TOP 5 Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers in Canada

Your preferred sleeping style plays a vital role in the type of mattress you’ll use. And due to the abundance of products available in the market, identifying the best mattress for side sleepers in Canada can be quite challenging.

However, to reduce your searching stress, we’ve compiled a list of the best mattresses in this category and details on what makes them suitable for side sleepers.

A Quick Preview

1. Best Overall – Novosbed
2. Best for Side Sleepers with Back Pain – Puffy Mattress
3. Best Option for Hot Side Sleepers – GhostBed Flex 
4. Best Budget Option – Douglas Original Mattress
5. Best for Heavy Side Sleepers – The Polysleep Mattress

Our Review of the Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers in Canada

Best Overall – Novosbed

Highlights

• The mattress’s base layer is highly dense and provides the necessary support to keep you from excessive sinkage.
• Its memory foam construction contours the body to deliver optimal cushioning for stress relief.
• It has a breathable top cover that draws heat away from the body for cooler sleep.

The Novosbed comes at the top of our list of the best mattresses for side sleepers in Canada because of its adjustability. I particularly like this feature as it means you can make your mattress firmer or softer, depending on your preference.

The mattress was highly cradling and offered me enough sinkage to keep my shoulders and hips comfortable for relaxed rest. And to top it all off, the mattress’s support layer helped combat the quicksand feeling usually associated with memory foam mattresses.

Based on Our Review

My favorite feature from reviewing the Novosbed mattress is its thermoregulation. Despite being an all-foam model, it was pleasantly cool, and I didn’t run hot at night, all thanks to its open-celled foam and breathable mattress cover.

Pros

• It has an optional comfort kit that can be used to adjust the mattress’s firmness level.
• Its slow-moving feel helps reduce motion transfer for undisturbed sleep, especially for partnered sleepers.
• The mattress cover is removable and machine washable, reducing the cleaning stress. 

Cons

• There is some off-gassing during the product opening.
• The mattress does not have good edge support and might sag under weight.

Check Current Price on Novosbed.com

Best for Side Sleepers with Back Pain – Puffy Mattress

Highlights

• The gel-infused comfort layer is great at contouring the body and delivering soothing relief for sore muscles.
• Its core support base provides the pushback needed to enhance spinal alignment for back pain relief in side sleepers.
• The mattress optimizes cooling airflow with a Tencel cover and a gel foam layer that ensures adequate body heat dissipation.

The Puffy mattress might be a good option for side sleepers with back pain because of the amount of cushioning and support the mattress balances. Sleeping on the Puffy made me feel like I was resting on a cloud with its soft touch and how it massaged my body muscles for tension relief.

Based on Our Review

While testing the Puffy mattress, I noticed and appreciated how cushioning the mattress felt on my hips, shoulder, and back. It helped ease my muscle tension and left me feeling better relaxed.

Pros

• The mattress cover is machine-washable and hypoallergenic, designed to repel dust, mites, motes, and other allergy-causing irritants.
• Motion transference is limited due to the high level of sinkage the mattress surface offers.
• The mattress is highly durable and is supported by a lifetime warranty as proof of its longevity, better than GhostBed’s 25-year bar.

Cons

• The mattress’s base support might not be enough to keep heavier side sleepers from sinking.
• It has poor edge reinforcement, which doesn’t support sitting or edge-sleeping.

Check Current Price on Puffy.ca

Best Option for Hot Side Sleepers – GhostBed Flex

Highlights

• Its pocket coil build serves as a heat dispersion channel and improves mattress breathability.
• It has a zoned support system of varied firmness that provides stability and lumbar support for natural spine positioning in side sleepers.
• The mattress’s top cover and comfort layer are gel-infused to ensure the mattress radiates an always-cool surface, even during use. 

The GhostBed Flex ranks as one of the best mattresses for side sleepers in Canada because of its hybrid blend of support and commensurate cushioning. However, the mattress is best suited for hot side sleepers as its top layer is fitted with proprietary GhostIce fabric quilted with gel foam, designed to ensure the surface stays cool at all times. 

Based on Our Review

The GhostBed Flex’s responsiveness piqued my interest during my review of the mattress as, despite contouring, the mattress was also bouncy. And in addition, I could easily get in and out of bed with the help of its superior edge support.

Pros

• It has a proprietary bounce layer that contours the body for cool comfort without feeling restrictive.
• The mattress’s edges are reinforced to withstand extra weight, so you can sleep or sit on the edge without fearing falling off.
• Its transition layer and spring core adapt well to your body for minimal sleep disturbance.

Cons

• The mattress is expensive and not ideal for shoppers with money constraints.
• Its cover is quilted and cannot be removed for easy maintenance or cleaning.

Check Current Price on GhostBed.ca

Best Budget Option – Douglas Original Mattress

Highlights

• Its medium-firm firmness level offers enough support to ensure the mattress hug isn’t excessive for side sleepers.
• The mattress’s foam is gel-infused, great for countering mattress temperature buildup.
• It has a plush comfort layer that cradles the body muscles and pressure points for tension relief and relaxed rest.

If you’re in the market for a side sleeper mattress that won’t put too much of a dent in your finances, you might want to check out the Douglas Original mattress. Over $150 cheaper than its closest counterpart (the Polysleep mattress), the mattress delivers adequate amounts of hug and firmness needed for a side sleeper’s premium comfort in bed.

Based on Our Review

I reviewed the Douglas Original mattress with my partner to rate its motion isolation performance. Despite my partner tossing extra hard through the night, I didn’t feel any disturbance as none of the movements affected my mattress side.

Pros

• The mattress is highly responsive and allows easy movement, great for sex.
• The mattress cover is removable and machine washable, which is great and allows for a less stressful cleaning process.
• Its edges are designed with extra support to ensure they stay upright even when slept or sat on.

Cons

• The mattress has only one firmness option, which might not be suitable for different sleeper weights.
• Some off-gassing scent might be present when first opened.

Check Current Price on Douglas.ca

Best for Heavy Side Sleepers – The Polysleep Mattress

Highlights

• The base layer is a highly-dense foam designed to provide rigidity and support to the top cushioning layer.
• It has an extra-firm foam at the edges that makes sleeping and sitting on the mattress edges easier, ensuring it doesn’t sag under weight.
• The mattress cover employs roundabout breathability via its mesh fabric for optimal thermoregulation.

I tagged the Polysleep mattress as the best mattress for heavy side sleepers because of its firmness and support. And to make things further interesting, the mattress is cushioning enough for adept stress relief and highly breathable for ensuring cool, restful slumber.

Based on Our Review

What I liked most about the Polysleep mattress was its liquid-repellent cover. I particularly enjoyed this feature during my test as this meant I could take drinks in bed without fearing liquid stains or worrying about cleaning stress.

Pros

• The mattress’s top layer offers adaptive cushioning that contours side sleepers’ hips, shoulders, and lumbar region for better rest.
• Its comfort layer absorbs movements on the bed effectively.
• The foam has channels for heat dissipation, maximizing airflow and keeping the mattress temperature-neutral.

Cons

• The mattress might be too firm for lightweight side sleepers, causing sore muscles.
• It’s not as cool as the GhostBed Flex.

Check Current Price on Polysleep.ca

Available mattress types for side sleepers in Canada

Like other sleeping styles, side sleeper mattresses are made from foam, latex, or spring coils. And they might sometimes be blended to make a hybrid. Let’s take a look at how each type performs;

• Foam

Foam mattresses (polyfoam and memory foam) are great at adapting to your body and are great options for users seeking pain relief (1). While memory foam is better at cushioning, polyfoam is more responsive and breathable. However, both mattress models aren’t highly durable.

• Latex

On the other hand, latex mattresses are known for being highly durable, responsive, and naturally breathable. While latex mattresses are also good for side sleepers because of their conforming, they’re not as cradling as memory foam and are much more costly.

“I’ve found that pure innerspring mattresses are usually not ideal for side sleepers because of their thin comfort layers. You might end up with sore shoulders, hips, or back pain when used.”

• Hybrid

A mixture of the other mattress types, most mattresses for heavy side sleepers are hybrid because of their weight capacity and strong support layers. While the mattress’s comfort layer is optimized for cushioning, the base layer generates push-back and keeps the user’s spine and lumbar region aligned.

Factors to consider when purchasing a side sleeper mattress in Canada

As a side sleeper, when you’re eventually making your choice of a mattress, you should check the firmness level to ensure it’ll afford you sufficient sinkage and how breathable it is to avoid sleeping hot. In addition, consider how sound its motion transference is and see if the price is worth the value you’ll be getting from the mattress. 

• Firmness

While checking the mattress’s surface firmness to determine its hug, also look at the base layer, as this will determine whether you’ll be sleeping “in” the mattress or on it.

“In my experience, traditional bed frames are good choices for adjusting a mattress’s firmness level. Slatted foundations make surfaces softer while solid foundations make them firmer.”

Also read: Best Mattress Toppers in Canada

• Thermoregulation

Sometimes, thermoregulation is what differentiates regular mattress models from luxury mattresses in Canada. And since side sleepers tend to sink into the mattress more than the average user; it’s best if your mattress is optimized for heat dissipation and cool sleep.

• Motion isolation

This simply means that your mattress of choice should be able to absorb movements instead of transferring it across the mattress surface. A feature crucial for partnered sleepers as it can mean the difference between disturbed and undisturbed sleep. 

• Price

The trick to determining price has always been weighing the value offered compared to the amount spent and staying within budget. However, costlier mattress models are usually more comfortable than their less expensive counterparts.

“Choosing a mattress with a removable cover is always a plus as this means I can wash my mattress cover myself, reducing the overall cleaning process.”

FAQs

• Should side sleepers use firm mattresses?

No, side sleepers should not use firm mattresses. A firm mattress won’t offer enough sinkage to cradle side sleepers’ hips, shoulders, and lumbar region, and this can cause muscle soreness. Hence, you need a mattress with a sufficiently cushioning top layer.

• Which mattress type is best for shoulder pain relief for side sleepers?

Memory foam mattresses are best for side sleepers who want shoulder pain relief because of their cradling ability. Memory foam offers better sinkage and cushioning than other mattress types, which is needed for tension alleviation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the best mattresses for side sleepers in Canada must be highly cradling to appropriately accommodate protruding body parts, possess a firm core to ensure spinal alignment, and be optimized for airflow to battle hot sleeping.

However, if I had to go for just one mattress on this list, then I’d choose the Novosbed mattress. Despite ticking all the boxes of a side sleeper mattress, it has an extra feature that allows you to adjust the firmness level, effectively catering to users of varying body weights.

What other things do you watch out for in a mattress as a side sleeper? Hit us up in the comments, and we’ll do well to reply to you.

References

1. James McIntosh. (February 23, 2017). What is causing this pain in my back? Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/172943#causes