You’re considering buying a Helix mattress (great choice) but you’re feeling unsure about buying online. Buying a mattress is a big deal and you want to get it right. After all, if you get it wrong, you could be facing years of bad sleep.
Buying mattresses online has exploded in popularity over the last 5 years but you’re not sure if you’re comfortable with that. Testing a mattress in a store is the only way to get an idea of what a mattress is like before you buy it, so I’m here to tell you exactly where you can test a Helix mattress in store.
There are pros and cons to buying in store though, just like there are to buying online so I’ll help you figure out where’s best for you to buy your Helix mattress from.
Helix Mattress Overview
Helix Sleep was founded in 2015 by a team of entrepreneurs and engineers with the goal of revolutionizing the mattress industry. Thanks to the range of mattresses they make that cater for every sleep preference, they’re now one of the most popular mattress brands in America.
Helix is under the same parent company as other online bedding retailers Brooklyn Bedding and Nolah, all of which have reputations for quality beds.
Helix makes 18 mattresses, but don’t let that overwhelm you. Here’s a basic breakdown onf their models:
- Sunset: A soft mattress for side sleepers
- Moonlight: A soft mattress for back and stomach sleepers
- Midnight: A medium mattress for side sleepers
- Dusk: A medium mattress for back and stomach sleepers
- Twilight: A firm mattress for side sleepers
- Dawn: A firm mattress for back and stomach sleepers
Each of these six models is available in a basic, luxe, or elite design. The basic is their flagship mattress. The luxe collection adds extra features and layers (the Midnight Luxe is my personal choice out of the entire range). The elite collection takes the features further for their most premium models.
Helix also makes a plus size mattress for heavier people and a kids mattress specifically designed for growing children.
Feel overwhelmed by all that? Don’t worry, Helix have a sleep quiz to help you choose the right mattress for you. My opinion is that the luxe range offer the best balance of features and price. The medium mattresses are most likely to suit the most people.
Availability of Helix Mattresses in Retail Stores
Are Helix mattresses available in stores? Yes they are. Helix started as an online only mattress, but as they’ve expanded in popularity, they have started offering their mattresses in a number of different shops.
The easiest way to find a retail store where you can try a Helix mattress is to type your postcode or town into the “Showroom Partners” section of their website.
Here’s an example where I typed in a New York Postcode. You can see that several retailers popped up, including SleePare, CB2 and Sleep Loft. These are all large chain stores.
You’ll also find independent retailers stock Helix mattresses. For example, I tried Asheville to see what would come up in a smaller place. Sure enough, Asheville Beds stock Helix mattresses.
There would be too many retailers for me to go through the whole of the USA, so try the search I suggested above and see what pops up near you. Keep in mind that Helix has a very large mattress range and not all stores will carry all models.
If there’s a specific model you’re wanting to see in-store, I recommend you phone ahead to check if it’s in stock at the retailer you’re planning to visit.
Benefits of Testing Mattresses In-Store
Beyond the obvious benefit of getting to see and touch a mattress before you buy it, here are the advantages of testing a mattress in-store as opposed to buying online without seeing it first.
- What a mattress feels like varies greatly from person to person. Even if a mattress is described as being medium, in your opinion it may be firm or soft. The only way to gauge the firmness is to test it out.
- Comfort: do you feel like the mattress can relieve your pressure points? Do your back, hips and shoulders feel good? Again, the only way to know is to try it out.
- Support: you can lie on the mattress in the shop to see if you feel like your spine is in line and your body feels well supported.
- If you share a bed with a partner, you can both jump on and test out whether the bed is good at minimising motion transfer if the other person moves around.
- Quality: by actually looking at the mattress you can get an idea of how well it is constructed before you buy. Look for materials that feel durable and well made seams and edges.
- In store, you’ll also be able to talk through your requirements with a person who will be able to make recommendations for you, rather than you having to choose yourself off the internet.
Online vs In-Store Mattress Shopping for Helix
On the flip side, there are some negatives to buying a mattress in a store and some big positives to buying online.
If you buy from a store, you could end up spending more for the same mattress. Why? Because stores have overheads, like staff wages, utilities and building rent. Even if the cost of the mattress is the same as online, you may find you face a delivery fee and a restocking or exchange fee if you decide you don’t like the mattress.
You also don’t get to sleep on the mattress before you commit to it. This means you’re making all the decisions about the firmness of the mattress and how well it supports you based on 5 minutes of sitting on it.
You also won’t be able to gauge how good a mattress is at regluating your body temperature and heat dissipation without actually sleeping on it, so this is information you cannot get from trying a mattress in the store.
Plus, you may have a pushy sales person hovering over you, making you feel awkward and pressuring your decision.
Pros and Cons Of Buying Online Instead
I’m a big fan of buying mattresses online. In fact, my own house has has three mattresses that came from the internet. My parents have one. Their friends do too. As do mine! So let’s look at how the experience of buying online compares to buying instore.
PROS:
- Free delivery. While a store may charge you a delivery fee, if you buy your Helix mattress online delivery will be free.
- You get to try it out in your own home. Surely the best way to know if a bed suits you or not is to actually sleep on it? I think this is the only way to truly understand how a mattress feels and if it truly works for you.
- You’ll get an in-home sleep trial. Helix offers you 100 nights to try their mattress risk free. If you change your mind about it, Helix will either arrange to pick it up from you or work with you to find a charity to take it. You must keep your mattress for the first 30 days of the sleep trial, as this is about how long it takes for you to “break in” a mattress.
- Choice: remember, Helix makes 18 mattresses. These are all available online. If you go to a store you are probably going to have to choose from a smaller selection.
- Instead of a pushy salesperson, you’ve got the opinions of thousands of others right at your fingertips in the form of articles like this and reviews from other customers to get unbiased information on the mattress.
CONS:
- You will not see the mattress before you buy it. For such a big purchase, this can be a tricky idea to get your head around.
- You may have trouble choosing which mattress is actually right for you. Helix does offer a sleep quiz to help with this but you might prefer actually talking it through with a sales person.
Final Thoughts
Yes, Helix mattresses are available in store. As we’ve seen, there are pros and cons to buying in store, and pros and cons to buying online.
My personal recommendation is to buy online because you can really leverage the 100 night sleep trial Helix offers to truly test if the mattress you choose is right for you.
If you’re on the fence, you can always go to your local Helix stockist and look at all your options, then go home and make your final purchasing decision online. This will give you the best of both worlds.
