Best Mattress for Side Sleepers in Canada
Don’t you just love to curl up on your side and drift away to the Land of Nod? You’re not alone!
Around 60% of Canadians prefer the lateral position to others (1).
But did you think that the right mattress can drastically improve your sleep quality?
Well, you know about it now, and our team has done all the research and came up with a detailed guide on how to choose the best mattress for side sleepers in Canada, as well as the finest recommendations, so check them out right below!
A Quick Preview
Best Overall — Editor’s Choice
Thickness: 10 inches
Firmness: medium
Layers: 3
Trial: 101 nights
Warranty: lifetime
Best for Those Who Sleep Hot
Thickness: 10 inches
Firmness: medium-firm
Layers: 3
Trial: 120 nights
Warranty: 15 years
Best for Overweight Side Sleepers
Thickness: 10 inches
Firmness: medium-firm
Layers: 3
Trial: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Our List of the Bed Mattresses for Side Sleepers in Canada
Best Overall — Editor’s Choice
Puffy
Highlights:
- one firmness fits all users;
- features proprietary materials to make your sleep cooler;
- the washable and stain-resistant cover protects you from dust mites and bacteria;
- low motion transfer prevents any sleep disturbances;
- instant contouring for your pressure points.
So, let’s start with the absolute best mattress for side sleepers in Canada, according to user reviews, the Puffy. This medium memory foam mattress with an incredible hug and breathable design easily moulds to your body and relieves tension in hips and shoulders in no time.
The medium feel of the Puffy suits lightweight and average-weight sleepers, and, if combined with a good supportive base, for sleepers with a bit of extra weight. The mattress perfectly supports the natural spine alignment in the lateral position by adopting your body shape, so your sleep will be comfy and relaxed.
Along with that, the upper layer of the Puffy is made of the proprietary Cooling Cloud gel foam, which kind of speaks for its name. Gel beads effectively withdraw body heat and let it dissipate into the air, so you’ll never sleep hot on this mattress.
To sum it up, the Puffy is the perfect choice for any side sleeper — it’s cradling, supportive, doesn’t trap your movements, and will prevent you from overheating even on summer nights.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Medium is a perfect firmness level for side sleeping | The zipper on the cover seems a bit weak |
| Instantly adjusts to your body curves and doesn’t create pressure points | Off-gassing may occur for the first couple of nights |
| Doesn’t accumulate body heat | |
| Easy to maintain a fresh look due to a washable cover | |
| Absorbs movements but doesn’t feel like quicksand |
Best for Those Who Sleep Hot
Douglas
Highlights:
- is designed with more breathable and eco-friendly materials to make your sleep like a breeze;
- removable Tencel cover wards off the dust mites and keeps the mattress fresh;
- great spinal support and instant responsiveness to your body shape;
- absorbs movement from the other side of the bed and mitigates any disturbances;
- made from local materials, which makes it a bit cheaper than similar models.
Moving on to the next candidate on our list of the best mattresses for side sleepers in Canada, the Douglas. This mattress is designed to fight probably the most common issue of the memory foam beds — the hot sleeping. And with the combo of instant responsiveness, an open-cell base, and a gel-infused upper layer wrapped in the Tencel cover, it’s pretty much succeeded.
The Douglas has a medium-firm feel, which is a great choice for side sleepers regardless of their body composition. The comfort layer, made of gel-infused foam, quickly moulds to your body and relieves the pressure points without sucking you in like a swamp.
One more thing worth noticing about the Douglas is it’s pretty decent edge support as for a memory foam bed. So you can surely use every bit of surface and won’t feel cramped if your partner is a fan of the starfish position.
Overall, the Douglas is a well-made bed for those who typically sleep on a memory foam mattress. It’s made of breathable design and won’t make you feel trapped even if you’re an overweight sleeper. So if you want a combo of breeze-like sleep and that familiar memory foam hug, this mattress can become your go-to choice.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Works for side sleepers of any weight | Might feel a bit too bouncy for some |
| Designed to sleep cool and delivers the promise | The cover might generate static in the dry air |
| A washable cover makes the maintenance straightforward | |
| Pretty good edge support as for a memory foam bed | |
| Good motion absorption makes it a good pick for active sleepers |
Best for Overweight Side Sleepers
Polysleep
Highlights:
- made of denser foams that can hold larger weights;
- liquid-repellent top cover with mesh sides minimizes any accidents;
- medium-firm feel ensures perfect spinal support in the lateral position;
- comfort layer with pincore perforations keeps your sleep cool;
- a great pick for active sleepers thanks to low motion transfer.
If you’re an overweight sleeper who tends to sleep on the side, you know how excruciating the search for the right mattress can be. That’s why we’ve included the Polysleep in our selection of the best mattresses for side sleepers in Canada: its sturdy build and excellent supportive properties will make you enjoy your shut-eye for years.
The Polysleep has a three-layer construction with a dense base and a responsive transition layer that effectively distributes your weight around the mattress surface. No more pressure points and awkward angles: only sound and comfortable sleep
As for the comfort layer, its design is more focused on the targeted pressure relief and heat removal. It’s the softest layer of all that adapts to your body shape and support the spine in the correct position. Plus, the holes across the surface direct the airflow towards the deeper layers and prevent you from overheating.
So, if you want a memory foam mattress that will ensure cool sleep and won’t collapse under your weight to the point where it becomes uncomfortable, the Polysleep will be a perfect candidate for you.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great at supporting overweight sleepers without creating pressure or painful points | Might lack edge support |
| Perforated comfort layer contributes to cool sleep | Might feel a bit too rigid for small sleepers |
| The washable cover prevents dust buildup and keeps you from allergies | |
| Dense foam base ensures zero motion transfer | |
| No off-gassing and weird odours |
How Side Sleeping Impacts Your Mattress Choice?
When you sleep on your side, the main pressure points fall on the shoulders, lower abdomen, and hips. if your mattress doesn’t cradle these areas properly, you may experience pain and discomfort.
To prevent this, make sure that the mattress has enough comfort layers. Hybrid, latex, and foam mattresses are the ones you can rely on. Innerspring, on the other hand, might not offer you enough hug unless you’re an overweight sleeper.
Also, you want to be sure that the mattress doesn’t interfere with your movements, so you can freely shift between positions. Mattresses with coils, open-cell foams, and latex layers typically have better responsiveness and don’t trap you like a swamp, so you can count on them if you’re mixing between side and back sleeping, for example.
Now, let’s sum up all of the above in the rating of best and worst mattress types for side sleeping:
- Latex. According to studies, latex mattresses proved to have the most prominent pressure-relief regardless of the user’s sleeping style (2). That’s because natural latex has an open-cell structure and quickly adjusts to your weight, thus creating a uniform surface that can support your spinal alignment. Plus, the higher rebound makes latex more comfortable for those who don’t like the cradling feeling of memory foam. However, since the latex is natural material and isn’t native to Canada, the prices for these mattresses might be out of the budget-friendly segment.
- Traditional memory foam. If you’re feeling a bit intimidated by the prices for latex beds, try memory foam, which is well-known for contouring abilities. This material adapts to your shape and uses your body heat to soften up and relieve any pain. It closely contours your hips and shoulders and prevents your spine from bending at an awkward curve, which may result in pain. Note that it’s normal for the memory foam to be temperature-sensitive, so if you want to prevent overheating, choose foam with gel or copper infusions.
- Polyfoam. Polyfoam is a cheaper alternative to a traditional memory foam that has more of a spongy feel. Along with that, this material has a higher rebound and won’t mess with your movements if you decide to change your position. Plus, polyfoam is temperature-neutral and effectively withdraws heat, so you can count on cooler sleep.
- Hybrid with pillowtop. We’re moving to mattresses with coils, which have a more rigid core than all-foam and latex beds. To make a hybrid more suitable for side sleepers, a manufacturer can stack up the comfort layers and create a cradling surface. Adding a pillowtop does create that extra moldable layer that can adjust to your hips and shoulders and alleviate tension.
- Standard hybrid. Standard hybrid mattresses also are compatible with side sleeping. They typically feature a zoned coil layer that can adjust to your body shape: the zones for shoulders and hips are softer and more cradling. Plus, you can go for more comfort layers and medium feel, both of which ensure sound sleep for you.
- Finally, here’s a traditional innerspring bed. Since the innerspring mattress often features a pretty basic construction — a solid coil unit with a comfort layer and/or a pillow top — it can feel too firm for an average side sleeper. However, if you’re an overweight user in need of a mattress that won’t collapse under your body mass and will ensure proper support for your spine and hips, you can definitely go for an innerspring bed.
What Else You Should Know?
Now, discovering the right type is only one important step. The mattresses within one type can differ drastically because of the difference in materials. That’s why you should check a couple of other things before making your choice, such as:
- Opt for natural covers along with open-cell or gel-infused foams if you need a cool mattress. Or, get yourself a natural latex mattress if you can afford it: this material is the best when it comes to heat removal.
- Edge support. Most of us share a bed with a partner, so a good mattress should offer enough space for both. Beds with a coil core and reinforced perimeter are the perfect choice for couples but don’t forget sufficient padding above it that will eliminate motion disturbances if your partner is an active sleeper.
- Maintenance. The mattress accumulates debris and dust particles over the years, and these particles can become home to dust mites. Dust mites are among the most common allergens for susceptible people and can aggravate existing conditions, such as asthma (3). To prevent this, choose mattresses with a washable cover or encase your bed in a removable mattress protector. The latter will also prevent stains and spills that can void your warranty.
Summary
Good ingredients for a mattress compatible with side sleeping include thick padding, a supportive core layer, breathable design and targeted pressure-relieving effects for hips and shoulders. Also, note that the perfect firmness for most users who sleep on their side is medium but the exception can be made for large sleepers who might need a firmer mattress.
All of the above perfectly combines in our top recommendation, the Puffy mattress. It gently hugs your hips and shoulders and evenly distributes your weight around the surface, so you won’t feel any pressure. The Puffy also is made of materials that adapt to body temperature changes and prevent overheating.
What things are essential to you when choosing a mattress for side sleeping? Share your thoughts below!
References
- 7 of the Most Common Sleep Habits and What They Say About Your Nighttime Needs. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://torontolife.com/style/home/7-common-sleep-habits/
- Fan-Zhe Low, Matthew Chin-Heng Chua, Ph.D., Pan-Yin Lim, and Chen-Hua Yeow, Ph.D. (2017, March, 16). Effects of Mattress Material on Body Pressure Profiles in Different Sleeping Postures. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5310954/
- Government of Canada (2018, December 21). Dust and Dust Mites. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/chemicals-product-safety/dust-mites.html
