When it comes to buying a new bed, it’s important to take your sleep needs and style into consideration. If you’re a side sleeper, the best mattress for you will be one that offers ample cushioning around your shoulders, hips and knees, which is exactly where it’s required.
The Helix Midnight and Amerisleep AS3 are two of the best mattresses of 2024 for providing blissful pressure relief for side sleepers and both have a medium firmness rating. That isn’t where their similarities end, though. Both beds are hybrids, which means they are crafted out of a combination of coils and foam (the Amerisleep AS3 is also available as an all foam, if preferred). They also both boast strong motion isolation, which is great news for restless sleepers who share a bed.
However, there is a significant price difference between them. At MSRP, a twin size Amerisleep AS3 is double the price of a twin size Helix Midnight. Current discounts mean that a queen size Amerisleep AS3 is $1,499 (was $1,949), while a queen size Helix Midnight is $999 (was $1,248.80). The Memorial Day mattress sales will likely drive prices down further, so it’s worth waiting if you want to buy your new bed at the best possible price. But which mattress is right for you? Let’s find out.
Helix Midnight vs Amerisleep AS3 mattress: Specs
Helix Midnight vs Amerisleep AS3 mattress: Price, trials & warranties
- At $1,699 for a twin, the Amerisleep is double the price of the Helix at MSRP
- Both mattresses come with free shipping and a 100 night sleep trial
- The Amerisleep has a longer warranty period
The Helix Midnight is part of the brand’s ‘core’ range. But make no mistake, even though the Midnight sits at the bottom end of Helix’s pricing system, this is still a premium bed that comes with an upper-mid range price tag. At MSRP, prices start at $811.30 for a twin. However, evergreen Helix mattress sales means you’ll never have to pay full price for the Helix Midnight.
Sales typically range between 20% and 25%, with the latter usually rolled out during major holidays and flash sale events. You’ll often get a bedding freebie thrown in too, which is either a pair of pillows with $150 or an entire bedding set valued at up to $418. The Helix Midnight comes with a 100 night sleep trial, 10-year warranty, plus free shipping.
The Amerisleep costs significantly more than the Helix, with a twin priced at $1,699. However, an evergreen $450 discount off of all mattress sizes does bring that price down to the upper-mid range bracket. That brings the price of a queen down to $1,499. Like the Helix, you get a 100 night sleep trial and free shipping but the Amerisleep offers a 20-year warranty.
Helix Midnight vs Amerisleep AS3 mattress: Materials & design
- The Helix has a profile height of 11,5", while the Amerisleep is 12" high
- The Ameisleep is also available as an all-foam
- Both mattresses are made up of five comfort layers
Both mattresses are hybrids (the Amerisleep is available as an all foam version, too), which means that they are crafted from a combination of coils and foam. Both are made up of five comfort layers, and have a profile height of 11.5" and 12" inches respectively.
The Helix is wrapped in a breathable, soft-touch cover. Inside, the upper layer is made from Helix's proprietary 'Memory Plus Foam', designed to relieve pressure, provide soft sinkage and deep body contouring, while cradling pressure points along your shoulders, hips and lower back. You'll then find two transitional layers of responsible high-grade polyfoam, alongside which you'll find a layer of individually wrapped, 8" pocketed coils, which limits motion transfer within the mattress.
The Amerisleep is topped by the (machine washable) Refresh cooling cover (more on that below). Like the Helix, the AS3 favors its proprietary Bio-Pur foam over memory foam. But like memory foam, it makes for a responsive and contouring sleep surface. Next up, zoned and pocketed coils provide pressure relief and support. There's then a thin layer of transition foam on the bottom of the coils. At the bottom, a base layer of high-density foam gives the Amerisleep its structure and foundation.
Helix Midnight vs Amerisleep AS3 mattress: Comfort & support
- We rated the Amerisleep 6/10 for firmness
- The Helix is slightly firmer at 6.5/10 for firmness
- Both handle motion isolation well, but the Amerisleep has sturdier edges
The Helix Midnight tops our best mattress for side sleepers buying guide, largely thanks to its perfect blend of sink-in comfort and support, which helps keep the spine in healthy alignment. During our Helix Midnight mattress review, our lead tester found it to be slightly firmer than Helix's firmness rating of 5-6 out of 10, placing it closer to 6.5 out of 10.
As well as providing soothing pressure relief while side sleeping, our lead tester found that the Midnight was supportive enough to sleep comfortably on her back, too. However, it isn't supportive enough for stomach sleepers or heavier weight bodies. (If that's you, you might like to take a look at our best mattress for heavy people guide).
The Midnight handles motion isolation incredibly well, too - which is great news for restless sleepers who share a bed (no more being jolted awake by your partner's every toss and turn). However, during testing we found that the edge support wasn't as strong as it could be. This isn't necessarily a problem, but worth keeping in mind if you require a sturdy edge to sit on before standing, or sleeping right up to.
During our Amerisleep AS3 mattress review, we found the bed's Bio-Pur foam to be springier and more responsive than traditional memory foam. Despite initially offering that typical 'sink-in' memory foam feel, the combination of responsive foam and coils offer a firmer sleep surface once you actually lay down. We rate it as a 6/10 for firmness, placing it firmly in the 'medium' support category. Like the Helix, the Amerisleep isn't supportive enough to suit heavier weight people or stomach sleepers.
Again, like the Helix, the Amerisleep handles motion isolation well. However, we found that the Amerisleep provided much better edge support than the Midnight (thanks largely to the dense layer of foam encasing the pocketed coils).
Helix Midnight vs Amerisleep AS3 mattress: Temperature control
- The Helix handles temperature regulation well
- Option to upgrade Helix to include cooling GlacioTex Pillow Top cover
- The Amerisleep comes with a cooling (machine washable) Refresh cover
During our Helix Midnight mattress review, we found that our temperature was fairly well regulated, thanks to its breathable knit cover and individually pocked coils to boost overall breathability. However, if you're a particularly hot sleeper, you might like to consider upgrading to Helix's specialist GlacioTex cooling Pillow Top cover. As well as next-level cooling, the Pillow Top cover provides a cloud-like sleep surface that side sleepers will appreciate.
However, the Amerisleep surely pips the Helix to the post when it comes to temperature regulation. Not only does it come with a removable Refresh cooling cover that Amerisleep maintain helps you sleep 7 degrees cooler than without it, it's also machine washable. The Refresh cover works to wick away heat and moisture while your sleep, helping to keep you cool all night long.
Similarly to the Helix, temperature regulation is aided by its pocketed coils. However, the inclusion of the brand's proprietary pant based Bio-Pur foam offers greater cooling than traditional memory foam, thanks to its open cell design. During our Amerisleep review, even our hottest mattress tester felt that their temperature was controlled, with the surface feeling cool to the touch through the night.
Helix Midnight vs Amerisleep AS3 mattress: Which shoukld you buy?
Buy the Helix Midnight if...
✅ You’re on a tighter budget: At MSRP, the Helix Midnight is half the price of the Amerisleep AS3. Evergreen Helix sales hover around the 20% off mark, dropping to 25% during major sale events.
✅ You’re a combination sleeper: During our Helix Midnight review, our tester found that this mattress provided ample cushioning to prevent pressure buildup when sleeping on her side, but supportive enough to sleep on her back, too.
✅ You share a bed: The Helix Midnight handles motion isolation incredibly well, which is great news for restless sleepers who share a bed - you won't be startled awake with every toss and turn.
Buy the Amerisleep AS3 if...
✅ You're a hot sleeper: The Amerisleep comes with a (machine washable) cooling mattress cover that draws away heat and moisture from your skin, helping keep temperatures regulated.
✅ You want a bed with strong edges: Whether you want to be able to sleep right up to the edge of the bed or need to be able to sit safely on the edge of the mattress without it collapsing beneath you, we found the Amerisleep boasted sturdier edge support than the Helix.
✅ You'd like a longer warranty: The Amerisleep comes with a 20 year warranty, which trump's Helix's 10 year warranty period. Both offer a 100 night sleep trial.
