The Best Mattress for Hip and Shoulder Pain
When you suffer from hip and shoulder pain, getting to sleep can be a difficult prospect. Even if you find a good position you’re still going to wake up with some pretty serious aches if you don’t have the right mattress.
With so many mattresses out there, which one will work best to help get you to a pain-free morning? We’ll check out some of the top options and see if we can’t figure out which is the best mattress for hip and shoulder pain.
But first, let’s go over some things you should keep in mind as you begin your search.
Table Of Contents
Best Mattresses for Hip and Shoulder Pain Comparisons
Brand | Details | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|
 Leesa Mattress |
| |
 Amerisleep Mattress |
| |
 Novosbed |
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 Saatva Mattress |
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 Zenhaven Mattress |
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Choosing the Right Mattress Type for You
There are several options now when it comes to mattress types. You’ve got air mattresses, innerspring mattresses, memory foam and its varieties, polyfoam and its variations, latex, hybrids and more.
Since our goal here is to avoid hip and shoulder pain, we can eliminate a couple of the options. An innerspring mattress will simply not work. While they are getting better and better, and have plenty of neat options for comfort, innerspring mattresses tend to eventually end up with pressure points around where the springs are, which will likely cause you additional pain.
An air mattress, while somewhat flexible, isn’t going to conform to your body and give you the support you need to keep from feeling pain. As such, it’s not the best mattress for hip pain or shoulder pain. What you need is a combination of comfort and support, and an air mattress does not have that.
The best options are going to be memory foam, latex or a hybrid mattress, which combines one of those options with a traditional innerspring system for support. An all polyfoam mattress won’t do, either, unless it’s extremely high-density foam, but even then, it won’t be all that comfortable.
Memory Foam
Memory foam is something with which you are likely familiar. It’s been around for a while now and has been used in everything from beds to shoes. One of the biggest benefits of memory foam is its ability to allow you to sink into it. This is caused by your body heat interacting with the material, causing it to be more viscous and thus forming to your shape. It’s a really neat trick.
Memory foam tends to get a little hot, so if you’re going this route, I suggest you make sure the product either has an open cell structure to make sure air flows through it, or you get gel-infused memory foam, which will help disperse the heat.
Memory foam is likely the best mattress for side sleepers with hip pain and shoulder pain. Because you’re able to sink deeply into it, your body won’t be bent into any sort of awkward position. You will be able to lay straight and have the bed cradle your side. This will make for great comfort, but it won’t work all that well without a good support layer, something like a high-density polyfoam or support coils.
Latex
Latex foam has a couple cool benefits. First off, it’s going to feel a bit bouncier than memory foam does. In that regard, it will feel a bit more like a traditional mattress as opposed to the intense sinking feeling you get with memory foam. Second, latex memory foam is better for the environment.
Unlike memory foam and other polyfoam derivatives which are made entirely of chemicals and such, latex foam is made from, you guessed it latex. This is a renewable resource as it comes from trees. As such, way better for the planet, which is a great thing.
Performance-wise, it’s going to behave similarly to memory foam. While it won’t conform quite as well, it will still give you a little of that sinking sensation. It’ll also be a little easier to maneuver on, considering the additional bounciness and response time.
Hybrid
There are both latex and memory foam hybrid mattresses, and they’re pretty much what they sound like. They combine multiple types of mattress technology into a single mattress. Primarily you’ll see this in an innerspring memory foam hybrid or innerspring latex hybrid.
The biggest benefit to these is the additional support they provide, something neither of these products can do especially well on their own. While both latex and memory foam can help distribute pressure, you’re going to need a good core to really make sure you’re comfortable, and a hybrid mattress is a good option for that. You’re likely to find that a hybrid mattress is one of the best beds for hip pain and shoulder pain.
Things to Look For
When mattress shopping, especially for the best mattress for shoulder pain and hip pain, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
Layers
Most every mattress you encounter is going to have multiple layers. They have to, really, if they want to provide a good sleeping experience. As we pointed out before, deep support is a major issue. If the support layer of a mattress is made of foam, you’ll want to be sure it has a high density. If not, it’s likely to wear out and not provide the sort of support you need. Look for at least 1.8 pounds per cubic inch.
Density
For the comfort layer, the part you actually sink into, you also want to aim for a higher density, as it will help your mattress last longer. Buying a mattress is a decent investment, so you want to make sure you get what you’re paying for. For memory foam, try to aim for no less than 4 pounds per cubic inch.
Durability
If you’re going for a latex mattress, you’ll be pretty set no matter what on the durability front. You can, though, try to get some information on the blend of the latex. There are two types of material which can go into the latex foam, natural latex and synthetic latex. The natural stuff is more elastic and stretchy, whereas the synthetic stuff can help your mattress last a little longer. Many latex foams are a blend of the two.
The process by which the foam was made is also important. There are two, Dunlop and Talalay. Dunlop ends up with a denser foam. Talalay, which is Dunlop with two additional steps, is less dense, but allows for better airflow and is softer.
Top 5 Mattress for Hip and shoulder Pain Reviews
We’ve discussed what goes into a mattress, but now let’s take a look at a few that are good for hip and shoulder pain. For consistency sake, we’ll look at the queen size for all of these, as it’s one of the more popular sizes
Leesa Mattress
The Leesa mattress has three layers. Up top is two inches of Avena foam. This foam performs just like latex foam, but has better durability. This layer is designed to keep you cool, which is important when you consider the middle layer is memory foam. Additionally, this layer is hypoallergenic, which is never a bad thing.
The middle layer is two inches of memory foam. This layer, working in tandem with the top layer, gives you the contouring feeling you’ll want to help alleviate hip and back pain. On the bottom layer you’ll find six inches of polyfoam as a support layer. It has a density 1.8 pounds per cubic inch, so you should have pretty decent support.
Outside the foam is a polyester-lycra blend fabric cover designed to keep you cooler and more comfortable. It looks nice, too.
Pros
Cons
Amerisleep Mattress
Amerisleep has a variety of mattresses, but for the purposes of this review, we’ll look at the Amerisleep Liberty, which is the medium firmness mattress and supposedly for all sleeping types. This mattress features three layers.
Up top is a layer of Amerisleep’s “Bio-Pur” foam. They claim it is five times more breathable than regular memory foam, which is a great thing, as it will help you stay cooler. It also supposedly has a quick response time, popping back into shape in only four seconds. They also are using some plant-based materials in this foam, which is respectable. I can appreciate any and all attempts at helping the environment.
In the middle is the “affinity transition layer.” I was unable to find out exactly what it is, but from the description it sounds like reflex foam, which is a high-density version of polyfoam that provides a memory foam-like feel but has a faster response time. This is a guess, of course, but the company says this layer enhances both the softness and responsiveness of the mattress.
On the bottom is Amerisleep’s “Bio-Core.” This is the base material for all their mattresses and is designed to give you good support and help maintain your spinal alignment. Something you want if you’re hoping to keep your hips and shoulders from hurting.
Outside all of this is a Celliant cover. Celliant is a fabric Amerisleep claims turns body heat into infrared light. I’m not even going to pretend I understand how this works, but the company says it’s done by using a high-performance yarn which is made from thermoreactive minerals. As such, it should keep you cool through the night.
Pros
Cons
The Novosbed
The Novosbed comes in three varieties, each a different firmness. We’ll focus on the medium for this review, as it is their most popular version. This mattress also features three layers.
Up top is ultra-dense airflow memory foam. If you remember the densities we talked about up above, you’ll recognize this is a good thing. At two inches thick and with a density of five feet per cubic inch, this top layer is going to feel good and last a while. Since it’s designed to allow for good airflow, you’ll also be able to keep a bit cooler than you would with the regular stuff.
The middle layer is another two inches of high-density memory foam, with the same density as the top layer. This layer, however, is regular memory foam. Since your body won’t be touching this, that shouldn’t be an issue. This layer is regular memory foam in most mattresses.
Rounding it out at the bottom is seven inches of support polyfoam with a density of 1.8 pounds per cubic inch, a good density to give you proper support and the confidence it will last a while. The mattress also features furniture-grade upholstery siding and a two-way-stretch elastic core cover. On top of that is an ultra-soft stretch-knit top cover which can be removed and washed.
Pros
Cons
Saatva Mattress
There is a lot that goes into a Saatva mattress. It is available in three firmness levels, soft, firm and luxury firm. Luxury firm is their flagship mattress, so we’ll focus on that one. There are five distinct parts to the Saatva mattress.
The very top layer of the mattress is a euro pillow top in an organic cotton cover. The euro pillow top, according to Saatva, has more stuff in it to make it softer. Saatva also puts this under the mattress cover itself, rather than sewing it on like a regular pillow top. Below the pillow top is a lumbar support enhancement layer. This is made of high-quality memory foam to help distribute pressure.
Below that is a layer of individually wrapped comfort coils. Since they are individually wrapped and not connected to each other, these coils conform a bit better to your body than those found in a traditional innerspring mattress. On the bottom layer you’ll find something a little more traditional, a spring support base. Saatva points out it uses tempered steel, which just sounds cool. The idea here is to make sure the mattress will last a long time and will hopefully avoid any sagging.
The last little bit of magic is a dual perimeter system which uses foam-encased coils to support the edges of the bed. In theory, this provides more sleep area and keeps the edges from sagging, which sometimes happens if you sleep or sit on the edge of the bed too often.
Pros
Cons
Zenhaven Mattress
The Zenhaven mattress by Saatva is pretty unique, considering it is made almost entirely of latex. It also has two firmness levels in a single mattress, and you switch by flipping it over. Pretty cool. This mattress has three layers, sort of.
On the top of both sides of the mattress is a layer of 100 percent organic New Zealand wool. This adds breathability and some moisture-wicking properties while also serving as a flame-retardant layer. The next layer, on both sides, is a “5-Zone” latex comfort layer. This layer has multiple levels of support across it, the intention being that different parts of your body need different levels of firmness.
In the middle are the base layers, which are also made entirely of latex. Below that is another “5-Zone” comfort layer for when you flip the mattress over. It’s a design I haven’t seen before, and it’s pretty interesting. It’s also probably why it’s so highly-rated.
All the latex is made using the Talalay process, so it has extra softness and durability. It’s because of this process they can also do the varied levels of firmness. Part of the procedure uses hot pins which are pushed through the foam. What they have done with the Zenhaven mattress is changed the layout of the pins to give different patterns, which make for different feels. Pretty smart!
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
For those suffering after a night’s sleep, I think the Amerisleep is going to be the winner of this roundup. I feel like it’s the best bed for hip and leg pain as well as the best bed for side sleepers with shoulder pain.
The Leesa has a variety of issues that take it out of the running. While it’s made of similar materials to the Amerisleep mattress, it just doesn’t seem to have the same sort of quality. The Novosbed, while having some good qualities, was found to be a bit too firm. The best way to relieve joint pain is by distributing the pressure, something a good memory foam mattress will do.
Both the Saatva mattress and the Zenhaven mattress, while seeming to be very good products, aren’t the best for pain sufferers. The Saatva is closer in feel to a traditional mattress. It’s likely going to be very nice to lay on, but it won’t help if you’re already suffering from pain. The Zenhaven, which I absolutely want myself, looks like a very good mattress, but latex simply doesn’t give as much distributed support as memory foam does. It functions similarly, but not as well.
Because of this, I think the Amerisleep fits the qualifications we’re looking for. Not only does it provide the support needed to help with pain, it is made of high-quality materials that will last a long time.
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