Macoda
- Adjustable Firmness
- Memory Foam AND Latex
- Zoned Coil Support
- 100 Night Trial
- 10 Year Warranty
Peace Lily
- Medium One Side, Firm The Other
- Natural Latex
- Organic Cotton Cover
- 100 Night Trial
- 25 Year Warranty
Dusk & Dawn Premiere
- Choose Your Firmness
- Multi Layered Comfort
- NOT A Mattress In A Box
- 100 Night Trial
- 10 Year Warranty
Best Mattress For Side Sleepers Australia: as a side sleeper, you’ve actually got some quite specific mattress requirements. I’m a side sleeper myself, I know you’re prone to that awful dead shoulder feeling from a mattress that’s too firm. You need something that’s got enough support for your spine, while being soft enough to cradle your shoulder.
My top pick is actually a mattress I sleep tested for the entire summer so I can confidently recommend it to you as an amazing choice.
In my search for the best mattress for side sleepers in Australia, there were three top candidates that really stood out:
- Top Recommendation: Peace Lily Latex Mattress
- Best Memory Foam Mattress: Macoda
- Best Made in Australia: Dusk & Dawn Premiere
Before we examine each mattress in detail, let’s also go through:
- What side sleepers need from a mattress
- Best mattress firmness for side sleepers
- Side sleepers and mattress types
- Bedding accessories side sleepers may want to consider
Then we’ll have a good look at those top three best mattresses for side sleepers in Australia.
What Side Sleepers Need from a Mattress
A lot of medical research has pointed out the many benefits of side sleeping. It’s ideal for keeping the spine well aligned and prevents acid reflexes in the stomach. But side sleepers mostly prefer this position because it’s the most comfortable for them. If you’re sharing your bed with a partner, there’s little chance of disturbing them with your snoring when you sleep on your side.
That said, not all mattresses can provide these benefits. A mattress that’s too firm, for example, will increase the pressure on your shoulders, neck, and hip joints which can lead to chronic pain and aching. On the other hand, a mattress that’s too soft can lead to a sagged midsection which in turn compresses the spine and causes inflammation. In short, side sleepers want a mattress that provides both a luxurious softness with adequate support with a little stress on the comfort side.
A mattress that provides good contouring qualities and has great responsiveness is the ideal mattress for side sleepers. It cradles the pressure points while supporting and cushioning the rest of the body to relieve aching and keep the spine in a neutral position. And since the shoulder area of the side sleeper bears the weight of the chest, the mattress needs to cradle that pressure point. A mattress with good bounciness such as our top recommendation, the Peacelily Latex Mattress, will alleviate shoulder and neck pain and keep your head well balanced on the pillow without head craning or neck twisting.
Best Mattress Firmness for Side Sleepers
The mattress firmness that’s good for you as a side sleeper will vary depending on your body weight. We measure the mattress firmness on a scale from 1 (softest) to 10 (firmest). To simplify matters and make it easier for you to pinpoint the exact mattress firmness levels best suited for you, we divided body weights into three categories as follows.
- Under 60 Kilograms: This group of people includes children, teens, and young adults. Side sleepers under 130 pounds need a mattress with a fair amount of give. I recommend either a soft mattress averaging 2 to 3 or a medium-soft mattress with a score of 4.
- 60 to 100 Kilograms: Most side sleepers fall under this category. You will need a mattress with a good balance between contouring and firmness. As long as the bed conforms to your body, you’ll be comfortable sleeping on your side. Choose a medium-soft (4), medium (5), or medium-firm (6) mattress that correlates to where you fit on this weight spread.
- Over 100 Kilograms: A firm mattress is going to keep your spine aligned and your shoulders and hips supported. I recommend a mattress between medium firm (6) to firm (7 – 8). If you still don’t get enough support from this mattress, you can even go for an extra firm (9 or 10) mattress.
Side Sleepers and Mattress Types
Since side sleepers make up the biggest category of customers, bedding companies pay extra attention to designing mattresses that meet their needs and satisfy all tastes. The good news is, you will find your ideal mattress among any of the following popular mattress types.
- Latex: An all-latex mattress has both the comfort and support you need to spend a good night’s sleep. A latex comfort layer contours your body naturally and keeps the bed cool and dry. A core layer made of latex is bouncy and supportive. Our top recommendation, Peacelily Latex Mattress is made of this natural and breathable material.
- Memory Foam: An memory foam mattress is made of two types of foam. The first is a memory foam layer for comfort, contouring, and cushioning and the other is made of high-density foam for support and durability.
- Hybrid: As the name implies, a hybrid mattress has two or more materials in its structure. The comfort layer is either made of latex or memory foam while pocketed steel coils provide support and firmness.
Important Accessories for Side Sleepers
Both mattress toppers and pillows are good accessories to help you adjust the firmness of the mattress and provide enough support for your neck to prevent common neck aches. I recommend a latex mattress topper to renovate your bedding without breaking the bank. A memory foam pillow with a medium or high profile is ideal for your side sleeping preference.
Best Mattress For Side Sleepers Australia
Side sleepers in Australia are spoilt for options. There are many good choices that provide the desired softness and required support. The following three mattresses are the top popular options.
Top Recommendation: Peace Lily Latex Mattress
Side sleepers in Australia who sleep hot will enjoy the cooling features of the Peace Lily Latex Mattress. Made of natural Talalay latex, the material is hypoallergenic and breathable. Heat wicking is a latent feature of the latex mattress inner. It will keep you cool and dry all night. Latex is also bouncy and springy which keeps your shoulders and hip joints from sinking into the mattresses.
The Peace Lily has another feature that caught my eye and sealed the deal for me. Each mattress comes with two firmness levels. One side can be medium while the other is firm, which is great if you’re unsure or if you sometimes like to sleep on your stomach. That way, you can flip the durable mattress to the side and the firmness you prefer. And if you like a plush experience, you can buy the Peacelily topper.
I personally like to use the Peace Lily mattress on the medium side, as that is softest for my shoulder, but it’s great to have the options. It’s kind of like two mattresses in one.
Construction
Made entirely of natural latex sourced from rubber trees that grow in Sri Lanka, the mattress starts with an organic cotton cover for a luxurious and comfortable sleeping experience. Under the cover, the mattress has three layers of natural latex. The comfort and base layers are 5 cm thick each and is made from eco-INSTITUT and Oeko-Tex Class 1 certified latex. The core layer made from the same certified rubber latex provides the firmness you desire as a side sleeper. It also gives the mattress durability and sturdiness.
Performance
The Peace Lily Latex Mattress scores high on the cooling front. The latex keeps your body cool and quickly dissipates the heat and moisture through the natural pores and open-cell texture. And to improve the ventilation, the various layers are perforated. Another advantage of latex is its superb motion isolation. Couples with a sensitive nature who are easily disturbed during sleep can share the bed without waking each other when they move or shift. I also liked the comfort of the bed and the ease of movement. It has great edge support to boot.
Best Memory Foam Mattress: Macoda
Marketed as Australia’s most comfortable mattress, Macoda is an affordable hybrid memory foam mattress that puts comfort at the core of its design. I mean that both literally and figuratively. As a comfortable box mattress, you can customize it to your liking. Since there are many firmness levels for side sleepers, a customizable mattress can come in handy. This is especially true if your mattress firmness needs tend to change faster than you change your bedding.
The Macoda comes with a 10-year warranty and a 100-night free sleep trial. Customer satisfaction is also high. The mattress scores 5 stars out of 561 users. If you don’t have the budget for the Peacelily Latex Mattress, the Macoda provides a comfortable sleep experience at an affordable price.
Construction
The hybrid Macoda is all about comfort from the first layer that meets your skin to the last layer at the bottom of the mattress. The cover is made of moisture-wicking bamboo fabric which is both comfortable and washable. The comfort layer is made of natural latex making it both highly responsive and bouncy. It adjusts quickly to the pressure points in your body to prevent the build-up of pressure. Another comfort layer made of gel memory foam helps with heat dissipation to keep the mattress cool. The third comfort layer is made of polyurethane for spine support.
The support layer is made of coils covering a well-thought design of 5-zone areas. These areas correspond to the pressure points in the body and are more suitable for side sleepers. Since side sleepers have more pressure points that make contact with the surface of the mattress. So even if you switch positions or move about on the mattress, you will still get the support you need where you need it.
Performance
Since the Macoda has customizable firmness levels, you can flip it around the way you like it. If you prefer a softer mattress, put the gel memory foam layer on top of the latex layer to change the firmness to 4.5 on the firmness scale. And for those who want a firm mattress, you can adjust it so that it is as firm as a level 8 mattress.
Cooling and comfort are the key features of the Macoda. With three comfort layers made of different materials, the mattress is ideal for side sleepers who suffer from back or joint pain. The zoned coils also keep your body well supported.
Best Made in Australia: Dusk & Dawn Premiere
The Dusk & Dawn Premiere MK2 mattress is a mattress with various firmness options for side sleepers of all types and tastes. It comes with three levels of firmness. The first is the plush mattress with firmness between 3 and 4. This is ideal for side sleepers under 60 kilograms. The second level is the comfy medium scoring 5 – 6 on the firmness scale. This option is recommended for average size side sleepers. And the third option is the firm support mattress scoring 7 – 8 for side sleepers above 100 kg.
Construction
The Premiere mattress is made of 7 layers. The first is the wool cover with its excellent moisture-wicking capabilities. An Eco-Air foam layer is the first comfort layer to an extra cool surface. A gel memory layer follows and provides wonderful pressure relief along with the next comfort layer below it. A transition layer isolates the comfort layers from the pocketed coils layer that provides excellent support. The coils are arranged into 5 targeted zones to keep your body supported.
Performance
The Dusk & Dawn Premiere mattress excels where it counts. It has great edge support and balances comfort with firmness to make it ideal for side sleepers. Even without a latex layer, the mattress manages to keep you cool and dry thanks to the cover made of Australian wool. The coils isolate motion rather well and it’s quite easy to move on the mattress.