Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress Review: How It Helped My Back Pain
Updated: May 04, 2023
If you deal with back pain, consider switching to a Helix mattress. It worked for our Home Editor.
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I’ve had bouts of back pain ever since I can remember. As a kid, my mild scoliosis caused all sorts of lower backaches, especially after sports practices. As I grew and aged, the achy, breaky back drama continued through several pregnancies. It even started to disrupt my sleep and cause me to spend countless dollars on pain devices, new mattresses and sleep products.
That’s what lead me to my Helix Midnight Luxe mattress review. After all, good spine health starts in bed and this impressive bed is easily one of the best mattresses I’ve ever slept on. It’s also an unbeatable value thanks to being part of this year’s best Black Friday deals.
First impressions from my Helix Midnight Luxe review
I wasn’t sure what to expect from a mattress for back pain that came delivered in a box. But compared to other bed-in-a-box products I’ve ordered before, the Helix mattress came in a sturdier box with a slightly larger footprint than others.
Because the Helix Midnight Luxe mattress is more substantial than your average bed-in-a-box or typical memory foam mattress. The box itself is cumbersome. If you’re ordering a king-size mattress like I did, you’ll definitely need a helping hand to unwrap and position it. To get it upstairs, I placed a microfiber throw blanket beneath one side of the heavy box. Them I slid it up the steps tarp-style. That aside, setup is as easy as ripping the plastic off and letting it fluff up.
When I unwrapped the mattress and allowed it to absorb air, I quickly noticed it looked bigger than my previous king-size mattress. Turns out, the Helix Midnight Luxe model actually has an additional two inches of quilted pillow top with added memory foam for pressure point relief.
Seeing a visible sign of added support gave me a lot of hope that my Helix Midnight Luxe mattress review might actually do something to improve my back pain. I made the bed with some extra-deep flannel sheets and pillows, then quickly got to the very important work of going to sleep and testing the Helix out.
How we tested the Helix Mattress
I didn’t just sleep on the Helix mattress and hope for the best. Careful notes were taken each morning after a full 30 nights (and a handful of naps) on the quality of my sleep. I also noted how many hours of sleep I got in without interruption and whether sleeping on the mattress was also a positive experience for my snore-machine husband. It was clear this would be tricky because I typically love a good medium-firm mattress. My husband, on the other hand, likes mattresses that are firm enough to rival blocks of concrete.
I knew I’d have to see if the mattress worked on my back pain, but I also wanted to answer some of the most pressing questions about the Helix mattress. How reputable is Helix? And how sturdy and durable is the Midnight Luxe model?
What chiropractors had to say about Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress and back support
“The average time an adult sleeps is seven to nine hours,” says Darlene Flores, a chiropractic physician specializing in whole-body wellness. “It’s imperative that the body is properly aligned and supported in this time. Just as we are taught that alignment and posture are important while we are awake, it is dually important while we are asleep. A good mattress that supports your posture is a key component.”
When I chatted with my chiropractor about finding a good mattress for back support instead of my old cheap mattress, he was eager to explain what matters. “If you’re going to make positive changes like adding more support to your sleep system, you can expect to see positive results.”
He stressed that a mattress change isn’t a cure-all for back problems, however. “If you know you’re sleeping on something that’s either very old or not incredibly supportive,” he explained, “making the switch can be one of several factors that alleviates your pain. I’d tell anyone considering this move to continue their supervised medical care, work on fitness moves for good posture, and opt for supportive shoes, too. A good night of sleep can work wonders for the motivation and energy to accomplish the rest of these tasks, though.”
He was definitely onto something. When I sleep well, I’m less likely to skip my workouts, and they often focus on back and core strength moves. Adding a Helix mattress to my back care routine was a holistic move.
Back pain and sleep results
After a few weeks of sleeping on the Helix mattress, my lumbar pain improved so dramatically that my husband noticed I was waking up earlier each morning. Now, that may sound like less sleep, but for me, it means restful, uninterrupted sleep.
Before trying the Helix mattress, I had been going to sleep around 11 p.m. each evening and waking up a few times before my 6:15 a.m. smart alarm clock went off. It was the slow, brutal torture that I had grown to accept, but my 30-night sleep log showed that over 80 percent of my nights of sleep on the Helix Midnight Luxe went uninterrupted—and I started waking up naturally before the alarm even went off.
Some other important attributes of Helix Midnight Luxe include the breathable Tencel cover that allows for easy airflow. It’s the feeling of snuggling up to the cool side of the pillow 100 percent of the time but in mattress form. I’m also a side sleeper, and the medium-firm composition with added pressure point relief on my hips and shoulders did wonders to relieve that always-sore lower back area that has plagued me for decades.
The best part? My husband slept like a baby, too. I expected him to take a page out of the princess-pea playbook here, but he didn’t. He had weeks of uninterrupted sleep. And, he didn’t have to remind me to hit the snooze button or “get the heck out of bed.”
My Helix Midnight Luxe mattress review
In terms of durability and the lasting factor of a Helix mattress, you should know that I have five small children. They all like to crawl into bed with me on the weekends. As much as I insist that no monkeys should be jumping on the bed, they all end up jumping on the bed after some cuddles. After several heart-racing, trampoline-esque Sunday morning adventures on this mattress, it held up perfectly.
Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress pros:
- Zoned lumbar support coils with memory foam really helped my back pain
- Two-inch pillow top for additional support
- Tencel cover stays cool and breathable
- Made in the USA, meaning fewer supply chain issues
- Free contactless shipping and 15-year limited warranty
- No harmful chemicals and CertiPUR-US certified
- 100-night sleep trial
- Delightful customer service if you call to ask questions
Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress cons:
- The Helix has a higher price than some competing mattresses (but we can’t vouch for their back support)
- Best for side sleepers who prefer a medium firmness
Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress back pain and sleep results
After several months of sleeping on this game-changing mattress, I can say my Helix Midnight Luxe review was well worth the effort of getting the box up my stairs. It was heavy, but my back is in far better shape than it used to be. I no longer wake up with awkward pinched nerves that leave my neck feeling frozen. Did the Helix Midnight Luxe solve all my back problems? No, but it certainly helped with most and I’m forever grateful.
Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress cost
The Helix Midnight Luxe mattress comes in sizes twin through California king. Mattresses start at $1,099 for a twin-size model and go up to $2,399 for king-size. Queen-size Helix mattresses are under $2,000. Financing is available on almost everything the company sells. Admittedly this bed is more expensive than a Zinus mattress or an Avocado Green bed, but it’s meant to target a very specific customer—one with back pain.
Occasionally Helix runs discounts, so it’s helpful to check their coupons and promos page. Expect the entire lineup of Helix products to be offered at irresistible discounts thanks to this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. They should be even more impressive than this year’s Amazon Black Friday deals on luxury mattresses.
Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress return policy
If you’re not sure if the Helix mattress is right for you, the brand offers an enticing 100-night sleep trial offer that makes it much easier to decide. Customers must keep their mattress for at least 30 days to break it in and give it an honest try. The brand wants to make it easy for shoppers to see if they offer the best hybrid mattress—or any other type.
If you decide it isn’t your speed or it didn’t help your back pain the way it did mine, you can return it for a full refund before day 100. If for any reason you don’t love the mattress and decide you need to return it, you can file a simple claim with Helix for a return and refund.
The final verdict after one year of use
I’ve slept on several other bed-in-a-box brands. My most recent king mattress was from a retail showroom that I spent hours of my life hemming and hawing in. I’ll tell you this—the Helix Midnight Luxe wins, hands down. Or hands up, because sometimes I do that weird sleepy arm-in-the-air thing.
Even after nearly a year of sleeping on it, I still love the way it supports my entire spine. The most surprising byproduct of sleeping on this mattress every night is actually how much better my neck feels. I knew I needed a new bed for my lower back pain, but I no longer get pinched nerves or pain where my lower neck meets my shoulders. My husband also reports less shoulder pain—something he had grappled with for years before we switched to the Helix.
As to whether the Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress is worth it, my answer is an unequivocal yes.
Interested in a non-toxic mattress or the best organic mattresses? Â Our editors wrote an in-depth Dreamcloud mattress review that may help you skip mattress toppers and cooling pads altogether.
Where to buy the Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress
The easiest place to buy a Helix mattress is through the brand’s direct-to-consumer website. If you’re not sure and want to give one a try in person before taking the 100-night sleep test at home, find a Helix Sleep showroom partner. They’re scattered across major American cities including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Denver. Otherwise, the customer service team is on-hand via phone or chat to answer any questions.
Source: Dr. Darlene Flores, Chiropractic Physician owner of Karaya Wellness Clinic
