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Arthritis is a common medical condition that affects one or more joints in a person’s body. While there are many different forms of arthritis, they all share some similar symptoms, including joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and tenderness. These symptoms can make it more difficult for a person to get the quality sleep they need. The right mattress may help ease arthritis pain, while the wrong mattress could exacerbate it.
Mattress comfort can be affected by several factors, including a person’s weight and preferred sleep position. However, some mattresses may be more accommodating for arthritis sufferers than others. In this guide, we’ll share our picks for the best mattresses for arthritis and joint pain sufferers. We’ll also explain what to look for when shopping for a mattress, examine the effects of sleep position on joint pain, and detail how the mattress type may affect arthritis sufferers.
Best Overall
The Saatva Mattress is a hybrid model that has strong pressure relief and three firmness options, which may make it a good choice for arthritis sufferers from all weight groups.
Three firmness options and two height options are available for the Saatva Mattress. Sleepers can select between Plush Soft (2-3), Luxury Firm (6), and Firm (7-8). They can also select between an 11.5-inch thick mattress and a 14.5-inch thick option.
The Saatva’s hybrid design combines a Euro pillow-top and two layers of coils. The Euro pillow-top contains polyfoam, .75 inches of fiber fill, and 1 ounce of Dacron. To adjust the feel of each mattress, the thickness and firmness of the polyfoam vary between models. The Plush Soft and Luxury Firm options have 1.25 inches of soft foam in their Euro pillow-tops, and the Firm version uses 1.5 inches of firmer foam.
A .625-inch layer of polyfoam rests under the Euro pillow-top. The lumbar region is supported by a .375-inch layer of memory foam. This layer adds to the pressure relief while promoting proper spinal alignment. A layer of 14.5-gauge wrapped coils measures 4 inches thick, adding bounce, breathability, and support.
The base layer consists of 13-gauge hourglass coils, which add durability and cooling airflow. This layer is 4 inches thick in the 11.5-inch version of the Saatva and 7 inches thick in the 14.5-inch version. Final base pads support the core. A layer of foam wraps around the edge of the mattress to reduce sagging.
Compared to other hybrid models, the Saatva is quite affordable. It also excels in temperature neutrality, pressure relief, and ease of movement. Its three firmness options can accommodate most sleep positions and weight groups, but not all firmness options will be ideal for all individuals. Sleepers who weigh under 130 pounds may favor the Plush Soft version, while sleepers who weigh over 230 pounds might prefer the Firm version. Most sleepers from all weight groups are likely to find the Luxury Firm version comfortable.
The Saatva comes with free White Glove delivery. Customers can try the mattress at home during the 180-night trial. A 15-year warranty protects against defects in materials and workmanship.
Best Value
The Awara Mattress is a latex hybrid that offers cradling without a lot of hug, making it a strong choice for arthritis sufferers who want pressure relief without the feeling of being “trapped in the bed.”
Three layers give the Awara cushioning, contouring, and support. A Euro-top cover contains wool and cotton to wick away heat and moisture while cushioning the surface. The comfort layer uses 4 inches of Dunlop latex. Dunlop latex has low point elasticity, which means it spreads the force of the compression out over a wider area, creating the sensation of sleeping “on” rather than “in” the bed. Natural latex also tends to sleep cooler than synthetic foam. A 9-inch layer of coils gives bounce and support while allowing cooling airflow. Each coil is pocketed and can move independently, limiting motion transfer.
The Awara’s medium-firm (6) feel can accommodate sleepers from all weight groups with any position preferences, so it may be a particularly appealing option for couples with different sleep styles. Its combination of breathability, contouring, support, and bounce earn it high marks for temperature regulation, pressure relief, ease of movement, edge support, and sex.
With its 365-night trial period, customers have a longer-than-average window to try the Awara Mattress in their homes. Awara also offers a lifetime limited warranty.
Best Chiropractor Endorsed
Thanks to its all-foam construction and three-zone design, the Level Sleep Mattress has strong pressure-relieving properties that may appeal to sleepers with arthritis.
The Level Sleep Mattress is constructed of three layers of foam. A 1-inch layer of polyfoam serves as the comfort layer. This material is engineered to distribute the sleeper’s weight more evenly to reduce pressure buildup near their shoulders and hips.
A 3-inch transition layer uses Energex polyfoam, which strikes a balance between contouring and responsiveness. The head end of the bed uses soft Energex foam, the midsection uses firm Energex foam, and the leg area uses medium foam. This zoning aims to promote proper spinal alignment through targeted support and softness. A 7-inch support layer of polyfoam reinforces the mattress surface. The mattress cover is removable and washable.
The Level Sleep Mattress has a medium (5) feel. This is on the softer end of the average firmness range for mattresses, contributing to a plusher feel and extra pressure relief. For most sleepers, pressure relief is likely to be the Level Sleep Mattress’s biggest strength. While the mattress may be particularly comfortable for side sleepers, its midsection may not be firm enough to support the hips of back and stomach sleepers who weigh over 130 pounds.
A 365-night in-home trial gives sleepers an opportunity to try the Level Sleep Mattress. It also comes with a lifetime limited warranty.
Best for Hot Sleepers
Use this SleepFoundation.org link for the most current discount on Avocado mattresses
Its high-quality materials and durable latex hybrid construction help the Avocado Green Mattress support sleepers while relieving their pressure points, making it a strong option for those with arthritis.
An organic cotton cover and organic wool fire barrier wick away moisture while allowing air circulation into the bed. The vegan version of the mattress uses cotton in place of wool.
A comfort layer with 2 inches of Dunlop latex contours to the sleeper with minimal hug. The low point elasticity of latex leads to compression over a wider surface area, which many sleepers liken to a floating sensation. Dunlop latex is also responsive and highly durable, so it should return to its original shape quickly when the sleeper changes positions and it is unlikely to form lasting impressions over time.
The core consists of 8 inches of coils. Each coil is pocketed to restrict the spread of motion between coils. The layer is divided into five ergonomic zones that use different coil gauges to provide targeted support for better spinal alignment. Sturdy perimeter coils also reinforce the edge of the bed. Finally, a 1-inch layer of Dunlop latex acts as a base for the spring system.
Pillow-top versions of the Avocado Green Mattress and the Avocado Vegan Mattress are also available. These versions add an extra 2 inches of Dunlop latex for a plusher feel.
The Avocado Green Mattress and the Avocado Vegan Mattress both rate around 7-8 on the 10-point firmness scale, which means they have firm feels. With the optional pillow-top, the Avocado Green Mattress and the Avocado Vegan Mattress have medium-firm feels, rating around 6.
Strengths of the original version of the mattress include durability, temperature neutrality, ease of movement, edge support, and sex. Because of its firm feel, this version of the mattress may be particularly well-suited for individuals who weigh over 130.
Side sleepers who weigh under 130 pounds may be more likely to experience some pressure buildup near their hips and shoulders, but the pillow-top version can give them extra cushioning and pressure relief. The pillow-top version may also have extra motion isolation and pressure relief, but its softer feel could allow the hips of stomach sleepers who weigh over 230 pounds to sink in too deeply.
The Avocado Green Mattress is protected by a 25-year limited, partially prorated warranty. Customers have one year to try the mattress in their home as part of the trial period.
Best Firmness Options
The Brooklyn Bedding Bloom is a latex hybrid model with a robust support core and mid-range firmness, making it able to accommodate the needs of most sleepers regardless of their weight and preferred sleep position.
The bed’s quilted cover is 1.25 inches thick and contains a breathable blend of cotton and wool. A 3-inch layer of Talalay latex has a springy, responsive feel with contouring that may feel akin to sleeping “on” the bed rather than “in” the bed. The support core has 8 inches of pocketed coils that add to the bed’s bounce while limiting the spread of motion. This coil system rests on a 1-inch polyfoam base.
The Brooklyn Bedding Bloom comes in a medium (5) firmness that accommodates a wide range of weight groups and position preferences. Sleepers who weigh between 130 and 230 pounds are likely to feel the most comfortable on the Bloom, though the bed is both contouring and supportive enough to meet the needs of lighter and heavier sleepers.
Thanks to its latex hybrid construction, the Brooklyn Bedding Bloom excels in several performance categories, including pressure relief, ease of movement, and sex. Couples with different needs from a bed may be able to find solid middle-ground in the Bloom.
Customers can take advantage of a 120-night trial period. A 10-year warranty covers qualifying defects.
Best for Side Sleepers
Use this SleepFoundation.org link for the most current discount on Tuft & Needle mattresses
The Tuft & Needle Mint Mattress is a good option for people with arthritis who experience pain or pressure points in their shoulders, lower back, or hips. This mattress is constructed with a comfort layer of adaptive polyfoam that contours closely and reduces discomfort much like memory foam, but without the telltale “body hug” associated with that material. The polyfoam also has an open-cell composition and won’t retain much body heat, allowing you to stay cool and comfortable all night long.
A second layer of adaptive polyfoam reinforces the comfort layer to prevent excessive sinkage, while a base layer of high-density polyfoam stabilizes the entire mattress for added support. The Mint Mattress has a medium firm feel (6) that is best suited to people who weigh 230 pounds or less – especially side and back sleepers.
Couples should experience fewer sleep disruptions on the Mint Mattress. The foam layers absorb movement and prevent motion from transferring across the surface when your co-sleeper changes positions or gets in and out of bed, and the mattress itself is completely silent when in use.
The Mint Mattress has a sticker price that is in line with the average all-foam model, and Tuft & Needle provides free ground delivery anywhere in the contiguous U.S. You’ll receive a 100-night sleep trial with your purchase, along with a 10-year warranty that protects against structural defects.
Most Comfortable
The Leesa Legend’s multiple layers of foam and two coil layers provide significant contouring that can help reduce pressure buildup for arthritis sufferers.
Its hybrid design starts with a top layer constructed of 1 inch of polyfoam engineered to balance conforming and bounce. This layer is hole-punched to allow more cooling air circulation through the mattress. Next, a 1-inch layer of memory foam gives deeper contouring to relieve the pressure that often builds up around the shoulders and hips.
The 1.5-inch microcoil layer is zoned, meaning it features different feels across the surface to support different parts of the body differently. Pocketed microcoils are used at the head and foot of the bed, while the midsection uses polyfoam. This construction is designed to give more pressure relief for the shoulders and legs and extra support for the hips to promote better spinal alignment.
The 1-inch polyfoam transition layer acts as a barrier to prevent sleepers from sinking in against the firm coil core. A 6-inch layer of 15-gauge coils serves as the support core. Each coil is pocketed to reduce motion transfer, and strong airflow reduces heat retention. The springs rest on a final base layer of 1 inch of polyfoam.
Thanks to its medium-firm feel, the Leesa Legend is likely to be comfortable for most sleepers. It rates around 6 on the 10-point firmness scale, which is one of the most popular firmness ratings for sleepers from all weight groups.
The Leesa Legend excels in most performance categories, including motion isolation, ease of movement, sex, temperature neutrality, pressure relief, and edge support. While most sleepers are likely to sleep comfortably on the Leesa Legend, stomach sleepers who weigh over 230 pounds may experience sagging near their hips due to the medium-firm feel. This could put a strain on their spines.
A 100-night trial period lets sleepers try the mattress in their homes, and a 10-year limited warranty covers qualifying defects.
While comfort preferences may vary between individuals, some factors tend to come into play in determining a mattress’s overall performance. It may help to consider these categories when selecting the best mattress for you.
As with any condition that causes pain or discomfort, arthritis could make it harder to get restful, quality sleep. Aches and pains may make it harder to fall asleep or could lead to tossing and turning during the night. The position someone sleeps could either reduce or contribute to pain. Depending on an individual’s pains, they may prefer any sleep position. However, most experts usually recommend back or side sleeping. If you continue to suffer from arthritis and/or joint pain that interrupts your sleep, we recommend talking to your doctor.
According to Johns Hopkins, back sleeping can have both pros and cons for pain sufferers. Neck pain could be aggravated by sleeping face up. However, some people find sleeping on their backs alleviates their lower-back pain. Others may experience more back pain in this position, but the Cleveland Clinic suggests that placing a pillow under the knees could help.
The right mattress can help support a back sleeper’s natural spinal alignment. If the mattress sags excessively near the midsection, the sleeper could experience strain in their lower backs. If the mattress is too firm, they might have some pressure buildup around their hips. Since sagging tends to be the most common problem for back sleepers, many people who prefer this sleep position select a firmer-than-average mattress to get the support they need.
People tend to be wider near their shoulders and hips, so these body parts usually put more force on the mattress when a person sleeps on their side. This can contribute to pressure points.
Without the right mattress, a side sleeper’s spinal alignment could also suffer. Too soft of a mattress may allow the shoulders and hips to sink in excessively, while too firm of a mattress may not allow them to sink in enough. Either of these options could put a strain on a side sleeper’s lower back.
Side sleepers could also experience knee and hip pain from their legs resting on each other. Some side sleepers place a pillow between their knees for added relief for their hips and knees.
Most experts do not recommend stomach sleeping, but some people prefer it.
People tend to carry extra weight near their midsections, which could pull their hips too far into the mattress and put a strain on their lower backs. Since stomach sleepers often turn their heads to the side, they may also strain the neck. Some stomach sleepers prefer to use a thin pillow or no pillow to keep their neck in a more neutral position. Thicker pillows may force the neck to extend backward, contributing to additional strain.
If you want to transition away from sleeping on your stomach, using a body pillow may help.
Combination sleeping can bring together the potential benefits and drawbacks of multiple sleep positions. Switching positions during the night can shift the location of strain and/or pressure. Depending on which sleep positions the person prefers, they may still experience pressure buildup in their hips and shoulders, lower back strain, and/or neck strain. However, switching positions may make these aches and pains less pronounced.
Hybrid, innerspring, latex, airbed, and foam mattresses are the major types of mattresses currently sold. Each mattress model may have some variations from other mattresses that use similar constructions due to differences in materials, quality, and construction techniques. However, there are some common similarities between mattresses in each category.
Definition: Hybrid models pair comfort layers of memory foam, polyfoam, latex, wool, microcoils, and/or other materials with a coil support system. This combination usually gives some of the benefits of innerspring and foam or latex mattresses with fewer drawbacks.
Highlight: Balanced Support and Contouring. Joint pain sufferers may enjoy cushioning, contouring, and pressure relief from a hybrid mattress’s comfort system. The coil core tends to give more even support, which could be beneficial for spinal alignment.
Definition: Innerspring models are generally seen as the most traditional type of mattress. They consist primarily of springs. While they may have a comfort layer for cushioning, this layer is usually thin.
Highlight: Stable Support. High-quality innerspring mattresses do not permit much sinkage and usually have a relatively even plane. Joint pain sufferers who want support without a lot of contouring may like innerspring models.
Definition: Natural latex is made from the sap of the rubber tree. Latex mattresses may include natural latex, synthetic latex, or a blend. Dunlop latex is generally denser, while Talalay latex has a bouncier feel.
Highlight: Pressure Relief Without Hug. Latex has low point elasticity, which means that rather than compressing exclusively directly under the sleeper’s weight, it spreads the compression over a wider area. This lends to pressure relief without the hug often associated with memory foam, so joint pain sufferers with mobility issues may find a latex mattress easier to move on.
Definition: The support system of an airbed consists of fillable air chambers. These chambers can usually be filled or emptied using either a crank, a remote control, or an app. Airbeds may also contain comfort layers for added cushioning, though these comfort layers are usually relatively thin.
Highlight: Adjustable Firmness. The firmness of an airbed can be adjusted by filling or emptying the air chambers. Arthritis and joint pain sufferers may appreciate the flexibility of being able to change the firmness of their mattress to adjust their current preferences. Additionally, many airbeds have separate air chambers on each side of the bed, allowing partners to select different firmness settings.
Definition: Foam mattresses are constructed of multiple layers of foam. These may include memory foam, polyfoam, or a combination of both. Most foam mattresses use softer, closer conforming foam in their comfort layers and firm polyfoam in their support cores.
Highlight: Close Conforming. All-foam models often conform more closely than other types of mattresses. Joint pain sufferers looking for a pressure-relieving hug may enjoy this close conforming.
Purchasing a mattress is a big decision, and you may still have some lingering questions or concerns. We’ll answer some of the top questions customers have when buying a new mattress.
While there are budget-friendly mattresses on the market that could be good options for arthritis sufferers, pillows and mattress toppers may also prove effective. A good pillow can help support your natural spinal alignment. Some arthritis sufferers may also like a wedge pillow to support their knees or upper bodies. If your existing mattress is in good condition but you’re looking for more pressure relief, a quality mattress topper can add plushness and contouring without the expense of replacing the whole mattress.
Budget-friendly mattresses may cost just a few hundred dollars. These models often offer strong pressure relief and good support, but some may be more prone to forming impressions over time. Higher-priced models may seem like a big investment, but quality materials and construction can help the mattress last longer, which may make it a better value in the long run.
A company’s policies may play a role in your purchasing decision. The shipping, trial period, and warranty may be particularly important to consider.
Customers who suffer from joint pain may find it more challenging to set up their mattresses. If you need assistance, you may want to consider whether the company offers White Glove delivery. Most online mattress companies offer trial periods that give customers a chance to try the mattress at home. Arthritis sufferers may use this window to determine whether the mattress provides any relief. Finally, the mattress’s warranty can provide customers with additional protection for their purchase.
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