Best Mattress for Side Sleepers

If you sleep with a partner, you may experience sleep disturbance from their tossing and turning. But a bed with low motion transfer (or high motion isolation) is able to isolate movement on one side of the bed and prevent the sleeper on the other side from feeling it. I test motion isolation by dropping a 10-pound steel ball onto one side of the bed from gradually increasing heights and measuring the disturbance on the other side with a seismometer. When performing this test on the Helix Midnight, I found average motion-isolating abilities. Most sleepers shouldn’t be too disturbed by a restless partner on this bed, but light sleepers may want a bed with lower motion transfer, such as the Nectar Premier.

Mattress support comes down to its construction. The support layer in the Helix Midnight is made from individually wrapped coils that keep the sleeper lifted and prevent too much sinkage. The top foam layers, especially the Helix Response foam, still provide some initial sinkage but are firm enough to keep the spine in the proper position.

I test mattress cooling using a thermal gun to measure how much the mattress heated up after laying on it for five minutes. The Helix Midnight only heated up about five degrees, which indicates good cooling abilities. This bed also contains a layer of coils that promote airflow and breathability. For extra-hot sleepers, purchasing the optional GlacioTex pillow top could help draw even more heat away from the mattress.

Edge support is tested by measuring how strong the mattress is along the sides and whether I feel stable and supported when laying and sitting on it. This is appealing to couples or anyone that simply likes to spread out, as strong edges can make a mattress feel bigger. Strong edges also indicate durability and a lower chance of sagging over time. When measuring the sinkage of the Helix Midnight with a tape measure while sitting on it, I found strong edge support due to its reinforced edge support system. I felt secure and didn’t feel like I was about to slip off the bed.

I test pressure relief by rolling out a specialized mat across the mattress and lying on it in different sleeping positions. The mat is able to sense pressure and translate the results into an easy-to-read graphic using thermal imaging. When sleeping on my side, the mat sensed very little pressure buildup at the shoulders and hips. This tells us that you shouldn’t experience pain on this mattress when sleeping on your side. In fact, I think sleepers with preexisting hip or shoulder pain could find some relief on this bed.

• Phone: Available 11 a.m.–6 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday at 831-777-5976
• Email: help@helixsleep.com or use their contact form
• Live chat: Available 10 a.m.–10 p.m, EST, Monday to Sunday
• Visit in person: View partner showrooms

Helix offers several forms of payment on their website through Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express as well as Google Pay, PayPal, Shop Pay, and Amazon Pay. You can also finance their mattresses through the Affirm financing program.

Helix also offers a 30 percent off site-wide + two free pillows discount to military members, first responders, students and teachers.

Memory foam is typically the best material for motion isolation. Since all-foam mattresses don’t contain coils, there’s less bounce and transfer of movement. The Nectar Premier lived up to my expectations during testing, and the lines on the seismograph indicate you won’t feel your partner tossing and turning at night.

Although this bed doesn’t contain coils (which can add a ton of support to a mattress), I found the Nectar Premier to be very supportive and durable. I could feel the three inches of dynamic response foam easing me onto the 8-inch poly foam base. The poly foam base has a higher density than the top foam layers, so it gave the bed structure and prevented me from sinking too far into the bed.

I was hesitant to test the Nectar Premier for cooling because memory foam mattresses are notorious for trapping heat. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how cool this bed slept. The mattress cover is breathable and cool to the touch. When I used the thermal gun after lying on the bed for 5 minutes, the temperature had only increased by 4.3 degrees, which indicates excellent cooling. I think the Nectar Premier is a great choice for hot sleepers looking for a memory foam mattress.

Since the Nectar Premier doesn’t contain coils or reinforced edges, I had low expectations for its edge support. When I sat on the edge of the mattress, it sunk a bit under my weight. When I laid down directly on the edge, I didn’t feel very stable and thought I might fall off the bed. When I pulled out my yardstick to measure the sinkage, I found the layers had collapsed about 2 inches. The edge support on this mattress isn’t the worst I’ve ever seen, but I would recommend an innerspring bed with stronger edge support to folks with mobility issues.

Based on the pressure map results, I think the Nectar Premier is a great pick for side and back sleepers. This mattress falls at a 6 out of 10 on our firmness scale, making it a medium-soft bed. This firmness level is great for side sleepers who need soft contouring around the hips and shoulders. I also think sleepers struggling with back and hip pain could find relief on this bed.

• Phone: (888) 863-2827, available 7 days a week
• Email: support@nectarsleep.com
• Live chat: Chat available 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST, 7 days a week
• View showrooms: Store locations

Nectar offers fast and secure payments through Visa, Discover, Master Card, American Express, PayPal, AmazonPay with financing options through Affirm financing program and Split It program.

Nectar also offers an extra 5 percent off of their best onsite offer for military members, healthcare professionals, and first responders.

I test motion isolation by dropping a 10-pound steel ball onto the mattress from three different heights and measuring the detected disturbance using a seismometer. If the seismograph displays harsh spiking lines, you’re likely to feel your partner tossing and turning on their side of the bed. When performing this test on the Saatva Classic, the seismometer detected high motion transfer, likely due to the bouncy coil-on-coil construction. In general, innerspring mattresses have a hard time isolating motion because they’re so responsive.

I gave the Saatva Classic 5 stars for support because of its coil-on-coil construction that keeps sleepers lifted up and out of the mattress. This bed definitely has a more “on top” of the bed feel that prevents the spine from sinking and bending. The layer of memory foam in the middle is zoned for support, meaning its firmness fluctuates depending on where the sleeper needs the most support. This layer includes a proprietary Spinal Wire that’s designed to offer additional spinal support.

Innerspring mattresses like the Saatva Classic tend to sleep cooler than memory foam beds due to the airflow supplied by the coils. The Saatva has two layers of coils for even more breathability. When I measured the mattress’s temperature after laying on it for 5 minutes, it had heated up by 9.3 degrees. This indicates good cooling, and I felt pretty cool when resting on it.

If a mattress is just as strong along the edges as it is in the center, couples and single sleepers alike can fully spread out and use the entire surface of the mattress. Strong edges also reduce the risk of the mattress sagging over time. I was extremely impressed by the edge support on the Saatva Classic, as it only sank half an inch when sitting directly on the edge. In fact, this bed has some of the best edge support I have ever seen.

I tested pressure relief on the Saatva Classic by using a specialized mat that senses when pressure is applied. I rolled the mat onto the mattress and layed down in different sleeping positions. The mat then translated the pressure buildup into a graphic using thermal imaging. On the Saatva Classic’s Luxury Firm model, there was a bit of pressure building at the shoulders and hips when side sleeping. I recommend side sleepers choose the Plush Soft model for more sinkage and contouring in those areas.

• Phone: 877-672-2882
• Email: info@saatvamattress.com
• Chat: Available on their website 24/7
• Visit in person: Viewing rooms

Saatva accepts various payment methods like Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, PayPal and Google Pay. You can also pay in installments through Affirm’s financing program.

Saatva also offers a $225 off of $1000 discount for different groups of people like military members, 65 and above, healthcare professionals, students, teachers, first responders and government employees.

The WinkBed contains coils, but isn’t as bouncy as some other hybrid mattresses I’ve tried. I was eager to see how well this bed performed on my motion isolation test. Based on the seismograph, I can say this bed has good motion isolation. Although it has a layer of coils, the foam layer and plush pillow top really put in the work to absorb motion and decrease motion transfer. If you sleep with a restless partner, you’re unlikely to be woken up by their movement.

Although the WinkBed is a luxury hybrid mattress, I thought it had a supportive fee similar to transitional innerspring mattresses. The extra-tall layer of individually wrapped coils act as the main support system. These coils feature multiple support zones, meaning their firmness fluctuates depending on where sleepers need more support. When lying on the WinkBed, I felt very lifted and supported, and my spine was properly aligned when side and back sleeping. I definitely felt more “on” the bed than “in” it, and I think sleepers looking for firmer support could really enjoy the WinkBed.

The WinkBed contains several materials that are designed to promote cooling. The extra-tall layer of pocketed coils provide space inside the mattress for air to flow without becoming trapped. More cooling comes from the Tencel cover, which is naturally moisture-wicking, and the gel-infused Euro pillow top. When I used a thermal gun to record the mattress’s temperature, I found it only increased by 7 degrees after 5 minutes of resting on it. This indicates good temperature regulation. I even thought the bed was cool to the touch, so I’d definitely recommend it to hot sleepers.

I was impressed by the edge support on the WinkBed, especially when sitting on the edges. I used a yardstick to measure how much the bed sunk under my weight when sitting and was surprised that it had only sunk less than half an inch. I felt slightly less stable when lying on the edges, but I still think it’s strong enough for couples and people with mobility issues.

Using a specialized mat, I tested pressure relief on the Luxury Firm model of the WinkBed. When I took a look at the graphic afterward (called a “pressure map”), I saw an even distribution of weight and pressure when back sleeping. However, there was a bit more pressure building at the hips and shoulders when side sleeping. Because of this, I would recommend the Softer model of the WinkBed for side sleepers. This model should be just soft enough to add a bit more sinkage and prevent pain in side sleepers.

• Phone: (888) 863-2827, available 7 days a week
• Email: support@nectarsleep.com
• Live chat: Chat available 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST, 7 days a week
• View showrooms: Store locations

WinkBeds allows payments through different methods like Visa, Discover, American Express, Master Card, GooglePay, and ShopPay. They also offer financing options through Bread Pay and Katapult.

If you’re a military member or first responder, WinkBeds also offers an additional $50 discount on mattresses.

I was super-impressed with the motion isolation on the Nolah Evolution. When I took a look at our seismograph, I saw very small lines with minimal spiking, which indicates low disturbance. Even though the bed contains bouncy coils, the top layers of foam help absorb motion and prevent it from traveling to the other side of the bed. Based on these results, I think this mattress is great for couples, especially if one or both partners tend to toss and turn. You may detect larger movements, like getting in and out of bed, but your sleep shouldn’t be disturbed otherwise.

When I tested this bed, I found it incredibly supportive. The main support system is Nolah’s patented HDMax EcoSupport Coils, which do a great job at keeping the sleeper lifted and propping the spine into neutral alignment. The two comfort layers and transition layer were pressure relieving, but also supported my joints. The mattress’s support is enhanced even more from the inch of high-density support foam under the coils. This layer gives the coils something to bounce off of when weight is applied.

As I’ve mentioned before, coils in mattresses do a lot to help with airflow and keep the bed breathable, and the coils in the Nolah Evolution do just that. Additional cooling comes from the two comfort layers. The first comfort layer contains Nolah’s ArticTex fibers, which help cool down the foam. The next layer of AirFoamICE is similar to Nolah’s proprietary AirFoam, except this foam is infused with graphite, which helps prevent heat trapping. Although I haven’t tested this mattress with our temperature-reading thermal gun yet (stay tuned), I think this bed sleeps pretty cool and can help prevent overheating.

In addition to helping with overall support, the 8-inch layer of HDMax Eco Support Coils help with support along the Nolah Evolution’s edges. The coils are wrapped with Edge-Tech support foam, which reinforces the edges and ensures the bed’s perimeter will be just as strong as the center. When I tested the edges myself, I found solid support. The edges were just as supportive as the rest of the bed, and I felt very secure.

The Nolah Evolution is a medium-firm mattress, so it should provide a nice balance between pressure relief and spinal support for side sleepers. This was confirmed by the pressure map, which shows minimal pressure building at the hips and shoulders when side sleeping. I personally felt a lot of sinkage and pressure relief in those areas when side sleeping, and felt like my joints were being hugged by the bed. Most side sleepers should be very happy on this mattress, but side sleepers with preexisting hip pain might want a bed that’s just a tad softer.

• Phone: 866-403-6615, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. CST, Monday–Friday
• Email: support@nolahmattress.com, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. CST, Monday–Friday
• Live chat: Available 8 a.m.–5 p.m. CST, Monday–Friday
• View showrooms: Store locator

Nolah accepts payments from Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, PayPal, and Shop Pay. They also offer financing through Affirm’s financing program.

Nolah does not offer any additional discounts for groups of people.

I was very satisfied with the motion isolation abilities of the Saatva Rx. When I took a look at the seismograph, there were some spiking lines, but I didn’t find these too concerning since they went right back down immediately. This tells me that you might feel large movements from a partner, such as getting out of bed, but typical tossing and turning shouldn’t wake you up.

I gave the Saatva Rx 5 stars for support because of its sturdy construction that’s durable and comfortable for sleepers of all weights. The mattress contains microcoils and pocketed coils, which work together to support the spine. Additionally, the first layer of foam you’ll feel contains zoned support, so its firmness fluctuates depending on where you need the most support.

The Saatva Rx is an overall good mattress for hot sleepers looking to stay cool. With a tall section of coils, there’s plenty of room for air to flow in and out of the bed without getting trapped. The organic cotton cover is naturally breathable, and the gel-infused memory foam helps the bed sleep even cooler. When I tested the Saatva Rx’s cooling abilities with a thermal gun, I recorded an 8-degree increase in temperature after laying on it for 5 minutes. This qualifies as good cooling, and I think hot sleepers can be very satisfied on this bed.

The edge support on the Saatva Rx is a bit all over the place. When I sat directly on the edge of the mattress, there was a lot of sinkage and the layers collapsed under my weight. When I tried actually lying on the edge, I felt much more supported and didn’t see a ton of sinkage. Edge support is the most important when you’re lying down and sleeping, so I’m satisfied with the Saatva Rx’s performance in this area.

I think the Saatva Rx is an excellent choice for side sleepers needing pressure relief. Looking at our pressure map, there’s not a whole lot of pressure building at the hips and shoulders when side sleeping. Likewise, I found great pressure relief when sleeping on my back. I felt comfortable in either sleeping position and don’t foresee pain or stiffness becoming an issue.

• Phone: 877-672-2882
• Email: info@saatvamattress.com
• Chat: Available on their website 24/7
• Visit in person: Viewing rooms

Saatva accepts various payment methods like Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, PayPal and Google Pay. You can also pay in installments through Affirm’s financing program.

Saatva also offers a $225 off of $1,000 discount for different groups of people like military members, 65 and above, healthcare professionals, students, teachers, first responders and government employees.

Based on my seismometer test, I think the Bear Elite Hybrid is a great bed for couples, or anyone co-sleeping with someone that tosses and turns. The lines on the graph are quite small, and there’s only a large spike when I dropped the steel ball from the highest level (which represents someone jumping on the bed). If you share the bed with someone else, the Bear Elite Hybrid could be a great choice for reducing sleep disturbances.

The Bear Elite Hybrid is a very supportive mattress thanks to its coil-on-coil construction that lifts the sleeper up and out of the mattress. One layer of coils helps a lot with spinal support, but two layers makes for an ultra-supportive bed. When I tested the mattress, I felt a lot of support coming from the contour layer, a layer of foam with five zoned sections. Each section of the foam has a different firmness level depending on which part of the body needs soft contouring and which part needs firm support.

With coils that promote airflow and breathable phase change material fabric, the Bear Elite Hybrid is cool to the touch and a solid choice for hot sleepers. I recorded the Bear Elite Hybrid’s temperature with a thermal gun before and after laying on it for 5 minutes, and it increased by 10 degrees. I’m pretty happy with these results, especially because I personally felt its cooling abilities when lying on it. I think the copper-infused foam does a lot to cool the sleeper down and prevent sweaty nights.

The Bear Elite Hybrid has edge-to-edge coils along its perimeter, so I had high expectations for its edge support. When sitting and laying along its sides, I felt very secure. There was some sinkage when sitting on the edge of the bed, but I didn’t feel unstable or like I was about to slip off. I felt the most supported when laying directly on the edge and thought it felt just as strong as the middle of the bed, which is excellent. The strong edges can make getting in and out of bed easier, so this mattress may appeal to people with mobility issues.

I was really impressed by the pressure map results for the Bear Elite Hybrid. There’s very little pressure building at the back, hips, and shoulders when side and back sleeping. My only concern is the slight pressure forming at the shoulders, knees, and lower back when side sleeping. Most side sleepers shouldn’t experience pain on this mattress, but I’d recommend side sleepers with severe joint pain to opt for the Soft model of this mattress.

All forms of contact are available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.

• Phone: (844) 311-0035
• Email: support@bearmattress.com
• Live chat: Available on their website or through text
• View showrooms: Store locator

Bear offers payment through most major credit card companies like Visa, Master Card, American Express, and Discover. They also offer payments through PayPal, Google Pay, Venmo and Shop Pay. If you’re interested in paying in installments, they also offer financing options through Affirm and Shop Pay financing programs.

If you are a military member, first responder, healthcare professional or teacher, you can get 40 percent off  on all Bear products.

If you sleep with a partner, you may appreciate the motion isolation from the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe. The seismograph didn’t display a ton of spiking lines, and the vibrations were relatively small. If you sleep lightly, you may feel your partner moving on the other side of the mattress. However, I think most sleepers won’t experience too much disturbance from someone tossing and turning next to them. At most, you’ll likely feel them getting in and out of the bed.

This Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe is constructed with layers of premium foams and a zoned coil core. The foams help a lot with pressure relief, but the coils are the MVP when it comes to support. These coils are very tall (8 inches) and feel firmer and softer depending on what part of the body they’re supporting. I even think this mattress could be good for stomach sleepers, who typically need a lot of support to keep their hips in line with their shoulders.

Copper and gel are two popular memory foam infusions that can help with cooling, and the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe contains a layer of each. The copper-infused layer is also treated with TitanCool, a phase change material that promotes air flow. The coils bring the bed together and add extra breathability. When using the thermal gun after laying on the bed for 5 minutes, I only found a temperature increase of 5 degrees, which indicates good cooling. Hot sleepers should feel very cool and comfortable when sleeping on this bed.

This mattress has great edge support. When sitting and laying on the edge of the bed, I felt super secure and didn’t feel any risk of slipping off. I used a yardstick to measure how much the layers collapsed under my weight and found only 2 inches of sinkage. If you like to spread out, you could appreciate the sturdy perimeter of this bed.

For side sleepers seeking pressure relief at the hips and shoulders, I would recommend the Soft model of the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe. I tested the pressure relief on the Medium model and saw some pressure building when sleeping on my side. However, I think the Soft model would provide better cushioning and body contouring for optimal pressure relief. You can also add a pillow top to this bed for an additional charge, which may be a good idea suffering from hip pain.

• Phone: 623-624-1222
• Email: support@brooklynbedding.com
• Live chat: Chat available Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m. EST and Saturday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. EST
• Visit showrooms: Store locator

Brooklyn Bedding accepts payments from Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, Shop Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal. They also offer financing options through Affirm and Shop Pay’s financing programs.

Brooklyn Bedding also offers 30 percent off and free shipping on all orders for military members, first responders, medical providers, educators, and students.

When I performed the motion isolation test on the Leesa Sapira Chill, I was happy with the results. When looking at the seismograph, the lines displayed aren’t too big, and there’s no out-of-control spikage happening. Based on these results, I think you’ll probably detect large movements, but regular tossing and turning is unlikely to disturb your sleep.

When I tested this bed, I thought it had terrific support levels. The foam layer worked together to add cushioning as they eased my body onto the thick base layer of individually pocketed coils. Like a lot of mattresses on this roundup, the Leesa Sapira Chill contains zoned support coils to promote spinal alignment. The bed is pretty plush, but I didn’t sink too far into the layers. Most sleepers will likely feel more “on” the bed than “in” it.

The Leesa Sapira Chill was designed to include cooling materials that help prevent overheating. Upon laying down, I could immediately tell that the bed was cool to the touch. According to Leesa, the cover was created with cooling fibers designed to keep your skin at 88 degrees. The mattress also includes cooling gel-infused foam and breathable pocketed coils. When I used the thermal gun on the Leesa Sapira Chill after 5 minutes of laying on it, I discovered that its temperature increased by 6.3 degrees. These are pretty good cooling results, and I think the Leesa Sapira Chill is one of the most cooling mattresses on this roundup.

The edge support on the Leesa Sapira Chill is pretty impressive. No matter how close to the edge of the bed I was, I still felt completely secure and supported. Even when sitting on the edge and putting my full weight onto the layers, I barely sank in. I think this bed could be great for folks with mobility issues or couples wanting to fully spread out.

As I mentioned earlier, this bed comes in multiple firmness options. I tested the Medium-Firm model and tested it using our pressure map. I usually recommend the softest model to side sleepers, but I found excellent pressure relief when laying in this position. I think this bed could help a lot with back, shoulder, and hip pain.

All forms of contact are available Monday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST

• Phone: 844-335-3372
• Email: support@leesa.com
• Live chat: Available on their site during business hours and through text at 877-548-5145
• Visit showrooms: Store locator

Leesa accepts payments from major credit card companies like Visa, Master Card, American Express and Discover. They also accept express payment methods like Shop Pay, PayPal, Amazon Pay, and Venmo. If you’re interested in paying in installments, they also offer a financing option through Affirm’s financing program.

Leesa offers a $50 discount on mattresses for military members, educators, students, healthcare professionals, and first responders.

When testing motion isolation on the Titan Plus Luxe, I thought it was pretty average. The 4-inch ball drop, which replicates normal tossing and turning, showed very small vibrations on the seismograph, so my expectations were high. However, as I increased the height of the ball drop, I noticed some pretty intense spiking on the graph. I don’t think sleepers will be disturbed by someone tossing and turning on the other side of the bed, but I do think they might wake up if their partner gets in and out of bed.

This mattress was designed to support sleepers weighing over 250 pounds, and it lived up to our expectations. I asked Paulie to help test the Titan Plus Luxe since he falls in the heavyweight sleeper category and could provide an accurate scope of how the bed performed. When it came to support, he felt best on his side and back. The Energex foam offered the compression support his body needed, and the TitanCaliber coils helped keep him lifted.

Based on the Titan Plus Luxe’s construction, I think it’s a great bed for hot sleepers. The mattress cover contained gel-infused memory foam, a material known to help draw heat away from the mattress. The individually wrapped TitanCaliber coils also add space for air to flow through the mattress instead of becoming trapped in its layers. Upon checkout, you can purchase the optional cooling top panel, which can help the bed sleep even cooler. I haven’t tested this mattress with my thermal gun yet, so stay tuned for those results.

The Titan Plus Luxe has excellent edge support. The heavy-duty edges allow heavy sleepers to sleep or sit directly on the edges and still feel incredibly supported. When Paulie tried out the edges, he felt more than supported and could use the entire surface of the bed.

Since this mattress was designed with heavier sleepers in mind, I asked Paulie to step in for the pressure map test. Looking at his results, I don’t see a ton of pressure building at the shoulders or hips when he was on his side. In fact, Paulie said he felt very comfortable and didn’t experience any stiffness or sore joints. Based on these results, I’d say the Titan Plus Luxe is great for relieving pressure for heavy side sleepers.

• Phone: 623-624-1222
• Email: support@brooklynbedding.com
• Live chat: Chat available Monday–Friday, 10 a.m. –9 p.m. EST and Saturday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. EST
• Visit showrooms: Store locator

Brooklyn Bedding accepts payments from Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, Shop Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal. They also offer financing options through Affirm and Shop Pay’s financing programs.

Brooklyn Bedding also offers 30 percent off and free shipping on all orders for military members, first responders, medical providers, educators, and students.