I’m a side sleeper — 3 things I wish I’d known before sleeping on a hybrid mattress

A woman sleeps on her side on the Nolah Natural 11

(Image credit: Future)

After spending most of my life sleeping on a classic spring bed, I recently tested my first ever hybrid mattress. I'm a side sleeper, so I looked forward to trying out the balanced support and comfort that hybrid beds are renowned for. However, I soon discovered that hybrid mattresses aren't the one-size-fits-all beds that they're purported to be...

Take a look at this year's best mattress guide, and you'll find plenty of hybrid beds. These spring-and-foam mattresses are designed to combine the cushioning comfort of all-foam beds with the support and breathability of traditional innerspring mattresses. But does that mean hybrid beds are some of the best mattresses for side sleepers?

In my experience, hybrid mattresses can offer comfort to side sleepers, but only if you choose the right one. Here, I'll share with you the three things I wish I'd known before choosing a hybrid mattress to try, so you can keep these points in mind when looking for a bed in this month's Presidents' Day mattress sales.

The hybrid mattress I tested...

Nolah Natural 11 Mattress: was from $1,499 $974 at Nolah
I recently tested out this mattress as part of our Nolah Natural 11 Mattress review. The mattress is a 11" natural latex hybrid, complete with five layers of organic materials such as wool, latex, and cotton. While it sleeps cool and boasts a fiberglass-free design, it didn't provide the pressure relief across the shoulders, hips and knees that I was seeking as a side sleeper. Still, it comes with some good benefits such as free shipping, 120-night sleep trial, and lifetime warranty, and it's 35% off in this month's mattress sales.

3 things side sleepers should know about hybrid mattresses

1. Latex hybrids don't provide much pressure relief

Most of the best hybrid mattresses contain a mixture of springs and memory foam. However, the first hybrid mattress I ever reviewed didn't contain memory foam. Instead, I tested an organic hybrid mattress that used springs and natural latex foam instead of memory foam.

A weight tests the centre of the Nolah Natural 11 to measure its pressure relief — (Image credit: Future)

While memory foam is renowned for its body-cradling feel, latex foam is known for its responsive buoyancy, which is more akin to spring mattresses than memory foam beds. This provides great ease of movement for restless and combination sleepers, but doesn't provide the cushioning pressure relief to soothe shoulders and hips while side sleeping.

Overall, memory foam hybrids are the best option for side sleepers. However, if you do want an eco-friendly latex mattress that's plush, check out our Naturepedic Concerto Pillow Top mattress review, which praises the pillow-top latex hybrid for the pressure relief it provides to side sleepers.

2. Medium-firm hybrids won't suit all side sleepers

Many of the best medium-firm mattresses are hybrids, and are often billed as the one-size-fits-all of the mattress world as they're designed to provide that Goldilocks-level of firmness that most sleepers can enjoy. In fact, the majority of the best mattresses in a box come in a medium-firm feel.

However, that doesn't mean that all medium-firm hybrid mattresses are good for everyone, especially side sleepers. How firm a medium-firm mattress is can vary from brand to brand and model to model, and some sleep positions and body types will find them way too firm (especially side sleepers who weigh below 130lbs).

A woman wearing blue and white stripy pyjamas lays on her side on the Helix Midnight Luxe mattress — (Image credit: Future)

My advice? Check out our guide to choosing mattress firmness. If you're a lightweight side sleeper like me, you'll likely need something softer than a medium-firm hybrid bed. Fortunately, there are plenty of ultra-plush mattresses that come in a hybrid design.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of medium to medium firm hybrid mattresses if you're an average or heavyweight side sleeper who needs more support. And even firm mattresses can suit some side sleepers if you don't like a bed with much sink.

3. Pillow-top mattresses offer plenty of sink-in support

Tom's Guide Sleep Features Editor lies on her side on the Saatva Classic mattress during a testing panel review session at our sleep studio — (Image credit: Future)

The best pillow-top mattresses offer plenty of sink-in softness for side sleepers, and the good news is that most of them are hybrids. While not all of them will be the top choice for side sleepers (some pillow-top mattresses are quite firm) a lot of them will have plush, cushioning surface. Others, meanwhile, will give you firmness options so you can choose how soft you want them to be.

What should side sleepers look for in a mattress?

If you're a side sleeper, there are some things you should look out for in a mattress, be it a hybrid or one of the best memory foam mattresses.

A thickness between 10 to 14 inches: A thicker mattress means more comfort layers to cushion key side-sleeping pressure points in your shoulders, hips, and knees. Remember: how thick a mattress should be can also depend on your body weight and mobility capabilities.
Features that will help with sleep issues: When shopping for a mattress, you shouldn't only focus on your sleep position. Think about your other sleep preferences and issues. Do you sleep hot? Look for one of the best cooling mattresses that offer pressure relief. Have lower back pain? Look for a mattress that offers lumbar support as well as plush comfort.
A suitable price: Always consider your budget when shopping for a mattress for side sleeping. For example, there are plenty of best cheap mattresses out there that are pressure relieving enough for side sleepers.

Frances Daniels is a PPA-accredited journalist and Sleep Staff Writer at Tom's Guide with an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University. Her role includes covering mattress and sleep news and writing sleep product reviews and buyer's guides, including our Best Hybrid Mattress 2025 guide. She is hugely interested in the relationship between good sleep and overall health, interviewing a wide array of mattress and sleep experts to create well-informed articles about important topics such as nutrition, sleep disorders (from sleep apnea to night terrors), lucid dreaming, sleep hygiene, and mattress care. She is also our specialist on mattress toppers — producing mattress topper reviews and taking care of our Best Mattress Toppers 2025 guide — and takes the lead on all content related to fiberglass-free mattresses for a clean, non-toxic sleep. Outside of Tom's Guide, she has written for Ideal Home, Homes & Gardens, and Marie Claire.