Best Mattresses for Combination Sleepers

Combination sleepers are individuals who tend to change their sleeping position throughout the night. Not committed to a single sleeping position, these sleepers may doze off in any of the three primary sleep positions—stomach, back, or side—and wake up in a different position. Just like sleepers who have a single preferred position at night, combination sleepers must consider their unique needs when selecting a new mattress.

The best mattresses for combination sleepers should excel in a few essential qualities; responsiveness for easy shifting, the provision of comfort in any sleeping position, and adequate spinal support in any sleeping position.

In this article, we’re sharing our picks of the best mattresses for combination sleepers in 2020. We also share a buyer’s guide to mattress shopping for combo sleepers, which covers important considerations such as firmness level, mattress type, pros and cons of combination sleeping, and more.

Best Mattresses for Combination Sleepers 2020

• Editor’s Pick – Nectar
• Best Value Mattress – Tuft & Needle Mint
• Best Cooling Mattress – Purple Hybrid
• Best Luxury Mattress – Amerisleep
• Best Pressure Relieving Mattress – Puffy Lux
• Best for Couples – Loom & Leaf
• Best for Heavyweight Combo Sleepers – Bear Mattress

The Nectar is a medium-firm, all-foam mattress that provides a nice balance of close conforming and pressure relief. Our Editor’s Pick, the Nectar embodies qualities that are ideal for combination sleepers, and it comes with generous policies. A 6/10 on the firmness scale, the Nectar features comfort layers of cooling gel memory foam and a high-density polyfoam support core. It’s known for providing enough conforming and spinal alignment for average and heavyweight sleepers in any sleeping position. As icing on the cake, the Nectar comes with free shipping, White Glove delivery, a 365-night sleep trial, and a 10-year warranty.

Read our full Nectar Mattress Review to learn more!

The Tuft & Needle Mint is made by one of the most prominent bed-in-a-box online brands and is an all-polyfoam mattress constructed with a cooling gel- and graphite-infused comfort layer, a gel-infused transitional layer, and a polyfoam support base. Considered a 6/10 on the firmness scale, the bed’s medium-firm feel offers great pressure relief and support for sleepers across different weight and sleep position groups. Reasonably priced compared to other all-foam models, the Tuft & Needle Mint is our pick for value seekers who don’t want to sacrifice on quality. It comes with a 100-night sleep trial, free shipping in the contiguous U.S., and a 10-year, non-prorated warranty.

Check out our full Tuft & Needle Mattress Review for more info!

The Purple Hybrid mattress contains the company’s proprietary Purple Grid comfort layer, a polyfoam transitional layer, a pocketed coil support core, and a polyfoam base. What we love about the Purple Hybrid for combination sleepers is its devotion to cooling and responsiveness. If you sleep hot, the breathable comfort layer, which consists of hyperelastic polymers in an open-grid shape, will allow airflow throughout the mattress, as will the bed’s pocketed coil support core. The grid on top also has a unique feel that’s both conforming and responsive, falling somewhere between latex and memory foam. This makes it easy for combination sleepers to switch positions. The Purple Hybrid comes with a 100-night sleep trial, free shipping in the contiguous U.S., and a 10-year, non-prorated warranty. See Best Hybrid Mattresses 

Read our full Purple Hybrid Mattress Review to learn more!

The Amerisleep is an all-foam mattress that features a stretchy cover, a 3-inch comfort layer of Bio-Pur foam, a transitional layer of high-density polyfoam, and a support core of high-density polyfoam. This mattress isolates motion exceptionally well, has a cover that is engineered to help people recover from strenuous activities, is both soft and responsive, and comes with other qualities that you’ll only find in a luxury mattress. The Amerisleep comes with a 100-night sleep trial, free shipping to the contiguous U.S., and a 20-year warranty.

Read our full Amerisleep Mattress Review for more info!

The Puffy Lux is Puffy’s take on a luxury mattress and features a layer of gel-infused memory foam, another layer of memory foam, a layer of transitional polyfoam, and a high-density foam base layer. The result is a mattress that conforms closely, providing a cradling feel that relieves aches and pains for all sleeping styles. The top layers of this mattress are what really shine. The Puffy Lux’s memory foam layer is fairly thin, but it gives the bed light and airy feel while still providing excellent pressure relief, and it has higher responsiveness than beds with thicker memory foam layers to improve the ease of changing sleeping positions. Underneath the top foam layer is another comfort layer for additional contouring. The Puffy Lux comes with a 101-night sleep trial, free shipping to all 50 U.S. states and Canada, and a lifetime warranty.

See our Puffy Lux Mattress Review to learn more!

The Loom & Leaf provides very good motion isolation and does not produce any noise when bearing weight, making it a great option for couples, especially if they awaken easily due to movement or noise at night. Developed by Saatva, the Loom & Leaf is an all-foam mattress that’s 12” tall and comes in two different firmness options. It features a layer of gel memory foam, a layer of memory foam, and a support core of high-density polyfoam. Keep in mind that while the Loom & Leaf is exceptionally quiet and motion isolating, it also has a 4” layer of memory foam, which, while providing superior pressure relief in any sleeping position, may make it challenging to change positions throughout the night. The Loom & Leaf comes with a 120-night sleep trial, free shipping in the contiguous U.S., and a 15-year, non-prorated warranty.

See our full Loom & Leaf Mattress Review to learn more!

The firm and durable Bear Mattress is our pick for heavyweight sleepers, providing them with above-average support and gentle conforming thanks to a pressure-relieving memory foam layer and a highly supportive, high-density foam core. The mattress is made with comfort layers of gel-infused graphite memory foam and polyfoam for added breathability, which is a major plus for heavyweight sleepers, who tend to sleep hot. Beneath the comfort layers is a polyfoam transitional layer and a high-density foam base. The mattress measures 10” thick and has a medium feel. While only a 5.5/10 on the firmness scale, the Bear Mattress works well for heavyweight sleepers who switch positions because it provides pressure relief in all sleeping positions. Keep in mind that heavyweight sleepers whose primary sleeping position is on their back or stomach may experience slight sagging. The Bear Mattress comes with a 100-night trial, free shipping to all 50 U.S. states, and a 10-year, non-prorated warranty. See Also: Best Mattresses for Heavy Sleepers  

Check out our full Bear Mattress Review to learn more!

Mattress Buying Guide for Combination Sleepers 

The majority of sleepers are technically combination sleepers, even if they prefer one sleeping position. Combination sleeping isn’t better or worse than singular sleeping positions, but finding a mattress that provides adequate support and comfort can be tricky. This is because combination sleeping allows for more variety by its very nature, making it more difficult to provide a one-size-fits-all mattress recommendation for this sleeping type. This guide will share the most important considerations for combination sleepers and tips for finding the right mattress for this sleeping position.

The Best and Worst Type of Mattress for Combination Sleepers

There are four primary mattress types in the mattress industry, and each type is known for excelling in certain performance categories. For example, some mattress types conform closely and alleviate pain exceptionally well, and others are more breathable and have better airflow for hot sleepers. 

Below we will outline a few key characteristics of each mattress type and provides notes on how they can benefit or detract from combination sleepers’ sleeping experience. 

Foam Mattress 

Pros for Combination Sleepers

• Motion isolation
• Excellent conforming and pressure relief
• Widely available
• Noiseless
• Average price point

Cons for Combination Sleepers

• May sleep hot
• Minimal edge support (sagging may occur)
• May be difficult to change positions on

Our Recommendation: Look for memory foam mattresses with a more responsive comfort layer for changing positions easily. Those with thinner comfort layers that still provide pressure relief may be ideal.

Latex 

Pros for Combination Sleepers

• Durable
• Close conforming and pressure relief
• Sleep slightly cooler than foam mattresses
• No noise
• Motion isolation

Cons for Combination Sleepers

• Higher price point
• Odor potential
• Limited availability

Our Recommendation: Look for latex mattresses with a mid-range price point. Some synthetic latex mattresses are priced lower than their natural alternatives.

Innerspring

Pros for Combination Sleepers

• Affordable
• Widely available
• Responsive for changing positions
• Sleep cool
• Different firmness options

Cons for Combination Sleepers

• May be noisy
• Longevity
• Minimal cushioning (conforming)

Our Recommendation: Look for innerspring mattresses with a thicker-than-average foam layer for better conforming.

Hybrid

Pros for Combination Sleepers

• Conforming and supportive
• Long lifespan
• Responsive for changing positions
• Sleep cool

Cons for Combination Sleepers

• May be noise
• Higher price point
• Longevity

Our Recommendation: Look for hybrid mattresses that combine conforming and pressure relief while maintaining higher responsiveness than a memory foam bed for ease of changing positions.

Pros and Cons of Each Sleeping Position

No matter your primary sleeping position, or even if you split your night evenly between the three main sleeping positions, spinal alignment is key. Of the three main sleeping positions, some positions are more healthy for the body and improve your chances of maintaining spinal alignment throughout the night. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of each primary sleeping position for combination sleepers.

• Side sleeping is the most popular sleeping position, as it most closely mimics the fetal position that most people find comforting regardless of their age. This is also widely preferred among people with back pain and pregnant women. Side sleepers place the weight of their bodies on one shoulder and one hip, helping to alleviate pain in the back, stomach, and neck. People who experience snoring or acid reflux may also fare well on their sides. The downside of side sleeping is that it may cause premature facial aging on the sleeper’s preferred side, and can require additional pillows and sleep accessories to keep the spine in alignment.
• Back sleeping is the number one recommended sleeping position by doctors and sleep specialists. This is because back sleeping naturally promotes spinal alignment. Those who carry weight in their mid-section, including heavyweight individuals and pregnant women, can experience lower back pain in this position. Back sleepers may experience more snoring and acid reflux.
• Stomach sleeping is not recommended by doctors, physical therapists, or chiropractors because it creates a high potential for pain, discomfort, and poor spinal alignment. This position can cause strain on the low back and neck and does not technically provide adequate support, regardless of the number of pillows or healthy sleeping techniques employed. Most stomach sleepers also sleep with their head to one side every night, which can cause neck pain during the day.

What Mattress Firmness is Best for Combination Sleepers?

Spinal alignment is essential for all sleeping positions, but it’s especially key for combination sleepers. The spine should be aligned from the shoulders all the way down to the pelvis whether they’re sleeping on their side, back, or stomach. A misaligned spine can lead to pressure points throughout the body. A mattress’ support, which is its ability to provide a flat sleeping surface that conforms to certain areas to properly align the spine, is largely dictated by the mattress’ firmness level.

Firmness levels fall on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the firmest. The right firmness for any sleeper is also determined by their weight and body type. Here’s an overview of the ideal firmness levels for combination sleepers by body type.

Why Responsiveness is Key

The responsiveness of a mattress can be measured visually by pressing one’s hand into the bed and seeing now how long it takes the mattress to “refill” the indentation. A responsive mattress is oftentimes preferred by combination sleepers, as this quality makes changing positions throughout the night much easier. Memory foam mattresses, for example, tend to have low responsiveness, causing combination sleepers to feel “stuck” in the mattress as they attempt to change sleeping positions. Hybrid, innerspring, and latex mattresses, alternatively, tend to have higher responsiveness levels, making it easy to switch from back sleeping to side sleeping to stomach sleeping seamlessly throughout the night.

Considerations for Combination Sleepers 

Now that you understand why certain aspects of mattress construction and performance are more essential for combination sleepers, here’s a list of considerations to take into account as you decide on the best new mattress for you.

Body Type

Your body type and weight will directly influence the firmness that’s appropriate for you. As mentioned above, lightweight sleepers do best on softer mattresses, average weight sleepers do well on medium and medium-firm mattresses, and heavyweight sleepers sleep best on firmer mattresses that can support their weight. We recommend basing the firmness level you choose on both your body type and your dominant sleeping position.

Dominant Sleeping Position

Prior to shopping, we recommend taking note of what your preferred sleeping position is at night. It’s fairly rare for a sleeper to divide their time equally between each of the three primary sleeping positions. Even if you find that you split your time roughly 50/50 between two of the primary sleeping positions, this can help inform the mattress type and qualities that will be more likely to provide a healthy night’s sleep for your body.

Motion Transfer, Edge Support, and Co-Sleeping

If you sleep with a partner or a pet, motion transfer, noise reduction, and edge support should be mattress qualities on the top of your list. A mattress that minimizes motion transfer to a great extent will ensure that, as you or your partner (or pet) change positions throughout the night, you won’t wake one another. A mattress that’s virtually silent when pressure is applied will also increase the chances that both partners achieve a good night’s sleep. For couples and individuals who are elderly, lightweight, or have disabilities, choosing a mattress that provides excellent edge support will help to make getting in and out of bed, or sitting on the edge of the bed, significantly easier.

Warranty and Sleep Trial Policies

Like we’ve mentioned, there’s no one-size-fits-all mattress for combination sleepers. This is due to the greater variety allowed by this sleeping style, which incorporates several sleeping positions in addition to the other primary factors, such as body weight, budget, and personal preferences. Most online mattress companies have a 100-night sleep trial or longer. Further, a mattress that’s backed by a warranty will ensure that your investment is protected from defects and damages. A mattress is no small purchase, so a warranty (most mattress companies offer 10-year warranty policies or longer), will ensure you’re covered if the bed is delivered damaged or reveals a defect within the warranty period.

Conclusion 

Once you’ve selected the mattress type that best suits your needs as a combination sleeper, we recommend comparing prices and taking note of any personal preferences you have with regard to style, characteristics, or brand. Also, double checking products’ sleep trial periods and warranties to make sure you’re comfortable with the coverage. Once you’ve narrowed down these factors, re-read our list of the top picks for combination sleepers above to see if there’s a mattress that suits your needs. We hope this article helps you make your new mattress purchase with confidence.

Recap of the Best Mattress for Combination Sleepers