The Best Mattresses for Arthritis & Joint Pain 2023 reviews and ratings

Other Considerations When Shopping for a Mattress for Arthritis

Different sleeping positions apply various amounts and points of pressure to the mattress, setting up characteristic specifications that pertain to each position. With this said, you should consider your preferred position as it could easily determine the choice of bed. It is also something that could have an overall impact on your condition.

Sleeping Position

Different sleeping positions require different needs from a mattress.
For side sleepers, who experience the most pressure buildup because their weight is concentrated in a smaller area, pressure-relieving softer beds are going to be more helpful.

Back sleepers typically do best with medium-firm beds that balance good back support with some pressure relief. Stomach sleepers, on the other hand, often benefit more from firmer beds that can keep their hips lifted for better back alignment.

Weight/Body Type of Sleepers

Different types of beds tend to work better or worse for different body types. For example, people who weigh over 230 pounds or so tend to do better on firmer, more supportive beds. Usually, this means including a layer of innerspring coils. Oftentimes arthritis and a heavier body weight³ go hand-in-hand (especially in the knees), so a hybrid mattress might be a great option since it is both supportive and pressure-relieving on the joints.

Lightweight sleepers don’t need as much support from their mattress, so they can choose between an all-foam, innerspring, hybrid, or latex bed. Lightweight sleepers with arthritis will do well with a bed on the softer and more contouring side.

Firmness

If you have arthritis, picking your bed’s firmness will be important in keeping your joints comfortable throughout the night. Choosing your bed’s firmness comes back to sleep position and body type.

If you’re a lightweight or side sleeper with arthritis, choosing a bed that is on the softer side will probably work well for you. Lightweight sleepers don’t tend to push down into the mattress so much, so softer beds are supportive enough and will feel good against the joints.

Heavier folks, back sleepers, and stomach sleepers will want a bed that is a bit firmer, to keep their spine from curving down into the mattress. Be sure, though, that the top layers are pressure-relieving and comfortable against your joints, even on a firmer mattress.

Cooling

Certain types of arthritis are caused by inflammation in the body⁴. Since heat can exacerbate inflammation, it is especially important to choose a mattress that won’t allow you to overheat at night.

Unfortunately, many memory foam mattresses tend to trap heat, whereas innerspring and latex beds are cooler. Memory foam tends to be the best for pressure relief, though, so a good compromise might be to find a memory foam mattress with cooling properties or find a hybrid mattress that has springs for breathability and memory foam on top for pressure relief.

Motion Isolation

Motion isolation measures how well a mattress isolates motion from one side of the bed to the other. This is especially important for sleepers who share a bed; when the bed isolates motion well, you’re less likely to feel your partner moving at night.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, about 70 percent⁵ of those with arthritis already have sleep disturbances, so limiting anything else that might disrupt your sleep will be helpful.

Pressure Relief

With the pain and stiffness that comes with arthritis, you will be very sensitive to pressure. With this in mind, if your mattress actually causes additional pressure points, this could easily aggravate the pain associated with arthritis.

You will need a sleeping surface designed to enhance your spinal alignment while simultaneously relieving pressure to promote less pain and a better night’s sleep.
Read more about mattresses for pressure relief here.

Edge Support

When a bed has good edge support, it means the edges won’t droop down when you sit or sleep near the edge of the bed. This is usually accomplished by a reinforced edge, which means stronger coils or foam along the perimeter, allowing you to comfortably stretch out and use the bed’s entire surface throughout the night. Good edge support can be especially helpful for couples sharing a bed.

Budget

Of course, none of these things matter if you can’t afford your ideal mattress. Foam and innerspring beds tend to run cheaper than latex and hybrid models.
We don’t recommend buying the very cheapest mattress or one that is used, especially if you are dealing with arthritis. Instead, investing in a quality mattress with a good warranty will serve you and your joints well in the long term.

Read more about the best budget mattresss we recommend.