I've spent over 10,000 hours testing the best mattresses for side sleepers – these 3 are the winners

If you sleep on your side, these are the 3 mattresses you'll want on your radar

Three of the best mattresses for side sleepers, tried, tested, and reviewed by Ideal Home
(Image credit: Future)
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Finding the best mattress for side sleepers is an important consideration if you lie on your side at night.

Why? Because our sleep posture plays such a big role in the type of mattress we need.

In the four years I’ve worked as Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor and certified Sleep Expert, I’ve discovered that our sleeping position is one of *the* most important factors in choosing the right mattress for our sleep needs, and the best mattress for a back sleeper won’t be the same as the best mattress for a side sleeper.

So far, I’ve put nearly 40 mattresses through Ideal Home’s mattress testing process, many of which are designed specifically for side sleepers. To help you find the right option for you, I’ve rounded up my three top recommendations below.

The quick list

Three of the best mattresses for side sleepers are listed below. You'll find more information on each, and why I recommend it if you keep on scrolling.

How to choose the best mattress for a side sleeper

As registered osteopath, sleep expert, and founder of The Sleep Site, Dave Gibson explains, when choosing the best mattress for side sleeping, it's all about creating good spinal alignment.

'Our posture and spinal alignment are crucial both during the day and at night,' says Dave. 'Good spinal alignment during sleep allows the ligaments, muscles, and joints of the back to relax and recover. In addition, this relaxed state promotes optimal breathing, circulation, and overall rejuvenation.'

So, what does good spinal alignment look like for a side sleeper? 'Ideally, your spine should be in the same neutral alignment when you're lying down as it would be if you were standing up straight,' explains Dave. That means a side sleeper needs two things:

- A medium-firm mattress that offers good support whilst still allowing the hips and shoulders to sink into the mattress enough to keep the spine well-aligned.

- A cushioned sleep surface to provide pressure relief for the hip and shoulder joints. A mattress that is too firm and lacks cushioning will result in pins and needles or aches in the arm, shoulder, and hip we’re lying on.

For this reason, a medium-firm hybrid mattress that offers spring support with a memory foam or latex surface is a great option for a side sleeper. Or, if you prefer the breathability and eco-friendly credentials of a natural mattress, a medium-firm pocket-spring mattress with a pillowtop is another good choice. I've included both options in my shortlist below.

Best mattress for side sleepers overall

Best mattress for side sleepers overall

Specifications

Price (standard double): £799
Firmness: medium-firm
Type: hybrid memory foam and spring
Sizes available: kids / single / small double / double / king / super king
Depth: 25cm
Manufacturer sleep trial: 200 night
Mattress-in-box: yes
Delivery: room of choice/ unboxed in room of choice
Old mattress removal: yes

Reasons to buy

+
Great value for money
+
Good all-rounder
+
Comfortable for side and back sleepers
+
Pressure-relieving memory foam

Reasons to avoid

-
Lacks support for heavier weight sleepers

When I first lay down on Simba's bestselling mattress, I found it instantly comfortable, both for back and side sleeping, with a good level of support that kept my spine well-aligned in both positions.

As someone who isn't a huge fan of being enveloped by memory foam, I also found its memory foam surface nicely responsive. It moulded around my hip and shoulder joint to offer pressure relief when I lay on my side, but I still felt I was lying on the mattress rather than in the mattress, and I found it easy enough to turn over in the night without too much lag waiting for the memory foam to reform around me.

This is also one memory foam mattress that didn't immediately make this hot sleeper break out in a sweat. I did find it warmer to sleep on than a mattress filled with natural, breathable materials, but its temperature regulation was better than most memory foam and memory foam hybrid mattresses I've tested.

Its mattress-in-a-box delivery was also very convenient when negotiating my narrow staircase on delivery day, and I appreciated the brand's delivery to my room of choice and the option of 'white glove' delivery (where the mattress is unboxed and packaging removed) so I didn't have to lug the mattress about by myself.

Add to that the 200-night sleep trial that gave me peace of mind I could return the mattress if I didn't get on with it, great customer service, a reasonable price point, and Simba's ongoing commitment to lowering its environmental impact, and I think this mattress rightly deserves its 5-star Ideal Home rating.

My one caveat is that if you're a heavier weight side sleeper, you may find it lacks support or feels too soft for you – read on to my next Brook + Wilde choice, if so. And, if you're a hot sleeper like me, or you want a non-synthetic mattress that's more environmentally friendly, consider the Hypnos mattress at #3 in my round-up instead.

Our full Simba Hybrid Original mattress review has more detail.

Best mattress for heavier side sleepers

Best mattress for heavier side sleepers

Specifications

Price (standard double): £1695
Firmness: soft / medium / firm
Type: hybrid memory foam and spring
Sizes available: double / king / super king
Depth: 30cm
Manufacturer sleep trial: 200 night
Mattress-in-box: yes
Delivery: unboxed in room of choice
Old mattress removal: yes

Reasons to buy

+
Three tension options to find exactly the right feel for your weight and sleeping position
+
Comfortable for side and back sleepers
+
Pressure-relieving memory foam

Reasons to avoid

-
A double is over £1500

Experts generally agree that a medium-firm mattress is best for a side sleeper. However, our body weight plays a big part in how firm a mattress feels. What one person classifies as medium-firm tension mattress will feel firmer to a lighter weight sleeper who doesn't sink into its surface as much, and a heavier weight sleeper will likely find the same mattress feels softer as they sink in deeper.

Therefore, if you want support tailored exactly to your body type, it's best to look for a mattress that comes in multiple tension options, which is what the Brook + Wilde Ultima mattress delivers.

A hybrid memory foam and pocket spring mattress, the Ultima is available in three tension options – soft, medium, and firm. That means it's far easier to find exactly the right tension for your body. Our reviewers both certainly loved the medium and firm tension options they tested.

They also rated this mattress highly for motion isolation, even when their partner tossed and turned dramatically by their side, as well as for temperature regulation, responsiveness, and edge support. The rolled delivery, delivery to your room of choice, and option of 'white glove' delivery, also makes logistics far less stressful on delivery day.

The downside is that you will pay more for that tailored support, but, a 200-night sleep trial makes that investment a little less risky, and considering how much of our lives we spend asleep, I think its worth investing in comfort.

Our full Brook + Wilde Ultima mattress review has more detail.

Best mattress for hot side sleepers

Best mattress for hot side sleepers

Specifications

Price (standard double): £1525
Firmness: medium-firm
Type: pillow top pocket spring
Sizes available: small single / single / small double / double / king / super king
Depth: 29cm
Manufacturer sleep trial: varies by retailer
Mattress-in-box: no
Delivery: varies by retailer
Old mattress removal: varies by retailer

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent breathability and temperature regulation
+
Comfortable for front, side, or back sleepers
+
Low environmental impact

Reasons to avoid

-
A double is over £1500
-
Motion isolation could be better

If, like me, you're a hot sleeper, then even the best memory foam mattresses might prove too warm for you.

From my first night testing this pocket-sprung mattress packed with natural breathable materials, I was struck by just how much of a cooler sleep it offered. No waking up hot and sticky in the middle of the night; instead, even when I've slept on this mattress throughout heatwaves, it's offered fantastic temperature regulation that has meant I slept much deeper and woke up feeling better rested.

The mattress' sewn on 'pillow top' also offers good pressure relief for side sleepers. It's not as cushioning as a memory foam mattress, but I find it still offers a good level of softness around my hip and shoulder when I'm lying on my side, making side sleeping much more comfortable than on most sprung mattresses I've tested.

Made from predominantly natural, renewable, and biodegradable materials – that pillow top layer is packed with wool, kapok, and cotton – this is also one of the most environmentally friendly mattresses I've tested.

The downsides? This mattress has good edge support, but its motion isolation is a little lacking compared to our memory foam options. When I got a co-tester to toss and turn next to me, the vibrations through the mattress were more noticeable.

There is also no sleep trial as standard on this mattress, and it arrives delivered flat, which may make delivery day trickier if you have awkward access. However, as a hot sleeper, these are all things I'd overlook for this mattress' superior breathability, so if you too tend to overheat at night, I thoroughly recommend giving this mattress a try.

Our full Hypnos Pillow Top mattress review has more detail.

Also tested

The above mattresses are three of my top recommendations for most side sleepers. In my opinion, they nail most side sleepers' needs for a mid-range price point.

However, there are always ways to tweak your sleep comfort even more, or you might have more – or less – cash to splash. Below are some other great options that might fit your budget, your sleep preferences, or your desire for an alternative option better.

How I tested

A woman with blonde hair wearing a red floral top and black jeans lying on her side on a mattress facing a window with a garden beyond. Her back is to the camera

(Image credit: Future / Rachel Tompkins)

All of the mattresses in this round-up have been put through Ideal Home's mattress testing process by either myself or one of our team of expert reviewers. That means they were slept on, at home, in real-life conditions, for at least a month before each of our testers wrote their review.

During the review process, each mattress is tested for comfort – in this case specifically for side sleeping – as well as motion isolation, responsiveness, temperature regulation, and edge support.

In rating each mattress, we also consider whether the manufacturer offers a sleep trial, and assess ease of care, the mattress delivery process, value for money, third-party reviews, and the mattress' environmental impact.

Simba Hybrid Essential Mattress review

(Image credit: Future / Rachel Tompkins)

Meet our testing team

amy lockwood
Amy Lockwood

I'm Amy, I used to be a front sleeper, but I've recently converted to side sleeping on advice from an osteopath and physio. I've spent the last four years testing products from all the leading mattress brands. I’ve slept on hybrid, memory foam, and sprung mattresses, researched mattress construction, and spoken to a wide range of sleep experts to determine the key factors needed for a good night’s sleep.

Rachel Tompkins
Rachel Tompkins

Rachel is a side-sleeping mother of two and a freelance reviewer who sometimes suffers from neck and lower back pain. She's tested out multiple affordable mattresses for Ideal Home to find the best budget-friendly buys.

Rachael Phillips freelance writer
Rachael Penn

Our second Rachael is a freelance journalist who has been testing and writing about sleep-related products for the likes of Tom’s Guide, The Independent, and many more publications, for the past 15 years. She regularly reviews mattresses for the Ideal Home team.

FAQs

What type of mattress is best if you sleep on your side?

The best mattress for a side sleeper tends to be a medium-firm mattress that offers good support for the spine and has a cushioned top layer to provide pressure relief around the hip and shoulder.

What is the best mattress top if you sleep on your side?

As I've mentioned, if you're a side sleeper, you will be best opting for a mattress that has a cushioned top, such as a hybrid mattress with a memory foam or latex top layer, or, if you prefer a mattress made from natural materials, you can opt for a pocket sprung mattress with a pillowtop.

Alternatively, you could add one of the best mattress toppers or the best cooling mattress toppers to a pocket spring mattress to provide a layer of cushioning and pressure relief around the hip and shoulder when you're lying on your side.

Amy Lockwood
Sleep Editor

Amy is Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor and the Ideal Home Certified Expert on Sleep. She's spent the last four years researching and writing about what makes for the best night’s sleep during the day and testing out sleep products to find the best-in-class by night. So far she’s clocked up over 10,000 hours of pillow, duvet, and mattress testing experience.

Our go-to for all things sleep-related, she’s slept on and under bestselling products from Simba, Emma, Hypnos, Tempur, Silentnight, Panda, and many many more.

As a hot sleeper, Amy is always on the lookout for the most breathable bedding, but she also leads a wider team of testers to ensure our product testing encompasses both hot sleepers, cold sleepers, front sleepers, back sleepers, side sleepers, and everything in-between.