Best Soft Mattress for Your Needs

One of the most popular sleeping positions is on the side. It’s a good position – for comfort and your health, as it keeps airways open, and it’s a natural position many people fall into when they crawl into bed. However, if you’ve ever slept on your side on an extra-firm mattress, you’ve probably woken up to numb appendages, soreness in your hip or shoulder, and even back pain.

If only there were a mattress that provides support and comfort. Good news: there is! Some people need a softer mattress and others simply prefer it. But soft doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up support, either. If you were always picky about the firmness of your mattress, perhaps it’s the perfect time to try out a soft mattress. Despite the popularity of firmer mattresses, they don’t have to be the ideal solution for you: especially considering the specific benefits a softer sleeping surface can offer. Take a look at our top recommendations below to see if one of our picks will be ideal for your sleeping needs.

Best Soft Mattress for Your Needs

Who Could Benefit From a Soft Mattress?

Although most people who make suggestions on the “right” mattress for any sleeper tend to suggest firmer mattresses, it’s not always a suitable option. Those who might require a softer surface to sleep on include people who sleep in certain positions, those of certain body weights, and even age can play a factor.

– Side Sleepers

When you crawl into bed, do you naturally turn to one side or the other to get comfortable, grab one of your pillows, and fall asleep? This position is the most popular for sleepers, but it can lead to painful sore spots in the morning. A bed that’s too firm can put pressure on your hip and shoulder joints. So, even though you’re getting good support and keeping your spine aligned, you’re still waking up with aches and pains. A softer bed with substantial support underneath can still keep all your bones aligned where they should be, but it should provide a cloud-like upper layer to make laying on your side much more comfortable.

– Stomach Sleepers

Few people prefer sleeping on their stomach, but those who do have a hard time falling asleep in any other position. Although this isn’t the best position to sleep in, it’s one that definitely benefits from a softer mattress.

You don’t want one that’s too soft, though.

There are some mattresses that can be too soft and start to sag under your weight. When that happens, and you fall into the quicksand mattress territory, it can make it seem like you’re being smothered by your bed. That’s why a plush to medium style mattress is best. For example, on a firmness scale of 1-10 where 1 is the softest and 10 is the firmest, you want a mattress somewhere around a 5 or 6.

– Lightweight Sleepers

Usually, those who are overweight have a harder time finding a suitable bed because ‘medium’ can be too soft. This leaves ‘firm’ as the only option, and sometimes that’s too firm.

Similarly, those who are underweight or lighter in weight have trouble finding comfortable mattress solutions because medium (6 on the scale) can feel too firm. You may not have enough body weight to press down into the mattress enough, which can make what others call cloud-like more rock-like to you. There are plush options out there that are going to feel dreamy to you, though.

– Seniors and Those with Back Pain

As we get older, it seems like every joint can ache based on anything from the way we slept last night to the changes in temperature or pressure in the air. A softer bed that still has support can be the answer for your aches and pains. The softer material and plush surface envelops your body and reduces pressure on your joints.

Depending on the material type from which a soft mattress is constructed, it can be “finely tuned” to your needs by combining multiple advantages into one design. For chronic back issues, a soft memory foam mattress can be the best solution as it is optimized for spine alignment and pressure point relief. But for something less ergonomic yet still comfortable, latex and innerspring based mattresses are a good solution as well.

Memory Foam, Microcoils, or Latex – Which One is Right for You?

Put aside any preconceived notions you have about various mattress types because almost any type of mattress offers a plush option that’s both comfortable and supportive. So, how do you choose between memory foam, innerspring coil, latex, or hybrid mattresses? Sometimes it comes down to whether you suffer from allergies, your budget, or simply the feel of a particular mattress.

Memory Foam

There are so many takes on the memory foam mattress. Companies have created proprietary blends of foam to make it adaptive, cooling, responsive, and so on. Usually, these mattresses are a bit firm at the beginning, but over time, they soften. It’s just in their nature. So, if you choose a memory foam mattress, and it starts off as a 6 on the scale, it could soften to a 5, which might make it a perfect feel for you.

It’s all about the density of the foam. Low-density foam is usually placed in the upper layer. So, look for a mattress with the upper layer of 3 lbs/cu ft for the softest feel. But you want to make sure that the base layer and middle layer offer enough support (higher densities) so that you don’t “bottom out.”

Innerspring Coil

Outside of brick-and-mortar mattress stores, it’s a bit difficult to find traditional innerspring coil mattresses anymore. If you want a soft and bouncy bed, look for a mattress that has a thin coil. The higher the gauge of the coil, the thinner it is, and the softer the bed will feel. The number of coils will determine how supportive the mattress is. And that’s why micro coils have become a popular choice on the market today.

Latex

If allergies are a concern, but you still want a soft mattress, you could consider a latex bed. There are a couple different options, but both can work for you. Dunlop latex is comfy, but it’s a little firmer and more supportive than the other type of latex mattress. Talalay latex is springier, softer, and it still provides the support your body needs.

When it comes to allergies, well, dust mites aren’t interested in making latex beds their home. Plus, there’s likely to be little to no off-gassing with latex beds, so you won’t have to air out your new bed for very long.

Hybrid

This could be the answer to your mattress woes. A hybrid mattress is exactly what it sounds like. Typically, it’s a mix of latex and coils, or memory foam and coils. It’s hard to get away from that traditional bounce and support of an innerspring mattress, but foam and latex are just so comfy. So, you could get the benefits of both when you pick a hybrid.

The best thing to do, of course, is read through the best soft mattress reviews to figure out which one will work for you. If you choose one with a sleep trial, you can try the mattress out for a few months before you decide that’s exactly the right one for you.

Cons of Soft Mattresses

Since soft and firm mattresses are found on two opposite sides of the spectrum, each option comes with a set of pros and cons to it. This makes soft mattresses only great for certain people, while others might find some obvious cons. Either way, it is important to know both sides of the product and to make the right choice – which will benefit you in the long run. Here are the key cons of soft mattresses.

– Lacks Support for Heavier People

We mentioned that a soft mattress is best for a lightweight person. That implies that plus-size sleepers really can’t benefit from a soft mattress. Due to the displacement, proper weight distribution is difficult to achieve, and thus the pressure on the back and the body will become too great, causing discomfort. This is opposite to the effects of firm mattresses that can provide ample support for heavy persons.

– Lacks Air Flow

For any mattress type, good circulation of air is crucial. The ability to mitigate moisture and to have a good air circulation beneath the mattress can really dictate the overall hygiene, longevity, and beneficial properties it has. Airflow is best in hybrid mattresses and innerspring designs. But when soft foam mattresses are in question – especially if they have no inner springs – airflow is a big issue. This will require a bed frame with substantial ground clearance and no storage beneath, in order for air to circulate beneath and penetrate the foam. Keep this in mind.

– Not Suited for Couples

If there is a difference in weight between you and your partner, you might be surprised that a soft mattress might not work the same way for both of you. Weight distribution might not work the best if you are lighter than your partner, and thus issues can occur for either one. This means that soft mattresses work best for solo sleepers – where the properties can perfectly adapt to only you and your profile alone. However, if you and your partner weigh approximately the same, a soft mattress might not be a problematic choice.

Conclusion

Although any one of these mattresses could be a good pick for you, the best soft mattress stands out obviously on this list. The Zenhaven Mattress offers two options of firmness in one mattress, which no other mattress does here. Some people prefer a softer mattress for a while, but then you need the firm support of a slightly thicker or denser mattress, and you can get one or the other by just flipping the mattress.

Plus, the Zenhaven is all-natural and acts as a natural defense to allergy-inducing dust and bugs. This latex mattress offers a good amount of springiness, which means you won’t feel stuck in bed. Also, it sleeps much cooler than you may expect from such a heavy, dense mattress.