Best mattresses for side sleepers 2024 − 6 tried and tested options

The best mattress for side sleepers should strike a careful balance between softness and support. Too firm, and your hips and shoulders will end up crushed against the surface: too soft, and your joints will start to sink into the mattress, throwing your spine out of alignment.

Side sleepers should shop for a mattress with layers of thick foam to contour around your curves and relieve pressure from your joints, while metal springs bear your weight and keep your spine straight. Still, with so many models on the market, it's easy to feel spoiled for choice.

That's where I come in. As H&G's resident Sleep Editor, I lead a team of expert testers in the search to find the world's best mattress. Together, we represent a wide range of ages, body types, and sleep styles. I've combed through our back catalog of reviews to bring you six of the best mattresses for side sleepers. For pressure relief and spinal support, our reigning champion is the Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt Mattress, but it's seriously expensive. You might find that another one of our top-rated mattresses better fits your budget.

Best mattresses for side sleepers 2024 − 6 tested options, at a glance

Below, you'll find a bite-size summary of each mattress, outlining what it costs and who it suits, along with the most important pros and cons. To learn more about a particular mattress, keep scrolling, or press 'read more below' to skip to that section. There, I've listed the need-to-know specs before diving into the details of our testing experience.

The best mattress for side sleepers overall

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The Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt Mattress is the best mattress for side sleepers, sitting in the #3 slot of our 'best mattress' buying guide. I considered it for several superlatives, including 'best hybrid mattress' and 'best cooling mattress', but it's the specialist support for side sleepers that sets this mattress apart.

This mattress is available in four firmness levels to support all sleep positions: Soft, Medium, Medium Hybrid, and Firm. I recommend the Medium Hybrid for side sleepers. That way, you get all the plush comfort and pressure relief of memory foam, plus the enhanced airflow and support of an innerspring.

Our expert tester, Jaclyn Turner, remembers her first night on the Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt Mattress. ' I felt a slight sinking feeling as the mattress conformed to my shape, but I always felt supported and I found it easy to move from one side to the other.' Jaclyn is based in Atlanta, Georgia, so she needs a mattress to control her night sweats. 'What sets this bed apart from similar models is the SmartClimate Dual Cover system. This stretch-knit cooling cover is crafted to channel heat away from your body: it certainly kept me feeling fresh.'

'I couldn't review the Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt Mattress without mentioning the price,' says Jaclyn. 'It's one of the most expensive beds we've ever tested – even a Twin costs almost $3,000,' though you might be able to get it for less in the mattress sales. If that price is simply out of the question, then you should consider the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid Mattress, instead. It's also worth knowing that the Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt Mattress is very heavy: you'll want to ask a friend or family member to help you lift, flip, and rotate, or else pay for in-room set-up.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Jaclyn Turner

Jaclyn is one of our former Sleep Editors: now, she writes for Business Insider. As a hot sleeper based in Atlanta, Georgia, Jaclyn needs a mattress to keep her cool. Read the full review: Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt Mattress

The best mattress for side sleepers with lower back pain

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If you suffer from lower back pain, you need a mattress that hits the sweet spot between comfort and support. Too firm, and your hips will end up crushed against the surface of the mattress. Too soft, and your hips will sink too far, and your spine won't get the solid support it needs.

According to physical therapists and sleep scientists, the best mattress firmness for side sleepers is medium: somewhere between a 4 and a 7 on a firmness scale of 1 to 10. Luckily, the WinkBeds Luxury Hybrid Mattress comes in four firmness levels to suit all sorts of sleepers. The Luxury Firm is just right to ease your aches and pains.

Expert tester Aleenah Ansari says that 'the WinkBeds Luxury Hybrid Mattress was really comfortable and molded to the shape of my body. I usually woke up feeling refreshed, without any aches or pains.' Aleenah tends to sleep on her stomach, but she shares a bed with her partner, who's a side sleeper. 'My girlfriend really appreciated the LumbarLayer inside the WinkBeds Luxury Hybrid Mattress,' says Aleenah. 'It's a layer of high-density memory foam, ergonomically arranged with peaks and valleys to lend targeted support to your lumbar region. She could really tell the difference between a night spent on the WinkBeds Luxury Hybrid Mattress and our old memory foam mattress.'

This mattress is topped with a layer of gel memory foam to dissipate heat: 'this went some way towards keeping me cool, but I still woke up sweating on particularly warm nights,' says Aleenah. I recommend the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress for cooling comfort at a more affordable price.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Aleenah Ansari

Aleenah is one of our freelance writers and reviewers. Aleenah shares a bed with her partner, who suffers from recurring backache, and needs a mattress to relieve pressure from her spine. Read the full review: WinkBeds Luxury Hybrid Mattress

The best affordable mattress for side sleepers

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The best mattresses for side sleepers are hybrid mattresses. You get the contouring comfort and pressure relief of memory foam, plus the enhanced support and breathability of an innerspring. It takes more time, energy, and money to make a hybrid mattress, due to the combination of materials and manufacturing techniques, so it should come as no surprise that the best mattresses for side sleepers tend to be more expensive: we're talking at least $1,000 for a Queen.

The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid Mattress bucks that trend. A Queen costs $932.40, and you get a 120-night sleep trial, a 10-year warranty, and free shipping thrown in. This mattress is available in three firmness levels – Soft, Medium, and Firm – to suit all sleep styles. It comes in all the standard sizes, from Twin to California King, as well as a range of specialist sizes, such as Short King, Olympic Queen, and three different RV sizes. There's a Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid Mattress to fit every bed frame and suit every budget. I'd put it up there with the best affordable mattress.

Alex Frost is our most prolific mattress tester: the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid Mattress marks her eighth full-length review. 'Out of all the mattresses I've tested, this one has the best edge support,' she says. 'I can comfortably sit on the side of the bed to nurse a baby or tie my shoes without having to brace my feet against the ground.' That's good news for anyone who struggles with mobility and needs a little more help getting into and out of bed.

'I tried the Medium mattress, which felt super supportive on my back and side,' says Alex. 'Running my hand over the surface, I can feel the peaks and valleys of the tufted foam, ergonomically arranged to contour around the curves of my body.' The motion isolation is a little lacking, but that's par for the course with a hybrid. More concerning is the smell of the mattress off-gassing, but that should dissipate after a few hours.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Alex Frost

Alex is our most prolific mattress tester, with eight mattress reviews for H&G under her belt. As a mom of five, she's always on the hunt for budget-friendly bedding for families. Read the full review: Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid Mattress

The best mattress for side sleepers with shoulder pain

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The Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress gets good reviews online, with a 4.6 average star rating from almost 4,0000 reviews. 'One happy customer wrote: 'It's like sleeping on a supportive cloud. I've had neck, shoulder, back, and hip surgery and when I get out of bed − I do not hurt. I am so happy. As a side sleeper, this has been a great stress reliever.'

The Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress went straight to the top of my testing wish list. I called in expert tester, Alex Frost, who finds that 'the Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress is plush yet supportive for optimal joint health and comfort.' 'It isn't too tough around the edges, nor is it soft and saggy in the middle. When I lay on my side, I sank into the mattress a little, but not too far: it felt like each of my joints was surrounded and supported by the foam.'

'I appreciate how the Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress has zoned support in the springs,' says Alex. 'The mattress manufacturers anticipated exactly where you'd need more coils for enhanced lumbar support. It's this sort of attention to detail that sets Bear apart from other bed-in-a-box brands.'

The Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress comes in three firmness levels to suit all sleep styles: Soft, Medium, and Firm. Alex tested the Medium: 'In typical Goldilocks fashion, some customers complained that the Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress was too hard, or too soft, but I thought it was just right.'

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Alex Frost

Alex is our most prolific mattress tester, with eight reviews for H&G under her belt. Since she suffers from recurring aches in her neck and shoulders, Alex needs a mattress to cushion her joints. Read the full review: Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress

The best hybrid mattress for side sleepers

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A hybrid mattress combines the support and airflow of an innerspring with the pressure relief and contouring comfort of memory foam. Hybrids make the best mattress type for side sleepers. Out of all the hybrids we've tested, the Layla Hybrid Mattress offers the best balance of softness and support.

This is a dual-firmness mattress, with a plush side and a firm side. To switch between the two, you lift and flip the mattress. 'On a firmness scale of 1 to 10, Layla rates their soft side a 4 and their firm side a 7 (though I'd say it's more like a 6,' says expert tester Aleenah Ansari. 'I found that the Layla Hybrid Mattress has more than enough give to cushion my neck, shoulders, hips, and knees, and sufficient support to keep my spine aligned. I found that I started to sink through the top layer of foam without much effort, so I slept most comfortably on my side.'

Your average hybrid mattress has a bit of bounce, but Aleenah was very impressed with the motion isolation on the Layla Hybrid Mattress. 'When my partner got out of bed in the morning or in the middle of the night, I couldn't feel it over on my side. I'd recommend the Layla Hybrid Mattress for light sleepers and anyone who shares their bed with a pet or partner,' she says.

I think the Layla Hybrid Mattress would make the best mattress for a guest room for its versatility and affordability. Like any hybrid mattress, it's heavy, filled with dense foam and steel springs. You might need to ask a friend to help you lift, flip, or rotate the mattress.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Aleenah Ansari

Aleenah is one of our freelance writers and reviewers. Since she shares a bed with her partner, Aleenah needs a mattress with excellent motion isolation. Read the full review: Layla Hybrid Mattress

The best cooling mattress for side sleepers

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If you've read any of my mattress features, you'll know I talk a lot about sleep styles. It's a broad-stroke term that encompasses your sleep position (how you tend to lie on the bed), as well as your sleep temperature (whether you run hot or cold).

If you suffer from night sweats or hot flashes, or you live in a warm climate, then you're what's known as a hot sleeper. You need the best cooling mattress to dissipate heat, wick moisture, and block odors. I recommend the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress for side sleepers. 'There's enough give that my hip and shoulder can sink in while sleeping on my side, but I never felt like I was being swallowed up,' says expert tester Camryn Rabideau. 'Underneath, I found the mattress to feel quite firm: it's lined with more than a thousand stainless steel springs to lift your lumbar region.'

'I'm a hot sleeper,' says Camryn. 'Since I share the bed with my pet and my partner, there's a lot of body heat to contend with, and I need a mattress that can keep all three of us cool and dry. That's where this hybrid mattress comes in handy. The memory foam layer is infused with a cooling gel that feels cool to the touch, and there's plenty of air between the springs to boost breathability.'

Camryn likes almost everything about the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress: especially the edge support, which makes it much easier to get into and out of bed. The motion isolation is a little lacking, but that's par for the course with a hybrid mattress. For side sleepers who want minimal motion transfer, I recommend the Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt Mattress.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Camryn Rabideau

Camryn is one of our freelance writers and reviewers. Since she shares a bed with her partner and their pet, Camryn needs a cooling mattress so she doesn't overheat. Read the full review: DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress

Best mattresses for side sleepers 2024 − Side by side

Best mattresses for side sleepers 2024 − Honorable mentions

Over the years, our expert team has tested more than 30 mattresses. My top six represents the best balance of pressure relief and support for side sleepers, but I wanted to shout out two more mattresses that performed well in our tests that might meet your needs.

• Leesa Original Mattress: This memory foam mattress splits opinion. Over the years, three of our expert testers have sampled the Leesa Original Mattress: Alex hates it, Lucy loves it, and Emilia sees both sides. As a side sleeper, you might have most in common with Lucy. 'I need a plush mattress to cushion my joints and take some pressure off my hips and shoulders,' says Lucy. 'I appreciated the medium firmness of the Leesa Original Mattress and found it kept my spine aligned when I slept on my side. In all my time testing the Leesa Original Mattress, I never once woke up with aches and pains.'
• Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress: 'Helix sells this mattress as a true medium, ideal for side sleepers, and I'm inclined to agree,' says expert tester Jamie Davis Smith. 'The Helix Midnight Hybrid Mattress felt soft enough to relieve the pressure from my hips yet firm enough to stop my back from arching.' Jamie gives this hybrid mattress top marks for pressure relief and thermoregulation. Still, she acknowledges that the motion isolation is a little lacking, and the edge support might be insufficient for sleepers who struggle with mobility and need help getting into and out of bed.

How we test mattresses

I lead an expert team of mattress testers across the country. Together, we represent a wide range of sleep styles, ages, and body types. We sleep on each mattress for a minimum of 30 nights before we write our reviews to give an accurate indication of long-term performance. To learn more about how we test mattresses, consult our expert guide.

We assess each mattress against the same criteria: pressure relief; thermoregulation; motion isolation; and edge support. You can cross-check any unfamiliar terms against my mattress jargon buster. To assess pressure relief, we lie on the mattress and flip between our stomachs, backs, and sides, considering how comfortable the mattress feels in each position. To assess thermoregulation, we switch off our HVAC to sleep, making note of any nights we wake up in a sweat.

To assess motion isolation, we fill a glass with water and set it in the middle of the mattress. Then, we take a weight and place it on the mattress, moving incrementally closer to the glass. The less the glass moves and the less water spills, the better the motion isolation and the more comfortable a mattress might feel for couples and light sleepers. To assess edge support, we sit on the side of the mattress and measure how far we fall. The less we sink, the better the edge support, and the easier it might be to get into and out of the bed.

We also consider the practical aspects of buying a mattress, including sleep trials, warranties, and delivery. We like to compare our findings against verified reviews to pick out recurring pros and cons. Finally, we bring it all back to the price of the mattress to help you determine value for money.

How to choose the best mattress for side sleepers

Your body weight

How much you weigh, and how much force you exert on your mattress, informs how firm or soft a mattress might feel to you. Heavier people (250 lbs and up) need a firmer mattress to bear their weight. Steer clear of the sinkage you get from memory foam in favor of a sprung mattress. You're looking for a high spring count and thicker coils to support your body.

Your sleep temperature

If you suffer from night sweats or hot flashes, or you live in a warm climate, then you need the best cooling mattress. A latex hybrid mattress offers natural breathability, but a regular hybrid can do the job, especially if the memory foam is infused with cooling gel.

Your budget

I'm often asked: 'how much should you spend on a mattress?' My answer depends on the mattress type you're buying. As a general rule, hybrid and latex mattresses are more expensive. I'd expect to spend at least $1,000 to get a hybrid mattress in a Queen size.

FAQs

What mattress type is best for side sleepers?

Out of all the mattress types, a hybrid mattress is the best bet for side sleepers. You get all the airflow and support of an innerspring with the body contouring and pressure relief of memory foam. I wouldn't recommend an innerspring mattress for a side sleeper: it won't be soft enough to cushion your joints.

Which firmness level is best for side sleepers?

Common consensus among physical therapists and mattress testers is that the best mattress firmness for side sleepers is medium. Too firm, and you'll crush your hips and shoulders against the surface: too soft, and your back will begin to arch, throwing your spine out of alignment.

Side sleepers need a thick, squishy pillow to support their neck and shoulders and keep a straight line from the top to the base of their spine. I've ranked and reviewed six of the best pillows to get you started.