Consumer Reports has updated our mattress Ratings, and the best we’ve tested provide plenty of support, resist bounciness, allow easy movement, and should last for many years before you need to replace it. You won’t find scores for comfort in our Ratings; that’s an individual judgment. But here’s a look at some mattresses that did especially well in back and side support. If you sleep on your back Our tests for back support graph the spine’s natural curves for a range of adults, and then we record how consistently mattresses maintain that curve. Charles P. Rogers Powercore Estate 5000, $1,500 This innerspring isn’t the best choice if you occasionally roll over to your side, but it delivered better back support than any other innerspring—or foam bed—in our tests. We tested its firmness as medium. Spring Air Back Supporter Natalie, $1,200 Sold at Costco, this memory foam bed also wasn’t notably good for side sleepers, but for the back, it was impressive.
The manufacturer claims the mattress is “ultra firm,” but we judged it as medium. Sleep Number i8 Bed, $3,000 Our testers judged this adjustable-air mattress, topped by foam, as soft. But this and its lower-price sibling were among the very best at back support. With these, you can adjust firmness one half of the bed at a time—helpful if two sleep partners like a different feel. Sleep Number c2 Bed, $700 This adjustable-air mattress fared almost as well but for more than $2,000 less. One primary difference is this bed’s firm feel, likely because of the considerably thinner foam topping. Roll over now and then? Both these Sleep Number beds were impressive for side sleepers as well. If you sleep on your side For our side-sleeping test, we check how well a mattress keeps the spine relatively horizontal when someone is lying on his or her side. All three of our top picks for side sleepers also fared above-average at back support. No mattress, however, received our top score in this test.
Serta Perfect Day iSeries Applause, $1,075 This innerspring has gotten a bit difficult to find, but it’s a winner if you can locate it. We judged it as medium, which apparently didn’t hurt in our tests; it’s the top-Rated innerspring. Beautyrest ReCharge Hybrid Jeffrey’s Bay, $1,800 While pricey, this Beautyrest was among our top innersprings, and we judged it as medium. One caveat: Couples might find it a bit bouncy if one partner gets up during the night. Casper The Casper 10”, $850 This online company produced a winner in this memory-foam bed, which we judged as medium. You might wish you could try it out—and if you're shopping in New York City you can—but we found its return policies to be very generous. Need a new mattress? Our online mattress Ratings now include almost 40 models, along with companion, survey-based Ratings of mattress stores and brands. Be sure to see our mattress buying guide before narrowing your choices. —Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)
As we've learned, many elements come into play when it comes to shopping for the right mattress. And as previously mentioned, while the construction of a mattress is highly important, your personal sleeping style, or position, is also a determining factor in what makes a good mattress for you personally. We take a closer look here at the mattresses that cater to your specific sleeping style. *NOTE: While "Sleep Number" adjustable beds and high-end memory foam mattresses can deftly fit any sleep style with focused support, we've found that these are not the most budget-friendly choices. So we're keeping our recommendations to conventional mattresses in this buying guide.The most common sleeping style, side sleepers require a mattress that doesn't put stress on their shoulders and hips and instead relieves pressure from those body parts. This usually means a mattress that is slightly softer is a good option because it allows the sleeper's body to sink just a little into the mattress.
A slightly softer mattress is also good because it accommodates the body's natural curve and keeps the spine aligned. Our mattress pick: Simmons Beautyrest Classic pocketed coil mattress.For people who sleep in this style, support for the lower back is crucial. Therefore, it's best to avoid very stiff spring mattresses since they have a tendency to push against the spine and not provide the correct curvy support. At the same time, a mattress that is too soft will not give enough support to the body and the back. A medium-firm mattress is a good choice. Our mattress pick: Laura Ashley Aurora Collection innerspring mattress.This sleeping style requires a firmer and stiffer mattress that keeps the body afloat instead of sunken. Many stomach sleepers may suffer from lower back pain, which has prompted them to this sleeping style where spine alignment is at its most minimal. Our mattress pick: Serta/Perfect Sleeper innerspring mattress. Combination of all Styles. Typically most people fall into this sleeping style category where it's a combination of all of the above, which means that there's a lot of movement in bed.
For this style, it's important to pick a mattress that is personally suitable to you for your comforts -- one that's not too stiff for your side sleeping and not too soft when you turn on your stomach. But in general, it's been said that combination sleepers have found mattresses with innerspring pocket coils or those made from latex foam to be highly comfortable. Our mattress pick: Sealy latex foam mattress. What have you found to be the mattress that works best for your sleeping style? Let us know in comments.Sleepopolis is supported by readers. Product links on Sleepopolis are referral links. If you use one of these and buy something Sleepopolis makes a little bit of money. See how it all works here. Night after night, many people find themselves turning to their side for a restful night’s sleep, so what makes the best mattress for side sleepers? Firmness, support, and pelvic rotation are all key factors to consider when selecting your next new mattress. Unlike back sleepers, side sleepers are less likely to struggle with snoring or airflow issues, but they can suffer from hip, back, or neck pain.
By following a few critical guidelines, you can help to make sure that the side sleepers in your home are getting restful sleep. Top 5 Mattresses for Side Sleepers Leesa mattress – $865 (Queen) – Avena + memory foam Amerisleep Liberty mattress – $999 (Queen) – memory foam Loom & Leaf mattress – $1,099 (Queen) – memory foam Helix mattress – $945 (Queen) – latex + polyfoam + microcoils Nest Bedding Alexander Hybrid mattress – $999 (Queen) – memory foam Just want to see the full list of mattress recommendations for side sleepers? Click here to jump to the review summary. First off, let’s talk about firmness. For side sleepers, you’re going to want to look for something soft to moderate on the firmness scale. A soft mattress (with great support) will help to relieve pressure from your neck and back. Firmness is perhaps the most important attribute for side sleepers. This is due to the very nature of the position. In order to provide proper support the mattress must be able to contour to the curves of your body (yes, men, even you have curves on your side).
A soft or medium firmness mattress will allow your body to sink into the mattress a bit more, which will let the mattress contour to your shape. A mattress with great support will relieve pressure points and keep your spine, neck, and back in alignment. For side sleepers, this is especially important since your spine may be misaligned already. It’s important to note that support is not the same thing as hard firmness. A softer mattress can still provide great support. When looking for a new mattress that will meet your side sleeper needs you’ll want to look for one that contours to your body’s shape. Foam mattresses offer many advantages for side sleepers, but well-built and well-designed innerspring mattresses can be effective also. The actual position of side sleepers can drastically range. Some of the most popular ones include forms like: The log – Legs fully extended The sprinter – One leg straight, one leg bent The fetal – Both legs curled at the knee
Due to the nightly variation of a side sleeper’s position, support is key to ensure your mattress is properly contouring to your body throughout the night. Pelvic rotation is the result of misalignment of the back muscles and lumbar spine. It is caused when sleepers twist or curl their legs up in opposition to the position of the upper body. Take for example, “the sprinter”. This person sleeps with one leg fairly straight and the other bent, which tends to rotate his or her upper body into a stomach sleeping position, while the lower body remains on the side. This type of rotation can lead to or worsen any lower back and neck pain so it’s important to take preventative measures before it starts hurting. There aren’t any perfect solutions to preventing pelvic rotation, but there are a few things you can do to help. Try to train yourself to sleep in side sleeping positions that keep your spine in alignment. Use a pillow between your legs to maintain spinal alignment (see below).
Buy a good mattress with proper support and softness. That will help to prevent pressure points that might be currently causing you to sleep in positions that cause more pelvic rotation. Good pillows are just as important as a good mattress. You may have an exceptionally well made and comfortable mattress, but without a good pillow you may still find that your sleeping experience is less than ideal. A quality pillow is critically important for side sleepers due to the increased (and somewhat more complex) support needs. Pillows made from latex, shredded foam, memory foam, or other poly foam help provide consistent and stable support by responding to the varying pressures of your head and neck. You’ll want to look for a pillow that is tall enough to cradle your head and neck, but not so tall that you introduce a new form of pressure. Additionally, many side sleepers use pillows between their legs. This can help to resist pelvic rotation, while also relieving lower back pressure.
The advent of foam pillows in the 1990s was nothing short of a miracle for side sleepers. Foam pillows are able to provide great support and softness and properly cradle a side sleeper’s head and neck. If you haven’t already, make sure to check out my full list of pillow reviews. My personal favorite is the fully adjustable Nest Bedding Easy Breather pillow. What’s the best mattress for a side sleeper? Sleepopolis recommends the following mattresses for side sleepers. Have a soft to moderate firm feel (3-6 out of 10 on the firmness scale, where 10 is the most firm). Are supportive enough to prevent or limit pelvic rotation. Contour to the natural curves created by lying on your side. Breathe well and improve the cooling of the mattress.Available in medium and hard firmness.$1,099 Avena + memory foam design. Available in medium firmness.$865Available in soft, medium, and hard firmness.$712 Gel polymer + poly foam design. Available in medium firmness.$999
Pocketed coils + memory foam design. Latex + poly foam design. Available in customized firmness levels. Coil-on-coil + pillow top design. Euro-style pillow topper cover. Available in soft, medium, and hard firmness.$999 *Price reflect Queen-size mattresses + include any Sleepopolis coupons available Be sure to try a wide range of firmness when shopping for the best mattress for you. Depending on your size, weight, and body type you may find different firmness levels affect your body differently. When trying out a new mattress, it helps to lie on it exactly as you would sleep. Try to give it at least 10 minutes. Softer mattresses for side sleepers contour and react to your body very quickly as soon as you lie down, so it may feel different after only 5 short minutes. If you’re shopping online make sure to select a company with a solid trial period. Many of the top online mattress companies back their product with a great trial period (e.g., Leesa 100 day trial, Nest 100 day trial, Loom & Leaf 120 day trial) so if you find that it’s not right for you, you can swap it out for one that is.