Helix and Douglas are two well-known companies in the Canadian mattress scene, and both brands have built up a loyal Canadian customer base in a relatively short time. So, what are the backgrounds of Helix and Douglas?

The Helix mattress was first introduced in 2015. Its primary selling feature is certainly its customization. Before purchasing you are asked to complete an online quiz that asks for your unique physical description and sleep tendencies. Based on this information, your ideal mattress is recommended. Helix expanded into the Canadian market in January 2016.

Douglas was introduced in 2017 by Canadian bed-in-a-box company GoodMorning.com. Douglas was manufactured as a single-firmness mattress, designed using eight years' worth of engineering data and customer feedback. GoodMorning.com designed the Douglas to be a value-packed, Canadian-made mattress at an unheard-of low price. They offer the same level of customer service for the Douglas as they do across their growing catalogue, along with a 365-night sleep trial and a 20-year warranty.

Delivery, Trial, Returns	Helix	Douglas
Shipping cost:	$150 in Canada	Free shipping
Shipping time:	3–7 days	3–10 days
Sleep trial length:	100 nights	365 nights
Return ease:	Company picks up	Company picks up
Refund:	Yes, full refund	Yes, full refund
Additional fees:	No	No

Thanks to modern compression methods and the rising popularity of the bed-in-a-box, mattresses can now be shipped far more efficiently and conveniently than ever before. Customers no longer need to take a day off work to accept a delivery. Boxed beds are now delivered with the same convenience as most Amazon orders. Some bed-in-a-box companies even offer same day delivery to certain areas.

Delivery

Helix uses specialist logistics service UPS Ground to deliver their mattresses directly to customers’ doors. Shipping is subject to a $150 delivery fee to Canada. Helix customers can expect their new mattress to be delivered within 3 to 7 business days, excluding public holidays.

Douglas uses FedEx to deliver their mattresses directly to customers’ doors, and shipping is free throughout Canada. Customers can expect their new mattress to arrive within 3 to 10 business days following order confirmation.

Trial Period

Like many bed-in-a-box companies, Helix and Douglas both heavily promote their sleep trials. With a 365-night sleep trial, Douglas has one of the longest sleep trials of all mattress brands; Helix allows their customers 100 days to decide.

Returns and Additional Fees

If a customer wishes to return their Helix or Douglas mattress within the sleep trial period, each company will arrange to pick up their respective mattress and issue a full refund. There are no additional return or restocking fees for either the Helix or Douglas mattress.

Out of the Box	Helix	Douglas
Delivered in a box:	Yes	Yes
Box dimensions:	16” x 16” x 48”	17.5" x 17.5" x 44.5"
Box opening:	Scissors required	Scissors required
Box/mattress fitting:	Tight	Tight
Protection layers:	4	2
Expansion time:	2 minutes	3 minutes

Both the Helix and Douglas mattresses arrived within the expected delivery times. Each product was well-protected within the box by heavy-duty plastic to keep the mattress in good condition during shipping.

Each mattress box was sealed with heavy-duty tape. Customers will definitely need scissors or a knife to open the box. To prevent potential harm to your new mattress, remember to be extra careful when using sharp objects to remove any packaging.

Once opened, each compressed mattress is easy to remove from the box. We recommend a ‘tip-and-pull’ motion to slowly slide the mattress out from its cardboard container. Simply tip the box from a vertical position down onto its side, and then pull the lightweight box away from the bundled mattress. It’s most efficient to do this process in the room where you intend to use the mattress.

Both mattresses are protected with two layers of heavy-duty plastic – one to compress it in a vacuum seal, and another to roll it tightly into a cylinder shape.

Customers will need to unwrap the first layer in order to unroll the mattress, which will still be in its compressed form. Some helpful advice at this stage is to place the rolled up mattress onto the designated bed frame. Next, like the end of a roll of tape, find and peel back the outer layer of plastic. You can use the momentum of unrolling the compressed mattress along the bed frame to help remove the rest of this layer, which could be up to a few meters long. After completing this process, the mattress will be lying unrolled before you.

Next, cut the final layer of plastic. The vacuum seal now broken, the mattress will quickly begin to decompress. Remove this final layer of plastic as the mattress expands to its full height. Both mattresses reached full expansion in under five minutes.

The Helix and Douglas have very different constructions. Helix is a foam-coil hybrid mattress, while Douglas is a combination foam mattress. In each configuration, multiple levels of material work together to offer comfort and support. Helix is available in multiple firmness levels, while Douglas uses a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.

Some of the other major differences between the Helix mattress and Douglas mattress are the different types of foams used for comfort, contouring, and pressure-point relief, not to mention the support layers for motion isolation and edge support. Each mattress contains comfort, transition, and support layers, and these layers vary slightly in height and density.

Also, each mattress also has a unique top cover which showcases the brand’s personality and design aesthetic. Top covers are sometimes removable. In this case, both the Helix and the Novosbed have removable, machine-washable covers.

Helix vs Douglas Mattress Layers

Helix Mattress Layers

The Helix mattress contains four layers of support materials:

• The first three layers of the Helix mattress are 2″ of Helix Dynamic Foam polyfoam, 2″ of high-grade polyfoam, and 2.5″ pocketed micro-coils. These layers differ in order and density depending on results from the pre-purchase online questionnaire. This creates a range of comfort responses and firmness levels.
  • The Helix Dynamic Foam polyfoam is designed to provide extra cushioning, while it ranges between 1.8 lbs/ft³ and 3 lbs/ft³ depending on the mattress.
  • The second polyfoam layer in combination with the previous layer helps to offer pressure-point relief. It has a consistent density between mattress types at 1.8 lbs/ft³.
  • The individually wrapped coils help to bolster edge support, while also playing a part in reducing motion transfer.
• The final layer of the Helix mattress is 4.5″ of base polyfoam support foam. This support layer gives the Helix mattress its structure and prevents sleepers from sinking in too far. Its density is also 1.8 lbs/ft³.

Douglas Mattress Layers

Douglas uses three layers of foam in the construction of its Canadian-made mattress.

• First layer: 2 inches of ecoLight® cooling gel foam. This cooling gel encourages a restful sleep by ensuring that the mattress doesn’t trap heat. The ecoLight® foam has the durability, responsiveness, and comfort of memory foam, but it has a lower carbon footprint. Foam density: 2.5 lbs/ft³.
• Second layer: 2 inches of Elastex® foam. This transition layer is designed to provide spring and support. Many mattresses use latex for similar reasons. Elastex® is free of the allergy-causing chemicals found in latex.
• Third layer: 6 inches of motion isolation support foam. This thick bottom layer greatly reduces motion transfer between sleepers, and it also enhances edge support.

Helix vs Douglas Mattress Cover

Helix Mattress Cover

The Helix mattress has a simple and attractive two-tone cover. The top surface is a swath of white polyester tightly tufted in a way that emphasizes its softness. This is a nice contrast to the navy blue sidewalls, stretching across the remaining portion of the mattress. Finally, the Helix ‘H’ logo is stitched front and centre along the end wall at the foot of the mattress.

When in need of cleaning, the top cover can be zipped off and processed through the washing machine. Since the cover rests snug across the mattress and the entire cover must be removed in order to wash it, we advise owners to be careful in this process to avoid damage to the foam edges.

Douglas Mattress Cover

With its mountainscape stitching to its red and white colour profile, Douglas’ Canadian-centric cover shows the brand's homegrown roots. Cut from a single piece of fabric and woven together, the design is almost seamless. The red zipper running the entire length of the side wall and the red Douglas badge are the only elements that break up this impressive white canvas.

As for upkeep, the top half is machine washable, a bonus for anyone who can't stand the thought of spot cleaning their bed by hand. Douglas' cover is enhanced with moisture-wicking Infinitex™ fibres. This proprietary fabric is stretch-knit and very soft, but also extremely durable. The cover is great for staying cool and breathable through the night, so you won't wake up in a pool of sweat.

Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious when making purchases. Retailers both in and out of the mattress industry have been incorporating more eco-friendly and ethical policies when selling products and choosing suppliers.

GoodMorning.com Inc. carried out a survey in February 2017, discovering that almost 50% of Canadians are willing to spend more money for more environmentally friendly products. Therefore, in every review on Mattress-Reviews.com, we will highlight each mattress company’s green philosophy, as well as how prominent their policies are on their websites.

Feel & Firmness	Helix	Douglas
Feel:	Medium	Medium-firm
Firmness:	6.1 / 10	6.7 / 10
Edge Support:	2.5 / 10	7.8 / 10
Motion Isolation:	6.7 / 10	8.3 / 10
Bounce:	6.6 / 10	3.1 / 10

Feel & Firmness

According to the testing conducted by third-party engineers (commissioned by us), the firmness and feel of the Helix Medium mattress and Douglas mattress are very different:

• The Helix mattress we tested has a medium feel. It is rated at 6.1 / 10 on the firmness scale. The Helix Medium mattress does not have excessive ‘hug.’
• The Douglas is a medium-firm mattress, rated at 6.7 / 10 on the firmness scale. The Douglas mattress does not have excessive ‘hug.’

Edge Support

Foam mattresses are not known for their edge support; in fact, it is often one of the main issues customers have when moving from innerspring mattresses to foam. According to the testing conducted by third-party engineers (commissioned by us), the Helix and Douglas mattresses have very different edge support scores:

• The Helix Medium mattress has below-average edge support. It is rated at 2.5 / 10 on the edge support scale.
• The Douglas mattress has above-average edge support. It is rated at 7.8 / 10 on the edge support scale.

Motion Isolation

Motion isolation in foam mattresses is usually very good and one of the main reasons couples make the switch from innerspring to memory foam. According to the testing conducted by third-party engineers (commissioned by us), the Helix and Douglas mattresses are both above average for motion isolation:

• The Helix Medium mattress has above-average motion isolation. It is rated at 6.7 / 10 on the motion isolation scale.
• The Douglas mattress has above-average motion isolation. It is rated at 8.3 / 10 on the motion isolation scale.

Bounce

Due to the fact that motion isolation for foam mattresses is generally very good, bounce is generally very low. According to the testing conducted by third-party engineers (commissioned by us), the Helix mattress and Douglas mattress have very different bounce ratings:

• The Helix Medium mattress has above-average bounce. It is rated at 6.6 / 10 on the bounce scale.
• The Douglas mattress has below-average bounce. It is rated at 3.1 / 10 on the bounce scale.

Overview	Helix	Douglas
Price (Queen):	$995 USD $1,300 CAD	$799 CAD
Made in:	USA	Canada
Trial length:	100 nights	365 nights
Warranty:	10 years	20 years
Mattress height:	10"	10"
Number of layers:	4	3
Cover materials:	Polyester	Tencel®, polyester, spandex
Machine washable:	Yes	Yes
Green policies:	No mention on the website	ecoLight® foam; Plant-based fabric; Optimized shipping; Recycled cardboard; Recycled ink
Feel:	Medium	Medium-firm
Firmness	6.1 / 10	6.7 / 10
Edge support:	2.5 / 10	7.8 / 10
Motion isolation:	6.7 / 10	8.3 / 10
Bounce:	6.6 / 10	3.1 / 10
Year-Round Price Guarantee:	No	CLICK HERE

Remember, Mattress-Reviews.com is owned, operated, and paid for by GoodMorning.com Inc. and advertises the Octave, Douglas, Juno, and Logan & Cove brands. The following is strictly our competitive opinion:

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There are a few factors that immediately stand out after comparing the Helix and Douglas mattresses. Each product in this Helix vs Douglas mattress review has similar features, especially with regards to comfort and support. The Helix and Douglas have a distinctive firmness and feel, level of edge support, level of motion isolation, and bounce.

What really elevate one brand above the other are the sleep trial, environmental commitment, and the Canadian-ness of the Douglas mattress. Douglas is Mattress-Reviews.com’s Top Pick for Mattress under $1,000 CAD, and customers who choose to purchase a Douglas over a Helix will enjoy a lengthier sleep trial. They can also sleep better knowing they are supporting a mattress brand that supports the environment. Douglas is made in Canada, manufactured using sustainable and renewable materials.