Best Mattress for Side Sleepers in Australia

You've probably heard the same advice everywhere: "Side sleepers need a soft or plush mattress." It's repeated often, but it's always oversimplified.

A 60kg side sleeper and a 100kg side sleeper have completely different needs. Recommending the same "medium-firm" mattress to both is like putting the same suspension on a hatchback and an SUV. One's going to bottom out, the other's going to ride way too firm.

I've been building mattresses for over a decade. Part of my discovery as a mattress maker is that getting the correct spring tension for people's body weight is key for side sleepers. Get that wrong, and no amount of mattress toppers will save you.

Prefer to watch rather than read? Here's a video where I explain the whole thing.

The marshmallow on a table analogy

Here's what's happening with side sleepers and pressure points.

Imagine putting a marshmallow on a table and pushing your finger down through it. At first, it feels soft. But if you push hard enough (or long enough), your fingertip hits the table underneath. That's when it starts to hurt. Your fingertip is receiving a lot of pressure, not because the marshmallow is too firm, but because you've hit the table.

Your hips and shoulders are like the fingertip. When you lie on a mattress with springs that are too firm, your hips and shoulders push through the comfort layers and land directly on top of the springs. That contact becomes a pressure point. The result is uncomfortability and soreness – usually a lot of tossing and turning at night.

Most mattress companies convince you to add more foam – softer foam, memory foam, mattress toppers. But that doesn't solve the problem. The only thing that works is to soften the table.

You need to get the springs right for your body weight so they can contour with your hips and shoulders.

Body weight + correct spring tension = pressure relief

• Under 50kg: Softer spring (we use a 1.6mm gauge 7-turn)
• 50-85kg: Medium spring tension (we use a 1.7mm gauge 7-turn)
• 85-100kg: Firm spring tension (we use a 1.7mm gauge 6-turn)
• Over 100kg: Very firm spring tension (we use a 1.8mm gauge 6-turn)

If you're too heavy for the springs, you get a hammock effect, and your hips fall out of alignment. Here's why. If you're too light for the springs, they won't yield to your body. Instead, your body yields to the springs and contorts during the night.

A 50kg person usually finds most mattresses "too firm" because most mattress companies don't offer softer springs. They offer a one-size-fits-all firm spring and then pile on a lot of soft foam.

Why heavier side sleepers (80kg+) struggle with foam mattresses

If you're 80kg or heavier and sleep on your side, bed-in-a-box foam mattresses are a tough fit. Here's why.

Foam (even high-quality memory foam) has a limited ability to distribute pressure compared to properly designed pocket springs. When you're heavier, more force concentrates at your hips and shoulders. Foam compresses, but it doesn't contour the way properly tensioned pocket springs can.

A few things make it worse:

1. Foam-only mattresses usually come in one firmness, maybe two
2. That firmness is rarely matched to your body weight
3. Over time, foam compresses permanently under heavier loads, creating dips at the hip and shoulder

I pull apart old mattresses regularly. Memory foam is always very soft around the hip area. Always. Usually, around the 4-5 year mark, memory foam softens at the hips, and you start to hit the firmer layers or springs underneath. If you're heavier than average, it happens faster. Latex holds up far better.

What "point elasticity" means (and why it matters)

You won't see point elasticity mentioned on many mattress websites. It's the ability of a mattress to conform and respond to pressure at a specific point without affecting the surrounding areas.

Think about it: when you're on your side, your hips and shoulders create concentrated pressure points. A mattress with high point elasticity allows those areas to sink in independently while keeping your waist and legs properly supported.

Foam can't do this effectively. Even good foam distributes pressure somewhat, but it's a slow, compression-based response. A properly designed pocket spring system, on the other hand, has independent coils that compress exactly where pressure is applied and stay firm everywhere else.

And this is critical: most pocket springs in Australia are cheap and poorly designed. They have a low coil and are arranged in rows. Here's what we do at Ausbeds:

• High coil count: 986 springs in a queen (most companies use around 600)
• Honeycomb arrangement: Springs nested together to increase density and point elasticity (most companies use a row layout)
• Multiple spring tensions available: Soft, medium, firm and very firm springs for different body weights (most companies use a one-size-fits-all "medium-firm")
• No glued top layers: Allows springs to move independently

Hybrid mattress vs foam mattress

The best mattresses for side sleepers are hybrids: foam/latex on springs.

How we do this at Ausbeds:

1. Start with body-weight-matched pocket springs
2. Add micro-springs for cushioning and contouring (1,600-3,200 micro coils for deep pressure relief at hips and shoulders)
3. Use minimal foam or latex, just enough so you don't feel the springs (5cm of latex or high-density foam, not 10-15cm)

Why use a minimal amount of foam? Foam stores heat, and thick foam reduces the point elasticity of the springs. The foam is simply there so you don't feel the springs poking you; that's it. The springs are doing 90% of the pressure distribution work. The latex really moulds to the pocket springs underneath, so the shoulders and hips can sink right in.

For heavier side sleepers: firmer support + better cushioning

If you're 100kg+ and sleep on your side, the truth may seem counterintuitive: you need firmer support springs. But you also need more cushioning on top to distribute the pressure at your hips and shoulders.

For heavier people, I recommend very firm springs, but I also make sure the top is well-padded. Heavier people will have a more challenging time with comfort because there is more weight to be distributed. So I don't think saying "firmer is better if you are heavy" is accurate. I think it's more accurate to say, "firmer support is required so the body doesn't hammock" is more accurate. You can still put soft foams up the top to help with circulation.

This is why you might need:

• Very firm pocket springs (to prevent hammocking and keep your spine aligned)
• Double layer of micro springs (for enhanced contouring at pressure points)
• 5cm of soft latex (to cushion the initial contact)

The firm springs stop you from sinking too far (which would misalign your spine). The micro springs and latex create the pressure relief at your hips and shoulders. You get support and comfort, not a trade-off between the two.

Why bed-in-a-box mattresses fail heavier side sleepers

Most bed-in-a-box mattresses, whether foam or hybrid, fail heavy people because they use a one-size-fits-all spring tension with cheap foam comfort layers.

1. Foam compression: Memory foam and polyfoam compress faster under heavier loads. That "pressure relief" layer? It's gone within months, leaving you on springs that were never right to begin with.
2. Bottoming out: You sink through the comfort layers until your hips hit the firmer base foam or springs. This creates the exact pressure points the mattress promised to eliminate.
3. Sagging: Many "sagging" complaints from heavier sleepers aren't about defective mattresses; they're about springs that were too soft from day one. The spring tension was wrong for your body weight.

I hear this constantly: "I've used many bed-in-a-box mattresses over the years and every single one dips in the middle after only a year."

What we do at Ausbeds

Instead of piling on foam and hoping for the best, Ausbeds uses a three-part system that addresses the actual problem:

1. Body-weight-matched spring tension

When you order an Ausbeds mattress, the spring tension (and latex selection) is selected based on your body weight:

• Under 50kg: Softer springs (with soft latex)
• 50-70kg: Medium springs (with soft latex)
• 70-85kg: Medium springs (with medium latex)
• 85-100kg: Firm springs (with medium latex)
• 100kg+: Very firm springs (with medium latex)
• 130kg+: Very firm springs (with medium latex, optional firm latex if preferred)

From my experience, I can guess which spring tension to put in a person's mattress based purely on body weight. It's not random. We use the data from swaps and returns to fine-tune how we recommend the right mattress to people.

For side sleepers, this means:

• Your hips sink just enough to keep your spine aligned
• Your shoulders can drop into the mattress naturally
• The springs absorb and distribute pressure without bottoming out

2. Micro springs for pressure relief

Here's where Ausbeds diverges from bed-in-a-box hybrids. Instead of thick foam layers, the Aurora and Cloud models use micro springs. The vast majority of side sleepers prefer the Cloud – 2 layers of micro springs.

Micro springs provide:

• Contouring without heat retention: Springs breathe, foam traps more heat
• Pressure distribution: Each micro spring responds independently
• Long-term durability: Springs don't compress and soften like foam

The Cloud uses 2 layers of micro springs (3,200 for Queen, 3,600 for King) for the deepest contouring while maintaining support. It's the perfect blend between plush and medium support, very supportive without leaving you feeling like you're perched on top of the bed or sinking into it.

3. Minimal latex (not thick foam)

Ausbeds uses only 5cm of natural latex on top, just enough so you don't feel the springs, but not so much that it traps heat or compresses under heavier weights.

The more foam, the more heat. I use the minimum amount of foam possible. The latex is just there so you don't feel the springs.

Why this matters for heavier side sleepers:

• Latex doesn't soften and collapse like memory foam or polyurethane
• Natural latex lasts 3-4 times longer than polyurethane foam
• Less foam means less heat retention
• When it does eventually wear (after years), you can replace just that 5cm layer, not the entire mattress

Comparing options: what should you actually buy?

Let me break down your options. All just my opinion, of course, but I've done this for a long time.

Typical bed-in-a-box (Sleeping Duck, Ecosa, etc.)

Construction:

• 5-10cm memory foam or polyfoam comfort layer
• Foam transition layers
• Pocket springs (one tension for all weights)
• Foam encasement edges

For side sleepers:

• Spring tension not matched to body weight
• Foam compresses faster under heavier loads
• One-size-fits-all firm springs are too firm for lighter bodies
• Minimal adjustments can be made to comfort layers

Price: $1,200-$2,000 (Queen)
Trial: 100-120 nights (return only, no adjustments)

Ausbeds Aurora (natural latex + microsprings)

Construction:

• 5cm natural latex (not petroleum foam)
• 1,600 micro springs (Queen) for contouring
• 986 honeycomb pocket springs (body-weight-matched tension)
• Wire edge for breathability

For heavier side sleepers:

• Spring tension specifically selected for your weight (80kg+, 100kg+, 120kg+)
• Micro springs provide pressure relief without foam compression
• Minimal latex won't soften at the hips like memory foam
• Adjustable firmness (3-level range at home, spring swaps available)
• Replace individual components when they wear out

Price: $2,450 Queen / $2,750 King
Trial: 7 months with two free component swaps
Warranty: 10 years

Ausbeds Cloud (premium comfort and maximum pressure relief)

Construction:

To ensure maximum support, especially for those seeking a very firm mattress, explore our Very Firm Cloud Mattress range, crafted with robust construction and customizable firmness.

• 5cm natural latex
• Dual layers of micro springs (3,200 total for Queen)
• 986 honeycomb pocket springs (body-weight-matched)
• Wire edge support

For maximum side sleeper comfort:

• Double micro springs for the deepest pressure relief
• Body-weight-matched pocketed coils for proper spinal alignment
• Best mattress for side sleepers who want cloud-like comfort without sacrificing support
• Same adjustability and component replacement as Aurora
• Natural materials throughout, no memory foam mattress issues

Price: $2,950 Queen / $3,250 King
Trial: 7 months with two free component swaps
Warranty: 10 years

Motion transfer: what reduces partner disturbance

If you share your bed and one of you is a side sleeper who tosses and turns, motion transfer matters. Here's the truth: pocketed coils reduce motion transfer way better than continuous coil systems, but they're not magic.

The best motion isolation comes from modular foam layers:

1. High coil count (986 vs 600 springs makes a huge difference)
2. Honeycomb arrangement (springs work independently)
3. Micro springs layer (absorbs movement at the surface)
4. Minimal foam layers (counterintuitively, thick foam can transfer movement in waves)

Memory foam mattresses do excel at motion isolation; I'll give them that. Memory foam is the champ when it comes to partner disturbance. But for side sleepers over 80kg, you're trading motion isolation for pressure relief and durability, and that's usually not a trade worth making.