Best Mattress for Arthritis – 6 Best Reviews for 2020

Chiropractors say that there are over 100 types of arthritis, although Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Osteoarthritis (OA) are the most common. While there are different approaches to treating and reversing this condition, experts say that getting a night of restful sleep is critical. This means that having the best mattress for arthritis comes first.

Now, you’ll get a lot of contradictory advice on the best bed for arthritis. For instance, most people suggest getting a firm mattress. Others swear by mattresses that create the sensation of sleeping on a cloud. So, which is which?

At SleepSharp, we say mattresses are highly subjective as people have varying sleep needs, preferences and body builds. That’s why we advise people with arthritis to get a bed that balances comfort and support. It shouldn’t be overly soft or overly stiff.

We’ll talk more about choosing the best mattress for people with arthritis in a short while. For now, let’s take you through our recommendations of the best mattresses for arthritis in 2020.

Disclaimer: While SleepSharp endeavors to recommend the best products, we edited this post to offer general information only. As such, the content of this article can’t replace professional and expert advice and recommendation.

Quick Links: Top 6 Mattresses for Arthritis

• Best for Back Pain – Loom and Leaf
• Best Mattress for Arthritis Hips – Casper
• Best Memory Foam Mattress for Heavy People – Nectar
• Best for Hot Sleepers – Purple
• Best Hybrid Mattress – Helix Midnight
• Best Organic Mattress – Awara

Best for Back Pain- Loom and Leaf (Relaxed Firm)

You might like the Loom and Leaf if you:

• Are an average-weight individual weighing between 130-230 lbs– as a medium-firm all-foam mattress, we feel the Loom and Leaf Relaxed Firm mattress has the best contour and support for this group.
• Are a senior, or you’re buying it for one– seniors with arthritis prefer a bed that allows effortless movement and turning. The Loom and Leaf is a good bet here as it does not have the stuck feeling that characterizes most traditional memory foam beds.
• Are a hot sleeper– this mattress’s sleeping surface remains cool to the touch credit to its organic cotton cover and convoluted gel memory foam.

The Loom and Leaf is an affordable luxury bed from the iconic Saatva mattress manufacturer. This is a 4-layer mattress that comes in 2 firmness levels. The bed that we’re reviewing here is the Relaxed Firm option that has a firmness level of 6.5 on the soft-firm scale. This model tends to be a good match for arthritis sufferers weighing 130-230 lbs. If you are above this range, we’d recommend checking the firmer option that feels like an 8.

As to why we think this is one of the best mattresses for arthritis, its high-quality foam layers offer a comfortable and supportive cradle without pushing too hard on vulnerable parts, such as hips and shoulders. This means that whether you sleep on your side, back, stomach, or a combination of these positions, the Loom and Leaf may offer the restful night that people who have arthritis yearn for.

We also like its organic cotton cover not only because of its soft feel and drape but because it’s hand-tufted with 0.625-inch of foam too. This cover eliminates the stuck-in-bed feeling that you’d otherwise experience if you slept directly on the memory foam comfort layers. Even better, as our Loom and Leaf mattress review shows, this mattress performs exemplary in isolating motion, and it’s noise-free.

Read Our Loom & Leaf Mattress Review

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Best Mattress for Arthritis Hips – Casper

You might like the Casper if you:

• Are suffering from arthritic hips– the Casper is zoned to offer more support on the upper and lower back.
• Are looking for an affordable mattress for arthritis– despite its advanced construction design, the Casper is among the cheapest memory foam mattresses on the market in 2020.
• Are a lightweight person (130 lbs and below) – this mattress’s firmness level falls at 5. As such, it may lack enough support for individuals heavier than this.

Arthritis sufferers on a budget might want to check out the Casper. This is a 12-inch, all-foam mattress featuring a proprietary foam top layer and memory foam block for its comfort section. The transition and support layers both feature poly foam layers, and the cover is 100% polyester.

Two things make all the difference between the Casper and other memory foam mattresses in its price range. First, its very top layer is made from a proprietary foam that offers the cradle of memory foam to support your weight evenly, thereby leading to pressure relief. Notably, this layer has a bouncy feel and a porous structure. As such, it responds relatively first and this makes changing positions easy. Also, we like that this layer is breathable too. 

Secondly, we appreciate that this mattress’s transition layer is zoned below the shoulders and hips. Most people are going to appreciate this construction design a lot since the shoulders and hips are the most vulnerable to pressure point build-up when sleeping.

Read Our Casper Mattress Review

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Best Memory Foam Mattress for Heavy People – Nectar

You might like the Nectar if you:

• Are looking for an affordable mattress– despite its generous use of memory foam, the Nectar mattress still comes at a slightly lower price tag compared to other beds here.
• Weigh 230-400 lbs– with a firmness level of 6, this mattress falls more on the side of support than comfort. It could be a perfect choice for most average-weight and overweight individuals weighing up to 400 lbs.
• Want a mattress for heavy couples– Nectar says that this mattress can support a combined weight of up to 800 lbs. This weight range coupled with the ability to support all sleeping positions makes it ideal for people who share a bed.

The original Nectar mattress has four all-foam layers that give it a thickness of 11 inches and a firmness rating of around 6 on the 10-point scale. It has three memory foam layers totalling to 5.75 inches and a dense 5.25-inch poly foam core base.  

Considering its firmness level, we expect this mattress to offer the best comfort and support to average-weight and heftier individuals. Most petite persons below 130 lbs may not activate enough sinkage on the comfort layers for adequate pressure relief. 

Overall, we believe this mattress will accommodate all sleeping positions comfortably although side and back sleepers are going like it the most. As a mattress that is slightly on the firm end, the Nectar mattress should be able to keep heftier side sleepers balanced by allowing their broad shoulders and curvier thigh region to sink slightly into the mattress. It’s body conformance, on the other hand, should offer excellent pressure relief for people who  spend most time on their back. 

An important factor to consider when buying the best mattress for arthritis is heat retention. Luckily, as indicated in our comprehensive Nectar mattress review, this is one of the areas that it performs well. In addition, since you won’t be sinking too far, it should be easy to move on this mattress without straining your achy joints. 

This mattress also scores a lot of marks in categories that interest couples, including deadening movement and edge support.

Read Our Full Nectar Mattress Review

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Best for Hot Sleepers – Purple

You might like the Purple mattress if you:

• Value memory foam but tends to sleep hot– the comfort layer of this mattress has a grid structure that promotes excellent air flow, so it remains cool.
• Want a pressure-relieving mattress that won’t trap you inside– the polymer grid of this mattress will softly cradle your shoulders and hips, but it’s more resilient than memory foam. So, it will hold you afloat.
• Want good value for your purchase– mattress experts and reviewers at SleepSharp estimate that the Purple mattress can last at least 7 years. This is a good value for an all-foam bed that comes at its price.

This is a 9.5-inch mattress with a polymer grid comfort layer and poly foam transition and support layers. Considering its height, this medium-firm bed tends to work best for lightweight sleepers across all the three sleeping positions and average weight individuals who sleep on their backs.

We included this bed in these reviews of the best mattress for rheumatoid arthritis because of how its comfort layer works. This proprietary material focuses directly on offering optimal support and even weight distribution, which helps in alleviating pressure points.

Another strength of the Purple mattress is how it sleeps cool. As opposed to the blocky foam that other mattresses use, this mattress’s comfort layer has a grid construction that promotes air circulation and heat dissipation. Temperature neutrality is paramount to a restful night, especially when struggling with joint pain and swelling.

We are great fans of its removable white cover too as it makes washing it easy.. This cover features a blend of polyester, viscose, and Lycra, and it’s soft, breathable, and responsive.

Check Our Full Purple Mattress Review

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Best Hybrid Mattress – Helix Midnight

You might like the Helix Midnight if you:

• Love the contour of memory foam, but not its overwhelming stuck-in-bed feeling– this mattress combines three layers of foam and individually-encased coils to create a neutral and accommodating sleeping surface.
• Want the best mattress for petite and average-size back and stomach sleepers– as a medium-firm bed, the Midnight supports proper spine alignment, which helps in relieving lower back pain.
• Sleep hot– besides its support system that has an open structure, the Helix also has a gel-infused top layer and breathable cover to promote temperature neutrality.

The Helix Midnight is one of the two medium-firm mattresses that Helix offers. This is a 12-inch tall bed with a gel-infused memory foam comfort layer, latex-like transition foam, and an 8-inch coil support system. It also has a poly foam layer for its base.

Similar to most Helix beds, the Midnight does not feel like a traditional innerspring mattress. Again, although it employs a gel-infused memory foam top layer, you won’t experience the overwhelming feeling that classic memory foam beds cause. Instead, it has more of a neutral feel that combines support and comfort to create a medium-firm bed with a rating of 5.5.

The coil system and latex-like transition layer pack enough support for back and stomach sleepers. Petite and average-size side sleepers will also benefit from the pressure-relief that the top layers offer to their upper and lower back.

This mattress’s soft-touch polyester cover coupled with the gel-infused comfort layer and the open structure of the pocketed coils should do a great job at cooling your sleeping surface. The foam layers at the top also come in handy in minimizing bounce, isolating motion, and lowering noise from the coils. All of these are the attributes that you want in the best mattress for arthritis.

Read Our Full Helix Midnight Mattress Review

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Best Organic Mattress – Awara

You might like the Awara mattress if you:

• Want the best mattress for heavy folks– the firmness setting of this bed makes it perfect for individuals above 230 lbs.
• Prefer an eco-friendly non-toxic bed– Awara uses all-natural Dunlop latex for its comfort layer.
• Want a bed that will minimize night-time disturbances from a restless partner– by combining Dunlop latex and a coil base, Awara succeeds in keeping motion transfer to a minimum, which helps in reducing disturbances for deep sleep.

Our last recommendation comes from the same brand that makes the Nectar mattress. This 13-inch bed is an incredible pick for people who’d prefer an eco-friendly and non-toxic bed.

The Awara mattress features a cover made from GOTS-certified cotton. This gives it not only a great look but a soothing sensation, especially when coupled with the organic New Zealand wool euro-pillow top. These two work in unison in cooling the bed, so that you won’t be tossing and turning a lot due to heat build-up. 

For its comfort layer, the Awara uses natural and organic Dunlop latex. This type of latex tends to be a little bit firmer than memory foam and will, therefore, offer much better support to heftier individuals. However, this layer shouldn’t feel overly firm thanks to the springy support layer.

What makes the Awara the best Mattress for reducing arthritis pain is its zoned innerspring-based support layer. It offers soft contouring to your legs and head, and more support to heavier parts, including hips and lower back.

In addition, each of its individually encased coils moves independently, thereby reducing the transfer of motion besides offering precise contouring.

Read Our Full Awara Mattress Review

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Ultimate Buyer’s Guide on Choosing the Best Mattress for Arthritis

What is arthritis?

Arthritis refers to the inflammation of one or multiple joints that often leads to pain and stiffness. While there are over 100 types of arthritis, they are all characterized by pain, stiffness, redness, swelling, and reduced range of motion.

How Arthritis and Sleep Affect Each Other

If you’re reading this post, you are probably aware of the vicious cycle between bad sleep and arthritis. Excruciating joint and hip pains lead to sleepless nights, which in return, make the condition all the worse the following day.

The best type of mattress for arthritis sufferers stops this cycle by vastly boosting the quality of your sleep. It does this by aligning the spine with the neck, shoulder, and hip joint. This helps a lot in relieving the strain and tension on your joints, back, and hips, which, as a result, keeps arthritis pain to a minimum.

Factors to Consider When Buying a Mattress for Arthritic Hips and Joints

Mattress Type

Innerspring

Innerspring mattresses are popular due to the high level of support that they offer to stomach and back sleepers. However, they fail horribly in terms of spinal alignment, especially for side sleepers. Throwing the spine out of whack may irritate arthritic joints and worsen your condition.

If you can’t go with any other type of mattress, though, at least consider an innerspring-foam hybrid bed. 

Memory foam

Memory foam is the most recommendable bed for arthritis, thanks to its excellent spinal alignment and pressure-relieving attributes. These mattresses are able to distribute your weight evenly across the sleeping surface while maintaining your back’s natural alignment.

The only drawback to most memory foam mattresses is that they tend to inhibit easy movement on the bed. This may make turning or changing position a challenge, especially if you have rheumatoid arthritis. Also, as they conform to your body shape, these mattresses tend to trap heat, which may cause discomfort.

So, when choosing the best memory foam mattress for arthritis, pay more attention to beds that are slightly on the firmer side. These are relatively easier to move on as they don’t suck you right in. A mattress that you can use with an adjustable bed will be much better. Also, go for a bed with a breathable cover and cooling layers, especially if you sleep hot.

Latex

Latex mattresses are an excellent alternative to memory foam as they are slightly bouncy and relatively temperature-neutral. However, keep in mind that these are generally firmer and may lack enough contouring, especially if you are lightweight.

Firmness

This refers to the overall feel of the bed. Firmness in mattresses is expressed on a 1-10 scale ranging from the softest to the firmest.

• Soft (1-3) – this category mainly comprises all-foam mattresses, and it’s ideal for individuals weighing less than 130 lbs.
• Medium (4-6) – mattresses in this category make excellent picks for people who weigh 130-230 lbs. These beds offer enough contouring, although they also have an incredible amount of support that helps in maintaining natural spine alignment.
• Firm (7-10) – most people above 230 lbs tend to prefer mattresses in this firmness level as they don’t sink too far in the mattress. However, note that you still need a little bit of conformity with these beds to prevent pressure points.

Temperature management

Inflammation due to rheumatoid arthritis may lead to fevers that cause night sweats. Therefore, as you seek for comfort and support, ensure that you get a mattress that offers a cool sleeping surface. If you are a chronic hot sleeper, you may want to consider coil-based hybrid mattresses as they allow excellent air circulation. 

Motion Isolation

Getting a restful night’s sleep is the most important thing when trying to manage arthritis pain. However, this may be curtailed by disturbances from a partner who is always turning and tossing in bed. In that case, your choice of the best bed for osteoarthritis should be able to absorb or localize the other person’s movement. Memory foam mattresses are the best in this, followed by latex. Hybrid beds also perform well, at least compared to innerspring.

Conclusion

If you suffer from arthritis, you understand first-hand how hard it is to get a restful sleep with achy and swollen joints. It gets even worse if your mattress aggravates the existing pressure points besides creating more.

However, having gone through the best mattresses for people with arthritis and buying guide, we believe you’ll be able to nail down a mattress that will work for you. As a recap, the most critical thing is to ensure that your spine has proper alignment when sleeping. So, regardless of your sleeping position, ensure that you get a mattress that balances support and conforming ability.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are firm mattresses the best for arthritis?

Yes and No. While support is crucial when purchasing a mattress for arthritis, we also feel that comfort is equally important. You want a mattress that will adjust to your body shape and minimize pressure points in areas that your body presses into the bed. In short, get a mattress that is neither too firm nor too soft.

Which is the best sleeping position for rheumatoid arthritis?

If you are struggling with arthritis hips and joint pain, you want to adhere to a sleeping position that maintains your back’s natural ‘S’ curve. Sleeping on your back is, by far, the best option as it holds your head, neck, and backbone in a neutral position, thereby minimizing pressure points. If you prefer sleeping on your side, be sure to use a pillow between your knees to promote spinal alignment and prevent your knee joints from crashing onto each other.

Stomach-sleeping isn’t the best sleeping position for arthritis sufferers. If this is your only sleeping position, though, placing a gel pad or flat pillow under your stomach will prevent the spine from pulling downwards, which may aggravate the pain.

Are innerspring mattresses good for arthritis?

No. The extra bounce in these beds may cause more problems for individuals with arthritis. Also, they may sag early, and this could lead to pressure build-up and, as a result, increased pain.