What kind of sleeper are you? Do you like to sleep on your back or your stomach? Or do you keep moving throughout the night and you don’t have a preferred sleeping position?
However, if you know that you are a “side sleeper”, you have probably found out that sometimes, it’s not easy to make yourself comfortable. That is because most beds are not designed to suit side sleeping.
Buying a mattress specifically designed for side sleepers can be quite expensive. On top of that, your partner does not have to share the same sleeping position preference.
That’s why getting a mattress topper for side sleepers can be just what you need to provide extra comfort and depth to ensure restful sleep. A great topper will make your mattress feel softer and improve sink-ability, making it easier to split your weight evenly.
What are the best mattress toppers designed specifically for side sleepers?
7 Best Mattress Toppers for Side Sleepers
1. Sleep Innovations 4-inch Dual Layer
2. Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR Supreme
3. LUCID Ventilated Memory Foam
4. ViscoSoft 4 Inch Pillow Top Gel
5. Exceptional Sheets Rayon
6. Red Nomad
7. Exceptional Sheets Pillowtop
Best Mattress Toppers for Side Sleepers
1. Sleep Innovations 4-inch Dual Layer
- Thickness: 4″
- Materials: Quilted fibre fill and gel memory foam
- Warranty: 10 years
One of our best picks, this mattress topper combines quality materials with impressive performance. With 4-inches thick gel-infused memory foam, it creates one of the most luxurious feels for your bed.
This topper is designed to be suitable for side, back as well as stomach sleepers since it holds its shape over time. Made of two layers, the combination of 2″ gel memory foam and 2″ quilted fibre filling creates a superior sleeping experience of sinkable softness. The topper also includes a washable cover so the freshness of the topper is easy to maintain.
This topper is also good at spreading body heat evenly and the material will make you feel supported as well as comfortable at the same time.
As it is common, the gel memory foam material comes with a strong smell when it’s new, so it would be a good idea to let it air out for a few days before using it.
Pros
- Luxurious 4″ thickness
- Suitable for different kinds of body support
- High-quality gel memory foam design
- Good range of sizes available
Cons
- Smells when new and needs to be aired out before use
- Loses shape over time
2. Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR Supreme
- Thickness: 3″
- Materials: Memory foam
- Warranty: 10 years
Another well-designed topper by the experts at the Tempur-Pedic company, this topper does an excellent job at contouring your body and ensuring a more restful sleep. This makes the topper ideal for those who tend to wake up feeling achy or suffer from back pain.
What makes this topper stand out is the material used. The Tempur-Pedic’s proprietary foam has a superior ability to adjust to your body and provide luxurious comfort and support that is personalised for you.
This reliable and long-lasting topper is stronger than any other standard mattress topper made from memory foam and will provide the needed comfort for side sleepers.
This topper is also easy to maintain and you can just roll it away when not using it and wash the removable cover in your washing machine when you feel like it needs a refresh.
This mattress topper also comes with a significant smell and needs to be aired out before you can use it. The company doesn’t offer a trial period, which means that if you find that this topper isn’t right for you, it might be hard to return. However, its superior qualities make it a solid choice.
Pros
- Relieves pressure from hips and shoulders
- Thick and luxurious feel providing superior sleeping experience
- High-quality material
- Easy maintenance with roll-away function and washable cover
Cons
- Significant off-gassing smell
- Can be prone to storing heat
3. LUCID Ventilated Memory Foam
- Thickness: 3″
- Materials: Ventilated gel memory foam
- Warranty: 3 years
A quality mattress topper that transforms your sleep quality doesn’t have to come with a high price tag, as you could assume. A budget-friendly topper could be a great solution when you are not satisfied with the mattress you currently have.
With 3 inches of ventilated gel memory foam, this topper performs well in improving softness and pressure relief. The gel inside the mattress also makes the topper breathable and the LUCID mattress topper is even more responsive and lightweight than a standard one.
With this mattress topper, you can rely on good temperature regulation and supporting the pressure points well. However, it does come with an off-putting smell when new. This would be solved by letting the topper air out for a couple of days before using it. The topper comes with a 3-year warranty that guarantees decent durability.
It’s important to note that this budget-friendly option might not be suitable for a heavier sleeper because it’s very soft. A great way to test out the amount of firmness that you require is to try laying on a softer mattress and seeing how much you sink into it. And if you see that you sink deep into the mattress, it helps you to determine that you might require a firm topper.
Pros
- Great price
- Comfortable and plush
- High-quality material
- Good at keeping cool at night
- Great fit for side sleepers
Cons
- Strong smell when new
- Can be too soft for heavier sleepers
4. ViscoSoft 4 Inch Pillow Top Gel
- Thickness: 4″
- Materials: Gel memory foam and down alternative
- Warranty: 5 years + 60-day money-back guarantee
One of the main issues when sleeping on a mattress that is not designed with your desired sleeping position in mind is that it can cause pain in certain pressure points, particularly causing shoulder pain for side sleepers.
If that sounds like an issue that you are facing, ViscoSoft memory foam topper could be a great solution. This topper doesn’t only offer the best price point but also impressive features. It’s made out of 2.5″ of neutral gel memory foam and 1.5″ fluffy down alternative which is designed to provide relief from the pain and transform your sleep.
It also includes a removable cover which helps to maintain the topper clean and fresh. If you want to test the topper for yourself, the good news is that it comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Even though ViscoSoft says they’ve done everything to reduce the smell of the topper, you’re still going to get some off-gassing. And while gel memory foam should help with reducing the heat, this topper is prone to being too hot, which is why you might need to reconsider buying it, depending on how sensitive of a sleeper you are.
Pros
- Best designed for side sleepers and relieving shoulder pain
- Exceptionally comfortable and soft
- Advanced foam material
- Includes removable cover
Cons
- Slight off-gassing smell
- Might be too soft for some sleepers
- Prone to getting too hot at night
5. Exceptional Sheets Rayon
- Thickness: Pillowtop pad and 18″ deep fitted skirt
- Materials: Bamboo rayon and down alternative
- Warranty: 30-day money-back guarantee
Depending on the materials used to design the mattress topper, especially different to memory foam, some of them are defined as pads rather than official toppers. This topper from Exceptional sheets is made out of rayon bamboo material and down alternative.
This soft pad makes you feel like lying down on a cushion and comes with a long skirt that can be tucked into the sides of the bed, ensuring that the topper stays in place. It is filled with Revoloft, an innovative fiberfill solution similar to goose down while still being highly hypoallergenic.
Designed specifically to relieve pressure points and help with back or shoulder pain, the Revoloft material is guaranteed to transform the sleep of any side sleeper. Additionally, it comes with a 100% money-back guarantee which makes it a good buy even for those who are not sure that the topper will meet their expectations.
While this topper is excellent at helping with the pain and controlling the heat, it might be difficult to clean and prone to clumping over time, which would reduce the comfortability of the topper. To prevent this, it would be ideal to have the topper professionally cleaned.
Pros
- The best alternative material to memory foam
- Keeps cool at night
- Great for back pain, discomfort and those who are looking for softness rather than support
- Hypoallergenic
Cons
- Difficult to clean
- Prone to clumping
6. Red Nomad
- Thickness: 2″
- Materials: Visco Elastic memory foam
- Warranty: 10 years
This mattress topper is ideal for those looking for additional support around their pressure points. Made from memory foam material, it is sensitive to weight and temperature, which means that it can adjust to the shape of your body ensuring a more relaxing sleep.
It is one of the few mattress toppers able to provide pressure relief as well as be successful at keeping the mattress cool at night. The innovative cooling material comes with additional motion transfer control which minimizes the disruption in sleep for couples.
Keeping your spine well-aligned and meeting the standards if the CertiPUR-US program, this topper is great at relieving pain and being supportive just where you need it. Due to its dimensions, it can fit any sheets but keep in mind that it is quite heavy and not easy to manage, as reported by sleepers.
As it is common with foam toppers, the off-gassing smell at the beginning is quite overpowering and we recommend to let it air out first.
Pros
- Great material for heat management
- Efficient at reducing motion transfer
- Good back and side support
- Made to CertiPUR standards
Cons
- Strong smell when new
- Not as dense
- Heavy and difficult to move
7. Exceptional Sheets Pillowtop
- Thickness: Pillowtop pad and 18″ deep fitted skirt
- Materials: Polyester fibre fill
- Warranty: 100% money-back guarantee
This mattress topper is designed specifically for those who are struggling with hip pain and looking for the right mattress topper that would eliminate their discomfort as well as be free of toxins and radicals. It comes in a range of sizes to transform your sleep experience.
The Exceptional Sheets pillowtop comes with polyester fibre clusters that are superior to the sinkable memory foam and ensure a comfortable sleep. Thanks to a down-style filling, it is also more breathable and has anti-allergenic properties that protect against bacteria.
An additional bonus is a 100% money-back guarantee which gives you a peace of mind before buying since you can just return it in case it doesn’t satisfy your needs.
The cushioning of this topper helps with relieving pressure points in your body and is great for those who are looking to enhance comfortability rather than extra support of their old mattress. The negatives are that it might be too thin for some people as well as not being easy to clean.
Pros
- Good cooling properties
- Soft on your pressure points and hips
- High-quality hypoallergenic materials and cover
Cons
- Quite thin
- Difficult to clean
- Not true to size
Factors to Consider When Buying Mattress Toppers for Side Sleepers
To maximize the comfortability of your sleep, it is important to choose the bedding or a mattress topper that is tailored to your sleep position. What are the main factors to consider before buying a topper as a side sleeper?
1. The Thickness
When looking at the thickness of the topper, consider your body weight and body type. If the topper is too thin, you’ll sink into the foam below.
2. The Materials
The materials used for the topper depend on your preferences. Popular foam materials make you feel like you’re surrounded by material but might not be cool enough for a hot sleeper who should consider alternative down materials.
3. The Features
Some mattress toppers offer other extras like luxury, plush, or hypoallergenic cover that is easy to clean.
4. The Price
Consider your budget as well as toppers that offer quality as well as value for money.
5. The Smell
A memory foam toppers usually come with an unpleasant off-gassing smell which needs to be aired out for a few days. However, in some of the toppers, the smell is not so strong.
If you are a side sleeper, choosing a mattress topper that is designed for this sleep position and relieves the pressure points as well as offering support where you need it most can transform your sleeping experience and is worth the investment.
