The Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers in 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Is side sleeping good for you?

If you’ve ever consciously tried to change your sleeping position (perhaps due to a medical procedure or a strange bed), you probably know how hard it is to fight your natural inclination. The good news for side sleepers is that the general consensus among experts is that it’s at least as good as any other option.

Sleep experts at Houston Methodist say sleeping on your side can “least negative impact on health”. Great! The only things worse than side sleeping for you are not getting enough sleep or sleeping in any other position!

I’ve always envied back sleepers but back sleeping is the “worst position” According to Mayo Cliniccalls side sleeping “a good way to sleep.”

Which mattress is best for side sleepers, hybrid or memory foam?

We like hybrids for side sleepers. Since you’re putting more weight on a smaller surface area, you might think that memory foam is better than a hybrid with a layer of springs (often called coils). On a memory foam mattress, you sink into a little cloud of softness and support on either side. The problem is that as you sleep soundly and don’t move around much, over the course of the night, that layer of foam slowly but surely compresses under you. If it’s just a cheap layer of foam, after a while it feels like you’re sleeping on a yoga mat. That’s why mattresses with layers of different weights of foam are better, and why we like hybrids. In my experience, that layer of springs means the foam isn’t compressed as much. A good hybrid gives you the chance to sleep well for six hours without having to change positions, which isn’t necessarily the case with all-foam mattresses. Hybrid mattresses also tend to sleep cooler because there are fewer solid foam blocks to absorb heat.

What is the ideal firmness for side sleepers?

Most side sleepers prefer a softer mattress, usually a memory foam mattress rather than a spring mattress. However, throughout the night, you want to make sure you have a mattress that provides adequate support. Any mattress can provide that, but be sure to pay attention to the firmness scale that the company advertises and the firmness options within it. Also, take your body type into account, as the heavier you are, the firmer you’ll want your mattress to be.

What type of mattress is best for heavy side sleepers?

I’m a larger person—smaller now than when I started testing mattresses, thanks to semaglutide, but still a larger person. I find that the larger you are, the firmer you want your mattress to be, otherwise your body weight will compress the foam and springs beneath you too much.