Best Hybrid Mattress for Side Sleepers

The Amerisleep AS3 Hybrid is our favorite hybrid mattress for a number of reasons, but most importantly, we love this bed because it feels comfortable for the majority of sleepers.

Amerisleep offers hybrid counterparts of their AS2, AS3, and AS5 mattresses. Their AS3 memory foam mattress is their best-seller, so we expect most people to love their AS3 Hybrid (but that’s not to say the AS2 and AS5 Hybrids aren’t comfortable, too!).

The AS3 Hybrid is a perfect medium in firmness, so it always feels soft but supportive—you won’t have to worry about sinking or feeling like you’re sleeping on a rock. And not only is this mattress super comfy for side, back, and combo sleepers, it’s also made of plant-based materials, so it won’t have that “new mattress” smell so many other foam beds have.

The AS3 Hybrid features 3 inches of Bio-Pur®, a plant-based memory foam, 8 inches of pocketed coils, and a 1-inch base layer for structural support. The comfort layer of memory foam is thick enough to cushion the shoulders and hips to prevent pain points, and the coils beneath offer extra zoned support, reinforcing the torso while allowing for deeper compression under the shoulders and hips.

Amerisleep offers a 100-night sleep trial and a 20-year warranty with their AS3 Hybrid, as well.

The Zoma Hybrid Mattress is an excellent option for athletes and those who have an active lifestyle. Cooling foams and responsive coils keep you comfortable for a pain-free night of sleep.

The Zoma Hybrid Mattress starts with a breathable cover that wicks away moisture. This ventilated fabric is soft and stretchy, flexing easily under pressure and allowing body heat to escape.

The top layer contains 2 inches of gel memory foam, which absorbs and dissipates body heat. You won’t wake up feeling hot or experience uncomfortable night sweats.

The 2-inch Reactiv™ transition foam cushions your body from the innerspring support layer. Reactiv™’s high elasticity adjusts to shifting weight and prevents the body from sinking too deeply. Reactiv™ also enhances the contouring properties of the gel memory foam comfort layer.

The pocketed coils support layer is 7 inches thick and provides a stable base for consistent support. Individually wrapping each coil in fabric restricts noise potential so you’re less likely to wake up from movement. Plus, the pocketed coils improve edge support, a nice feature if you prefer to sleep on the edge of the mattress. A 1-inch base foam protects your bed frame from the pocketed coil base and reinforces the bed’s structure.

Zoma gives you up to 100 nights to try out the Zoma Hybrid. You can return the mattress if it’s not a good fit after the break-in period.

The Zoma Hybrid also comes with a 10-year warranty, covering manufacturing defects and sagging greater than 0.75 inches.

The Vaya Hybrid is an affordable, high-quality mattress perfect for side sleepers. This hybrid has a soft, conforming top layer to cushion pressure points and alleviate tension. Vaya’s comfort layer also has a natural elasticity, keeping sleepers lifted on the mattress rather than sunk. The responsiveness of this material ensures spinal alignment and a safe, healthy sleep position.

The spring coil base of the Vaya Hybrid is made up of 8-inch coils—each wrapped in a lightweight fabric for added comfort. Vaya’s coils move independently of one another, allowing them to respond more accurately to pressure. With this supportive base, the lumbar spine remains stable and supported, while the joints remain cushioned. A 1-inch layer of Vaya’s durable support foam sits beneath this coil base to absorb shock and reduce motion transfer.

All three layers of the Vaya Hybrid are covered in a soft, ventilated fabric to increase airflow and prevent heat retention. Both foam layers are also backed by a CertiPUR-US® certification, guaranteeing the mattress will have minimal off-gassing when brought indoors. 

The Vaya Hybrid comes with a 100-night sleep trial. This risk-free trial gives sleepers plenty of time to become accustomed to the mattress and decide if it is right for them. Vaya also provides a 10-year warranty covering defects that impact the structure of the bed.

While many side sleepers enjoy the balance of support and softness a medium feel mattress offers, others prefer a plush mattress that hugs their bodies’ curves. For those side sleepers seeking an ultra soft experience, we recommend the Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid. It’s the company’s softest option and arguably it’s most luxurious mattress for side sleepers.

The Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid stands 14 inches tall and contains four layers.

The first layer is 3 inches of Bio-Pur® foam, which we mentioned is a eco-friendly memory foam with a breathable and responsive design. Within seconds of lying down the Bio-Pur® foam molds to the body and remains cool throughout the night.

The next layer is 2 inches of Active Flex, a foam that increases the bed’s responsiveness without impacting its soft feel. Active Flex keeps a side sleeper from sinking too far into the mattress, something that can cause spinal misalignment.

The base is 8 inches of responsive pocketed coils with edge support. The coils contour to the body, easing pressure and providing reactive support. Wrappings around the coil keep movements from rippling across the surface. Structuring the mattress is an inch of base foam.

Originally, the AS5 was available as solely a memory foam mattress. The newer hybrid mattress offers more of a weightless feel than the original memory foam model. However, the classic AS5 memory foam mattress has a lower price and a similiar plush surface. Both models are suitable for varying body types, from petite sleepers to heavier individuals.

Like other Amerisleep mattresses, the AS5 Hybrid is backed by a 20-year warranty and a 100-night sleep trial.

The Alexander Signature Hybrid by Nest Bedding offers you some luxury options like six firmness choices, including medium, luxury firm, plush, and three internal split combinations. An internal split combination is when one side of the mattress has a different firmness level than the other (also known as a dual-sided mattress). They’re a great option for couples with different comfort preferences.

If you include the cover, which is quilted to ¼ inch of memory foam, this model has five layers designed to conform, cool, and relieve pressure.

The Alexander Signature Hybrid’s layers are designed to conform to the sleeper while moving heat away from the body. The cover contains thermic phase change fabric quilted to 1 inch of gel-infused memory foam, while the comfort and transition layers consist of Energex™ foam, and SmartFlow Support Foam. Each layer uses a unique technology to enhance airflow and move heat away from the sleeper. They also provide cushioning over the individually-wrapped pocketed coils to relieve pressure while providing support.

Nest Bedding offers a 100-night sleep trial with a required 30-day break-in period. After the break-in period, you can return or exchange the mattress for a different firmness level. They have a limited lifetime warranty that covers flaws, defects, and indentations over one inch. If deemed necessary, Nest Bedding will replace the mattress with the most recent comparable model.

Hybrid mattresses made in the USA ship fast and are made to meeet certain standards. When it comes to one of the best brands with USA-made mattresses, Brooklyn Bedding is definitely up there. For side sleepers who may run a little hot, we recommend the Aurora Hybrid.

The Aurora Hybrid comes in three firmnesses, ranging from soft to medium to firm. The mattress’s exact composition depends on your chosen firmness, with minor variations between the three. We suggest the soft or medium options for side sleepers.

The mattress’s cover fabric features an infusion of TitanCool™, a phase change molecule that maintains a surface temperature of 88 degrees Fahrenheit.

Regardless of which firmness you choose, the first layer is 1.5 inches of CopperFlex™ foam. It’s a flexible foam that adapts to body in different positions, designed to combine the benfits of memory foam with certain qualities latex foam possesses. The copper infusions keeps the surface cool and limits microbial presence.

Both soft and medium mattresses have 2 inches of contouring TitanFlex™ foam with an inch of gel swirl memory foam. The TitanFlex™ foam adjusts to the body’s movements.

The support core is 8 inches of Ascension® coils on top of a 0.75-inch high-density foam base. The foam base reinforces the support of the coils as the compress, while encasements around the coils limit motion transfer.

The Aurora Hybrid has a 4.7-star rating averaged from more than 2000 reviews.

The Aurora Hybrid comes with a 120-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

The Purple® Hybrid mattress contains Purple’s® unique Purple Grid™ technology, also known plainly as the Purple Grid™. Made of a hyper-elastic polymer, this grid conforms to each sleeper’s unique shape while maximizing breathability and reducing motion transfer.

Purple’s® hybrid has a two-inch Purple Grid™ over a thin poly-foam layer and 7.5-inch individually-wrapped pocketed coils. There’s a poly-foam edge around the grid to provide extra edge support. Purple® actually has three versions of the hybrid.

The Purple® Premier has the same design as the Purple® Hybrid, including the pocketed coils, except that the Purple Grid™ comes in either a three or four-inch layer option. In each model, the grid conforms to the sleepers’ shape, relieving pressure at the hips and shoulders while the coils provide responsive support.

Every Purple® mattress comes with a 100-day sleep trial with a 21-day break-in period. During that time, you can exchange or return the mattress only once. They provide a 10-year limited warranty that covers defects and indentations over one inch.

This eco-friendly mattress has 100 percent natural and organic cotton, latex, and wool. The responsive feel of latex over pocketed coils gives the Eco Terra a unique feel for the environmentally-conscious consumer. The Eco Terra is available as a medium or medium-firm mattress, and we recommend the medium option for side sleepers.

The Eco Terra’s cotton cover is GOTS certified and has a soft texture that’s hard to resist. It covers a layer of aerated latex foam that’s ECO-INSTITUT Standard 100 certified, which means it’s free of harmful chemicals. Latex has a bouncier feel than poly or memory foams but still contours to the body. The final layer consists of pocketed coils that independently flex to target pressure points.

The Eco Terra Latex mattress has a 90-day sleep trial with a 30-day break-in period. Should you choose to return the mattress, you must package it, and the manufacturer will arrange for curbside pick up. This model has a 15-year non-pro-rated warranty that covers indentations over 1.5 inches.

Mattress Types to Consider

Different mattress types cater to different types of sleepers. The one that’s right for you will depend on your preferred sleep position, weight, and personal preferences. We’ll go over what you can expect with each type, so you can find the best mattress for you.

Memory Foam Mattresses

Memory foam is a viscoelastic material that stretches and conforms under pressure and heat. For sleepers, that means it changes and adjusts its shape to fit the curves of the body. As it conforms, it feels as though the memory foam partially surrounds your body.

Memory foam can be made in different densities and firmnesses. And, every manufacturer has their own formula, giving their foam unique properties. Memory foam may be mixed with poly-foam layers of varying densities as well. Memory foam mattresses can fall anywhere on the firmness scale from soft to the firm.

Traditionally, memory foam is known for trapping body heat. Manufacturers work around this issue by using gel, copper, graphite, and other infusions to help absorb or move heat away from the body. You’ll also see memory foams with large open-cell or convoluted structures that improve airflow.

Memory foam mattresses are particularly helpful for side sleepers because it can adjust to the sleeper’s body and relieve pressure at the hips and shoulders.

Latex Mattresses

Latex mattresses are made of latex foam through either the Dunlop or Talalay manufacturing process. Talalay latex tends to be bouncier and lighter, so it’s often used in the comfort layer of the mattress. The denser Dunlop latex is usually found in the support layer.

Another option is synthetic latex, which is completely man-made and mimics the feel of Talalay or Dunlop; however, since it doesn’t come from the sustainable rubber tree resource, it can break down faster.

Latex is used as an alternative to memory foam. It contours to the body but doesn’t conform quite as much. It’s also more responsive and bouncy in comparison to memory foam. It, too, can trap heat, which is why it’s often made with aerated channels to promote airflow.

Latex works well for side sleepers who prefer contouring over deep conformability. It also offers a bouncier, more responsive feel for those who don’t like to feel stuck in their mattress.

Innerspring Mattresses

Innerspring mattresses have been around for decades. They consist of an internal coil support system with a quilted top. Some have memory or poly-foam quilted to the cover to help cushion the body.

The coils within the system vary in design from traditional hourglass-shaped (Bonnell coils) to individually-wrapped pocketed coils, which are the same diameter from top to bottom and are not interconnected. Higher-end mattresses tend to have pocketed coils. Their design allows them to relieve pressure in specific areas while reducing motion transfer.

Coils come in different gauges, which affects how firm they are. Mattresses may even have zoned coils so that there’s more support in the back and less in the shoulders. It’s also common to find firmer coils around the edge of the mattress to prevent sagging.

Innersprings come in all firmness levels, though they offer stiffer support than memory foam or latex mattresses. They tend to be bouncier and highly responsive to sleeper movement.

Hybrid Mattresses

Hybrid mattresses have comfort and transition layers made of memory foam, poly-foam, or latex foam with a coil support core. You get the cushioning and conformability of the foam with the responsiveness and extra support of coils. Generally, they have better breathability than all-foam, mixed foam, or memory foam mattresses because air can circulate around the coils. However, they also transfer motion more readily than a foam mattress.

Hybrids are a good solution for couples who have different mattress preferences. Side sleepers who like the cushioning of foam but prefer the responsive support of coils generally like hybrids as well.

Mattress Budget

Mattresses come for as little as $200 and can cost well over $10,000. Budget models fall in the $200 to $700 range. Budget mattresses may have the same comfort as more expensive models, but they don’t usually have the same longevity and durability.

Mid-range models fall in the $700 to $1,200 dollar range. However, this isn’t a hard or fast rule. Some affordable luxury mattresses, those that have intricate stitching in the cover and high-quality materials, start at around $1,000. High-end and luxury mattresses start around $1,200 and go up to about $5,000. These models have excellent durability, so they’ll keep you comfortable for years.

Premium mattresses start around $5,000 and go up to well over $10,000. Hand stitching, high-end fabrics,  all-natural or organic materials, and layers upon layers of premium foams and coils go into these models. A price tag that rivals a new vehicle doesn’t necessarily mean the mattress will last any longer than a well-made model in a more moderate price range. Some have gold in the thread and brass fittings that do nothing more than add to the price.

Sleeping Position

Everyone has a preferred sleep position, though most of us switch throughout the night. Your preferred position affects the kind of support and cushioning you need for all-night comfort.

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers put the full curves of their body into the mattress. A good mattress, one that lets you get a full seven to nine hours of sleep, keeps your spine in a neutral position from head to tailbone.

To prevent pain and stiffness, side sleepers need variable support at the hips and shoulders. They also sleep better with firmer support in the lower back, so the waist doesn’t sink into the mattress’s surface.

If you’re looking for the best mattress for side sleepers, consider memory foam and latex beds, as these are best at contouring and/or conforming to each sleeper’s individual shape— although side sleepers can find comfort on almost any type of mattress as long as it can adjust to the pressure points at the hips and shoulders.

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers more easily keep a neutral spinal position. However, they still need good support in the lower back and cushioning throughout, so pressure doesn’t build at the shoulders and hips. The best mattresses for back sleepers can be medium-soft, medium, or medium-firm, as long as the bed is supportive enough to hold you in neutral alignment.

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleeping puts extra pressure on the lower back, so we don’t recommend it. However, you can’t always change what you do in your sleep or what feels comfortable to you. Stomach sleepers need firmer support, especially through the lower back and hips, to prevent sinkage, which is why the best mattresses for stomach sleepers are firm. Stomach sleepers may also benefit from lighter support in the shoulders to relieve lower back pressure.

Combination Sleepers

As the term suggests, combination sleepers switch between two or all three positions. Because they need different kinds of support and a surface that enables easy movement, the right mattresses for combination sleepers should have a buoyant, medium feel.

Sleeping Cool and Airflow

Your body temperature drops at the onset of sleep and doesn’t reach your daytime temperature again until it’s time to wake up. A mattress that traps heat can wake you prematurely or make it hard to fall asleep.

Mattresses are designed to maximize airflow and reduce heat build-up. Open-cell foams and those infused with gel, copper, and graphite allow air to flow or absorb heat and move it away from the sleeper. Aeration channels and foams with convoluted structures or channels in the surface also promote airflow. Coils create more space for air to flow through and away from the sleeper.

Common Questions

Which type of mattress is best for side sleepers?

Mattress choice is personal, but side sleepers do well on mattresses that contour and conform to the shape of their body. That makes memory foam, latex foam, and hybrids popular choices because the mattress’s support adjusts and relieves pressure as the sleeper moves throughout the night.

How firm should a mattress be for a side sleeper?

Side sleepers often need a softer mattress that allows their shoulders and hips to sink further into the mattress. Firmness level also depends on your weight. The heavier you are, the more support you need to keep the spine aligned. But, generally speaking, side sleepers sleep well on soft, medium, and medium-firm mattresses.

What is the best mattress for a side sleeper with back pain?

Memory foam often works well for side sleepers because it adapts and conforms the longer you sleep on it. It relieves pressure at the shoulders and hips yet still supports the lower back. However, depending on your preferences, a hybrid can provide pressure relief with the extra support of coils.

Is a memory foam or hybrid bed better?

It’s often a matter of personal taste when it comes to whether a hybrid or a memory foam mattress is better for you. Memory foam mattresses tend to let you sink in a bit and cradle you, while a hybrid’s bounce does a better job of keeping you lifted and on top of the mattress.

There are also practical considerations, such as the fact that a hybrid mattress usually costs more than a corresponding memory foam mattress. A hybrid mattress may keep cooler than the average memory foam mattress because the pocketed coils that support a hybrid also promote airflow.

Why do my hips hurt at night when I sleep on my side?

If you’re waking up with sore hips, it may mean that your mattress isn’t relieving enough pressure. You might want to consider adding a soft mattress topper, or even buying a new mattress for hip pain. Keeping a pillow between your legs can also promote hip alignment, preventing you from waking up in pain.

Conclusion

Make your mattress decision based on what feels good to you. As you’re weighing each mattress’s pros and cons, keep in mind that side sleepers need contouring and pressure relief for all-night comfort. No matter the mattress type, the right one for you will be the one that lets you get a full seven to nine hours of sleep.