Best Memory Foam Mattress for Side Sleepers

How to Choose a Mattress for Side Sleeping

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Best Memory Foam Mattress for Side Sleepers

Reviewed by: Christy B. mattress team
Dec. 29 2024

The memory foam mattress design is one that has been popular for years and continues to be so. Among the many advantages of memory foam are its ability to provide pressure point relief while staying affordable. But not all beds are made the same; some models are designed specifically for side sleepers. This makes sense given that sleeping on the left or right side is more common than the back or stomach. To get the best quality sleep possible, get the best memory foam mattress for side sleepers. Our recommendation follows, but first let’s talk about what to look for in a mattress as a side sleeper.

How We Decided

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Consumer Reviews

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Researched Review Sites

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Research Hours

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Team Members

“With my new puffy mattress my pressure points (hips and shoulders, I’m a side sleeper) are cushioned.”

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How to Choose a Mattress for Side Sleeping

As a side sleeper, you put significant pressure on one side of the body. Yes, that’s the side that’s directly on the mattress. That’s because it is carrying your body weight. In particular, your shoulders, hips, and neck are three “pressure points” or sensitive areas of the outer body that have force put on them while sleeping on your side.

To avoid or minimize any pain on pressure points will enable you to have a more comfortable sleep. That is why pressure point relief is a must in the best memory foam mattress for side sleepers.

In addition to looking for a memory foam design that targets pressure points, the ideal bed will also minimize heat while you sleep and be a firmness level that’s comfortable for you. Typically the best memory foam mattress for side sleepers is not very firm as being hard would only increase pressure point pain.

But being overly cushiony may feel like you’re sinking deep into a mattress with trouble getting up from it by yourself, so many people who sleep on their sides prefer a mixture of cushion and support. In other words, a medium firmness level.

Our Pick for the Best Mattress for Side Sleepers: Puffy Mattress

After doing thorough research on mattresses for side sleepers, we decided to narrow down the analysis to the memory foam category. We determined that the Puffy mattress lineup – original Puffy and Puffy Lux – are the best memory foam mattresses for side sleepers.

The main difference between the original Puffy and Puffy Lux is the Lux has an extra comfort layer made of Plush Dual Cloud Foam. It’s a layer of foam that contours to the body and feels as though you’re almost weightless on it. This foam, which adds an extra two inches to the mattress, encourages relaxation and accounts for a bit higher price tag than the original model.

 

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Other than these key differences, the mattresses both offer the following benefits, which are why we recommend them for side sleepers:

Effectively Relieves Pressure Points

If you suffer from pain to the hips or another sensitive area of the outer body, the Puffy might finally provide the relief you’ve been looking for in a mattress. Some reviewers online explain that it does well as dissipating pressure in these areas when side sleeping, with the person laying down feeling as though they are on an airy, light surface. That feeling explains why this mattress lineup is called “Puffy.”

Limits Motion Transfer

If you sleep with a partner beside you, then you know that the activity of the person beside you, such as shifting their position during the night, can disturb your own sleep. Thankfully, Puffy gets many good reviews for motion transfer, which means little movement on your side of the mattress when your partner moves around.

You’re then more likely to get an interrupted sleep. The reason why Puffy is the best memory foam mattress for side sleepers of average weight is the dense premium foam that does not have bounce.

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Strong Edges

Puffy is better than Nectar for memory foam side sleepers in the area of edge support. Over time, the edges of the Nectar memory foam mattress start to sink, as per some web reviews. For side sleepers, that’s an issue if you sleep with someone else as then you require more surface area of the mattress. If you’re lying on your side and feel like you’ll roll right off the side of the bed, the chances are good that you won’t get much sleep.

So, another reason that Puffy is the best memory foam mattress for side sleepers is that it has great edge support to provide more usable space on the mattress. Plus, sitting on the side of the bed to put on your slippers feels much better when it’s stable rather than like you’re about to roll right off the side.

Tip: Our Puffy Review helped over 10,000+ people. Check it out.

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Puffy and Nectar are both popular memory foam mattresses. We have made a comparison to help you decide which of the two is the best fit for your sleep. Check it out here: Puffy vs. Nectar.

Cooling Cloud Foam: No More Sleeping Hot

A problem with traditional memory foam mattresses was overheating of the body. Puffy overcomes this issue with a special layer of 4-inch cooling cloud foam, which is a big reason we consider it the best mattress for side sleepers. This layer integrates gel with memory foam to help you stay cool throughout the night.

On the other hand, a different memory foam bed might not be as effective at maintaining a comfortable body temperature. If that’s the case, you risk waking up sweating during the night rather than sleeping soundly until the body wakes up naturally. Incredibly, Puffy offers 8 times more airflow than the typical memory foam mattress!

Furthermore, the cooling cloud foam is comfortable to rest on, which adds to its ability to ease pressure points. All of this and Puffy is still affordable.

Supportive Too

As we mentioned earlier, the best memory foam mattress for side sleepers provides support in addition to being comfortable. After describing the comfortable aspects of the original Puffy and Puffy Lux, we move on to talking about its Firm Core Support Foam. This firmer layer provides good spine support for someone in a side sleeping position. That’s because it supports the natural spine curve when resting on the side.

For most users online, the firmness rating for the Puffy mattress is medium. That firmness level suits most side sleepers well (we would be remiss to speak for all side sleepers are everyone is unique). It cushions the pressure points while still providing body support to avoid pains the next morning.

“My pressure points have virtually disappeared. I am in love with my puffy.”

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Final Words on the Finding a Memory Foam Mattress for Side Sleeping

Sleep is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle and feeling at your best. Thus, it makes sense to do your research when it comes to investing in a memory foam mattress that you’ll have for a long time.

The best memory foam mattress for side sleepers, in our opinion, is the Puffy. It provides supportive comfort that is ideal for someone who sleepers on their side.

Puffy not only effectively provides pressure point relief but also supports the spine and minimizes motion transfer. Plus, the cooling cloud foam keeps your body temperature from getting uncomfortably hot during the night, which could interrupt sleep. With so much going for it, Puffy is our top choice, whether you choose the original or Lux. As we mentioned, the cloud comfort foam layer is extra to the Lux only and encourages relaxaction.

Note: Our Puffy mattress recommendation is totally our opinion. We have not done clinical research and do not suggest our opinion takes the place of your doctor. A medical professional can diagnose any medical issues you may have and suggest ways to deal with them safely.

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About the Research

Our team researched for the best mattresses online and this website provides in-depth reviews (to the best of our knowledge) of mattresses to help you find the best one for your home. If you think about how many types of models are out there, it’s easy to get confused. That’s why we bring you many of the top models and tell you details you need to know about them. Find out the top features, available sizes, firmness, support, and more, for each of the mattresses. Quickly see how the various mattresses compare to one another and which one offers you (and your partner) a great sleep. We hope our research saves you time and helping you make an informed buying decision.

Disclosure: We are grateful to be of service and bring you content free of charge. In order to do this, please note that when you click links and purchase items, we earn from qualified purchases from the brands reviewed on this site. We do not compare all providers in the market. The compensation we receive is not affecting the content we write on each product; however, along with past buyers preference and compensation rate, it may impact the display order and scoring of a product at the website. Your support in purchasing through these links enables us to keep providing you with free content. Your buying price is not changing whether we are entitled for affiliate compensation or not. Thank you!

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  • We are grateful to be of service and bring you content free of charge. In order to do this, please note that when you click links and purchase items, we receive a commission from qualified purchases. Your support in purchasing through these links enables us to keep providing you with free content. The commission we receive is not affecting the review content we write on each product; however along with past buyers preference and compensation rate, it may impact the display order and scoring of a product at the website. Your buying price is not changing whether we are entitled for earnings or not. Thank you!