We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission Here’s our process.
Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.
Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:
Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?
We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness.
We found brands like Helix, Casper, and Purple among others provided the best mattresses for those who have hip pain. Here’s our full roundup, including prices, available sizes, and more.
If you have hip pain, “support” is the key word when it comes to choosing a mattress. You need to find the 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-firmmemory 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.
There’s no one “perfect” mattress for hip pain. The way you sleep is a personal experience with many variables and preferences involved. With that being said, we did our best to get you started with the nine best mattresses for people with hip pain.
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 sleep positions and people with chronic pain
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.
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.
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.
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 laying 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 lay 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 you only experience hip pain 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.
When you’re 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?
There aren’t studies that indicate that the wrong mattress, by itself, can cause hip pain. It’s more likely that the wrong mattress 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.
Which mattress firmness is best for hip pain?
Mattress firmness is subjective, so it’s difficult to know what will work best for you.
But as a general rule, choose the firmest mattress you can sleep on deeply and comfortably. 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.
Does sleeping on your back help with hip pain?
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, 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 should be your priority.
Other factors, like moisture wicking and softness, should play a role in your decision as well. Keep in mind that no mattress will cure a condition that causes chronic pain.
Speak to a doctor, chiropractor, or spine specialist and ask for a recommendation if you’re buying a new mattress to relieve hip pain.
Kathryn Watson is a freelance writer covering everything from sleep hygiene to moral philosophy. Her recent bylines include Healthline, SELF, Allure, Insider, and LitHub. She lives in New York’s lower Hudson Valley with her husband and three children. Read more at kathrynswatson.com.
Last medically reviewed on March 9, 2023
How we reviewed this article:
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
