The Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers

Side sleepers need a mattress that has their backs (and pressure points) above all. Here are our 10 tried, true, and tested options that we think are the best mattresses for side sleepers.

Featured in this article

Best Overall
Nolah Evolution
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Best for Spinal Alignment
Helix Sleep Midnight Luxe with ErgoAlign
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Best for Back Pain
Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress
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Best Cooling Mattress for Side Sleepers
Leesa Sapira Chill
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Compare Our Top Picks

MattressMattress TypeMaterialsSizes AvailableAdd-ons AvailableShipping CostsDelivery OptionsTrial PeriodWarrantyFinancingCompatible With Adjustable Frames?
Nolah EvolutionHybridOrganic cotton or GlacioTex cover, AirFoam Luxe memory foams, gel memory foam, AirBreath border gusset, pocketed coilsTwin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, split kingPlush, luxury firm, firmGlacioTex cooling coverFree for customers in the contiguous USArrives in a box as part of standard shipping; white-glove delivery available (mattress setup and old bed removal) for $225100 nights; 30-day break in period required before initiating return ($99 shipping fee)Limited lifetimeFinancing available with Affirm
Bear Elite HybridHybridPhase change material (PCM) cooling cover, copper-infused memory foam, dynamic memory foam, pocketed coilsTwin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, split kingSoft, medium, firmCelliant-infused cooling coverFree for customers in the contiguous USArrives in a box within three to seven business days; white-glove delivery service available. Setup is $100, setup and old bed removal is $200120 nights; 30-day break-in period required before initiating returnLimited lifetimeFinancing available with Affirm
Helix Midnight LuxeHybridTencel cover, memory foams, pocketed coilsTwin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, short queen, RV kingMediumGlacioTex cooling cover, CoolForce Layer, ErgoAlign Contour LayerFree for customers in the contiguous USDelivered in six to 10 days in a box; setup handled by customer100 nights; 30-day break-in period required before initiating returnLimited lifetimeFinancing available with Affirm
Leesa Sapira ChillHybridPhase change cooling cover, cooling memory foams, pocketed coilsTwin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California kingPlush, medium firm, firmGlacioTex cooling coverFree for customers in the contiguous US-Arrives in a box in three to seven business days; white glove delivery available within contiguous US (mattress setup and old bed removal) for $199100 nights; 30-day break in period required before initiating return. Customers in Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada will have $100 return feesLimited lifetimeFinancing available with Affirm or PayPal Credit
Naturepedic EOS ClassicHybridOrganic cotton cover, plant-based PLA layer, organic wool batting, organic latex, organic cotton batting, organic cotton fill and fabric, pocketed coilsTwin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California kingPlush, medium, cushion firm, firm, extra firm (each side can have different firmnesses)N/AFree for customers in the contiguous USArrives in a box as part of standard shipping. For contiguous US shoppers, mattress setup for $299, or mattress setup, old bed removal for $349100 nights; 30 day break-in period required before initiating return25 year limitedFinancing available with Affirm
Saatva Contour5Memory foamCotton cover, memory foamTwin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, split kingMedium, firmN/AFree for customers in the contiguous USWhite glove delivery included with purchaseYear long sleep trial; $99 return feeLifetimeFinancing available with Affirm
Birch Luxe NaturalHybridOrganic cotton cover, wool, organic latex, pocketed coilsTwin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California kingMediumBirch CoolForce LayerFree via FedExArrives in a box as part of standard shipping; white-glove delivery available for $199100 nights; 30 day break in period required before initiating return that incurs $99 shipping feeLimited lifetimeFinancing available with Affirm
Casper OneAll-foamKnit cover, memory foamTwin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, split kingMedium-firmN/AFree shippingArrives in box as part of standard shipping; Alaska and Hawaii involves separate shipping fee100 nights; 30-day break in period required before initiating return ($99 shipping fee)10 year limitedFinancing available with Affirm
The WinkBedHybridTencel cover, gel memory foam, pocketed coilsTwin, twin XL, full, queen, king, CaliforniaSofter, luxury firm, firm, PlusN/AFree shipping via UPS ground for contiguous U.S.Arrives in box as part of standard shipping120 nights; 30-day break in period required before initialing returnLifetimeFinancing available through Bread Pay and Katapult
Wolf Memory Foam Hybrid Premium Firm MattressHybridCooling cover, gel memory foam, support foam, pocketed coilsTwin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, split kingMedium firmN/AFree for customers in the contiguous US but does not ship to Hawaii or AlaskaArrives in a box as part of standard shipping101 nights; 30-day break in period required before initiating returnLimited lifetimeFinancing available with Affirm

Is Sleeping on Your Side Good for You?

If you've ever tried to consciously change your sleeping position because of something like a medical procedure, you know how hard it is to fight your natural inclinations. The good news for side sleepers is most experts agree that sleeping on your side is at least as good as any other position.

Sleep experts at Houston Methodist say side sleeping has “the least negative impact on health." Things worse for you include not sleeping enough or sleeping in any other position—namely, back sleeping. Sleeping on your back is the “worst position” according to the Mayo Clinic, which calls side sleeping “a good way to sleep.”

How We Test Mattresses

Testing mattresses isn't a one-and-done situation, where we sleep on it once before giving a full evaluation. Good things take time, after all, which is why we spend a week or more on each mattress we test. We track our sleep patterns with sleep trackers and record that data to see how we fared with each mattress.

How Firm Should a Mattress Be for Side Sleepers?

The short answer is: the firmest you can go while remaining comfortable.

The long answer is that many side sleepers gravitate toward a soft mattresses, which usually means medium-soft memory foam. But it's important to be sure you have a mattress with enough support or even extra support in key areas like the lumbar zone. Pay close attention to the firmness level the company advertises and take your body type into account, as the more body weight you have, the firmer the mattress you’ll want.

One other thing worth considering is that it's easier to make a mattress softer with a topper. If you're spending a lot of money on a high-quality mattress made with good materials and you feel it's too firm, it's relatively cheap and easy to add a mattress topper, since almost every topper has the effect of softening your sleeping surface. However, you can't make a mattress firmer—if you found a firm mattress topper and put it on a soft foam bed it would still have a squishy base, which would lead to sinkage and likely pull your back out of alignment. So our advice as a mattress testers is to always error toward too firm.

What Will a Mattress Topper Do for Side Sleepers?

Mattress toppers often give you that “new bed” feel at a fraction of the price and can help correct issues with a mattress you generally like.

For side sleepers, pairing a very supportive firm mattress with a cushy topper is often just the right blend of softness and support. If you only take one piece of advice from this article, it's that you should always buy the firmest mattress you think you can tolerate and then soften it up with a topper if you have issues.

What Kind of Mattress Is Best for Side Sleepers: Memory Foam or Hybrid?

Side sleepers should stick with hybrids in most cases. Given that you're putting more weight on a smaller surface area you might think that memory foam is nicer than a hybrid mattress that has a layer of springs (often called coils), imagining that memory foam allows you to sink into a fluffy little cloud.

The problem is that when you’re sleeping well and not moving much, over the course of a night, that foam will slowly compress under you. If it’s just one layer of foam, after a while it will feel like you're sleeping on a yoga mat. That's why mattresses with multiple layers of foam of various weights are better, and it’s why we like hybrids better yet. That layer of springs means the foam doesn't compact nearly as much, in our experience.

A good hybrid gives you a chance to sleep for a solid six hours without needing to change position, which isn't necessarily the case for most sleepers on an all-foam mattress. Hybrids also tend to sleep cooler because there's less mass of solid foam absorbing heat throughout the night.

How Did WIRED Select Mattresses to Be Reviewed?

We work with many mattress brands, which are constantly dreaming up new models to meet consumer needs. The bed-in-a-box mattress business has exploded since the pandemic, and there are always new brands to test. We are always researching the landscape and looking for new mattress companies to investigate.

How Does WIRED Acquire the Mattresses?

Typically, brands will send our team samples so that we can test them. We will then give them away while securing no personal benefit from their rehoming. (No, you can't even buy us a beer.) When a mattress company declines to send us a sample or doesn't respond but we believe readers want our unbiased opinion of the product, we will purchase and expense the bed.

What Does WIRED Do With the Mattresses After Testing Them?

Everyone needs to sleep. So when testing is complete and we have everything we need to give a comprehensive report, we give back to our local communities. Students, families, young couples—whoever needs a mattress, we do our best to get it to them. We do this through the grapevine, Facebook Marketplace, Facebook Buy Nothing groups, and even Nextdoor listings.

What Do “Pressure Relief” and Other Testing Terms Mean?

It may seem like a bunch of gibberish, but there are important terms to keep in mind while mattress shopping. Pressure relief describes whether a bed is able to keep tension off of more sensitive areas of the body, like the hips or shoulders. These areas are also known as pressure points and require heightened softness. Durability is another term that refers to how well materials hold up. Edge support determines how well a bed supports you on the outer edges, whether you're sitting or lying on them.

What Certifications Do I Need to Look for With My New Mattress?

CertiPur-US is the most important one when it comes to memory foam. It's third-party verification that your mattress isn't holding potentially harmful chemicals. Other certifications authenticate whether a product was tested by a third-party lab, is truly organic, or passes a certain test for health and safety standards.