Sleeping on your stomach can reduce sleep apnea and snoring. However, if you’re not sleeping on the right kind of mattress, you can run the risk of pain developing in your spine, back, or neck. Stomach sleepers need a mattress that supports them throughout the night, but with so many mattresses on the market, sifting through them to find the right one can be a hassle. So, we did the work for you!
We’ve looked through all our favorite mattress brands and found the most stomach-friendly mattresses available. Some are eco-friendly, others are perfect for those on a budget, but all provide the firmness necessary for your sleep style.
So, whether you can’t switch sleep positions, or you just don’t want to, read on to find the best mattress for you.
Best mattress for stomach sleepers 2023
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According to Tuft & Needle, their Original mattress was specifically designed for back and stomach sleepers. The open-cell support foam layer and adaptive foam with graphite layer provide the utmost support for a restful night of sleep. In fact, the foam prevents deep body impressions, which means you won’t sink into the mattress. This allows your back and stomach to receive the support it needs to prevent aches and pains.
What is the Tuft & Needle Original like to sleep on?
As a stomach sleeper myself, I initially found that the mattress was too firm during the first week of testing, but that’s because it takes about a week for the mattress to fully expand and soften into one of the most comfortable and supportive mattresses I’ve ever tested.
After a few weeks of testing, I gave the Tuft & Needle Original mattress a 7 on the firmness scale, even though Tuft & Needle rates it a 6.5. I based my rating on the fact that while the mattress is soft to the touch, it feels like I’m sleeping on top of the mattress, with it slightly conforming around the edges of my body. I still use this mattress today and I can attest that my nights are restful and comfortable.
Real Homes Rated: 4.7 out of 5 stars| Read the full Tuft & Needle Original mattress review.
The DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid mattress offers the best of both worlds – gel and supportive memory foam and an innerspring coil system. This combination results in a firm mattress that’s ideal for the stomach sleeper in your life.
What is the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid like to sleep on?
As a hybrid mattress, you’ll enjoy the cloud-like sleeping effect of the gel memory foam, as well as the firm support of the innerspring coil system. The gel memory foam, especially, helps align your spine and provides lumbar support so you don’t have back pain when you sleep on your stomach.
Dreamcloud gave this mattress a 6.5 firmness rating, but as someone who has personally tested this mattress and sleeps on their stomach, I’d say it was a 7, however, not in the same way the Tuft & Needle is. With the Dreamcloud, your body is cuddled by the top layer – almost like you’re sleeping on a cloud. So while your body might slightly sink into the mattress, it does so evenly. Your stomach won’t dip farther into the mattress than say your legs, because of the way the mattress has been constructed.
Things to note
Although I’ve rated the Dreamcloud and Tuft & Needle both a 7, just know that your sleep experience on these mattresses are slightly different, with the Dreamcloud being cozier. After all, the cover is woven with cashmere. Additionally, due to the luxurious 15" depth, you may need to opt for deep-pocketed sheets.
Real Homes Rated: 4.7 out of 5 stars| Read the full Dreamcloud mattress review.
We love the Saatva Classic because you can choose between three firmness levels: plush soft, luxury firm, and firm. While most pick the luxury firm mattress, which has a rating of 5–7 on the firmness scale, stomach sleepers will do best with the firm comfort level because it’s rated as an eight. Saatva suggests this firmness level for stomach sleepers, heavier body types, and those whose doctors have suggested an extra firm mattress.
What is the Saatva Classic like to sleep on?
The Saatva Classic in firm offers solid support that'll keep your spine in check, no matter if you prefer to lay prone. The brand describes the feeling as “like you’re floating on top of the mattress rather than sinking in.” In fact, it's recommended by the Congress of Chiropractic State Association.
The hybrid design also creates enhanced breathability and the reinforced edge support is some of the best we've seen.
Things to note
A closer look at the construction also reveals some pertinent things for stomach sleepers. Three layers have Lumbar support in the center third section of the mattress, which is where your stomach (arguably the heaviest part of the body that needs the most support) would be. Not only does the Euro pillow top have Lumbar Zone Quilting, but there’s a Lumbar Zone Active Spinal Wire and Lumbar Zone pocketed coils.
Real Homes rated: 4.5 out of 5 stars| Read our full Saatva Classic Mattress review.
If you’re a stomach sleeper that’s committed to having an eco-friendly mattress, we’ve got the one for you: the Awara Premier Natural Hybrid Mattress. Made with Dunlop latex, organic cotton, New Zealand wool, and coils, this mattress is free of harsh chemicals and ozone-depleting substances. With 4 inches of Dunlop latex, you can rest assured that your joints and pressure points will be well supported.
What is the Awara like to sleep on?
The 6.5 firmness rating that Awara advertises for this mattress is pretty accurate. Our tester pointed out that, although the mattress has more give than other latex mattresses, you won’t really sink into the mattress. Again, this is good for stomach sleepers. The reviewer also noted that it’s a phenomenal mattress for combo sleepers (stomach, back, and side), too. So if you prefer to sleep on your stomach and your partner likes to sleep on their side, this Awara mattress could be a happy compromise for you both.
Things to note
The latex offers a bouncier base as opposed to cradling memory foam. This mattress is also exceptionally heavy especially in king and Cal king sizing, so it would be useful to have another person around to help install and unpack.
Real Homes rated: 4.5 out of 5 stars| Read our full Awara Premier Latex Hybrid review.
Stomach sleepers on a budget will love the Lucid 10-inch Firm Gel Memory Foam Mattress. According to the Lucid website, the firmness rating is 1/5. This isn’t properly explained by Lucid, except to say that the mattress is made for stomach and back sleepers (it’s also the firmest mattress you can order from Lucid). We looked at reviews by other mattress testers and they all seem to agree that it’s about a 7–8 on the 1–10 firmness scale.
What is the Lucid like to sleep on
The firm design makes sense when you examine the construction materials: including 2.5-inches of gel memory foam, a 1-inch layer of transition foam, and a 6.5-inch-thick base foam infused with bamboo charcoal. Where the gel memory foam conforms around your body, the bamboo charcoal base foam keeps you supported throughout the night. As a foam product, it can sleep warmer throughout the night, so opting for breathable sheet materials like pure cotton, bamboo or TENCEL, can help alleviate it.
Things to note
The return and trial period is extremely short, 30 days, but not totally unexpected for a budget mattress, such as the Lucid.
What to look for when shopping for a mattress as a stomach sleeper
1. Materials
Hybrid and gel memory foam mattresses are the best type of mattresses for stomach sleepers. Gel memory foam has properties that expand against pressure. This means that if you’re sleeping on a gel memory foam mattress, the memory foam will push against the weight of your body, keeping you well supported through the night. This is why reviewers often say that they didn’t sink into the mattress. Hybrid mattresses – especially those with gel memory foam components – are similarly as supportive.
We especially like when the coils in hybrid mattress are reinforced for lumbar support in the area where your stomach and lower back would be.
2. Firmness rating
If you only look at one aspect of a mattress, look at the firmness rating. Stomach sleepers need a mattress that’s a 6.5 or higher on the firmness rating scale. While some stomach sleepers can handle a 6.5 firmness rating, it’s probably better to go with a mattress that’s a 7 or an 8. With this firmness rating, you can rest assured that your stomach and hips will receive the type of support necessary to prevent backaches over a longer period of time.
Remember that the mattress website’s firmness rating is an estimate. Be sure to read multiple reviews to see if testers find the firmness rating accurate or not.
3. Trial period and return policy
It can take up to a month (maybe even more) for a body to adjust to a new mattress, so when considering any type of mattress, you want to make sure that the company provides at least a 30-night trial period. If the mattress doesn’t offer you enough support, you should have the option to return the mattress, ideally for free and with a full refund.
How we test the best mattress for stomach sleepers
This round up is drawn from mattresses that have been tested by me and our team of freelance review writers. I sleep on my stomach so any mattress on this list that I personally tried was given the full-front treatment – though I am some what of a flexi sleeper who moves to their back and side.
When testing mattresses for stomach sleepers, the firmness was really important and we were looking for mattresses that offered a good level of support and spine alignment when lying front down. We test every mattress over several weeks to give us time to adjust to the new sleep surface.
