Best mattresses for side sleepers

Every Purple mattress on this page relieves pressure for side sleepers — the question is how deep. The Purple Mattress® and PurplePlus® Mattress start with 2" of GelFlex Grid for consistent hip and shoulder relief. The RestorePlus® Mattress steps up to a deeper 3" Grid with zoned coil support — a popular pick for side sleepers dealing with hip or shoulder pain or discomfort. For maximum cradling, the RejuvenatePremier® Mattress and RejuvenateUltimate® Mattress deliver 4" and 5" of layered GelFlex Grid for the deepest pressure relief in the lineup. 

Medium to medium-soft is generally the sweet spot — roughly a 4 to 6 on a firmness scale. Side sleepers need enough give at the shoulders and hips to reduce pressure, but enough support underneath to keep the spine aligned. Too firm creates painful pressure buildup at contact points; too soft lets the hips sink and throws alignment off. The GelFlex Grid handles both — flexing under pressure points while staying firm where your body is broader.

Most mattresses force a trade-off: soft enough to relieve pressure, or firm enough to support alignment. The GelFlex Grid does both at once. Its 1,400+ gel columns buckle precisely under concentrated weight, like shoulders and hips, while staying rigid under broader surfaces like your back and legs. The result is cradling where you need it and support where you don't, without the sinking-in feeling of laying directly on memory foam.

Memory foam contours by compressing slowly, which relieves pressure but can leave you feeling stuck and sleeping hot. The GelFlex Grid is instantly adaptive, so it responds the moment you move and never traps you in place. Its open-air column structure also promotes airflow throughout the night. For side sleepers who want pressure relief without the "quicksand" feel of foam, the GelFlex Grid is a meaningful difference.

Yes — and it's one of the most common reasons people switch to Purple. The GelFlex Grid is designed to relieve pressure at exactly the points where side sleepers tend to build it up: the outer hip, the shoulder socket, and the knee. Purple mattresses are validated by SleepScore Labs to deliver 63% less sleep-interfering pain — so you're not just sleeping more comfortably; you're waking up with less of it.

Both collections use the GelFlex Grid, but they're engineered differently. Restore Hybrid mattresses pair the Grid with a responsive coil system for targeted, zoned support — great for side sleepers who also need help managing heat. Rejuvenate mattresses add the DreamLayer® top for immediate surface comfort, plus deeper layered Grid construction (3"–5") for more immersive pressure relief. If managing heat is the priority, Restore. If maximum cradling is, Rejuvenate.

It's one of the best options available. The GelFlex Grid adapts instantly as you shift positions — no lag, no readjustment period. Side sleepers who roll to their back or stomach during the night will feel consistent pressure relief and spine alignment regardless of where they land. Models like the RestorePlus® and RejuvenatePlus® with their medium to medium-soft feel tend to work especially well for combination sleepers, so you wake up aligned no matter where the night takes you.