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Do you fall asleep in one position and wake up throughout the night or the next morning in a different position? If you do, it probably means you’re a combination sleeper who moves between at least two positions throughout the night. You might even favor one position in particular but shift into other positions for short periods of time while sleeping. Either way, it’s important to choose the best mattress to accommodate your movement and all the sleeping positions you use.
According to Matthew Cavanaugh, Doctor of Chiropractic at Cavanaugh Chiropractic in Lafayette, “different sleeping positions require different amounts of stability, and combination sleepers may have a harder time finding a mattress that’s comfortable and accommodating.”
Cavanaugh said another reason it’s hard to find the right mattress is because combination sleepers have to “find the right mix of plush and firmness.”
Choosing the right mattress for your sleeping preferences is just one way you can improve the quality of your sleep [1] Johns Hopkins Medicine. Choosing the Right Mattress: Making a Smart Investment. Found on the internet at https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/choosing-the-right-mattress-making-a-smart-investment . We curated this list of the best mattresses for combination sleepers to help you make the best decision for your sleep preferences.
We chose the Saatva Classic innerspring mattress as the “Best Overall” in the combination sleeper category because it offers excellent full-body support and edge support, along with excellent bounce and pressure relief. These features make a mattress great for those who change positions throughout the night.
| Mattress type | Innerspring hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Foam |
| Mattress height (inches) | 11.5″ or 14.5″ | 13.5″ | 13″ | 15″ | 11.25″ | 3.5″ | 14″ | 12.25″ | 10.25″ |
| Firmness | Plush soft, luxury firm, firm | Medium | Firm | Plush, luxury firm, firm | Firm | Soft, luxury firm, firm, plus | Soft, medium, firm | Soft, medium, firm | Firm or extra firm |
| Cooling score | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/10 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | 4/5 |
| Warranty (years) | Limited lifetime | 15 | 10 | Limited lifetime | 10 | Limited lifetime | Limited lifetime | 10 | 10 |
The Saatva Classic comes in three firmness levels: plush soft, luxury firm, and firm. We tested the luxury firm option. The Saatva Classic is a foam and innerspring hybrid mattress with a soft, quilted pillow top for cradling comfort and zoned pocketed coils for lower back support and targeted pressure relief.
We specifically chose the Saatva Classic as the “Best Overall for Combination Sleepers” because the luxury firm option can accommodate the needs of multiple sleeping positions, and its two coil layers provide bouncy responsiveness. Plus, the excellent edge support should make it easy to use the entire mattress surface comfortably when you roll or flip into a different sleeping position.
We gave the luxury firm option a seven out of 10 for firmness, which means it’s a universal medium mattress. This firmness, combined with the zoned-support coils, should make it a great choice for combination sleepers who sleep mostly on their sides and backs. Overall, we gave the Saatva Classic a five out of five for support and four out of five for pressure relief.
A mattress for combination sleepers must have good bounce to help the sleeper push off and transfer weight to a new position. We gave the Saatva Classic a four out of five score for bounce. Like many mattresses that use innersprings, though, the Saatva Classic doesn’t excel at motion isolation (two out of five score). The bounciness could disturb a partner who sleeps on the opposite side of the mattress.
We love that the Saatva Classic has reinforced coils around the perimeter, which helped it earn an edge support score of five out of five. Edge support is important for people who move a lot or roll around while sleeping because it can help prevent them from falling over the edge of the mattress.
If stomach sleeping is the position you use most often, you might consider choosing the firm option. The extra support could help prevent your back from becoming misaligned while sleeping. Alternatively, if you sleep primarily on your side, consider the plush soft option since it will likely provide more pressure relief on the shoulders and hips.
Saatva offers free white-glove delivery, which includes setting up your new mattress and removing your old one. This service is a big plus for those who don’t want to tackle the strenuous job of hauling around a heavy mattress. Since Saatva doesn’t compress or box its mattresses, the Saatva Classic will arrive ready to use the same day without needing to be aired out.
Learn more about Saatva mattresses and adjustable bed frames in our full review.
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The Helix Midnight Luxe has a plush pillow top for cradling, medium-feel memory foam layers to contour the body, and a pocket coil core with varying levels of pressure to support the lower back and offer relief to shoulders and hips. This construction is why we chose the Midnight Luxe as the “Best Mattress for Back Pain” in the combination sleeper category.
A medium-feel mattress is anywhere between five and seven out of 10, and our testers gave this mattress a 5.5 out of 10. We gave it a support score of four out of five. If you’re a combination sleeper who has back pain and you tend to sleep a lot of the night on your side, this mattress would be an excellent choice. That’s because softer mattresses tend to cause less pressure on shoulders and hips when sleeping on your side.
The zoned coil support provides targeted pressure relief in traditionally high-pressure areas like the lower back, shoulders, and hips. This can reduce back pain throughout the night and help keep your spine neutrally aligned. Our testers gave this mattress 4.75 out of five for its pressure relief.
When your Helix mattress is delivered, it will be compressed and rolled into a box. It will need 30–45 minutes to reach its full height after unpacking. You can visit this page for detailed instructions on unboxing and setting up your mattress.
Just select your mattress from the list. Helix has partnered with LoadUp to offer in-home setup and old mattress removal. You can choose just one or both options during checkout. Availability and cost of service vary based on your location.
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The Emma Hybrid Comfort is a hybrid mattress of foam and individually wrapped coils. The first four layers were designed to respond to changes in pressure to comfort and cradle the body while in a stable position or while moving.
The makers of the Emma Hybrid Comfort describe this mattress as medium-firm, giving it five out of 10, but our testers found that it feels more like a firm mattress at a 7.5 out of 10.
The firmness of this mattress should make it a good fit for those combination sleepers who sleep on their stomachs at all during the night.
Our testers noted that the foam layers near the top popped back up very quickly when they applied and removed pressure on the material, demonstrating that it would help keep the sleeper on top of the mattress rather than sinking into it, which makes movement easier.
Another feature of a mattress that’s easy to move around on is its bounce. The coil core helps give this mattress a great bounce, which will help combination sleepers push off the material and easily change positions throughout the night. Our testers gave the Hybrid Comfort four out of five for bounce.
The zoned coils provide targeted pressure relief to the hips and shoulders, making it a good choice for combination sleepers who spend most of the night on their backs. Our testers gave the Hybrid Comfort four out of five for pressure relief.
Your Emma mattress will arrive in a box. In-home delivery and setup services may be an option for you, depending on where you live. Reach out to an Emma representative to see if you qualify for in-home delivery before finalizing your order. If you want to have your old mattress removed, you can opt for this service before checkout for an extra fee of $125.
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The Nolah Evolution is a hybrid mattress with foam and coil layers. It comes in three different firmness levels: plush, luxury firm, and firm. Our experts tested the luxury firm option. Nolah gives the luxury firm style seven out of 10 for firmness, but we felt it was closer to 7.5 out of 10.
Edge support is an important mattress feature for combination sleepers, especially those who roll around when changing positions throughout the night. Mattresses with weak edge support could compress under the sleeper’s weight as they approach the edge, which might allow the sleeper to roll off. Our testers gave the Nolah Evolution an edge support score of 4.5 out of five.
A potential safety consideration for the Evolution is that it’s 15” high. A bed base plus a Nolah Evolution with a combined height of more than 23” might not be considered safe, so it’s best to pair this mattress with a relatively low bed base.
Your Nolah mattress will arrive compressed in a box. Since the mattress box can be heavy and awkward to carry, we recommend having at least two people unbox and set it up. If you think you’ll need help, Nolah partners with Load Up to provide three white-glove delivery options: mattress removal only, mattress setup only, or a combined removal and setup package. Pricing for this service starts at $125.
Learn more about Nolah mattresses in our full review.
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The Brooklyn Bedding Titan mattresses are designed to support up to 1,000 pounds. Based on our testing, Titan is the best mattress for higher-weight sleepers because of its hybrid design that combines contouring foams with reinforced steel coils for support and durability.
The hybrid construction of the Titan Plus makes it an optimal mattress choice for higher-weight sleepers because there’s enough cushion in the top layers to comfort and contour the body, but there isn’t so much foam that the sleeper sinks into the mattress. The sleeper is met with supportive coils that give the mattress a favorable bounce to help the sleeper move through positions while sleeping. Our testers give the Titan Plus four out of five scores for support and bounce.
Brooklyn Bedding rates the firmness of the Titan Plus as nine out of 10, but based on our testing, it was a little less firm at eight out of 10. Firm mattresses are a good choice for combination sleepers who spend a lot of the night on their back and stomach but might be uncomfortable for sleepers who spend a lot of the night on their side. When lying on the Titan Plus, our tester found that they had little to no pressure on their lower back and their spine remained neutral, which earned the Titan Plus a pressure relief score of 4.5 out of five.
Your Titan Plus mattress will arrive compressed and rolled in a box. Before you can use it, you’ll need to give it some time to decompress, expand, and off-gasⓘ The chemical odor given off from a new mattress. The smell is harmless and is usually gone within the first few days. . The Titan Plus does not come with white-glove delivery or mattress removal services.
Learn more about the Titan Plus in our review of the Titan mattress brand.
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The WinkBed is a hybrid mattress made from foam and pocketed coils. It comes in four different firmness options: soft, luxury firm, firm, and plus. Our experts tested the luxury firm version of this mattress. WinkBed rates the luxury firm as 6.5 out of 10, and we agree.
While bounce is important to help combination sleepers change positions easily throughout the night, it usually comes at the cost of a mattress’s motion isolation. Good motion isolation is ideal for combination sleepers who want to change positions throughout the night but don’t want to disturb their partner. It’s difficult to construct a mattress that has bounce but is also able to isolate that bounce to one area of the bed. We think the WinkBed was the best at balancing motion isolation and bounce out of all the models we tested. We scored it 3.5 out of five for bounce and four out of five for motion isolation.
The WinkBed also incorporates moisture- and heat-wicking material and design to help keep sleepers cool during the night. This is a great feature for couples who tend to get hot while sleeping. Our testers gave the WinkBed 4.5 out of 5 for its cooling score.
Your WinkBed mattress will arrive compressed in a box. After unpacking, you’ll need to let it off-gas before you can sleep on it. Currently, WinkBeds doesn’t offer white-glove delivery or removal of your old mattress.
For more of our recommendations for hot sleepers, see our Reviews Team’s picks for the Best Cooling Mattresses.
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The Bear Elite Hybrid is made of foam and individually encased pocket coils for a contouring but supportive sleep experience. It comes in three firmness options: soft, medium, and firm. We tested the medium version of this mattress.
One major factor when looking at a mattress for combination sleepers is the responsiveness of the top layers— how quickly the material recovers after pressure is applied to it. This is the opposite of sinkage, which means the pressure causes the materials to sink into the mattress and create a divot that’s hard to get out of. The Elite Hybrid has two layers of foam that contour the curves of the body but quickly decompress when you move. Our testers found it was very easy to change positions on this mattress.
Based on our testing, the Elite Hybrid is a firmness of 6.5 out of 10, which is a touch firmer than the company advertises. Our testers noted that this mattress was excellent for relieving pressure on their lower backs in the back sleeping position and while on their stomachs, giving it a five out of five for pressure relief.
The firmness and pressure relief make this mattress a good choice for combination sleepers who alternate between lying on their backs and stomachs. This mattress might be a touch firm for those who spend a lot of time on their side, so the softer version might be a better fit for side/back sleepers
Unless you choose the white-glove delivery option, which costs an extra $175, your Bear mattress will arrive decompressed in a box. You should give the mattress a couple of hours to off-gas and up to 24 hours to decompress to its full size.
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The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid is constructed of five layers of material that balance softness and support to make it a comfortable choice for multiple sleeping positions. It comes in three firmness options: soft, medium, or firm. Our experts tested the medium version of this mattress. The company states that the medium is firmness of five out of 10, but our testers thought it was closer to six out of 10.
Our testers gave the Signature Hybrid a bounce score of four out of five and found that the top layers of foam responded well to changes in pressure. This means it should be easy to move around and change positions on this mattress. The encased coils help contour and take pressure off the lower back, so combination sleepers who favor their side or back should enjoy great pressure relief and comfort.
Combination sleepers who spend most of the night on their stomachs might find the firm version of this mattress is a good fit since it has an extra inch of foam between you and the coils for extra support. This should prevent your hips from sinking too far into the mattress and putting your spine out of neutral alignment. Alternatively, if you spend a lot of the night on your side, you can opt for the soft version of this mattress, or add the Cloud Pillow Top to your order to bring extra cushioning to your shoulder points.
Brooklyn Bedding does not offer white-glove delivery service or mattress removal. You’ll receive your mattress via FedEx Ground. It will arrive compressed and rolled into a box. It will need time to off-gas before you can sleep on it.
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The Plank Firm by Brooklyn Bedding is a four-layer, all-foam, double-sided mattress with two different firmness options, firm and extra-firm. It has a soft quilted cover that’s about 0.75 inches thick to give some pressure relief and contouring to the body before it’s met with the first layer of firm, high-density supportive foam.
Many mattresses put a supportive layer of foam beneath additional contouring layers, but since this mattress was designed to be firm, this layer is much closer to the top and gives the sleeper firm support very quickly after lying down.
Combination sleepers who rotate between their back and stomach will likely find this mattress comfortable. Stomach sleepers may especially find great support, as it helps keep the shoulders and hips from sinking into the mattress while keeping the back aligned.
Another perk of a firm mattress is the additional edge support it provides. Perimeter support is especially important for sleepers who move around a lot or have rapid movements while sleeping since it can help keep you from rolling off the side of the mattress. It’s also an important feature for people with mobility issues who need an extra stable edge for getting in and out of bed. Our testers gave the Plank Firm five out of five for edge support.
All Brooklyn Bedding mattresses, including the Plank Firm, are compressed into a box and shipped through FedEx Ground. Brooklyn Bedding does not offer white-glove delivery services, mattress setup, or removal.
For more of our recommendations for sleepers who prefer a firm mattress, visit our Reviews Team’s picks for the Best Firm Mattresses.
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The type of mattress that’s best for a combination sleeper will vary depending on what combination of positions you tend to sleep in. Combination sleepers come in a few varieties: back and side, back and stomach, side and stomach, or all three (back, side, and stomach). Some mattresses will be great for back and side combination sleepers but not the best choice for a stomach and side sleeper.
When shopping for a new mattress, be mindful of several key features. You want to look for a mattress that’s universally firm, responsive, and pressure-relieving, with bounce and a supportive edge.
You want to choose a mattress that has the appropriate firmness based on your common sleeping positions. Side sleepers need a certain amount of softness and sinkage to keep their shoulders and hips aligned and to prevent a build-up of pressure. Back sleepers need some firmness to prevent heavier parts of the body from sinking too far into the mattress and causing spinal misalignment. Stomach sleepers need a firm mattress that supports the hips and prevents the lower back and stomach from dipping below the other parts of the body.
Combination sleepers should look for a mattress that has zoned support. This will be helpful especially if you sleep on your side and back throughout the night. Zoned-support mattresses relieve pressure in high-pressure areas like hips and shoulders when sleeping on your side, but still support the lower back when you switch to the back sleeping position.
“A mattress with zoned support can reduce pain and improve your quality of sleep. It does this by having different levels of firmness in different areas of the mattress. This will reduce irritation to painful pressure points and provide support to areas that need it, which will allow you to change positions without being disturbed by pain.”
Matthew Cavanaugh, Doctor of Chiropractic at Cavanaugh Chiropractic in Lafayette, La
Combination sleepers change positions throughout the night. To keep you from waking up every time you change positions, you want a mattress that helps you move easily. This is done through bounce and fast responsiveness. These are prominent features of hybrid mattresses. When you push down to move, the mattress pushes back to keep you from getting stuck in the material. Feeling stuck in a mattress is a common complaint with traditional memory foam mattresses that tend to offer little bounce and slow responsiveness.
If you roll around while changing positions, having strong edge support is an important thing to look for. Mattresses that have a reinforced perimeter can help you from rolling off the edge of the bed while changing positions. It can also help support you as you get into and out of the bed.
You can choose from a few types of mattresses when you’re looking for a new sleep setup. You don’t have to stick to strict rules that say combination sleepers should choose only one type of mattress, but some mattress designs incorporate the features in the section above better than others.
Innerspring mattresses are a great option for combination sleepers because they have springs in their core that help sleepers move easily between positions. Many innerspring mattresses also have a pillow top layer to give comfort to sleepers in any position. If side sleeping is your main position, you’ll need to choose an innerspring mattress that has a soft top layer to keep your shoulders and hips from becoming misaligned.
Hybrid mattresses are a great option for combination sleepers because they’re made with responsive top layers of foam and innerspring core layers that help sleepers move easily between positions. Similar to innerspring mattresses, people who often sleep on their sides will need to choose a hybrid that has a soft top layer to prevent discomfort and misalignment in shoulders and hips.
For more information, read our roundup of the best hybrid mattresses.
Whether a memory foam mattress is best for a combination sleeper will depend on how soft it is. While a softer memory foam mattress can offer excellent pressure relief, according to Cavanaugh, it “may also be associated with a cradling effect called sinkage. This may spell trouble for some older adult combination sleepers as too much sinkage can increase pain from a lack of support or make it difficult to change positions and thereby decrease your quality of sleep.”
Sinkage is how deep the sleeper moves into the mattress, and many times sleepers gravitate to foam mattresses because of the comfort associated with sinkage. While good contouring sinkage can give sleepers the feeling of being “hugged” by their mattress, too much sinkage can result in misalignment of the spine, especially for stomach and back sleepers.
Those who rotate between their sides and backs would probably be fine with a medium-firm memory foam mattress, so long as there was enough pressure relief on the sleeper’s shoulders and hips. If the stomach position is one of the positions you sleep in, you’ll likely need a firmer memory foam mattress.
For more information about our top picks in this category, read our roundup of the best memory foam mattresses.
Latex mattresses can be great for any variety of combination sleepers. This is mostly because latex is a naturally bouncy material that ensures the sleeper can move through positions with ease. Unlike some memory foam beds, latex mattresses provide sinkage as well as responsiveness.
When it comes to choosing the best mattress for combination sleepers, you should choose a mattress that best fits your preferences and has the appropriate firmness, pressure relief, and bounce based on your most common sleeping positions. We think the Saatva Classic has the most to offer combination sleepers because its innerspring layers should make it easy to switch positions during sleep.
For those with specific sleep needs, like pressure relief for back pain, the Helix Midnight Luxe uses a zoned support design to take pressure off the lower back and help ease pain. Our experts researched and tested every mattress in this list to help you make the best decision about your combination sleeping needs.
A combination sleeper is someone who sleeps in more than one position throughout the night. Combinations are back and side, side and stomach, back and stomach, or back, side, and stomach. Combination sleepers may also favor one or two positions more than the others throughout the night.
A mattress that’s medium-firm will likely be the best choice for combination sleepers. This firmness will be good for most of the positions a person will rotate between. If you tend to spend most of the night on your side and no time on your stomach, then you could probably choose a soft to medium mattress. Alternatively, if you spend most of your night on your stomach and sometimes on your back, a firmer mattress would probably be best.
Side sleeping can help keep your airway open to reduce the effects of snoring and sleep apnea. Back sleeping can be good for sleepers with shoulder or hip pain, so long as the mattress has good lower back support. Stomach sleeping can cause your spine to curve unnaturally and can lead to discomfort in your lower back.
Have questions about this article? Email us at reviewsteam@ncoa.org
