Guide For Buying The Best Mattresses For Arthritis
Do you suffer from arthritis and need a new mattress? Our guide and top picks can help you make an informed decision. Read on to find what is the best mattress for arthritis.
Do you suffer from arthritis and need a new mattress? Our guide and top picks can help you make an informed decision. Read on to find what is the best mattress for arthritis.
Having the proper bed can affect your life and health and because of that, finding a quality mattress that will suit you is very important, especially for people who have arthritis, hip pain or back pain. For people with arthritis, a specific mattress type can either alleviate or aggravate their symptoms. In this situation, you need to find the right model that will help you with your condition.
Arthritis is caused by chronic joint pain and inflammation, but it can come in various forms. It can be an inflammation of the joints – knee, feet, and ankles, or bone cartilage deterioration. All these forms have the same symptoms – pain, swelling, stiffness, and lastly, the decreased range of motion. Sleeping on an inappropriate bed can only make the symptoms worse while sleeping on the right bed can help ease these symptoms. Certain mattress types have specific characteristics and features that may positively or negatively influence your condition.
To help you choose the most suitable mattress for arthritis, we have prepared a short guide containing our recommendations for the best mattress for arthritis available today, as well as some essential tips that will improve your sleep when suffering from this condition.
Qualities:
If you have oscillating firmness preferences, the Layla Mattress may be the right choice for you because it is considered one of the best flippable mattresses on the market. With its design, it can deal with all the needs of the average sleeper. This memory foam model has two different firmness setting on it – one side is a Soft (4) side and a Firm (7).
The model consists of a ten inches thick memory foam with four different layers. The first layer has a high-density copper-infused memory foam that is in charge of improving your blood circulation. Along with that, this layer gives a cooling feeling so that you will always feel comfortable, and you won’t sleep hot. The second layer is in charge of support for the comfort levels located on each side of the bed. The third layer gives the overall support to the whole construction. The final, fourth layer, is made of high-density copper-infused memory foam, just like the first one. The only difference is this layer is firm, unlike the first one. You can pick which layer will be on the top, that depends entirely on your sleeping preferences. Additionally, the cover of the whole mattress is made from cover made out of polyester, viscose, and lycra, a combination of materials that will give great comfort and support.
Being a flippable mattress, it has two different firmness levels with different characteristics. The sides do share the same support core which is made from polyfoam of high density, but they have a small difference.
The Softer side of the bed has a convoluted polyfoam layer that offers improved cushioning. Apart from that, the bed has great motion isolation and makes no noise with movement on it. And it is very light, making it easy for you to flip to the other side.
The product comes with a lifetime guarantee that includes a 120-day sleep trial. This flippable mattress is also one of the best memory foam models that you can find. It is very good for people in every weight group (heavy, average, light) who sleep on the back and side, sleepers that have oscillating firmness preferences, individuals that suffer from back and hip pain problems, and couples.
Qualities
This innerspring mattress is available in three firmness settings – Medium Soft, Medium Firm and Firm, and an excellent choice for average and lightweight sleepers. The bed is made from a Euro-top layer, hypersoft foam and gel memory foam, foam-encased mini-coils, compressed-cotton pad and pocketed coils. With its combination of gel foam and coil-on-coil, it is an excellent choice for individuals that have arthritis. All of the materials used in this product contribute to the support and comfort of the whole bed.
The whole bed consists of five layers. The cover is made from an eco-friendly and plant-based material called Tencel. The material provides a very breathable cover, along with the foam encasement put there for edge support. The support core is made from pocketed coils and polyfoam encasement, while the comfort layers have gel polyfoam and memory foam. For additional support, there are pocketed coils wrapped in a high-density foam foundation. And there is also a lumbar cotton pad that provides additional support to your lumbar area. These materials are all strategically placed in the mattress to offer additional support and help people who suffer from chronic pain and are known to change positions a lot during sleep. In general, the mattress has decent temperature neutrality, good responsiveness, close conforming, excellent motion isolation and minimal production of noise.
Even though the WinkBed mattress is one of best luxury mattresses and best hybrid mattresses sold today, the price is much lower than the average hybrid model. With its reasonable price, comes a lifetime warranty, a 120-day sleep trial, and free shipping for the U.S. No need to rethink about purchasing this bed, it is very suitable for all types of sleepers (stomach, back, side or combination) of different weights (heavy, average, light). It is an ideal choice for people with arthritis, back and hip pain, especially if they are sensitive to the heat and cold.
Qualities
The New Purple is one of the best hybrid mattresses that was recently introduced to the market. It relies on the Smart Grid design that the Original Purple mattress had, but it combines it with the pocketed coil support core.
What makes the mattress unique among hybrid models is its great comfort system that features buckling-column gel dispersed over the polymer Smart Grid. This feature offers sleepers pressure relief, good conforming and motion isolation that any latex and memory foam model would have. But, unlike latex and memory foam models, the Smart Grid is much durable, and it won’t deteriorate fast.
The mattress is available in three firmness settings: ‘Medium Soft’ (4.5), ‘Medium’ (5.5) and ‘Medium Firm’ (6.5). The thickness of the grid is also available in several options: two, three or four inches of thickness. The price of the mattress depends on the thickness and firmness level you choose. However, the overall cost is slightly higher and more suitable for buyers with a bigger budget. Nonetheless, there is free shipping available for the U.S. The product also has a 120-month warranty with a 100-day sleep trial to see if the mattress fits you. It is generally suitable for side and back sleepers in all weight groups (heavy, average, light) that sleep hot and suffer from arthritis, back or hip pain.
Qualities
Another flippable mattress comes from Saatva. The Zenhaven mattress offers an above-average pain and pressure relief with its comfort layers and a shared support core. It is useful for side and back sleepers in every weight group (heavy, average, light), people that have fluctuating firmness preferences and have arthritis, back, and hip pain. This model was specially designed to help with chronic pain and give relief for joint pain. It has Talalay latex in the comfort layers with pinholes of different sizes that provide pressure relief and give support to different areas of your body.
The cover is made from entirely organic cotton, providing a very soft and breathable fabric to sleep. It is also quilted with natural wool that only adds to the soft feel and absorbs moisture. The comfort layers, located under the cover, are all made from Talalay latex. On top of the comfort layers, is a luxury plush. This plush layer gives the sleeper just a subtle sinking feeling and the additional soft feeling. The compression layer below gives the bed bounce and additional support. The foundation layer is in charge of keeping the bed’s structure. If flipped this layer has a Firm firmness level to sleep on, made for sleepers who require extra support.
This mattress is one of the best latex mattresses that has different firmness settings on each of the bed’s sides. Although the price of the product is high, the mattress was made from natural materials, making it an ideal option for environmentally friendly mattress shoppers. However, Saatva’s products have free shipping available with the White Glove delivery in the U.S. With the White Glove delivery you have the extra option of having the old mattress removed from your home and the new one placed. The Zenhaven mattress also comes with a 120-day sleep trial and a 240-month warranty.
Qualities
DreamCloud mattress is one of the hybrid mattresses that is Medium Firm (6.5). Unlike the majority of beds that have up to four layers, this model features eight layers, and each put there to provide robust support. Among these layers are four memory foam layers and one layer of latex located above the coil system.
The bed’s solid comfort system spreads through all the layers, in order to provide better conforming to the body but without any sagging. There is also a coil support system wrapped in dense polyfoam in the structure of the bed, to provide more support and reinforcement on the edges. The best feature of this model is the quick responsiveness that enables changing positions while sleeping without any difficulties. For heat distribution, there is a layer of gel infused memory foam that will prevent you from sleeping cool or hot during the night. And because of that, the product will have a longer lifespan than is expected for mattresses. The mattress also has excellent motion isolation with minimal noise when applying weight, making it an excellent choice for individuals who have arthritis and are sensitive to noise and movement.
This luxury hand tufted bed comes with a lifetime warranty, a 365-day sleep trial, and after one year in your possession, you can get paid mattress cleaning. It also has a very affordable price that is much lower than the average hybrid model. The company has free shipping for anywhere in the U.S. We would recommend this product for individuals who sleep on the side and back, sleepers of all weight groups (heavy, average, light) who suffer from arthritis, back and hip pain, and individuals who tend to sleep hot.
Qualities
Saatva is an environmentally conscious company that makes eco-friendly mattresses with natural materials. Among their products is an innerspring model with a coil-on-coil construction, made especially for people with chronic pain. With its thick comfort system and many memory foam and polyfoam layers, this product gives excellent support and conforms to your body to make sure you are sleeping in a natural position and help with aches and pains you might have.
Being an environmentally friendly company, Saatva uses natural materials in the production of their mattresses. The cover of Saatva mattress is made from a combination of primarily organic cotton with a small amount of foam and Dacron fibers. This natural combination provides more softness, additional pressure relief and extra cushioning to the body of the sleeper. The quilting of the cover is slightly tighter in the lumbar region. Along with the added memory foam strip, the cover and ts quilting will give added pressure relief in the essential parts that need additional support. The support core of the whole mattress is pocketed low-gauge Bonnell coils that are individually wrapped for better support of the bed. They are in charge of keeping an even and flat sleeping surface and for reinforcing the edges for minimal sinkage. Because the coils are individually wrapped they also provide good motion isolation.
We have already mentioned that Saatva offers free White Glove delivery for any location in the U.S. and the additional option of having the old mattress removed and the new one placed instead of it, which is certainly a big advantage of this company. The price of the mattress is above the average innerspring mattress price. You can customize your mattress by picking one of the three firmness settings – Medium Soft, Medium Firm, and Firm, and one of the two thickness profiles – 11.5 inches and 14.5 inches. And the mattress has an excellent warranty of 180 months that is much longer than the average and a 120-day sleep trial.
Arthritis is a widespread condition that can come in more than 100 forms and affects the joints causing inflammation and chronic pain. The symptoms commonly develop over time, but it some cases it can also appear suddenly. The causes of arthritis depends on the type of arthritis you have, but the usual cause is a physical injury, bacterial infection or a particular disease. However, for some types of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis, the cause remains a mystery.
Age is a significant cause of arthritis. As you get older, your joints get older and weaker. Joint get worn down with age, and you get chronic joint pain that can ultimately lead to arthritis. Apart from age, weight is a significant cause of arthritis. Having excessive weight speeds up arthritis in the knee, and carrying that weight makes it even worse. Of course, injuries are also one of the causes of arthritis. Injuries can cause joint damage that can cause certain types of arthritis. The same goes for infections. Genetics also plays a vital role in causing arthritis. Some types of arthritis have been linked to specific genes. Those types include rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and lupus.
Genetic factors cause specific types of arthritis. Generally, people whose close family member suffers from arthritis, are susceptible to having arthritis themselves. Genetic factors can also cause physical problems that can also cause arthritis. Older people are at a bigger risk of getting arthritis because over age bones deteriorate causing chronic joint pain and arthritis. However, children and teenagers can also develop arthritis. There are certain types that affect young children or teenagers, like juvenile idiopathic arthritis or infectious arthritis. It may be hard to believe, but women are more likely to get rheumatoid arthritis than men. However, men are also more likely to get other types of arthritis. Individuals that get injured are at risk of having arthritis in the joints near the injury. And of course, people that are obese or have more weight are also at risk of getting arthritis, because the extra weight causes stress on the joints, causing them to deteriorate, and eventually results in arthritis.
Any illness or chronic pain can cause sleep problems, especially chronic joint pain. Sleepers that experience aches and pains will have problems falling asleep. Because of the sleep deprivation, they will have trouble focusing, mood swings, fatigue and overall sense of being tired during the day. Additionally, certain types of arthritis can cause sensitivity to noise, motion transfer and temperature. For this reason, individuals that have chronic pain, and of course arthritis, need specific help with their sleep routine. One of the things that can help is having a proper bed. They need a mattress that has a flat and even sleep surface that has excellent motion isolation but also close conforming that will help alleviate pain and pressure.
People that have arthritis need to consider specific factors when buying a mattress. In this part of the guide, we will give you the most crucial elements to consider for your bed. With these factors you will be able to do your research and compare different models and brands, to find the most suitable choice for you.
Support: The most important factor for your arthritis is the support of the bed. The support is responsible for how well the bed remains flat and even under your body. The mattress needs to give good and effective support for people of different weights and body types. However, specific models tend to sag with heavier parts of the body. If the model has excessive softness or firmness, the mattress will have less support and could make you feel bad when sleeping on it.
Conforming: The conforming ability of the mattress is vital for arthritis, back and hip pain. If the bed conforms closely to your body, it can help alleviate pain and pressure in sensitive areas, and align your spine. There are also mattresses that don’t conform closely to different regions of the body, and because of that, can cause increased pain and pressure to the body.
Firmness: A firmness level of a mattress directly affects your sleep. Firmness is how firm, or soft, the bed feels to a sleeper. Many brands offer products with multiple firmness levels to choose from, and others offer just one level. A firmness level is measured on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being the least firm level and 10 being the firmest level.
There are three kinds of firmness available: Soft(1-3), Medium (4-7) and Firm (8-10).
Soft – Soft is usually good for people who below-average weight (less than 130 pounds) because anybody with more than 130 pounds will have excessive sinking when in the bed, which only reduces the mattress support and cause the sleeper more pain. For people below 130 pounds, this option can be very comfortable, because the bed will be able to conform closely and they won’t sink profoundly and reduce the support of the mattress.
Medium – Medium gives excellent support for most weight groups. However, those that have above-average weight (more than 230 pounds) can sink too deeply into the mattress, which can cause them pain.
Firm – The perfect option for heavyweight sleepers would be firm. For those that have less than 130 pounds, this option probably won’t be good, because they won’t have to conform to the body, which can also cause pain. However, all of this depends on your personal preferences, and it is best to try out different firmness settings to see which is the most suitable one for you. Additionally, some brands offer flippable mattresses for people with oscillating firmness preferences. These models have different firmness setting on one bed. That means the top and the bottom side of the bed has different firmness settings, with one usually being soft and the other firm.
Movement: Sleepers suffering from arthritis often have chronic joint pain and are very sensitive to movement. To help with this issue, many mattresses were made with the goal of absorbing and isolation motion, so you won’t feel any movement happening in the bed. But mattresses that are more responsive give little to no motion isolation. It is also important that the bed has very little resistance to movement, in case you need to change positions during the night. If you’re sensitive to movement, you should avoid mattresses that cause deep sinking, because they will make it harder to move around in bed and cause you more pain. Specific models also produce no noise when you apply weight on them, which is also useful for individuals with severe arthritis that are possibly sensitive to noise.
Temperature: Arthritis can also cause sensitivity to the temperature, both cold and warm. If there is temperature oscillation on your bed, it can cause you to sleep warm or to sleep cold, which can disrupt your sleep after some time. Because of that, manufacturers have made temperature-neutral mattresses that won’t sleep warm or cold, but instead have a neutral temperature during your whole sleep.
Sleep Trials and Warranties: Many brands give different sleep trials and warranty coverages, which are essential factors for buying a new bed. A sleep trial is a period (typically 90 to 120 days) in which you can test out the new mattress in your own home. Most of the products require at least 30 days of using to be properly broken in, and companies have considered this with their sleep trials. During the trial period, if you are not satisfied with the product, you can either return the model for a full or partial refund or change it for a different model.
Apart from sleep trials, mattresses have warranties that classify a model as a defect if it has a certain amount of sagging and indentations. If the sagging and indentations are more than one inch, a bed can cause you additional pain and pressure. Because of that, it is very important that individuals that have arthritis carefully and thoroughly research and review the mattress warranty and be certain they can have it repaired or replaced if this happens.
The warranties are divided into entirely non-prorated, or just non-prorated and prorated. Entirely non-prorated means that you don’t have to pay extra costs to repair or replace the defective model, but non-prorated and prorated warranties mean that you have to pay a certain percentage of the price to repair or replace the product. The average model lasts for at least six years, and the ideal warranties would cover this period at least. Certain models last for up to eight or nine before they need to be replaced, but there are also those who start to sag and get indentations just after a few years of ownership. If the bed sags, it can cause you more pain and pressure, and your warranty would ideally need to cover this period. Because the average performance and lifespan of the mattress are a maximum of seven to eight years, the bottom line is that 10 years of non-prorated warranty coverage is perfect for your product.
There are types of mattresses that are designed to help people that have arthritis. In the next part, you can take a look at the five most common types and how they rank for people that have arthritis.
Memory foam mattresses have a comfort layer that has at least one layer of polyfoam or memory foam, high-density polyfoam in the support layer, and poor edge support. The motion isolation and noise range from very good to excellent, while the support and the contouring of the product rank as fair. The average firmness is from Medium Soft to Medium Firm. Memory foam beds usually have contouring and durability that is above the average. And they are typically available in many firmness settings, unlike the innersprings. The longevity is rated from fair to good, with the average lifespan of the model is from 6 to 7 years. The product ranks as good for lightweight sleepers, while for heavyweight sleepers it ranks as weak, as well as for people with arthritis. For people who have arthritis, it ranks from good to very good.
Latex mattresses have a comfort layer that has at least one layer of latex with the possibility of memory foam or polyfoam layers, latex or high-density polyfoam in the support core, and poor edge support. Latex is a very durable material, and mattresses made from latex do not sag quickly. The average firmness is from Medium Soft to Medium Firm. These products also give enhanced pressure relief and support, with many firmness settings available. The motion isolation and noise range from very good to excellent, while the support of the model is outstanding. The durability is rated from good to very good, with the average lifespan of the model of 8 years or longer. The product ranks as very good for both lightweight sleepers and heavyweight sleepers, as well as people who have arthritis. For people who have arthritis, it ranks from good to very good.
Airbed mattresses have a comfort layer with one to two polyfoam or memory foam layers, individually adjustable air chambers in the support core, and poor edge support. The motion isolation and noise range from fair to good, the support of the whole model is good, while the contouring is fair or good. The average firmness varies because most airbeds have adjustable firmness. The product ranks as fair for both lightweight and heavyweight sleepers. For people who have arthritis, it ranks as reasonable. Airbeds are the most customizable with firmness settings. The durability is rated from poor to fair, with the average lifespan of the model of 8 years or longer. They are very suitable for a wide variety of people. However, they are not supportive enough for heavier individuals. For people who have arthritis, it ranks from fair or good.
Innerspring mattresses have a comfort layer that has at least one layer of foam, at least one layer of latex, at least one layer of memory foam or polyfoam, a steel coils base and polyfoam layer, and excellent edge support. The average firmness is from Medium Firm to Firm. The motion isolation and noise range from poor to fair, the support of the product is decent, while the contouring of the model is very good. They also have minimal support for the waist and hips, so there is not enough support for people who sleep on the side. The durability is rated from poor to fair, with the average lifespan of the model from 5 to 6 years. But it is important to note that many innerspring models begin to sag in two to three years. The product ranks as good for lightweight sleepers, while for heavyweight sleepers it ranks as very good. For people who have arthritis, it ranks from poor to fair.
Hybrid mattresses have a comfort layer that has least two inches of memory foam and latex, with the possibility of polyfoam and micro-coil layers pocketed coils base polyfoam layer in the support core and outstanding edge support. The motion isolation and noise range from good to very good, while the support and contouring of the model rank as good. Hybrid beds are more durable than the innersprings, but they tend to sag quickly too. They contour closer than innersprings, and they are available in multiple firmness settings, because of their memory foam and latex base. The average firmness is from Medium to Medium Firm, with a dual firmness option somewhat common. The durability is rated from fair to good, with the average lifespan of the model from 6 to 7 years. The product ranks as poor for lightweight sleepers, while for heavyweight sleepers it ranks as very good. For people who have arthritis, it ranks from fair or good.
Apart from researching and choosing the right mattress, individuals who have arthritis have additional strategies that will help improve their sleep quality. Those strategies involve picking the right pillows and using a mattress topper.
Pillows – Pillows can cause poor spinal alignment that is responsible for pain and pressure in the areas of your body. The thickness, also known as loft, is also important and can make a huge difference for your arthritis. The right thickness will help minimize aches and pains in some of the sensitive areas of the body, like head, shoulders, and neck, while the inappropriate thickness can have a negative effect on these areas. In order to figure out the proper thickness of the pillow, you need to take into consideration your weight, the position you sleep in and the firmness of the bed. Pillows that have positive ratings for people who have arthritis are latex, memory foam, and buckwheat, while other types, like some alternatives or polyfoam, tend to cause increased pain and pressure due to their below-average support and bad conforming.
Mattress topper – Another important method for sleeping with arthritis is choosing the most suitable topper usage. A topper is an individual layer of cushioning that you can put on the top of a mattress in order to have extra support, comfort, and softness, or to make the model less firm. But, there are also toppers that are intended for increasing firmness for those very soft mattresses. The optimal topper measurement for people with arthritis is at least three inches thick. The best type of toppers for people who have arthritis are memory foam and latex because they offer the best support with their close conforming, targeted pain and pressure relief and excellent spinal alignment. However, you should avoid using convoluted polyfoam toppers, because they can cause you more pain and pressure.
Iva is an art historian and an art lover who always had a passion for writing and sleep! When she is not researching and testing new mattresses on the market, you can find her binge-watching TV shows, eating tons of junk food or playing with her dog Bart.
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