The Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers in 2024: Which Is Right for You?

I’d never really thought much about my preferred sleep position, or how it should help guide my choice in mattresses until I got older and started to experience a variety of aches and pains—including my neck, lower back, and shoulders (usually alternating and not necessarily at the same time). I was aware of the benefits of an ergonomic chair and the need to prevent my spine from remaining in a twisted or misaligned position for an extended period of time while awake, but I hadn’t really paid any attention to what was happening while asleep.

Like many people, I’m predominantly a side sleeper. After some initial research I discovered that my mattress was likely too firm, putting pressure on my shoulders and hips and not allowing my spine to rest in a neutral, straight position. In other words, instead of waking rested and rejuvenated, I was only making my aches and pains worse.

If you’re experiencing similar problems and are in the market for a new mattress to help combat them, this guide is for you. Below are some of our picks for the best mattresses for back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, or all three.

Our top picks

How we selected the best mattresses for side sleepers

We selected the best mattresses for side sleepers by sifting through academic research, online product reviews and specifications, talking to a wide range of people about how they sleep and what mattress they have, and our own personal experiences (we all have to sleep, after all).

I’m a side sleeper myself, a cyclist, and I have two careers, both of which require sitting for extended periods of time. I suffer from both neck and lower back pain on a pretty regular basis, so I’ve spent oodles of time trying to find remedies, one of which turned out to be my choice of mattress.

What to consider when buying a mattress for side sleepers

There are a dizzying number of mattresses to consider on the market. Here are some factors to consider when choosing the best mattress for your needs.

Support

Sleeping on your side puts pressure on your hips and shoulders. With these parts of your body being pushed down into the mattress, look for a mattress that can support these areas by providing pressure relief. Bonus points if it has zoned lumbar pressure support.

Firmness

Having too firm of a mattress can be uncomfortable for sleeping on your side because there’s too much pressure being placed on the hips and shoulders. Too soft of a mattress, and you’ll find your hips sinking too much into the mattress. This can put your spine out of alignment and cause pain. Look for a medium-firm or a soft to medium-soft mattress for ideal side-sleeping.

Sleeper weight

The amount of weight placed on a mattress will change the way it feels. When looking at mattresses, it’s important to consider your weight while sleeping so you can still feel supported and have ideal pressure relief while you sleep. If you have a firm mattress, it will feel even more firm if you are lighter in weight versus a heavier weight. Softer mattresses may be a little too soft and therefore not as supportive for those who are heavier weights.

Trial period

Most mattress brands offer some sort of trial period where you can test out the mattress in your home for a certain timeframe and return it if you find it doesn’t fit your needs. Trial periods are especially convenient if you order online and can’t try it in a store. But lying on a mattress for a few minutes in-store isn’t the same as sleeping on it for an entire night. Trial periods can range from 30 nights to one year.

Warranty

If you’re buying a mattress, read the brand’s warranty. There are things that can happen to your mattress that can void a warranty. Warranties cover you if there is a manufacturer or product defect in which the company will either repair or replace the mattress and it will either be free to you or you’ll pay a certain amount. Warranties usually cover things like:

• Severe sagging
• Broken handles
• Damage to the coils or box spring
• Ripped seams

Mattress shopping tips for side sleepers

Mattress shopping isn’t nearly as fun as shopping for new clothes, books, or the latest gadget. But you spend around eight hours a day sleeping in bed, so it’s inevitable that you’ll probably be needing a new mattress at some point. It helps to think about some factors when shopping for a mattress.

How to know if you need a new mattress

Waking up with back or neck pain? Is your mattress sagging or ripping? Feeling more lumps than you did a year ago? It might be time to replace your mattress. While wear and tear happens over time, your mattress can make or break a comfortable night’s sleep. If you’re no longer comfortable on your mattress or are feeling embarrassed at the state of its appearance, it might be time to upgrade.

Prepare your budget

Knowing your budget before shopping can help you make smart decisions. It narrows down mattresses to a certain price range so you don’t get overwhelmed with options. Think about what features are important to you, such as cooling technology, your sleeping style, and type of mattress such as memory foam, hybrid, or latex. You might spend as little as several hundred dollars for a mattress to $3,000 or more.

Choose your shopping method

It’s a different experience buying a mattress in the store versus online. When you’re shopping in person, you’re able to try the mattress before you buy it. You can see how the firmness feels, how thick the mattress looks on a frame, and be able to ask questions.

Of course with mattress trial periods, you don’t necessarily need to test out a mattress before you buy it. Purchasing a mattress online usually comes with more options and can sometimes be more affordable.

Tips for sleeping on your side comfortably

Sleeping on your side is comfortable for many people. But you need to make sure you don’t put too much pressure on your shoulders and hips, so there are some ways you can get the most relief for this sleeping position.

Having the right pillow

Sleeping on your side creates a bigger space between the mattress and your head and neck. You’ll want to have a pillow with some thickness to it because otherwise there won’t be enough cushion. Just don’t get too thick of a pillow because that can put your spine out of alignment and more pressure on your shoulders. Make sure your head and neck are in proper alignment and your head isn’t above your neck.

More cushion

Your knees can press together uncomfortably when you sleep on your side. Consider placing a pillow between your knees while you sleep. This can also relieve the pressure on your hips and low back.

Consider a mattress topper

Side sleepers need a little more give in the mattress than back or stomach sleepers in order to take the pressure off the hips and shoulders. Mattress toppers provide some extra comfort, plushness, and support and some of them even have cooling features as an added benefit.

Mattress shopping tips for side sleepers

All the experts I talked to stressed the importance of investing in a quality mattress. This means you should be prepared to spend anywhere from $500 to $4,000. A good medium-range price for a queen mattress will likely come in around $800 to $1,000.

Mattresses with advanced features like cooling technology and adaptability will usually cost a bit more. The thing to remember is that a good night’s sleep really does affect everything else in your life, so purchasing the best mattress you’re able to afford will give you the biggest return on your investment.

Trying out a mattress for a period of time (at least a month) is the best way to know if it will work for you or not, so look for companies that offer a free trial period with easy and inexpensive return options. Visiting a physical showroom is a great way to get a general idea of what you like and don’t like, but just lying on a mattress for five minutes in a store isn’t going to be the same as sleeping on that mattress night after night.

If you regularly experience shoulder, neck, or back pain, consult a medical professional beforehand for any advice or recommendations for your individual situation.

If your mattress has developed bumps, lumps, or a noticeable depression where you normally sleep, it’s definitely time to shop for a replacement.

How I selected the best mattresses for side sleepers

Research

I selected the best mattresses for side sleepers by sifting through academic research, online product reviews and specifications, talking to a wide range of people about how they sleep and what mattresses they own, and my own personal experiences (we all have to sleep, after all).

Expert advice

I also consulted some sleep experts for their recommendations and tips.

Personal experience

I’m a side sleeper myself, a cyclist, and I have two careers, both of which require sitting for extended periods of time. I suffer from both neck and lower back pain on a pretty regular basis, so I’ve spent oodles of time trying to find remedies, one of which turned out to be my choice of mattress.

What type of mattress is best for side sleepers?

In general, side sleepers need a mattress with enough cushion that their shoulders and hips will sink in slightly, as opposed to just sitting on top of the mattress. You don’t want to sink in too far, though, as that will cause spine misalignment in the opposite direction. For the majority of side sleepers, this means a medium plush to medium firm mattress is best.

Tips for sleeping on your side comfortably

When sleeping on your side, use a pillow that is thick enough to support your head and neck in a horizontal line from the rest of your spine: you don’t want your head to sink too much lower or rest higher forming a “crick” in your neck.

Many people also find that placing a pillow between their knees helps achieve a comfortable night’s sleep with proper spine alignment. The pillow supports the weight of your top leg, which will help prevent lower back pain by keeping your pelvis better aligned.

“If you are a side sleeper and you start experiencing pain in your neck, joints or back, you likely need additional support,” says Rohrscheib. She suggests a leg pillow, which helps keep everything in line. Often, a thin firm pillow placed between bent knees will do wonders.

“Just make sure your pillow is not too high or too low,” she cautions. Again, the goal is to keep your spine in as straight of a line as possible.

It's important that a knee pillow be on the flat side so you don’t overextend your hips when you put it in between the legs,” says Weiss. She also suggests a c-shaped or curved neck pillow that is shaped to accommodate the space between your neck and head.

A body pillow can also be helpful. These allow you to rest your top leg on the pillow (or bend both knees with the pillow between your knees), and then hug that pillow, pulling the bottom shoulder out from underneath them, which better distributes the pressure

“Another reason you may start to feel neck or joint pain,” says Rohrsheib, “is because there is too much pressure on your joints.” A too firm mattress can cause this, especially in your shoulders or hips. The solution is high-quality memory foam mattress or even a memory foam mattress topper. In this scenario, high quality is key as you don’t want something that will break down quickly.

“When that happens, you start getting divots which take your body out of alignment which can cause additional pain,” she says. A too firm mattress can put too much pressure on your shoulders and hips.

Remember, a supportive mattress can still be soft. A softer pillow top allows you to sink into your mattress more, which spreads the pressure out along your body.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is the best mattress topper for side sleepers?

The best mattress topper for side sleepers is usually a softer one, like a memory foam or foam topper, that will allow the shoulders and hips to sink slightly, creating a cradling effect.

What mattress firmness level is best for side sleepers?

The mattress firmness level that’s best for side sleepers is typically a softer one, somewhere between plush and medium firm. Side sleepers, in general, need more pressure relief to keep their spines aligned as they sleep.

Which side is better to sleep on if you are a side sleeper?

Which side is better to sleep on if you’re a side sleeper depends on the health issues you may face. The left side is believed to benefit those with gastroesophageal reflux disease, as well as pregnant people. Those with heart failure, though, may find that sleeping on their right side is more comfortable.

What is the healthiest sleeping position?

The healthiest sleeping position is the one that keeps your spine in healthy alignment from your hips to your head. In light of this, sleeping on your side or back is often best for most people, as it's easier to keep your spine supported and balanced.

“In general, if you don't have a sleep condition or any medical concerns, lying on your back on a medium-firm mattress with a flat pillow is the most neutral position that we can have,” shares Weiss. That being said, she said that you shouldn’t worry too much about your sleep position unless you’re directed by your doctor to do otherwise.