Hybrid mattresses are extremely popular because they offer the best of both worlds –– the support of traditional innersprings and the cushion of foam mattresses.
If you’re a side sleeper, the cushion part is essential and sometimes hard to find. Given you sleep on your side, you have to make sure the mattress isn’t creating pressure points on your knees, hips, or shoulders. Side sleepers who are looking for a hybrid mattress want equal parts support and pressure-relieving comfort.
We know mattress shopping can be overwhelming with so many options. So we sorted through our pack-to-the-brim-with-mattresses office to find the five best hybrid mattresses for side sleepers. A side sleeper can sleep comfortably on any of the mattresses on this list, but pay close attention to the superlative for each bed to find the one that’s right for you.
5 Best Hybrid Mattresses for Side Sleepers
- Best Cooling Hybrid Mattress for Side Sleepers :Brooklyn Bedding AuroraStarting at $999 Shop Now
- Best Pressure-Relieving Hybrid Mattress for Side Sleepers :Purple HybridStarting at $1699 Shop Now
- Best Hybrid Mattress for Heavy Side Sleepers :WinkBeds ClassicStarting at $1149 Shop Now
- Best Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress for Side Sleepers :Layla HybridStarting at $1299 Shop Now
- Best Hybrid Mattress for Animal-Loving Side Sleepers :Nolah Evolution 15Starting at $1799 Shop Now
Compare the Best Latex Hybrid Mattresses
Best Cooling Hybrid Mattress for Side Sleepers
Why Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Cooling wins as best cooling hybrid mattress for side sleepers
If you’re a side sleeper that gets hot or sweaty at night, the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Cooling has everything you need. Its durable construction offers fantastic pressure relief, as well as cooling technology to keep you comfortable. While the mattress isn’t cheap, the company is fairly aggressive with discounts.
Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Cooling’s best features
- The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Cooling mattress includes a layer of the brand’s proprietary CopperFlex foam, which is noticeably cold. In fact, this mattress might even be the coldest bed we’ve ever tested, and it’s a great option for hot sleepers or menopausal women.
- The Aurora Luxe Cooling mattress is sold in three firmness levels: soft, medium, and firm. Medium is the most popular option, but it’s a matter of personal preference. We would say, however, that the soft model might be a bit too soft for the average sleeper.
- The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Cooling mattress delivers outstanding pressure relief, thanks to the CopperFlex foam layer. When you sleep on your side, you need a bed that curves around the length of your body and supports your shoulders and hips — and BB Aurora excels in that regard.
Best Pressure-Relieving Hybrid Mattress for Side Sleepers
Why Purple Hybrid wins as best pressure-relieving hybrid mattress for side sleepers
Purple Hybrid is designed with the brand’s patented Hyper-Elastic Polymer, a gel-like material with a unique feeling. It conforms to your body and cradles the pressure points beneath your hips and shoulders, ensuring that you’re supported while you sleep.
Purple Hybrid’s best features
- The Hyper-Elastic Polymer is the key selling point of Purple Hybrid (and other Purple mattresses). The material is soft, stretchy, and responsive, creating a comfortable sleeping surface with the necessary pressure relief for side sleepers.
- Purple Hybrid is a great option for hot sleepers. Its innerspring coils and Hyper-Elastic Polymer work together to create more airflow than all-foam beds, which is ideal if you heat up or get sweaty during the night.
- It’s a solid choice for couples. If you sleep with a significant other, it’s important to find a mattress that provides good edge support and motion isolation — and Purple Hybrid does an excellent job of both.
Best Hybrid Mattress for Heavy Side Sleepers
Why Winkbed Original wins as best hybrid mattress for heavy side sleepers
If you’re a heavier person or want a luxury hybrid mattress, consider Winkbed Original, which has a comfortable pillow-top feel and enough durability for larger bodies. Although it’s on the pricier side, Winkbed Original delivers excellent value — especially when you factor in the company’s steep discounts (up to $300 off).
Winkbed Original’s best features
- Winkbed Original is extremely comfortable, thanks to the 2” European pillow-top that’s built with “Hypersoft Foam” inside. Overall, the bed’s four layers give it a 15” height, making it one of the thickest beds we’ve ever reviewed.
- Winkbed Original comes in three firmness options, including Softer, Luxury Firm, and Firmer, so you can choose the best one for you. If you’re heavier (over 250 lbs), you’ll likely want a firmer bed, so you don’t feel like you’re sinking into the bed when you lay down.
- Because of its plush pillow-top and supportive coils, Winkbed Original is a great mattress if you suffer from back pain. It provides a good amount of pressure relief, which is critical for keeping your body supported and cradling your pressure points.
Best Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress for Side Sleepers
Why Layla Hybrid wins as best memory foam hybrid mattress for side sleepers
With Layla Hybrid, you’ll get the comfortable, conforming sensation of memory foam — without feeling like you’re stuck or sinking into the bed. Instead, the mattress strikes a good balance between airy and supportive, and we think it’s the ideal hybrid mattress for side sleepers who love memory foam.
Layla Hybrid’s best features
- Layla Hybrid is a double-sided, flippable mattress, so you get two different firmness options in one bed. On our scale, the soft side earned a medium-soft rating, whereas the firm side is between a medium and medium-firm.
- As we’ve mentioned, pressure relief is key for side sleepers — and Layla Hybrid scores well in this category. Specifically, the 2.5” memory foam layer on the soft side of the bed is perfect for relieving pressure along the side of your body.
- Layla Hybrid is suitable for side sleepers of all body types (assuming that you like the feeling of memory foam). With that said, we’d suggest that petite side sleepers try the firm side and heavier folks sleep on the soft side.
Best Hybrid Mattress for Animal-Loving Side Sleepers
Nolah Sleep is a popular bed-in-a-box brand that has carved out a stellar reputation for their side sleeper-friendly mattresses. The Nolah Evolution mattress is made up of five different layers that total a beefy 15” thick.
Why Nolah Evolution 15” wins as best hybrid mattress for animal-loving side sleepers
As the newest product in the Nolah line, the Nolah Evolution 15” mattress is a highly versatile bed that accommodates all body types. With your purchase, Nolah will donate a portion of the sale to Defenders of Wildlife, a charitable organization that helps protect America’s native animals.
Nolah Evolution’s best features
- The five-layer Nolah Evolution 15” mattress is available in three different firmness levels: Plush, Luxury Firm, and Firm. Each of the models is extremely comfortable (yet supportive) and reminiscent of a luxury hotel bed.
- All foams in the American-made Nolah Evolution 15” are CertiPUR-US® certified. This means that the bed is free from ozone depleters, formaldehyde, lead, mercury, and other harmful toxins that might pose a risk to your health.
- While we wouldn’t call the Nolah Evolution 15” a cooling bed, it provides more airflow than many other mattresses on the market. That’s due to the bed’s pocketed coils and AirFoamICE comfort foam, which draws heat away from the surface and its breathable organic cotton cover that provides better cooling.
Mattress Types for Side Sleepers
Choosing the right mattress for you will depend on your sleeping style, weight, and personal preferences. The fact is, some mattress types are better for side sleepers than others. Below, we’ll go through the type of mattress and what you can expect.
Memory foam mattresses
Memory foam mattresses are super popular for a reason. They are extremely comfortable and conform to the curves of your body when you lay on them. There are varying feels within memory foam, like dense vs. neutral. Dense memory foam has the traditional TempurPedic feel. It’s slow to respond, and you sink into it. A neutral foam feel gives you the benefits of memory foam without the stuck-in-the-mud feel.
Memory foam mattresses are good for side sleepers because they offer excellent pressure relief.
Latex foam mattresses
Latex foam mattresses are a popular alternative to memory foam. Latex foam mattresses tend to be bouncier and lighter than memory foam mattresses. Their response time will also be quicker, so you don’t feel like you’re trapped in the contours of the foam.
Side sleepers will like the pressure relief and comfort of latex foam mattresses. You might just not like the price tag. Latex foam mattresses tend to be a little more expensive than memory foam. However, there are affordable options in every budget tier.
Innerspring mattresses
Innerspring mattresses are the classic beds you grew up sleeping on. Go to your grandparents’ house, and there’s a good chance that’s what you’d sleep on. Innerspring beds have a sturdy coil support system with layers of foam on top. Most are finished with a nice pillow top for comfort.
Innerspring mattresses will vary by firmness, like any other bed. Side sleepers would most likely watch to stay within the soft to medium range. Or a firmer mattress with a plush pillow top.
Hybrid mattresses
Hybrid mattresses are the best of both worlds option. Choose a hybrid bed when you want the support of a solid coil base and the contouring benefits of memory foam. Generally, hybrid beds have better breathability than all-foam beds. So if you’re a hot sleeper or a hot side sleeper, there’s a hybrid mattress for you.
How to Pick the Best Mattress for Side Sleepers
Find the right firmness
Side sleepers can sleep on basically every type of mattress. However, you need to be mindful of the firmness levels. Side sleepers who sleep on a mattress that is too firm will develop pressure points at their ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders. From a comfort perspective, that’s a big deal.
We suggest that side sleepers stick to medium to soft firmness. But that will vary on your body type. Heavy people will put more pressure on the bed, which means it will feel softer. Heavy side sleepers might want a firmer option.
Spinal alignment
Spinal alignment is essential to ensure you don’t wake up with back or neck pain. This is important for all sleeping positions, including side sleepers. When you’re trying to decide which mattress is the best, pay attention to your back position on the bed.
It’s easier than you think to assess how a mattress impacts your spine. You should be able to draw a straight line from your head to your shoulders to your back. If the line is not straight, you should opt for a firmer mattress.
Most side sleepers prefer mattresses on the softer side of the spectrum –– ideally a medium-soft to a medium-firm. Generally, a firmer mattress will result in pressure points.
That said, when you’re shopping for a mattress for side sleepers, you should keep your weight in mind. Mattresses will feel softer to heavier body types and firmer to petite body types.
A side sleeper can sleep on every mattress type –– it all comes down to personal preferences. If you like a bouncy bed, go for a hybrid or innerspring. If you want to be cradled when you sleep, go for a memory foam mattress.
With hybrid mattresses, you get the support of a coil base and the comfort of foam layers. Think of them as the best of both worlds. They offer the most flexibility and are naturally breathable. Hybrid mattresses tend to be a little more expensive, but we think they are the type of beds that anyone can sleep on.
When you’re picking a mattress as a side sleeper, you need to keep the firmness, spinal alignment, and pressure relief in mind. Side sleepers generally skew toward the softer side of the mattress scale because it gives them the amount of pressure relief they need. That said, a mattress that is too soft will throw your spinal alignment off.
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