Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers

Best Mattress for Side Sleepers 2023: Reviews & Buying Guide

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Mattresses for side sleepers are different from mattresses designed to cater to back or stomach sleepers.

The most important difference is that sleeping on your side creates sharper body angles and deeper pressure points that the surface of a mattress must contend with. This is why side-sleepers need more compliant surfaces that also provide excellent support without ‘bottoming-out'.

Side sleepers are also more likely to move around at night as they switch positions, so motion transfer can become an issue when two partners share the bed.


Best Mattresses For Side Sleepers

In this updated Best Mattress Guide, we've used these requirements to select the best online mattresses for side sleepers in six different categories:

  1. Editor's Choice: Puffy Royal
  2. Best Innerspring: Saatva Classic
  3. Best OrganicPlushBeds Botanical Bliss
  4. Best Custom/Split: Helix Mattress
  5. Best Memory Foam: Nest Alexander Signature Series
  6. Best Latex:  Brooklyn Bedding
  7. Best for Side Sleepers with Back Pain: Nolah Original
  8. Best Tempur-Pedic Mattress for Side Sleepers: Tempur-Pedic LUXEbreeze Soft
  9. Best Cooling Mattress for Side Sleepers: Purple Hybrid Premier
  10. Best Pressure Point Relief Mattress for Side Sleepers: Casper Nova

To get a quick overview of our top picks and to see them compared side-by-side, then keep reading this page.


What Do Side Sleepers Need in a Mattress?

There are 13 key features you should consider when buying a mattress online (see the complete list).

But of these, three are the most important to side-sleepers: support, firmness, and motion transfer.

1. Excellent Support

Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers - spinal zone support

Good support is the most important mattress requirement for side sleepers.

Good support means that your body's weight is spread out as evenly as possible on the mattress surface to eliminate pressure points – especially at the hips, shoulders, and neck.

It is extremely important that the back, spine, and neck also be supported in the right alignment.

For side-sleepers, especially a mattress with poor support is not only bad for your sleep; it is bad for your health.

2. Ideal Mattress Firmness for Side Sleepers (Soft-to-medium)

brooklyn bedding signature review

Due to the sharp contours that must be supported, a soft to medium-firm mattress is best for most side sleepers.

A softer mattress provides sinkage to allow for proper contouring around the body's shoulder and hip regions.

If the mattress is too firm, shoulders and hips cannot sink enough into the mattress, leading to an unnatural spinal position and uncomfortable and harmful pressure points.

3. Limited Motion Transfer

Foam mattress motion transfer

Most side sleepers turn from side to side while asleep, usually without realizing it.

For couples, this can be a real problem, as moving from one side of the bed causes a disturbance on the other side.

These days, many mattresses sold online are equipped with technology that limits motion transfer.

For example, some mattresses make use of individually-wrapped coiled springs while others use special types of foam to insulate partners from each other's motions.

Of course, these are not the only things side sleepers need in a mattress; other aspects such as cooling, breathability, and moisture control are also important.

But support, firmness, and motion transfer are the top three.


Top Rated Mattresses for Side Sleepers

Mattresses with a soft or medium firmness and moderate sinkage minimize pressure points on shoulders, neck, and hips.

Mattresses with minimal motion transfer reduce the risk of waking your partner when you switch sleeping positions at night, which side-sleepers shift tend to do more frequently than others.

MattressRatingPriceDescriptionSinkageComfort ChoicesWarranty
Puffy Royal

Puffy Royal
4.9$1,249-$2,699Luxury memory foamModerateMediumLifetime
Saatva Classic

Saatva Classic
4.9$1,101 - $2,372 Luxury hybrid
(foam and innerspring) mattress
MinimalFirm
Med. Firm
Soft
15 years
Plushbeds Botanical Bliss

Plushbeds Botanical Bliss
4.8$1,199 – $2,198Luxury organic latex mattressModerateMed. Firm,
Medium
25 years
Helix

Helix
4.7$702.20 -$1,311.60 High-quality hybrid mattress. Custom-fit to sleep style & body.MinimalCustom-fit10 years
Nest Alexander Signature Series

Nest Alexander Signature Series
4.7$980.80 - $1,961.60Luxury memory foam mattressModerateFirm
Med. Firm
Soft
Lifetime
Brooklyn Bedding

Brooklyn Bedding
4.5 $674.30 - $1,349.30High quality hybrid mattress made by industry veteransModerateFirm
Med. Firm
Soft
10 years
Nolah Original

Nolah Original
4.8$649- $1,137All-foamModerateMediumLifetime
LUXEbreeze mattress

LUXEbreeze mattress
4.9$4,099 – $5,299 Luxury cooling memory foamModerateSoft10 year
Purple Hybrid Premier

Purple Hybrid Premier
4.9$2,699-$5,398Luxury cooling memory foamModerateSoft10 year
Casper Nova

Casper Nova
4.9 $1,596 - 2,476Luxury cooling memory foamModerateMedium10 year

1. Puffy Royal: Overall Best Mattress for Side Sleepers

Puffy Royal mattress

Memory foam mattresses are generally the best for side sleepers, thanks to their unmatched contouring and pressure-relieving ability.

The Puffy Royal is one of the most comfortable memory foam mattresses  for side sleepers.

With a medium feel, the Puffy Royal mattress perfectly contours to your shoulder and hip, ensuring you don't feel any discomfort on these pressure points.

And because it is 14″ thick, your weight doesn't matter. The mattress will not bottom out under you.

The Puffy Royal mattress starts with a gel memory foam layer at the top. It's soft to provide instant pressure relief. The gel-infused into the foam helps keep the mattress cool.

The second layer consists of responsive memory foam. It gives the mattress a bit of bounce and provides deep contouring as you settle into the mattress.

The third layer is made with cooling polyfoam.

Next is a polyfoam transition layer with a convoluted design to increase airflow (and thus cooling).

Additionally, the transition layer has a zoned design that provides targeted support and pressure relief. You get more support when you need it, such as your lower body and pressure relief, where it is most necessary, such as your shoulders.

The zoned design greatly improves the comfort and sleep quality of side sleepers. The mattress fits your body like a glove, reducing pressure points, ensuring proper spinal alignment, and minimizing how much you toss and turn.

A 7″ base provides deep compression support, ensuring you don't bottom out regardless of your weight. It also keeps the mattress from sagging.

The thicker than usual base explains why Puffy is confidently offering a lifetime warranty.

The Puffy Royal mattress is more expensive than most memory foam mattresses, but we think the luxury comfort is worth it, and many side sleepers who've slept on the mattress agree.

In addition to the lifetime warranty, you get a 101-night in-home sleep trial. Shipping is free within the continental United States.


2. Saatva Classic:  Best Innerspring Mattress for Side Sleepers

Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers

For a time, innerspring mattresses were the most popular type sold.

Today, however, memory foam and latex mattresses have taken the helm.

Though no longer as popular, innerspring mattresses do retain many advantages over foam. They generally provide excellent support, especially edge support. Unlike most foam mattresses, innerspring mattresses also provide a noticeable bounce, which makes them the best type of mattress for sex.

Our top innerspring mattress recommendation for side sleepers is Saatva Classic.

Saatva is the same company that owns the popular Loom and Leaf foam mattress brand.

One of the best-known online mattress brands, Saatva, has not spared anything in creating the perfect innerspring online mattress.

The Saatva Classic mattress uses an advanced coil-on-coil system to provide outstanding support and durability.

The lower, hourglass-shaped coil unit is for foundational support.

The upper coil unit features individually wrapped steel coils. Wrapping the coils individually helps the Saatva mold itself to contour to any body shape, which is important for side sleepers.

Another benefit of Saatva's coil-on-coil system is the almost complete elimination of motion transfer since movement is not transmitted from one individual coil to another.

To ensure all-over support, Saatva uses a dual-edge support system, which increases the useful sleeping surface area and prevents sagging.

But what makes the Saatva mattress one of the most comfortable mattresses we've ever tested is their unique Euro pillow top. With its plush filling and organic cotton cover, side sleepers will have no trouble at all staying planted and getting a cool and restful night's sleep.

Three Firmness Levels

Saatva offers three firmness levels: plush soft, luxury firm, and firm.

For most side sleepers, we recommend the luxury firm. It has the perfect balance between support and contouring.

If you need something extra soft, then try the Plush Soft.

Saatva offers plenty of sizes to choose from, including custom sizes. Prices range between $799 and $1,699. The popular Queen Size mattress costs $1,299.  All Saatva mattresses are sold online via their website.

Saatva mattresses come with a better-than-average 15-year warranty and a no-risk trial period of 120 nights.


3. PlushBeds Botanical Bliss: Best Organic Latex Mattress for Side Sleepers

Plushbeds Botanical Bliss

Organic mattresses are built to stricter standards than other mattresses.

Every process, from the raw materials selected to how the mattress is manufactured, is monitored to ensure that no harmful chemicals are used.

The result is a mattress that is better for your health and the environment.

Organic and natural mattresses also tend to be more expensive.

For most side sleepers, PlushBeds Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress is a great choice. It is often recommended by chiropractors and orthopedic specialists, thanks to its excellent level of support and pressure-relieving capabilities.

The Botanical Bliss is topped with a breathable organic cotton cover.

Beneath the covers are a pure Joma New Zealand wool mattress cover, a Talalay latex comfort layer, and an organic Dunlop latex core. These unique, organic materials offer additional benefits, as Joma wool and Talalay latex are both dust mite resistant and mold and mildew resistant. Joma Wool is also naturally fire-resistant.

The Botanical Bliss performs very well in temperature control, support, comfort, and breathability.

As for firmness, there are four levels to choose from. We recommend the soft or medium firmness level for side-sleepers.

The Botanical Bliss mattress is available in all the usual size options, with prices ranging from $1,199 for a Twin size to $2,099 for the California King. You can purchase the Botanical Bliss mattress on the PlushBeds website.

Yes, it's expensive for an online mattress – but not expensive (at all) for an organic one.

You can also opt for the split option available in Queen, King, and California King sizes.

PlushBeds' warranty lasts a generous 25 years, while the trial period is 100 nights.


4. Helix Mattress:  Best Custom/Split Mattress for Side Sleepers

Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers

For those who need a custom, made-to-order mattress, Helix Mattress is your best online option.

Couples with different mattress preferences often order split or custom mattresses, because the mattress can be split with one side being firmer or softer than the other.

Helix takes customization to the next level with its unique online ordering process.

Customers complete a quick online questionnaire that provides key inputs, including height, weight, sleeping position, and sleeping preferences, which include the following four factors:

  1. feel (soft to firm)
  2. support (light to strong)
  3. temperature regulation (mild to cool) and
  4. contouring or elasticity (low to high).

These responses are used to create a unique sleeping profile for each sleeping surface, which is then used to manufacture a custom mattress.

Helix made-to-order mattresses are delivered 7 to 10 business days after ordering – which is remarkable when you consider that many online mattress companies who don't offer customization take about the same amount of time.

As far as mattress construction goes, Helix uses Dunlop latex for bounce and airflow, micro-coils for weight distribution and contouring, and high-density foam for premium base support.

Available for sale only on their website, Helix offers all standard mattress sizes, from Twin to California King. Prices range from $600-$995, in the mid-range of online mattresses. Higher than bargain brands like Tuft and Needle, but less than luxury brands Nest, Saatva, and Keetsa.

Every Helix mattress comes with an industry-standard 10-year warranty and a 100-day no-risk-return trial.


5. Alexander Signature Series (Medium): Best Memory Foam Mattress for Side Sleepers

Alexander Signature Series® Flippable

Memory foam is well-known for its ability to contour around a body, which minimizes pressure points and provides outstanding support.

Our top recommendation for side-sleepers looking for a great memory foam mattress is Nest Bedding's Alexander Signature Series.

We specifically recommend the medium comfort level.

The Alexander Signature Series uses five layers of CertiPUR-US certified foam.

A 1.5-inch soft quilted cover gives the top a comfortable, plushy feel.

Below the top, Nest adds three layers of specialized foams, including:

  • a gel memory foam layer for temperature control
  • a Visco memory foam layer for support and contouring and
  • Nest's unique Smartflow Air Flow Foam for support and breathability.

The result is a mattress that provides exceptional performance in the areas of contouring, support, breathability, and cooling.

A Solid Edge Support Baselayer is also built into the mattress to limit edge depression and provide extra support for couples who sleep near the edge.

On a scale of 1 to 10, from rock-hard to cloud-soft, the Alexander Signature Medium delivers a firmness level of 6 out of 10. This is about perfect for most side sleepers.

The Alexander Signature Series is priced a bit on the high side, however, a Twin costs $999, a Queen is $1,299, and the largest California King costs $1,499. This is slightly higher than many online mattresses – but well worth the cost.

The Signature Series mattress comes with an exceptionally long lifetime warranty, a Lifetime Comfort Guarantee, and a 100-night trial.


6. Brooklyn Bedding: Best Latex Mattress for Side Sleepers

Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers

Latex is a common material used in manufacturing mattresses. There are two main types of latex used in manufacturing today: Dunlop latex and Talalay latex.

Latex is generally considered to be a better material for temperature control and support. It also provides a unique bounce, something that is absent in most memory foam products.

For our pick of the top latex mattress for side sleepers, we recommend Brooklyn Bedding's #bestmattressever.

BB offers their mattress in soft, medium, and firm comfort levels. We'd recommend the soft and medium #BMEs for side-sleepers.

The Brooklyn Bedding mattress starts with an ultra-soft and highly-breathable quilted cotton cover at the top.

The second layer of Talalay latex provides the necessary support and contouring that side sleepers need.

The third level is a transition layer of Dunlop latex, which provides an additional layer of support so that a side sleeper's body profile doesn't “bottom-out”.

For the foundational base, there is a layer of high-density polyfoam, which ensures the mattress lasts for years without degradation or sagging.

Overall, Brooklyn Bedding #BestMattressEver performs very well in the areas side sleepers care about most: support, firmness, motion transfer, and cooling.

The #BME is offered in many sizes, including a Queen Short ($750), Full XL ($700), Twin XL ($475), and a split California King ($1,050).

Brooklyn Bedding offers an industry-standard 10-year warranty and a 120-night trial.

Brooklyn Bedding's #BME is available for sale on their website and Amazon.com.


7. Nolah Original: Best Mattress for Side Sleepers with Back Pain

pressure point mattress

Side sleepers with back pain need a good balance between soft pressure relief and firm support. The extra support is important to keep your spine properly aligned and prevent pressure on your already aching back.

The mattress that best meets these conditions is the Nolah Original mattress. The 10” mattress combines soft and firmer foams to create a perfect medium feel for side sleepers with back pain.

At the top of the mattress is a 2” layer of Nolah AirFoam. This is a special type of foam with the pressure point relief of memory foam, but without its hot and mushy feel. The AirFoam layer provides instant pressure relief for your shoulders, back, hips and other pressure points.

While Nolah AirFoam is not as cool as latex foam, it doesn’t overheat like memory foam.

The second layer is 1” of transition foam. It is firmer and bouncier than the AirFoam layer to provide support and responsiveness.

This layer distributes your body weight and keeps your spine in proper alignment.

At the bottom is a 7” high-density foam base that provides deep compression support and ensures the mattress lasts a long time without sagging (which can cause or worsen back pain).

The three layers are wrapped in a breathable and moisture-wicking Tencel cover.

Overall, the Nolah original mattress offers adequate support and pressure relief to reduce back pain. It does sleep a bit warm, so hot sleepers may want to find an alternative or buy a cooling mattress topper.

The Nolah mattress comes with a 120-night trial period and a lifetime warranty.


8. Tempur-Pedic LUXEbreeze Soft: Best Tempur-Pedic for Side Sleepers

soft mattress for side sleepers

Tempur-Pedic makes some of the best – and most expensive – memory foam mattresses around.

The best Tempur-Pedic mattress for side sleepers is the soft and cool LUXEbreeze Soft. The 13” mattress goes all out in providing the coolest and most comfortable sleeping experience in any memory foam mattress.

The manufacturer has actually measured the temperature difference between the LUXEbreeze and Tempur-ProAdapt mattresses and found that the LUXEbreeze sleeps up to 8 degrees cooler throughout the night.

Of course, your mileage may vary depending on how hot a sleeper you are and where you live. But most customers enjoy far better cooling with the LUXEbreeze compared to other memory foam mattresses.

To keep you cool, the LUXEbreeze mattress uses a 4-layer system: a cool-to-the-touch breathable cover, phase change material that maintains the mattress at a constant temperature range, a high-airflow foam layer and a ventilated pressure-relieving memory foam layer.

Tempur-Pedic offers the LUXEbreeze mattress in two comfort options: firm and soft. We recommend LUXEbreeze Soft for most side sleepers.

It is incredibly plush, wrapping around your hips and shoulders to relieve pressure.

When you buy from the official website, the Tempur-PedicLUXEbreeze mattress comes with a 90-night trial period and a 10-year warranty.


9. Purple Hybrid Premier: Best Cooling Mattress for Side Sleepers

best cool mattress for side sleepers

The lack of memory foam and the presence of airflow-boosting pocket coils make the Purple Hybrid Premier the best choice for side sleepers who sleep hot.

Instead of memory foam, Purple uses their famed Hyper-Elastic Polymer in the top layer. The gel-like polymer molds to your body and has grids that provide customized pressure relief and support.

You can choose a Purple Hybrid Premier with 3” or 4” of the special polymer layer. We recommend the 4” option for side sleepers. It feels plusher and hugs the side of your body better to eliminate pressure on your hip and shoulder.

The pocket coil layer comes next, sandwiched between two 1” layers of polyurethane foam. The 7.5” pocket coil layer provides additional contouring and holds up your body weight to ensure you don’t sink in too deep.

The pocket coils also do an excellent job ventilating the mattress, which prevents heat build-up. Combined with the non-heat retaining elastic polymer layer, you don’t need to throw off the blanket at night or buy a cooling topper.

The breathable stretch cover also helps you stay cool and wicks away any sweat on your skin.

The Purple Hybrid Premier mattress comes with a standard 100-night trial and 10-year warranty.


10. Casper Nova Hybrid: Best Pressure Point Relief for Side Sleepers

best rated side sleeper mattress

If you have particularly bony shoulders or hips, you need extra pressure relief to prevent soreness on your pressure points.

Heavier sleepers also need a mattress with a deeper hug to reduce the pressure their weight put on the mattress.

Our top recommendation is the Casper Nova hybrid mattress.

The Casper Nova doesn’t just rely on soft foam to protect your shoulders and hips from too much pressure; it also uses a zoned design to improve body contouring.

Both the second and third foam layers have support zones. The second layer of AirScape foam has three zones. It is softer under your shoulders, a bit firmer under your hips to keep your back aligned, and softer under your lower body to take pressure off your thighs and knees.

The third layer of memory foam has seven zones that target different areas of your body more finely. This layer is softer under your shoulders, hips and lower body to provide pressure relief exactly where you need it most.

Sandwiching these two layers is a top layer of ventilated poly foam and a spring base with an edge support foam border.

The use of ventilated foam and springs greatly improves airflow within the mattress, ensuring you sleep cool all year round.

The Casper Nova mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.


Best Mattress Type for Side Sleepers

Hybrid Mattresses

Hybrid mattresses consist of a thick foam comfort section on top and a thick coil base. Hybrid mattresses have excellent support because of the spring base, but some can be a bit lacking when it comes to pressure relief, an important feature for side sleepers.

To ensure you get adequate pressure-point relief, look for a hybrid mattress with thick and soft layers of foam on top. A hybrid mattress with a memory foam top layer is particularly comfortable for side sleepers.

Pillow top mattresses also offer excellent pressure relief.

Foam Mattresses

Foam mattresses, particularly those with a memory foam layer, offer a pressure-relieving body hug that’s hard to find in other types of mattresses.

Firmer and denser bottom layers provide plenty of support.

The two downsides of foam mattresses are lack of bounciness (bad for sex and changing sleep positions) and a tendency to overheat.

Latex Mattresses

It can be difficult to find a latex mattress that is plush enough to provide pressure relief under your hip and shoulder. Most latex mattresses lie on the firm end of the scale.

But you can still find medium latex mattresses, usually made with Talalay latex. These mattresses have more give, making them comfortable for side sleepers.

Latex mattresses have excellent cooling performance and a nice bounce that makes it easier to toss and turn in bed.

Innerspring Mattresses

We do not recommend innerspring mattresses for side sleepers. They have only a thin layer of foam, so you can feel the springs digging into your hip or shoulder.

If you absolutely have to buy an innerspring mattress, buy a memory foam topper as well.

Airbed

While they may not be suitable for long term use, air mattresses or airbeds offer decent support and good pressure relief.

If you need a mattress to crash on for a short period, an airbed is a good choice. At the right pressure, it supports your back and is easy on your hips and shoulders.


How We Rate Mattresses for Side Sleepers

Here are the 13 factors will look for in mattresses when rating them:

1. Brand

Casper

Saatva and Casper are widely credited with starting the modern online mattress revolution. Today, there are dozens of brands selling quality mattresses.

Some of the top brands include Brooklyn Bedding, Casper, Saatva, Nest bedding, Leesa, and Keetsa. Some are established companies like Saatva, while most are startups like Casper.

All things equal, we prefer established brands over startups because their warranties have more experience and capital standing behind them.

2. Price

casper mattress

Online mattresses are typically 30 to 50 percent cheaper than store-bought mattresses. When rating mattresses, we consider mattresses that are high quality but still affordable. We also consider any discounts and coupons offered by companies.

3. Firmness and comfort choices

Avocado firmness

With so many companies today, there is a mattress available for sale online to suit anyone. Side sleepers can easily find their perfect firmness level to ensure maximum sleeping comfort.

4. Mattress construction

Puffy Royal construction

How a mattress is constructed contributes greatly to the sleeping experience and its useful life. We look for things like materials used, the number and function of different layers, and any unique technology used.

5. Heat transfer

Puffy temperature control

The right temperature range for proper sleep is mild to cool. To accomplish this, a mattress needs to dissipate heat from the surface efficiently.

6. Motion transfer

Avocado Motion transfer

Motion transfer is an important issue for many couples who sleep together. The less motion can transfer from one point on the mattress to another; the less one sleeping partner can disturb the other.

7. Sinkage

Puffy Royal sinkage

Side sleepers typically require more sinkage than back and stomach sleepers. In our evaluation, the amount of sinkage of a mattress says a lot about its comfort level.

8. Eco-friendliness

zinus mattress reviews

The use of organic and eco-friendly materials is not just for the environment but also for the health of the people who sleep on their sides. While not every online mattress will be certified organic, most mattresses today are CertiPUR certified, meaning they lack dangerous chemicals.

9. Off-gassing

mattress off-gassing

Though not dangerous, off-gassing can be a bother for people who are smell-sensitive. We check how much different off-gassing mattresses undergo after unpacking. Most foam mattresses will emit a slight amount of off-gassing for a few days, while they decompress. Innerspring mattresses emit none.

10. In-home trial

Puffy 101 night trial

One major advantage of buying a mattress online is that you and your partner get ample time to try it out in your own home. The standard trial period in the industry today is 100 days, though it can go as low as 75 days and as high as 200 (more than six months!).

11. Return policy

Free shipping & returns

Most online mattress companies offer a risk-free return policy and provide free return pickups. It is nevertheless important to understand the return policy of a specific seller before purchasing because some companies will not accept a return unless the mattress has been used for a minimum number of nights. Other companies may not accept a return if there is a particular kind of damage to the mattress.

12. Warranty

Puffy warranty

A company's warranty is the best sign of a mattress company's trust in its product. Most warranties run for ten years. Some have 15, 20 or 25-year warranties. Warranties differ mostly in the types of damage covered, and whether the warranty is prorated (refund value declines over time) or not.

13. Delivery and setup

Puffy Delivery and Setup

How many days does it take to deliver the mattress? Are there any shipping costs? Does the company help in setting up the mattress at no charge (white-glove service)? These are some of the questions we ask when rating mattresses for delivery and setup.

 


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