3 sink-in soft mattresses for side sleepers to buy for under $500 this Black Friday — chosen by someone who tests them

The Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam, EGOHOME Black Memory Foam and Casper Sleep Element mattresses with a Tom's Guide Black Friday mattress deals badge overlaid. — (Image credit: Zinus / EGOHOME / Casper / Future)

Want a mattress that feels like sinking into a cloud? I've scoured the Black Friday sales to bring you the best deals on mattresses for side sleepers, based on my testing experience.

My number one pick here is the Zinus. It's among the best mattresses we've tested for all budgets and in the Black Friday sale a queen is just $178 at Amazon. Superb value for a bed that delivers buckets of body-contouring.

From the first moment I lay on the Zinus Green Tea I felt myself become enveloped in its squishy comfort foams. On Amazon a queen is just $178 for Black Friday, excellent value for one of the best memory foam mattresses we've tested (and this is a bigger discount than the MSRP suggests — we often see a queen sold for around $230.) There are some downsides, as I discovered during my Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress review, including soft edge support that led to me almost sliding off the bed one morning. But for side sleepers who want a bed that wraps them up in a pressure relieving 'hug', this is my Black Friday pick.

Our review: ★★★½
User score: ★★★★★ (79K+ reviews)

My teammate Frances is a tough-to-please lightweight side sleeper who likes a lot of cushioning, and even she was impressed during our EGOHOME 12" Black Memory Foam Mattress review. She described the feel as "ultra body-cradling," hugging her shoulders to prevent pressure build-up. Make sure to use code BFCM20 at EGOHOME to reduce a queen to $296 (was $699.) You can get it slightly cheaper on Amazon, where a queen is $280, but you'll sacrifice the sleep trial — you have 100 nights to test the bed out when you shop from EGOHOME.

Our review: ★★★★
User score: ★★★★★ (100+ reviews)

Casper is known for making some of the best mattresses in a box and with the Sleep Element you can enjoy Casper sleep technology for less. Using Sleep Deeper Breathe Flex Foam to deliver body-contouring, reviews suggest a medium-firm feel: not too soft, not too hard. Discounts on the Sleep Element tend to be short-lived and as this is the biggest price drop I've seen in months, you don't want to let it slip away. You'll also get a 100-night trial and 10-year warranty.

User score: ★★★★½ (5,900+ reviews)

Ruth is an experienced Senior Staff writer at Tom’s Guide, covering all things sleep and mattresses. She writes to help people sleep better, from how-tos to the latest deals to mattress reviews, and has interviewed an array of experts who share her passion. She is also our specialist on memory foam — she’s flown around the world to see memory foam being made — and leads our hotel mattress content. She has a deep interest in the link between sleep and health, and has tried enough mattresses, from Helix to Nectar to Simba, to know the right bed really can make a difference to your wellbeing. Before joining the team at Tom’s Guide, Ruth worked as a sleep and mattress writer for our sister website, TechRadar.

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