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If you have chronic hip pain, it can affect the quality of your sleep. And that's no small thing when you consider that sleep takes up about a third of your life, and sleeping on the wrong mattress can significantly worsen your pain, especially if you lay on your side.
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"The compression of the downside hip into the mattress or excessive tension on the muscles of the upside hip are often reasons why hip pain can disrupt sleep," notes Jordan Duncan, DC, a chiropractor at Silverdale Sport & Spine in Silverdale, Washington. "When someone sleeps on their side without support between their knees, the upside knee often rests on the downside knee or even against the bed, which creates strain on the muscles on the side and back of the hip."
The good news: The right mattress can make a world of a difference in your hip pain. Here are the best mattresses for hip pain, according to sleep and pain experts, along with what to look for when you're shopping.
1. Best Overall: WinkBeds GravityLux
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Made from a non-viscoelastic memory foam that has billions of tiny shock-absorbing cushions, this mattress provides major pressure reduction around the hip area.
"This type of foam is different from memory foam because it gets softer as it heats up, causing sleepers to sink into the mattress as time goes on," says Nicole M. Avena, PhD, assistant professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and visiting professor of health psychology at Princeton University. "This type of mattress is beneficial for all types of chronic hip pain, as it cushions the hip while also keeping the spine aligned."
You can choose between three levels of firmness — soft, medium and firm — to customize it to your liking, although Dr. Avena notes that firm is most ideal for those who prefer sleeping on their stomach or back.
From an eco-friendly perspective, the WinkBed GravityLux is a responsible purchase. The Tencel mattress cover comes from eucalyptus trees harvested from a Forest Stewardship Council-certified forest, and the coils are made from recycled steel. Also, during the fabric-making process, the company strives to use up to 20 times less water than what is typically required.
Buy it: WinkBeds.com; Price: $899–$1,699
2. Best on a Budget: The DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress
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This memory-foam mattress provides pressure relief in all the right areas, which comes in handy for those with chronic hip pain. It has four supportive layers — one pressure-relief comfort layer with gel memory foam that contours to your body, a sink-in-just-right layer that provides pressure-relief without that sinking feeling, a targeted-support coil layer with innerspring technology and an essential base layer to maintain overall support for the layers above it.
For those who sleep on their back, this mattress provides the right kind of support, especially in the hip area, says Allen Conrad, DC, certified strength and conditioning specialist at Montgomery County Chiropractic Center in North Wales, Pennsylvania. "The layered core reinforces the spinal posture, which can help prevent soreness in the low back and hips when you wake up."
What's better than a warranty that spans decades? One that spans a lifetime. That's what you get with this purchase, along with a 365-night free trial, plus free shipping and returns.
Buy it: DreamCloudSleep.com; Price: $699–$1,199
3. Best Luxury Buy: Nordic II HDM from European Sleep Works
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With three unique coil layers consisting of 5,200 total coils, this mattress provides all the pressure reduction, density and support someone with hip pain needs for a pain-free night of sleep.
"This mattress can accommodate hips and shoulders and contours specifically around the body so that the hips sink in but not the waist," Sunjya Schweig, MD, expert in complex chronic illnesses and founder and president of the California Center for Functional Medicine, tells LIVESTRONG.com. "Additionally, they are made with high-quality, non-toxic, organic and eco-friendly materials, which is always a plus when you're looking for a product that you'll be spending a lot of time with."
For those snoozing with a bed partner, you will appreciate the no-motion transfer, which ensures you won't disturb anyone sleeping next to you should you get up in the middle of the night.
Buy it: SoaringHeart.com; Price: $2,199–$3,299
4. Best for Side Sleepers: Leesa Legend Mattress
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Thanks to two layers of springs — one pocket spring layer that provides support from edge to edge and another layer of microcoils that specifically targets the hip and shoulder areas — this medium-firm hybrid mattress is ideal for people with chronic pain. In fact, shoulder and back support is especially important when dealing with chronic hip pain, notes Dr. Schweig.
"The memory foam was designed with the intention of being suitable for all sleep positions," he says. "Additionally, this line uses CertiPUR-US-certified foam and a sustainable and 100-percent organic Merino wool cotton cover and fiber from recycled water bottles, making it an eco-friendly choice."
The Merino wool also comes with the added benefit of being moisture-wicking, to keep you dry and cool through the night.
Other perks that customers can appreciate are Leesa's risk-free 100-night trial, 10-year warranty and free, no-contact delivery service.
Buy it: Leesa.com; Price: $1,649–$2,299
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5. Best Cooling: Helix Midnight Luxe
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Many sleepers tend to run hot, which can make for an uncomfortable night's sleep if their mattress doesn't have any cooling properties. Luckily, this medium-firm hybrid mattress is designed with cooling in mind. Its breathable, quilted pillow top features a unique Ulta Breathable Tencel technology that helps enhance airflow circulation to keep your body the ideal temperature through the night.
With more than 1,000 zoned lumbar support coils under the foam with reinforced edging, this mattress is also designed to be softer around your shoulders with increased firmness under your hips, notes Dr. Schweig. "It has a combination of density and softness, meaning it is a good mattress for a range of sleeping styles, particularly for side sleepers."
Buy it: HeelixSleep.com; Price: $999–$2,149
6. Best From a Box: Casper Original Hybrid
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Of all mattresses that now come in a box delivered straight to your door, Casper is one of the most notable — and widely trusted. Each of their mattresses are carefully designed to be packaged in the smallest form while maintaining optimal quality and longevity.
Their Original Hybrid is medium-firm, which is ideal for people with hip pain as well as back pain — two symptoms that often coincide.
Its foam base is divided into three separate ergonomic zones that work together to ensure optimal spinal alignment, and its AirScape technology creates thousands of tiny perforations within the foam to maintain breathability and keep you temperate throughout the night.
Buy it: Casper.com; Price: $845.75–$1,525.75
7. Best for Support: Amerisleep AS5
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As an all-foam mattress, the Amerisleep AS5 offers different levels of thicknesses, which Dr. Avena notes is especially ideal for providing pressure relief in those with chronic hip and spine pain.
The Bio-Pur® memory foam not only molds to every body and distributes weight evenly, but it also has a cooling effect that allows free airflow, keeping you comfortable throughout the night. "It also has a transitional polyfoam layer that is divided into different firmness levels, which helps cushion areas around the hip and back, while providing gentle cushioning to areas positioned before lighter areas of your body," Dr. Avena says.
If health is top of mind, you'll feel reassured that the Amerisleep AS5 is CertiPUR-US-certified and low in harsh chemicals like VOCs and is resistant to mold, mildew and pesky dust mites. It is also eco-friendly and made from nonrenewable resources.
Along with its 100-night free trial, this mattress comes with a 20-year warranty, which is significantly more than most competitor offerings.
Buy it: Amerisleep.com; Price: $1,649–$3,398
What to Look for in a Mattress When You Have Hip Pain
Before you set out to buy the best mattress to relieve your hip pain, here are some important factors to keep in mind to help guide your purchase.
1. Memory Foam
Dr. Avena says memory foam mattresses tend to be the most supportive type to cushion your hips. "They are less restrictive and form to your body, so they have a personalized effect," she says.
2. On the Softer Side
Those with hip pain, especially side sleepers, tend to do better with a mattress with less firmness, Duncan says.
"You want the mattress to provide just enough support without constricting the downside hip," he says. "A mattress that is on the less-firm side is going to allow the hips to sink further into the mattress without too much compression, so the individual doesn't wake up stiff or in pain the next day."
3. Size
When it comes to size, it's really relative to the size of the individual, Dr. Avena notes.
"For example, if you are smaller, it is OK to have a smaller bed, such as a twin or queen, but if you are bigger it is probably better to choose a king," she says. "This ensures there is enough room for turning over and stretching, in order to avoid bad sleeping posture."
4. Price
Most quality mattresses tend to be costly, and this is especially true if you go in the memory-foam direction.
"Mattresses that have the type of memory foam that can support an individual body type and sleep position tend to be pricier," Dr. Avena confirms. She recommends spending somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000 on a mattress for hip pain.
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