2in foam mattress firm enough for side sleeper

[AntiGroundhogDay]

I realize this is an incredibly personal decision here as to what is "best", but I'm looking for suggestions for a 2in mattress (topper?  couch cushion foam?) for a 175lb male who is a side sleeper.

Last night I moved my very comfortable 2in mattress topper off my mattress and on to my hardwood floor to simulate how well I'd sleep with it on top of my plywood bed in my RAV4 hybrid as I plan for full-timing.  Wasn't so great, not firm enough to support my weight, especially while sleeping on my side.

I'd like to stick with 2in if at all possible to preserve vertical space in my SUV.  If anyone has found a unicorn of a mattress that is firm enough to support their body weight while sleeping on their side, but soft enough to not emulate the plywood underneath them, I'm all ears!  Thx.

(sticking to foam due to price, but if there are inflatable options that I should consider, please speak up.  But as a backpacker, the inflatables I've personally used were not as comfy as memory foam)

 

[Queen]

Your hips are going to get sore with only 2” of foam at 175. My SO (side sleeper) can get by with 3”, but she weighs 98 lbs.

 

[eDJ_]

You could make a decent mattress with 3 two inch thick sheets (your choice of length and width)  with a firm sheet on top,  a soft sheet in the middle, and an extra firm sheet on the bottom.   These would need some glue between the sheets of foam.  Then a cloth cover sewn up all around it.   If you do this,  mark the side that is to be the top.  

I was talking to a fellow at a mattress liquidation business the other day who was telling me that this would be the future of mattresses.   I don't know if this is so or not but it's what he told me.

He explained that when you lay on it you won't bottom out against any hard surface the mattress is on.

 

[B and C]

Memory foam is not meant to be used without under cushionioning as it deflects more with body heat. Go to a fabric store and try some of their foam.

 

[MrNoodly]

Backpacking sleeping pads would probably work much better than foam.

https://www.cleverhiker.com/best-sleeping-pads

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

It will be hard to get the right mattress at only 2" thickness and 175#.  I kind of depends on body type, shape, and preferences.  The best I could suggest is a 2" self-inflatable backpacking mat that you can blow up to adjust stiffness.

The problem for us side sleepers is we support most of our weight on hip bones and shoulder.  If we don't sink far enough into the mattress to move some of the weight to the ribs and obliques, we get uncomfortable and sore.  So you have to be the right shape and get a mattress with the correct hardness to support without bottoming out.  Very hard to get right in 2 inches.

 

[user 423]

I'm a side sleeper also but weigh 230 and have chronic back problems. The best combo I've found (after lots of experimentation) is a 3" Dunlop latex topper from the Foam Factory over a 3" Lightspeed self-inflating camping pad. You might be able to get by with just 2" of latex but would probably have to add some kind of 1" pad, either under or over.

I believe 'Wagoneer' here on the forum says he sleeps great on 3" of latex and he weighs 175.

 

[user 423]

.... self-inflating camping pad. 

These are better than foam by itself but they all eventually spring a leak. Then they are just foam again.

 

[MrNoodly]

Remember that mattress toppers are intended to be the extra soft layer on beds that are too firm otherwise. You'll need something firmer than a topper. A place that sells foam to upholsterers could probably show you different densities of foam.

 

[MrNoodly]

These are better than foam by itself but they all eventually spring a leak. Then they are just foam again.

Foam eventually breaks down too.

 

[maki2]

Your hips are wider than you waist and legs, by more than 2 inches. That is why a 2 inch thick pad won't ever work for you, you will bottom out with too much pressure right at your hips because the rest of the area near your hips is getting no support. This is an example of point loading instead of having a distributed load. It is a basic issue of physics because most of the weight is bearing on one point instead of allowing your body to contact more of the mattress so the weight can be distributed along the length of the mattress. For your body size there is no 2" thick firm mattress that is also soft enough to allow you to feel comfortable. If the 2 inch thick pad was for a very petite woman or man who has narrow hips then they might possibly make it work. A child could make it work. A large adult, male...never. Even cowboys who had no mattress scooped out a hole for their hips to drop into.

A good nights sleep is a wise investment of funds. Without a good nights sleep your life will be a constant struggle and your overall health will decline. Your brain does not like it when you don't get enough sleep. Your heart also gets stressed by chronic, low level exhaustion. Find other ways to save money that have far less impact on your everyday life and happiness.

 

[BinDerSmokDat]

As others have mentioned, your weight on your hips and your body shape require more than 2" of deflection in order to sleep comfortably.
Foam that is firm enough that your hips don't bottom out will be too firm to be comfortable.
Softer foam lets your hips bottom out and touch the floor.

You might want to try something inflatable.
I'm a big guy and have used an REI self-inflating sleeping pad in tents with some success.
You want enough air that it keeps hips from bottoming out on floor.
This generally means it will seem underfilled until you lay on it and it firms up.
Also use a thicker pillow to help support your head and neck, as your body won't be sinking in as much as with a deeper mattress.

 

[MrNoodly]

Also use a thicker pillow...

Back when I lived in a house, I slept with seven or eight pillows strategically positioned around me to support and cushion various parts of my body. So maybe the OP could do something similar, then move pillows aside to have enough head clearance when sitting.

 

[Phyllis]

I have heard several people that highly recommend these. I don't have one but am considering it. They are pricey. Another good thing though is that they act as a moisture block so you won't get black mold growing on your bed platform.

https://www.thermarest.com/mattress-selection-guide/activity/?type=camp-and-comfort

 

[AntiGroundhogDay]

Ok, I get it. W/ 2 inches, either the thing would need to be so stiff to keep my hips off the plywood, I might as well be sleeping on the plywood itself. Or, the 2 inches are so plush, that it's not thick enough to give me pointy hips and shoulder enough depth to sink down into without bottoming out.

Tonight, working with free things I have on hand, I am sleeping withe my same (sacked out) 2in gel infused, memory foam topper plus my old (sacked out) waffle foam sleeping pad similar to this:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Texsport-Dual-Foam-Sleeping-Pad/14895565

We'll see if my hips notice a difference bottoming out on the beat up foam pad or my hardwood floors. If this works, it should not add too much height to my mattress height.

 

[Neal]

I full time in my Prius. I started with a 2" tri fold mattress but my ribs were killing me in the morning, so to make a long story short I have 6 inches of memory foam on top of my tri fold mattress.I've had 3 back surgeries and a knee surgery. Comfort is everything!

 

[ckelly78z]

While traveling through Florida, my wife, and I stayed with my inlaws in their camper, and tried to sleep on the folded down dinette. She was fine with this, but not enough room for me, so I took one of the dinette cushions on the floor, and slept decently, but mostly on my stomach. I always start on my side, and sleep for a few hours that way, but find that I get a much deeper sleep on my stomach.

This cushion was rather soft, and probably 2.5" thick, but wouldn't be enough for a nightly sleeping pad, because I was sore the next day.

 

[Jimmyflorida]

I'm a former truck driver and let suggest a innerspring semi truck mattress can buy on Amazon $125-$150 and I've sleep great on them and I am a 240lb Male they do have in several different sizes

 

[Matlock]

I tried a recommendation from someone here and bought a 3" extra firm foam mattress, 32" x 72" and a 1" soft foam pad under that. I cut it all into three cushions and use as seating and as a bed.

I'm 6', 180 and sleep on my side. I thought at first it was going to be too hard but was really surprised how well I slept and after a year It's a keeper. The two things I liked beyond sleep comfort was ease of getting up because I'm not "captured" by a topper or soft mattress and sitting or lounging on it with a book or laptop or dinner is my favorite space.

My guess is that most folks will end up trying a couple different mattress combo's before they settle on one. I would strongly recommend you consider using at least two layers of mattress types, one a bit firmer than the other. That way you can flip which one is on top for a few nights.

I decided when I purchased what I'm using now, If needed, I could always purchase another less than firm section (32x32) and replace the "foot" cushion's inner mattress piece, the one that's always where my feet are when sleeping, and exchange/ swap that cushion for more/less support on my hips or shoulders etc. should I want to mix or match the firmness of the three cushions.
So far I'm good with what I have.

 

[maki2]

I tried a recommendation from someone here and bought a 3" extra firm foam mattress, 32" x 72" and a 1" soft foam pad under that. I cut it all into three cushions and use as seating and as a bed.

There is a big advantage to doing a 3 piece mattress. You can rotate the 3 pieces so that the one what takes the most pressure can be replaced by the other two after a while extending the length of time the mattress supports you. Or you can just replace the center one your hips lie on with a new cushion after it gets too compressed. That is a real money saver!