Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers

These queen-size innerspring, foam, and adjustable air mattresses offer the best support for side sleepers in CR's tests

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side sleeper illo Illustration: Chris Philpot

If your go-to sleeping position is to snooze on your side, you are among the more than 60 percent of adults who say that’s what they prefer, at least for part of the night. But with so many mattresses on the market today, finding the right bed for your sleep style can be a challenge—until now.

We’ve put together a list of mattresses that are especially fantastic for side sleepers, according to our rigorous lab tests. We also know that not everyone is a side sleeper. If your partner is not, you’ll want a mattress that rates well for all sleeping positions. Check out your options in our comprehensive mattress ratings. We’ve also identified the best mattresses for couples so that you and your honey can both get a great night’s rest.

How CR Tests Mattresses for Side Support

In our support tests, we use people of small and large stature. We average the results of both to produce the score for average-sized sleepers.

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For the side-sleeping score, we observe several points along each subject’s spine and measure how much they diverge from a straight line. For a test model to score well, the points must remain fairly parallel to the surface of the mattress.

“You might think that softer mattresses would be better for side sleepers, but the average firmness of the models on this list was right around 5 out of 10—or a medium-firm mattress on our firmness scale,” says Chris Regan, the Consumer Reports engineer who oversees mattress testing.

Our comfort and owner satisfaction ratings are based on data from recent surveys on CR members’ experiences with nearly 70,000 mattresses purchased in the past decade. We asked them to rate the comfort of their mattress and used the data to generate ratings by brand and type of mattress. Owner satisfaction is based on a member’s overall judgment of such factors as firmness/softness, value, quality of sleep, and more.

CR members can read on for ratings and reviews of standout models that provide great support for side sleepers of all sizes and perform well overall in our tests. For even more options, see our complete mattress ratings, and check our mattress buying guide as you shop.

Best Innerspring Mattresses for Side Sleepers

Best Foam Mattresses for Side Sleepers

Best Adjustable Air Mattresses for Side Sleepers

Tips for Buying a Mattress

Tossing and turning all night? Maybe it’s time for a new mattress. On the "Consumer 101" TV show, CR expert Chris Regan shares tips on what to look for when mattress shopping.

Why a Good Mattress Matters

Headshot of CRO Home Editor Tanya Christian

Tanya A. Christian

I've spent more than a decade covering lifestyle, news, and policy. At Consumer Reports, I'm happy to sit at the intersection of these specialties, writing about appliances, product safety and advocacy, consumer fairness, and the best tools and products to help you spruce up your home. When I'm not putting pen to paper, I'm exploring new cultures through travel and taking on home makeover projects, one room at a time.
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