4 Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers in 2020: A Definitive Guide

Summary: This unbiased, in-depth review features our team of Sleeping Ninjas’ picks for the best mattress for side sleepers. Ninjas, too, often sleep on their sides, so we took this review very seriously.

Disclosure: Sleeping Ninjas has an affiliate relationship with some companies where we get a small percentage of sales if you click over from our site. 

So what are the best mattresses for side sleepers?

Side sleeping brings many advantages. For instance, it eliminates snoring by helping to clear the airways. Sleeping on your left side can even diminish acid reflux, boost digestions, and more.

Nevertheless, there are drawbacks to sleeping on your side. The best mattresses for side sleepers adjust to your specific position and provide the right amount of support. Getting the wrong mattress for side sleeping can result in stiffness, pain, and even spinal misalignments.

Our Sleeping Ninjas have compiled a simple guide to help you understand your needs as a side sleeper. Here you’ll find what we deem to be the best mattresses for side sleepers—mattresses that will help you to sleep soundly and wake up feeling refreshed.

The Best Mattress for Side Sleepers?

Here’s a quick peek at the best mattresses for side sleepers we review below:

1. Nectar mattress
2. Leesa mattress
3. Zinus Pressure Relief mattress
4. Eco Terra Latex mattress

Factors for the Best Mattress for Side Sleepers

 

1. Pressure relief: Side sleepers tend to create too much pressure on their hips and shoulders. Take a look at the image above. It shows us the most common pressure points that will be afflicted by the wrong choice of mattress. The best mattress for side sleepers will adapt to your body’s shape, relieving these pressure points.
2. Spinal Alignment: The best mattress for side sleepers will also provide support for the spine, creating a proper alignment while ensuring stability as you sleep. The right firmness and mattress quality will help you maintain an ideal posture throughout the night.
3. Firmness: Side sleepers should look for a mattress that is medium-soft. A firm mattress will provide too much resistance to the pressure points, creating what can be seen in the image above. The right firmness will also help keep your spine aligned, creating a comfortable sleeping position which prevents tossing and turning.
4. Choose the right pillow: oftentimes overlooked, side sleepers should invest in the proper pillow that matches the natural shape of your neck, reducing the pressure caused by sleeping on your side. You can also place a small pillow between your knees to help prevent hip rotations during the night.
5. Keep your spine properly adjusted: it is best to get in the habit of adjusting your spine when you are about to go to sleep, as well as when you wake up in the middle of the night. Do this by creating a straight line between your neck and your pelvis. Your hips and pelvis should remain straight throughout the night. A mattress that’s properly adjusted for side sleepers will help you get into that position naturally.
6. Think about your partner: while you may be a side sleeper, there’s no telling what your partner likes and how they prefer to sleep. Therefore, try to find an option that fits both. The best possibility is finding a mattress that allows for modifications, but a medium-firmness mattress with memory foam would usually do the trick.

The Best Mattress for Side Sleepers: 4 Top Picks

Here are our top four picks for the best mattress for side sleepers:

The Nectar Mattress

A very affordable option, the Nectar mattress is breathable from top to bottom, so you don’t need to worry about waking up covered in sweat. This mattress including three special memory foam layer, a quilted layer, a gel layer, and a HI core layer. All three combined, it helps support your body and provide pain relief in the pressure points.

One of the best mattresses for side sleepers, the sturdy bottom layer supports your back while you sleep, keeping it in the right position all night long. Being the perfect firmness, right in the middle, you will love how this feels, and it will help you wake up feeling refreshed. As a bonus, the top layer also repels bed bugs, so if you are allergic, or live in an environment where these creatures tend to accumulate, you’re in luck.

The Nectar is one of our top picks for the best mattress for side sleepers.

Pros:

• Three memory foam layers will help relieve the pain experienced by side sleepers
• Adaptive HI core memory foam will keep you from sinking into the mattress, thereby providing more pressure relief
• The quilted Tencel cooling cover draws away heat and keeps fresh air circulating around your body
• A sturdy, dense, and breathable base will provide support for your spine, while continuing to circulate air around you
• The top cover is bed bug resistant, making this a super healthy choice for a mattress
• Perfect, middle firmness that is perfect for side sleepers
• Provide an impressive one-year trial, and a lifetime warranty, and is highly affordable

Cons:

• A few customers complained about the lengthiness of the shipment
• May take a few weeks to readjust to the firmness of this mattress

What Customers Are Saying

“Absolutely incredible. Soft but solid and just a whole different feel than I have been used to. It’s really great and the customer service person, was very knowledgeable and polite and entirely helpful. The price is terrific and it’s one of the only things I have bought in a long, long time where I felt like I got the better end of the deal. I also spilled cola on the cover and called to ask how to clean the mattress. They sent me a new cover for free. Really something.” – Shilesh M.

See our in-depth Nectar Mattress review.

The Leesa Mattress

With comfort and support being the most important criteria, this Leesa mattress was built for all sleepers, but is especially appreciated by side sleepers. As one of the more affordable mattresses on the market, this mattress features three special layers.

The first is a cooling layer that allows for airflow throughout the night. This layer also provides a bounce for freedom of movement.

The second layer, a memory foam specifically designed to relieve pressure will contour the body and provide the much-needed support for side sleepers.

The third is a dense layer that provides support to the spine, helping the body stay aligned during the night. Although dense, this layer does not feel firm, but adds durability to the mattress. Thus, this mattress is great for side sleepers, being both soft and supportive.

Pros:

• Three-layer design to help support the needs of side sleepers
• A cooling layer to get you through the night by allowing free air-flow
• Spinal-support provided by a special, dense bottom layer
• A memory foam layer that helps relieve pain in pressure points, such as the hip and shoulder
• Highly durable
• Highly affordable

Cons:

• Some find this mattress too firm and may find movement a bit hard
• Some customers complained that there is more support for the head than the rest of the body
• The cooling effect does not work as well for some testers

What Customers Are Saying

“Great buy. It is a very comfortable mattress. For the overall price and front door delivery you cannot find a better product. The mattress is soft yet still firm to offer support I needed and doesn’t transfer motion to the other side of the bed when getting up. Affordable and functional equals excellent purchase for me.” – Curt C.

Leesa Mattress is one of our top picks for the best mattress for side sleepers. Check out the Leesa Mattress >>

Zinus Pressure Relief Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress

One of the coolest features of this mattress is the inclusion of green tea extracts, which help absorb “sleep smells,” making you smell and feel more refreshed when you wake up.

Aside from that, the reason we like Zinus Pressure Relief Mattress as one of the best mattresses for side sleepers is the pressure-relieving comfort foam. This memory foam conforms to the body and helps your joints, hips, and legs sink in comfortably, rather than feel their own weight pushed back. The breathable foam also helps regulate your body temperature throughout the night.

This Zinus mattress has gone through rigorous testing, meaning it is completely free of all harmful substances like phthalates and flame retardants. Overall, this mattress feels so soft you will feel like you are floating. It is on the softer end of the spectrum, so it makes a great purchase for those who are more susceptible to firmness. This is also the best option for those who are on a strict budget, but want to get the most bang for their buck.

Pros:

• The perfect mattress for side sleepers on a budget
• Built-in green tea extracts and Active Charcoal to help get the smell of sleep off of you
• Comfort foam and memory foam to reduce all the pain from the pressure in your hips and shoulders
• Highly soft, perfect for those more sensitive to the firmness of the mattress
• High-density base supports your spine and keeps your neck and pelvis aligned while you sleep
• Made from perfectly safe materials, phthalate and fire retardants free.

Cons:

• The mattress will feel firm in the beginning, but eventually, you will sink into its softness
• Retains heat and doesn’t circulate fresh air as well
• Some customers complain that there is a smell to this mattress

What Customers Are Saying

“I am surprised at how comfortable this bed is. In fact, it’s the only bed that I can sleep on my side without my neck aching or waking up several times in the middle of the night. this bed is so soft yet supportive that when I rest my aching feet I feel nothing but soothing relief. Now I look forward to this bed every night and I’m very rested and less cranky from the neck pains and aching feet. Again, it’s the only mattress that I can sleep on my side without getting neck pain, and I’ve slept on many mattresses, this one helps!! Thank you Zinus.” – Michael T.

Check out this Zinus Pressure Relief Mattress >>

The Eco Terra Latex Mattress

Absolutely one of the most comfortable mattresses for side sleepers, the Eco Terra Latex Mattress comes with three unique features that make it a great, affordable purchase.

First, the organic cotton is super soft and creates a very welcoming feel to the bed—great for those who find it hard to fall asleep. Underneath is the full natural latex layer that contours perfectly around your body, helping to relieve the pressure pains and creates a stable support for your back.

The fabric-encased coils eliminate motion disturbance, helping you sleep regardless of your partner’s habits. Quantum coils additionally reinforce the mattress all around, providing a relaxing sleeping space all the way to the edge.

Another significant factor is that the coils are a great substitute for memory foam. Memory foam tends to retain heat and is not suitable for very hot sleepers. With the coils, there is a 28% reduction in heat, creating a super cool, breathable atmosphere around your body.

PROS:

• Significantly cooler than memory foam mattress, due to increased air-flow between the coils
• Perfect medium firmness makes this a great mattress for side sleepers
• Fully organic mattress cover provides a relaxing feel as soon as you hit the bed
• All-natural latex layer provides the much needed body contouring for side sleepers, helping to reduce pain and align the spine
• Fabric-encased coils minimize motion transference and help create a buoyant feeling
• Quite affordable for the quality of the mattress
• Built to maximize REM sleep, which is necessary to feel refreshed when you wake up

CONS:

• The bed is quite bouncy and may take you some time to get adjusted
• The mattress is heavy and may be hard for you to lift once you get it

What Customers Are Saying

“My husband and I have been using our Eco Terra mattress for about 1 month and couldn’t be happier. It has made a difference in our sleep quality and the shoulder aches and back aches I had been having prior to using it have greatly improved. Very happy with our purchase and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a better night’s sleep.” – Patricia L.

Check out this Eco Terra Mattress >>

The Benefits of Buying Your Mattress Online

Buying the best mattress for side sleepers online is the perfect way to ensure that you are getting the perfect match. While many customers resort to the store-bought mattresses, such a mentality can have you end up with a mattress you hate. When you test a mattress in a store, you may have 5 minutes to see how it feels, and they usually feel great. However, when you get home and test it overnight, you will quickly realize this doesn’t feel right.

Online purchasing of mattresses often allows for about 100 days of trial. This guarantees you have ample time to test the product, and if not, can easily return it and receive your refund. In our opinion, it is often best to opt-out to online stores. You are much more likely to find the right fit. Especially when you use our guide.

The Bottom Line on the Best Mattress for Side Sleepers

There is a reason most people sleep on their side, and it’s not just because it’s more comfortable. It’s also very healthy. There are many benefits that come with sleeping on the side, and no one would recommend changing that.

However, being a side sleeper also means you need to deal with specific pains and aches that others don’t experience. Without the best mattress for side sleepers, it may be nearly impossible to get a good, long night’s sleep.

Our top picks for the best mattress for side sleepers were chosen based on several criteria.

1. We wanted them to be versatile, so both you and your partner will enjoy the mattress.
2. We wanted to make sure we cover all types of budget. Whether you are willing to spend a lot, or are on a tight budget, we made sure to include something for you.
3. The best mattress for side sleepers also has to give you the right support throughout the night, so that you look forward to going to sleep.
4. We made sure that every product on that list has a significant trial period, so you can be sure you have the right mattress.

If you still have any questions about the best mattress for side sleepers or would like to know more about our choices, don’t hesitate to leave us a message.