Best Orthopedic Mattresses
Last Updated: September, 2023
An orthopedic mattress is designed to cradle and support your back, spine, and joints to promote good sleeping posture and minimize aches and pains. This makes it a solid pick for seniors and sleepers who suffer from back, neck, and joint pain. However, since many manufacturers often use the term for marketing purposes, it can be quite hard to determine which bed features truly orthopedic designs.
So, how do you select the best orthopedic mattress for your unique needs, especially when several quality options exist?
We’ve compiled a list of the 7 best orthopedic mattresses to help you find a model that works best for your body type and sleep preferences. The best orthopedic mattresses is Plushbeds' Botanical Bliss. Let's analyze the products below.
Expand Table of Contents
A Quick Look The 7 Best Orthopedic Mattresses
PlushBeds Botanical Bliss
As one of the best organic Orthopedic options, the Botanical Bliss is a latex foam mattress that ensures your hot nights will be as cool as possible. With its gentle pressure relief and springy support, back sleepers will find this orthopedic mattress incredibly cozy.
GhostBed Luxe
GhostBed Luxe is a reputable mattress popularly known for helping hot sleepers stay cool during hot summer nights. Moreover, its slow-moving memory foam offers an excellent response to pressure ensuring great contouring around your body curves.
Amerisleep AS3 Hybrid
As a versatile orthopedic mattress from the Amerisleep assembly line, the AS3 falls in the middle of the firmness options. It combines its medium feel with a perfect balance of support and comfort to relieve painful pressure points.
Molecule Hybrid Mattres
With its supportive coils and comfortable foam, the Molecule Hybrid is an excellent option for hot sleepers. This bed-in-a-box hybrid mattress is also zoned and provides excellent support around the hips and the lumbar region for a snuggly slumber.
Zoma Boost
Zoma Boost features hyper-cooling graphite-infused memory foam that helps keep you cool throughout the night. It also has Reactiv™ Foam that offers responsive relief, ensuring you don't feel stuck on the sleep surface.
Vaya Hybrid Mattress
Unlike traditional memory foam, Vaya Hybrid uses proprietary comfort foam to ease pain and alleviate pressure. The mattress also offers one-of-a-kind body support in any sleeping position—which essentially promotes proper sleep alignment.
Zoma Hybrid
Zoma Hybrid Mattress boasts a slight memory foam feel on the sleep surface, which makes movement and changing sleep positions relatively easy. More importantly, it offers exquisite pressure relief for sleepers who often experience discomfort around their hips, backs, necks and shoulders.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
The PlushBeds Botanical Bliss is among the top-rated orthopedic mattresses fit for relieving chronic pain and cushioning critical pressure points at any sleeping position. So if you're struggling with chronic aches and pains, especially in the joints and back, consider purchasing this orthopedic mattress.
Unlike most orthopedic mattresses, this PlushBeds mattress offers extra back support essential for proper spinal alignment. It also provides excellent back pain relief, making it a highly supportive mattress for joint and back pain sufferers.
Since this orthopedic mattress is all-latex, those who often sleep hot will appreciate its excellent body heat dissipation capabilities. It also has an organic wool layer and cotton cover, which helps shield against night sweats during hot summers.
The Botanical Bliss Mattress is primarily fit for back and stomach sleepers. This is due to its firm latex contouring capability—ideal for sleepers seeking an even, comfortable and supportive sleep surface. However, its two mattress firmness options (firm and medium firm feel) make it ideal for any sleep position.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
GhostBed Luxe is an excellent pressure-relieving memory foam mattress with many advanced features ideal for sleepers with back, hip and joint pain.
For instance, it has a quilted cover made of gel memory foam, Ghost Ice fabric, cooling fiber and phase-change material. Together the materials assist in boosting sleep quality during hot summer nights. Not only does the 2-inch gel memory foam layer helps dissipate body heat, but it also helps relieve pressure from painful pressure points.
This memory foam orthopedic mattress has a medium-firm feel that balances support and comfort. The firmness neutrality is ideal for combo, back and side sleepers. However, since it's all foam, GhostBed Luxe is a far softer mattress for heavy and average-weight stomach sleepers and may not support spinal alignment properly.
Like most memory foam mattresses, GhostBed Luxe lacks a coil support core system. But the quality of its foams and thickness makes it an excellent supportive mattress with spectacular edge support. The bed also boasts splendid motion isolation minimizing motion transfer between co-sleepers.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
If you're looking for the right orthopedic hybrid mattress to help relieve back, joint, hip and shoulder pain, look no further than the Amerisleep AS3.
The AS3 has an excellent cooling mechanism that stems from its breathable cover and comfort layer. The cover's material is fitted with technology that converts heat to infrared—making As3 an essential mattress for athletic recovery while boosting overall sleep quality. Thanks to the proprietary Bio-Pur foam making up the comfort layer, it dissipates body heat much better than traditional memory foam.
The mattress also excels in the pressure relief department as it delivers an outstanding balance between cushion and support to the whole body, which is ideal for most sleepers. This helps eliminate any possibility of pressure build-up on the painful pressure points.
Unlike some popular hybrid orthopedic mattresses, the AS3 bears a fair responsiveness. However, it does pretty well in limiting motion between co-sleepers. So overall, it is an excellent orthopedic pick for couples.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
Are you seeking the best Orthopedic Hybrid Mattress fitted with modern cutting-edge technology for boosting sleep quality? Then check out this Molecule Hybrid Mattress.
Pressure relief is essential for chronic back pain and hip, shoulder, and joint aches. Fortunately, this mattress has an adaptive response stemming from its coil system and 5-zone support layer, which provides accurate pressure relief.
With its cooling, breathable foams and cool-to-the-touch cover, you'll sleep cooler during hot summers. Not only is the cover designed to dissipate body heat, but it also acts as an odor and microbial shield. The mattress features individually wrapped coils within the support layers that facilitate efficient airflow to keep you cool.
This orthopedic mattress reduces motion transfer between sleep partners thanks to its top layer's slow-moving proprietary MOLECULARFLO foam. With this incredible motion isolation, none of the sleeping partners has to worry about disturbance from tosses and turns from their co-sleepers.
This Molecule Hybrid Mattress features pocketed coils at the edge, which offer solid edge support ideal for occasional sitting. The sturdy edge support also lets you sleep comfortably near the mattress edge.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
Zoma Boost is a widely recognized mattress in the sleep industry—courtesy of its tremendous pain and pressure relieving mechanism alongside its classic cooling capabilities.
With a firmness scale of 6.0/10, Zoma Boost identifies as a medium firm mattress. Notably, this scale is the ideal mattress firmness suitable for most sleepers because it offers excellent support and comfort balance.
The mattress' instant cooling cover is fitted with cutting-edge technology, which helps shield you against night sweats. Also, it has graphite-infused hyper-cooling memory foam, which helps boost air flow—keeping you cool all night. Not only does the premium cooling fabric offer chilling comfort, but it also helps relieve muscle and joint pain.
The mattress' 5" support and 10" comfort layers allow for tremendous pressure relief on painful pressure points. Though the two layers function hand in hand to relieve pressure points, the support layer, in conjunction with the zoned edge coil system, ensures lasting stability and durability.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
Vaya Hybrid is uniquely designed with Vaya proprietary foam to offer sleepers excellent pressure relief and a perfect balance between support and bounce, among other benefits.
The orthopedic mattress has a highly breathable soft polyester cover to help you sleep cool all night. Moreover, Vaya's proprietary foam is ultra-porous. And together with the pocketed coils in its support core, the mattress allows for efficient airflow and heat dissipation.
Unlike traditional memory foam mattresses, Vaya Hybrid's proprietary foam—within the comfort layer—excellently contours the body for maximum pain and pressure relief. On the other hand, the pocketed coils in the support core help promote proper spinal alignment to help improve and maintain body posture.
Aside from being an incredible value orthopedic mattress, Vaya Hybrid has a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty. Like most mattress companies, though Vaya doesn't offer free white glove delivery, they offer free shipping and returns.
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Overall Thoughts:
Are you looking for the best value orthopedic mattress made of high-quality materials that guarantee exquisite pressure relief, cool nights and comfortable slumber? Then Zoma Hybrid is the option to check out.
The mattress' incredible cooling experience stems from its breathable cover made of 3% spandex and 97% polyester. Additionally, the Zoma Hybrid has Triangulex™ foam in its comfort layer with zoning-bearing air channels that promote efficient airflow throughout the mattress.
The Zoned Triangulex™ foam in the comfort layer offers a slow pressure response that helps contour snuggly to your body. Because of the zoning, the mattress surface feels a little firmer on the hips and softer on the shoulders, which helps with pain relief in those areas. This feature is excellently suitable for side sleepers as it will help promote proper spinal alignment.
Buyers of this Zoma Hybrid Mattress can enjoy a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty. In addition, they also offer free shipping and returns.
Best Mattress Types for Orthopedic Mattresses
Just as there’s no single best sleep position for joint and back pain, there’s no single best mattress type. Of course, you’ll want something that aligns your spine and cushions painful pressure points. However, the right orthopedic mattress will depend on several factors, from sleeping positions to personal preferences regarding pressure relief, motion isolation, overall support, and so on.
Foam Mattresses
Innerspring mattresses are usually considered the most traditional mattress type in the market. They’re composed almost entirely of springs. While some have comfort layers for body cushioning, they are usually thin, which doesn’t significantly change the mattress performance.
High-quality innerspring mattresses don’t permit much sinkage and often have a relatively even plane. Individuals looking for a supportive orthopedic mattress with little contouring may like an innerspring mattress.
Innerspring Mattresses
The base layer of the Nectar mattress is the thickest, and provides a foundation and support for the other layers. The middle layer is about 1 ½ inches thick, and creates the ‘responsiveness’ in the mattress. The upper layer is made of special memory foam that cradles your form and keeps the mattress cool.
Hybrid Mattresses
Hybrid mattresses pair comfort layers of latex, micro coils, polyfoam, wool, memory foam, or other materials with a pocketed coil support system. This combination gives some of the merits of foam and innerspring or latex beds with fewer drawbacks.
Sleepers with chronic joint and back pain will enjoy cushioning, deep contouring, and pressure relief from the comfort system of hybrid mattresses. The base layer tends to deliver more even support, which is beneficial for spinal alignment.
Latex Mattresses
Latex mattresses may include synthetic latex, natural latex, or a combination of both. Talalay latex has a bouncier feel, while Dunlop latex is denser.
Back and joint pain sufferers with mobility problems will find latex mattresses easier to move on. Since latex has low point elasticity, it spreads the exerted pressure over a wider area instead of compressing exclusively directly under your body weight. This leads to pressure relief without the “hug” feel associated with memory foam orthopedic mattresses.
How to Choose the Best Orthopedic Mattresses
While choosing a new mattress is a big decision for everyone, it can be particularly impactful for individuals with chronic pain. This section will highlight some of the most crucial factors to consider when purchasing an orthopedic mattress.
What to Look for in an Orthopedic Mattress
While comfort preferences vary between sleepers, some crucial factors come into play in determining a bed’s overall performance. It may help to keep in mind the following categories when selecting the best orthopedic mattress.
Firmness Level
As a general rule, medium-firm beds suit individuals with chronic pain. This is because they deliver a perfect balance of pressure relief and spinal support. Stomach sleepers might want a firmer mattress for adequate spinal alignment. On the other hand, side sleepers will probably need a slightly softer mattress.
Note: Heavyweight side sleepers might need a plusher mattress than lightweight individuals to get enough pressure relief. Most of these also go for sturdier orthopedic mattresses to obtain proper support.
Material
High-quality materials are usually more expensive but also contribute to excellent performance and durability. Since high-end materials often resist indentations, they could help ensure that quality orthopedic mattresses remain comfortable for longer.
Pressure Relief
Pressure relief is another vital factor for patients with chronic pain to consider when choosing an orthopedic mattress. Generally, wider and heavier body parts apply more force to mattresses. If your sleep surface lacks strong pressure relief, the pressure might build up in these areas. That said, you’ll want to buy an orthopedic mattress with a bit of sinkage and body contouring.
Temperature Regulation
Depending on your bed’s materials and design, it may retain body heat or enable it to dissipate away from your sleep surface. If you’re a hot sleeper, you may want to opt for latex, hybrid, or innerspring mattresses, as they excel at temperature regulation. Some all-foam models, such as gel memory foam beds, also boast cooling properties to keep you sweat-free all night.
Edge Support
Patients with back and joint pain often face mobility problems that could make it quite challenging to climb in and out of your orthopedic mattress. That’s why a sturdy edge is crucial to prevent your bed from collapsing while leaning or sitting near the edge of it. Generally, orthopedic mattresses with coils have decent edge support, and some memory foam models have high-density foam layers around their perimeter.
Contouring
Contouring is how a sleep surface adjusts to an individual’s body shape. A bed that contours well allows your wider, heavier body sections to sink in, which helps promote proper spinal alignment. This may, in turn, help reduce some of the pains often associated with sleeping.
Price
While a cheap bed may be easy on the pocketbook, some high-end orthopedic mattresses are also good values for their advanced features and durability. When budgeting for your orthopedic mattress purchase, you want to leave room in case you purchase additional sleep accessories for added comfort. Mattress toppers, pillows, and adjustable bases may be useful tools to help you customize your mattress to better meet your unique sleep needs and preferences.
Sleep Trial/Warranty
If you struggle with back and joint pain, it can be quite challenging to know whether a mattress will give you the comfort and support you’re looking for over the long term by simply reading online reviews or testing it out in physical stores. For this reason, you’ll be better off looking for a product with a generous sleep trial. That way, you can test it out in the comfort of your own bedroom and over an extended time to ensure it’s best suited to your needs.
How Does Sleep Position Affect Joint and Back Pain?
As with any medical condition that causes pain, back and joint pain makes it harder to get a good night’s sleep. And the position you use could either minimize or contribute to pain. While you may prefer any sleeping position depending on your painful pressure points, most sleep experts recommend side or back sleeping. Consult with your physician if you continue experiencing pain that interrupts your sleep.
Stomach Sleepers
People usually carry extra weight around their midsections, which might pull their hips deep into the surface, putting a strain on their backs. Stomach sleepers might also strain their necks since they often turn their heads to their sides. Remember, thicker pillows may force your neck to extend backwards, thus contributing to additional pain. That said, if you’re a stomach sleeper, you may consider using thin pillows or no pillows at all to keep your neck region in a more neutral position.
Side Sleepers
Humans tend to be wider around their hips and shoulders, so these parts usually exert a lot of pressure on the sleep surface when sleeping on your side. This can lead to pressure points.
Side sleepers’ spinal alignment could also be affected without the right orthopedic mattress. If your mattress is too soft, it may allow your hips and shoulders to sink in excessively, while an overly firm bed may not allow you to sink in enough. Either of these alternatives could strain your lower back.
Plus, you could experience hip and knee pain from your lower limbs resting on each other. If you’re a side sleeper, consider placing a pillow between your knees for added relief for your hips and knees.
Back Sleepers
This sleeping position can have both merits and demerits for individuals with joint and back pain. Neck pain, for instance, could be aggravated by back sleeping. However, some patients find sleeping face up alleviates their lower back pain. Other people may experience severe back pain when sleeping on their back. If you fall in this category, placing a pillow beneath your knees could help relieve pain. A medium-firm to firm mattress can also give you the comfort and support you need.
Closing Thoughts
Sleep eludes many people, but individuals with chronic back and joint pain often deal with an extra hurdle each night. While the best orthopedic mattress won’t rid you of pain, it can help you sleep better by offering support and pressure relief. Just ensure you go for a bed that includes an extended sleep trial period so that you have enough time to decide whether it suits your needs.
Gabe is the newest member of The Sleep Shop team. If you like the design of The Sleep Shop, give Gabe a thumbs up. He’s a digital marketing and design guru and the brains behind the design and SEO of The Sleep Shop. He also won’t say no to testing a ton of mattresses either, and helps on almost every mattress review.
Learn More About Gabe