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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.
Best mattress for side sleepers overall
A great all-rounder at a reasonable price point, this medium-firm hybrid mattress features mini spring support and a memory foam top layer that I found cushioned my hips and shoulders nicely when I slept on my side. Not too soft and not too firm, it's a crowd pleaser that will suit a lot of people. A 200-night sleep trial also allows you to test out if it's right for you before you commit.
Best mattress for heavier side sleepers
Experts generally agree that a medium-firm mattress is the best option for a side sleeper. However, finding a mattress with medium-firm tension can be trickier than it sounds, as our body weight plays a big part in how soft or firm we find a mattress. This hybrid memory foam mattress is available in three tension options which makes finding a medium-firm feel far easier if you're a heavier weight sleeper.
Best mattress for hot side sleepers
A memory foam sleep surface is often recommended for side sleepers as it cushions the hip and shoulder so well. But if you're a hot sleeper, you may find memory foam's tendency to trap heat problematic. Plus, it's not an environmentally friendly option. In contrast, this pocket-sprung pillowtop mattress is filled with natural, biodegradable, and breathable materials that cushion whilst delivering a far cooler sleep.
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
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
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
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.
If you're looking for the best mattress for a side sleeper but have a limited budget, this mattress is a great value buy. Our reviewer, Rachel, has slept on a lot of sub-£500 mattresses, and although the price of the Simba Hybrid Essential is just over the £500 mark for a double, it's the best budget mattress for a side sleeper we've tested. The main downsides are that it's thinner than the Simba Hybrid Original, so it's less suitable for heavier weight sleepers, and its edge support is poor in comparison to more expensive options.
Our full Simba Hybrid Essential mattress review explains more.
If you need a mattress that's even more affordable, this IKEA option is my top recommendation. It can't compete with the higher-priced options in this round-up, but at just £219 for a double, it's very budget-friendly. It comes in medium-firm or a firm option, both of which were far softer than we expected in testing, but that did make them both comfortable options for side sleeping, as they had enough give for shoulders and hips. However, it will lack enough support if you're a heavier sleeper, and its motion isolation and edge support were lacking.
Our IKEA VALEVÅG Pocket Sprung Mattress review has the full lowdown.
At the other end of the price spectrum, if you love the pressure-relieving comfort of memory foam, this mattress is the crème de la crème. Once you sink in you'll never want to get out, which is lucky, because its main downside is that I found it very hard work to change position on the memory foam as it's so cocooning! It's also expensive, very expensive, but if you love sink-in cushioning and want first-class pressure relief and top-notch motion isolation that dampens any movement from a sleep partner, this could be the mattress for you.
Find out more in our Tempur Pro Plus SmartCool mattress review.
How I tested
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.
Meet our testing team
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 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.
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.
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