We currently participant in a few affiliate programs and may receive referral fee for items purchased through our site. This does not cost our readers anything, to learn more please visit our Disclosure page.
Best Mattress for Side Sleepers
Are you a side sleeper? Are you sure you’re sleeping on the right type of mattress to make the most out of your time between the sheets? We spend a third of our life in dreamland – So, it would make sense to invest in a high-quality mattress to support your spine and body during your downtime.
Since side sleepers cover less surface area than those who choose to sleep on their back or stomach, most side sleepers prefer a soft mattress that cushions the shoulders and hips. However, your choice of a mattress depends on your bodyweight and requirements for construction and firmness.
Here is a brief guide to ensure you’re sleeping on the right type of mattress. The products in our review come from hours of extensive research, as well as verified customer reviews.
Sleeping On Your Side
More than two-thirds of American adults sleep on their side making it the most popular sleeping position. People who sleep on their side use one of the following four postures:
Sprinter
Straight arms and back with one leg extended and the other curled at the knee. The least common sleeping position, accounting for only 2 to 3-percent of side sleepers.
Yearner
Legs and back straight with arms stretched out. This position accounts for roughly 5-percent of side sleepers.
Log
Back straight with legs and arms extended, around 14-percent of the population sleep in this position.
Fetal
Accounting for over 40-percent of people who sleep on their side, this is the most common side sleeping position. The position includes a hunched back, and both legs curled at the knees.
It’s important to note that the fetal position provides the best comfort for side sleepers, which is why it’s probably the most common. Postures like the “yearner,” and “log,” may reduce pelvic movement during the night leading to spinal misalignment, pressure point stimulation, and pelvic pain.
Best Mattress For Side Sleepers
Is it Good to Sleep on Your Side?
Health experts agree that sleeping on your side is the best position for optimal spinal health. While it may provide the least amount of surface area, creating the most amount of pressure on your organs and skeletal system, side sleeping reduces lower back pain and hip dysplasia. The side position has numerous other health benefits that make it the superior choice.
The Benefits of Sleeping Your Side
Your body wants you to sleep on your side. People who use the fetal or log sleeping position experience better spinal and pelvic alignment. This synergy reduces pressure and pain throughout the skeletal and muscular system while you sleep.
Sleeping on your left side reduces pressure on your cardiovascular system, allowing blood to circulate freely, lowering blood pressure. Side sleeping alleviates symptoms of heartburn and indigestion.
People who sleep on their side don’t often snore and rarely suffer from the sleep disorder that affects breathing, known as “sleep apnea,” where the individual’s airways close due to too much adipose fatty tissue in the neck.
The Disadvantage Of Sleeping On Your Side
Side sleepers experience pressure on one side of the body as they sleep. The head, shoulder, hip, and leg of the side of the body resting on the mattress experience twice the amount of pressure as those that sleep on their stomach or back.
As a result, it’s common for side sleepers to experience a slight pain their shoulder or arm after a few minutes of lying in this position. Most of the time, these sensations of discomfort will disappear if you select a softer mattress for your bed.
Types Of Mattress For Side Sleepers
People who sleep on their side require a mattress that provides support and contouring to ensure their spine remains aligned. Firmness and design are the two most critical factors when selecting the mattress that right for you.
For most side sleepers, a medium-firm to medium soft mattress will give your spine the best support. This type of surface provides your spine with an even level of support to remain aligned while delivering enough softness to allow your shoulders and hips to sink comfortably into the mattress.
Each person must take their height, weight, and body type into consideration before purchasing your new mattress. Here are a few examples of what materials you can expect to find when searching for your new bed.
Memory Foam
This material provides excellent pressure relief, with above average flexibility, motion isolation, and next to no noise. It’s widely available, and most top manufacturers include memory foam in the pillow top and first layer of their mattresses.
Latex
Similar to memory foams physical properties, latex allows for excellent cushioning and support while relieving pressure from the shoulder and hip. It has excellent resilience, making it ideal for contouring the body, as well as providing excellent motion isolation and no noise. Latex is superior to memory foam because it sleeps cooler, making it ideal for the summertime.
Hybrid
Hybrid mattresses include the best of both worlds. These mattresses include a 2-inch thick layer of memory foam or latex in the comfort layer, with pocketed coils and polyfoam layers providing excellent support around the edges, as well as improved conforming and contouring capacity when compared to innerspring mattresses.
Gel Foam
Gel foam includes tiny pockets of gel in the memory foam to improve airflow in the mattress and reduce sweating while you sleep. If you live in a warm part of the country, gel-infused memory foam or latex mattress will keep you cool on warm summer nights.
Innerspring Mattresses For Side Sleepers
Any of these choices are a far better option than a mattress with inner springs. Innerspring mattresses consist of a polyfoam comfort layer with steel springs placed evenly along the length and width.
This design is inefficient at providing extra support to the shoulders and hips, resulting in the spine sagging in the middle back when sleeping on your side. This sleeping posture leads to spinal and hip problems. The extra pressure on the shoulders and hips also take their toll on the health of your joints.
How to Choose the Best Mattress for Side Sleepers
Here are a few criteria to consider when selecting your ideal mattress.
Mattress Firmness
Bodyweight is the most significant factor to consider when selecting the right firmness for your new mattress.
Those people weighing less than 130-pounds will prefer a medium-soft or soft mattress. Since lighter individuals don’t sink as deeply into the mattress, the extra cushioning provides the support they need to maintain spinal alignment. Beds which are too firm may not provide complete contouring, creating unsupportive areas around the middle and lower back.
People weighing between 130 to 230-pounds will enjoy a medium to a medium-firm mattress. If heavier than 230-pounds, you’ll probably feel most comfortable on a firm to hard mattress. Heavy people may sink too deep into a soft bed, resulting in misalignment of the spine and hips.
Mattress Constructions
After firmness, the most important criteria is its construction. It’s vital that you avoid buying an innerspring mattress and choose a bed made with air chambers, foam, or latex. Here are the best mattress constructions for side sleepers.
Memory Foam
These beds rely on at least one layer of memory foam in the comfort layer or pillow top. They feature a high-density polyfoam core providing excellent support, as well as a close-contouring feel. Always ensure that your mattress contains individually wrapped air-cushioned springs for the best spinal and hip alignment.
Latex
These mattresses contain at least one layer of latex in the comfort layer or pillow top. The supportive core features latex or high-density polyfoam. Some latex options may include gel-infused particles to help wick away moisture and keep you dry in a hot climate.
Hybrid
Memory foam or latex in the core and pillow top. These designs give the edging of the mattress outstanding support and resilience.
Warranty and Trial Periods
Sleep trials offer a handy and risk-free way of trying out your new bed. Most manufacturers are so confident that you’ll love their new mattress, that they are willing to let you try it without paying for it, for a limited period. Most manufacturers offer anything from 30 to 90-days for their sleep trials.
However, it’s important to review the fine print when agreeing to a sleep trial. Some companies and brands include clauses in their contract that state you must pay for the shipping and return of the bed. Shipping a bed is expensive. The large size and weight of the object mean that logistics companies will charge you hundreds to remove the mattress and return it to the supplier.
Most mattresses come with 10 or 20-year warranties that cover you for any manufacturers defects during this period. Once again, check your warranty for any hidden clauses that reduce the liability of the manufacturer.
Price
Pricing on your new mattress can vary widely. Some top models retail for thousands of dollars, but you can find a good deal for anything between $300 to $1,500. It’s important to buy the best bed you can afford. In some cases, it may be a good idea to take a more expensive mattress and pay it off in installments, as opposed to using cash. Remember, you bed it probably your most important piece of furniture.
Check with your retailer to ensure they offer free shipping with your purchase, the last thing you want is to ship a heavy mattress halfway across the country. Ask about discount deals on pillows for side sleepers as well.
Our 5 Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers
We have researched and listed our top 5 best mattress for side sleepers. This is based on researching reviews and putting together pro and cons for each mattress
Helix Midnight Mattress
One of the best mattress for side sleepers. The “Midnight,” is the most popular mattress in the Helix range, offering a medium firmness, with plenty of support and comfort, this hybrid design mattress features a base of individually-wrapped coils that absorb pressure and conform to the memory foam layers above.
The construction of the top layers of the Helix Midnight includes the use of a transition layer to separate the foam and springs, as well as a Helix dynamic foam layer sitting on top of a sheet of memory plus foam. The result it a bed that has the plush, pillowtop sensation of a memory foam mattress, with the additional support of springs.
The springs also provide excellent edge support to the Helix Midnight, with the heat-dispersing properties of the two-touch design of the memory foam layers, providing superior breathability and a cool sleep experience.
This bed would suit side sleepers trying to relieve pressure on the hips and shoulders, but some back sleepers may enjoy the Midnight if they prefer a softer mattress.
PROS
- Hybrid construction.
- Breathable memory foam.
- More affordable than a traditional memory foam mattress, while retaining the same comfort and supportive properties.
- Excellent balance between support and comfort.
CONS
- 10-year warranty, with 15-year warranty only on the LUXE range.
- Sleep trial is only for 30-days, may be liable for costs after that.
Zinus Ultima Comfort Memory Foam Mattress
This mattress is the ideal mid-level point between price and functionality. We like this mattress for its use of viscolatex and biofoam in the top two layers.
The top layer of this mattress features a 3-inch layer of biofoam, supported by 2 inches of pressure relieving viscolatex comfort foam, and 5-inches of high-density base Support foam, for a fantastic sleeping experience that leaves you feeling refreshed in the morning.
The Zinus features biofoam, a new generation memory foam that replaces traditional petroleum-based memory foam with plant-based materials to keep your mattress smelling and feeling fresh for years.
All foam comes CertiPUR – US Certified for performance, durability, and materials. The manufacturers offer a separate 10-year mattress warranty for an additional fee.
Performance and Feel
This mattress is a dream come true. The ultra-soft and comfortable, gel-infused memory foam top contours to the shape of your body, supporting your mid back for optimal spinal and hip alignment.
The 2-inch secondary support foam layers relieve the pressure on your hips and shoulders, keeping them aligned throughout the night. The thick foam base gives enough support to prevent you from sinking too far into the mattress.
The mattress comes compressed straight from the factory to your door, all you need to do is position it and cut the sleeve to start the decompression process. Zinus recommend that you allow up to 72-hours for the mattress to decompress. However, sleeping on it won’t slow down the decompression process at all.
This product is suitable for men weighing between 170 to 230-pounds, and women between 115 and 155-pounds.
PROS
- Viscolatex memory foam secondary layer
- Biofoam construction
- Supreme comfort
- Three foam layers
- Excellent support for side sleepers
- As supportive as the 12-inch version of the mattress
CONS
- Somewhat expensive, but the viscolatex is worth the extra money
- Heavy
- Additional mattress warranty fee
Helix Sunset Mattress
The “Mattress Advisor,” was so impressed with the Helix Sunset, that they issued the company with the award for “the best mattress for side sleepers,” in 2018. After reviewing the mattress for ourselves, we can see why.
The zoned lumbar support of the coiled springs in this hybrid design provides excellent motion transfer, and the premium pillowtop is plush and comfortable. Helix uses a transition memory foam layer between the Helix foam pillowtop and the springs, allowing for a soft sleeping surface.
This mattress is ideal for side sleepers that experience pressure zones in their hips and shoulders. The soft pillowtop layer allows you to sink into the bed, spreading your body weight.
The mattress features best-in-class edge support, meaning that you won’t fall off the edge of the bed if you sit on it to slip on your shoes. All Helix products are made in the USA and feature a 100-night sleep trial with a minimum 10-year warranty. Purchase your Helix mattress, and you get free shipping to your door.
PROS
- The soft surface is suitable for side sleepers.
- Excellent airflow through the top memory foam layers.
- Recommended by numerous media outlets, including Forbes and Cosmopolitan.
- 2018 “mattress for side sleepers” award.
CONS
- Not suitable for stomach sleepers or overweight individuals.
- Limited warranty and sleep trail terms.
Modway Aveline Gel Infused Memory Foam Mattress
The gel-infused, open-cell memory foam is our favorite feature of this mattress. Side sleepers can enjoy plenty of support on pressure areas such as the shoulders and hips while remaining cool during a hot summer night. The base of the mattress features highly responsive foam providing excellent movement absorption for a motionless sleeping experience.
Modway cover the Aveline with a diamond-patterned stretch knit material to ensure maximum airflow through the cover into the foam while conforming to your every move. There’s no other mattress with as many positive reviews online. The Aveline helps millions of Americans get to sleep every night, and it can do the same for you as well.
Modway ensures that all the materials used in the construction of their mattresses are third-party tested for hazardous materials, such as heavy metals and formaldehyde.
Performance and Feel
We think the Ashley is well-worth the investment. It’s an affordable entry-level mattress for side sleepers, and our tests and research show that it gives the right blend of support and comfort for heavyweight sleepers. The firm feel of the memory foam means that people weighing 210-pounds or more will find this mattress ideal. However, there’s no gel-infusion in the memory foam, meaning the airflow in this mattress could be better.
We think this mattress will suit men that weigh more than 200-pounds and women over 130-pounds that live in colder climates around the country.
PROS
- Affordable.
- 10-year warranty.
- Best reviewed mattress online.
- High-quality memory foam with gel infusion for added airflow.
- Remarkably supportive and comfortable for a 6-inch thick mattress.
- Free shipping with most online retailers.
CONS
- The mattress looks thin and unsupportive
- Hard to find fitted bedding for a twin mattress
Linenspa Memory Foam and Innerspring Hybrid Mattress
The LinenSpa 8-inch hybrid mattress is our choice for the budget beater in this review. This mattress is ideal for a kid’s bedroom or guest room. Despite its remarkably affordable price tag and 8-inch thickness, the LinenSpa offers excellent medium to firm support for side sleepers.
The mattress features a 1.5-inch thick layer of memory foam, beneath a quilted protection cover. This hypoallergenic mattress won’t flare up your allergies or invite mites to breed. The memory foam provides excellent contouring and comfort, while the springs support the weight evenly along the length of the spine, adjusting for pressure points on the shoulders and hips to provide a comfortable night’s sleep.
The springs on the LinenSpa are individually coiled to provide a quiet sleep experience and minimize transfer of movement during the night. The mattress comes compressed and boxed straight from the factory, all you need to do is place it on your bed base or frame and unroll it. The springs and foal expand in a few minutes, and it’s ready to use after airing it out for a few hours.
Performance and Feel
The hybrid design of this mattress makes it ideal for side sleepers. The individually coiled springs travel further for heavier areas of the body, like the hips and shoulder while traveling less in areas such as the mid-back. This variable travel provides excellent support to keep the spine and hips aligned.
We recommend you install a LinenSpa in your guest room to give any of your visitors a comfortable night away from home.
PROS
- 10-year U.S. warranty
- CertiPUR-US certified and not made with harmful materials
- Affordable
- 8-inch profile ideal for guestrooms or children’s bedrooms
- Hybrid support from springs and memory foam
- Easy setup
- Low profile
CONS
- Not suitable for men weighing more than 150-pounds, or women over 115-pounds
- Memory foam layer on the pillow top could have been an inch thicker
Ashley Furniture Signature Design Chime Express Memory Foam Mattress
Ashley furniture has a reputation as a manufacturer of affordable, quality products for the home – and we know you’ll fall in love with this mattress from the moment you take delivery of this queen-sized bed in a box. The mattress compresses and rolls it tightly into the box before shipping it to your doorstep.
We recommend you set this up on your bed frame for the least amount of hassle. As soon as you cut the straps and open the box, the mattress springs to life as the 12-inch foam expand. Be careful no-one is standing in the way of the edges because the foam is deceptively heavy and dense.
The Ashley mattress features a 2-inch layer of memory foam on top of a 10-inch polyfoam layer, fitted with a knit cover for maximum material breathability. This maintenance-free mattress never needs turning or plumping, remaining supportive for the duration of its lifespan.
Performance and Feel
We think the Ashley is well-worth the investment. It’s an affordable entry-level mattress for side sleepers, and our tests and research show that it gives the right blend of support and comfort for heavyweight sleepers. The firm feel of the memory foam means that people weighing 210-pounds or more will find this mattress ideal. However, there’s no gel-infusion in the memory foam, meaning the airflow in this mattress could be better.
We think this mattress will suit men that weigh more than 200-pounds and women over 130-pounds that live in colder climates around the country.
PROS
- Affordable.
- Good quality.
- Memory foam with polyfoam base, excellent firmness for heavy sleepers.
- Knit cover with breathable, hypoallergenic materials.
- Minimal motion transfer for a stable sleeping surface.
- Measures 59” W x 79” D x 12” H – fits a queen bed frame.
- Free shipping from most online retailers.
CONS
- Limited warranty.
- Not suitable for side sleepers weighing under 190-pounds.
- No Gel-infusion in the memory foam.
Signature Sleep Mattress
If you have the money to spend, then we suggest you take a look at the Signature Sleep Mattress. This 13-inch hybrid dream-maker is a blend of 620 independently-coiled springs from edge to edge, supporting a delightfully soft, memory foam pillow top.
The coils provide the mattress with an overall medium to firm sleeping surface that suits men weighing up to 220-pounds, and women up to 135-pounds. Made with CertiPUR-US certified foam, free of heavy metals and other toxins, this mattress has excellent airflow, with the pillow top offering optimal moisture-wicking technology in the bamboo cover.
This mattress comes compressed from the factory, and ready to roll out onto your bedframe. The individual coils and memory foam expand in a few hours after unrolling.
Performance and Feel
Our favorite feature about this mattress was the gel-infused pillow top. The foam provides a soft, contouring experience that supports the mid back while reducing pressure on the shoulders and hips. While this bed is medium-firm in our opinion, the soft pillow top allows for use by a wide variety of body types and bodyweights.
The hybrid technology of springs and memory foam give a motionless sleep experience with excellent body contouring from the memory foam and support from the springs.
The Signature sleep mattress is also remarkably affordable compared to other mattresses with the same sort of design. While it’s the most expensive product in this review, it’s still a bargain considering the quality of design and materials used in its construction.
PROS
- Excellent support from the base, unbeatable comfort from the pillow top.
- Breathable, gel-infused memory foam.
- Rayon and bamboo material covers for breathability and moisture wicking.
- 10-year manufacturer’s warranty.
- Low VOC CertiPUR-US certified foam.
- Free shipping from most online retailers.
CONS
- Pricey, but good value for money compared to other more expensive mattresses.
- Heavy, but the 620-individually wrapped coils are worth the extra weight.
Best Mattress for Side Sleepers - Wrap Up
Side sleepers need to consider their sleeping posture when purchasing a new bed. Choose a model that provides the right amount of support, firmness, and comfort to ensure you get a decent night’s rest.
For those people with an unlimited budget, we recommend trying out the Signature sleep mattress.
If you’re trying to find the best bed on a budget, we recommend the LinenSpa.
Our top choice for the best value for your money has to be the Modway Aveline.
Whichever model you settle on, make sure that you get a sleep trial to ensure you’ve made the right choice, and remember to include the right side sleeping pillows with your purchase. We hope our best mattress for side sleepers has helped you to finding the right mattress