Best Mattress for Side Sleepers of 2023

If you’re a side sleeper, you’re never short of mattress options— on the one hand, it’s nice to have variety while searching for a new bed, but on the other, it makes finding the best mattress for your particular needs relatively tricky.

Side sleeping is common, with 70% of sleepers preferring to snooze this way, and fortunately, many specialists regard it as being the healthiest sleep position, too. Despite its benefits, side sleeping does come with some downfalls, such as the potential for pressure points and pain. That’s why finding the best mattress for side sleeping is so important.

In this post, we discuss some of the most comfortable mattresses for side sleepers and offer tips on how to choose the right one for your sleep needs.

The Amerisleep AS3 is our favorite mattress for side sleepers. It offers an unbeatable mix of comfort and support—providing plenty of cushioning for the shoulders and hips while still keeping you lifted in healthy alignment. Green-conscious shoppers will like Amerisleep, too, as they use plant-based foams in their beds.

Amerisleep’s AS3 stands 12 inches tall, has three layers, and is medium in firmness. Compared to Amerisleep’s other mattresses, it has less of a cushioning feel than the AS5—an excellent choice for side sleepers who prefer a mattress with a plush, cloudlike feel,

Amerisleep offers a 100-night sleep trial period with each of their beds, too; this allows you to buy online and try your new bed in the comfort of your own home. If you decide against keeping it, returns are free.

How It Feels

As the most popular mattress from Amerisleep, the AS3 is well-reviewed, with more than 6,700 reviews on its page. The most common term used in reviews is “comfortable,” re-occuring more than 6,000 times. More praise that tended to repeat in reviews was the mattress’s “good support” and the bed’s “soft feel.”

Inside the Mattress

Let’s break down the construction of the AS3.

First, every Amerisleep mattress has a soft, breathable cover of Refresh fabric. This cover is designed to keep air flowing freely throughout the mattress so that you never wake due to overheating.

Inside the mattress, we start with 2 inches of Bio-Pur®, Amerisleep’s plant-based memory foam. Bio-Pur® is more responsive and breathable than traditional memory foam, so based on reviews, the usual concerns of trapping heat or feeling “stuck” aren’t an issue with Amerisleep mattresses. When you lay on the AS3, this Bio-Pur® contours to your body and helps you feel weightless.

Below the Bio-Pur® is a 2-inch layer of Affinity with HIVE® technology. HIVE® is a type of surface modification technology (SMT). It’s designed to offer supplemental support under your lower back, head, and feet, and extra compression for your shoulders and hips. HIVE’s® design facilitates proper posture and healthy sleeping positions while preventing pain and pressure points.

The third and final layer of the AS3 is Bio-Core®, a supportive poly-foam. Bio-Core® is in place to reinforce the two layers (and sleeper) above and prevent premature wear and tear.

Beyond using sturdy Bio-Core® for a base layer, Amerisleep also backs their mattresses with a generous 20-year warranty. If your mattress shows sags or indentations greater than an inch deep, they’ll repair or replace your mattress.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses for Couples

Next on our list is a memory foam mattress designed for athletes, the Zoma Mattress. Zoma designs their beds to help athletes sleep deeper, recover faster, and wake up feeling more rejuvenated. You can’t achieve peak performance without healthy rest.

Zoma helps you get the sleep you need to lead a happy, healthy life. Other Zoma mattresses include the Zoma Start and Zoma Hybrid. The Zoma Hybrid is a bit softer than the Zoma Mattress and the Zoma Start is firmer, so all types of sleepers have options available.

The Zoma Mattress has a medium to medium-soft feel, so it’s great for side sleepers seeking a plusher mattress. Despite its softness, Zoma is equipped with Triangulex™ technology to provide healthy support under your spine— it’s one of the best mattresses for back pain.

The Zoma Mattress is sold online-only and comes with a 100-night sleep trial.

Inside the Mattress

The top layer of the Zoma Mattress is 2 inches of gel memory foam. When you lay on this bed, this memory foam molds to your body and the gel within combats body heat.

This top layer is also where the Triangulex™ technology is located. Triangulex™ is another surface modification technology; Zoma adjusts this foam to feel firmer under your midsection to keep your spine in a neutral position, and softer under your shoulders and hips to prevent pressure points.

Next is a 2-inch layer of Reactiv™, a responsive poly-foam. Reactiv™ serves primarily as a transition layer between the soft memory foam layer above and a dense core layer below, but it also influences the feel of the bed. Because Reactiv™ is designed to be responsive, it gives the bed a bit of bounce and prevents you from sinking too far into the Zoma.

The last and final layer of Zoma is Support+, a durable poly-foam in place to offer additional support to the layers above. Support+ prevents the mattress from breaking down or developing sags. Plus, Zoma backs their mattress with a 10-year warranty.

SEE ALSO: Best Gel Memory Foam Mattress – Buyer’s Guide

The Vaya Mattress is one of the newer mattresses on our list, but it’s already become a favorite thanks to its streamlined design and quality materials. The Vaya comes with a 100-night sleep trial, free shipping, free returns, and a 10-year warranty.

How Lying Down Feels

The Vaya Mattress has a perfect medium feel that works well for side sleepers, combo sleepers, and couples. Many reviews state how sleepers don’t notice their partner moving around at night because of how well the bed isolates motion, along with the support it provides while still being soft and comfortable.

Inside the Mattress

The first layer of the Vaya is called Vaya Comfort Foam. This unique layer has an open-cell structure, making it easy for air to flow through, thus deterring heat traps.

Most memory foam has such a dense structure that body heat gets stuck beneath the sleeper, causing night sweats and general discomfort. The Vaya Comfort Foam keeps cool and bounces back quickly, so you won’t sink down or feel stuck in bed.

The support layer of the Vaya is called Vaya Base Foam. This durable material keeps the softer comfort foam above it even, offering consistent spinal support. Even after lots of use, the Vaya Mattress won’t develop sags or soft spots.

However, if you don’t like the feel of a mattress made entirely of foam, Vaya’s other mattress option is the Vaya Hybrid. It has a similar feel to the Vaya Mattress, only it contains pocketed coils in the place of the Vaya Base Foam.

SEE ALSO: Vaya Mattress Review

Side sleepers who want an all-natural mattress that offers the contouring of memory foam without all the harsh synthetic chemicals should consider the Natural 11 by Nolah. This natural mattress offers organic textiles, pure latex foam, and recycled steel coils for a cooling and bouncy feel you won’t get out of memory foam hybrids.

How Lying Down Feels

The Natural is a latex hybrid. Combining springy latex with bouncy coils creates a mattress that’s even more responsive than your average hybrid. That means if you like to switch from side to side throughout the night, you won’t have to deal with body impressions and slow response time.

The Natural is also extremely breathable and cooling. The latex and coils both work together to keep air flowing throughout the whole mattress. This wicks away moisture and body heat all night long to ensure perfect temperature regulation the whole time you’re asleep.

Mattress Construction

The Natural 11 starts off with a GOTS-certified organic cotton cover. The Global Organic Textiles Standard certificate means you can sleep easy knowing you’re resting on only the purest and most ethically harvested cotton.

Beneath the GOTS-certified organic cotton is a GOTS wool fire barrier to provide extra pressure relief and nontoxic fire retardation.

Next come the two layers of perforated, highly contouring Talalay latex. The comfort layer provides tons of pressure relief to protect sensitive hip and shoulder joints from pain due to pressure. Meanwhile, the firmer Talalay transition layer offers added bounce and buoyancy to keep you atop the sleeping surface.

Finally, you have the recycled steel pocketed coil system. These individually wrapped coils can all move independently of one another. This means they can follow the curve of your body just like foam does, making them much more adaptable than open coil systems. This ultimate adaptability keeps your spine aligned and your hips and shoulders perfectly cradled.

Best of all, all this contouring comfort is better for the environment than a memory foam hybrid. All its ingredients are biodegradable or recyclable, and natural foams and textiles produce much fewer pollutants than synthetic ones.

SEE ALSO: Nolah Mattress Review

Mattresses for side sleeping tend to hug the body, quickly absorbing heat from the sleeper. Infused gels and air channels can increase a memory foam mattress’s heat dispersion, preventing sleep disturbances.

The GhostBed Luxe is one of our top recommendations for a cooling memory foam mattress. Side sleepers can rest secure knowing the GhostBed Luxe is backed by a 101-night sleep trial and a 25-year warranty.

How It Feels

The Luxe bed feels soft but not too soft, meeting the body’s curves and offering a conforming feel for maximum pressure relief. Reviewers on the heavier side have noted they slept well on the medium-plush Luxe bed, so this can be also a good choice for side sleepers over 200 pounds. Plenty of people also praised the bed’s cool feel and noted that their partner enjoyed the Luxe’s feel, too.

Inside the Mattress

The Luxe mattress stays so cool thanks to its combination of cooling foams and fabric. Plush Ghost Ice fabric establishes a near-instant cool-to-the-touch feel and has an inch of airy fiber woven into the cover to better hug the body.

Underneath the mattress cover and its sewn-on fiber are the bed’s foam layers. First is an inch of gel memory foam, deepening the bed’s compression and plush feel.

Next is the unique Ghost Ice layer, specifically engineered to move heat to maintain a cool feeling down to the bed’s core. The last comfort layer is 3 inches of gel memory foam, increasing the bed’s heat-wicking and pressure-relieving capabilities.

The bed’s transition layer is the Ghost Bounce layer, create to meld the responsiveness of latex with the conforming feel of memory foam. Ghost Bounce foam is a contributing part to the Luxe mattress’s cloudlike feel. The bed’s support core is 7.5 inches of dense base foam, promoting an enduring structure.

SEE ALSO: Best Cooling Memory Foam Mattress for Hot Sleepers

While medium and medium-soft mattresses are excellent choices for side sleepers, many relish having a truly luxurious and plush mattress they can sink into. If you’re seeking a soft bed for side sleeping, our top recommendation is the Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid.

The AS5 Hybrid stands 14 inches tall, with a plush feel that conforms well to a side sleeper’s body. Four layers make up this soft, thick mattress. The AS5 Hybrid is easily Amerisleep’s most luxurious bed, having a cloud-like feel unlike anything else.

Like all Amerisleep mattresses, the Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid comes with free shipping and returns, a 100-night sleep trial, and a 20-year warranty. The hybrid’s warranty covers any sagging that exceeds an inch.

How Lying Down Feels

Customers note how, when side sleeping, the thick Bio-Pur® layer has helped with their joint, hip, and shoulder pain. The AS5 moves back into shape with seconds of changing position, its cushion just as responsive as it is plush. The pocketed coils create a floating sensation that can leave a sleeper feeling as if they are dozing off on a cloud.

Inside the Mattress

The top layer is 3 inches of Bio-Pur®, Amerisleep’s unique and upgraded version of traditional memory foam. The airy design of Bio-Pur® ensures it stays cool even as it cushions your entire body, absorbing its heat. Plus, the material’s responsive nature allows it to adapt quickly to your movements, so you never feel stuck in your soft mattress.

Next is a 2-inch layer of Active Flex, a springy material that offsets the Bio-Pur® foam. Active Flex reduces your chances of sinking into the bed without compromising the mattress’s soft and cloud-like feel. Based on reviews, the Active Flex layer also makes it easier for sleepers to switch sides at night without feeling trapped.

The mattress’s support core is 8 inches of pocketed coils on a 1-inch thick foam base. The pocketed coils are individually wrapped to increase motion isolation and to muffle any noises the springs may make. Amerisleep arranges the coils so they feel soft in the mattress’s head and foot, but supportive under your torso.

Cooling features are often needed for an undisturbed night’s rest, particularly if you’re a hot sleeper or live in a warm climate. Hybrids are often excellent cooling mattresses because air can slip in and around the coils that support the bed, making it easier for heat to escape.

While many hybrids keep cool throughout the night, the Aurora Hybrid from Brooklyn Bedding is one of our favorites. More than 2000 reviewers have praised the Aurora Hybrid, resulting in an overall 4.7-star rating.

It’s easy to see for yourself what people are saying, as reviewers note their sleeping style, and shoulders and hips are some of the top terms you can use to filter reviews. Side sleepers have noted that the Aurora Hybrid eased neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, and hip pain.

The Aurora Hybrid has a 120-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

How It Feels

Regardless of whether a side sleeper chooses a soft or medium mattress, the Aurora Hybrid will deliver an instant and consistent cooling feel. The feel is comfy and cushioning, remaining chilled as the surface hugs the body.

However, a couple of reviewers expressed dissatisfaction with the beds’ edge support. If that is a must-have feature for someone with a movement condition, they may to be cautious.

Inside the Mattress

Shoppers can select a soft, medium, or firm bed when it comes to Aurora Hybrid. The exact construction of the Aurora Hybrid depends on your chosen firmness. We will focus on the soft option as the most conforming option for side sleepers.

All Aurora Hybrid mattresses have a top layer of CopperFlex™ foam underneath a mattress cover infused with phase-changing TitanCool™ material. The copper inside the foam reacts to pressure, providing extra support for the shoulders and hips. Plus, copper repels microbes and wicks heat away.

Next is 2 inches of TitanFlex™ foam for responsive adjustments to your every movement and an inch of swirl gel memory foam for cooling pressure relief. The mattress’s support is Ascension® pocketed coils on a dense foam base.

SEE ALSO: Best Casper Mattress Alternatives

If you’ve researched the best mail order mattresses, you’ve likely stumbled upon Purple® mattresses, as they’re a leader in the boxed mattress industry. Purple® mattresses were designed to be the world’s first “No-Pressure” sleeping surface, which is ideal for side sleepers who are prone to pressure points.

We’re fans of the Purple® Hybrid Premier 4 because it offers a truly weightless sleep experience. Side sleepers seeking a thinner hybrid mattress can try the Purple® Hybrid Premier 3 or the more basic Purple® Hybrid.

We are also fans of their original all-foam model because it has nearly 20,000 reviews and is the model that made them famous— it features their unique Purple Grid™ and durable poly-foam to deliver a comfortable but long-lasting mattress for side sleepers. Its simple design establishes an affordable mattress that’s accessible to a wider range of customers.

While the Original Purple® mattress was once the only all-foam mattress Purple® offers, they also offer the Purple Plus, a model with more cushion suitable for side sleepers.

Purple® mattresses can be bought online or at most Mattress Firms, and every bed comes with a 10-year warranty and a 100-night sleep trial. There are also two other models to consider, both hybrids. If you want to learn more about Purple® and their mattresses, you can read our Purple® mattress review.

How Lying Down Feels

As we mentioned, the Purple® Hybrid Premier 4 offers a truly weightless experience, with some comparing it to lying on a soft cloud. Occasionally, a particularly sensitive sleeper might feel the grid through the cover of a Purple mattress. Most who review the mattresses, however, seem to find that it provides a seamlessly conforming experience.

Inside the Mattress

The top layer in each of their beds, including the Purple® Hybrid Premier 4, is their Purple Grid™. Purple® makes this grid out of its patented hyper-elastic polymer. This rubber-like material is fashioned into a mattress-sized grid shape and delivers no-pressure support.

Underneath the Purple Grid™ is a thin layer of transition foam and pocketed coils for bouncy support. The mattress’s cover has ventilated side panels, making it easier for air to slip through the mattress and remove unwanted heat.

SEE ALSO: Best Purple Mattress Alternatives

Innerspring mattresses often aren’t the bed of choice for side sleepers. The design of a traditional innerspring mattress often can’t fully conform to the shoulders and hips. This is because an innerspring mattress’s coils and thin comfort layers tend to establish a too-firm feel. However, the plush soft Saatva Classic is an exception, thanks to its pillow top and transition layer of pocketed coils.

Every Saatva Classic mattress includes a 180-night home trial and a 15-year warranty. The home trial does include a return fee of $99 for anyone who chooses not to keep the mattress. Saatva will also arrange an appointment with you to deliver and set up your new mattress for free.

How Lying Down Feels

While some side sleepers may also enjoy the luxury firm mattress, opinions can vary. Some reviewers find a luxury firm mattress didn’t hug their bodies, while others found the luxury firm mattress just right. We recommended the plush soft mattress as the more likely option to satisfy side sleepers.

Inside the Mattress

Covering the Saatva Classic’s surface is organic cotton with an antimicrobial barrier from a Guardin™ botanical treatment. The mattress cover is breathable and hypoallergenic, promoting a cool, clean mattress surface. This cotton covers the Classic’s 3-inch Euro pillow top, giving side sleepers plenty of cushion for their hips and shoulders.

Next is the layer of pocketed coils, providing bounce while still contouring to the body’s curves. Pocketed coils are excellent at relieving pressure and promoting a neutral spine alignment, a trait bolstered by the next layer. Supporting the pocketed coils is a layer focused on back support, using memory foam and active wire to provide more comfort.

A base of tempered steel coils provides the bed’s structure. Surrounding the coil base is dense foam, creating a perimeter of edge support. If you have difficulty moving in the morning or just want to prevent yourself from rolling out of bed, edge support is a helpful feature.

SEE ALSO: Best Tempur-Pedic Mattress Alternatives

The last mattress on our list is Nest Bedding’s Sparrow Signature Hybrid. Nest Bedding specializes in making luxury mattresses and the Sparrow Signature Hybrid is easily their most popular bed.

It was originally named the Alexander Signature Hybrid and was one of the two models in the Alexander Signature series. The Sparrow has three firmness options.

Nest sells their mattresses online, but they also have showrooms across the country. Whether you shop in-store or online, Nest offers a 365-night sleep trial and Lifetime Warranty with each of their beds.

How Lying Down Feels

The Sparrow is available as a plush, medium, and luxury firm. We typically recommend side sleepers choose their medium model as it should have a good balance of cushioning comfort and back support.

However, if you’re fairly petite or struggle with joint pains, the soft variation may suit you better. Customers who’ve dealt with chronic muscle and joint pain noted how sleeping on the Sparrow Signature Hybrid made it easier for them to get comfortable wake up with little-to-no pain.

Inside the Mattress

The cover of the Sparrow Signature Hybrid is a temperature-regulating fabric, called Phase Change Fabric. Within this cover, they quilt 1 inch of gel-infused memory foam to offer the sleeper immediate cushioning comfort.

The first layer of the mattress is 3 inches of Energex™ foam, Nest’s proprietary foam. TitanChill Endurance Foam® relieves pressure points and combats body heat to keep you sleeping comfortably. Because this layer is 3 inches thick, it offers a soft, cradling feel.

Next is a 1-inch layer of SmartFlow Support Foam, another one of Nest’s proprietary foams. This foam is designed to feel more responsive than memory foam, so it increases this bed’s bounce and prevents too much sinkage.

Below the two layers of foam is an 6-inch pocketed coil system with Quantum Edge support. These coils offer zoned support and isolate motion throughout the mattress.

The final layer of the Signature Hybrid is 1-inch of durable poly-foam to support the coils and layers of foam above.

Read More: Mattress Size and Dimensions Guide

Bear is another online mattress brand specializing in mattresses for athletes. With cooling and contouring materials inside their mattresses, Bear strives to enable better sleep for greater daily performance.

Of all of Bear’s three mattress lineup, we like their newest mattress, the Bear Pro, because it contains an extra layer of contouring memory foam, making it perfect for side sleeping. Plus, they infuse copper gel into this extra layer of foam, offering even more sleep-promoting benefits.

Bear offers a 365-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty with the Bear Pro.

How Lying Down Feels

On their website, they mention the Bear Pro falls at a 5.9 out of 10 on the firmness scale; it’s safe to assume this bed will feel medium to medium-firm for the majority of sleepers. So, if you’re a side sleeper who’s ever felt like they need extra support at night, consider the Bear Pro.

Inside the Mattress

The Bear Pro has four layers and is 12 inches thick. It features an innovative mattress cover, too, like all Bear mattresses.

Bear uses Celliant’s® FDA-determined textile technology in the covers of their mattresses to prevent hot nights and promote deeper sleep. If you’re a particularly hot sleeper, this technology, along with the cooling gels in the layers of this bed, can improve your night’s sleep.

The first layer of Bear Pro is 1 inch of copper-infused memory foam. Copper is naturally conductive, so it pulls body heat away from you and dissipates it out of the mattress; this copper gel works in tandem with the bed’s Celliant® cover to regulate your temperature. Copper is also antimicrobial, so it keeps you sleeping clean.

When you lay on this mattress, this plush memory foam contours to your body and offers immediate pressure relief. The second layer is 1.5 inches of gel memory foam; this layer allows for deeper compression and stops pain points from developing around your hips or shoulders. The gel within this layer also fights body heat to ensure you’re not waking up uncomfortably warm.

Below the layer of gel memory foam is a 2.5-inch layer of responsive transition foam designed to give the bed a bit of bounce and prevent you from sinking uncomfortably far in the mattress. Lastly, the core of the mattress is 7 inches of high-density poly-foam in place to support the three layers above.

SEE ALSO: Zoma vs. Bear: Side-by-Side Mattress Comparison

Most mattresses are designed with one firmness in mind, and overall that’s fine. Particularly for side sleepers, who have a select range of mattresses that will feel comfortable in their position. However, for side sleepers who like to keep their options open, we have to recommend the Layla Hybrid.

The Layla Hybrid is a bouncier counterpart to the original Layla mattress, with one side dedicated to a soft feel and the other side focused on a firm feel. The Layla Hybrid mattress comes with a 120-night trial and a 10-year warranty.

How Lying Down Feels

The side that will be of most interest to side sleepers is the softer one, as the form side may cause pressure to build up in the shoulders and hips. Thanks to the copper infusion and how the particles react under body weight, the memory foam layer can feel more supportive as needed.

Inside the Mattress

The cover fabric is plush and breathable, with a zipper along the sides for easy removability. Handles along the sides let you flip the mattress more quickly. Inside are four layers, and we will detail them from the soft side down.

The soft top consists of copper-infused memory foam, able to contour to curves for pressure relief while also staying cool. Copper has the special ability to resist microbes, keeping smells and such from penetrating the mattress.

The transition layer is Max AirFlow foam with surface modification technology to create zones of targeted support. The channels these cutouts rely on also boost air circulation.

The hybrid’s core is pocketed coils, with thicker coils along the sides for edge support. The firm side has a similar setup of Max Airflow foam and copper-infused memory foam, though its comfort layer is thinner for less sinkage.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattress to Buy for a Rental Property

Helix’s mattress lineup has a unique setup, as they offer three firmnesses but tailor each one toward side sleepers or back/stomach sleepers. Each of these six mattress models also has a Luxe counterpart with a pillow top and targeted support.

The Helix Midnight Luxe is an upgraded version of the classic Helix Midnight mattress, a thinner and less expensive model. We have chosen to spotlight the Midnight Luxe for its extra features and versatile medium feel.

How Lying Down Feels

TheHelix Midnight Luxe has a responsive medium fell, with targeted cushion in the shoulder area for pressure and pain relief. The pillow top provides cool and compressive cushion, while the underlying support keeps a side sleeper’s spine in a neutral alignment.

Inside the Mattress

The Helix Midnight Luxe is covered with Tencel fabric, a material made from eucalyptus fibers for eco-friendly breathability. Tencel has grown popular as a largely natural way of keeping a surface cool and dry. Alternatively, a special GlacioTex Cooling Cover can be added on for an extra cost.

Underneath the pillow top is Memory Plus Foam, followed by gel visco foam for cooling compression. High-grade poly-foam serves as the transition layer, while the support core is pocketed coils on top of a DuraDense foam base.

Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers Comparison and Highlights

What Should Side Sleepers Look for in a New Mattress?

Apart from reading product descriptions and comparing bells and whistles, it’s important to reflect upon your sleeping habits and personal preferences to choose the best mattress for your particular needs. In this section, we discuss the most significant factors to consider before choosing your next bed.

Side Sleeping Position

There are many ways to sleep on your side. Do you prefer to curl up in the fetal position? Or do you spend most nights in the tree position with one leg hiked up and bent at the knee?

The most common side sleeping positions are as follows:

Pain Points

As we’ve touched on a few times now, the biggest downfall to side sleeping is the potential for pressure points. And pressure points lead to pain. If you’re not sleeping on your side correctly, it can result in hip, shoulder, neck, or back pains.

Hip and shoulder pains are usually an indicator that your bed is too firm. The best mattress for hip pain is often medium in firmness. These pains occur when tension builds up in your hip and shoulder joints. The best mattress for hip pain is often medium in firmness.

Back pain, on the other hand, is caused by a too-soft mattress. If your spine isn’t properly supported by your bed, it can fall out of alignment and cause recurring backaches.

Neck pain is usually a result of the pillow you’re using. If your pillow is too high, it can crane your neck upwards and result in discomfort. The best pillow for side sleepers is anywhere between 3 to 6 inches thick.

“Maintaining a neutral spine is an important goal of sleeping posture. When sleeping on your side you want to support your head with a pillow that fills the space from the mattress to the head keeping the nose midline,” says chiropractor Douglas R Krebs, DC, FACO, Cert. MDT of Chicago Spine and Sports. He also recommends a mattress that supports the hips and the shoulders equally. This should be comfortable for both the shoulders and the hips.

To avoid pain, we recommend avoiding the tree position and choosing a mattress built with the right amount of comfort and support for your needs.

Mattress Types

Before you can get too far in your research, stop to consider what type of mattress you want. Do you prefer a bouncier bed? If so, you’ll probably like a hybrid or innerspring. However, if you prefer the feeling of cushioning foam, a latex or memory foam mattress is best for you.

Memory Foam

Memory foam mattresses are great for side sleepers because they’re pressure-relieving and the best at preventing pain. These beds mold to your body and adapt to your movement to offer both support and comfort. When you lay on memory foam, it alleviates pressure and offers a “cradling” feel. These beds can range from soft to firm, so there are options for every preference.

Latex

Latex mattresses are a bit more buoyant than memory foam, so it holds you lifted “on top” of the mattress. If you prefer a firmer mattress or don’t like the “hug-like” feeling memory foam mattresses can have, choose a latex bed. These beds are great for side sleepers because they distribute your body weight evenly and cushion your joints to prevent pain.

Organic latex mattresses are also not only eco-friendly, but highly durable. Their main drawback is the attached price tag, high from production costs. But many shoppers find the investment worth it.

Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses combine foam layers and an inner coil system to offer sleepers the best of both worlds. If you like the cushioning of foam layers and crave the bounciness of an innerspring, a hybrid is your best option. These beds contain a variety of high-quality materials, so they can sometimes come with a hefty price tag. However, they combine a number of sleep-promoting features to deliver better rest.

Innerspring

Innerspring mattresses lack foam layers and are characterized by a pocketed coil system. Any comfort you receive from these beds comes from the cover or pillow top. These beds are great for people seeking a firmer, or bouncy, mattress. We hesitate to recommend innersprings to side sleepers because they’re usually not equipped to cushion the shoulders and hips properly.

Firmness Options

While many believe choosing mattress firmness is a matter of personal preference, your ideal firmness is actually dictated by how you sleep. Side sleepers need a mattress that’ll be supportive enough to hold their spine in a healthy, neutral position; however, this bed still needs to feel soft enough to cushion your major joints such as the shoulders and hips.

When you sleep on your side, your hips and shoulders take on all of your body weight; if your bed is not soft enough to relieve pressure under those joints, chronic pain points can develop. If your bed is too soft, though, it’ll cause your hips to sink too far, throwing your spine out of alignment.

It’s crucial side sleepers find a mattress that offers an even balance of comfort and support, which is why medium mattresses are the best for side sleeping. Side sleepers can also benefit from zoned technologies such as SMT or pocketed coils as they’re designed to feel firmer under your back and softer around your hips and shoulders.

Bodyweight plays a role in the perception of firmness, too. Lighter individuals who don’t bring a lot of weight to the mattress will likely perceive most beds as feeling “firm” or at least “firmer.” On the other hand, people over 250 pounds will feel like most beds are soft. Heavier people will feel comfortable on medium-firm and medium beds, while lighter individuals will prefer medium-soft to medium mattresses.

Benefits of Side Sleeping

Side sleeping, along with back sleeping, is regarded as the healthiest sleeping position. It’s hard to pinpoint one “best” sleeping position because side sleeping and back sleeping offer different benefits for different needs.

For snorers and those with sleep apnea, side sleeping can alleviate your symptoms and help you get more undisturbed sleep. Many of the best mattresses for side sleeping double as excellent mattresses for sleep apnea.

Sleeping on your right side versus your left improves your heart health, too.

SEE ALSO: What You Need to Know About Sleeping on your Side

Should I Get a Mattress in a Box?

Mattresses-in-a-box are only becoming more and more popular due to their convenience. Instead of driving store to store, you can now shop for a mattress online and have it delivered to your door like any other package.

To decide whether or not you should order a mattress in a box, consider your personal shopping preferences. Do you enjoy going out to the store and trying a bed in person? Or are you more of an online shopper? The bed’s purpose can also provide illumination. Is it a bed for yourself or a mattress for a guest room?

While many used to fear online mattress shopping due to the fact that you couldn’t try the bed before buying, brands have mitigated this concern by offering in-home, risk-free sleep trials. So regardless of how you shop, you have the opportunity to try the best online mattresses before committing.

Consider the process of maneuvering and setting up a mattress in a box. If you’re somebody who’s older or experiences frequent chronic pain, you probably won’t want the hassle of moving a cumbersome mattress in a box to your bedroom and decompressing it.  Many online and in-store brands offer white glove delivery, which includes the set up of your new bed and removal of its packaging.

Ultimately, if you prefer to shop online and you’re equipped to set up a heavy mattress in a box, you should have no problems going the mattress-in-a-box route.

Finding Great Deals on Mattresses for Side Sleepers

When it comes to getting the best mattresses for the money, online shopping is a great way to make the most of your funds. Because online brands generally have fewer overhead costs to pay, they tend to pass the savings onto customers.

While online shopping can let you save year-round, big mattress sales happen regularly at set points throughout the year:

• Presidents Day mattress sales
• Memorial Day mattress sales
• Fourth of July mattress sales
• Labor Day mattress sales
• Columbus Day mattress sales
• Black Friday mattress sales
• Cyber Monday mattress sales

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of mattress is best for side sleepers?

Memory foam, latex, and hybrid mattresses are all comfortable for side sleepers because they can cushion the shoulders and hips, preventing pressure points. Side sleepers should also choose a mattress that’s around medium in firmness since these beds strike an even balance of comfort and support, which is ideal for side sleeping.

Should side sleepers have a firm or soft mattress?

Side sleepers should avoid soft and firm mattresses and look for a bed that falls somewhere in the middle. Side sleepers want a mattress to relieve pressure under the shoulders and hips while facilitating healthy alignment. Depending on body weight, the best mattress for side sleeping maybe medium or medium-firm.

What mattress types are best for side sleepers?

Some high-quality foam mattress types for side sleepers include memory foam mattresses and latex mattresses. If you’re a hotter sleeper, consider a hybrid mattress.  A hybrid contains foam comfort layers and coil support layers for optimal breathability.

As a side sleeper, it’s vital to use a cushiony mattress to prevent pressure points around the shoulders and hips while still supporting the spine. This is why we don’t recommend traditional innerspring mattresses, which usually have only a thin comfort layer and rarely contour to the entire body.

What mattress is best for a side sleeper with back pain?

Back pain is common in side sleepers who are using an overly firm or too-soft mattress, which misaligns their spines. Look for a mattress with a medium feel so your back is well-supported without causing shoulder or hip pain.

The mattresses we usually recommend for side sleepers with back pain include the Amerisleep AS5, the Zoma Mattress, the Vaya Mattress, and the Original Purple®.

What mattress is best for a side sleeper with shoulder pain?

Shoulder pain when side sleeping often results from a firm mattress compressing the shoulder, causing pressure build-up and stiffness. A soft mattress is ideal for alleviating shoulder pain while side sleepers rest.

Some high-quality soft mattresses we recommend for side sleepers with shoulder pain include the Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid, the Bear Pro, and theSparrow Signature Hybrid.

Conclusion

We hope our guide has steered you towards the most comfortable mattress to accommodate your sleep needs. Remember, don’t get caught up in the masses of mattresses. Instead, take some time before researching to reflect upon what you are looking for in a bed. Are you unhappy with your current bed set? Are you experiencing pains? Do you prefer firmer or softer mattresses? All of these questions will push you in the right direction during your search.

If you’re still on the fence about which bed to choose, read some of our other guides to learn about different mattress types and top-rated brands; taking the extra time to do more research will help you feel a lot more confident in your purchase.