We found that brands such as Helix, Casper, Layla, and others provided the best mattresses for people with hip pain. Our full roundup includes prices and available sizes.
If you’re looking for the best mattress for hip pain, “support” is the keyword. You need to find a mattress that provides the maximum support possible, while still meeting your personal softness preferences.
Your sleep position is also a big factor, as sleeping on your side or on your back might call for a medium-firm memory foam mattress for good alignment and support. But if you sleep on your stomach, a pillow top mattress or hybrid with an innerspring might fit your needs better.
In choosing the best mattress for hip pain, it’s good to start by knowing there’s no one “perfect mattress” for hip pain. The way you sleep is a personal experience involving many variables and preferences.
We did our best in this mattress review to get you started with the best mattresses for hip pain.
Healthline’s picks of the best mattresses for hip pain
Comparison table of the best mattresses for hip pain
*Prices are based on queen-size mattresses. All prices are accurate as of January 3, 2024.
How we chose our best mattresses for hip pain
We created our list of the best mattresses based on these factors:
Brand flexibility: manufacturers with best-in-class warranties, transparency about materials, excellent return policies, and generous at-home sleep trials
Price: a variety of price options for different budgets
Word of mouth: customer reviews where compliments far outweighed complaints
Design versatility: mattresses that balance softness with support, especially those designed to accommodate different sleeping positions and people experiencing chronic pain
Medical accuracy: any general health claims made by a brand must be backed by strong scientific support
Hip pain: Symptoms and causes
Hip pain shows up on your outer hip joint, thigh, or groin area. When hip pain shows up at night, it can feel like stiffness, soreness, or muscle spasms. Causes of hip pain can vary widely, but some common ones include:
Hip pain can be caused by your sleep position, especially if you tend to favor sleeping on your side or stomach. Sleeping on a mattress that doesn’t adequately support your spine can also trigger hip pain when you’re trying to get some shut-eye.
How sleep affects hip pain
When you turn in for the night, your muscles and bones go from a state of motion to a state of rest. This state of rest gives inflammation and stiffness their moment to strike, as your circulatory system is no longer in its active mode. That’s why lying still in your bed trying to sleep can leave your joints and tendons swollen and stiff.
If you have hip bursitis, for example, you usually won’t experience pain in your hip while standing. When you lie down, it’s a whole different story.
And if you’re pregnant, your baby might not be pressing up against your lower extremities when you’re walking around throughout your day. When you lay down, your baby’s weight might shift to compress your blood flow and your joints.
If sciatica is causing your hip pain, either your sleep position or your mattress can put pressure on a point that might trigger pain. That’s why it’s so important to look for the best mattress for both hip pain and sciatica, generally thought to be one that combines support and softness.
If you experience hip pain only when you sleep, that’s a red flag that something about your sleep itself could be an underlying cause. A sagging mattress or a curled sleep posture can disrupt your spine’s natural, neutral alignment. When that happens consistently, hip pain can be triggered.
Questions to ask when choosing your own mattress
If you’re a person with hip pain considering a mattress purchase, ask yourself the following questions:
What materials is this mattress made of? Does the company provide transparency about where the mattress materials are made and where they’re assembled?
Is there a specific feature, design, or material used in this mattress that makes it superior to others?
Does the price of this mattress match my budget?
Do I understand the trial period, return policy, and manufacturer warranty that comes with the mattress?
Have sleep experts, orthopedists, spine health specialists, or others endorsed this mattress for people with hip pain?
Tips for reducing hip pain at night
If you have hip pain during the night, support is especially important because of spinal alignment. The ideal mattress encourages your spine into a neutral position while you sleep. In addition, your mattress should give underneath you to cradle your hips and shoulders.
Pillow top, memory foam, and hybrid
Pillow top mattresses are enhanced with an extra level of plush padding on top.
Memory foam or all-foam mattresses have no innerspring and are completely made from dense foams.
Hybrid mattresses combine innerspring and foam layers. These sometimes include pillow top padding.
In addition to choosing the right mattress, there are other ways you can reduce hip pain to sleep better. Some strategies to consider:
Change your sleep position. Though it may be a bit of a challenge at the beginning, try to start the night on your side or on your back instead of on your stomach. Promoting neutral spine alignment is most challenging if you sleep on your belly, so working to change it up may provide relief.
Stretch before bed. Try to stretch out your hip before bedtime by crisscrossing your legs while you sit down and pressing gently on either side. You can also try a yoga session right before bed or stretch out throughout the day to improve flexibility and tight areas.
Elevate your legs. Elevating your legs while you sleep may also help to relieve pressure on your hips and spine. The best way to do this is to make sure the weight of your legs is supported by pillows or a folded blanket.
Use a pillow between your knees. Similar to alleviating pressure on your hips by elevating your legs, for side sleepers, placing a pillow between your legs can help hip and back alignment.
Try massage or other physical therapies. You may also want to try using a TENS unit to stimulate the area, relax, increase blood flow, and relieve pain before you go to bed.
Frequently asked questions about choosing mattresses for hip pain relief
There aren’t studies that indicate that the “wrong mattress,” by itself, can cause hip pain. It’s more likely that the wrong mattress type for you can aggravate hip pain.
It may be possible for an old, sagging, or damaged mattress to cause hip pain. When you sleep with your spine out of neutral alignment, hip pain can show up as a result.
Mattress firmness is subjective, so it’s difficult to know what will work best for you. You’ll want to make sure that the comfort system of the mattress is both supportive and comfortable for you.
As a general rule, a firm mattress that you can sleep on deeply and comfortably will be a good choice. That is especially true when you have hip pain and need to keep your spine stabilized throughout the night.
For most people, the firmest bed that feels comfortable is a “medium-firm” option — something that’s a 5 or 6 out of 10 on a firmness scale.
Sleeping on your back may reduce pain in your spine and shoulders while you sleep. However, there’s not a lot of research to demonstrate the effect of sleeping on your back on hip pain.
If you have a chronic condition that causes back pain, sleeping on your back won’t necessarily treat that condition or make your pain go away.
Any sleeping position that keeps your spine in neutral alignment will be better for your hips. The best way to sleep is in any position that helps you achieve deep, restful sleep cycles.
If you have hip pain on one side, the best solution is often to try sleeping on the opposite side. You may also want to place a pillow between your legs to keep your spine in a neutral position.
Doing stretching and strengthening exercises during the day or before sleep may also help. It’s best to start with stretching, and follow with strengthening.
If you think your hip pain may be caused by your mattress, you might consider replacing it. But if the pain is a symptom of a health condition or disease, a medical professional or physical therapist will be best able to recommend a solution.
Spring mattresses are the traditional mattress type that many people are used to. They usually combine foam and innersprints for support, and sometimes a pillow top for a comfort layer on top.
Spring mattresses offer simplicity and springiness, as well as a lower pricetag than the newer hybrid mattresses. They are made with an innerspring metal coil support system that gives a generally firm and somewhat bouncy feel.
A spring mattress can definitely be good for hip pain, but you’ll want to try it out first and make sure there are no pressure points that trigger pain. You’ll also want to ensure that the mattress is soft enough to allow comfort as well as support.
The takeaway
If you have hip pain, investing in a new mattress may be a way to improve your symptoms. Choosing a mattress that provides medium-firm support and keeps your body in a neutral spine position through the night can be your priority.
Other factors, like moisture wicking and softness, can play a role in your decision as well. Keep in mind that no mattress will cure a condition that causes chronic pain.
You can speak to a doctor, chiropractor, or spine specialist and ask for a recommendation if you’re buying a new mattress to relieve hip pain.
How we reviewed this article:
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
Wong DW-C, et al. (2019). Sleeping mattress determinants and evaluation: A biomechanical review and critique. https://peerj.com/articles/6364/
