Side sleeping is healthy and many people sleep this way. It keeps your joints relaxed, the spine aligned, and can stop snoring, since snoring usually occurs when sleeping on your back. It’s important to select the correct mattress when you are a side sleeper for the spine to rest in its natural curve so that you do not awake with an aching back. Soft mattresses work well but firmer pillow top mattresses work well too.
Selecting the Right Comfort
Soft mattresses manufactured today provide support similar to firmer mattresses because of 4 primary materials used for manufacturing that are steel springs and foam (memory, poly, latex, and soy). The mattress cover materials of cotton, polyester, bamboo, and plastic/canvas in air and waterbeds are available from which to select in the marketplace.
An ordinary soft mattress might not be your comfort preference, so moving up to a firmer mattress might please you best. The comfort scale from 4 or 5 and up will be the best mattress for side sleepers. Ratings of 4 and 6 feel soft initially with a firm support underneath. A higher rating of 7 plus offers more pressure relief for side sleepers. Side sleepers generally stay away from firmer mattresses because they do not have enough give for your hips and shoulders which can cause aches, soreness, and pain in the morning. Firmness levels are rated: 1 for firm and 10 being soft and plush. The thicker the mattress the more soft and plush it will be. An 8-inch mattress is designed and created for back sleepers. The 10- to 12-inch thick mattress is for side and back sleepers. A 13-inch thick mattress is for all sleepers and stomach sleepers.
We have listed a range of mattresses here for side sleepers with many possibilities and alternatives for you to decide your best fit when sleeping.
Memory foam and latex mattresses rate highest in owner contentment and innerspring mattresses rate lowest.
Buying a mattress online at Amazon.com® is more common today.
Benefits of Choosing the Best Mattress for Side Sleepers
When you sleep on your side, the weight of your body is completely pulled by that side of the body and hip. This produces an out-of-balance or out-of-alignment pressure while the opposite side is relaxed. This can cause pain in the hips and that side of the body. To eliminate this, use a softer mattress for removing pressure points. This will be cushioning and comforting for a good night’s restful sleep. The mattress will contour your body for extreme coziness and relaxation, aligning your spine. When you sleep on an old, sagging mattress, your lower back will hurt and you will feel achy all over in the morning.
The advantage of sleeping on the right mattress for side sleepers is that back and neck pain will not happen once your body has rebalanced itself on a great mattress. Sleeping on your side will stop snoring, a problem for your partner to get good sleep. Sleeping in the fetal position is comfortable and many sleepers like this position. This posture also prevents snoring and back pain.
Mattresses for Different Sleeping Positions
The differences between mattresses for side stomach and back sleepers are discussed below. We all prefer a certain sleep position for comfort all night long. Damage can occur to your back, spine, and joints when you sleep on the wrong mattress.
Side Sleepers
Sleeping on your side means you will need a mattress that keeps your spine straight and aligned all night. You will need to have level support near the places of the neck and waist where the mattress you have now might not touch. The openings where these do not touch will give you neck pain and lower back pain because gravity is trying to pull you down. The best mattress for side sleepers would be a soft to medium firm memory foam mattress for support to the area of your neck and waist. Medium firm is the best way to go.
A mattress made of several layers where the top layer is memory foam and the next layer of latex would be great for support and spinal alignment. Be sure you have the right pillow with the right loft for a comfortable feel or you will suffer from aches and pains in the morning.
Stomach Sleepers
Sleeping on your stomach puts pressure on your lungs and breasts, and this is not the idyllic position for wonderful refreshing sleep. The latex foam mattress springs a bit and pushes into you causing pressure; therefore, it’s not a good choice. The best selection would be soft plush memory foam that contours and molds to your body and is not so firm that it causes you to sleep uncomfortably. It will let you sleep flat on your tummy where the foam sinks into a lower level forming a cushion around your downward extended parts of your body such as your legs, feet, and hips.
Back Sleepers
This is the most common and best position because your spine will be straight. With no bending, consequently, lower back and neck pain will not occur. Comparable to side sleeping, this position must have sufficient support for your spine to not have lower back pain. Analyze how this looks and feels to you. The back arches inward toward the lower back. The butt sticks out to make a valley at the lower back. You do not want this part of your body to be bent when lying or you will suffer from lower back pain, the most common pain today. You will need support and cushioning but not a super soft mattress top. A springy latex mattress will give you orthopedic support. Additionally, a memory foam mattress fills those spaces in your body with its contouring ability on the top.
Top 6 Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers Review
1. ZINUS™ Sleep Master Ultima® Comfort Memory Foam 12-Inch Mattress
Zinus™ USA has its headquarters in San Leandro, California, and was established in 1979 with an emphasis on bedding products in 2003.
The Ultima® is made of pressure-relief memory foam to conform to your body size and shape having a firmer feel. The layers of 4.5 inches of high-density base support foam and 1.5 inches of memory foam are of high quality for side sleepers and all sleepers.
The foams are CertiPUR-US® Certified for durability, performance, and content. This means the foam is made without flame-retardants (PBDEs, TDCPP, or TCEP (“TRIS”), without ozone depleters, mercury, lead, and other heavy metals, and no formaldehyde and phthalates. The foam is low for VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 parts per million (ppm). Moreover, the company is ISO-9001 certified by all certification requirements.
For a fresh mattress, BioFoam is used with natural plant oils instead of the customary petroleum-based products.
Your one-third time sleeping will be transformed forever with this mattress using a soft layer of body-conforming comfort and a thick layer of support foam. You will gently sink into this mattress taking any pressure from your feet, knees, hips, and shoulders. The cover is made of a soft knitted fabric for comfort when topping with your sheets. It has a zipper to remove it for laundering. The foam is not hot and it will fit a futon.
The ZINUS™ Sleep Master Ultima® is also available in deeper choices of 8-, 10-, 12-, and 14-inch for a softer feeling offered in twin, twin XL, full, short queen, king, and California King—all at Amazon.com®.
The queen-size mattress dimensions are 80 inches long x 60 inches wide x 6 inches high and weigh about 44 pounds.
The ZINUS™ Sleep Master Ultima® comes with a User’s Manual, initial set-up instructions out of the box, and a 10-year Limited Warranty. It does not come with a box spring or bed frame; only the mattress.
2. Sleep Innovations® Shea 10-inch Memory Foam Mattress
The Sleep Innovations® Shea mattress with memory foam is the ideal solution for your medium-feel bed lovers! Back, side, and stomach sleepers will sleep like a dream with this medium to firm with gentle cushioning for you to read, relax, and then sleep like a log all night long. You will never sense or feel your partner’s movement which could disturb your deep sleep.
This mattress is truly innovative for small, large, short, or tall people. Its DuoComfort design, 3-inch top layer of SureTemp memory foam, and 7-inches of Support-Plus foam will give you annoying pressure point liberation so that you do not endure this pain and it aligns your spinal column for no aches and pains in your lower back the next morning.
The mattress cover is made of polyester and cotton blend. It does not have a removable casing that can be washed and put back on. You will receive a bonus of 2 free memory foam pillows with a striking design. The mattress comes in twin, full/standard, queen, king, and California king sizes.
There are no known toxins in the Sleep Innovations® polyurethane foam mattress such as formaldehyde, PBDEs, or chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). No fire retardants are used. The foam is resistant to dust mites and is hypoallergenic. The foam is treated with microbial products so that mildew and mold will not grow.
The queen dimensions are 80 inches long x 60 inches wide x 10 inches thick and it weighs about 80 pounds.
Use this mattress with your existing box spring, new box spring, slat bed, or a well-ventilated platform. It is not advised to put your mattress on the floor or any flat surface. You can use it on either side. The contoured side has a lighter cuddling feeling. Both sides will give you what you want—support and comfort. The open-cell design permits airflow for a great body temperature while you sleep and it feels cool when you touch it.
The Sleep Innovations® mattress comes with a User’s Manual, initial set-up instructions out of the box, and a 20-year Limited Warranty. It does not come with a box spring or bed frame; only the mattress. The foam and finished mattress is made in the USA.
3. DreamFoam Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress 10-inch
The DreamFoam Latex Mattress is made of 3 inches of Talalay® latex from the sap of rubber trees. The foam provides contouring feeling comfortable to your body for excellent support. Talalay® is a method for producing molded pieces of latex foam great for the cervical spine using this mattress. It is high density to give you firm support, yet is soft. It offers pressure point relief and an orthopedic foundation perfect for a good night’s restful sleep. Talalay® breathes and is hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant, good for people with allergies and asthma staying cool and never becoming hot.
The bamboo knitted cover is quilted for beauty and comfort containing over 100% biodegradable fibers having 1.5-inches of soft reflex foam. The cover is washable with cold water in a gentle setting. Do not put it in the dryer. The mattress has 5.5 inches of high-density complex base foam to increase airflow with a high level of conformability for exceptional relaxation and sleep. u Graphic shows my measurement words
The Indentation Load Deflection (ILD) is 4 pounds/14 ILD for the gel layer, 4 pounds/13 ILD for the memory foam layer, and 6 inches 1.8-pound heavy-duty poly foam for the core layer.
Latex lessens high-pressure points that can cause tossing and turning due to capillary blood flow diminishing from using other types of mattresses. With this mattress, blood rich with oxygen will be sent to your muscles for more relaxation drifting into sleep. You will awaken feeling rejuvenated and ready to start a new day. Use your latex, foam, or feather pillows for a comfortable soothing sleep.
The dimensions for the queen shown here are 60-inches wide x 80-inches long x 10-inches thick and it weighs about 70 pounds. It is one-sided and cannot be turned over.
The DreamFoam mattress comes with a User’s Manual, initial set-up instructions out of the box, and a 10-year Limited Warranty. It does not come with a box spring or bed frame; only the mattress. The mattress is made in the USA.
4. Brentwood Home Bamboo Gel 13 Memory Foam Mattress
The Brentwood Home Bamboo Gel 13-inch memory foam mattress with a bamboo cover of natural wool is made in the USA. This incredible mattress is perfect for contouring your body and gives an exorbitant amount of relief at the knees, hips, feet, and back, aligning the spine. Your joints will love the comfort. The weight is evenly distributed for you and your partner. This is a medium-feel mattress offering you a comfortable fit for a restful night’s sleep.
The foam layer underneath breathes and keeps you cool whenever it is hot. The top gel memory foam has 2 layers of support memory foam with ventilated foam. You will never feel sticky and sweaty with this mattress. The wool from New Zealand makes an excellent liner and you can wash the zippered bamboo removable cover. The wool is not scratchy and you will not know it’s there. The gel memory foam layer is 3.5-inches with 2-inches for the ventilated airflow layer which has 7.5-inches for its therapeutic support base. The mattress is 23% memory foam and 77% polyurethane. The 7-inch base layer has 4 pounds density. No box springs are needed and no coils are inside a memory foam mattress. It should hold a 300-pound person.
All the foams used are CertiPUR-US®, free of toxic flame-retardants, heavy metals, formaldehyde, and phthalates; are low in VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 ppm).
This mattress is also available in twin, twin XL, full, king, California queen and king, and more including RV mattresses in a variety of sizes.
The dimensions for the queen shown here are 60-inches wide x 80-inches long x 13-inches thick and it weighs about 70 pounds.
The Brentwood Home mattress comes with a User’s Manual, initial set-up instructions out of the box, and a 25-year Limited Warranty. It does not come with a box spring or bed frame; only the mattress. The mattress is made in the USA.
5. Lucid® 10-Inch Memory Foam Dual-Layered Mattress
Lucid® makes firm support with its 7.5-inch thick polyurethane base of high-density foam and its 1.5-inch middle comfort layer topped by a zippered hypoallergenic cotton velour cover that can be removed to be washed for a clean and fresh top. It prevents allergens and dust mites.
The comfortable and durable mattress will provide you with all the support you will want. Memory foam adapts to your body weight and will relieve pressure point pain aligning to your position.
With the memory foam, the transferring of motion by a partner is eliminated.
The thick layers of highly concentrated and dense foam provide all the support for a healthy night’s sleep.
The two layers of foam on top and the bottom help to equalize and provide stability and support for your body.
Having a removable cover that can be washed ensures you a clean and fresh mattress that discourages dust mites.
The methods used for the open cells keep the air flowing, keep the mattress cool and so very comfortable. The texture of the foam will adapt to your body weight and evenly distribute the pressure of your body over the entire mattress for a restful night’s sleep.
The queen-sized mattress is 80 inches long x 59 inches wide x 10 inches thick and weighs about 50 pounds.
The memory foam is CertiPUR-US® Certified for durability, performance, and material content. This means the foam is made without flame-retardants (PBDEs, TDCPP or TCEP (“TRIS”), without ozone depleters, mercury, lead, and other heavy metals, and no formaldehyde and phthalates. The foam is low for VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions for indoor air quality.
The Lucid® mattress comes with a User’s Manual, initial set-up instructions out of the box, and a 25-year Limited Warranty. It does not come with a box spring or bed frame; only the foam mattress.
6. Signature Sleep® Contour 8-Inch Mattress
The Signature Sleep® independently encased coil mattress with CertiPUR-US® Certified foam will align to your body shape and provide even weight distribution to alleviate pressure points at your body areas. The 17-inch 15-gauge coils that are enclosed in the foam will do away with any tossing and turning by your sleep partner and you will never feel the coils. With its layer of foam at the bottom and the top, rest assured you will have an endless good night’s sleep.
The Contour 8 polyester cotton jacquard cover provides a comforting surface for a heavenly rest. The quilted mattress cover gives you extra comfort with its additional cushioning on the mattress’s top surface. With its 1.25-pound density foam, your body will feel gently cuddled when you rest, relax, and sleep. It does not come with a box spring and does not need one.
The mattress comes in various sizes: twin, full/standard, queen, and king. The mattress is made of all-new materials: 35% polyurethane, 26% rayon fiber, and 7% polypropylene.
This mattress meets Federal Flammability Standard 16 CFR 1633 and is shipped compressed, rolled, and vacuum-sealed for your convenience. The foam used in this mattress is made without PBDEs, TDCPP or TCEP (“TRIS”) flame retardants, ozone depleters, mercury, lead, and heavy metals and is low in VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 PPM). The foam is made without phthalates regulated by the Consumer Safety Product Commission.
The full-size mattress is 75 inches long 54 inches wide x 8 inches thick with 660 coils and weighs about 55 pounds.
The Signature Sleep® Contour 8-inch mattress comes with a User’s Manual, initial set-up instructions out of the box, and a 1-year Limited Warranty. It does not come with a box spring or bed frame; only the mattress.
California Proposition 65
California’s Proposition 65 entitles California consumers to special warnings for products that contain chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm if those products expose consumers to such chemicals above certain threshold levels.
Vacuum Packed for Easy Shipping and Handling
Check instructions for how long it takes to expand and decompress memory foam mattresses after receiving it rolled in the box. It is usually about 24-48 hours to use after receiving. All brands are different, so read the User’s Manual.
Final Thoughts
You have many good reasons for selecting the correct mattress for your comfort and relaxing sleep. We hope this article has shown you the reasons and benefits of the top-selling mattresses. Take time reading about products here, read our best mattress for side sleepers review, and do some research yourself. Check your budget for the best buy and look for deals and discounts at Amazon.com®. Happy shopping and pleasant dreams!
