – 130lbs – 230lbs

Average-weight back and side sleepers will likely find that the Helix Dawn mattress feels too firm and doesn’t offer enough pressure relief in these positions. Meanwhile, average-weight stomach sleepers should find this supportive mattress to be a pleasant match that promotes spinal alignment.

Heavyweight Sleepers – Over 230lbs

Heavyweight back sleepers who weigh closer to 230 pounds could enjoy adequate spinal support on the Helix Dawn, while folks who weigh significantly more than that might want to consider the more supportive Helix PLUS (which is designed specifically for heavy people). Heavyweight side sleepers will almost certainly find that the mattress feels too firm to sleep comfortably in this position. As with back sleepers, heavyweight stomach sleepers who weigh closer to 230 pounds should enjoy sound support, while much heavier folks should take a gander at the Helix PLUS.

Lightweight Sleepers – Under 130lbs

Lightweight back and side sleepers will almost certainly experience that the Helix Dawn feels too firm in these positions. They can check out the Helix Dusk for something with a bit more give. The mattress could be a solid match for lightweight stomach sleepers, who will enjoy plenty of spinal support.

RELATED: Helix Twilight Mattress Review

Helix Dawn Mattress Construction

Now that you have a sense of what it’s like to sleep on top of the Helix Dawn mattress, let’s take a look at what’s inside of it! We’ll review this mattress’s construction layer by layer and reveal how different materials influence performance and feel.

Cover

The Helix Dawn features a Soft Touch Design cover. True to its name, this cover is soft to the touch, stretchy, and very breathable.

Comfort Layers

The Helix Dawn’s primary comfort layer is made from the Helix brand’s proprietary Helix Dynamic Foam, a latex-foam alternative that’s generally firm and responsive. Beneath the Helix Dynamic Foam, there’s a transition layer of firmer, high-grade DuraDense polyfoam that adds some bounce to the mattress.

Helix Dawn Construction

Support Layer

The Helix Dawn’s primary support layer is composed of hundreds of individually-wrapped coils, which do a better job of minimizing motion transfer than coils that aren’t individually wrapped. The perimeter of this coil layer is reinforced to shore up the mattress’s edge support. Underneath the coils, there’s a layer of base foam that provides structure and support for the mattress overall.

Mattress Height

The Helix Dawn mattress is 12” tall.

Helix Dawn Mattress Size Options And Price

To see the most up-to-date size and pricing options for the Helix Dawn mattress, check out the following chart.

Size Dimensions Price
Twin 38" x 75" $936.30
Twin XL 38" x 80" $899.00
Full 54" x 75" $1049.00
Queen 60" x 80" $1199.00
King 76" x 80" $1549.00
California King 72" x 84" $1549.00

For more information on the other models, make sure to read our full Helix mattress review.

Helix Dawn Mattress Performance

By now you should have a solid grasp of the Helix Dawn’s firmness, feel, and construction. But there are still a few key things you need to know about this mattress’s performance. We put the Helix Dawn through a range of tests to assess its performance when it comes to temperature regulation, motion transfer, edge support, and more. Let’s see how it did!

Sleeping Hot Or Cold

The Helix Dawn boasts several design elements that should minimize its chances of trapping heat: namely, a breathable cover, thin layers of foam, and a support layer made of coils, which allow for plenty of airflow through the mattress. If you’re still worried about overheating, consider upgrading to the brand’s Luxe model for even more cooling.

Motion Transfer

The foam layers and individually wrapped coils on the Helix Dawn work together to ensure this mattress handles motion transfer decently well (surprisingly well for a mattress that contains coils!). That said, because this is a bouncy mattress, it’s unlikely to minimize all movement transfer across the surface. Keep this in mind if you’re looking for a mattress for couples.

Edge Support

In our experience, the Helix Dawn offers decent edge support. The combination of supportive coils and the reinforced perimeter helped us feel secure while sitting and lying down near the edge of this mattress.

Durability

Thanks to the inclusion of high-density foams and coils, the Helix Dawn should be a longer-lasting mattress that won’t sag.

Off-Gassing

We did observe some off-gassing from the Helix Dawn right after its arrival. This should dissipate within a few days.

Noise

At the time of this review, we observed just a bit of noise from the Helix Dawn. Because the mattress’s construction incorporates coils, it’s possible the bed might get squeakier as time goes on.

Sex

When people search for a mattress for sex, they’re typically looking for a bed that makes it easy to change positions. The Helix Dawn is bouncy and responsive, so it should fit the bill. It’s easy to move around on top of this mattress.

Warranty Info

The Helix Dawn mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

Overall Rating

Helix Dawn
4.1 Overall
Summary
The Helix Dawn is one of the company's firmest models. Because of this, it should be a supportive option for stomach sleepers.
Support
Edge Support
Cooling
Motion Transfer
Durability
Trial Period
Warranty

Helix Company Policies

If you’re interested in buying a Helix Dawn mattress, it’s important to understand the fine print.

Warranty

Every Helix mattress is covered by a 10-year warranty. This means if you have any issues with your mattress that are the result of a manufacturing flaw or defect and fall within the warranty’s terms, Helix will repair or replace your mattress.

Sleep Trial

The Helix Dawn mattress comes with a 100 night sleep trial, allowing plenty of time to decide if the mattress is the right fit for you.

Return Policy

If you decide you don’t love the Helix Dawn mattress after the 30 day break-in period, you may return the mattress and receive a full refund.

Common Helix Mattress Complaints

Each Helix mattress is designed for specific individuals. The Helix Dawn is a firmer mattress great for stomach sleepers. Many of the one-to-two star reviews from customers complain that the Helix mattress isn’t the perfect fit for the individual’s sleeping habits. Before purchasing, you should take Helix’s Sleep Quiz to help determine the best Helix mattress for you and make sure you read up on comparisons to understand which is going to be the best fit.

How Does The Helix Dawn Compare To Other Mattresses?

There are so many mattress options to choose from these days, so odds are good that you’re considering more than just the Helix Dawn in your quest for a new sleep surface. If you’re wondering how this mattress stacks up against its competitors, wonder no more! We’ve compared the Helix Dawn to two other popular online mattresses—the Nectar and the Purple—so you can see how the Helix Dawn fits into the bed-in-a-box ecosystem.

Also, don’t forget to check out all of our other Helix mattress comparisons.

Helix Vs Nectar

The Helix Dawn and Nectar differ pretty dramatically when it comes to their construction. The Helix Dawn is a hybrid mattress that incorporates coils in the support layer and a touch of foam in its comfort layers, while the Nectar is an all-foam mattress with memory foam on top.

Nectar Mattress - Construction And Foam Layers

Thanks in large part to their construction differences, these beds have very different feels. The Helix Dawn has a bouncy and responsive hybrid feel, while the Nectar mattress has a slower-moving memory foam feel.

Even though these beds are constructed with different materials, they’re fairly similar in terms of durability. That said, the Helix might win out thanks to the inclusion of long-lasting coils.

These beds differ significantly when it comes to firmness. We ranked the Helix at a firm 7.5/10, while we ranked the Nectar at a medium-firm 6.5/10. The Helix is notably firmer than the Nectar.

These beds also differ a touch when it comes to price. A Queen-size version of the Helix Dawn costs around $1199.00, while the Nectar is more expensive at around $999.00.

Who Should Get The Helix Dawn?

  • Hot sleepers who need a mattress that sleeps cool
  • Folks who need more support
  • Heavier-weight back and stomach sleepers

Who Should Get The Nectar?

  • People who prefer a memory foam feel
  • Side sleepers who need more pressure relief

Learn more about the Nectar in our comprehensive Nectar mattress review.

Helix Vs Purple

Much like the Helix Dawn and Nectar mattresses, the Helix Dawn and Purple possess major differences when it comes to their construction. The Helix Dawn is a hybrid mattress that features foam in its comfort layers and coils in its support layer. Meanwhile, the Purple mattress boasts the brand’s unique hyper-elastic gel polymer grid (dubbed the Purple Grid) layered over firmer foam.

Purple Mattress - Construction And Layers

Not surprisingly, these construction differences translate into major differences in feel. The Helix Dawn creates a bouncy and responsive hybrid feel, while the Purple mattress boasts a unique gel feel that is simultaneously squishy and firm.

The materials in the Helix Dawn and Purple make both of these mattresses very durable. But the hyper-elastic gel polymer in the Purple is a uniquely long-lasting material that should make this the more durable of the two beds.

These beds differ significantly when it comes to firmness. We ranked the Purple around a 6.5/10 on the firmness scale (or right around medium-firm), while the Helix Dawn is notably firmer at 7.5/10.

These mattresses also differ when it comes to price. At full price, the Helix Dawn costs less than the Purple ($1199.00 versus $1399.00 for a Queen-size, respectively).

Who Should Get The Helix Dawn?

  • Stomach sleepers who need plenty of support
  • Fans of a traditional mattress construction

Who Should Get The Purple?

  • Heavier side sleepers
  • Hot sleepers
  • Folks who want an extra-durable bed

Read up on the Purple in our in-depth Purple mattress review.

Helix Dawn Mattress FAQs

Still have questions? We’ve got answers to some of your most pressing questions about the Helix Dawn mattress!

How long will the Helix Dawn mattress last?

The Helix Dawn is a durable mattress that should last for approximately 7 to 10 years.

Do you need a box spring with the Helix Dawn mattress?

Nope! You do not need to use a box spring with the Helix Dawn mattress. It’s fine to place this mattress directly on top of a bed frame or other base.

Can you flip a Helix Dawn mattress?

No, you cannot flip a Helix Dawn mattress. Flipping this mattress would result in sleeping on the firm support layers instead of the bed’s comfort layers, which would create a very uncomfortable sleep surface.

Marten Carlson

Marten Carlson

Marten is the Lead Reviewer at Mattress Clarity. He is a Certified Sleep Science Coach and covers the mattress industry as well as sleep science news. He is specifically interested in the connection between sleep and overall health. Marten has written for media publications like Consequence of Sound and received a master’s degree in Film Studies from Emory University. He comes from Franklin, Indiana, and spends all the time he can writing, directing, and acting in films.