Hey there chrwebb,
Since you stated that you used to sleep comfortably on a 3" memory foam topper, the easiest thing to try might be adding a topper to your Silk & Snow Plush Hybrid Mattress. Toppers are not just a random accessory or a band-aid, they are a vital component in the overall sleep system. So if you’re thinking, “I bought a new mattress, I shouldn’t need a topper,” it may help to take a step back and rethink that mindset.
Hybrid mattresses often have good support, but sometimes the comfort layer just isn’t quite soft enough for side sleeping, especially around the shoulders and hips. A 2–3" soft memory foam topper, or a soft latex alternative topper, could add the extra cushioning you’re missing while still keeping the support of the mattress you already have.
If you didn’t have any heat or “hot lava quicksand” issues with your previous memory foam topper, you should be fine going that route again. Just stick with something in the 4–5 lb density range for durability and longevity.
Believe it or not, a plus-style mattress like the Brooklyn Bedding Titan Elite with its robust spring support does a great job for both back and side sleepers. The reason I point this out is that most folks would never think about considering a mattress designed for plus-sized sleepers, and that can sometimes be a mistake. That does not mean they are for everyone. The 2" comfort pillowtop on that mattress combined with the microcoils in the comfort layer is a good example that designed for side sleep and for plus-sized does not mean the average person cannot use it.
Also, where are you feeling the pressure when you’re on your side? If it is in the shoulders, it may actually be a pillow issue. If it is in the hips, it could be the lumbar spring support zoning in your S&S PH that is causing it. That raises a few other questions too. How tall are you, how much do you weigh, and when you sleep on your side where on the bed does this happen?
For example, the S&S Plush Hybrid has zoned coils, but it also uses high density foam perimeter edge support. Whether that is good or bad construction is a different conversation, but if you tend to sleep close to the edge of the bed, as I do, part of your body may be resting on that dense foam edge support while the rest of your body is on the conventional mattress surface.
As you can see, everything between you and the floor matters. Each mattress layer, the construction of the mattress, your pillow, and any topper all play a role. It is not really about good or bad. It is about what your needs are.
When you look at the construction of the S&S Plush Hybrid scroll to the mattress diagram.
the pressure relief does not really come early in the comfort layer. It comes deeper in the mattress. So depending on your height, weight, and pillow loft, that pressure relief layer may not even come into play.
Now compare that to my example of the Titan Elite
The side sleeper pressure relief hits right away, but the mattress is designed to offer superior support for plus sized sleepers. When you roll onto your back, you are still getting the support you need.
Something like the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid Pillowtop is another example. It offers that side sleeping relief right out of the gate while still providing that secondary back support.
There are a host of mattresses that offer side sleeper pressure relief first and then secondary support for back sleeping.
Before going down that road though, I would test a 2–3" plush topper first. Memory foam in the 4–5 lb range, soft TitanFlex, medium soft Talalay latex, or even wool are all options. Just keep in mind that a 3" wool topper can run about as much as the S&S mattress itself.
Hope this helps.
Maverick