Investing in a great mattress can make a huge difference in your sleep routine and improve your overall health. Since the price of a mattress depends on several factors, such as size, material, firmness and cooling properties, it’s difficult to commit to one that’ll be right for you, especially if you’re a side sleeper. Your sleep position plays an important role in both the type of mattress you should get and the type of pillows you should use. That’s because your back and body need a certain amount of support to maintain proper alignment. To find the best mattresses for side sleepers, I spoke with two chiropractors for their guidance and recommendations.
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SKIP AHEAD Best mattress for side sleepers in 2024 | How to shop for a mattress as a side sleeper
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How I picked the best mattresses for side sleepers
In looking for mattresses that cater particularly to side sleepers, I spoke with chiropractors, Dr. Matthew Cavanaugh and Dr. Allen Conrad, who I’ve also worked with on related stories, such as the best pillows for neck pain. Here’s what they recommend keeping in mind:
- Firmness: A mattress that is more firm than soft, is optimal for side sleepers, especially if you experience back pain, according to Cavanaugh. “I would suggest a medium-to-medium firm mattress for the majority of side sleepers,” he says. “This firmness level helps to provide support so you can maintain proper spinal alignment without sacrificing comfort.” A mattress that is too soft, won’t provide enough support to the body and will throw off your spinal posture, but one that’s too firm can also have adverse effects on your hips and shoulders, since the surface underneath doesn’t provide enough give to the body.
- Pressure relief: Related to firmness, pressure relief is the ability for a surface (in this case, a mattress) to mold to the shape of your body, particularly the points that press the hardest against the surface, such as your hips and shoulders, known as pressure points, according to Cavanaugh. “Memory foam, latex and hybrid mattresses are excellent choices and are known for their contouring ability, which helps to evenly distribute your weight which also helps to reduce pressure points,” he says.
- Zoned support: Consider looking for a mattress that has zoned support. This helps provide one level of support to the shoulders and another to the hips, for example. Zoned support also helps prevent your spinal alignment from changing repeatedly throughout the night. This is a good option for side sleepers rather than just having one overall firmness level, such as firm or soft, according to Conrad.
The best mattress for side sleepers in 2024
All of the mattresses below are either direct recommendations from our experts, highly rated options on Amazon with at least a 4-star average rating from 500 reviews or more or ones that NBC Select staff members have tried themselves.
Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt Advance Pressure Relief Mattress
- Many firmness levels
- Hybrid
- Nothing to note at this time
This mattress comes recommended by Cavanaugh, who says that it provides pressure relief, thanks to the different levels of firmness available. It’s a hybrid mattress made of memory foam and springs, which also helps reduce pain in the joints, according to the brand. It also provides edge support, motion cancelation and overall ease of movement, according to the brand, so you won’t feel like you’re sinking into the mattress. It’s also compatible with the brand’s adjustable power base, a customizable bed frame that you can adjust based on your needs.
Firmness level: medium hybrid | Sizes available: twin to split California king | Mattress type: Hybrid | Warranty: 10 years
Amerisleep AS3 Mattress
- Cooling properties
- Many sizes available
- Only one level of firmness
This mattress for side sleepers also comes recommended by Cavanaugh, who likes that it has a good amount of firmness that doesn’t make you sink into the surface. Available in either an all-foam and foam-coil hybrid, the mattress has the brand’s plant-based proprietary memory foam, known as Bio-Pur, which is responsive to pressure points on the body. It’s also extremely cooling thanks to the top layer, which has a ventilated design that helps push air outward and prevents the increase of heat, according to the brand.
Firmness level: medium | Sizes available: twin to split California king | Mattress type: All foam or foam-coil hybrid | Warranty: 20 years
Purple Restore Premier Hybrid Mattress
- Conforms to body
- Cooling
- Only soft or firm options
Cavanaugh also recommends this hybrid mattress from Purple for side sleepers.It’s made of a layer of individually wrapped coil springs topped with a flexible foam grid layer, both of which provide support to the body by contouring to the shape of the hips and back, according to the brand. Plus, the soft option for this mattress is great not only for side sleepers, but for hot sleepers as well, according to the brand. The top layer of the mattress is also made of an antimicrobial and sweat-wicking material.
Firmness level: soft or firm | Sizes available: twin xl to split California king | Mattress type: hybrid | Warranty: 10 years
Casper Dream Max Hybrid Mattress
- Great zoned support
- Breathable
- There's no regular twin
This hybrid mattress comes recommended by Conrad, who says it has an ideal balance of stability, softness and conformity. It has a medium-soft firmness, so it’s better for those who want something only slightly firm in feel. It has two layers of breathable zoned foam, which helps maintain proper spinal alignment and a layer of springs to help with motion isolation, according to the brand.
Firmness level: medium-soft | Sizes available: twin xl to split king | Mattress type: hybrid | Warranty: 10 years
Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress
- Zoned lumbar support
- Cooling
- Only one firmness
This mattress, which has a 4.4-star average rating from 6,241 reviews at Helix, has a medium firmness, lumbar support and is great for side sleepers, according to the brand. It has a cooling, pillow-like top, a high-density foam layer that contours to the body and memory foam that adds pressure point relief. The steel coils at the base of the mattress are what give it zoned lumbar support and help reduce pressure on the lower back. The cover is made of an extra-cooling fiber material that repels heat, according to the brand.
Firmness level: medium | Sizes available: twin to RV king | Mattress type: hybrid | Warranty: 15 years
Saatva Classic Mattress
- Zoned lumbar support
- No medium firmness option
The Classic Mattress has a 4.8-star average rating from 3,475 reviews at Saatva and is perfect for side sleepers, thanks to its zoned lumbar support which encourages spinal alignment, according to the brand. It has a pillow top layer made of hypoallergenic cotton, a memory foam lumbar crown, a durable coil system in the lower third of the mattress (for the queen mattress) to provide support to the hips and lower back and dense foam edges.
Firmness level: soft plush, luxury firm, firm | Sizes available: twin to California king | Mattress type: hybrid innerspring | Warranty: lifetime
How to shop for a mattress as a side sleeper
Prioritize spinal alignment and zoned support
As mentioned above, our experts recommend focusing on mattresses that have zoned support for the lumbar spine (the lower back), hips and shoulders. While some mattresses have just one overall firmness level, one with zoned support helps with pressure relief on these areas of the body because the area of the mattress where your hips sit is a slightly different firmness that what may be at the head of the mattress. This helps to keep your spine aligned and prevents your hips or shoulders from sinking too far into the mattress.
Firm is often better than super soft
When researching the best mattresses for back pain, experts told me that oftentimes, a firmer mattress is best. This is because they typically provide more support to pressure points on the body (hips and shoulders). While a soft mattress may feel relaxing at first, it may not be what’s best for your overall spinal health.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Dr. Matthew Cavanaugh is a chiropractor at Cavanaugh Chiropractic, based in Lafayette, LA.
- Dr. Allen Conrad is a chiropractor at Montgomery Country Chiropractic, based in North Wales, PA.
Why trust NBC Select?
I’m a commerce editor at NBC Select, where I write about home and kitchen topics, such as mattresses, bedding, cooking appliances, wellness and more. I’ve covered related stories, such as the best mattresses for back pain, the best pillows for neck pain and ergonomic lumbar support pillows for office chairs and more. I spoke with two chiropractors for this story.
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