Leesa Original mattress review: A supportive mid-range option for side-sleepers

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I've historically found sleep to be rather elusive. For years, I would lie awake, tossing and turning and blaming an overactive mind for my lack of shuteye. As it turns out, it wasn't my mind that was the problem, but rather my mattress. It was time to ditch my old mattress and set out in search of the best mattress for me, which I found quickly in the Leesa Original Mattress.

The 10-inch thick Leesa Mattress is medium-firm and has three foam layers. In addition to the 6-inch core support foam layer, there's a 2-inch memory foam middle layer for pressure relief and body contouring and a 2-inch top layer that provides support without making you overheat.

Our review of the Leesa Original Mattress

As a side sleeper, I always complain about sharp pains in my shoulder or hips or waking up without feeling in one arm. I felt an immediate difference with the Leesa mattress. There's a marked difference between when I sleep on my side on it and when I sleep on my side on just about any other mattress. As my colleague James Brains outlines in our guide to the best mattress for side sleepers, side sleepers need pressure relief in the hips and shoulders, but enough firmness to keep the spine aligned. The Leesa delivered just that.

The top foam layer seemed to react to my movements almost instantaneously. There was (almost) never an area of my body that wasn't fully and properly supported. When I moved around on my bed, the mattress quickly readjusted to my new sleeping position.

Whereas I would previously wake up slightly sore if I started out sleeping on my stomach or back and then moved to my side, I've had no such issues with the Leesa.

While the Leesa Mattress worked great for me, mattresses are a very subjective purchase. You can try it risk-free for 100 nights to get a feel for how well it supports you, no matter your sleeping style.

The Leesa Mattress is also covered by a limited lifetime warranty. If you encounter any workmanship or production flaws in the first 10 years of owning your mattress, Leesa will repair or replace it at no cost. After the 10-year period, you'll pay a prorated price for replacement or repair.

Cons to consider

I found that the Leesa Original runs a bit hot, which might not be ideal for hot sleepers. Check out our guide to the best cooling mattress if heat dissipation is an important factor for you.

What are your alternatives?

Our favorite Leesa mattress remains the Leesa Sapira Hybrid — we named it the best overall mattress in our guide to the best mattresses. If you're on a budget you may want to check out the Studio by Leesa mattress or one of the picks in our best cheap mattress buying guide. Read our review of every Leesa mattress.

Outside of the Leesa brand, the WinkBeds EcoCloud Hybrid Mattress is another great option for side sleepers. It's about $600 more than the Leesa Original Mattress, but it's also made of eco-friendly materials and has excellent motion isolation and edge support.

The bottom line

I enjoyed sleeping on the Leesa Original Mattress. I found the medium firmness and 10 inches of foam perfect for my side sleeping. However, with whatever mattress you choose, you'll want to take advantage of risk-free trials to see if it will really work for you.