Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers

Side sleepers need a mattress that provides the right balance of comfort and support. The good news is that since most people are side sleepers, there are many mattresses for you to choose from. In this guide, we’ll share reviews of our 10 top-rated mattresses for side sleepers. Then, we’ll help you figure out everything you should know when shopping for an online mattress for side sleepers in our buyer’s guide.

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Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers

• • Saatva Classic – Best Mattress Overall for Side Sleepers
  • Nectar – Best Budget Mattress for Side Sleepers
  • The WinkBed – Best Soft Mattress for Side Sleepers
  • Helix Midnight Luxe – Best Cooling Mattress for Side Sleepers
  • Puffy – Best Mattress for Couples Who Are Side Sleepers
  • Brooklyn Aurora – Best Mattress for Sex for Side Sleepers
  • Casper Nova Hybrid – Best Hybrid Mattress for Side Sleepers
  • DreamCloud Premier – Best Pillow Top Mattress for Side Sleepers
  • Leesa Hybrid – Best Mattress for Back Pain for Side Sleepers
  • GhostBed Luxe – Best Memory Foam Mattress for Side Sleepers

Each bed-in-a-box mattress we’ve reviewed here has at least a 100-night trial period and free returns. So, even though you can buy them online, you can try them out in the comfort of your own home, risk-free, to see if it’s the right mattress for you.

All of our top picks have been evaluated in our Mattress Lab and tested on 14 different factors, one of the most comprehensive scoring systems in the industry. We’ve tested over 150 mattresses, spending at least 5 hours with each mattress from start to finish.

After well over 750 hours dedicated to mattress reviews alone, we know what a good mattress looks like. And with some seasoned side sleepers in on the process, we’re confident we can direct you to the best mattresses for side sleepers.

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Saatva

Best Mattress Overall for Side Sleepers

We consider the Saatva Classic the best overall for side sleepers because it’s so many things to so many people. The plush soft firmness is a favorite for side sleepers, and our score for spinal alignment is a whopping 9.5 out of 10, something that is critical to the side sleeper. And with different firmness options, all weights and all sleeping positions can be accommodated.

Pros

This mattress offers a superior cooling experience; the dual coil feature offers breathability throughout the night. Also, we found that this is one of the best choices for seniors, in part because of the easy setup opportunities through Saatva’s White Glove service.

Cons

Sadly, the Saatva Classic isn’t a budget product, costing upwards of $2,000 for the Cal king and king options. Also, if you are strictly a memory foam mattress-driver, this is not the best choice for you.

Read our full Saatva Classic review.

The Nectar

Best Budget Mattress for Side Sleepers

The Nectar mattress is rated the best mattress for budget shoppers on our list. Nectar’s quilted gel memory foam comfort layer provides great pressure relief and motion isolation at a great price point. The base layer is breathable to allow airflow through the foam bed.

Pros

This memory foam mattress gives you that “hugging” feeling that this genre promises, which makes it strong in motion isolation. That means that when your kids, partner or pets jump into bed, you won’t be disturbed.

Cons

While this product offers a cooling cover and breathable foam layers, some customers complain that it can sleep hot, a common problem with memory foam mattresses. Also, it may be a dealbreaker for you that the Nectar is not fully made in the USA.

Read our full Nectar mattress review.

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The WinkBed

Best Soft Mattress for Side Sleepers

The WinkBed comes in four levels of firmness: softer, luxury firm, firmer, and extra firm. While our The WinkBed review focuses on luxury firm, it’s the soft level we’ve found to provide the right comfort for a side sleeper, which you may not find with the firmer versions.

Pros

The soft version of The WinkBed also offers excellent comfort for the back sleeper, providing cushion where it counts—the hips and shoulders. Also, the durability of this product is quite good.

Cons

A queen side mattress runs about $1,600, which is not the most expensive you’ll find, but it might give you pause if you are a budget shopper. It needs to be said that your mattress will be built to order, but note that it can take 7-10 business days for delivery.

Read our review of The WinkBed.

Helix Midnight Luxe

Best Cooling Mattress for Side Sleepers

The Helix Midnight Luxe mattress makes its way into our list as the best cooling mattresses for hot sleepers. Helix features their Soft Touch Design technology to provide maximum breathability for optimal airflow and a cool night’s sleep. 

Pros

The top layer of memory foam is designed to be pressure relieving for your hips and shoulders, something side sleepers need in order to avoid aches and pains. The pocketed coils limit motion transfer, so couples can sleep soundly, and they add superior edge support. 

Cons

As wonderful as the Helix Midnight Luxe is for couples, those with aches and pains, and the hot sleeper, this is not a mattress for the bargain hunter. With a queen size mattress running just under $2,000, the price tag may give some pause.

Read our full Helix Midnight Luxe mattress review.

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Puffy Mattress

Best Mattress for Couples Who Are Side Sleepers

The Puffy classic is a great choice for the couple because of its superior testing results in our lab for motion transfer. We found this product to perform well for the sleeper who doesn’t love the idea of waking up every time their partner, pets or kids jump in bed.

Pros

This mattress is also a fine choice for those who prefer to sleep on their sides, in part because it scored well in pressure relief, which should be a primary concern for the side sleeper. Puffy is also a good choice for the sleeper who likes to rest on the edge of the bed, because there is ample support in that position.

Cons

Some customers have reported that the Puffy classic is prone to sag from the soft and cradling comfort layer. If that’s a concern for you, you may want to consider a hybrid, such as the Helix Midnight Luxe, which has a near-perfect score in durability.

Read our full Puffy mattress review.

 

Brooklyn Aurora

Best Mattress for Sex for Side Sleepers

When it comes to sex in bed, you want to be able to move about without feeling like you’re sinking in place. The Brooklyn Aurora scored extremely well in responsiveness, meaning that we found that the person who moves about a lot will like this mattress.

Pros

This mattress came in strong on spinal alignment, an important feature for the side sleeper, as well as responsiveness and cooling. Couples will enjoy that fine motion isolation is a plus with the Aurora.

Cons

The Aurora is made mostly of innerspring coils and polyfoam, which means it may not offer the enveloping you’d expect from memory foam. Also, we noticed a bit of off-gassing, or odor when unpacking, although it dissipated after a few hours.

Read our full Brooklyn Aurora review.

Casper Nova Hybrid

Best Hybrid Mattress for Side Sleepers

The Casper Nova Hybrid is the plushest mattress offered by Casper and the best hybrid mattress for side sleepers. It’s designed to have the hug of memory foam without trapping heat—the Nova Hybrid scored a 9 out of 10 for cooling.

Pros

With high scoring for motion transfer, this mattress works well for the couple and family with pets or kids (or both). That’s because you won’t feel folks jumping in and out of bed with the Casper Nova Hybrid.

Cons

During testing, we found the Casper Nova Hybrid to lack the strong edge support of some innerspring mattresses. And the plush foams may cradle the sleeper, but they don’t provide the support needed for stomach sleepers.

Read our full Casper Nova Hybrid review.

DreamCloud Premier

Best Pillow Top Mattress for Side Sleepers

The DreamCloud Premier was rated best mattress for the money on our best pillow top mattresses list. At the relatively affordable price of $1,399, the DreamCloud Premier’s cushy surface provides the comfort and support of a luxury mattress.

Pros

Scoring 9/10 on the motion transfer, pressure relief, and responsiveness tests, this mattress isn’t just a wonderful option for side sleepers. It also provides the springiness that is necessary for restless sleepers to move around with ease, and the movement isolation that can help you sleep soundly even as your partner tosses and turns throughout the night.

Cons

It’s hard to find something not to love about this mattress, but it does need to be said that the DreamCloud Premier is not completely made in the USA–the materials are sourced from abroad and assembled in the U.S.

Read our full DreamCloud Premier mattress review.

Leesa Hybrid

Best Mattress for Back Pain for Side Sleepers

Not only is the Leesa Hybrid great for the side sleeper, its Mattress Advisor score of 9.4 out of 10 makes it one of the highest scoring mattresses on our site. It received perfect marks for  spinal alignment, providing perfect alignment for back sleepers and side sleepers. With your spine protected, say goodbye to back pain

Pros

We also scored the Leesa Hybrid high for pressure relief and responsiveness. This can be a difficult combination to achieve in one mattress. The targeted coil support and plush foams prevent pressure buildup and bounce back when compressed. 

Cons

The Leesa Hybrid costs more than some all-foam mattresses by popular online brands. Some buyers also found the unboxing process to be cumbersome, with a heavy mattress and some off-gassing.

Read our full Leesa Hybrid review.

GhostBed Luxe

Best Memory Foam Mattress for Side Sleepers

The gel memory foam of the GhostBed Luxe provides cushioned pressure relief for side sleepers. Along with contouring around the hips and shoulders, the foam layers provide enough bounce for sleepers to move around with ease.

Pros

Another benefit of gel memory foam is its exceptional cooling abilities. The GhostBed Luxe features a ½-inch cool fiber layer and a cool-to-the-touch cover. These layers work together to provide cooling comfort for side sleepers and back sleepers as they’re cradled by 13 inches of various layers.

Cons

The medium-plush feel of the GhostBed Luxe is softer than some mixed-foam and hybrid mattresses. It may not be the best mattress for stomach sleepers who need a firmer and more structured mattress to protect their spine.

Read our full GhostBed Luxe review.

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A Side Sleeper’s Guide to Choosing the Right Mattress

In this buyer’s guide we’ll share

• The Best Type of Mattress for Side Sleeping
• What to Look for in a Mattress for Side Sleepers
• Sleeping Tips for Side Sleepers

The Best Type of Mattress for Side Sleeping

All mattress types are not created equal when it comes to what is best for side sleepers. Learn which types of mattress materials are good for side sleepers and which ones don’t work so well.

Memory Foam Mattress

Most types of mattresses made for side sleepers use some combination of memory foam, whether it be standard memory foam, latex foam, or gel-infused foam. Memory foam mattresses are completely constructed from layers of memory foam, no other materials. The top and mid layers are made for comfort; the base layer is usually made of high-density polyfoam to add durability.

Occasionally, these mattresses will be infused with copper, gel, or graphite to provide extra cooling and pain relief benefits. Memory foam has a good reputation for even weight distribution and easing pain around pressure points. It also supports the natural curve of your spine.

Innerspring Mattress

Innerspring mattresses consist of a coil spring system cushioned by foam on either side. While coils are great at providing bounce and support, they aren’t good at relieving pressure.

Generally, innerspring mattresses are not the best for side sleepers because they don’t provide enough contouring cushion. If you are a side sleeper on an innerspring mattress, we recommend you consider adding a memory foam mattress topper to provide the additional contouring your body needs. Or, look for a hybrid mattress with a soft top layer to hug your body.

Latex Mattress

Latex mattresses use latex foam as their main feature. Latex foam can be derived from either natural latex or synthetic latex; regardless, the material is cooling, buoyant, and pressure relieving. Organic latex foam provides a good base for some of the best organic mattresses for side sleepers.

Latex foam and gel-infused foam quickly bounce back to their normal shape when people shift positions at night, better than regular memory foam—great for side sleepers who also find that they are back or stomach sleepers.

Hybrid Mattress

A hybrid mattress may be a good choice if you are a side sleeper who likes the feel of an innerspring mattress. The best hybrid mattress for side sleepers provides the supportive bounce from the coil construction but utilizes other mattress materials for comfort and contouring.

Hybrid beds often have layers of high-quality foam (either latex foam, memory foam, or both) that expertly hugs hips and shoulders for pressure and pain relief.

What to Look for in a Mattress for Side Sleepers

Everyone has unique needs that must be met in the mattress they choose. Whether you’re a heavy sleeper, hot sleeper, part of a couple, or sleeping alone, there’s some component of your lifestyle or sleeping environment that you should consider when choosing a mattress. 

For side sleepers, it’s important to find a mattress that meets your unique need for a balance in comfort and support. Sleeping on your side can be great for your sleep and health, or it can be a nightmare if you don’t sleep on a surface that properly supports body alignment and contouring in the necessary zones.

Pressure Relief

Side sleepers naturally put more weight on their hips, thighs, and shoulders as they lie down, causing those areas to be pressure sensitive over time. That’s why side sleepers should search for a pressure-relieving mattress to keep away morning aches and pains—especially if you’re prone to hip pain and shoulder pain.

Read More: How to Ease Shoulder Pain from Sleeping

The right amount of pushback in your mattress will help distribute your body weight more evenly, meaning your hips, thighs, and shoulders won’t sink in more than the rest of your body. This also helps to prevent aches and soreness in those high-pressure areas.

How can you tell if a mattress has good pressure relief?

For every mattress we test at Mattress Advisor, we measure how well a mattress performs at relieving pressure using a pressure mapping device. Below you will see an example of a mattress that performed well in our pressure relief test and one that did not, for the side position.

The cooler the color, the lower the pressure. Look out for these diagrams on our individual mattress review pages.

Read More: Why is Pressure Relief so Important?

Spine Alignment

It’s important for side sleepers to select a mattress that will hug their bodies in the right places but not cause them to sink into the mattress too far. A mattress that pushes back just enough when you lie down will support your body’s natural curves and keep your spine aligned.

This is especially helpful for side sleepers with lower back pain. When your spine is out of alignment, gravity pushes down on the unsupported area, giving a similar result to having poor posture while standing. Over time, this leads to back pain and trouble sleeping. Side sleepers should have a perfectly straight spine from their neck all the way to the base of their spine.

Read More: Why Spine Alignment is Important

Firmness

Side sleepers should avoid an extremely firm or extremely soft mattress. If you’re a side sleeper, you need a mattress that contours your body and relieves joint pressure and pain at the hips and shoulders. Side sleepers tend to prefer a softer mattress that falls on the medium-soft to medium end of the firmness spectrum. If the mattress is too firm, you’re likely to feel joint pain and tension.

But a mattress that’s too soft won’t provide enough support. Look for a mattress that’s supportive but also soft enough to minimize stress on the hips and shoulders.

So what’s the best type of mattress for side sleepers? 

• A memory foam or foam blend mattress
• Not extremely firm or extremely soft (medium-firm on the firmness scale)
• Offers support and contouring comfort

Sleeping Tips for Side Sleeping

While sleeping on the right mattress is one of the most important factors in getting quality sleep, there are other things you can do as a side sleeper to make sure you wake up feeling well-rested and pain-free.

Sleep on your Left Side

Sleeping on your left side instead of your right offers a few benefits to your anatomy. Sleeping on the left side of your body helps: 

• Reduce pressure on the stomach 
• Reduce pressure on the digestive tract to promote digestion
• Promote healthier blood flow
• Reduce acid reflux
• Reduce heartburn

Sleeping on your side—particularly your left side—is also the recommended sleeping position for women who are pregnant. Dr. Angela Jones, Astroglide’s resident sexual health advisor, offers some tips for sleeping during pregnancy:

“We recommend left lateral positioning while sleeping as it displaces the uterus off of the inferior vena cava, which is the major blood vessel that returns blood back to the heart. The biggest tip I have for sleeping during pregnancy is don’t freak out if you happen to wake up on your back or on your right side. Just adjust your positioning and go back to sleep.”

Related: Best Mattress for Pregnancy

Back sleepers with sleep apnea looking to change their position should consider side sleeping. When you sleep on your back, the throat muscles relax, and your tongue lulls back, blocking your airways, contributing to sleep apnea. When you switch to your side, it opens up your airways without messing with your alignment.

Sleeping stretched out in the fetal position is also a good practice to start; it’s better for your alignment as well.

Use Pillows Wisely

We’ve mentioned how critical it is that your mattress supports your body’s natural alignment, but your pillows play a huge role in this as well. If your neck is too high or too low, the cervical vertebrae of the spine will be in misalignment. Average pillows typically fall too flat, so side sleepers should look for a thicker, firmer pillow. 

Read More: The Best Pillows for Side Sleepers

A good rule of thumb when selecting a pillow for side sleeping is to look for one that is thicker or higher under the neck than the head in order to keep your spine aligned.

Dr. Nate Vogan, DPT at Stewart Physical Therapy, tells us: “If you are a side sleeper, it’s important to make sure your neck is square to your shoulders and not sagging to one side. The implications of this is a muscular issue. It can create impingements of the joints in your neck. These impingements cause pain and tightness in the neck and under the arms.”

You can also use a knee pillow placed between your knees to reduce strain on your hips.

Choose a Good Topper

Side sleepers can also benefit from using a mattress topper with their bed. Mattress toppers add an extra layer of cushion and comfort to the surface of the mattress and are a good option for side sleepers looking to make their mattress softer. The best mattress toppers for side sleepers are made up of either memory foam or latex foam. These foam accessories offer contouring pressure relief to the shoulders and hips of side sleepers.

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Recap: Our Picks for the Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers

Mattress	Award	Our Rating
Saatva	Best Overall Mattress for Side Sleepers	9.3/10
Nectar	Best Budget Mattress for Side Sleepers	8.7/10
The WinkBed	Best Soft Mattress for Side Sleepers	8.6/10
Helix Midnight Luxe	Best Cooling Mattress for Side Sleepers	8.9/10
Puffy	Best Mattress for Couples for Side Sleepers	9/10
Brooklyn Aurora	Best Mattress for Sex for Side Sleepers	8.9/10
Casper Nova Hybrid	Best Hybrid Mattress for Side Sleepers	9/10
DreamCloud Premier	Best Pillow Top Mattress for Side Sleepers	9/10
Leesa Hybrid	Best Mattress for Back Pain for Side Sleepers	9.4/10
GhostBed Luxe	Best Memory Foam Mattress for Side Sleepers	9/10