Many of the best mattresses for side sleepers are discounted for Labor Day weekend, including our pick for best overall, the Nolah Evolution. For more deals, check out our roundup of the best Labor Day mattress sales.
As mattress editors and certified sleep coaches, we’ve collectively spent the better part of a decade testing hundreds of mattresses. We know firsthand that not all mattresses are properly designed to cradle your joints, especially if you’re a side sleeper. After testing and retesting 50 popular beds with our 12-person testing panel, we chose the Nolah Evolution as the best mattress for side sleepers overall: It excelled in several tests, including edge support, pressure relief and motion isolation. See our full list of winners and dive into our findings below.
Why We Picked It
This mattress looks and feels like a giant marshmallow—one tester compares it to a Beautyrest or a Stearns & Foster mattress, which can run much pricier than a Nolah. Its two layers of zoned support, according to one tester, “provides a nice hugging feel that doesn’t suck you in.” She continues, “The foam cushions my pressure points while on my side and fills in my lumbar region as needed while on my back.” Plus, the mattress scored top marks in motion isolation and edge support, and the light and airy cotton cover felt nice, too. For more insight on this cushioning mattress, check out her full Nolah Evolution mattress review.
Who It’s Best For
There’s a firmness level for a wide range of sleepers. We recommend the plush and luxury firm models for most side sleepers. If you switch between your back and side, the luxury firm option, which combines support and cushion, is likely a better fit, while lightweight side sleepers may prefer the plush version. We find the excellent edge support and motion isolation ideal for those who sleep with a partner or a restless pet.
Who Shouldn’t Buy It
This is a hybrid, so if you’re a fan of memory foam beds, you might look at our other picks. While the firm version of this mattress should be adequate for people who weigh up to 350 pounds, Nolah recommends the Evolution Comfort Plus for those over 300 pounds.
Why We Picked It
The Helix Sunset Luxe’s supportive hybrid design—which consists of a zoned pocketed coil layer with extra lumbar support, several cushy foam layers and a pillowy top layer—earned it high points across the board in key areas for back pain, including spine alignment and support. It also offers good ease of movement, which can be lacking in some soft mattresses. “Because of this, I don’t feel stuck in bed, and it’s very easy to change positions,” says one tester.
Who It’s Best For
This pick is best for side and back sleepers with pain who can’t expend too much effort or energy switching from one position to another. Hot sleepers should add the GlacioTex Cooling Cover ($187 for all sizes) for more chilling power. For heavyweight side sleepers with back pain, we recommend the ErgoAlign layer upgrade (also $187 for all sizes), which gives the mattress a noticeably firmer and more supportive feel in the lumbar region.
Who Shouldn’t Buy It
If you want an ultra-plush mattress, keep in mind that although the brand rates the Sunset Luxe as a 3 out of 10 on the firmness scale, our testers found it to be closer to a 5 or 6 out of 10. Skip this pick if you weigh less than 150 pounds and need deep pressure relief from a very soft mattress.
Why We Picked It
The Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid Mattress has just about everything a side sleeper could want in a quality hybrid bed: a pocketed coil layer with strategically placed support that’s firmer under the lumbar region and around the edge, and multiple foam layers for a light and airy, contouring feel. One tester, who slept on this bed with their partner for six months, praises its cooling prowess: “It doesn’t trap heat beneath your body and helps you maintain a comfortable temperature all night.” See more about this mattress in our detailed Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid Mattress review.
Who It’s Best For
This pick is perfect for hot sleepers, thanks to its cooling cover, as well as couples, due to its strong motion isolation and edge support. Heavyweight side sleepers should consider the medium-firm or firm model for additional lumbar support, as larger body types find beds to be softer than advertised. The softest model (plush) may be a better choice for lightweight side sleepers seeking extra plushness and pressure relief.
Who Shouldn’t Buy It
If you prefer something firmer than a 7 to 9 rating, we recommend checking out one of our extra-firm mattress recommendations instead.
Why We Picked It
Nectar’s Luxe Memory Foam Mattress has a medium-soft feel and body-contouring coziness. Its firm bottom layer ensures a stable base, while the upper layers cradle your body and offer plenty of cushion for the hips and shoulders—features that, combined, earned the mattress high scores for pressure relief, comfort and ease of movement. One tester says, “There’s a perfect amount of sinkage. It feels dense, lifted and overall very luxurious.”
Who It’s Best For
This pick is best for light and average-weight side sleepers, people who enjoy a classic memory foam feel and individuals with shoulder pain. If you need some temperature regulation, we like that the Luxe is topped with a cool-to-the-touch and moisture-wicking cooling cover.
Who Shouldn’t Buy It
Skip this mattress if you’re a combination side and stomach sleeper, or if you run very hot during sleep (its all-foam construction won’t stay as cool as a hybrid bed). This mattress feels softer than advertised—more of a medium-soft than medium-firm, in our experience—so this isn’t the best choice for those seeking a truly medium-firm bed. For sleepers who weigh over 250 pounds, we recommend the Nectar Luxe Hybrid for additional support.
Why We Picked It
Our top choice in our guide to the best cooling mattresses, the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Cooling Mattress is stacked with layers that are designed with cooling features and enhanced support. Its zoned pocketed coils in the base layer enhance airflow and lumbar support, while the Copperflex and gel-infused foam absorb body heat and disperse it evenly through the bed. It’s also finished with a cooling GlacioTex cover “that feels cool to the touch,” according to a majority of our testers. Learn more about their full experience in our Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Cooling review.
Who It’s Best For
One tester reports that “the medium model of the Aurora Luxe Cooling offers an amount of sinkage that can work for a lot of body types and sleeping positions.” We recommend the softer or medium model for lightweight or average-sized side sleepers, or you can add the optional 2-inch cushy pillow top for $300. It’s also an ideal bed for couples due to its great motion isolation and edge support. Heavy side sleepers over 250 pounds should consider the medium model or the firm model with the added pillow top.
Who Shouldn’t Buy It
If you’re seeking a bed with deep sinkage, you may want to go with a memory foam pick, instead.
Why We Picked It
Inside the Bear Elite Hybrid, there’s a pocketed coil layer with reinforced edges for enhanced perimeter strength and a stack of plush, comforting layers that support and hug your joints. The bed scored very high marks in our side- and back-sleeping tests, with one panelist noting, “I felt a number of beds decompress my spine while lying on my back; however, this is the first mattress that gives me that sensation while lying on my side.” Thanks to its hybrid feel, it offers good ease of movement so you don’t have to overexert yourself when switching positions.
Who It’s Best For
The Bear Elite Hybrid is one of those beds that balances support with relief, so it will appeal to most sleep postures. If you want deeper pressure relief while side sleeping, you can opt for the soft model. Heavy side sleepers over 250 pounds who live with hip pain should consider the medium model for better spinal support. Learn more in our full Bear Elite Hybrid mattress review.
Who Shouldn’t Buy It
While this pick excels in the pressure relief category, those who want a bed with strong edge support should look elsewhere.
Why We Picked It
Aside from being the most eco-friendly pick on our list (it’s made with organic latex and sustainable materials like organic cotton and wool), the plush option of Avocado’s Green Mattress appeals to people seeking pressure relief, unlike other latex options, which are known for being on the firmer end of the spectrum. “It’s soft and does a good job cradling the hip and shoulder,” says one tester. Underneath its latex foam and pillow top, the bed has an upcycled pocketed coil layer with a seven-zone design to provide targeted pressure relief and enhanced support back support.
Who It’s Best For
Side and combination sleepers who want added pressure relief to their green mattress will appreciate this pick. If you want better support, are a side sleeper around 250 pounds, and/or are looking to save a few hundred dollars, opt for the medium model. Those who care about certifications will like this pick: It’s certified Climate Neutral, Made Safe, GOLS and GOTS. See more about this eco-friendly bed in our Avocado Green Mattress review.
Who Shouldn’t Buy It
For fans of extra-plush, deep-sinking mattresses, opt for a memory foam model, instead.
Why We Picked It
The Tuft & Needle Mint Hybrid Mattress is among the softest beds that our testers tried, thanks to its doughy and airy memory foam that feels highly pressure-relieving around the hips and shoulders. One tester notes, “It has a soft foam feel that isn’t like quicksand but offers more of a cushioning hug.” The design, which consists of a pocketed coil base with microcoils that sit directly on top, helps prevent sagging while maintaining a super-soft profile.
Who It’s Best For
The blend of different foams that sit atop the double-coil layers helps the bed absorb motion and deaden movement—a plus for couples who are easily awakened by their partner’s movements.
Who Shouldn’t Buy It
If you’re a lightweight sleeper and/or prefer a true memory foam feel, we recommend the brand’s all-foam T&N Mint Mattress for petite side sleepers under 150 pounds.
Other Mattresses For Side Sleepers We Tested
We’ve tested dozens of side sleeper–friendly mattresses. Although the mattresses listed below didn’t make our final list, they still provide features that may make them a good choice for some side sleepers.
Best For Motion Isolation: Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt (Forbes Vetted score: 4.8): Tempur-Pedic is known for its pressure-relieving memory foam, making it a go-to brand for side sleepers and people with joint pain. It also excels at motion isolation, meaning couples can toss and turn without disturbing each other. However at $2,199 for a queen, we didn’t think it was worth the price compared with the Nectar Luxe Memory Foam Mattress, our top memory foam pick.
Best For A Luxury Feel: Stearns & Foster Lux Estate (Forbes Vetted score: 4.8) This bed combines layers of Tempur-Pedic memory foam and a base of supportive coils to make a bed that’s the epitome of luxury. However, its high price tag could deter some people.
Best For Combination Sleepers: DreamCloud Premier Hybrid Mattress (Forbes Vetted score: 4.3): If you share a mattress with a partner who isn’t a side sleeper, the DreamCloud Premier Hybrid mattress could be a good compromise. Its medium-firm feel is a nice middle ground that can suit side, back and stomach sleepers. That said, it can be too firm for some side sleepers, so we left it off our list.
How We Tested The Best Mattresses For Side Sleepers
Our testing process consists of researching mattress models then panel testing a group of contenders to evaluate them against a set of criteria. The beds chosen for this list excelled in the categories that are specific to side sleeping, like pressure relief and support. For more details, see our guide on how we test and score mattresses.
Process
- Gathering contenders: We narrowed down our list of mattresses to test by seeking out reputable brands, best-selling models and newly released beds with cutting-edge technology, zeroing in on comfort features that are ideal for side sleepers.
- Panel testing: We recruited a group of people representing a range of sleep preferences and body types to test dozens of beds at our testing location by lying on each one and evaluating it on the criteria listed below.
- Long-term testing: We also had long-term testers sleep on our winners for at least 30 nights in their homes, then share feedback.
Criteria
- Pressure relief: We rolled onto our sides and documented where we felt pressure buildup and where we felt relief. We determined whether each bed offered the right amount of cushioning to prevent aches and pains, especially around the shoulders and hips.
- Support: We considered the construction of each mattress, including its comfort layers and base, and evaluated its durability and level of support for different weights.
- Spinal alignment: We assessed whether our hips and shoulders maintained neutral alignment with our backs or sank too far into the mattress.
- Firmness: We compared the brand’s firmness ratings with our testing experience to make sure each bed offered a balance of softness and support. We also included a variety of firmnesses within that range—some on the plusher side, some more supportive but still cushioned—to cater to a variety of weights and comfort preferences.
- Ease of movement: Since side sleepers have to roll onto their sides, we examined whether each bed offered a buoyant feel that made it easy to get into position, change positions or get out of the bed.
What To Look For In A Mattress For Side Sleepers
Below, we break down the most important aspects to consider in a mattress for side sleepers before you make your purchase:
- Mattress type: Hybrid mattresses combine plush, pressure-relieving layers and supportive coils, making them a great choice for side sleepers. The responsiveness and contouring of memory foam mattresses is also good for side sleepers, though these beds can trap heat. Latex mattresses have a bouncy feel and provides deep contouring, and they’re naturally more cooling than memory foam.
- Firmness: Mattresses that fall between soft and medium-firm are best for side sleepers. The key is to look for a bed that’s soft enough to cradle your major pressure points while still firm enough to keep your spine aligned.
- Body type: Your body type and weight determines the exact firmness level that’s right for you. Lightweight side sleepers should opt for a soft to medium-soft mattress that’s around a 3 to 6 out of 10 on the firmness scale. Average-weight side sleepers tend to find the right balance of comfort and support with a medium-soft to medium-firm bed at a 4 to 6 firmness rating. Heavyweight side sleepers should opt for a medium-firm to firm mattress, or around a 6 to 7 firmness, to prevent dipping or sagging.
- Pressure relief: To alleviate that excess pressure on your joints, side sleepers should look for a mattress that contours along the hips and shoulders, cushioning your sides for maximum relief.
- Zoned support: Consider finding a mattress with zoned support, which means it’s firmer where more support is needed (like in the lumbar region) but softer at the shoulders and hips for more pressure relief.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
The Forbes Vetted sleep team has published a large library of mattress and sleep guides, which includes roundups on every sleep position—from mattresses for stomach sleepers and mattresses for back sleepers to mattresses for combination sleepers.
Mattress and sleep editors Bridget Chapman and McKenzie Dillon oversee the recommendations and guidance provided in this story. As certified sleep science coaches and prolific mattress testers, they’ve spent a combined decade tossing and turning on over 150 mattresses, including the beds listed above. Chapman and Dillon make regular visits to Arizona to tour the 3Z mattress facility, where Helix, Brooklyn Bedding, Leesa and Bear mattresses are made, for an inside look at the manufacturing process.
In addition to their combined experience, Dillon and Chapman regularly conduct in-person, panel-testing sessions to reevaluate our team’s favorite mattresses and try new models firsthand.
Meet The Expert
Dr. Samantha Parker Lane, M.D., is a physician at Memorial Hermann specializing in neurological surgery and spine surgery.
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