Hi ajc,
I would be very skeptical of any list purporting to show the ‘best mattresses’ for any category. Many of the online review sites have some amount of ‘bias’…like disguised paid for promotions which it can take a good bit of searching to find disclaimers for…as well as just one person or site’s opinions. Purchasing a mattress is highly subjective; in your case, you and someone of the same age ,build, BMI and sleep profile sleeping on the identically configured mattress can have very different opinions on its support and comfort. Any mattress you finally choose will be based on your Stats (height, BMI, sleeping position(s) and any underlying health conditions) and your PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). First, you need to determine what type of mattress you find most compatible - there is no one type that’s ‘better’ or ‘worse’ for side sleepers.
You can see by comparing the Mattress Specifications You Need To Know to the Mattress Durability Guidelines, how certain materials last over time.
Some consumers enjoy memory foam, polyfoam or gel foam, some prefer latex. Hybrid, microcoil, all-latex…there are many permutations and different mattresses which may suit your needs and specific sleep profile. Once you have a ‘short list’, you can focus on determining the right firmness for the comfort and support layers. If possible, you might want to visit a few local showrooms to see how you feel on various mattress types, which can cut down on a lot of the ‘data overload’ you can feel with many of the big review sites; and if you are considering online ordering, you may want to take a look at the Trusted Members of the site, who agave quality sleep bc solutions, great customer support, transparency in their components and construction, and generous exchange and return policies. If you provide your Stats, PPP and mattress history and what you are trying to achieve, they can help you find options that can provide you with many years of comfortable sleep.
~ Basilio