Best Mattress For Arthritis

Mattress Nerd consulted Dr. Tom Ingegno to ensure that this article met our editorial standards

If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis or joint pain, including pain in the hips, spine or lower back, getting a good night’s sleep can prove to be a serious challenge without the right mattress. In this mattress review, we’re sharing our recommendations for the best mattresses for arthritis sufferers who endure chronic pain. We’ll explain our top mattress picks for this condition, and we’ll also share a buyer’s guide that includes an overview of the characteristics you should look for in a bed if you have arthritis. Read on to find tips for choosing the best new mattress for your body type, pain level, and sleeping style.

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Best Mattresses for Arthritis

• Nectar—Editor’s Pick
• Loom & Leaf—Best Luxury
• The WinkBed Plus—Best for Heavyweight Sleepers
• Puffy Lux—Best for Lightweight Sleepers
• Layla —Best Value
• Tuft & Needle Mint—Best for Side Sleepers
• Level Sleep Mattress—Best for Pressure Relief

Editor’s Pick

Reason to Buy: The Nectar Mattress is a three-layer memory foam mattress that provides consistent pressure relief for all sleeping positions whether you’re average weight or heavyweight. It comes with great product policies and has a reasonable price point.

Trial Period: 365 nights

The Nectar is an affordable memory foam bed that works for a wide variety of sleepers. It excels in pressure relief for all sleeping positions, making it our Editor’s Pick for best mattresses for arthritis. Not only is the mattress affordable, – it costs less than $1,000 in all sizes and is often discounted – it has a true deep, viscous memory foam feel that individuals with pain usually love. With a medium to medium-firm setting, the Nectar is supportive enough for average weight and heavyweight sleepers in any sleeping position (although lightweight sleepers will find it too firm to provide pressure relief for the joints).

Body conforming is a key strength of the bed, and its three comfort layers conform closely but don’t allow the body to sink deeply enough to cause improper spinal alignment. It’s a great choice for couples because it isolates motion well and has excellent edge support, which means each partner can stretch out to the very end of the bed to maximize space. It’s also hard to find a better suite of policies for an online mattress: the Nectar ships as a bed-in-a-box and comes with a full year trial, free shipping in the contiguous U.S. and a Lifetime warranty.

Read our full Nectar Mattress review.

Best Luxury

Reason to Buy: A memory foam bed made with high-quality materials, the Loom & Leaf is a pressure relieving bed that contours to the curves on your body. It comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect when purchasing a luxury mattress.

Trial Period: 120 nights

The Loom & Leaf is a high-quality memory foam mattress made by Saatva. It features a European pillow top with cotton woven in, which not only looks nice but gives it a more responsive feel than most foam beds with memory foam comfort layers. Sleepers who need pressure relief but don’t want to sink into their mattress too deeply will love the feel of the Loom & Leaf. The mattress also features a cooling gel in the center third of the mattress to help regulate sleepers’ body temperature throughout the night. The Loom & Leaf comes in two firmness levels: relaxed firm and firm. We recommend the relaxed firm for arthritis sufferers because it will have a softer memory foam feel for comfort and pain relief. It comes with a 120-night trial and a 15-year warranty. 

Read our full Loom & Leaf Mattress review.

Best for Heavyweight Sleepers

Reason to Buy: The WinkBed Plus combines pressure relief and durability with a soft layer of latex and a lower support core, which is ideal for those with larger bodies who need more support in a mattress.

Trial Period: 120 nights

The WinkBed Plus is a luxury-level foam and latex hybrid mattress with a high-quality, made in the USA construction. It features a 2.5” top layer of latex and a zoned support core to provide support, spinal alignment and pressure relief for heavier sleepers. If you’re a heavy individual with arthritis pain who’s ready to invest in a bed that blends durability, support, and pressure relief perfectly, consider the WinkBed Plus. WinkBed offers free shipping to the contiguous U.S., a 120-night sleep trial and a Lifetime warranty. 

See more: Best Mattresses for Plus-Size Sleepers

Best for Lightweight Sleepers

Reason to Buy: People with joint pain who are lightweight or petite often need softer mattresses that allow even closer conforming to pressure points. The Puffy Lux’s plush memory foam feel will suit this sleeper type.

Trial Period: 101 nights

The Puffy Lux is one step up from Puffy’s flagship mattress, the Puffy, and features an additional layer of foam for more contouring and a softer feel. With a medium firmness setting (a 5/10 rating on our firmness scale), the Puffy Lux has enough support from the high-density polyfoam support core to maintain healthy spinal alignment for lightweight sleepers while cradling pressure points with the bed’s gel-infused memory foam comfort layer. The Puffy Lux comes with a 101-night sleep trial, free shipping in all 50 states and a Lifetime warranty.

Read our full Puffy Mattress review.

Best Value

Reason to Buy: Shoppers looking for a pressure-relieving bed on a budget will love the Layla, which features two firmness levels (one on each side) so that arthritis sufferers are  more likely to find a sleeping surface that works for their body type and pain level. 

Firmness: Varies

Trial Period: 120 nights

Customer Rating: 4.5/5 on LaylaSleep.com

The Layla has a reversible design that features a different firmness level on each side. The mattress works well for all sleepers under 230 pounds, but we love this bed for arthritis patients who, depending on the intensity of their pain, may want to sleep on different firmness settings during flare ups or as their condition progresses. The Layla comes with free shipping, a 120-night sleep trial and a Lifetime warranty. It’s also very affordable, with a Queen size priced just shy of $1,000. Layla runs discounts and promotions throughout the year to give shoppers even more of a deal on their products. 

Read our full Layla Mattress review.

Best for Side Sleepers

Reason to Buy: If you enjoy a classic, soft foam feel and sleep mostly on your side, the Tuft & Needle Mint offers great pressure relief at the hips and shoulders. 

Trial Period: 100 night

This 12” all-foam mattress by Tuft & Needle technically has a medium firmness setting, but its 3” comfort layer and moderately dense transitional and support layers give it the soft feel that many side sleepers love. The thick comfort and transitional layers will offer ample cushioning for arthritis sufferers who primarily sleep on their sides. This contouring will both encourage proper spinal alignment and alleviate pressure points at the hips and shoulders. The Tuft & Needle Mint comes with a 100-night sleep trial, free shipping in the contiguous U.S. and a 10-year warranty.

Read our full Tuft and Needle Mint Mattress review.

Best for Pressure Relief

Reason to Buy: Designed by a science-based sleep company, the creators of the Level Sleep Mattress invested heavily in its design with the goal of reducing pain and encouraging pressure relief as much as possible.

Trial Period: 365 nights

The Level Sleep Mattress is a foam bed that features the company’s patented zoned support layer. This layer has different firmness settings near the head, neck, feet and torso to alleviate pressure, improve sleep quality and promote healthy spinal alignment. Joint pain is often worsened on mattresses that are too hard or too soft, but the Level Sleep Mattress nicely combines firmness levels from across the spectrum to provide a scientifically-based balance of support and contouring for arthritis sufferers. The Level Sleep Mattress comes with a full year trial, free shipping in the contiguous U.S. and a Lifetime warranty.

Read our full Level Sleep Mattress review.

Best Mattress for Arthritis Buying Guide

The right mattress can make pain better, while the wrong mattress can make symptoms worse. This means it’s all the more important for those who suffer from arthritis to thoughtfully consider which mattress they should buy. In this guide, we’re sharing the different types of mattresses available, important shopping considerations and advice for choosing the right mattress for your body and pain level.

How Arthritis Affects Sleep

If you’re reading this, you’re likely familiar with the effects of arthritis, and how it can make completing even the simplest task uncomfortable, or even painful. There are many different types of arthritis, but what remains consistent among all of them is stiffness or pain in one or a number of joints. 

This joint pain can create a vicious cycle, where your discomfort makes it difficult to sleep well, and in turn your lack of sleep causes your body to produce stress hormones which leads to further inflammation and worse pain. 

While a good mattress won’t be able to cure your arthritis, it can absolutely make it easier for you to sleep, thereby making your day-to-day life more comfortable. 

Arthritis and Sleeping Position

As is the case for any new mattress shopper, sleeping position should always be a contributing factor in your decision-making process. This is especially important for those with arthritis, as buying a mattress that doesn’t cater to your sleeping position can cause or exacerbate aches and pains. Let’s take a look at what each type of sleeper should look for in a bed.

Side Sleepers with Arthritis

Side sleepers are prone to shoulder and hip pain, since these are the largest areas of their bodies that make contact with the bed’s surface. If their mattress is too firm, unnecessary pressure is placed on these areas which can lead to soreness, particularly if the sleeper already suffers from arthritis. On the other hand, if the mattress is too soft, their hips will sink to the point that their spine gets thrown out of alignment, which can cause lower back pain.

For side sleepers of average or lighter weight, we recommend a bed with medium firmness, something around 5.5/10 on the mattress firmness scale would probably be a good choice. If you weigh above 230 lbs, you may need something slightly firmer, as a medium-firm bed will likely feel too soft to you. Take a look at our best mattresses for side sleepers roundup for a more comprehensive breakdown.

Back Sleepers with Arthritis

Back sleepers have a few less things to consider than side sleepers, but still—back sleepers with arthritis will want to keep firmness in mind when shopping for a mattress. Something around 6.5 on the firmness scale often works well for back sleepers.

This level of firmness keeps everything cushioned, but also keeps the hips propped up enough that they don’t sink and throw the spine out of alignment. That means less low back pain, and hopefully an easier time dealing with your arthritis. Take a look at our best mattresses for back sleepers article for more info.

Stomach Sleepers for Arthritis

Stomach sleepers have it the hardest, especially when they’re also dealing with arthritis. Even slight pain from arthritis in the lower back can be magnified by sleeping on your stomach. If that sounds like you, you’re definitely going to want something on the firm end of the scale, around 7/10, to keep your hips floating on the surface of the mattress so that everything remains aligned. 

Or, if you’re willing to try, you can always try switching your preferred sleeping position. We’ve put together a helpful guide on how to switch to back sleeping, which is considered the healthiest position. 

Related: Best Mattress for Stomach Sleepers

Combination Sleepers with Arthritis

Combination sleepers are ones who like to toss and turn in their sleep. It is important for them to have a mattress with high responsiveness so they do not feel trapped and unable to move. This is doubly important for combination sleepers with arthritis, because more restrictive mattresses may make you more prone to remaining still throughout the night. The stillness can then cause worsened symptoms, especially if you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. Take a look at our best mattresses for combination sleepers to find some nice, responsive beds.

Mattress Types

Innerspring Mattresses—Innerspring mattresses, which combine coils and a thin layer of foam, have a responsive, bouncy feel. Most innerspring mattresses do not cradle the joints enough for people with arthritis, but some innerspring mattress brands have successfully made innerspring models that maintain the benefits of traditional innerspring beds while offering more plushness for sleepers who need pressure relief. We would encourage those with arthritis to find a bed with more cradling properties.

Memory Foam Mattresses—Traditional memory foam and mixed foam mattresses are the most popular bed type for people who suffer from arthritis, back pain and hip pain. These styles feature a high-density polyfoam core and layers of foam on top that vary in density and style. Most foam beds excel in pressure relief, cradling and comfort. While older models tend to sleep hot, new technology like cooling gels and heat-wicking foams keep foam beds much cooler. Our list of best memory foam mattresses has some great options.

Latex Mattresses—Latex mattresses tend to have high-density polyfoam cores and supportive, bouncy latex comfort layers. These styles conform to the body better than innerspring beds while still offering support, but not as much as memory foam mattresses. Latex material has a bouncy, responsive feel that’s somewhat like memory foam but faster to respond. It’s also more breathable, hypoallergenic and eco-friendly. Latex mattresses can work well for people with joint pain if the comfort portion of the mattress is soft enough to contour around potential pressure points. You can find some great products on our best latex mattresses roundup.

Hybrid Mattresses—Hybrid mattresses combine at least 2” of memory foam or latex and have a pocketed coil support core. Hybrids with thick comfort layers can work especially well for arthritis sufferers who sleep hot or are heavier than average, as the pocketed coil layer enhances airflow throughout the mattress and tends to last longer than high-density polyfoam.

Related: Best Hybrid Mattresses

Considerations

Here’s an overview of what to keep in mind when shopping for a mattress that will cater to your needs as an arthritis patient.

Firmness Options—The feel of a bed is ultimately subjective, but most brands assign their mattresses a rating  between 1 and 10 that describes how soft or firm they are. The right firmness setting for you will depend on your bodyweight and sleeping position, but most people who suffer from joint pain enjoy softer mattresses that can provide relief for sensitive areas throughout the night. Keep in mind that you may not want to shop exclusively for a “soft” or “plush” mattress. Even medium-firm and firm mattresses can feel conforming if they have thick comfort layers, so look for beds with softer top foams and a firmness level that will support your body weight.

Pressure Relief—Chronic joint pain may be alleviated or improved if sleepers can find a flat, even surface that cradles the tender joints that cause them the most issues. Closely contouring mattresses will help align the spine in a sleeper’s position of choice and alleviate pressure.

Return Policy— Sleep can greatly affect your condition for better or worse, so investing in a new mattress without being sure it’s the right one can be scary. This is why we recommend that arthritis sufferers exclusively shop brands that offer a generous return policy for their products. Look for sleep trial periods of at least 90 nights and companies that will give you 100% of your money back and pick up the bed for free if you decide it isn’t right for you.

Warranty—Excessive sagging or indentations in a mattress can greatly impact its effect on your body. Go for mattress companies that offer warranty coverage of at least seven years and guarantee that the mattress is replaced or repaired if it starts to sag or develops indentations deeper than 1 inch.

How to Pick the Right One?

Once you’ve narrowed down to a few mattress choices, here’s how to pick the right one for you.

• Sleep Hot—If you tend to sleep hot, look for a breathable mattress with temperature regulation in its construction. This could mean opting for a hybrid model instead of a foam bed or selecting a mattress with added cooling measures such as a gel-infused cooling layer or perforated foams.
• Weight—If you’re a heavier individual, it’s best to select a firmer mattress that offers enough support for spinal alignment while contouring around your pressure points. Lightweight sleepers should select plush mattresses to get the level of conforming they want. Average weight sleepers typically do best on medium to medium-firm mattresses that offer a balance of support and conforming in any sleeping position. 
• Sleeping Positions—Knowing your primary sleeping position prior to shopping is key. Each sleeping position inherently creates pressure points where the body comes into direct contact with the mattress, and you’ll want to shop for mattresses that relieve those spots. For example, side sleepers need more relief in the hips and shoulders, which is provided by softer mattresses. Back sleepers, on the other hand, shouldn’t select a very soft mattress even if they suffer from back or joint pain. Extremely plush mattresses may not provide enough support for the spine, which could alter its alignment and create new areas of pain.
• Co-Sleeping—If you sleep with a partner, pet, or child, make sure your mattress has qualities to aid in motion isolation. This will help ensure that you’ll remain as undisturbed as possible if a pet jumps on the bed or a partner tosses and turns.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a new mattress to aid in pain relief from arthritis, we hope this guide was a helpful start. Before you start shopping, we recommend consulting with your doctor or chiropractor to find more recommendations on the best mattress styles, brands, and features for your specific condition. From there, use this guide as a starting point to find a mattress that suits your body type, sleeping position and particular areas of pain. We hope you find the right mattress to mitigate chronic pain, provide pressure point relief and support you properly throughout the night.

Recap of the Top Rated Mattresses for Arthritis

Dr. Tom Ingegno is part of our panel of medical expert contributors on the subject of sleep health. They provide important perspectives on the topics we discuss to help make our content as accurate and dependable as possible. They do not personally endorse any products, nor are they associated with any brands featured in our review content.