Best Mattress Topper for Side Sleepers

Do you already have a standard mattress but you are not satisfied with the level of comfort and support you are getting from it? It is too soft or too firm and it prevents you from getting enough sleep, particularly when sleeping on your side. Do you feel like you need a new mattress?

Finding a perfect mattress for side sleeping that will cover all the pressure points and eliminate any other joint pain or discomfort may be extremely hard and you may end up with a mattress that will cause you to toss and turn all night in an attempt to settle down in the best possible position to sleep in.

This is where mattress toppers can help! Buying a mattress topper instead of an entirely new bed can prove to be more economical and effective.

Just like mattresses, they come in a wide range of thicknesses, densities, and materials, and they can be purchased at the fraction of the price of a new mattress, and chosen to fit your specific sleep style.

But again, just like with the mattresses, finding the right mattress topper for side sleeping is not as simple as it sounds. There is a great variety of mattress toppers on the market today that may make choosing the best one for your specific sleep requirements really difficult.

Not every mattress topper may work well for your sleeping position, which is why we have come up with this guide to help you pick the best mattress topper for side sleepers and present you with our top choices. Last updated Mar 10, 2022 @ 5:38 pm

 

 

Why Do You Need a Special Mattress Topper for Side Sleeping?

Every type of sleeper has different sleep requirements and what suits back and stomach sleepers may not suit side sleepers.

So, if you prefer sleeping on your side, you should make sure that you get the best mattress topper for side sleepers that can help you get proper rest and enough of a quality night’s sleep.

Side sleepers can often experience pain in their shoulders, hips and spine resulting from spinal misalignment and the appearance of pressure points due to too soft or too firm mattress.

Side sleepers concentrate most of their weight in the shoulder and hip area, and if they don’t have the right amount of comfort and support from their mattress, they might wake up feeling stiff and in pain.

When you sleep on your side, your body curves need to be cradled and properly supported. Your body should maintain a neutral spinal alignment, and to achieve this, parts of your body that protrude more like hips and shoulders should sink into the mattress to a certain degree and others should stay flat.

This will keep your spine properly aligned and your hips and shoulders will sink down into the mattress enough for pressure relief.

The problem occurs when a mattress is too firm or too soft. If the mattress is too firm, the protruding and concentrated weight areas can’t sink down enough for proper spinal alignment and pressure relief.

On the other hand, if the bed is too soft, then your body will sink too much and back pain and sleepless nights are inevitable.

This is why side sleepers should find a mattress or a mattress topper that can accommodate their uneven weight distribution and provide them with the right balance of comfort and support needed for side sleeping.

What Should You Consider When Choosing a Mattress Topper for Side Sleeping?

Mattress toppers often differ in size and shape, so it may be hard for you to determine which one would work the best for you.

There are a couple of key features and factors that you should consider when searching for the best mattress topper for side sleeping such as: the material of which it is made, the condition of your existing mattress, thickness, firmness, etc.

The Condition of Your Existing Mattress

Before you start looking for a mattress topper, pay attention to the current condition of your existing mattress.

If your mattress is too old, lumpy and sagging in places, then a mattress topper will follow these indentations, particularly softer memory foam mattress topper and your will still wake up feeling tired and in pain.

In such case you should consider getting a brand new mattress before getting a mattress topper. But, if your bed seems to be in a fairly good condition, without any significant damages, then a mattress topper will work just fine.

Thickness

Different sleeping styles require mattress toppers of different thicknesses. Stomach sleepers will go well with thinner mattress toppers, while side sleepers will need something thicker.

If you prefer sleeping on your side, then you choose a ticker mattress topper between 2 or 4″ that will contour to your body and allow your shoulders and hips to sink into it for a perfect pressure relief and proper spinal alignment.

Thicker mattress toppers also last significantly longer than thinner mattress toppers that tend to wear out quickly, especially if you tend to sleep on your side.

Firmness

Mattress toppers come in different firmnesses, and if you are looking for the best firmness for side sleepers, then you should opt for a medium-firm mattress topper.

A medium-firm mattress topper will provide you with the right balance of pressure relieving comfort and support needed for side sleeping.

It will cradle your shoulders and hips and conform to the natural curves of your body. It will allow your protruding areas to sink into it to a certain degree for a perfect pressure relief and proper spinal alignment.

If the mattress topper is too firm, it won’t be able to contour to your body curves and won’t allow your shoulders and hips to sink down in it enough for pressure relief. This will cause you to wake up feeling pain and discomfort around hips, shoulders and lower back.

The same goes with too soft mattress toppers. They will cause you to sink too much into them and even bottom out and lead to your spine bending out of shape which will further cause a great discomfort and back pain.

The Material of Your Mattress Topper

The material of your mattress topper also plays a crucial role in choosing the best one for your preferred sleeping position. The best options here would be memory foam mattress toppers.

Memory foam is one of the most conforming and most comfortable materials available out there. It is designed to cushion your body and relieve pressure points, but also provide enough support to keep your spine aligned.

A mattress topper made of memory foam will balance your joints, keep your shoulders in a natural position and make your existing bed far more comfortable than it used to be and perfect for side sleeping.

Latex mattress toppers come in various shapes, sizes and styles and all of them provide different levels of comfort and support, but they may be best suited for back sleepers and may not be ideal for side sleepers as they are usually firmer and not so cushioning, especially if you are a heavier sleeper weighting over 200 lbs.

Feather, polyester and wool mattress toppers are known for their thermoregulating features and plush feel that they provide, but they may not be the best option for side sleepers as they won’t be able to relieve pressure points like memory foam.

Heat Retention

Heat retention is another important factor that you need to consider before deciding which mattress topper you are going to buy.

There are many mattress toppers made of various materials, and besides picking one that would work best for your preferred sleeping position, you should also pick one that will not retain heat and make you feel uncomfortable throughout the night.

Luckily, manufacturers found a way to deal with this problem by using various gel-infused memory foams and other cooling technologies aimed at keeping you cool and comfortable during the night.

So, if you live in the warm climate and you tend to sleep hot, you should pick one of these mattress toppers that include gel foams in their construction, copper-infused foams, open cell structure foams, etc.

They will prevent the build-up of excessive body heat, sweating and that sticky feeling present with many lower quality all foam mattress toppers.

Also, many of the top brands are now designed to allow greater circulation of air through the topper and aid in cooling. They often include highly breathable covers and fabrics to improve airflow and make toppers cool and pleasant to the touch.

On the contrary, if you live in the cold climate and you often get cold and need something to keep you warm and comfortable, then a mattress topper entirely of a traditional memory foam will be the best option for you.

Top 5 Mattress Toppers for Side Sleeping

Here are our top 5 picks for the best mattress topper for side sleeping:

1. Layla

($269 for a Queen size, click here for the best price on a Layla mattress topper!)

The Layla mattress topper is an excellent mattress topper designed to make your bed plusher while providing enough support necessary to eliminate pressure points and other body aches.

It will allow you to experience that hug on the surface typical for memory foam and conform to your unique body curves while reducing motion transfer.

The copper infused memory foam helps improve circulation and blood flow and has a slow response to pressure, which means that there will be no additional bounce, but you will feel that your body is comfortably cradled instead.

The Layla mattress topper works perfectly for all sleeping positions, especially side sleeping. It will allow your body to sink into it to a certain degree to cradle your hips and shoulders for a perfect pressure relief, while keeping them properly aligned with your spine and eliminating any discomfort.

This is a great mattress topper with great sleep technology including the copper foam and Thermogel in the cover which keeps you cool and comfortable. It provides great support and comfort and is one of the best mattress topper choices for side sleeping.

Get the full Layla mattress topper review.

2. Tempur-Topper Supreme

($319.20 for a Queen size. click here for the best price on a Tempur-Topper Supreme!)

The Tempur-Topper Supreme is a 3″ thick mattress topper made of the proprietary Tempur material and offers a medium to medium-firm feel.

Tempur-Pedic is known for their unique, super dense memory foam that allows you to sink deep into it while contouring to your body and relieving pressure points and this mattress topper is not an exception either. As soon as you lay down on it, you will feel how comfortable it is.

It will react to your body heat and weight and allow you to slowly sink into it for a perfect pressure relief. It will provide you with that classic memory foam hug and feel as it is made of a thick memory foam, but it will also provide you with the right amount of support necessary to keep your spine aligned.

The Tempur-Topper works perfectly for most sleeping positions and types of sleepers, especially for side sleepers as it perfectly molds to hips and shoulders and prevents the appearance of pressure points while it also provides enough support for your spine.

Get the full  Tempur-Topper Supreme review.

3. Brentwood Home Oceano Memory Foam Mattress Topper

($329 for a Queen size. Click here to get the best price on a Brentwood Home Oceano Memory Foam mattress topper!)

The Oceano Memory Foam mattress topper is a 3” thick topper made of the same materials that their Oceano mattress is made with.

It has a 2″ thick layer of CertiPUR-US Gel memory foam designed to relieve your pressure points and distribute your weight evenly across the bed while keeping you cool and comfortable all night long.

There is also a layer of the untreated New Zealand wool that is quilted into the cover and that wicks away moisture, allows greater airflow through the topper and regulates temperature for comfortable sleep.

The gel memory foam will contour to your body and allow you to sink into it for a perfect pressure relief. It will hug and mold to your body but it won’t cause you to feel trapped in foam and it won’t make your moving around in bed or getting in and out of it difficult.

All these features make the Oceano mattress topper perfect for side sleeping.

Click here to read the full Brentwood Home Oceano Memory Foam mattress topper review.

4. PlushBeds Cool Bliss Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper

($239 for a Queen size. click here for the best price on a PlushBeds Cool Bliss Gel Memory Foam mattress topper!)

The PlushBeds Cool Bliss Gel Memory Foam mattress topper is available in two thickness options: 2″ and 3″.

Both versions are made of a special open-cell Cool Bliss gel memory foam which reacts when it is compressed and results in a smooth shift from viscoelastic properties to pressure-relieving gel properties and offers a luxurious Variable Support Factor.

The special Plushfoam used in the construction of this mattress topper draws heat away from the body and keeps you cool and comfortable throughout the night through a patented Multiphase Glass Transition Range technology.

It is a medium-firm mattress topper that provides extraordinary pressure relief ideal for side sleepers and a luxurious Variable Support Factor.

The topper will allow your body to sink into it for excellent pressure relief, but it will provide you with great support at the same time necessary for a proper spinal alignment.

Click here to read our full PlushBeds Cool Bliss Gel Memory Foam mattress topper review. 

5. Molecule Triple Zone Mattress Topper

($249 for a Queen size. click here for the best price on a Molecule Triple Zone mattress topper!)

The Molecule Triple Zone mattress topper is a 3″ thick mattress topper of a medium firmness with a unique construction including various layers of foams.

The special proprietary foams used in the construction of this mattress topper create that classic memory foam feel of hug and contour.

The softer top comfort layer will allow you to sink into it to a certain degree to provide you with a cushioning feel and prevent the appearance of pressure points while the supportive 3-zone layer below will provide the right amount of support.

As soon as you lay down on this mattress topper you will feel the initial softness of the cover and top comfort layer. It will gently mold to your hips and shoulders and cradle your body to prevent the appearance of pressure points and provide you with amazing comfort.

The 3-zone support layer made of the special Recoveryflo foam features a precision-contoured 3D geometric surface that provides support to those parts of your body where it is needed most.

It offers a softer feel in the head and feet region and a firmer feel in the lumbar region and makes this mattress topper ideal for all sleeping positions and all types of sleepers, particularly side sleepers.

Get the full Molecule Triple Zone mattress topper review.

Conclusion

Mattress toppers can change the overall feel of your bed and make it more comfortable and supportive, but there is a wide range of choices available on the online market these days that it can be hard for you to pick the right one for your preferred sleeping position.

If you are a side sleeper, you will need a medium-firm mattress topper that will cradle your shoulders and hips and allow them to sink into it for a perfect pressure relief while also providing enough support needed for proper spinal alignment.

In this guide we have outlined some of the crucial features and factors you need to consider when looking for the best mattress topper for side sleeping.

We have also mentioned what are our top 5 picks, so you will certainly be able to find something that will make your nights more comfortable and that will perfectly suit all your specific needs and sleep preferences.