While pain in your joints is relatively common and often temporary, it could also be the result of a larger issue, such as an illness, infection, or arthritis. In fact, a National Health Interview survey2 found that about 91 million adults in the United States have arthritis. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you’re concerned that your joint pain is from arthritis or a larger issue. “If your mattress is too firm or too soft, it can exacerbate joint pain,” she adds. “Mattresses that are too firm create excess pressure and cause pain on areas like your shoulders, hips, knees, side, and back. And those that are softer can misalign the spine and aggravate arthritis.” “A mattress that is responsive and on the firmer side is generally a good starting point for adjusting form,” says Cameron Yuen, DPT, CSCS, and director of rehab and training at Bespoke Treatments Physical Therapy in New York City. “When mattresses are too soft, our body ends up shifting into shapes outside of a more neutral alignment by conforming to the mattress. If it’s too hard, our bodies end up shifting to find more support because the mattress is not helping.” Bonney agrees, “Research has shown us that medium-firm mattresses are best because they provide sufficient support for the spine and relieve pressure on joints. Pillow-top mattresses can also relieve pressure.” But when it comes to finding the right mattress for you, it’s important to remember that comfort is subjective. What feels soft to one person might be too firm for another, and your preferred sleeping position will be a big factor in determining how you respond to a certain mattress. Still, Yuen suggests that your perception of comfort is key for getting a good night’s rest. “Comfort has to come first, as deep restful sleep is one of the most important components of recovery,” he says. “Secondary considerations for mattress selection include how well the mattress supports your joint alignment, how well it distributes pressure, and whether it allows for optimal blood flow.” Avocado is known for its dedication to organic and sustainably sourced materials, so you can rest assured knowing the original Avocado Green Mattress is constructed for quality. The flagship model is a combination of supportive coils, GOLS-certified organic latex, and GOTS-certified organic wool and cotton. While it has a plush feel that’s suitable for all sleep styles, the Avocado Green is on the firmer side. There’s the option to add an additional plush pillowtop, which is recommended for smaller folks or side sleepers. Avocado ships mattresses from its factory in Los Angeles, California (sidenote: they’re a carbon-negative company, which means they voluntarily offset more than 100% of emissions!). The bed will come compressed and rolled in a box, but because the bed is made with natural and organic materials, you don’t need to worry about any weird smells while it comes to life. What customers say: The Avocado Green Mattress has 4.7 out of 5 stars across over 17,000 reviews. Shoppers of all sleep styles praise the buoyancy of the latex, and many people comment on waking up without aches and pains. One reviewer says, “After sleeping on it for a month, I’m happy to say my neck and shoulder issues improved tremendously. I wake up in the morning pain-free. We love the firmness of the mattress and the bit of give the topper adds.” A handful of folks complain about the firmness of this mattress—again, we’re listing it as a “best firm” option here! But in all the reviews we read, the biggest complaints were actually about the free delivery through FedEx or customer service during the return process. The original DreamCloud mattress is a hybrid mix of innerspring coils and foam. It provides a luxury feel and hotel-like firmness at a considerably lower price point than the other beds on this list. The only downside? It skips on sustainably sourced materials in the quest to stay affordable, so it’s not the best pick for those seeking an organic or nontoxic pick. The standard model of the DreamCloud mattress is ranked as a medium-firm, which is great news for folks looking to relieve joint pain or arthritis. If you’re someone who likes a little additional cushion, you can opt for the DreamCloud Premier, which adds a plush topper (for a price). The DreamCloud arrives compressed and wrapped in a box, and the brand recommends leaving it to expand for 24 hours before sleeping on it. One of the other reasons this pick is a great value? You have a year to sleep on it before deciding if it’s right for you. What customers say: With just under 8,000 reviews and 4.8 out of 5 stars, the DreamCloud gets excellent reviews. A ton of people mention reduced joint pain, especially in their hips. One reviewer says, “With a history of three back surgeries, I was suffering from sleepless nights, hip, back and shoulder pain before I bought my DreamCloud mattress. Since receiving my new mattress, I’ve found I no longer dread bedtime.” Most negative reviews are people saying the feel of the DreamCloud took them a while to get used to or that it didn’t live up to their firmness expectations—some people say it’s too firm, some say it’s too soft. It’s proof that firmness is really dependent on your sleep habits. While memory foam beds don’t typically fall under the medium-firm recommendation for people with joint pain, the all-foam Loom & Leaf mattress from Saatva offers multiple firmness options. If you’re a back or stomach sleeper who prefers the feel of memory foam but needs a little more support, the Firm model of the Loom & Leaf might be a fit for you. Side sleepers looking to relieve shoulder pain especially will appreciate the cradling sensation of the memory foam but might want to choose the Relaxed Firm option for a bit more give. Regardless of preferred position, all sleepers will appreciate the lumbar support layer of gel foam that provides both a cooler surface and a little lift. Saatva’s beds arrive via white glove delivery, and the Loom & Leaf is no exception. It won’t arrive rolled up in a box—someone will bring the bed into your home and help you set it up. Similar to the rest of Saatva’s lineup, the mattress emphasizes sustainability with a unique eco-friendly foam made from renewable oils that produce fewer greenhouse gases during manufacturing. Plus, a robust network of manufacturers around the U.S. ensures most mattresses travel less than 100 miles from the factory to your home. What customers say: The Loom & Leaf mattress boasts 4.9 out of 5 stars on Saatva’s website and has just under 600 reviews. Several reviewers call out that they were skeptical of the positive reviews until trying the bed for themselves. A handful of people mention reduced aches and pains, including one reviewer who says, “At first we thought it was a little too firm, but when we woke up after our first night on it, we had slept like rocks. We felt great, and I didn’t even know that I was waking up with stiff joints in the morning until I wasn’t anymore.” Several reviewers warn that this is still a rather firm bed for a memory foam mattress. But luckily Saatva gives you a whole year to sleep on it to decide if it’s a fit for you. Saatva’s flagship mattress is an innerspring design, but it’s far from your grandmother’s springy old bed. Using recycled steel coils and a layer of nontoxic memory foam, the Saatva Classic provides a great mix of support and cushion. Even the plush Euro pillow top has built-in support at the center of the mattress to keep your hips in alignment, making this a great pick for all sleep positions. Customize your bed by choosing between an 11.5- and 14.5-inch height, as well as selecting from among three firmness options. The Luxury Firm is the brand’s bestseller, and likely the best fit for anyone looking to relieve joint pain, although smaller folks and strict side sleepers will appreciate the added cushion of the Plush Soft model. Saatva delivers mattresses via white glove delivery, meaning someone will bring it into your home and set it up. As a result, it’s never compressed or rolled into a box. Delivery also includes mattress removal, depending on the brand. (View a full list of accepted mattresses on the brand’s website.) What customers say: With over 2,800 reviews, people are overwhelmingly pleased with the Saatva Classic, especially folks who were previously waking up with aches and pains. One customer writes, “I was having a lot of back pain and hip pain and as soon as we started sleeping on our King Luxury Firm the pain started subsiding, and now I have no pain at all!” On the con side, most side sleepers with the Luxury Firm find it a little too firm. But Saatva’s customer service is known for being top-notch; a few customers received free toppers when they weren’t satisfied with the firmness purchased. (There’s also a 365-day trial period if you want a full mattress swap.) The design of the Casper Wave Hybrid contains breathable foam, springs, and latex for a plush, yet supportive feel. But what makes this bed a winner with side sleepers is the bed’s gel pods, which add additional targeted support under your waist and lower back. It’s a great pick for anyone who likes the feel of foam without the sinking sensation of an all-foam bed. Just note that although it’s supportive, Casper places the Wave at a true “medium” feel, which might not solve joint pain issues for folks weighing more than 230 pounds. The Wave Hybrid will arrive compressed and rolled up in a box. Casper recommends letting the bed expand for 24 hours to let the bed take its full shape. Despite offering top-notch sleep technology, conscious shoppers should note this mattress isn’t the greenest of all options included. However Casper does take a few steps to be more eco-conscious with the Wave design: All polyurethane foams used are CertiPUR-US® certified, the outer cover repurposes up to 121 recycled water bottles, and the second layer is made with natural latex. What customers say: Reviewers with arthritis and joint pain rave about the Wave Hybrid, especially folks who sleep on their side. One reviewer says, “I used to not be able to sleep on my right side due to my shoulder feeling like it wanted to pop out of the socket, but on the Wave Hybrid I sleep on either side comfortably!” On the negative side, most people who didn’t love this mattress complain about it being overpriced for the quality. The EcoCloud Hybrid from WinkBeds is a combination of innerspring coils and natural Talalay latex. WinkBeds puts the EcoCloud right in the middle of its firmness scale, which means it’s not technically a soft mattress. But the hybrid model is a softer option that still provides the support you need to stave off joint pain. Plus, the addition of buoyant latex and responsive foam makes this bed a pressure-relieving pick that anyone (especially side sleepers) looking to relieve joint pain will appreciate. WinkBeds ships mattresses compressed and rolled in a box. It should spring to life relatively quickly, and—thanks to the Talalay latex—you shouldn’t notice any funky off-gassing smells. What customers say: The EcoCloud is a newer model, so there are only about 200 reviews so far on WinkBeds’ website. Still, plenty of reviewers mention improved hip or back pain with this mattress. One reviewer even says, “I fight arthritis and a severely deteriorating spine. I can sleep on my stomach, side or back now and I have no pain in the mornings.” Most folks who didn’t love this mattress were unhappy with the cover layer, saying it should be nicer for the price. A couple of people also mention that WinkBeds suggests rotating the mattress every few weeks—but there are no handles to help you do so. The feel of a Purple mattress is pretty polarizing—their proprietary grid-shaped gel foam (which is kind of like a Dr. Scholl’s insole) is springy yet cushioning. Assuming you’re down to try something different, the Purple Hybrid model offers a mix of the pressure-relieving grid material and a firmer support base to reduce joint pain. And because the top layer is in the shape of a grid, there are plenty of holes in the foam to encourage airflow and cooler sleep. The Purple Hybrid comes compressed and rolled in a box. It’s a chunky mattress (a queen weighs 122 pounds!), so you might want to enlist a little help getting it set up. The bed will be ready to go once it’s been unboxed, and the reviews are mixed when it comes to any off-gassing smells. A note on sustainability: Although Purple mattresses are not organic, the high-quality materials are nontoxic. The brand’s patented grid material is CertiPUR-US® certified, so it doesn’t contain any formaldehyde, heavy metals (including mercury and lead), or phthalates regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The low-VOC material also undergoes independent testing to ensure it’s free of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). What customers say: Purple beds aren’t for everyone, but the Purple Hybrid is rated 4.4 out of 5 stars across 5,700 reviews. One reviewer says, “My fiancé and I both have horrible back pain and typically wake up with aches, but both of us have had significant improvement in morning pain levels.” If you’re unsure if the feel of a Purple is right for you (especially because they’re rather pricey), you can likely try one out in a Purple showroom near you or one of the brand’s retail partners. Some people say that this mattress was too firm for them. If you’re concerned about firmness, the Purple Hybrid Premier might be a better fit. A few folks also warn that the stretchy grid material makes it difficult for their sheets to stay on.
