Are you looking for the best mattress for side sleepers & reviews? This article provides buying guides, detailed reviews with pros & cons and mattress comparison charts of variety of mattresses to enable you to choose the most comfortable mattress for your good sleep. In addition, we also review and provide a related list of best mattress toppers and best pillow for side sleepers.
Choosing the best mattress for your most comfortable feel and good sleep is never an easy task. However, this task is very very important because a mattress not only affects your daily life quality as well as long-term health, but also is a place you will spend about a third of your life on. We have conducted extensive researches which are designed to help you find the answer for what is the best mattress for side sleepers?
Unique characteristics and unique needs of side sleepers
Contents
As a side sleeper, you put your load on main pressure points (i.e., hips and shoulders) by up to sevenfold. Your hips and shoulders may receive too high pressure and your spine may be not aligned. Therefore, it is important for side sleepers to select the most comfortable mattress which provides great supports and pressure point relief. Otherwise, side sleepers may find themselves being difficult to sleep well through the night and getting body pains and aches, after waking up.
High pressure on Hips and shoulders are main problems of side sleepers
For your spine, it needs to rest in its correct posture with natural curves of your body regardless your sleep position. For this reason, it is more important to choose the best mattress that accommodates the natural curves of your body and preserves your spine aligned when you sleep on one side. If those requirements are not properly fulfilled by your mattress, it will cause pain and discomfort, disregarding that you own a standard mattress or a luxury expensive one.
If your mattress is too soft, your hips will fall into a soft spot without a proper support, resulting a curve in your spine, and forcing upper parts such as your back and neck –> another problem!
If your mattress is too firm, It will generate an unnatural curve by holding your hips in a high position. This may create hip pain and cause issues in your spine, or even headaches.
Selecting a right mattress for side sleepers is really important. If you have taken a look into the market (online or offline stores), you may experience that there are so many kinds of mattresses. How do you know what are best mattresses for side sleepers like you?Actually, those mattresses are made from different kinds of materials. Even for the same type of mattress (i.e., memory foam, latex, or inner spring) but manufacturers may use different formulations of foam, different density support, different weight and thickness, thus different firmness, comfort, and supportive levels can be achieved.
As PhD researchers focusing on health problems, we understand your difficulties that picking up a right mattress for you is never an easy task. For this reason, we did extensive researches to find the best side sleep mattress. We reviewed a great number of mattresses in the market based on more than 30 different technical factors (listed below) and did huge surveys involving thousands of side sleeping customers who are using mattresses in real life every day. Best side sleeper mattresses need to have unique characteristics for pressure relief, and preserving natural posture of your spine and body, not to mention providing comfort and maximizing pleasure, to enable you to enjoy your healthy life.
Our studies have shown that best types of mattress for side sleepers are latex and memory foam, but not every latex mattress or memory foam mattress will suit you very well. It also depends on many other factors such formulation of foam, density, pressure distribution characteristics, …That’s why we conduct this research to help you on your selection. A mattress, which is slightly softer, but not too firm, is a good option.
The detailed mattress buying guides and tips for choosing the best mattress for side sleepers are given below. The list of top rated mattress for side sleepers, as a result of our extensive researches, is included. Note that the mattress comparison chart below considers best quality mattresses for side sleepers in relation to the price, in other word, based on “good quality being worth the price”. Select one of them to maximize your pleasure and enjoy your well sleep.
Mattress comparison charts based different segmentation (i.e., standard, luxury) can be found in mattress comparison charts bellow
#1. Perfect Cloud Supreme 8 Inch Memory Foam Mattress
Features and Specifications
- Air Flow Memory Foam layer: The Perfect Cloud Supreme Foam mattress involves a thick 2.5 inch Air Flow Memory Foam which helps increase the comfort scale of the mattress.
- The quality of the mattress follows the Coveted Goldilocks standard which allows The Perfect Cloud Supreme Foam mattress is comparable with luxury hotel bed mattresses.
- The Perfect Cloud Supreme Foam mattress got a high score for support and comfort scale by designing a thick base layer of 5.5 inches. The layer is produced by using unique Support HD Base Foam.
- The Air Flow Memory Foam layer and the Base layer offer a proper support to side sleeper’s pressure points (i.e., hips, shoulders) because It allows pressure points fall into. Your body is then supported by the mattress. As a result, the mattress contours the natural shape of side’s sleepers’ body. The only one you need is to have an appropriate pillow for side sleepers to keep your head in the same level with your spine.
- Removable knit cover with premium textile: easy to take care and clean your mattress. The high quality cover of the Perfect Cloud Supreme Foam mattress makes you feel more comfortable.
- Elegant design: the design is great to match any bed décor. With a removable cover, you can also change the style if you want.
Score
- Support your body: (4.95 / 5)
- Comfort level: (4.95 / 5)
- Pressure distribution: (4.8 / 5)
- Density support: (4.7 / 5)
- Thickness: 8 inches
- Mattress comfort layer: (4.9 / 5)
- Longterm stability: (4.7 / 5)
- Lifespan: (4.9 / 5)
- Material: Air Flow Foam Memory Foam
Pros and Cons
Pros
- The Perfect Cloud Supreme Foam mattress provides a well support for side sleepers’ hips and shoulders and thus releasing pressure off your hips and shoulders, enabling you to sleep well and feel healthy after waking up.
- Its design with two layers including Air Flow Memory Foam layer and Base layer, in additional with a high quality removable cover creates a high level of comfort. Most of consumers feel really happy with the mattress.
- Great for people currently have back pain problems. Many customers, who have back pain, gave feed backs that their back feels much better after using the Perfect Cloud Supreme Foam mattress.
- The Perfect Cloud Supreme Foam mattress uses the new air foam technology which helps create air flows through your mattress, improving your feeling, and addressing the temperature sensitive issue of foam based mattress. You should not worry about a hot issue when using this mattress.
- Easy cleaning: because the cover is removable.
- Durability of the mattress is high and the quality is stable. The mattress is guaranteed 100% for 25 years.
- Eco-friendly: The Perfect Cloud Supreme Foam mattress is made without mercury, heavy metals, ozone depletes, and formaldehyde. And the volatile organic compound emissions for air quality is fairly low compared to other products.
- The Perfect Cloud Supreme Foam mattress is designed in USA and it is certified by CertiPUR-US so that you can feel confident about the quality.
Cons
- It’s fairly a new mattress in the market, thus the number of consumers involved in reviewing is less than other mattresses. But most, if not all, owners are very satisfied with the Perfect Cloud Supreme Foam mattress.
- Fairly heavy: difficult for one person to move it.
- A little firm for heavy people.
- The Perfect Cloud Supreme Foam mattress requires 8 hours to be fully expanded.
- The delivery box is thin: be careful when open the box of a new mattress, do not cut the box with a sharp knife because it may damage the mattress inside.
#2. Perfect Cloud Atlas Gel-Plus 10-Inch.s
Score
- Support your body: (4.7 / 5)
- Comfort level: (4.9 / 5)
- Pressure distribution: (4.6 / 5)
- Density support: (4.6 / 5)
- Thickness: 10 inches
- Mattress comfort layer: (4.9 / 5)
- Longterm stability: (4.6 / 5)
- Lifespan: (4.8 / 5)
- Material: Bi-directional Double Air Flow Comfort Foam and Gel-Plus Memory Foam
Features and Specifications
- The Perfect Cloud Atlas Gel-Plus 10-Inch Memory Foam Mattress focuses on improving the comfortable experience for customers.
- The first layer is a thick 3 inches of Signature Gel-Plus Memory Foam. This layer is design to pamper you when you sleep on it and offer you a sound sleep.
- The next two layers are designed in a special to provide extra comfort and temperature neutral sleep
- The middle layer is a 3 inch bi-directional Double Air Flow Comfort Foam. This layer creates a high circulation of the air and ample air-flow to increase your comfort.
- The next layer is a thick 4 inch layer with Double Air Flow HD Base Support Foam. This second bi-directional air flow layer is to support temperature neutral sleep.
- This feature addresses well the limitation of memory foam mattress and makes it outstands from other mattresses.
- Perfect Cloud Atlas Gel-Plus 10-Inch Memory Foam Mattress uses a premium high quality textile stretch knit cover which is removable.
- The Perfect Cloud Atlas Gel-Plus 10-Inch Memory Foam Mattress qualifies for the coveted Goldilocks standard. It is comparable with mattress used in luxury hotels.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- The mattress structure is special in its design to increase comfort level of side sleepers as well as back sleepers. Most of current consumers agree that the Perfect Cloud Atlas Gel-Plus 10-Inch Memory Foam Mattress is one of the most comfortable mattresses for side sleepers.
- Perfect Cloud Atlas Gel-Plus 10-Inch Memory Foam Mattress offers a special feature to resolve the temperature sensitive issue of foam based mattress by using two bi-directional double air flow comfort foam layers. As a result, the Perfect Cloud Atlas Gel-Plus 10-Inch Memory Foam Mattress provides temperature-neutral sleep experience.
- The three main layers are combined in a way to provide a whole support to pressure points and the remainder of your body. Perfect Cloud Atlas Gel-Plus 10-Inch Memory Foam Mattress allows your body to sink into your bed comfortably and naturally.
- Perfect Cloud Atlas Gel-Plus 10-Inch Memory Foam Mattress is produced using only high quality and resilient materials. It offers an extra feature of movement absorbing so that you don’t need to worry much to be disturbed when sleep with your partner or another person.
- Easy care and cleaning with a nice design of removable covers. Perfect Cloud Atlas Gel-Plus 10-Inch Memory Foam Mattress is also designed with a Mocha Ultrasuede siding with soft-touch feel which offers really a good experience for side sleepers and back sleepers. The mattress also adapts well for heavy people, make it to be considered in a list of the best mattress for heavy people.
- The technology used to produce Perfect Cloud Atlas Gel-Plus 10-Inch Memory Foam Mattress achieves the CertiPUR-US certificate. Therefore, it is very eco-friendly without phthalates, formaldehyde, mercury and other heavy metals, and ozone depletes. The design is really good for your health and your sleep.
Cons
- Fairly heavy with 77.5 pounds so that it is difficult to move it by a single person.
- The mattress may have a strong smell at the first time when you open the box, but it will quickly go away.
- Do not have extra stiffness to support the edge when you sit on the bed
#3. Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress - Custom Comfort - Ask Chuck
The Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress with Custom Comfort has similar specifications with the Ultimate Dreams Queen Eurotop Latex Mattress. Its outside looks very plush. Most of people who purchased this mattress reported that they sleep continuously through the night with a great feeling after waking up. We have not received any significant negative comments about this mattress. Therefore, the subsection for cons is still limited. Few people felt the mattress was too firm, but we observe that this issue mostly due to their wrong selection when selecting the firmness of the mattress.
Note that its manufacturer offers options for customer to choose their favourite comfort level. To avoid those mistakes, we advise side sleepers to select the comfort level of 5 or 6 which is best fit for side sleepers based on our requirements. This suggestion has been proving by many side sleepers who are using the Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress with Custom Comfort every day. With its reasonable price, it is worth to be rated as one of the most comfortable mattresses and best mattresses for side sleepers. We analyse pros and cons of the Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress with Custom Comfort in detail in the next section.
Score
- Support your body: (4.8 / 5)
- Comfort level: (4.9 / 5)
- Pressure distribution: (4.7 / 5)
- Density support: (4.7 / 5)
- Thickness: 10 inches
- Mattress comfort layer: (4.9 / 5)
- Longterm stability: (4.9 / 5)
- Lifespan: (4.9 / 5)
- Material: Latex Mattress with Bamboo Cover
Features and Specifications
- The Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress with Custom Comfort has many similar specifications compared to the Ultimate Dreams Queen Eurotop Latex Mattress.
- It thickness is about 10 inch with a bamboo cover.
- It is also made from Talalay latex and high density base foam. The top layer uses Talalay latex while the lower layer uses high density base foam.
- The thickness of Talalay latex layer is 3 inches while the quilted bamboo cover is made from 100% biodegradable bamboo fibers. It goes with 1.5 inch super soft relfex foam.
- The last layer is a 5.5. inch high density convoluted base foam. The features of each layers are discussed in the pros section.
- The manufacturer offers 2 choices for customers:
- Customers can select the softness level in the list including firm, cushion firm, plush/medium, and ultra plush/soft
- Or customers can select the “ask chuck” option with support by Dreamfoam Bedding experts who will advise you to select the right one for you.
- We advise side sleepers to select the later option and ask for a customized comfort level of 5 or 6 which suits really well for side sleepers. Most of participants involving in our researches report that they are highly recommended such a softness level for side sleepers.
- This product is made in the USA with high quality and natural materials, and follows CertiOUR-US standard for both quality and eco-friendly.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Most customers’ feedback about the quality of this mattress is very positive.
- The Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress with Custom Comfort is a super plush mattress with a very reasonable price. It is even cheaper than the Ultimate Dreams Queen Eurotop Latex Mattress.
- The first layer with bamboo cover offers extra comfort because it is softer than cotton. However, this layer has additional feature to absorb moisture, much better than cotton, making the mattress always being dried and cool so that the mattress can provide the most comfortable feeling for side sleepers.
- The second layer of Talalay latex has the main feature to support your side including hips, shoulders, and the whole body for pressure relief and to contour natural curves of your body and spine. This layer also provides a certain comfort to side sleepers.
- The third layer with thick base foam indirectly supports your body and keeps the stability of the mattress. It is designed for create air flows through the mattress to make it cool and comfortable for sleepers.
- The mattress is also highly recommended for sleepers with tossing and turning because it can eliminate tossing and turning by reducing pressure areas. Some snoring suffers found this mattress helpful in reducing their problems because they can sleep continuously on their side through the night.
- By using natural and high quality materials, it is an ideal one for people with allergy.
- Customizable firmness and comfort level for your most satisfaction.
Cons
- At the first look before opening the box, the mattress seems be narrow and small. However, when you unpack it, it takes only about one minute to expand fully to its standard size with a very high comfort.
- Some customers complain that the mattress is too firm, but we realize that this is because they select a wrong comfort level. Remember to select the comfort level of 5 or 6 for side sleepers.
- We will update more limitations of this mattress if we receive new feedbacks from customers about that.
Conclusion:
The Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress with Custom Comfort is a great mattress for side sleepers. It is fairly difficult for us to determine the category for this one because its quality is great as a luxury one, but the price is competitive and similar to those in standard category. We finally made a decision to categorize it as a luxury mattress based on its quality. Side sleepers report that they sleep continuously without any problem of pain or tired, waking up with feeling renewed and refreshed. For its high quality, we easily list the Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress with Custom Comfort is in the list of side sleeping best mattresses.
When and How to select a best mattress for side sleepers?
When to buy a new mattress?
You should consider about buying a new mattress, when:
- You get low back pain and spine
- You may stretch and don’t want to get out of your bed even though you slept more than 6 hours
- You feel pain in hips, shoulder
- You can’t sleep well, moving around when you sleep
- You feel tired and probably irritable when you wake up in the morning. You may also act slowed down due to fatigue, having trouble concentrating, or difficult thinking clearly.
That means you may sleep on an inappropriate mattress for you although you may have a very luxury mattress. We should focus on the appropriateness of a mattress for side sleepers when we shop. Of course, you may also think about buying a mattress if your mattress is older than 10 years or you feel your mattress is saggy.
Main factors we consider in evaluating mattresses to find the best ones for you
- Firm and soft levels
- Density and weight
- Formulation of materials
- Type of foam: base foam, visco-elastic foam, open-cell memory foam, reticulated foam , fast response memory foam,…
- Supportive level to hips and shoulder for pressure relief
- Supportive level to the spine and other body parts
- Elasticity
- Comfort scale
- Pressure distribution
- Edge support
- Thickness
- Long-term stability
- Lifespan
- Impacts of microclimate
- And prices! Yes, we consider prices too. Later in this buying guide, we categorize best mattresses based on their price to help you easy to select the best fit one for you.
Not to mention other technical factors which affect the mattress quality.
A soft or firm mattress is the best mattress for side sleepers?
The best mattress for side sleepers to have is a soft-to-medium mattress with foam density support no lower than 4.5. This structure is required to provide the best support to side sleepers’ pressure points and keep the curves of your body and spines naturally.
softness or firmness is better for side sleepers
About the firmness, too firm mattress is not suitable for side sleepers because they have contact a lot with hips and shoulders. A firm mattress, or an extra firm mattress, may likely result in shoulder and back pain because of pressure points.
A soft-to-medium one supports better for pressure points of side sleepers. The reason is that soft mattresses allow your hips and shoulders to fall into while the remainder your body side is supported by the mattress. As a result, the side of your body is allowed to sink into the mattress and the bed, releasing pressure off your hips and shoulders, not to mention accommodating the nature of your body curves and the alignment of your spine.
Some people may think that the word “soft” means that the mattress is too soft and can’t support your body. This is not correct! Why? Many kinds of soft mattress today provide the same level of support as firm mattress. In addition, you will feel more comfortable when sleeping on a softer mattress than a form mattress. That’s why we highlight the supportive level of a mattress when you want to choose a right soft mattress.
You can also use a separate topper to increase the comfort and lifespan of your mattress, or add an topper on the top of your current mattress to make it better for your side sleep. Take a look at our best mattress topper reviews.
What is the best type of mattress for side sleepers?
According to our extensive surveys and evaluations, there is no doubt that memory foam mattress and latex mattress are the best type of mattress for side sleepers. Why? Because memory foam and latex provide a proper support needed for pressure point relief. They also support to keep the curve of your body naturally and align your spine when you sleep on. Note that not all memory foam mattress and latex mattress will fit you well as it depends on the formulation of materials, density, pressure distribution, and so on. In general, innerspring mattress does not suit well for side sleepers. However, if innerspring mattresses are added with a thick foam comfort layer, they may still meet your need.