There’s no such thing as the best mattress for everyone. Not when there are so many different sleeping positions. However, most people are side sleepers. The numbers vary by study and how rigidly you define a side sleeper, but between half and three-quarters of people sleep on their side. (The older and heavier you are, the more likely you are to be a side sleeper, and it’s recommended that pregnant women sleep on their side.)
Firm mattresses are nice for back sleepers, but side and stomach sleepers may typically prefer a softer bed with some give for hips and knees. I am mostly a side sleeper. If you had asked me about my firmness preferences before I started reviewing bed-in-a-box mattresses, testing dozens for weeks over the year, I would’ve told you the softer the better. Indeed, if you’re a side sleeper you’re likely to gravitate toward cushy memory foam mattresses. But, as I’ve sampled more styles and religiously tracked my sleep on my Apple Watch, I’ve found that the best mattresses for side sleepers offer both cushion and support. The recommendations below have enough give to let your hips sink in for a natural spinal alignment without making you feel like rolling over is an uphill battle. Everything I recommend was tested for at least a week of real-life testing. All of the prices shown are for queen-size models.
Be sure to check out our other sleep guides, including the Best Mattresses, Best Organic Mattresses, Best Cooling Mattresses, Best Bed Frames, Best Sleep Trackers, and our how-to on setting up a mattress in a box.
Updated May 2023: We’ve added the Casper One and Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid.
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