We all understand the importance of a good night’s sleep. But as we age, natural changes in our sleep cycle and the increasing prevalence of chronic health conditions can make getting a restful night of sleep more difficult.
Your mattress matters. The right bed—one that suits the unique needs of seniors—can mean the difference between a full 8 to 9 hours of sleep or a restless night of uncomfortable tossing and turning.
We’ve picked our top 7 best mattresses for seniors and outlined what makes these beds the best choice for adults over the age of 65. We also highlight the challenges seniors face when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep and take a look at the most important mattress purchase considerations for seniors.
The Winkbed is our top pick for seniors due to its responsiveness, pain and pressure relief, and
variety of firmness options.
The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Hybrid offers a responsive and resilient sleeping surface that cushions pressure points, regulates temperature exceptionally well, and provides superb motion isolation for a hybrid mattress.
Available in two height options, the Saatva combines resilient support with conforming pressure relief and a sleek, euro-style pillow top that adds plushness and comfort.
The eco-friendly Zenhaven is made with high-end, natural Talalay latex, has a 2-in-1 reversible firmness design, and comes with free in-home setup.
Made with a sustainably sourced Dunlop latex comfort layer and thick supporting layer of pocketed coils, the Awara manages to combine stability, bounce, pressure relief, durability, and a cool sleep into a single mattress.
The Avocado Green mattress offers high-end, organic materials at a reasonable price as well as resilient, firm support with the option for pillow top comfort.
The Nest Organic Latex mattress provides seniors with organic materials, superior durability, excellent pressure relief for aching joints, and an option for split firmness.
The Winkbed is a hybrid mattress with an impressive array of features and options that make this bed one of our top picks for the best mattresses for seniors. This mattress is made with a thick comfort system that consists of several foam layers including polyfoam, memory foam, pocketed mini-coils, and a compressed cotton lumbar pad.
The foam-based comfort system conforms closely to the body, promotes spinal alignment, and offers moderate pressure point relief as well as excellent lumbar support for seniors, more so than similar hybrids. For this reason, we also consider this a worthwhile option for seniors with back pain.
The coil-based support system provides a slight bounce while keeping sleepers cool due to superior airflow through the mattress. As a result, the Winkbed has excellent temperature regulation and sleeps cool. Additionally, the high-quality construction of the Winkbed offers superior edge support, durability, and ease of movement.
Seniors have their choice of Soft, Medium, and Firm firmness options (corresponding to medium soft, medium firm, and firm feels), which can suit a wide range of preferences regardless of an individual’s weight or sleep position. The Winkbed is also a good option for couples because of its ability to minimize motion transfer.
Winkbeds ship for free anywhere in the contiguous United States. Winkbed mattresses are also protected with a 120-night sleep trial as well as a lifetime warranty.
The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora is a hybrid mattress that is well-suited to the needs of seniors. The Aurora Hybrid’s mix of foam and coiled construction offers a responsive and resilient sleeping surface that cushions pressure points, regulates temperature exceptionally well, and provides superb motion isolation for a hybrid mattress.
The Aurora Hybrid is made with distinct layers of copper-infused polyfoam, memory foam, and gel-infused polyfoam. Combined with a thick support core of pocketed coils, this mattress performs very well when it comes to keeping sleepers cool during the night.
The Aurora Hybrid is a true all-rounder, with above-average ratings for durability, motion isolation, pressure relief, ease of movement, and edge support. With features that promote overall comfort, joint health, and easy movement, we consider this a great pick for seniors with arthritis.
The Aurora Hybrid is available in three firmness options (Soft, Medium, and Firm) that offer one of the wider ranges of variety for sleepers with different preferences. Seniors of all weights and sleep position preferences will be able to find an Aurora Hybrid option that suits them well.
Brooklyn Bedding offers free shipping with the Aurora Hybrid and the mattress is backed by a 120-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.
The Saatva is a hybrid mattress that offers excellent pressure relief compared to similar memory foam and coil-based hybrids. The support core contains bonnell coils made from recycled steel. The comfort system is made with thick layers of memory foam, polyfoam, and pocketed mini coils that provide close conforming comfort.
While the Saatva’s construction offers a balance of resiliency, support, and comfort, this mattress has many other features that cater to the unique needs of seniors. Despite its luxury-oriented construction, the Saatva has a lower than average price tag, making this bed a good option for seniors looking for a high-value mattress.
The bed is also available in multiple firmness options (Medium Soft, Medium Firm, and Firm) as well as two different height options (11.5 inches and 14.5 inches). This makes the Saatva a flexible choice for almost any type of sleeper.
Another strong point of this mattress is its ability to regulate temperature. The bonnell coils in the Saatva’s support core help keep air circulating, allowing sleepers to stay cool throughout the night.
Lastly, the Saatva is protected with a 120-night sleep trial and a 15-year warranty. Saatva also offers free White Glove delivery which includes in-home setup and old mattress removal for customers in the contiguous United States.
The Zenhaven is one of our top latex mattress picks for seniors. This mattress is made with American-sourced, natural Talalay latex that is hypoallergenic and resistant to mold, microbes, and dust mites. The Zenhaven’s unique, reversible design includes two different firmness levels in a single mattress.
The mattress is 10 inches tall and is constructed with two 3-inch latex support cores encased on each side by a 1.5-inch latex comfort layer with an additional half an inch of natural wool padding. The Zenhaven’s latex construction gives this mattress many benefits that seniors will enjoy including superior durability, excellent temperature regulation, and above-average pressure relief. The only area that the Zenhaven mattress did not excel was edge support.
Where the Zenhaven really shines is its unique dual-firmness design. Each side of the mattress has a different firmness level. Sleepers can choose between Medium Soft and Firm. And with the option to add an adjustable bed frame when purchasing online, the Zenhaven is the best adjustable bed mattress for seniors.
The Zenhaven has a price tag on the higher end of average. However, that price includes free shipping and the option for free White Glove service (in-home setup and old mattress removal). This mattress is also protected by a 120-night sleep trial and a comprehensive 20-year warranty.
The Awara is a latex hybrid mattress that gives seniors a balance of stability, bounce, durability, pressure relief, and a cool sleep all in a single mattress. This mattress combines a 4-inch layer of natural Dunlop latex with a 9-inch support core constructed with pocketed coils.
The Dunlop latex used in the Awara is certified by the Rainforest Alliance as well as the GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard). The Awara comes with a plush Euro top cover made from New Zealand wool and organic cotton.
The Awara mattress comes in only one firmness option, with a medium firm feel. However, this moderate firmness level suits a wide variety of different sleepers. Additionally, Awara offers a variety of add-ons including a mattress pad and an adjustable frame to allow you to customize your sleep surface.
The Awara’s latex hybrid construction gives this mattress some unique strengths that will appeal to seniors including excellent durability, ease of movement, edge support, temperature neutrality, and pressure relief. However, the Awara does not isolate motion as well as foam-based hybrids so senior couples who are light sleepers may want to choose another model.
The Awara also represents an excellent value. Its high-quality, natural materials come with a below-average price tag. Additionally, the Awara comes with multiple perks including free shipping, a 365-night sleep trial, and a lifetime warranty.
The Avocado Green is another latex hybrid that offers high-end, organic materials at a reasonable price. This mattress also stands out for its combination of resilience and support with an optional pillow top for added comfort.
The Avocado Green mattress is built with GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard)-certified organic latex sourced from farmer-run collectives, with a supportive base of pocketed coils. This results in a rather firm sleep surface. However, those who prefer a less firm mattress can choose to add a pillow top that comes permanently attached and provides 2 inches of additional organic latex for added pressure relief. The pillow top gives the Avocado Green mattress a slightly softer medium firm feel.
The Avocado Green is the obvious choice for seniors looking for high-quality, natural materials on a budget. The mattress is handmade in America and features organic latex, cotton, and wool.
With its hybrid latex construction, the Avocado Green performs very well when it comes to durability and temperature regulation. The robust latex comfort layer also provides an excellent degree of edge support, but average pressure relief and motion isolation.
The Avocado Green ships for free and comes with a full one-year sleep trial and a 25-year warranty.
The Nest Organic Latex mattress provides seniors with organic materials, superior durability, and excellent pressure relief for aching joints. The mattress is constructed with a support core of 6-inch GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard)-certified organic Dunlop natural latex. The comfort system is made with certified organic wool batting and an additional 3-inches of organic Dunlop latex. The mattress cover is made from organic cotton.
The Nest Organic Latex mattress comes in two firmness options, medium and firm. For senior couples with different sleep preferences, there is also the option to choose an internal split with one of each firmness levels on each side of the bed. Additionally, the bed’s comfort and support layers may be removed and swapped to further adjust the firmness.
This mattress is well-rounded in terms of features and showcases the strengths of latex-based mattresses. The Nest Organic Latex bed should tick all of the boxes for most seniors with its excellent durability, pressure relief, temperature regulation, motion isolation, and ease of movement. The only area we found this mattress lacking is its average edge support.
The Nest Organic Latex mattress ships for free in the contiguous United States. Nest mattresses are also protected with a 100-night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty.
With so many mattresses on the market, finding the one that best suits the needs of older adults can seem like a challenge. We’ll clearly outline the most important factors to consider as a senior on the market for a new mattress including price, materials, and key comfort features.
Buying a new mattress represents a significant purchase for most adults. This is especially true for seniors who are more likely to experience recurring aches and pains in their backs and joints. The right mattress can make getting into and out of bed easier, promote spinal alignment, and relieve painful pressure points in sensitive areas.
Unfortunately, mattress companies often use confusing industry jargon in their marketing materials. This can make finding the right mattress harder than it needs to be. Let’s take a look at what really matters when choosing a mattress.
Each mattress type—defined by its internal construction and materials—has its own advantages and disadvantages. While some mattress types may overall offer features that are better for seniors, there can be variation within each category depending on the brand and specific model. Some types also have a greater range of diversity than others. That’s why it’s important to understand the characteristics of each type of mattress and carefully consider which will best suit your needs.
Definition: Hybrid mattresses contain an innerspring support core made with pocketed coils and a substantial comfort system made with another material such as foam or latex.
Best of Both Worlds: Hybrids aim to combine mattress materials to capture the benefits of foam/latex as well as traditional metal coils while minimizing each material’s potential disadvantages. That means hybrid mattresses offer a great combination of features for seniors—they’re responsive with excellent airflow while providing a quiet sleep experience and contouring that relieves pressure points.
Definition: Innerspring mattresses represent the oldest type in the mattress industry. They are composed of a core of metal coils and an outer covering layer. While the outer layer may be made of foam, latex, cotton, or polyester, it usually does little to change the feel of the mattress. Innerspring mattresses tend to be highly resilient or bouncy.
Low Price Point: As innerspring mattresses have waned in popularity, they tend to represent the most inexpensive, entry-level model offered by mattress retailers. Unfortunately, since the completely coiled construction makes innersprings difficult to compress and ship cheaply, most online retailers do not offer traditional innerspring mattress models.
Definition: Latex mattresses are constructed entirely with latex. Most online retailers use natural latex made from rubber trees. However, you may also come across mattresses made with synthetic or blended latex.
Cool, Responsive, and Contouring: Latex mattresses provide moderate contouring—they conform to the shape of your body and alleviate painful pressure points without letting you sink too deeply into the mattress surface. Unlike foam mattresses, latex tends to sleep cool and provide greater durability. All of these features make latex a great choice for seniors.
Definition: Airbeds, not to be confused with temporary air mattresses, are constructed with a support core that contains an air-filled chamber. The sleeper can add or remove air with a remote or smartphone app to adjust the firmness level. The comfort and transitional layers of an airbed mattress can be made from different materials including memory foam and latex.
Customizable Sleep Experience: The main advantage of an airbed is its level of adjustability. This is particularly beneficial for seniors who may need to adjust their bed’s firmness as joint aches come and go. Most airbeds come with two air chambers on each side so that couples can adjust each side of the bed separately. Additional chambers along the length of the bed in some models allow you to adjust the firmness for different parts of the body.
Definition: Foam mattresses are constructed entirely out of foam. Different types of foam are typically layered to create an upper comfort layer and a more dense, lower support core. Memory foam is one of the most common materials used in foam mattresses. Polyurethane foam (polyfoam) is another popular material. Latex is sometimes used among the layers, but foam mattresses will not contain coils.
Superior Contouring: All-foam mattresses are the best choice when it comes to contouring, the ability to hug the shape of your body. This is an especially important feature for seniors as it promotes pressure relief in major joint regions such as the hips and shoulders. However, all-foam mattresses tend to have less than ideal temperature regulation.
When choosing the best mattress for seniors, it’s important to consider how age affects sleep. A common belief is that our sleep needs decline as we age. While it’s true that the amount of time we need to sleep each night declines from infancy onwards, this trend levels off once we reach adulthood.
That means seniors still need around eight hours of sleep for optimal health. However, the process of aging introduces some unique challenges that can make it more difficult to get the right amount of sleep each night. So how exactly does age affect sleep?
While the amount of sleep we need stays the same during adulthood, our sleep patterns change as we age. Age-related changes in sleep patterns include:
In addition to the natural changes in sleep patterns, seniors are also more likely to suffer from health conditions that disturb restful sleep.
Seniors face more hurdles when it comes to getting a full night of restful sleep. But good sleep habits can help balance the disturbances that come with age. This includes the mattress you choose.
The right mattress can make a difference. By carefully choosing a mattress that meets the unique needs of aging adults, you can create a better sleep environment that helps you get the rest you need each night.
Now let’s take a look at a few final items that are also important to consider as a senior buying a new mattress. Here we’ll cover how firmness, budget, and warranties should inform your mattress purchase.
As is typically the case, the best level of mattress firmness will depend on the sleeper’s weight, sleep position, as well as personal preferences. However, seniors are more likely to experience chronic aches and pains in the back, hips, and major joints. As a result, older adults may want to stay away from overly firm mattresses which can create painful pressure points for already tender joints. Medium soft, medium, and medium firm mattresses that offer moderate contouring are likely to be the best choices for seniors.
Seniors are often on a fixed income and the potential price tag of a new, high-quality mattress can seem daunting. Fortunately, with increased competition from online mattress retailers, it’s become much easier to find a mattress that fits the unique needs of seniors and their budgets. All of the mattresses we’ve reviewed for seniors can be purchased online and we included several budget-friendly models.
Although mattress prices are rather straightforward these days, buying a new mattress is still a significant purchase. The mattresses on our list of best mattresses for seniors range from $1199 to $4099 for a queen size mattress.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that mattresses are a long term purchase, typically lasting a minimum of 6 years. Moreover, sleep is an integral component of a healthy lifestyle. Weighing how closely a mattress does or does not meet your specific needs as a sleeper should be as important of a consideration in buying a mattress as its price.
One way to protect your investment is to make sure your mattress purchase is covered with a sleep trial and a warranty. Sleep trials give you time to test out a new mattress first hand for a variable period of typically 90 days or more. If you’re not satisfied with your purchase, you can return the mattress within the trial period for a full refund.
Warranties protect you from manufacturing defects. While you still need to take care of your mattress, a warranty may allow you to receive a partial refund or receive a replacement mattress if yours begins to fall apart prematurely. All of the mattresses on our list of best mattresses for seniors come equipped with a sleep trial and warranty coverage.
