When it comes to sleep position preferences, most people fall into one of three groups: side, back, or stomach sleepers. However, there is a fourth group of people who tend to shift position throughout the night. These combination sleepers shift position throughout the night. If this sounds like you, you’ll need a mattress that can keep you comfortable and supported as you move.
We’ll review our top picks for mattresses that are a good fit for combination sleepers. We’ll also cover the unique needs of this group of sleepers, including the mattress performance characteristics that are most important and how to find the right mix of comfort and support to maintain spinal alignment and get a good night’s rest.
The Best Mattresses for Combination Sleepers
Find Your Perfect Mattress
We know mattresses work differently for different types of sleepers. Use the filters below to help narrow down your options for your best bed.
Read on to see why the following six options made our top picks list of 2024’s best mattresses for combination sleepers.
Sleep Doctor’s Picks
Best Overall Mattress
Leesa Original Hybrid
The Sleep Doctor’s Review
Conforming memory foam and responsive polyfoam work in concert with quick-reacting pocketed coils to give the Leesa Original Hybrid an effective combination of comfort and support. This mix makes it a flexible option that can help you maintain good spinal alignment no matter how you sleep.
Buy From Leesa
Couples
Medium Firm
Good Value
Isolates Motion
Pros
- Delivers the hug of memory foam while a breathable layer of polyfoam and pocketed coils prevents sinkage
- Reinforced perimeter allows you to use more of the bed’s surface
- Breathable knit cover promotes airflow
Cons
- May not provide enough support for stomach sleepers over 230 pounds
- Only one choice of firmness level
Why We Like It
With a hybrid’s signature balance of cushioning and pushback, the Leesa Original Hybrid has a medium firm (6) feel that’s neither too soft nor too hard, giving it a broad appeal. Plus, the mattress’ high-quality materials and construction create a versatile sleep surface that works well for most side, back, and stomach sleepers.
How Does It Feel?
We found that the Leesa Original Hybrid offered significant contouring with an upper layer of memory foam that cradles the body’s curves and reduces pressure around the neck, shoulders, and hips. The mattress’ polyfoam layer added extra comfort while responding quickly to our testers’ movements. The individually pocketed coils in the support core provided additional targeted support to maintain spinal alignment.
Best Value Mattress
Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid
The Sleep Doctor’s Review
The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid’s high-quality materials and multiple firmness options make it a good choice for a wide range of sleepers, including combination sleepers. With its mid-range price-point and multiple cooling technologies, the Signature Hybrid also provides exceptional value for the price.
Buy From Brooklyn Bedding
Budget Shoppers
Soft, Medium, Firm Options
Great Value
Isolates Motion
Pros
- Three firmness options allow sleepers to tailor the feel of the mattress to their body type and sleep position
- High-quality materials improve performance and durability
- Direct-to-consumer pricing reduces markups
Cons
- Sleep partners with different preferences may need to compromise on firmness
- Less motion isolation in the Firm version
Why We Like It
Available in three different firmness options, the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid is a versatile pick. Each version features proprietary foams and steel coils that work together for an effective combination of comfort and support.
Along with its reasonable price-point, the Signature Hybrid comes in a variety of firmness levels, making it a good option for many different kinds of sleepers. We found that the combination of responsive foams and a pocketed coil core create a good balance of comfort, support, and durability. Additionally, the optional GlacioTex cover is designed to enhance the mattress’ cooling capabilities, which may appeal to hot sleepers.
How Does It Feel?
Our testers found that all three firmness options offered above-average pressure relief, thanks to quality foams and targeted support from the coil core. Our side and back sleepers weighing between 130 and 230 pounds preferred the balance of comfort and support provided by the Medium option. Our back and side sleepers weighing less than 130 pounds preferred the plusher feel of the Soft, while stomach sleepers weighing over 130 pounds liked the sturdy foundation of the Firm model.
It’s worth noting that among the three firmness levels, the Medium and Firm options appealed to the widest range of sleepers, which means they’re likely to be the best fit for combination sleepers.
Best Luxury Mattress
Saatva Classic
The Sleep Doctor’s Review
Available in multiple firmness options and profiles, the Saatva Classic provides both flexibility and functionality for a wide variety of sleepers. The mattress’ dual-coil system offers ample pushback across all three firmness levels, and the plush Euro-top and zoned lumbar pad work together to provide solid pressure relief regardless of your sleep position.
Buy From Saatva
Hot Sleepers
Soft, Medium Firm, Firm Options
Fair Value
Some Motion Transfer
Pros
- Quilted Euro-top with lumbar support relieves pressure
- Dual-coil design responds to movement and prevents sinkage
- Three firmness options and two choices of height allow for a personalized fit
Cons
- Below-average motion isolation, especially in the Firm option
- The Plush Soft may contour too closely for sleepers over 230 pounds
Why We Like It
The Saatva Classic’s Euro-top offers generous cushioning that conforms to the body and promotes spinal alignment. An underlying layer of high-density memory foam running through the middle third of the mattress adds further pressure relief for the lower back and hips. However, the dual-coil system is where the Saatva really shines, with an upper layer of individually pocketed recycled steel coils that works in concert with a base layer of tempered steel coils for support and durability.
How Does It Feel?
The Saatva Classic is an innerspring mattress with a dual-coil design and a plush Euro-top. It’s available in three firmnesses, and sleepers can also choose between an 11.5-inch or a 14.5-inch profile. This range of options, combined with the mattress’ high-quality design elements and premium materials, gives the Saatva Classic a high-end feel.
During testing, the Saatva’s Luxury Firm version earned high marks across sleep positions and body types, thanks to the ample contouring in the Euro-top and targeted support from both layers of coils. The Luxury Firm’s broad appeal is good news for combination sleepers, who should be able to shift positions while remaining comfortable and supported. Combination sleepers under 130 pounds or over 230 pounds may want to adjust their firmness to meet their body’s specific needs.
Best Mattress for Couples
Helix Midnight
The Sleep Doctor’s Review
The Helix Midnight is a great option for side sleepers, but enhanced support in the transition layer and core mean it can work well for back and side sleepers, too. It’s also quiet and easy to move on, making it a good choice for couples and active sleepers as well.
Buy From Helix
Medium Firm
Great Value
Some Motion Transfer
Pros
- Excellent fit for side sleepers weighing between 130 and 230 pounds
- Superior pressure relief promotes spinal alignment across sleep positions
- Sleep surface is quiet enough for couples to move without disturbing each other
Cons
- Sleepers over 230 pounds may experience sinkage through the middle third of the body
- Couples with different firmness preferences may have to compromise
Why We Like It
The Helix Midnight offers a hybrid’s classic mix of comfort and support, with coils that deliver targeted pushback and three layers of foam for pressure relief. Those foam layers also ensure the bed is quiet enough that those who share the bed with a partner won’t be disturbed by movement. Its medium firm (6) feel makes it a good choice for couples looking for an effective compromise, too.
How Does It Feel?
The three types of foam in the Helix Midnight’s comfort system make it a particularly good fit for side sleepers. The robust coil system provides plenty of support, so most stomach and back sleepers should find it comfortable as well. Additionally, couples will likely appreciate the Helix’s ability to limit significant motion transfer.
A top layer of Memory Plus foam underscored by high-grade polyfoam provided good cushioning for our side sleepers under 230 pounds. A second layer of transitional polyfoam and a core of individually wrapped coils offered enough support for our back and stomach sleepers under 230 pounds to maintain alignment. Overall, we found the Midnight to be highly adaptable, making it a good option for combination sleepers.
Best Mattress for Back Pain
WinkBed
The Sleep Doctor’s Review
With high-quality materials and a construction that focuses on both comfort and support, the WinkBed is a solid choice for combination sleepers, particularly those with back pain. Its range of firmness options, additional support elements in the lumbar region, and pressure-relieving pillow-top make the WinkBed an adaptable choice for any sleep position.
Buy From WinkBeds
All Sleepers
Soft, Medium Firm, Firm, Extra Firm Options
Good Value
Isolates Motion
Pros
- Four firmness levels allow sleepers to choose their best fit
- Extra lumbar support and a zoned coil system promote spinal alignment
- A reinforced edge resists compression and adds to the sleepable area
Cons
- May provide less pressure relief than an all-foam mattress
- Softer options may not be comfortable for sleepers weighing more than 230 pounds
Why We Like It
The WinkBed offers firmness options that cater to many different body types and sleep positions, giving it a versatility that works well for combination sleepers. Additionally, design features like the 3-Step Back Relief System and LumbarLayer are meant to relieve pressure and offer extra support through the lower back, which can be particularly helpful for those with back pain.
The classic innerspring mattress gets an upgrade in the WinkBed, which uses a combination of polyfoam and zoned, pocketed coils to provide a balance of support and pressure relief. Sleepers can choose from four firmness levels, all of which incorporate a pillow-top with gel-infused foam designed to sleep cool.
How Does It Feel?
Each WinkBed firmness option has its own feel. Our testers put the Soft at a 4 on our 10-point firmness scale, with our side sleepers noting that the extra cushioning in its pillow-top provided a deeper hug around their shoulders and hips. Most of our testers reported that the Luxury Firm’s medium firm (6) feel had a good mix of cushioning and pushback.
The Firm (7) and Plus (8) models were top performers among our back and stomach sleepers. For those weighing over 230 pounds, the high-density foam and an added layer of buoyant latex in the Plus provides enhanced comfort without sacrificing support.
Best Mattress for Heavy Sleepers
Titan Plus Luxe
The Sleep Doctor’s Review
The Titan Plus Luxe takes Titan’s hybrid design and adds a layer to the comfort system, as well as two additional inches of coils. The extra cushioning and bouncier profile give the Luxe a medium firm (6) feel that works for a wider range of sleepers while still offering superior support for heavier people.
Buy From Titan
Sleepers Over 230 Pounds
Medium Firm
Great Value
Some Motion Transfer
Pros
- Designed for heavy sleepers who want a mid-range firmness level
- Solidly built with premium materials for extra durability
- Pocketed coils and responsive foams allow for easier movement across the sleep surface
Cons
- May be too firm for side sleepers under 130 pounds
- Some sleepers may need even more pressure relief
Why We Like It
The Titan Plus line of mattresses is designed specifically for heavier people, offering enhanced support and durable components for a solid sleep surface. The Titan Plus Luxe uses the same materials but adds more foam and uses taller coils in the support core. This gives the mattress a mid-level firmness that’s compatible with more sleep positions and body types.
With gel memory foam quilted into the cover, plus 2 inches of TitanFlex polyfoam and 1 inch of Energex polyfoam in the transition layer, the Titan Plus Luxe prioritizes contouring comfort without diminishing its overall sturdiness. High-quality coils in the core respond to pressure with targeted support, letting sleepers shift and move without compromising spinal alignment.
How Does It Feel?
Our side sleepers over 230 pounds gave the Titan Plus Luxe excellent scores. The layers of foam provided good pressure relief, while the pocketed coils delivered plenty of support and bounce. Our back sleepers weighing between 130 and 230 pounds were also impressed with the mattress’ mix of comfort and support.
While our stomach sleepers gave the Titan Plus Luxe slightly lower scores overall, they still felt that the comfort system offered sufficient pressure relief and support.
Why You Should Trust Us
Our team represents a wide range of body types and sleep position preferences. This diversity helps us evaluate the versatility of a mattress, which is one of the most important factors for combination sleepers.
We have many years of experience in the sleep products industry, and we personally research and test each of the mattresses we recommend for combination sleepers.
What Do Combo Sleepers Need for a Good Night’s Rest?
To sleep well and wake up feeling rested and refreshed, combination sleepers need to ensure that they’re comfortable and supported in any sleep position. There are three key considerations to keep in mind.
Know Your Essential Needs as a Combination Sleeper
Combination sleepers have unique sleep needs compared to those who prefer a single position. For example, most combination sleepers need a medium firm mattress that keeps their spine aligned and provides moderate contouring. However, this will depend on which positions they tend to alternate between.
Choose a Mattress Type That Keeps You Comfortable
Different mattress types have different benefits and drawbacks for combination sleepers. Combination sleepers may feel comfortable on any of the common mattress types, though finding one with enough responsiveness to help facilitate movement can be particularly helpful.
Get a Mattress That Will Keep Your Spine Aligned
Maintaining alignment through the spine is essential for comfortable sleep. Finding a mattress that keeps the spine aligned means taking into consideration the mattress’ firmness, the sleeper’s body type, and the needs of each sleep position.
What Is a Combination Sleeper?
A combination sleeper tends to shift sleep positions during the night. Combination sleeping can result from a tendency to be an active or restless sleeper. It might also be caused by the accumulation of pressure in a specific area or other discomfort that is temporarily relieved by switching positions.
Is Combination Sleeping Healthy?
Combination sleeping is not intrinsically healthy or unhealthy; it just means that you rotate between several sleep positions during the night. Finding a mattress that provides proper spinal alignment and reduces pressure buildup in each position can help boost the positives and diminish the negative effects of each sleep position.
Shifting sleep positions throughout the night is common. Children tend to change position the most, spending considerable time on their back, stomach, and sides. How often a person changes position during sleep tends to decrease as people get older and adults often find themselves reverting to one habitual position. Women, smokers, and people with higher body weights are also less likely to be combination sleepers.
Primary Needs of a Combination Sleeper
In terms of mattress type and performance, combination sleepers have several considerations to keep in mind. They’ll need a mattress with a design that helps ensure their spine remains aligned regardless of their position, a sleep surface that adapts quickly to movement, and above-average motion isolation to minimize disturbances to co-sleepers.
- Versatile support and comfort: Combination sleepers are best served by versatile mattresses that offer adequate pressure relief and enough pushback for multiple sleep positions.
- Mattress responsiveness: Responsive mattresses bounce back quickly after pressure is removed. This is a key characteristic for combination sleepers because a reactive sleep surface delivers consistent comfort and support even with frequent movement.
- Easy movement: If a mattress is too soft, combination sleepers may feel stuck in the conforming comfort layers. A buoyant, resilient sleep surface allows combination sleepers to shift positions with minimal effort.
- Motion isolation: Sharing a bed with a combination sleeper can be challenging for those who are easily disturbed by movement. A mattress that does a good job of isolating motion can help minimize disturbances. However, keep in mind that that may mean trading away some responsiveness and ease of movement.
What Kind of Mattress is Best for Combination Sleepers?
The specific needs of combination sleepers can be met by a variety of mattress types. To narrow down the selection, combination sleepers should determine whether they spend more time sleeping on their side, back, or stomach. They can then match their preferences to a mattress type.
Hybrid Mattresses
Hybrid mattresses combine a comfort system featuring foam or latex with a support core of coils. Their design balances contouring with sturdy support. This signature balance can be ideal for combination sleepers.
Sleepers can also match their specific needs to the materials used in the comfort layer. Latex generally provides more bounce and ease of movement, while foam usually offers more pressure relief and motion isolation.
- Pros: A mix of comfort and support creates a versatile sleep surface that can suit multiple sleep positions.
- Cons: Sleepers over 230 or under 130 pounds may not get the comfort and support they need from a hybrid with an average firmness level.
Latex Mattresses
Made from the sap of the rubber tree, natural latex provides a responsive and durable surface with a gentle hug. Latex mattresses usually have a firmer, buoyant feel. They can work especially well for combination sleepers who spend a lot of time on their back and stomach, but they also benefit side sleepers over 230 pounds and those looking for a milder contour in the comfort layer.
- Pros: Latex offers superior ease of motion and is highly reactive to changes in pressure.
- Cons: The material may be too firm for combination sleepers under 130 pounds who spend lots of time on their side. Additionally, latex mattresses usually don’t have the deeper cradle and significant pressure relief of other kinds of mattresses.
Foam Mattresses
Foam mattresses are made from highly moldable polyurethane foam. These beds typically include one or more comfort layers featuring memory foam or a lower-density polyfoam, along with a sturdier high-density polyfoam support core.
All-foam mattresses are known for their pressure relief and motion isolation, but the tradeoff is less ease of movement. They can be a particularly good choice for combination sleepers who prefer side sleeping most of the time, but combination sleepers over 230 pounds who sleep mostly on their back or stomach may not find enough support to prevent sinkage. However, selecting a foam mattress with a firmer feel could mitigate some of these concerns.
- Pros: Excellent motion isolation keeps sleep partners happy while also allowing combination sleepers to benefit from the foam’s conforming capability.
- Cons: Foam – particularly memory foam – makes it harder to move on the mattress. Additionally, sleepers who mainly rest on their back or stomach may need more support.
Innerspring Mattresses
Manufacturers sometimes use the terms innerspring and hybrid interchangeably, but there are some differences. While both mattresses use metal coils in their support core, innersprings have a thin comfort layer measuring no more than two inches, while hybrids generally have much thicker comfort systems made up of several layers of foam or latex.
Innersprings are best known for their supportiveness and can work well for combination sleepers who spend a lot of time sleeping on their back or stomach. Innersprings with thicker pillow-tops can be a good choice for combination sleepers who often sleep on their side.
- Pros: Highly supportive, bouncy, and easy to move around on, innerspring mattresses are a good fit for those who are mainly on their backs or stomachs.
- Cons: Innersprings are not as comfortable for side sleeping unless they come with a thicker top layer. They’re also more prone to motion transfer that may disturb sleep partners.
Airbeds
A traditional airbed is most often used as a temporary mattress to accommodate guests or for extra comfort while camping. However, the term also applies to adjustable airbeds that are meant for nightly use. They’re designed with air chambers in their support cores that can be inflated to the sleeper’s desired level of firmness.
Airbeds can be a good fit for combination sleepers, especially if they incorporate technology that allows them to adjust in real time to sleep position changes. However, for many, airbeds are prohibitively expensive, and sensitive sleepers may be disturbed by the noise from the motorized components.
Pros: Adjustability means sleepers can select their desired firmness at any time, and some models adjust in real-time or at set points throughout the night.
Cons: Airbeds tend to be more expensive and noisier than other mattress types. Additionally, not all airbeds adjust automatically, so you may need to make changes to the firmness level prior to falling asleep.
What’s the Best Mattress Firmness for Combination Sleepers?
While the ideal firmness for any individual is subjective, in general terms, a mid-range firmness is a good choice for combination sleepers. Medium (5) to medium firm (6) mattresses can accommodate a sleeper who shifts positions by providing a sleep surface that is neither too soft nor too firm.
Our Firmness Scale and the Ideal Range for Combo Sleepers
We rate mattress firmness using a 10-point scale with one being the softest and ten being the firmest. For combination sleepers, we generally recommend a mid-level feel between medium (5) and medium firm (6), which provides a good balance of support and cushioning.
However, combination sleepers should take into account their body type as well as their usual sleep positions. Combination sleepers weighing less than 130 pounds may prefer the plusher feel of a softer mattress, while sleepers weighing over 230 pounds could find they sink too far into the extra padding. Conversely, the sturdy support of a firm mattress can help sleepers over 230 pounds get good spinal alignment, but for most sleepers under 130 pounds, a firm mattress can be uncomfortable.
| Sleeper Weight | Ideal Firmness | Why It’s Important |
|---|---|---|
| Under 130 lbs. | Medium Soft (4) to Medium Firm (6) | A feel that dips into the softer side of the firmness range works well for combination sleepers under 130 pounds who spend more time on their side. Those who want more support can choose a slightly firmer 5 or 6. |
| 130-230 lbs. | Medium (5) to Medium Firm (6) | Sleepers in this weight range will likely benefit the most from an average firmness that allows for some contouring and pressure relief without compromising on the pushback needed for spinal alignment. |
| Over 230 lbs. | Medium Firm (6) to Firm (8) | Combination sleepers weighing over 230 pounds need a more supportive mattress to prevent sinkage and the formation of pressure points. An average firmness usually works for those who sleep mostly on their side, while a firmer feel is better for those who shift between their back and stomach. |
Staying Comfortable in Multiple Sleep Positions
The best mattress for any sleeper should offer comfort and support levels that are suited for that person’s body type and sleep position. Combination sleepers face the challenge of accommodating not just one sleep position, but up to three.
That means they’ll need to think about how much time they spend in each position and which performance characteristics are most important for meeting their sleep needs.
- Side sleeping: This position does best with a mattress that has above-average contouring capability in order to relieve pressure around the shoulders and hips.
- Back sleeping: Those who spend time sleeping on their back can benefit from a lightly conforming comfort layer and extra support from the core in order to keep the spine in alignment.
- Stomach sleeping: To avoid sinkage and to reduce pressure points, stomach sleepers need a significant amount of support, especially through the middle of the body.
Choosing the Right Pillow for Combination Sleepers
A sleeper’s choice of pillow also has an impact on maintaining a neutral spine and healthy alignment. As with mattresses, combination sleepers benefit from a pillow that adequately supports the head and neck in any sleeping position. That support comes from a combination of the pillow’s firmness and its height, also known as loft.
Combination sleepers should look for pillows that have a medium firmness and a mid-level loft for sufficient supportiveness across sleep positions. Adjustable pillows can be a good option for combination sleepers, as their fill levels can be easily modified for the right feel.
About The Author
Staff Writer, Product Testing Team
Garen is a health and lifestyle content creator. She realized the importance of sleep when her children made getting a good night’s rest more challenging. Garen is always learning something new about the wide world of sleep and sleep products. Married with two girls, ages 7 and 11, she is a book nerd and a lover of pop music, travel, and the Pacific Northwest.
- POSITION: Side Sleeper
- TEMPERATURE: Neutral Sleeper
- CHRONOTYPE: Wolf
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