Helix Dusk Luxe Review

In This Review
Performance Tests | Firmness | Support & Sleeping Positions | Design | Materials | Comparisons | FAQs

At NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.

We test 10 different factors that impact the performance, comfort, and value of the mattress. Testing categories include:

Test	Rating
Cooling	Excellent
Sinkage	Moderate
Motion Transfer	Moderate
Response Time	Extremely Fast
Bounce	Moderate
Edge Support	Exceptional
Sex	Excellent
Pressure Relief	Exceptional
Off-Gassing	Excellent
Company	Excellent

Cooling performance on the Helix Dusk Luxe was excellent. During our tests, I felt no significant level of heat retention around my body.

The Dusk Luxe is available with an optional cooling cover. Our tests are based on the standard cover.

• Baseline Temperature – the temperature of the mattress before anyone lies on it
• Maximum Temperature (0 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after lying on it for 15 minutes
• Ending Temperature (5 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after being lied upon and having no one on it for 5 minutes

The Dusk Luxe uses an incredibly thick 5” foam comfort layer. Thicker comfort layers can create heat retention issues. However, during our tests, the foams seemed to breathe well.

Undoubtedly, the hybrid design is a major factor for improved cooling, as it provides airflow to the mattress at large.

Heat dissipation was also excellent. From minutes 0 to 1 the Helix Dusk Luxe was able to release 5.1° of retained heat, dropping from 87.3 to 82.2°F.

Heat Dissipation Over Time

The temp continued to gradually step down from there. However, it’s always great when the vast majority of heat is released by the 1 minute mark.

It indicates a more rapid dissipation, which will help to increase cooling performance. Overall, I’m pleased with the cooling performance on Dusk Luxe.

The Helix Dusk Luxe has a moderate level of sinkage. In our pressure point sinkage tests we measured 2.14” of sinkage depth. This is 0.09” less than the average of 2.23” (based on all of our tests to date).

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

A moderate sinkage depth creates a more balanced comfort dynamic that most sleepers will enjoy. In my view, the Dusk Luxe has a feel that’s somewhere between that of memory foam and of latex.

The mattress has an extremely fast response, but at the same time creates a more dramatic contour and hug around the body. It’s incredibly comfortable to lie on and has just the right amount of sinkage for maximizing pressure relief.

The Helix Dusk Luxe has a moderate level of sinkage. In our tests, we measured an acceleration range of 11.15 m/s². This is 3.80 m/s² more than the average of 7.35 m/s² (based on all of our tests to date).

The level of motion transfer is documented in the video below.

If we look at our motion transfer chart, which visualizes our accelerometer data, we can see the highest motion from 0 to 0.22 seconds. It drops off immediately thereafter, but it isn’t until 0.64 seconds that we return to near-zero levels.

In terms of motion intensity, the Dusk Luxe isn’t great. The peaks are significantly higher than average. However, the motion duration is a definite silver lining.

Generally, mattresses with motion spikes this high would have 1.0-1.5 seconds of motion. Surprisingly, the Dusk Luxe is able to eliminate motion within 0.64 seconds. As a result, the overall motion isolation picture is still pretty good, albeit not incredible.

The Helix Dusk Luxe has an extremely fast material response time. In our tests, we measured a material response time of 0.3 seconds to mostly recover and 0.8 seconds to fully recover. Both of these are faster than the average.

Based on all of our tests to date, we have measured an average mostly recovered response time of 0.47 seconds and an average fully recovered response time of 0.90 seconds.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

During our tests, I never felt stuck or overly entrapped by the mattress. Materials quickly adapted to changes in sleeping position and my movements on the mattress.

The Helix Dusk Luxe has a moderate level of bounce. In our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 8.21”. This is 1.57” less bounce than the average of 9.78”.

While bounce is more of a preferential factor, more bounce can be beneficial for ease of movement and sex. Typically, I like to see 8-12” of total bounce height, as it’s enough to see the benefits, without significantly negatively impacting motion transfer.

The level of bounce is also documented in the video below.

At 8.21” we’re on the low end of my range, but it’s still enough to get us most of the way there as far as ease of movement, sex, and response go. Overall, I’m not particularly concerned about the bounce level.

The Helix Dusk Luxe has exceptionally good sitting edge support. While sitting directly on the edge of the mattress we measured just 3.0” of sitting sinkage compression. This is 1.47” less sitting sinkage than the average of 4.47”.

Mattresses with 4.0” of sitting sinkage or less are ideal, as they create a robust supportive edge. At 3.0” of sitting sinkage the Helix Dusk Luxe easily hits and exceeds that mark.

The level of edge support while seated is documented in the images below.

Compared to the excellent sitting edge support, lying edge support is nearly as impressive. While lying directly on the edge of the mattress I felt well-supported in all sleeping positions.

The level of edge support while lying is documented in the images below.

Overall, the Dusk Luxe does an amazingly good job at maintaining a supportive and strong edge.

Our sex rating formula looks at 5 different factors weighted based on their importance.

All factors are not equal in terms of significance, but each plays an important role.

Three of the most important factors are listed below with the associated testing scores:

In addition to the factors above, there are two other we consider as well, including pressure relief and cooling.

Here’s a look at the breakdown of how these 3 factors rank within the full formula:

We use the scores from all factors, plugged into the formula above, to derive a sex score for each mattress.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score
Bounce	60%	9.6
Edge Support	20%	10
Noise	10%	10
Pressure Relief	5%	10
Cooling	5%	9.5

For the Helix Dusk Luxe, these individual factors generated a sex score of 9.7.

This mattress has moderate bounce and amazing edges. These two factors alone make up 80% of the sex score. Higher bounce is generally better for sex as it creates a surface that is active and engaging.

Noise, pressure relief, and cooling all had great performance and contributed to the good score here as well.

The Helix Dusk Luxe has exceptionally good pressure relief. Ultimately, it all comes down to the material choices and material design. The Dusk Luxe is a 14” thick mattress with 5” of comfort materials.

Those 5” are made from a high-quality quilted cover, copper poly foam, and regular poly foam. Having a thicker foam comfort layer helps to create better pressure relief by improving immediate softness and transitional support.

Thinner mattresses and mattresses with a less thin comfort layer can create pressure issues as they simply don’t have enough material to adequately support the body, while also providing softness and pressure relief.

Lying on the Dusk Luxe is just a delight. I felt incredibly comfortable, while still being fully supported. No complaints from my end.

Right out of the box, the Dusk Luxe had a strong smell. But the smell only lasted for 3 days before fully dissipating.

Concerning off-gassing, this performance is about on par with the average across all mattresses that we’ve tested to date.

To speed up off-gassing, place the mattress in a well-ventilated area and leave the bedding off until the mattress has fully expanded and off-gassed.

Helix offers a 100-night trial period and a 15-year warranty. Shipping is free as well as free returns. Overall, these policies are pretty standard compares to terms from other mattress companies in the market.

Company Factor
Trial Period	100 nights
Warranty	15 years
Shipping	Free
Returns	Free
Country of Origin	USA

The Helix Dusk Luxe mattress has a medium firm feel, 6 out of 10 on the firmness scale where 10 is the most firm.

This is actually the same firmness as the standard Helix Dusk as well, but the Dusk Luxe has slightly less sinkage and better edge support.

The Helix Dusk Luxe has exceptionally good support. As with pressure relief, the material design really does the heavy lifting.

We have 14” of total mattress thickness, with 9.0” of support material and 5.0” of comfort material. A 9.0” support base creates more than sufficient support.

Furthermore, the Dusk Luxe uses a zoned coil unit. This means it creates more support where you need it and less where you don’t. This design element helps to create a more neutral spinal alignment, which further helps to prevent pressure point build-up.

Lastly, the 5.0” comfort layer ensures sleepers have sufficient comfort, while also creating transitional support. The thicker comfort layer helps your body more seamlessly transition into the support layers.

These combined factors work together to deliver truly exceptional support. Because of these factors, I would recommend this mattress for most all sleeper profiles—weights and sleeping positions.

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleepers	Side Sleepers	Back Sleepers
Under 150 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
150-250 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
250-300 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes

Design

The Helix Dusk Luxe is a hybrid mattress with a 14″ profile height and a medium-firm feel. It has a real luxury look with a pillow-top cover and medium firmness that is suitable for a wide range of sleepers.

While it may be pricier than other budget mattresses on the market, it is designed to be a top performer and the scores reflect that as well.

Materials

In the Dusk Luxe, there are six distinct layers. From top to bottom, the materials break down as follows:

• 1.0” quilted cover
• 1.0” copper poly foam
• 2.0” poly foam
• 1.0” poly foam
• 8.0” pocketed coils
• 1.0” support foam

This provides a 5″ comfort layer and 9″ support layer, which we will dive into more down below.

The Cover

The cover of the Helix Dusk Luxe is a 1″ thick quilted cover with a euro-style pillowtop. The actual fabric of the cover can be one of two varieties.

You can select between a Tencel cover and a cooling cover.

If you opt for the cooling cover, it will cost you a bit more—between $149 and $249 depending on the mattress size.

Note: For this review, we tested the standard Tencel cover, which is included at no additional cost.

Editor’s Update: This cover was recently updated. Mattresses manufactured later than April 1, 2024, have a newer cover that features a diamond-quilted pattern with a plusher feel. You still have the option to upgrade to the specialty cooling cover. Check out the images below for a side-by-side comparison of the two styles. This change affected all Helix Luxe mattresses, not only the Helix Dusk Luxe.

The Comfort Layer

Below the cover is the comfort layer. This layer is made up of three separate foam slabs.

• 1.0″ copper poly foam
• 2.0″ comfort poly foam
• 1.0″ transitional poly foam

There is a 1″ layer of copper poly foam on the top that provides a deeper contour and hug without sacrificing cooling (hence, the copper).

A 2.0″ middle layer of poly foam provides excellent pressure relief and comfort all around and is capped off by a 1.0″ layer of transitional poly foam directly below.

This foam has a higher density compared to the foams above, but it’s the higher density that helps to transition between comfort layers and the supportive coil layers below.

The Support Layer

The support layer contains the 8.0″ layer of pocketed coils and a 1.0″ slab of support foam below.

The coils are individually encased in a thin fabric, which allows them to move independently from one another and also allows for zoned pressure support.

Product Evolution

The Dusk Luxe launched in 2018, but it was far from the first iteration of the mattress. When Helix (the company) first hit the market, they were a custom mattress company.

On their site, sleepers could take a custom quiz, and based on the results of that quiz, Helix would recommend a custom mattress for them. Over time, Helix noticed the trend that the majority of sleepers were falling into categories of preferences and similar sleepers oftentimes had overlapping quiz results.

So they made some changes.

Today, Helix still offers the sleep quiz, but they no longer offer custom mattresses. The results of the sleep quiz will point you to one of their 14 mattresses, which they call out by name on their website.

The Helix lineup contains two basic collections:

• Helix Standard
• Helix Luxe

And within each collection there are 6 different mattresses with varying firmnesses, resulting in a total of 12 mattresses.

There are also two specialty mattresses:

• Helix Plus: designed for plus-sized sleepers
• Helix Kids: designed for children, two-sided

How is the Helix Dusk Luxe Different?

The Helix Dusk Luxe mattress is designed to offer a luxury feel, high-end performance, and top-notch materials.

#1. 14″ High Profile

This mattress has a 14″ high profile height, which breaks down into a 5″ comfort layer and a 9″ support layer. This is a robust material construction and more than what you’ll see with many other mattresses on the market.

#2. Optional Cooling Cover

If you’re especially concerned with cooling, you can upgrade to the optional cooling cover which enhances performance. This cover is an additional $149- $249, depending on the mattress size.

Helix Dusk vs. Dusk Luxe

Wondering how the Dusk Luxe compares to the standard Helix Dusk? Check out the head-to-head comparison below.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure the Helix Dusk Luxe is the right hybrid mattress for you? Check out these three other top-rated luxury hybrids below for some alternate picks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Check out some of the top FAQs on the Helix Dusk Luxe mattress below and get the answers you’re looking for.