Best Mattress for Side Sleepers Canada: Our Top Picks (September 2024)

Douglas Alpine is the best mattress for side sleepers, according to third-party engineer testing (commissioned by us). In fact, Douglas is rated the best mattress in Canada.

This upgraded combination foam mattress provides exceptional pressure-point relief for side sleepers. Douglas Alpine is also packed with cooling materials that help dissipate heat while you sleep, like cooling gel foam and phase-change material.

Douglas Alpine also has a sturdy foundation for lower back support and spinal alignment, along with superior edge support and exceptional motion isolation. This mattress shapes itself around your body for comfort and alignment, while delivering increased pressure-point relief and cushioning.

Alpine received top scores for its use of high-quality, eco-conscious materials and excellent value for $999 for a queen size.

A combination foam mattress like Douglas Alpine is best for side sleepers. Its pressure-relieving comfort and cooling features will keep you supported and comfortable all night long.

Some side sleepers also don’t enjoy the “sink” or “hug” of a typical foam mattress, which is why a true medium-firm mattress like Douglas is ideal. It combines the pressure-point relief of foam with just the right amount of hug, so you don’t feel like you’re sinking into the mattress.

Douglas Alpine comes with upgraded cooling features like gel foam and phase-change material, as well as excellent edge support and superior motion isolation. Your purchase also comes with a free bedding bundle. Get this exceptional value for just $999 for a queen size.

If you’re a side sleeper with shoulder and hip pain, pick a combination foam mattress like Douglas Alpine. It offers a combination of pressure-relieving foam and upgraded cooling features at an affordable price of just $999 for a queen size.

Have a little extra room in your budget? Take a look at Douglas Summit. This is the height of affordable comfort with unmatched pressure-point relief, spinal alignment, and the highest motion isolation of any mattress we’ve tested.

It also has the most advanced cooling features in the Douglas lineup, including a moisture-wicking cover with cooling nanofibers and gel foam with temperature-balancing phase-change material. Get a lot more for a little more at $1,299 for a queen size.

If you live with back pain, you’ll love Douglas Original. This mattress won top honours from Best Health Magazine as the Best Choice for Back Pain Relief (2023), and Canadian Living dubbed it the Best Mattress for Back Pain. Even more importantly, 85% of back pain sufferers who own a Douglas mattress said in 2023 that Douglas helped with their pain.

Douglas provides extra support and cushioning at your shoulders and hips to relieve pressure and keep your spine properly aligned. Its medium-firm feel is ideal for side sleepers, including heavier people.

Douglas also contains premium Elastex® foam, which mimics the supportive and responsive properties of natural latex foam—ideal for those with lower back pain—without the allergy-triggering chemicals found in many natural latex mattresses. Get a queen-size Douglas for $799.

(Still shopping around? Get our guide to the best mattresses for back pain.)

Logan & Cove Choice, rated the Best Luxury Hybrid Mattress by Canadian Living, is our choice of best mattress for heavy side sleepers. It’s also #1 on our list of the best mattresses for heavy people.

If you feel like you sink too far into foam mattresses, we think you’ll like the supportive feel of a hybrid mattress. Logan & Cove Choice delivers a five-zone support system with up to 1,200 individually wrapped pocket coils for targeted support and spinal alignment. You can expect to sleep better with comfortably supported shoulders and hips.

Logan & Cove Choice has premium cooling foams, luxury fabrics, a 365-night sleep trial, and a 15-year warranty. It’s also highly affordable at just $999 for a queen size.

Mattresses fall into many different categories. Each has different characteristics that are a good fit for a variety of sleep styles. Here are just a few types of mattresses:

• Hybrid: Hybrid mattresses like Logan & Cove combine innerspring layers with foam or latex for a perfect pairing of contour and support. They tend to have better edge support and lower temperatures than memory foam, but this comes with reduced motion isolation for a slightly less peaceful sleep. (Shopping for a hybrid? Check out our list of the best hybrid mattresses.)
• Cooling Gel Foam: Some sleepers find normal memory foam too hot, so cooling gel foam mattresses like Douglas can be a great alternative. This type of mattress combines memory foam with cooling gel to keep temperatures comfortable while you sleep.
• Innerspring: Innerspring mattresses support your weight with metal coils. This makes the mattress bouncy and provides good edge support, but you might find this type of mattress less comfortable if your body needs more contouring.
• Memory Foam: Memory foam mattresses like Octave “hug” your body to relieve pressure and keep your spine aligned. They usually have good motion isolation, which is good for couples. While memory foam is known for trapping heat, Octave is actually our pick for Canada’s best cooling mattress with advanced features like a cooling nanofibre cover, copper-infused memory foam treated with PolarMAX® phase-change material, and multi-zone support foam with air channels.
• Latex: Natural or synthetic latex mattresses can relieve pressure in any sleep position. They have a reputation for comfortable temperatures and can last longer than other types of mattresses. However, latex mattresses can also be more expensive and may not be ideal for some people with latex allergies.

When you’re choosing a mattress, it’s important to consider more than just how comfortable it is. There are a whole range of factors to keep in mind, which we list below. (And when you’re ready to buy, make sure you buy a mattress online vs. in store.)

• Budget: Set a budget for your new mattress and stick to it. You might even be able to make this budget go further by finding limited-time deals and promotions online.
• Construction: Figure out what type of mattress you want, whether it’s foam, hybrid, or innerspring. There are pros and cons for each construction style, and knowing what you want will help narrow down your options.
• Firmness: Choose a mattress with the right firmness level for your sleep style—that is, whether you sleep on your side, back, or stomach. For example, side sleepers often want a softer mattress, while back sleepers may prefer something firmer. (Did you know that a medium-firm feel is ideal for most sleep styles? Get our guide to the best medium-firm mattresses.)
• Motion Isolation: Pay close attention to motion isolation if you share your bed with a partner, kids, or pets. The higher the isolation score, the less you’ll notice movement from the other side of the bed.
• Edge Support: Are you in the habit of sitting or sleeping near the edge of the bed? Look for a mattress with good edge support so you feel supported in any position.
• Bounce: If you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, you might prefer a mattress with extra bounce. (Your inner child will enjoy it, too!)
• Contouring: Contouring materials like memory foam help support your body in all the right places. That said, too much “hug” can cause overheating and make it hard to move, so find the level of contouring that’s best for your body.
• Temperature: Speaking of overheating—if you’re a warm sleeper, look for a mattress that promotes airflow and reduces heat. Octave Vista is a great choice with its cooling nanofibre cover, copper-infused memory foam treated with phase-change material for temperature balance, and multi-zone support foam with air channels.
• Responsiveness: A responsive mattress allows you to change positions without feeling stuck. Often found in hybrid designs, a responsive mattress can help you enjoy certain activities in bed even more.
• Noise: Nobody likes a squeaky or crinkly mattress. Get a quiet night’s sleep with a mattress made from noise-quieting materials like foam or latex.
• Company Policies: Get details about the manufacturer’s sleep trial, return policy, and product warranty so you know what you’re getting into.

Douglas Alpine is the best mattress for side sleepers and costs only $999 for a queen size. For that price, you get a perfectly medium-firm feel, excellent edge support, superior motion isolation, and advanced cooling features like gel foam and phase-change material. You’ll also enjoy the 365-night sleep trial, 20-year warranty, and free bedding bundle with purchase.