Side sleeping is common for snoozing, and if you find yourself settling on your side night after night, consider a mattress that supports this position. While some beds can be too firm, the best mattresses for side sleepers offer joint-cradling softness and enough support to align your spine. So if you roll onto your side only to wake up with shoulder, hip and neck pain, it may be time to upgrade your mattress so it better suits your sleeping style.
When it comes to striking the perfect plush-to-support ratio, there are plenty of top-quality options to choose from—that is, if you know what you’re looking for. And if you don’t? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ve rounded up the best mattresses for side sleepers, from hybrids to body-contouring memory foam. For more help, scroll down to our buying guide where we answer some frequently asked questions and break down the top features to look for.
- Best Mattress For Side Sleepers Overall: Helix Midnight Mattress
- Most Comfortable Mattress For Side Sleepers: Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid
- Best Memory Foam Mattress For Side Sleepers: Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress
- [PAID PLACEMENT] Best Pillow Top Mattress For Side Sleepers: DreamCloud Premier Rest
- Best Mattress For Side Sleepers With Back Pain: Puffy Lux
- Best Luxury Mattress For Side Sleepers: Tempur-Breeze
- Best Mattress For Heavy Side Sleepers: Amerisleep AS5
- Best Flippable Mattress For Side Sleepers: Layla Memory Foam Mattress
- Best Hybrid Mattress For Side Sleepers: Casper Wave Hybrid
- Best Mattress For Side Sleepers With Partners: Leesa Original Mattress
- Best Pressure-Relieving Mattress For Side Sleepers: Purple Hybrid Premier 4
Best Mattress For Side Sleepers Overall
Responsive Foam, Supportive Coils And A Just-Right Price
- Materials: Memory foam, wrapped coils
- Firmness level: Medium
- Trial period: 100 nights
Helix’s Midnight mattress is dubbed the “ideal solution for side sleepers.” The memory foam relief layer is specifically designed to cushion your pressure points while lying on your side, including your hips and shoulders. And if you toss and turn at night, Helix has your back—literally. The middle layers of the Midnight mattress support your body contours and react quickly to movement so you feel cradled as you change positions. The top of the bed is medium-firm, meaning you’ll gently sink into the mattress instead of floating on top, and the breathable two-cover design promotes airflow and keeps you cool throughout the night. For the ultimate in comfort, consider the Helix Midnight Luxe, which is plusher and cooler with two additional layers and targeted lumbar support.
What the Reviews Say: “This mattress perfectly alleviates lower body pain that can often arise on other mattresses I've slept on when side sleeping,” says one buyer. Adds another side sleeper, “My Helix is by far the best mattress I've ever slept on. I'm happy that I don’t sink in and have trouble turning like you do with foam toppers.”
Most Comfortable Mattress For Side Sleepers
A Hybrid Mattress That Cushions Your Pressure Points
- Materials: Individually-wrapped coils, foam
- Firmness level: Soft, medium or firm
- Trial period: 12o nights
While Brooklyn Bedding lets customers choose between three levels of firmness, the soft option is highly recommended for side sleepers. This hybrid mattress features five layers: First is the “flex base” that’s topped with individually wrapped coils that provide stability and minimize motion transfer. Next is transitional foam for added softness and support. The upper layer is a proprietary foam that has the contouring properties of memory foam, but the quicker response time (and additional comfort) of latex. And to top it all off, a quilted cover provides softness and breathability throughout the night.
The end result? A supportive but comfortable hybrid mattress for single or partnered snoozers. In short, it’s a dream for side sleepers, especially at this affordable price.
What the Reviews Say: Says one coupled buyer, “We are side sleepers and the soft Brooklyn signature hybrid is perfect for us. It’s soft enough for my hips to settle where they should, but also [has] good support. Both my husband and I are very happy with it!” Another adds, “I'm a side sleeper and stomach sleeper. My husband is a back and side. So, getting a comfy bed is challenging. But this did it. We are so happy.”
Best Memory Foam Mattress For Side Sleepers
A Temperature-Regulating Mattress With Extra Support
- Materials: Memory foam
- Firmness level: Medium
- Trial period: 365 nights (one year)
Combining just-right medium support with foam-contouring coziness, the Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress is an ideal pick for side sleepers. A firm bottom layer ensures a stable base, while the self-adjusting upper layers cradle your body for made-for-you comfort.
Sleep hot? The Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress is topped with gel-infused memory foam and an airy cooling cover to keep night sweats at bay. This combination promotes temperature regulation and head-to-toe support for better sleep all around. Plus, the company offers an impressive 365-day trial period and a forever warranty, so you have plenty of time to see if it’s a good fit for you.
What the Reviews Say: One buyer sums it up, saying “it is firm but cushy enough for a side sleeper.” Another echoes, “As a side and back sleeper with back and hip pain, everything else I tried was either too soft or too firm. My Nectar is just right and I'm sleeping better than I have in years!”
Best Pillow Top Mattress For Side Sleepers
A Cashmere-Blend Topper Offers Luxurious Sink-In Softness
- Materials: Memory foam, individually wrapped coils, cashmere blend cover
- Firmness level: Luxury firm
- Trial period: 365 nights (one year)
The Premier Rest is the plushest mattress in DreamCloud’s line. It’s considered luxury firm, striking the ideal balance of stability and responsiveness that side sleepers need. It has three layers of memory foam—soft, supportive and contouring—that sit on top of individually wrapped coils, which offer structure and allow airflow. This combo minimizes motion transfer, offers cooling breathability and cradles your joints where you need it most.
The pièce de résistance is the cashmere blend pillow top, which makes this mattress extra luxurious. It contains high-loft memory foam that allows your shoulders and hips to sink into the mattress just enough to take pressure off your body (without misaligning your spine).
What the Reviews Say: According to buyers, the DreamCloud is side sleeper-approved. “This mattress is wonderful for those of us that sleep on our sides,” reports a reviewer. “It is very comfortable and I do not wake up feeling hot. This mattress was bought for a guest bedroom, but after I tried it one night, now I sleep on it instead of my regular mattress and box springs in my own bedroom!”
Best Mattress For Side Sleepers With Back Pain
Body-Contouring Memory Foam Takes The Pressure Off
- Materials: Memory foam, contour-adapt coils
- Firmness level: Medium-plush
- Trial period: 101 nights
If you’re a side sleeper with back pain, the Puffy Lux Hybrid Mattress is the one for you. The hybrid mattress is designed with body-contouring memory foam and an adaptive coil base that conforms to the curves of your body and minimizes strain on your pressure points. A Firm Core Support Layer, which keeps your spine aligned and eliminates pressure points, sits in the middle of the mattress so you wake up rested and pain-free.
Also worth noting: The Puffy Lux regulates temperature, is made in the USA and comes with a lifetime warranty. And, unlike other bed-in-a-box mattresses, it’s designed to work with any type of bed frame so you don’t have to upgrade your entire setup if you don’t want to.
What the Reviews Say: “My king size Puffy replaced a much more expensive bed that seemed to deteriorate far before its time,” says a buyer. “I have gone through three lumbar back surgeries and I knew I had to make a change. I love this bed and the memory foam. I am sleeping well because the pain is now far less. It’s nice to know that my daily pain ends at bedtime.”
Best Luxury Mattress For Side Sleepers
A Pressure-Relieving Mattress With Materials Developed By NASA
- Materials: Foam, cooling cover
- Firmness level: Medium
- Trial period: 90 nights
Tempur-Pedic is a big name in luxury sleep, and with good reason: The company delivers a quality product and the Tempur-Breeze LuxeBreeze, one of the best mattresses for side sleepers thanks to its high-quality memory foam, is no exception. Like many top side sleeper mattresses, this one is built in layers–eight, to be exact–including foams that relieve pressure with plush softness and contouring support. (In fact, the NASA-developed materials may be the closest you come to experiencing zero gravity).
Tempur-Pedic’s Breeze line was also developed for its exceptional cooling abilities. The LuxeBreeze feels a full 8 degrees cooler than a standard mattress thanks to a combination of ventilation and heat-absorbing materials. If that seems too chilly for you, the ProBreeze (pictured), which sleeps 3 degrees cooler, should do the trick. Both are available in either all-foam or hybrid options.
What the Reviews Say: “I am a side sleeper so this ProBreeze Medium is perfect,” a buyer shares. “I also suffer from lower back pain and after a few weeks I have noticed this mattress has helped diminish the pain.” Another comments on the temperature regulation, saying, “We love our Tempur-ProBreeze king mattress! The cooling benefits of this model are amazing! We are so happy that we decided to invest in ourselves and the benefits of a great night’s sleep!”
Best Mattress For Heavy Side Sleepers
A Plush Option That Won’t Buckle Or Sag
- Materials: Memory foam
- Firmness level: Soft
- Trial period: 100 nights
The AS5 is Amerisleep’s plushest mattress. It’s made of several layers of ultra-soft, pressure-relieving memory foam that provide enough give for your shoulders and hips—areas that can go numb when you’re sleeping on your side on a mattress that’s too firm. Underneath the memory foam lies a support layer called Active Flex that reinforces the foam and prevents it from sagging, including under heavier weights. This ensures that your spine stays aligned, regardless of your size.
The memory foam also has an open cell design, so it’s more breathable than traditional foam to keep you cooler during the night. With the addition of its heat-wicking Refresh Cover, this mattress can feel a full 7 degrees cooler than other mattresses on the market. It’s also available in hybrid.
What the Reviews Say: One buyer raves, “My aching lower back and arthritic left hip pain immediately diminished to almost nil the first night I slept on this mattress, plus my shoulder joint pain is completely gone. The mattress supports my heavy weight and lumbar region without putting my joints into agony like traditional mattresses. I've tried memory foam toppers, and mattresses with memory foam tops already built in, but they are nothing like this mattress.”
Best Flippable Mattress For Side Sleepers
A Mattress That Has A Soft And A Firm Side
- Materials: Memory foam, support foam
- Firmness level: Firm on one side, medium-soft on the other
- Trial period: 120 nights
Layla’s mattress is built with copper gel-infused memory foam, which molds to your body while pulling away excess heat for a cool and comfortable sleep. Side sleepers will especially enjoy its responsive firmness, which cradles your body for customized support. Plus, it comes with a unique feature that commitment-phobes will love: It’s double-sided, with a soft and a medium-firm side, which lets you flip depending on your preferences.
In addition to its memory foam mattress, Layla also has a hybrid version. Just note that both sides are a tick or two higher on the firmness scale; for reference, the memory foam soft side is the softest of them all.
What the Reviews Say: Most side sleeping reviewers say the soft side suits them best. “I wanted to find something that was soft but still supportive for someone with a bad back who sleeps on their side,” one explains. “This mattress has been great. With my old one, I would wake up in pain if I slept too long, but not anymore.”
Best Hybrid Mattress For Side Sleepers
An Option With Gel Pods That Support Your Lower Back
- Materials: Memory foam, gel pods
- Firmness level: Medium
- Trial period: 100 nights
The Casper Wave mattress is a hybrid, so like many on this list, it offers the best of both worlds (specifically, structured support and contouring upper layers). However, what sets the Wave apart is its built-in gel pods, which provide gentle-yet-firm support for the waist and lower back for proper spinal alignment. Then, the uppermost layers consist of marshmallowy foam to cradle side sleepers’ joints.
The Wave will also keep night sweats at bay with proprietary technology (called Airscape 3) that directs heat away from your body and gives the mattress a cool-to-the-touch feel. Plus, its base of foam-encased springs promotes airflow; one huge plus of hybrid mattress models, in general.
What the Reviews Say: Shares one reviewer, “I used to not be able to sleep on my right side due to my shoulder feeling like it wanted to pop out of the socket, but on the Wave Hybrid I sleep on either side comfortably!” And, when experiencing back pain from painting their home, “I would wake up and it was like my back had been freshly aligned by a chiropractor, except that it didn't start hurting a couple hours later like a chiropractor adjustment does.”
Best Mattress For Side Sleepers With Partners
A Mattress Made Without Springs To Minimize Motion Transfer
- Materials: Memory foam
- Firmness level: Medium-firm
- Trial period: 100 nights
Leesa’s mattress is crafted entirely from foam for a cozy-yet-supportive feel. (That said, it’s firmer than other picks on this list, so if you’re set on getting a softer bed, you may want to consider another contender.) Although it’s all foam, it’s made with four different layers to offer the balance of support and comfort that side sleepers crave. Further, the absence of coils means it’s less springy than traditional mattresses, so it excels at minimizing motion transfer—a huge plus for couples. On that note, if you share your bed and your partner isn’t a side sleeper, that’s okay; this pick is medium-firm and provides pressure relief for all sleeping positions.
And while it’s made of memory foam, it doesn’t trap heat. The Leesa mattress has a top layer of airy foam that stays cool while providing responsive contouring and its gray twill cover is refreshingly breathable.
What the Reviews Say: “Best mattress for side sleepers!” says one buyer who adds that side sleeping isn’t their only preferred position. “I'm all over the place, sometimes stomach and back, and I feel really supported. It's definitely a medium-firm mattress, which is perfect.”
Best Pressure-Relieving Mattress For Side Sleepers
A Bouncy (In A Good Way) Mattress That’s Unlike Any Other
- Materials: Proprietary Purple Grid, support coils
- Firmness level: Medium-soft
- Trial period: 100 nights
The Purple Hybrid Premier 4 offers the most pressure reduction of all of Purple’s mattresses. It has a 4-inch thick Purple GelFlex Grid (the others have two or three inches) that cradles your hips and shoulders when sleeping on your side and gives a zero-gravity feel so you can leave the pressures of the day behind when you crawl into bed. The grid is set on top of support coils that respond quickly to movement, react to pressure and give this mattress a more buoyant feel than traditional memory foam.
The other benefit of the Purple’s coil-and-grid structure is that it’s designed to allow airflow. Additionally, the GelFlex material won’t retain heat so you’ll stay cool all night long.
What the Reviews Say: “It can be hard to find a mattress that is soft enough for side sleepers to not feel hip pain, but firm enough to not cause back pain for stomach sleepers,” says one formerly skeptical buyer and multi-position sleeper. However, “This is perfection!”
What To Consider When Buying A Mattress For Side Sleepers
Shopping for mattresses online has its pros and cons: On one hand, you can’t try them out in person. On the other hand, there are so many quality models to choose from, you’re bound to find one that’s tailored to your specific needs. To help you narrow your search, consider the following factors as you browse for your next bed.
Firmness
While the level of firmness that’s most comfortable for you is ultimately a matter of preference, medium or medium-soft mattresses are usually best for frequent side sleepers. This ensures that there’s enough plushness to alleviate pressure points plus the right amount of support to keep the spine aligned.
Materials
Mattresses that offer the ideal firmness for side sleepers can be made with different materials. Here is a breakdown the two most popular types of mattresses:
Foam: Usually made with memory foam and/or latex, foam mattresses are known for their responsive, body-contouring properties. This can be an excellent choice for side sleepers because the foam molds to every unique body and position. Foam also eliminates motion transfer so you won’t feel your partner moving at night. However, there are some downsides. Foam mattresses have a reputation for trapping heat, although top brands have developed proprietary materials and cooling technology to alleviate this issue. While some people love the feeling of sinking into a mattress, others feel like they’re being “swallowed” by their bed. And finally, when assembling your bed, foam mattresses are particularly heavy, so keep this in mind if you plan on hauling it into your bedroom yourself or moving in the near future.
Hybrid: If you don’t want a traditional innerspring mattress but you’re unsure whether an all-foam mattress is right for you, you can’t go wrong with a hybrid mattress. These combine a base of coils to offer support plus upper foam layers to provide the plush pressure relief you need—and they don’t sink in quite as much as foam mattresses do. Additionally, hybrids tend to be cooler than foam mattresses because the springs allow for more airflow. One of the few downsides is that they can be slightly bouncier than foam mattresses, but quality picks are designed to keep motion transfer to a minimum.
Trial Period And Warranty
One of the biggest challenges of buying a mattress online is not being able to try it out first. And, companies understand that. That’s why many offer generous trial periods—some for as long as a year—to try out your new investment and make sure it’s the right fit. When picking your mattress, be sure to review the brand’s trial period and procedure before making your purchase.
You’ll also want to make sure your mattress has a warranty that covers defects or premature wear for at least five years.
Other Features
Today’s top mattress models offer a handful of other features that are worth considering to help you achieve a comfortable night’s sleep. If you share your bed with a partner, look for a bed that minimizes motion transfer. Foam mattresses are ideal for this, and many hybrids are designed with wrapped coils and movement-absorbing layers that also do the trick. (To that, if you get a great mattress that works for the both of you, hopefully there will be less tossing and turning to begin with.)
Sleeping hot is another common gripe, and major mattress companies have invented high-tech materials designed to wick away heat and moisture and feel cool to the touch. Copper fibers are a trendy mattress and pillow material thanks to their temperature-regulating and antimicrobial properties.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mattresses For Side Sleepers
What Type Of Mattress Is Best For Side Sleepers?
Side sleepers need cushioning around the shoulders, hips and knees, but not so much that it throws the body out of alignment. Finding the proper firmness is key, as well as comparing the features of foam and hybrid mattresses with your sleep preferences.
The Helix Midnight Mattress nabbed our top spot as the best mattress for side sleepers overall because of its hybrid construction, zoned support, medium firmness and luxe materials— all of which should contribute to a better night’s sleep for most side sleepers.
What Mattress Firmness Should A Side Sleeper Use?
In general, medium or medium-soft mattresses are the most comfortable for side sleepers, offering the right balance of softness and support. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference.
Are Firm Mattresses Bad For Side Sleepers?
Not necessarily. Side sleepers need some type of cushioning around their shoulders, hips and knees, so an ultra-firm mattress might not have enough give to contour the body properly. If the mattress is too firm, you can wake up with numbness and tingling in your arms. On the other hand, if the mattress is too soft, it can cause back pain. That’s why medium-soft to medium mattresses usually strike the best balance for side sleepers. If you find you need more support, consider a medium-firm or luxury-firm option, like the DreamCloud Premier Rest.
Is Memory Foam Better For Side Sleepers?
Side sleepers should definitely consider memory foam when mattress shopping, whether in an all-foam mattress or the upper layers of a hybrid. The responsive material cradles joints, which is essential for comfortably sleeping on your side. It also supports the natural curvature of your spine, which helps to alleviate back pain and other aches.
How Long Does It Take To Break In A New Mattress?
Mattresses you buy online often have a period of time where they need to expand (check the manufacturer’s label for more). After that, it’s more about your body adjusting to the mattress. That can take about 30 days, but sometimes longer. It really depends on how different your new mattress is from your old one.
The break-in period is so important that most mattress retailers won’t let you return a mattress until you’ve had it at least 30 days.
