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Best Mattress For Side Sleepers: We Tested 180+ Mattresses

Derek Hales

Written by: Derek Hales

Updated On:

Studies show that nearly 74% of people are side sleepers, making it the most popular sleeping position by a wide majority. That being said, side sleepers have their unique set of preferences and needs when it comes to achieving optimal support and comfort.

Our best mattress for side sleepers guide highlights the best-performing mattresses at a range of price points and firmnesses, all designed to meet the specific needs of side sleepers.

With that in mind, let’s get started.

In This Guide
Winkbed | Saatva Classic | Nolah Evolution 15 | Nest Bedding Sparrow | Helix Midnight Luxe | Amerisleep AS5 | Bear Elite Hybrid | GhostBed Flex | Mattresses We Considered | How We Choose

The 8 Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers 2023

Gel Foam Hybrid

Winkbeds Logo 150px

Winkbed

9.95

Price: $1,499
Firmness: Soft, Medium-Firm, Slightly Firm

Coil-On-Coil

Saatva Logo 150px

Saatva Classic

9.95

Price: $1,495
Firmness: Extra Soft, Medium, Firm

Poly Foam Hybrid

Nolah Logo 150px

Nolah Evolution 15

9.77

Price: $1,599
Firmness: Soft, Medium, Firm

Poly Foam Hybrid

Nest Bedding Logo 1

Nest Bedding Sparrow

9.76

Price: $1,599
Firmness: Extra Soft, Medium, Firm

Gel Memory Foam Hybrid

Helix Logo 150px

Helix Midnight Luxe

9.76

Price: $1,899
Firmness: Medium-Firm

Memory Foam Hybrid

Amerisleep Logo 150px

Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid

9.73

Price: $2,199
Firmness: Extra Soft

Copper Memory Foam Hybrid

Bear Logo 150px

Bear Elite Hybrid

9.72

Price: $1,373
Firmness: Soft, Medium-Firm, Slightly Firm

MEMORY & Poly foam Hybrid

Ghostbed Logo 150px

GhostBed Flex

9.72

Price: $1,687
Firmness: Medium-Firm

Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of each mattress, let’s talk about firmness. No matter how well each mattress scores in our tests, the reality is that not all firmnesses are suitable for all sleepers.

Use the table below to see the variation in firmness of each mattress:

Extra Soft 3-3.5Soft 4-4.5Medium 5-5.5Medium-Firm 6-6.5Slightly Firm 7-7.5Firm 8-8.5
Winkbed OriginalYesYesYes
Saatva ClassicYesYesYes
Nolah Evolution 15YesYesYes
Nest Bedding SparrowYesYesYes
Helix Midnight LuxeYes
Amerisleep AS5 HybridYes
Bear Elite HybridYesYesYes
Ghostbed FlexYes

Most side sleepers need a mattress in the 5-6 out of 10 firmness range, which is between a medium and medium-firm feel. However, many side sleepers will enjoy extra soft (3-3.5) and soft (4-4.5) firmnesses, especially lighter weight sleepers.

Heavier weight side sleepers sometimes prefer a slightly firmer feel (7-7.5), as the extra firmness increases the support, which can help to maintain neutral spinal alignment in heavier weighted bodies.

Side sleepers should avoid firm (8-8.5) an extra firm (9-9.5) feels, as this level of firmness will push the spine out of a neutral alignment, creating pressure point and support issues.

If you are not sure what firmness is best for you check out our deep-dive mattress firmness guide here.

Winkbed Original Hybrid

Winkbed Mattress Layers
9.95 Overall Score
Tested With Scoring System 1.1
10 Cooling
9.8 Motion Transfer
10 Response Time
10 Edge Support
9.9 Sex
10 Pressure Relief
10 Off-Gassing
9.8 Company

Best For

  • Excellent cooling with a fast response time
  • Contouring euro-top cover
  • Greater for sleepers of all body types

Quick Specs

  • 13.5″ thick with Euro-top
  • 120-night trial
  • Lifetime limited warranty
  • Ranked top 1% of all mattresses tested to date

Why It’s Best

The WinkBed mattress is a hybrid mattress that uses pocketed coils and a layer of gel-infused foam to provide comfort and support, with a Euro top finish.

Winkbed is a fantastic pick for side sleepers thanks, in part, to its plush cover, hybrid support, and exceptional pressure relief. It is also available in three firmness levels. Lighter side sleepers may prefer the soft version, while heavier sleepers would probably opt for the medium firmness.

Overall, the Winkbed generated a score of 9.95, which ranks it in the top 1% among all mattresses we’ve tested. The Winkbed costs $1499 for a queen.

Type: Hybrid
Firmness: Soft (4), Medium-Firm (6), Slightly Firm (7)

Winkbed Performance

Performance tests on the Winkbed excelled in all areas. It has a thick 14″ profile, which is perfect for side sleepers as there is more material to engage with.

The maximum point sinkage is 2.38″, which is slightly more than the average sinkage among all mattresses tested to date (2.20″).

Winkbed Edge Support Side Sleeping

Despite the plush feel and sinkage, the Winkbed still retains an extremely fast response time and excellent cooling. This is not the kind of mattress that will leave you feeling “stuck”.

While Winkbed is on the higher end of the pricing spectrum, the quality is par-none. With 5″ of comfort material above the coils, Winkbed perfectly caters to side sleepers, keeping the spine in alignment while also providing a deep hug and contour.

FactorWinkbed
Overall9.95
Max Temp.90.3° F
Max Sinkage2.38″
Total Motion Transfer5.85 m/s²
Response Time0.2 sec.
Total Bounce9.91″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage2.25″
Edge Support – Lying SupportExceptional
Sex Overall9.9
Comfort Material5.00″
Off-Gassing – SmellNone
Off-Gassing – Days0 days
Trial120 days
WarrantyLifetime

Saatva Classic

Saatva Material Layers
9.95 Overall Score
Tested With Scoring System 1.1
10 Cooling
9.8 Motion Transfer
10 Response Time
10 Edge Support
9.9 Sex
10 Pressure Relief
10 Off-Gassing
9.8 Company

Best For

  • Plush, pillowtop cover with moderate sinkage
  • Available in 3 firmness levels
  • Exceptional edge support and pressure relief

Quick Specs

  • 11.5 or 14.5″ thick with pillowtop cover
  • 365-night trial period
  • 15-year warranty
  • Ranked top 1% of all mattresses tested to date

Why It’s Best

The Saatva Classic is a coil-on-coil mattress that is available in 3 firmness levels (3.5, 5.5, or 8 out of 10) and 2 thickness options (11.5″ or 14.5″)

This mattress has a fantastic performance score of 9.95 overall, tying it with the top-performing mattresses we’ve tested to date.

The Saatva Classic mattress costs $1495 for a queen, which is on the higher side, but if you’re looking for exceptional pressure relief and support, this mattress is a solid pick for side sleepers.

Type: Coil-on-Coil
Firmness: Extra Soft (3.5), Medium (5.5), Firm (8)

Saatva Classic Performance

The performance of the Saatva Classic was exceptional across the board, scoring perfect 10’s for cooling, extremely fast response time, exceptional edge support, exceptional pressure relief, and virtually zero off-gassing.

With the double coil layer design of the Saatva, there is a fairly high level of bounce (14.67″).

Compared to the average of 9.62″, Saatva is 48% bouncier than the average mattress. Bounce tends to be a preferential factor, but something to consider if you don’t prefer high levels of bounce.

Despite having higher bounce, the Saatva still has moderate levels of sinkage (2.40″) and low levels of motion transfer (5.86 m/s²).

FactorSaatva Classic
Overall9.95
Max Temp.94.0° F
Max Sinkage2.40″
Total Motion Transfer5.86 m/s²
Response Time0.4 sec.
Total Bounce14.67″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage3.00″
Edge Support – Lying SupportExceptional
Sex Overall9.9
Comfort Material4.50″
Off-Gassing – SmellNone
Off-Gassing – Days0 days
Trial365 days
WarrantyLifetime

Nolah Evolution 15

Nolah Evolution 15 Material Layers
9.77 Overall Score
Tested With Scoring System 1.1
10 Cooling
8.5 Motion Transfer
10 Response Time
9.9 Edge Support
9.8 Sex
10 Pressure Relief
9.8 Off-Gassing
9.5 Company

Best For

  • 6″ of comfort material creates exceptional pressure relief for side sleepers
  • Excellent cooling performance
  • Deep sinkage and hug (2.48″)

Quick Specs

  • 15″ thickness + Euro-top
  • 120-night trial
  • Lifetime limited warranty
  • Ranked top 6% of all mattresses tested to date

Why It’s Best

The Nolah Evolution 15″ mattress is a high-profile hybrid mattress that uses a blend of poly foam and pocketed coils for comfort and support. It comes in three different firmness levels—plush, luxury firm, and firm.

This is another solid pick for side sleepers. It has a performance score of 9.77 overall, ranking it in the top 5% of all mattresses tested to date. With 6″ of comfort material, the pressure relief on the Evolution is just exceptional.

Type: Hybrid
Firmness: Soft (4), Medium (5.5), or Firm (8)

Nolah Evolution 15 Performance

Performance of the Nolah Evolution excels in most areas, but especially in response, cooling, and pressure relief.

Nolah Evolution 15 Edge Vest Sleep Side
Nolah Evolution 15 edge support – side sleeping with vest

As mentioned above, pressure relief is critically important to side sleepers. The Nolah has a 6″ comfort layer, which allows for proper spinal alignment and deep compression support.

There’s a deeper level of sinkage (2.48″), but still retains a very fast response time of 0.2 seconds.

Motion transfer is really the only area where the Evolution struggles, charting a max of 11.10 m/s².

As a hybrid, the Evolution is more likely to have higher motion transfer because of the coils. Still, these levels are higher than the average (8.59 m/s² for hybrids, 7.69 m/s² for all mattresses.)

While this isn’t necessarily a problem for all side sleepers, it could be an issue for those who are lighter sleepers or who sleep with active partners.

FactorNolah Evolution 15
Overall9.77
Max Temp.88.6° F
Max Sinkage2.48″
Total Motion Transfer11.10 m/s²
Response Time0.2 sec.
Total Bounce8.72″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage3.25″
Edge Support – Lying SupportExceptional
Sex Overall9.8
Comfort Material6.00″
Off-Gassing – SmellStrong
Off-Gassing – Days3 days
Trial120 days

Nest Bedding Sparrow

Nest Bedding Sparrow Material Layers
9.76 Overall Score
Tested With Scoring System 1.1
9.5 Cooling
9.5 Motion Transfer
10 Response Time
9.5 Edge Support
9.9 Sex
10 Pressure Relief
9.8 Off-Gassing
10 Company

Best For

  • Lifetime Exchange Renewal program provides good value for long term use
  • Great pressure relief and comfort for sleepers of all sizes
  • Excellent cooling, despite having a pretty significant level of hug and sinkage

Quick Specs

  • 12″ thick with quilted cover
  • 365-night trial period
  • Lifetime limited warranty
  • Ranked top 7% of all mattresses tested to date

Why It’s Best

The Nest Bedding Sparrow is a high-performing hybrid mattress with a 12″ profile and a quilted cover. It is available in three firmness levels, making it a solid pick for many kids of sleepers.

For side sleepers specifically, I would recommend the Plush or Medium versions. This mattress has a performance score of 9.76, which ranks it in the top 7% of all mattresses tested to date.

It is $1918 for a queen-size mattress, which is a bit beyond the average for other mattresses in this guide. But that being said, the Sparrow’s firmness ranges, lifetime renewal exchange program, and internal firmness split are all compelling advantages.

Type: Hybrid
Firmness: Extra Soft (3.5), Medium (5), Firm (8)

Nest Bedding Sparrow Performance

The performance of the Nest Bedding Sparrow is great all-around. It scored perfect 10s for extremely fast response time, exceptional pressure relief, and fantastic company policies.

Nest Bedding Sparrow Side Sleeping
Nest Bedding Sparrow side sleeping

The Sparrow offers a Lifetime Exchange Renewal program, which allows you to swap out the top layer of foam for a different firmness or just a new top layer for free at any point during the life of the mattress.

Sparrow has deeper sinkage (2.70″), but also an extremely fast response time. This provides the contour you need without the fear of being stuck in the mattress.

FactorNest Bedding Sparrow
Overall9.76
Max Temp.90.6° F
Max Sinkage2.70″
Total Motion Transfer7.12 m/s²
Response Time0.3 sec.
Total Bounce10.64″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage4.00″
Edge Support – Lying SupportVery Good
Sex Overall9.9
Comfort Material6.00″
Off-Gassing – SmellModerate
Off-Gassing – Days2 days
Trial365 days
WarrantyLifetime

Helix Midnight Luxe

Helix Midnight Luxe Foam Layers
9.76 Overall Score
Tested With Scoring System 1.1
9.5 Cooling
10 Motion Transfer
10 Response Time
9.5 Edge Support
9.4 Sex
10 Pressure Relief
9.8 Off-Gassing
9.8 Company

Best For

  • Plush, pillow-top contour for side sleepers
  • Excellent pressure relief
  • Great cooling with hybrid design

Quick Specs

  • 14″ thick with pillow-top cover
  • 100-night trial
  • 15-year warranty
  • Ranked top 7% of all mattresses tested to date

Why It’s Best

The Helix Midnight Luxe mattress is a 14″ thick hybrid mattress with pocketed coils, gel memory foam, and transitional poly foam. It also has an optional cooling cover you can add for $199 for additional cooling performance.

This mattress has a fantastic performance score of 9.76 overall, which ranks it in the top 7% among all mattresses we’ve tested to date.

For side sleepers specifically, the Helix Midnight Luxe is a solid pick as the high performance and pillowtop contour greatly enhance comfort and support when lying on your side.

Type: Hybrid
Firmness: Medium-Firm (6)

Helix Midnight Luxe Performance

During our testing, the Helix Midnight Luxe performed like a true luxury hybrid. The combination of foam and coil work together to provide a balanced feel with fast response time, minimal motion transfer, and exceptional pressure relief.

It also had good cooling and slightly less sinkage than average (2.15″ on the Midnight Luxe and 2.20″ average across all mattresses tested to date). This gives the Luxe a plush feel without as much of sinking feeling.

Being memory foam, the Midnight Luxe does have less bounce than every other mattress in this “best of” list.

Bounce maxes out at 7.47″ on this mattress, which is 2.15″ less than the average bounce among all mattresses tested to date (9.62″).

That being said, bounce is a preferential factor and, as a side sleeper, you may or may not like a lot of bounce on your mattress.

FactorHelix Midnight Luxe
Overall9.76
Max Temp.91.0° F
Max Sinkage2.15″
Total Motion Transfer4.03 m/s²
Response Time0.3 sec.
Total Bounce7.47″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage4.00″
Edge Support – Lying SupportExcellent
Sex Overall9.4
Comfort Material5.00″
Off-Gassing – SmellModerate
Off-Gassing – Days3 days
Trial101 days
Warranty25 years

Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid

Amerisleep As5 Hybrid Material Layers
9.73 Overall Score
Tested With Scoring System 1.1
10 Cooling
8.8 Motion Transfer
10 Response Time
9.4 Edge Support
9.8 Sex
10 Pressure Relief
9.4 Off-Gassing
9.8 Company

Best For

  • Lightweight side sleepers who want a soft feel
  • Fantastic cooling performance
  • Excellent pressure relief with 5.0″ of comfort material

Quick Specs

  • 14″ with phase change cover
  • 120-night trial period
  • Lifetime limited warranty
  • Ranked top 14% of all mattresses tested to date

Why It’s Best

The Amerisleep AS5 is a hybrid mattress with memory foam and pocketed coils. It has a softer feel and would likely be best suited for lightweight side sleepers or moderate-weighted sleepers who prefer a very soft feel.

The AS5 has an overall score of 9.73 and is priced at $2199 for a queen size. Although the price is higher, the AS5 is a true luxury mattress for side sleepers, offering a 14″ high profile, 5″ comfort material, and excellent pressure relief.

Type: Hybrid
Firmness: Extra Soft (3.5)

Amerisleep AS5 Performance

Performance on the Amerisleep AS5 hybrid mattress is near-perfect in all areas except for motion transfer, where it had slightly more motion transfer than I typically like to see.

In our tests, we measured 9.65 m/s² of acceleration range. This is 1.83 m/s² more than the average level of motion transfer (across all mattresses tested to date).

Aside from motion transfer, the AS5 really excelled with excellent cooling, extremely fast response time, good edge support, and excellent pressure relief.

Amerisleep As5 Hybrid Edge Sleep Side
Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid edge support – side sleeping

In terms of feel, the AS5 is going to have a more memory foam feel with moderate sinkage and slight contour when lying on your side, but not as much as you’d get with a eurotop mattress like the Saatva Classic or Helix Midnight Luxe.

FactorAmerisleep AS5 Hybrid
Overall9.73
Max Temp.87.6° F
Max Sinkage2.21″
Total Motion Transfer9.65 m/s²
Response Time0.2 sec.
Total Bounce9.71″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage4.25″
Edge Support – Lying SupportExcellent
Sex Overall9.8
Comfort Material5.00″
Off-Gassing – SmellStrong
Off-Gassing – Days7 days
Trial100 days
Warranty20 years

A Firmer Choice

Amerisleep AS3 Hybrid

Amerisleep As3 Hybrid Material Layers
9.77 Overall Score

Best For

  • A firmer feel than the AS5
  • Less motion transfer than the AS5—4.46 m/s²
  • Excellent edge support

Quick Specs

  • 12″ thick with cooling cover
  • 100-night trial period
  • 20-year warranty

Click here to read the full review.

A Medium Version of the AS5

If you like the Amerisleep AS5, but looking for a medium feel, the AS3 hybrid is a nice alternative.

This mattress has a medium feel (5 out of 10 on the firmness scale).

In addition to the increase in firmness compared to the AS5, the mattress also has less motion transfer (4.46 m/s² on the AS3 compared to 9.65 m/s² on the AS5).

Having only 3.0″ of foam atop the coils (instead of 5″ like on the AS5) also gives this mattress better edge support than the softer AS5.

Bear Elite Hybrid

Bear Elite Hybrid Material Layers
9.72 Overall Score
Tested With Scoring System 1.1
10 Cooling
10 Motion Transfer
10 Response Time
9.1 Edge Support
9.8 Sex
9.5 Pressure Relief
9.8 Off-Gassing
9.8 Company

Best For

  • Fantastic cooling performance with phase change cover
  • 3 firmness options
  • 5″ of comfort material

Quick Specs

  • 14″ with phase change cover
  • 120-night trial period
  • Lifetime limited warranty
  • Ranked top 14% of all mattresses tested to date

Why It’s Best

The Bear Elite hybrid mattress is a 14″ tall hybrid with copper-infused memory foam and a pocketed coil base. This mattress is fantastic for contour and cooling, two very important factors for side sleepers.

For lightweight side sleepers, I would probably recommend the Luxury Soft, and for heavier side sleepers, consider the Luxury Firm. The Luxury Firm would be best suited for back or stomach sleepers in most cases.

This mattress has a fantastic performance score of 9.72 overall, which ranks it in the top 14% among all mattresses we’ve tested to date.

Type: Hybrid
Firmness: Soft (4.5), Medium-Firm (6), Slightly Firm (7.5)

Bear Elite Performance

Performance on the Bear Elite hybrid is fantastic. The mattress scored perfect 10’s for exceptional cooling, extremely low motion transfer, and extremely fast response time.

The combination of memory foam and poly foam within the comfort layer provides a balanced feel that has contour as well as great support.

The Bear Elite has moderate bounce (10.32″) and moderate sinkage (2.14″). These two factors are a bit more preferential, but still important for many side sleepers.

Bear Elite Hybrid Edge Side Sleeping
Bear Elite Hybrid edge support – side sleeping
FactorBear Elite Hybrid
Overall9.72
Max Temp.88.4° F
Max Sinkage2.14″
Total Motion Transfer3.74 m/s²
Response Time0.4 sec.
Total Bounce10.32″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage4.75″
Edge Support – Lying SupportExcellent
Sex Overall9.8
Comfort Material5.00″
Off-Gassing – SmellStrong
Off-Gassing – Days3 days
Trial120 days
WarrantyLifetime

GhostBed Flex

Ghostbed Flex Material Layers
9.72 Overall Score
Tested With Scoring System 1.1
9.5 Cooling
9.8 Motion Transfer
10 Response Time
9.9 Edge Support
9.8 Sex
9.5 Pressure Relief
9.7 Off-Gassing
9.8 Company

Best For

  • Fast response time, only takes 0.4 seconds to recover
  • Excellent edge support
  • Fantastic pressure relief, with 3.5″ of comfort material

Quick Specs

  • 13″ with quilted cover
  • 101-night trial period
  • 25-year warranty
  • Ranked top 14% of all mattresses tested to date

Why It’s Best

The Ghostbed Flex mattress is a 13″ hybrid with a 1.5″ quilted cooling cover. It uses a combination of memory foam and a latex-like poly foam to achieve a slightly softer feel and less bounce than the GhostBed Classic.

In our performance tests, the GhostBed Flex overall score matched that of the Bear Elite Hybrid. It only comes in a single firmness, unlike the 3 optional firmnesses of the Bear Elite, but the medium-firm feel is suitable for a wide range of side sleepers.

This mattress has a great performance score of 9.72 overall, which ranks it in the top 14% among all mattresses we’ve tested to date.

Type: Hybrid
Firmness: Medium-Firm (6)

GhostBed Flex Performance

Performance on the GhostBed Flex hybrid is fantastic with excellent cooling, very low motion transfer, extremely fast response time, and excellent edge support.

Even when lying directly at the edge of the mattress, there is only 3.25″ of sinkage. The average across all mattresses tested to date is 4.32″.

Ghostbed Flex Edge Side Sleeping
Ghostbed Flex edge support – side sleeping

Motion transfer levels are only 5.61 m/s², which is lower than average—the average amount of motion transfer is 7.82 m/s². For side sleepers, this helps to limit disruptions and keep that spinal alignment.

Moving along, let’s talk about more preferential factors of the GhostBed Flex. This mattress has moderate sinkage (2.15″) and high levels of bounce (10.65″). These two factors are more subjective than the other tests we score for but still worth mentioning in this performance review.

FactorGhostbed Flex
Overall9.72
Max Temp.85.7° F
Max Sinkage2.15″
Total Motion Transfer5.61 m/s²
Response Time0.4 sec.
Total Bounce10.65″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage3.25″
Edge Support – Lying SupportExcellent
Sex Overall9.8
Comfort Material2.00″
Off-Gassing – SmellStrong
Off-Gassing – Days4 days
Trial101 days
Warranty25 years

Budget Pick

Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid

Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid Medium Material Layers
9.61 Overall Score

Best For

  • Budgets under $1000
  • Available in 3 firmness levels
  • Excellent edge support

Quick Specs

  • 11″ thick with tufted cover
  • 120-night trial period
  • 10-year warranty

Click here to read the full review.

9.63 Overall Score

The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid is great for budget side sleepers. It comes in three different firmness levels and a 2.5″ comfort layer.

Although this may not be enough for heavier sleepers, lightweight to moderate-weighted side sleepers should find this to be adequate.

The Signature Hybrid has an extremely fast response, great cooling and edge support, and higher levels of bounce (9.99″ total).

While the score alone excludes this mattress from this “best of” list, its performance / quality relative to price makes it worth the mention.

Mattresses We Considered

When considering the best mattresses for side sleepers we are looking at all mattress types. That said, hybrids or foam mattresses with plusher top layers tend to perform the best for side sleeper needs.

The mattresses listed below were all considered for our best mattress for side sleepers guide. However, we felt that one or more factors held them back. We’ve listed our rationale for why they were excluded below.

  • Purple Hybrid, Purple Hybrid Premier 3, Purple Hybrid Premier 4 (9.76-9.84 overall score): While the lineup of Purple hybrids all have great scores, it’s Purple’s specialty material that really drives the price up and makes it difficult to compete with other more affordable mattresses. For these reasons, all Purple Hybrids have been excluded.
  • Diamond Flurry Lux (9.84 overall score): The Diamond brand is less well-known. Many sleepers are rightly wary about brands they have not heard of. While Diamond is a large and established company, they aren’t exactly a household name. In general, we try to focus our recommendations around brands that sleepers have a greater familiarity with.
  • Douglas Summit (9.84 overall score): Although high scoring, the Douglas Summit is only available in Canada.
  • Winkbed Plus (9.82 overall score): Winkbed Plus is designed specifically for heavier weight sleepers. Even there, it’s on the slightly firm side, making it a less-than-great choice for a sizable portion of side sleepers.
  • Birch (9.75 overall score): Birch has a great overall score also, but being a latex hybrid with a slightly firmer feel (7 out of 10), I don’t think this mattress is as well suited for side sleepers as the others that have been featured here. For these reasons, Birch has been excluded.
  • Elm Sleep Resort (9.75 overall score): Elm Sleep is a newer company that just launched in 2022 and lacks the history of company trust and brand recognition. For this reason, the Resort mattress has been excluded. If it continues to grow in consumer trust it’s possible it could make our best of list at a future date.
  • Douglas Alpine (9.72 overall score): Although high scoring, the Douglas Alpine is only available in Canada.
  • Helix Plus (9.72 overall score): Same basic justification as Winkbed Plus. While some heavier weight side sleepers may find Helix Plus a good fit, it’s more of a niche pick. Soon we’ll have a dedicated page for the best mattress for heavier weight sleepers.

The scoring cut-off for this category was 9.72. Any mattresses that scored below this threshold were excluded based on performance alone.

MattressScoreExcluded For
Purple Hybrid9.84Specialty + Price
Diamond Flurry Lux 9.84Consumer Awareness
Douglas Summit9.84Canada Only
Winkbed Plus9.82Specialty + Duplicate Brand
Purple Hybrid Premier 49.81Specialty + Price
Purple Hybrid Premier 39.76Specialty + Price
Birch9.75Firmness
Elm Sleep Resort9.75New Brand
Douglas Alpine9.72Canada Only
Helix Plus9.72Specialty + Duplicate Brand

How We Choose The Best

For our Best Mattress For Side Sleepers list we based our selections on the best-scoring / highest-performing mattresses according to our objective testing results.

These tests analyze performance across 8 critical factors and included mattresses of all types. Price and value were also notable consideration points.

Performance Factors Gray

Our testing and selection process is incredibly detailed and rigorous. The links below have detailed write-ups on our testing process, scoring formulas, and the precise criteria for how we choose the best mattresses.

About Derek Hales

Derek Hales

Derek Hales is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of NapLab.com. He has been featured in Fast Company, Reader's Digest, Business Insider, Realtor.com, Huffington Post, Washington Post, AskMen, and She Knows. Derek has personally tested over 268+ mattresses and hundreds of pillows, sheets, beds, and other sleep products.