IMPORTANT UPDATE:
As of November 2019, Helix is no longer making the Dual mattress. Helix reports that customers who are unsure about what mattress firmness to choose are overwhelmingly opting for one of their medium firm mattresses instead. These are mattresses such as their Midnight or Dusk models. Helix also have a really great sleep quiz which can help you decide which of their range is the best choice for you.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE HELIX WEBSITE AND TAKE THE SLEEP QUIZ
Helix Dual Mattress Review: Perfect Compromise For Couples
Do you love to fall asleep on a soft fluffy cloud? But your partner prefers something that feels more solid underneath them? Perhaps it’s the other way around. Either way, if you’re a couple who share a bed, it can be extremely difficult to find “the one”, the mattress you are both comfortable on.
- Some mattresses are too soft for one of you.
- Some are too hard.
- You just can’t seem to find one that will suit you both.
- Someone is always uncomfortable and getting cranky about the mattress not feeling right.
- Who wins? Who loses?
Don’t resort to separate beds yet! What if I told you there was such a thing as a mattress that was firm on one side, but soft on the other? Imagine both being able to lie on the exact right comfort level for your body. On the same mattress.
Not only does such a thing exist, but Helix, a mattress company founded out of frustration at buying comfortable mattresses in 2015, has TWO such mattresses that you can choose from. In this Helix Dual Mattress review I’ll take you through the two mattresses in the Helix Dual range, helping you decide if one of these is right for you and your partner.
Once you’ve read the review and chosen your mattress, the only worry you’ll have left is whether the side that suits you best is on your side of the bed!
Helix Dual Mattresses: Overview
Helix specializes in producing hybrid mattresses which have a pocket coil support core and proprietary foams in their comfort layers. The two Dual mattresses both feature this construction, and are both 10 inches high: the standard height for Helix mattresses.
The two Dual mattresses are specialty split firmness mattresses are designed for couples who like different levels of firmness. The Dual mattresses combine the soft feel of one of their soft rated models and the firm feel of one of their firm rated models, each on separate sides of the mattress. Since they are specifically for TWO people, they are only available in sizes Queen, King, or California King.
You’ll notice on the Dual mattresses there are two colors of trim in the cover: this is because Helix color codes their mattresses, and the color of the trim denotes which mattress model is represented on that side of the bed. To illustrate what I mean (because I feel like that was kind of wordy and difficult to explain) I’ve put a picture just below for you to see.
What You Can Expect With A Helix Purchase
- All mattresses have a removable and washable outer cover. Underneath, there is also an interior cover.
- Edge support from extra foam reinforcing around the coils.
- Regular chances to get a bargain e.g. $100-200 off (depending on the amount you spend) + 2 free pillows for Memorial Day (my links will always take you to the best price available on any given day).
- Free delivery within 3-7 business days.
- 10 year warranty.
- 100 night sleep trial: this is really important as it gives you the confidence to buy the mattress without having tested it in the store. The only catch is that you must wait 30 days before initiating the return process. However, it takes about that long for your body to adapt to a new mattress and start getting the benefits from it so it’s actually a sensible policy.
- Great customer service (even people leaving one stars who didn’t end up liking their Helix mattress mentioned how good it is). I took their customer service for a little test run, in their live chat: they were friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.
Now let’s take a detailed look at each mattress. I actually found the Helix website was a bit lacking in detail about the differences between the mattresses, so I’ve done my best to arm you with everything you need to know (including opinions of real customers)
Helix Dual Extra Mattress
The Helix Dual Extra Mattress has been made with back and/or stomach sleepers in mind, and is therefore the firmer out of the two mattresses. It is a combination of the Helix Moonlight and Dawn mattresses, which are tailored toward back and stomach sleepers (read more about what back sleepers should look for in a mattress here, and stomach sleepers here).
Construction
Underneath the cooling cover you will find:
- The comfort layer of a polyfoam “latex-foam hybrid” – this is the layer where the mattress changes between soft or firm
- A transitional foam layer
- The pocket coil support core with reinforced edging
- A final base layer of high density foam
To achieve a good level of support for back and stomach sleepers, the comfort layer of the Dual Extra Mattress is made from a bouncier polyfoam (not memory foam like
the Dual Balanced). This is designed to be really supportive for the spine and pelvis, but does not conform to your body shape as much as memory
foam does.
You will feel like you are sleeping “on” this bed rather than
“in” it, which is a common trait of bouncier, less conforming foams. It
sounds like it has similar properties to latex, which you can read more about here.
- Helix rates the firm side of the Dual Extra as an 8-9, which means its
really great for stomach sleepers, particularly if you’re heavier. It should really prevent that pelvis from dipping through the night, keeping your spine straight. - Helix rates the soft side of the Dual Extra as a 2-3, which should feel nice and soft.
What Do People Think Of It?
At the time of writing this Helix Dual Mattress Review, the Extra had 87% great reviews and 5% negative. From what I could read on other places around the internet (like Reddit) people are generally happy with their mattresses from Helix.
Problems:
- Someone reported their arm felt numb when sleeping on their side on the firm part of the mattress. This is not unexpected though, and if you’ve read the information on both mattresses you’ll know why, but:
- Side sleepers need a softer feel, so the other side would have been better for starters, plus the foam in the
comfort layer of this mattress is not as effective for side sleepers as the more body conforming memory foam layer you would find in the Dual Balanced. I hope this unhappy customer found a mattress that was a better fit for their needs, the Balanced would have been a good choice. - There seems to be a mismatch between what customers and Helix have to say about edge support here. Helix has used reinforced foam around the coils so expect the support to be strong. Several people have reported it was not as strong as they would have liked.
People Who Love This Mattress Said:
- “I have no more hip pain and my husband has no more neck or back pain. We love this mattress!”
- “Great for us. It’s soft enough for me and the firm side is supportive enough for my husband’s weight.”
- “Marriage doesn’t always have to mean compromise!”
- “The two sides built for two different people seems to be effective”
Helix Dual Balanced Mattress
The Helix Dual Balanced Mattress has been made with side sleepers in mind, and is therefore the less firm out of the two mattresses. It is a combination of the Helix Sunset and Twilight mattresses, which are tailored toward side sleepers (read more about what side sleepers should look for in a mattress here).
Construction
Underneath the cooling cover you will find:
- The comfort layer of “Memory Plus” memory foam – this is the layer where the mattress changes between soft or firm
- A transitional foam layer
- The pocket coil support core with reinforced edging
- A final base layer of high density foam
To achieve a good level of support for side sleepers, the comfort layer of the Dual Balanced Mattress is made from a proprietary memory foam called Memory Plus (not a hybrid polyfoam like that found in the Dual Extra). Memory foam is more conforming to your body, and this particular foam is designed for great pressure relief, which side sleepers really need for their shoulders to avoid the dreaded numb arm.
You will feel like you are sleeping “in” this bed rather than
“on” it, which is a common trait of memory foam. This makes it great for side sleepers, and can also be good for back sleepers. Foam that conforms this much to your body is not the best for stomach sleepers though, as it may tilt your pelvis too much (hence why this mattress is not recommended for you).
- Helix rates the firm side of the Dual Balanced as a 7-8, which combined with the conforming memory foam is a great option if you’re a side sleeper but like a firmer mattress.
- Helix rate the soft side of the Dual Balanced as a 1-2, which is about as soft as you can possibly get! I’d probably only recommend this level of softness for lighter people, say under 160-170lb (that is just my informed guess of a weight). I think if you are anywhere between that and 200lb you would want something that was rated more around 3-4.
What Do People Think Of It?
Helix informs me their customers find their memory foam hybrid mattresses to be softer than their mattresses using other foams. This sounds kind of obvious given that they are rated softer. However, Helix reported that the conforming “sink” feel of the memory foam is a contributor too.
Based on the number of reviews on their website, the Balanced is slightly more popular than the Extra. At the time of writing Balanced had 88% great reviews and 4.5% negative.
Problems:
- I saw a negative review under the DUAL mattress saying they had ordered the very soft and med-firm mattress. They got neck and back pain from it (I am assuming stomach or heavier back sleeper). I believe that this person actually ordered a BALANCED and found it did not meet their needs. From what they describe, the DUAL would have been perfect. So be aware, the Balanced really IS best for side sleepers. And don’t get your Duals confused!
- There were some negative reviews from people with back and hip problems. Keep in mind that the soft side of this mattress is VERY soft, and the foam of the Dual would be not only a little firmer but provide better support for lower backs and hips.
- There are the usual issues with some people finding it too soft or too hard. This is so individual though. You have the security of the 100 night sleep trial with hassle free returns if you find it’s not working for you.
People Who Love This Mattress Said:
- “We are both side sleepers and both enjoy this mattress. I was worried there might be a ridge in the middle but there isn’t.”
- “I waited two years to write this review and we are still loving our mattress.”
- “This mattress has the perfect feel for each of us.”
- “We could not agree on mattress firmness and were so glad to find Helix”
My Opinion Of The Helix Dual Mattresses
I think the Helix Dual Mattress is a great solution for couples. Helix are a great company to deal with and they have a ton of happy customers (and, importantly, they don’t hide negative feedback).
The Dual Mattresses are combinations of their popular mattresses crafted specifically for side sleepers OR back and stomach sleepers. It is a great concept, and I think it is really revolutionary in terms of mattress production. A lot of people say you can’t expect one mattress to suit everyone, well I also say you can’t expect two people who share a bed to suit the same mattress either. Helix have come up with a great answer to this dilemma lots of couples have found themselves in.
The only little disappointment is that you cannot buy a mattress with a combination of sleeping positions catered to. I guess since this would require a change of foam type in the middle of the bed it would be difficult to make it seamless. I’m going to watch this space and see what Helix does to answer this problem.
If my husband and I were looking for a new mattress with split firmness, we would choose the Dual Extra because we are predominantly back and side sleepers. Andrew likes a firm surface so he’d be fine on the 8-9 rated firm side, and I prefer something soft but not too soft so I’d be good on the 2-3 rated soft side.
One Final Note!
Don’t get confused when you order! Gosh I know I went a bit cross eyed trying to keep everything straight for this review and I’ve seen customers mix their Dual mattresses up too! From some of the negative reviews it was just so clear that the customer had simply bought the wrong mattress for their needs. I really hope I’ve explained the differences to you so this doesn’t happen to you. Here’s a final image to remind you which is which.
BUY THE BALANCED NOW BUY THE EXTRA NOW
