Statistically, most people are side sleepers. So, let's go ahead and find the best mattress for side sleepers the UK has to offer!
Did you know that over 70% of people sleep on their side? It's because of this fact that most mattresses are made with side sleepers in mind. However, just because you have the most popular sleeping position doesn't necessarily mean you're getting the perfect mattress.
This is because, even if you're a side sleeper, you still have to take into account your build and your weight. The heavier you are, the higher the mattress firmness needs to be.
On top of that, if you want to choose a mattress that's both great for side sleepers and good quality in general, you have to take a hundred different things into account! But don't worry, we've done all of the heavy lifting.
So, we're going to go over some of our favourite picks for the best mattress for side sleepers. And then we'll discuss our reasoning and what you need to consider when looking for the perfect mattress!
Best Mattress for Side Sleepers in the UK – 6 Best Picks for 2024
Did you know that over 70% of people sleep on their side? It's because of this fact that most mattresses are made with side sleepers in mind. However, just because you have the most popular sleeping position doesn't necessarily mean you're getting the perfect mattress.
This is because, even if you're a side sleeper, you still have to take into account your build and your weight. The heavier you are, the higher the mattress firmness needs to be.
On top of that, if you want to choose a mattress that's both great for side sleepers and good quality in general, you have to take a hundred different things into account! But don't worry, we've done all of the heavy lifting.
So, we're going to go over some of our favourite picks for the best mattress for side sleepers. And then we'll discuss our reasoning and what you need to consider when looking for the perfect mattress!
For our number one pick, we had to go with the Emma Luxe Cooling Mattress, as it ticks off all the boxes for a perfect side sleeping mattress!
Best Overall
Usually, the biggest selling point of the Emma Luxe Cooling Mattress is its cooling capability. After all, it even won the title of best cooling mattress!
This is because the mattress has graphite-infused foam that draws heat away from your body as you sleep. On top of that, the cover is extremely breathable and cool to the touch.
However, not all side sleepers are hot sleepers. So, why should they get this mattress? Well, because it shines in all other departments as well!
For example, the Halo memory foam layer offers top-tier pressure relief, easily accommodating your hip and shoulder. And it's just the right firmness for the vast majority of side sleepers. On the other hand, the pocket springs offer just enough support to keep your spine properly aligned and healthy.
Size: Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King, EU Single, EU Double, EU Queen
Advantages
Ideal for side sleepers
The mattress is the perfect firmness for most side sleepers.
Cooling
The best cooling mattress you can get in the UK.
Good motion isolation
A must-have feature for couples sharing a mattress.
Disadvantages
Not completely eco-friendly
The cover uses polyester
Not budget-friendly
There are much cheaper mattresses.
Best Orthopaedic: Simba Hybrid Luxe Mattress
If your hip and shoulder are aching from sleeping on your side, this orthopaedic mattress is about to change your life!
Best Orthopaedic
In terms of tailored support, very few (if any) mattresses can stand in the ring with the Simba Hybrid Luxe. This is because this luxurious hybrid comes with up to 6000 high-quality pocket springs! For perspective, most mattresses have between 1000-2000.
And this means that you're getting unparalleled support. But this is to be expected, as the mattress has a whopping 11 layers overall.
And these layers include everything from bamboo wool that regulates your body temperature, to Simba's highly-praised Simbatex foam for added comfort and a removable cover for convenience.
So, in terms of temperature regulation, pressure relief, comfort, and convenience, the Simba Hybrid Luxe dominates. However, note that 11 layers are significantly more expensive than 2 or 3.
Size: Single, Double, Small Double, EU Queen, King, Super King
Advantages
Very supportive
With 6000 pocket springs, each joint and bone is getting tailored support.
High-quality
This is one of the most premium mattresses you can get in the UK.
Temperature regulation
The bamboo wool layer is sure to keep you at an optimal sleeping temperature all night.
Disadvantages
Expensive
You can buy two or more budget mattresses for this price.
Not for heavier sleepers
Heavier stomach sleepers will need a firmer mattress.
Best Quality: Emma NextGen Hybrid Mattress
While all of the mattresses we've featured are of excellent quality, the Emma NextGen Hybrid Mattress is just a bit more special.
Best Quality
The Emma NextGen Hybrid Mattress has won not one but two of our best mattress awards. And that's because it perfectly blends comfort with support!
For one, it has extra tall springs that do an excellent job at keeping your spine supported throughout the night. And while they do transfer a bit of motion, it's nothing too noticeable.
On top of those springs, you can find Emma's Halo memory foam, which offers pressure relief and that nice, hugging sensation when in bed. And in our testing, the combination of these two has lead to some of the best sleep we've ever had!
Lastly, they wrap it all up with a removable, machine-washable cover, a good trial, a decent warranty, and side handles for easy turning. All in all, our favourite mattress so far. And while it's not the best mattress for side sleepers, it's definitely in the top 10!
Size: Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King, EU Double, EU Queen
Advantages
Will suit most people
The mattress is incredibly comfortable and suits most sleeping styles and builds.
Extra tall pocket springs
The extra tall pocket springs provide added support and bounce.
High-quality memory foam
Halo memory foam is one of the best in the business.
Disadvantages
Slight motion transfer
The springs might produce a bit of bounce during sudden movements.
Best Hypoallergenic: Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress
Whether you have allergies or sensitive skin, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress is here to save the day!
Best Hypoallergenic
Sleeping on your side can already cause coughing in some cases. And if your mattress is covered in dust mites, the odds of you waking yourself up with a cough only grows!
However, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress can ensure that you sleep comfortably on your side with not a dust mite in sight! After all, bamboo is both a hypoallergenic and anti-bacterial material and Panda uses it generously.
Let's not forget that bamboo also ensures a cool, breathable sleeping environment. So, you won't have to worry about feeling like a human oven.
And the mattress uses zoned spring support as well as high-quality memory foam to keep you healthy and comfortable. So, you're not sacrificing even a hint of comfort in the process!
Size: Single, Small Double, Double, King, Superking, Emperor + EU Single, Double, King
Advantages
Bamboo
Bamboo is used both in the cover and in the foam layer.
Great pressure relief
The zoned support and memory foam offer top-notch pressure relief and support.
Eco-friendly
Panda is a green bedding manufacturer and their mattresses reflect that.
Disadvantages
Hard to put the cover on
You might need some help putting on the cover.
Best Long Term: Nectar Hybrid Mattress
If you want a mattress that's going to stick around for a decade or more, the Nectar Hybrid Mattress is the perfect pick for you.
Best Long Term
While most high-end mattresses were made to last, after about 8-10 years, wear and tear will bring down their quality. However, Nectar boldly claims that their mattresses are forever! And beyond just a simple boast, they've decided to offer a lifetime warranty on their Nectar Hybrid Mattress!
So, this could potentially be your forever mattress. And given how well it suits most side sleepers, this is excellent news!
The Nectar Hybrid Mattress sports high-end memory foam for optimal pressure relief and spinal alignment. And you'll find 1600 individually-nested springs for added support and bounce. Plus, you won't have to worry about motion transfer!
But that's just scratching the surface. So, if you want a more in-depth overview of potentially the last mattress you'll ever have to buy, read our full review of the Nectar Hybrid Mattress.
Size: Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King
Advantages
Forever warranty
Nectar offers a forever warranty for any product defects.
Good motion isolation
A decent pick for side sleeping couples.
High quality foam
The foam used is CertiPUR certified.
Disadvantages
No handles
Turning the mattress is more difficult.
Off-gassing
There is a lot of foam that will off-gass in this mattress.
Best for Beauty Sleep: OTTY Pure+ Hybrid Bamboo & Charcoal Mattress
If you liked what the Panda Hybrid had to offer but wishes it was even more breathable and moisture-wicking, the OTTY Pure+ is the mattress for you!
Best for Beauty Sleep
Just like the Panda Hybrid, the OTTY Pure+ Hybrid mattress utilises bamboo to create a hypoallergenic and anti-bacterial sleeping space. However, it takes it one step further by also infusing their foam with charcoal!
This basically amps up all of the benefits of using natural materials in your mattress. And it also helps the mattress eliminate odours before they have the time to fully stick.
So, a potential winner for new parents!
On top of that, it's also just a very solid hybrid mattress. It has 4000 pocket springs, which is well above average. So, you can expect excellent support and bounciness. Additionally, the cover is sectioned to provide better dynamic support and motion isolation.
The top layer is sectioned to improve dynamic support.
Will suit most people
The mattress isn't too soft or too firm.
Disadvantages
No side handles
No handles for easily turning the mattress.
Some might not like the cover
The design of the cover is a bit hit-or-miss.
Things to consider when shopping for the best mattress for side sleepers
As you can see, sleeping on your side does have some ramifications when it comes to your mattress choice. And while we have presented you with what we feel are excellent mattresses for side sleepers, if youβd like to further explore your options and find the best match- you will want to know what to look for in the best mattress for side sleepers!
After all, whether you're chosing a topper, a pillow, or a mattress, you have to know what to look out for! So, here's what you should look out for.
Type of mattress
You'll want to start by looking at the right type of mattress. And, if you've been reading carefully, you'll know that the first place to start looking is through memory foam mattresses. But, as we've also mentioned, don't get so hung up on the type, because you can just as easily find a good pocket sprung mattress for people sleeping on their side, as you would a memory foam one.
However, generally speaking, you will have the best chance of finding something suitable if you look for memory foam, a hybrid or a latex mattress β in that particular order. As you've seen from our list, foam mattresses really do dominate the side sleeper market. And here are a few things to specifically look for when getting any of these mattress types.
Memory foam mattress
If you want a memory foam mattress, your process of elimination should be rather swift. The main thing you should focus on is firmness. If you're on the heavier side, look for high-density foam mattresses. And if you're on the lighter side, look for models that incorporate as much memory foam as possible.
With that being said, if you're a hot sleeper, you'll need a cooling mattress. So, look for mattresses that have gel-infused foam or a breathable cover. Bamboo, eucalyptus and cotton are all good choices.
And if you want to see what a good memory foam mattress looks like, we have just the thing. We've picked out and compared three memory foam mattresses that are all decent picks for side sleepers. As you can see, the Hypnia mattress is the most expensive of the three but also features the highest overall score. The Emma original on the other hand is the easiest to get comfortable on and use. And the Nectar memory foam mattress provides the best benefits in terms of durability.
Hybrid mattress
If you think the right mattress for you has to be a hybrid, the most important thing to look out for is the top layer. Most high-quality hybrid mattresses will have sturdy pocket springs. However, make sure that there's also enough cushioning on top to match up with your sleeping position.
Generally, if you're on the lighted side, as long as there's more than a few centimetres between you and the pocket springs, you're golden. And if it's memory foam, even better. But if you're heavier, look for slightly firmer and thinner top layers.
And, as you might have noticed, hybrid mattresses dominate the side sleeping space and can vary drastically. For example, let's compare three hybrids at different price points: the Simba Essentials, the Panda Hybrid, and the Hypnia supreme. We can see a few things. For one, a higher price doesn't always mean more layers, with our mid-range option having the most layers of the three.
Secondly, they're not all the same firmness level. In fact, the Hypnia is soft, the Essentials is medium and the Panda Bamboo is firm. So, make sure to keep an eye out.
Spring mattress
When it comes to spring mattresses, you'd ideally want a mattress with zoned support. This way your shoulder and hip are supported and your mid-section can sink into the mattress a bit when sleeping on your side.
If you don't want any foam in your mattress, Silentnight is generally a good option. We've put in two Silentnight pocket spring mattresses into our mattress comparison tool so that you can see what they have to offer. For most people, the Comfort Pocket Essentials is going to be a better choice, as it's a medium firm. However, if you're on the heavier side, you could potentially opt for the Eco Comfort model, as it's rated as firm.
Latex mattress
The difference between latex and memory foam is that a latex mattress will usually be a bit firmer. And this means that they won't always be ideal for side sleepers. However, if you do find a softer mattress that uses latex, it can be quite good.
This is because latex has a bit more bounce than a regular memory foam mattress. And that in turn can help with hip and shoulder pain. So, you can be rather comfortable as a side sleeper if you find a good latex mattress. Just make sure that it's not too firm!
Level of firmness
How firm a mattress should be will greatly depend on your body weight, since we already know which position youβre sleeping in. For an average person, a medium-firm mattress should do the trick.
It will keep your spine aligned, it will be be both supportive and comfortable enough for you to get a good nightβs sleep. It will also allow you to switch sleeping positions through the night if you have a knack for doing that.
On the other hand, if youβre lightweight, a medium-soft mattress should do the trick, and more often than not, it is going to be a memory foam mattress.
The memory foam mattress selection is huge so finding a medium-soft mattress that is good for a lightweight sleeper shouldn't be of a huge problem.
Heavyweights, on the other hand, should go with a firm mattress. In their case, the type of mattress doesn't really matter, but we did find firm hybrid and firm latex mattresses to dominate this field.
Your body weight
Now that you understand mattress firmness, you've solved half of the puzzle! However, you'll notice that even a firm mattress will give way if you put something really heavy on it. And on the other hand, even the softest mattress on the planet won't sink from the weight of a feather.
In other words, the heavier you are, the firmer the mattress has to be to stop you from sinking too far into the mattress. And the lighter you are, the softer the mattress has to be so that you can sink in at all!
So, do note that not all side sleepers will benefit from the same mattress. Of course, it's nothing to be ashamed of if you need a softer or firmer mattress than most – it's simply physics! And having a healthy back should be your number one priority!
So, take a look at the table below to see which mattress firmness is ideal for side sleepers of your build.
Pressure relief ability
The best mattress for side sleepers must be able to alleviate pressure points and help you get rid of those early morning aches. That's because, unlike stomach and back sleepers, side sleepers put all of their weight on their shoulder and hip!
So, having a mattress that can take on some of that weight and relieve your hip and shoulder of the pressure is a must-have! And more often than not, you can accomplish this with a relatively thin layer of memory foam.
Of course, other materials can offer pressure relief as well. However, we've found that memory foam typically shows the best results – especially when side sleepers are concerned.
Cooling & hypoallergenic properties
Neither of these features are exclusive to mattresses for side sleeping. Everyone needs proper support, pain relief and contouring, but what they also need is to sleep without any disturbance all through the night. And, well, if you're sweating and having trouble breathing during the night β no amount of pain relief will help you with that.
What will help is getting a cool and hypoallergenic mattress. If you get too hot during the night, you will toss and turn, and not only will you lose sleep because of it β but you will also switch positions, left and right, without ever sleeping in an optimal position for your body.
And, don't even get us started on allergies. You know just how hard it is to sleep with a stuffy, runny nose β let alone a full-blown allergy flare up. However, we would like to recommend you go for bamboo-made products as bamboo is a super-hypoallergenic material. Plus it is cooling, even during the hottest summer days!
2 bonus tips for side sleepers to improve your sleep quality
While you now know how to get the best mattress for side sleepers (at least in the UK), the battle is not over! And that's because there are two other things we'd like to put forth that can further improve your sleep quality.
Firstly, we'll talk about how you can potentially better your current mattress (if it's not time for a new mattress yet) and then discuss the other half of the side sleeping puzzle – your pillow!
Using a high-quality mattress topper
Mattress toppers can go a long way for a side sleeper. Letβs take the best mattress for heavy side sleepers the UK has to offer as an example. That mattress may be great for many heavy sleepers, but what about people with a smaller build? It will be too firm for them, almost certainly. So, what can they do?
Well, they could get a medium-firm mattress β a mattress that will offer them much needed support. And then, they could add a soft mattress topper to make up for the missing contouring and pressure relief, and get a perfect side sleeper trifecta.
Of course, not just any mattress topper would do. You generally want to find a high-quality topper that has the correct qualities to balance out your current mattress. And not every feature can be fixed!
However, if your current mattress is relatively new (for example a 3-year-old memory foam mattress) and sleeping on your side is just a bit less comfortable than you'd like it to be, a mattress topper could be the easiest solution. So, if you'd like to see what a high-quality topper looks like, we suggest reading our review of the Simba mattress topper.
Weβve mentioned the best mattress for side sleepers with hip pain the UK has to offer, but what about pillows for side sleepersΒ with neck problems? What could they do?
It is true that a large number of people sleeping on their sides struggle with neck problems, but that problem can rarely be solved with a mattress. However, a great pillow will take away the pain in an instant.
So, what makes a pillow good for side sleepers? The main feature you want to look out for is loft (or how tall the pillow is). This is because, unlike back and stomach sleepers, side sleepers need to cover the distance from their shoulder to their head. So, of the three sleeping positions, side sleepers need the largest pillows!
However, the pillow also needs to be a bit firm and supportive. This is because a high loft is useless if your head just sinks into the pillow and allows your head to be at an angle. So, when looking for a high-quality pillow, make sure that your head can stay parallel to the bed when lying down on your side.
Tips for extending the life of a mattress for side sleeping
As we near the end, we wanted to talk to you about making sure your new mattress lasts a long time. After all, we wouldnβt want to see the best mattress for side sleeping end up causing you more pain in only a few years. So, here are some tips for extending the life of a mattress for side sleeping.
Make sure you place your mattress on a proper base, and donβt keep it on the floor
Donβt jump on the bed, and donβt let your kids do it either
Pay close attention to the manufacturerβs maintenance and care instructions.
Conclusion
And that's all you need to know to find the best mattress for side sleepers the UK has to offer! So, which mattress are you going to get? Let us know in the comments. And if you have any questions, about side sleeping or mattresses in general, check out the FAQ section or contact us directly.
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FAQs about your new mattress for side sleepers
In the end, we thought it would be good to wrap things up by answering some questions from curious side sleepers.
What is the best type of mattress for side sleepers?
There is no one right mattress for side sleepers but memory foam mattresses or medium-firm hybrid mattresses seem to be the favourites.
Should side sleepers go for a firm or a soft mattress?
Generally speaking, side sleepers should go for medium-firm or softer mattresses. However, do note that not all mattresses use the same firmness scale.
What is the average life expectancy of a mattress for side sleepers?
Around 6 to 8 years. However, this can vary greatly based on the materials used, how often it's turned/flipped etc.
What type of mattresses is not good for side sleepers?
Generally, firm mattresses aren't recommended for side sleepers. Open-coil mattresses might also be less than ideal as having a layer of soft foam helps with spinal alignment.
Do these mattresses come with a trial period?
Almost all higher-end mattresses come with a sleep trial, including the ones we've featured here.
Are memory foam mattresses good for side sleepers?
Absolutely! Memory foam mattresses are usually a good fit for side sleepers as their hip and shoulder can properly sink into the upper layer of the mattress.
Are hybrid beds good for side sleepers?
Yes! Since hybrids usually feature foam in the top layer, side sleepers should be more than comfortable.
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