10 Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers, According to Testing

There’s nothing quite like a Tempur-Pedic mattress. Known for its pressure-relieving foam, several testers have said that they haven't experienced anything as comfortable and contouring as this mattress. And while there’s no denying that the brand’s offerings come with a hefty price tag, this new release is shipped to your door and uses the same proprietary foam as the brand's other offerings at a lower cost. On top of its comfortable feel and unparalleled pressure relief, the mattress also cradles your hips and shoulders to promote neutral alignment of your spine, which is especially important to side sleepers who struggle with hip pain.

What's it made of: The all-foam model uses three layers of foam: A layer of soft, cushioning foam on top; a firm, supportive middle layer and a supportive bottom base. Users can also opt for the hybrid version, which swaps the supportive base foam for a mix of coils and foam.

Tester notes: Several of our panelists raved about the luxurious feel of this bed with one commenting, "It's like sleeping on a cloud." On top of that, panelists gave it high scores for comfort, support and overall sleep quality in addition to highlighting the motion isolation. Some even mentioned that they couldn't feel their partners move or get up at all while lying on the bed. Plus, while Tempur-Pedic notes that the bed may feel firm when you first lie down, our testers confirmed that it quickly molds to properly contour your body for personalized support. One tester commented, "I feel like my entire body is supported in a very gentle way."

READ OUR FULL REVIEW: Tempur-Pedic's Tempur-Cloud Delivers Luxurious Memory Foam to Your Door

If you're looking for the best mattress under $1,000, this affordable bed outperformed pricier models over double the cost. Though it has an overall medium firmness rating, its layers of foam at the top make it feel plush, so it conforms to your pressure points as you lie on your side. The brand offers several different models — including lower-priced and more expensive options — but this one offers the best bang for your buck and provides the softest feel for cradling comfort.

What it's made of: There's a quilted surface over a 2-inch layer of memory foam for pressure relief and a 1-inch layer of high-density foam for support. The bottom layer is made up of coils for more support to help prevent the foam from sinking in too much.

Tester notes: This mattress ships to you in a box within days, and testers gave it high scores for ease of ordering and ease of setup. Users also consistently raved about the support and pressure relief with comments like, "I like that it forms to your body," and "I love that it is comfortable and doesn't sag in the middle when I sleep on it." Plus, one panelist even compared it to a luxe hotel bed. The main complaint testers had was that the edges sunk down more than they expected.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW: Allswell's Luxe Hybrid is The Best Budget Mattress You Can Buy

Saatva is a popular online, direct-to-consumer brand that's known for making luxury mattresses at more affordable prices. The Classic Mattress is its most popular model, and it comes in three firmness levels. The Plush Soft option is ideal for side sleepers because it uses softer foams for more flexibility to cradle your body. Luxury Firm is also a great choice if you don't want to go too soft. It comes with free delivery, setup and old mattress removal, plus a 365-night trial so you can sleep on the mattress at home to make sure you love it.

What it's made of: This mattress is built like a traditional, luxury innerspring mattress (as opposed to the mostly foam ones you typically find online). There's a pillowtop surface, a layer of foam for pressure relief and individual steel coils for support and airflow.

Tester notes: Our survey panel gave Saatva mattresses top scores, especially for comfort and sleep quality. In fact, it's one of the highest-rated mattress brands in our entire review, not just when it comes to side sleepers. One consumer tester noted, "It offers a mixture of both support and comfort. The mattress has maintained its shape after one year with no indents." One user told us, "the topper makes it comfortable to sleep on your stomach, back and side," and another said, "I like that it's soft and supportive. Other mattresses cause me back pain, but this one does not." On top of that, this pick has unparalleled edge support, according to our testers.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW: Here's Why Saatva is the Best Innerspring Mattress

This mattress proves you don't have to sacrifice performance by going green, It uses resilient, certified-organic latex over coils for a bouncy feel that contours to your body without sinking in. The model itself is on the firmer side, but if you add the built-in pillowtop option that's made of a plush organic latex, it becomes more suitable for side sleepers. On top of that, the brand has one of the most generous trial periods we've seen: You can get a refund within a full year after the mattress gets delivered.

What it's made of: It uses wool, cotton and latex (a natural foam from the rubber tree) and is certified organic by Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) and Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS), so you know the entire manufacturing process follows strict guidelines.

Tester notes: Users told us they love sleeping on this mattress and praised the bed for keeping their body weight evenly distributed. One highlighted her experience by saying, "I like that it's made of organic and natural materials, that it's extremely comfortable and that it's held up even after two years." With top scores across the board from panelists, it's no surprise that the mattress has impressed with its quality materials and construction. Plus, the brand's commitment to sustainability and carbon neutrality without compromising on comfort or quality is commendable.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW: Our Top-Tested Organic Mattress is the Avocado Green Mattress

If you rely on Amazon for fast and free shipping, this all-foam bed-in-a-box is inexpensive and arrives within days. It has an overall medium-firm rating (i.e., slightly firmer than medium), so it's also an ideal choice if you sleep on your side yet don't want an overly plush feel.

What it's made of: The simple model contains two layers of foam, including a firm supportive foam on the bottom with a softer foam on top for pressure relief.

Tester notes: Users note that it's easy to set up and comfortable to sleep on, plus they say the brand's customer service is friendly and helpful. A few side sleepers said they appreciated its all-foam design. "I don’t feel the springs of a traditional mattress when I sleep on my side," said one owner. In addition, one user who's owned the mattress for over five years said, "My Tuft & Needle mattress is so much more comfortable than any mattress I've ever had in the past. My husband and I both experience much less back pain." The one callout noted among testers is the lack of edge support, so you may notice the edges sink when you sit on them or when you're getting in and out of bed.

Looking for a mattress that won't aggravate your back pain? Doctors often recommend mattresses with a medium level of firmness made with pressure-relieving material, like memory foam, for a balance of cradling comfort and support for neutral spinal alignment. This pick from Nolah checks off all the boxes, and our panelists and testers swore it eased their discomfort, helping alleviate both lower back and hip pain.

What's it made of: The simple yet effective mattress uses three layers of foam, including a comfort layer on top to take the tension off your joints, a durable support layer and a high-density base. You can also opt for the all-foam "hybrid" variation, which features cutouts in the foam to simulate the responsiveness of coils.

Tester notes: Many users, including those with back and hip pain, shoulder pain, pregnancy-related pain and sciatica, have reported that Nolah's mattresses have truly made a difference. One told us this specific model "has been significantly helpful in relieving back pain for my husband, who has scoliosis" and noted that it "offers back support while still cradling pressure points." In addition, panelists who've owned the mattress for over four years shared that it's held up well over time. But take note, if you haven't slept on an all-foam mattress before, allow for an adjustment period. One tester said, "Although I was experiencing far less back, shoulder and neck pain from this mattress, it still took a few days for me to get used to." Keep in mind that the 10-inch depth is on the lower side for a mattress, so if you have trouble getting in and out of bed, you may want to consider a taller model from the brand.

For a pressure-relieving mattress that doesn't feel too plush, Purple uses a unique grid-shaped elastic that feels cushioning yet firm with excellent breathability. In other words, you get the pressure relief you need as a side sleeper without sacrificing support or worrying that you'll easily overheat at night. Plus, the brand's signature GelFlex Grid not only provides extra ventilation but also offers great motion isolation, making it a great choice for couples.

What it's made of: Below the top-level grid are two layers of foam. This is the most basic model from Purple, but there are options to upgrade for additional layers of foam or to a hybrid that adds coils underneath.

Tester notes: Members of our panel described the bed as the perfect combination of soft and firm with one saying, "It's 'springy' and conforms to my body while still being supportive." Several even described the unique material as providing a "sleeping on air" feeling and compared it to "floating." Plus, reviewers gave great scores for the motion isolation and commented on the noticeable breathability. The caveat is that several users told us the delivery took longer than expected.

For proper neutral spinal alignment, softer mattresses are often recommended for side sleepers to avoid putting any additional stress on your shoulders, hips or knees. This pick from Puffy combines foam and coils to provide a comfortable, plush feel that's supportive without any sinking or sagging, according to our testers.

What it's made of: This hybrid model uses four different layers of foam over a coil system for a supported feel. The top layers feature "cloud" foam and cooling gel and promote airflow for breathability while the final foam layer surrounds the coil system for edge support.

Testing notes: Many users swore that the hybrid model delivered both cloud-like comfort and support, highlighting how the cushioning foam conformed to their bodies without sinking in. In fact, one told us, "I don’t wake with any soreness with the Puffy, yet I feel supported." Several owners, including users who've had this model for over four years, also shared that their beds have held up well with long-term use and maintained their structure over time. The main caveat is that, despite the brand's cooling technology, some users commented that they still find themselves overheating at night.

Hybrid mattresses are known for combining cushiony foam with coils for a balance of comfort and support, and this one from Bear is one of the most comfortable beds we've ever tested. It's designed with zonal support, meaning it provides precise cushioning around targeted areas like the hips and back to promote spinal alignment. It's a newer release but has impressed our experts and testers who've described it as "nothing short of amazing."

What's it made of: The hybrid model uses two layers of foam over a coil system. The top layer of foam is infused with copper to prevent overheating while the bottom uses contoured cutouts for targeted pressure relief. Plus, the coil system contains reinforced coils for better edge support. Additionally, Bear says the Celliant fibers in the quilted cover use infrared technology to promote recovery, but we weren't able to verify these claims in our evaluation.

Tester notes: The mattress's ergonomic design truly pays off: it's earned top scores across the board from our testers who rave about how it's both pressure-relieving and supportive. In fact, one tester commented, "It feels like my entire body is being supported, regardless of my position." When we evaluated the model firsthand, one analyst immediately felt the difference and said she "instantly felt comfortable" on the bed.

Just note that, since it's a newer release, we don't have long-term data on this model quite yet, so we're unable to comment on how well it will hold up over longer periods of time.

Sleep Number's adjustable mattresses offer a truly personalized experience. Each bed features built-in air chambers that can be customized to any firmness level, allowing couples to pick individual settings while still sharing the bed. This model combines the brand's innovative technology with pressure-relieving memory foam for extra cushioning. Like other models, it comes with optional sleep tracking capabilities, with tips to help you improve your sleep quality.

What it's made of: Besides the adjustable air chambers, this model also contains memory foam on top to offer ideal pressure relief for side sleepers. The bed also includes built-in sensors that detect and respond to your movement to stay at a constant firmness throughout the night.

Tester notes: There's no denying that Sleep Number's mattresses are a splurge, but users consistently tell us it was well worth the investment. Some owners even told us they wished they hadn't waited so long to try the brand. On top of that, this model earned rave reviews in our evaluations. Users (including one who's owned this mattress for over seven years) gave the bed high marks across the board. In fact, one tester told us he felt 30 years younger after sleeping on it: "No stiffness, no pain!"