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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.
Best Overall
The WinkBed is an innerspring mattress with an impressive array of features and options. 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 and excellent lumbar support for seniors. 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. Additionally, the high-quality construction of the WinkBed offers superior edge support, durability, and ease of movement.
Seniors have their choice of Softer (4), Luxury Firm (6), Firmer (7), and Plus (8) options, 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. The WinkBed Mattress is also protected with a 120-night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty.
Best Value
The Awara is a latex hybrid mattress that gives seniors a balance of stability, bounce, durability, pressure relief, and temperature regulation. 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 Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS). 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 (6) 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.
Best Pressure Relief
Seniors who experience sharp pressure points along their spines typically need mattresses that will contour to their body without sinking too much. The Leesa Hybrid provides a balanced, medium firm (6) feel that is suitable for most sleeping positions and body types.
The mattress features memory foam and adaptive polyfoam comfort layers that cushion the shoulders and hips, which can improve alignment and reduce pressure for side sleepers. Back and stomach sleepers who weigh less than 230 pounds won’t sink too much around the midsection, preventing a common source of discomfort for these positions.
The Leesa Hybrid’s strong support core contains mid-gauge pocketed coils and a base layer of dense polyfoam. These materials reinforce the perimeter, which should help you feel secure lying near the edges or when you get in and out of bed. The coils also circulate air throughout the interior to maintain a comfortable temperature.
Like many competing hybrids, this model is fairly bouncy thanks to its coils and responsive top polyfoam layer. This makes the mattress easy to move across for most people. It’s also ideal for couples who prefer springy surfaces during sex.
The Leesa Hybrid is competitively priced compared to the average hybrid model. Ground delivery is free for customers in all 50 states, and your purchase includes a 100-night sleep trial with free shipping on all returns. The mattress is also backed by a 10-year warranty.
Best Cooling
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 180-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.
Most Comfortable
The Zenhaven 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 .5-inch layer of natural wool padding. The Zenhaven’s latex construction gives this mattress several benefits that seniors will enjoy, including superior durability, temperature regulation, and pressure relief.
Each side of the mattress has a different firmness level. Sleepers can choose between medium soft (4) and firm (7). Shoppers also have the option to add an adjustable bed frame when purchasing the mattress online.
The Zenhaven has an above-average price-point. However, the company offers free shipping, with the option for free White Glove delivery (including in-home setup and old mattress removal). This mattress is also protected by a 180-night sleep trial and a comprehensive 20-year warranty.
Best for Side Sleepers
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, and ease of movement. 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: medium soft (4), medium firm (6), and firm (7). Seniors of all weights and sleep position preferences should 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.
Best Firm Mattress
Use this SleepFoundation.org link for the most current discount on Avocado mattresses
The Avocado Green is a 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 Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) certified organic latex sourced from farmer-run collectives, and a supportive base of pocketed coils. This results in a firm (7) sleep surface. However, those who prefer a less firm mattress can choose to add a pillow-top that comes permanently attached. The pillow-top provides 2 inches of additional organic latex for added pressure relief and a medium firm (6) feel.
The Avocado Green is a good fit for seniors looking for high-quality, natural materials on a budget. The mattress is handmade in America and features organic latex, cotton, and wool. Shoppers also have the option of the Avocado Vegan Mattress, which replaces the wool comfort layer with organic cotton.
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.
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.