If you're looking for the best side-sleeper mattresses, welcome. You’re in good company, as many of the WIRED Reviews team are also side sleepers. So are most Americans. The numbers vary across studies and depend on how rigidly you define “side sleeper,” but between half and three-quarters of people sleep on their side for at least part of the night.
If you're a side sleeper, you know how crucial it is that your bed keeps your back aligned while the hips and shoulders get some cushioning. Otherwise, it's a disaster. Without enough lumbar support, your middle is sinking in way farther than the rest of your body. Meanwhile, your hips and shoulders get that much more strain placed on them, especially if the bed is not forthcoming with pressure relief. It doesn't paint a cozy picture, which is why we side sleepers want something that accomplishes the lumbar support, pressure relief, and comfort trifecta.
Many of our testers side-sleep and can speak to the necessity of these mattress performance factors firsthand, including director Martin Cizmar and reviewer Julia Forbes, a certified sleep science coach. It's never so simple as just lying down on a mattress and saying “Eureka!” That's why we spend at least a week with each model to monitor our daily sleep and feelings toward each one. We as a team have collectively spent years testing hundreds of mattresses. Of those hundreds of options, we whittled it down to our 12 that we wholeheartedly can say are the best mattresses for side sleepers.
Be sure to check out our other sleep guides, including the Best Mattresses, Best Organic Mattresses, and the Best Body Pillows for Side Sleepers.
Updated January 2026: We’ve revamped this list with two recently tested mattresses: The Rejuvenate by Personal Comfort, which is our pick for side sleepers looking for a smart bed, and the Casper Dream Hybrid for side-sleeping couples, and ensured up-to-date links and prices.