I tested the best mattresses for side sleepers and sleep quality in 2024 – here’s what I discovered.
After trying them all out, here’s which ones I liked, ranked!
The List:
- Dosaze DreamAlign Pro Side Sleeper Mattress
- Saatva Classic
- Nectar Memory Foam
- Avocado Green Mattress
- Helix Midnight Luxe
- Tempur-Pedic Adapt
- Tuft & Needle Mint
- Casper Dream Max
- Purple Restore
** Update: Dosaze is running the Prime Day Sale, snatch the deal before it ends!
The Final Winner:
After my reviews and testing, I can confidently say that the Dosaze DreamAlign Pro Side Sleeper Mattress came out on top. I was really shocked by how comfortable AND supportive this mattress was. I used to toss and turn constantly during the night, but this mattress kept me in place and helped to support my neck and spine in some transformative ways. Plus, it was just plain comfortable, and I always woke up feeling well-rested!
The Dosaze DreamAlign Pro Side Sleeper Sleeper Mattress is designed for neutral spine alignment. This essentially means that your spine is always in the right position and not under stress, as is the case with some other mattresses. For side sleepers, this is a game-changer since most of the time, your neck or back feels strained as you “sink” into one side or are raised “too high” by a too-firm mattress on the other.
Also, the medium-firm support played a big role in choosing this mattress as my favorite. The latest science says that medium-firm support is the best way to prevent back pain while you sleep. If a mattress is too soft or too hard, it can cause and even worsen back pain. Medium-firm support is a great balance that is still comfortable while holding strong, a balance that none of the other mattresses seemed to be able to achieve.
Plus, there was some underlying tech of the mattress (that I couldn’t see), which was the variable coils and the pressure-point memory foam. Variable coils make sure that the mattress is perfectly tuned since different areas of your body need different density levels from the mattress. Then, the pressure-point memory foam targets key areas on your body to cushion and support.
On top of that, Dosaze offers one of the most generous trials we’ve seen, which extends for 120 days and offers no-hassle returns.
I don’t think there are any other mattress companies that go as far as Dosaze to be comfortable for side sleepers.
In-Depth Review and Process
There are a lot of things that contribute to a good night’s sleep. Your pillow, comforter, and sheets are all great, but if there was one foundational element to your bed, it’s, well, your bed! A mattress is the biggest sleep investment you can make, and it’s worth it to seriously take some time and do your research.
This article was written in paid partnership with SBLY eCommerce Brands.
The only thing that sucks? You can’t sleep on every mattress before you decide. That means you have to try and decide which one is right for you without taking the time to test-drive them for a few nights. Even going to a mattress store and laying on a few of them doesn’t truly give you an idea of what it’s like long-term or even overnight!
I went and tested 8 of the top mattresses for side sleepers to see which one was the best. My list ranks each one based on:
- Side Sleeping
- Comfort
- Quality
- Customer Service
- Value
For me, the best mattress for side sleepers will, of course, be comfortable for side sleepers, plus it offers me a reasonable quality/price ratio. I don’t want to try to pinch pennies when picking something I am going to be sleeping on for eight hours a night. Also, extravagance isn’t something I’m interested in.
My perfect mattress should also have some technologies that actually help my pain and sleep quality, not something gimmicky. The science doesn’t lie! There are some proven ways to reduce back pain for side sleepers, so I will be judging each mattress’s claims along with the technology they use to follow through.
The Science: What To Look For In A Mattress for Side Sleepers
According to research, the best mattress for side sleepers is one that is medium firm and has zoned comfort – too firm or too soft is not good, but you definitely want a mattress on the firmer side:
“Results of this systematic review show that a medium-firm mattress promotes comfort, sleep quality and rachis alignment.”
What makes a good mattress for side sleepers?
- Panel TestingWe wanted mattresses with lots of real-world testing, and each mattress has been reviewed through a variety of methods.
- Medium-Firm FeelMedium-firm is scientifically regarded as the best option for back pain and overall side-sleeping comfort.
- Pressure ReliefDifferent areas of your body need different levels of support, and the best mattresses have variable pressure point zones and relief.
- Trial PeriodIt's ok not to love something. We think a generous trial period lets you try our an investment as large as a mattress with little risk.
Sleep is half science, half personal experience. As far as the science goes, there are a few things to look out for if you want to reduce back pain and sleep on your side:
- Medium-firm feel
- Support to maintain spinal alignment
- Pressure relief
- Trial period (to see if it works for you)
So, for any mattress I looked at, these are some of the benchmarks that I basically required since doctors and the current data show these things to work the best for back pain induced by side sleeping.
Runner Up:
The Saatva Classic is a great mattress, but boy, are they expensive without providing justification for it. They have some great customer service, and what I can find online reflects that. I found the mattress to be rather plush, which is a good thing to some and a bad to others. Personally, I don’t think that plushness is a bad thing… EXCEPT when you are dealing with back pain. The science is pretty clear that medium-firm is ideal, and something that feels a little too plush doesn’t deal with my issues in the way that I need.
Also, there is almost no movement isolation, so if you sleep with a partner and either one of you are light sleepers, beware (I learned about this from experience, unfortunately). Overall, the mattress is fine, but it isn’t anything special.
Cheaper Pick:
Nectar is another large brand that has appeared in the last few years, and I had heard of them before the test. I reviewed the memory foam mattress, which, as I understand it, is their standard mattress. It does come with a premium upgrade, but I didn’t opt for that this time around.
The mattress is significantly lower priced than the Saatva. That being said, it also feels like it is at its price point. Generally, this means its value is average, not above average. I found that to be true with the Nectar Memory foam, and that’s not a slight. It was fine. Just fine. There aren’t any special features, no cooling benefits, and no back-pain-centered technology. Overall, if you want a cheap mattress, you could go with the Nectar.
Luxury Pick:
I had heard of Avocado from the brand’s mattress covers but had never actually tried their mattresses until this review! The brand is known for its higher-end products, and a queen-sized mattress from them costs around $2,000. The mattress was pretty solid! This is quite expensive, but that’s basically what you can expect when you get something from Avocado.
It’s extremely comfortable and doesn’t require a mattress topper, which is a good thing in my book. It is extremely heavy, so if you like rotating your mattress every few months, you may need an extra person to help. It does use latex, plus organic wool and cotton, so if you have any allergies, it’s definitely something to be aware of (wool and latex both can cause allergies in some people).
BUT, there is an unfortunate catch. To get the proper “medium firm” density, you need to shell out an additional $680. Altogether, this brings a queen-sized total to over $2,700 pre-tax. That’s a hefty price tag, indeed.
Helix Midnight Luxe
From my research, the most prominent mattress for dealing with back pain from Helix is the Midnight Luxe, and it seems that the company pushes it as such. That being said, has some sneaky pricing. $2,373 before taxes is probably standard, but if you want cooling and the ErgoAlign layer, it’s going to be an additional $500. This brings the total to nearly $3,000 for a Queen, which puts this mattress on the higher end of things.
That said, this mattress has plenty of other features. It offers zoned lumbar support via steel coils, special supporting foam, and a medium firmness ideal for side sleeping. Overall, I felt like this mattress was absolutely comfortable, and I loved it. The sad thing is that it’s just so expensive it’s hard to justify it. Especially when you can get something nearly identical with our number one pick.
Tempur-Pedic Adapt
The Tempur-Pedic Adapt collection is a line of mattresses specifically targeted at back pain relief. We all know about Tempur-Pedic, and they have quite a reputation in the sleep business. There are three versions: Adapt, ProAdapt, and LuxeAdapt. The cheapest of them all, the Adapt, runs you $2,199, while the ProAdapt costs $3,400 and the LuxeAdapt costs $4,299. For all but the bottom option, things are going to be pretty expensive.
I reviewed the standard model, the Adapt, since that seemed to be the most reasonable of them all. Overall, the mattress is great. It has pressure relief and a cooling cover and offers two versions, Medium and Medium Hybrid. If you like famous brands and are willing to pay a little bit more for them, Tempur Pedic is a solid option, albeit not unique in the field anymore.
Tuft & Needle Mint
Tuft & Needle is a mattress that I have a lot of experience with since I slept on one for years before moving a while back. Overall, it’s a good mattress with some decent features. It does make some compromises, but if you aren’t looking for the “best” side sleeping mattress or anything, it’s a good option.
The Mint version offers adaptive support with foam edges, pressure relief foam, medium-firm feel, and some cooling elements like graphite. This is the middle-priced option of T&N’s lineup, with the Original and Mint Hybrid being the other two. The only issue I have with the Mint is that the mattress could be a little firmer to help with side sleeping. The Original has the correct feel for side sleeping, but the Mint has the features for side sleeping; you so have to compromise, unfortunately.
Also, this isn’t a hybrid mattress like many of the other options on our list. Essentially, this means that it only uses foam in its construction, and doesn’t have any springs, coils, or other long-term elements that can provide support. This is reflected in the price, but keep in mind you are losing a major facet of a mattress.
Casper Dream Max
The Dream Max is reportedly the most supportive mattress version coming from Casper. Casper is a well-known and generally well-liked sleep company, and the Dream Max was a solid mattress to review from them. The mattress was created for back pain, after Casper saw some success with the Nova and Wave Hybrid.
Unfortunately, we again run into issues with price. For middle-priced mattresses, the Casper is quite expensive, coming in at $3,125 without any discounts. You do get a lot for the cost, like medium-firm feel, breathable foam, and zoned support, but to be honest, the Dosaze DreamAlign Pro Side Sleeper Mattress once again gives you more for less.
Purple Restore Mattress
Purple has three “lineups” when it comes to mattresses: the Essential, Restore, and Rejuvenate. As far as I can tell, the Restore is intended to be the mattress that deals with back pain and sleep issues, so it’s the one I reviewed. There are three price points within the Restore lineup: the Restore, RestorePlus, and RestorePremier, of course.
The cheapest, basic mattress from purple will run you $2399, which is a little crazy. The Plus and Premiere are $2,699 and $3,299, respectively. Purple uses latex in their mattresses, which gives them a particularly bouncy feel that people may have to get used to, or be aware of if you have allergies.
As far as features go, the Purple has the famous grid pattern, along with core body support and alignment elements, but only on the two higher-end ones. Altogether, I like the way these mattresses feel, but you have to push over the $3,000 mark to get anything that’s actually designed for side sleeping. If budget isn’t an option, however, they are great!
