Best Mattresses for Seniors and Elderly People in 2021

Seniors or elderly people (aged 65 years or older) have unique mattress needs to address common sleep problems of muscle and joint pain, insomnia, and other challenges in the way of restful sleep.

The best mattresses for seniors should offer outstanding support and comfort so every night leads to a good night’s sleep. Check out our top-rated picks for the best beds that will help seniors sleep soundly.

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Best Mattresses for Seniors

• Best Mattress Overall for Seniors – Saatva
• Best Mattress for Senior Couples – Helix
• Best Mattress for Seniors With Back Pain – Casper Wave Hybrid
• Best Mattress for Seniors With Shoulder Pain – The Leesa Legend
• Best Mattress for Restless Sleepers – The WinkBed
• Best Cooling Mattress for Seniors – Puffy Lux Hybrid
• Best Mattress for Seniors With Arthritis – Purple
• Best Mattress for Edge Support – Birch
• Most Durable Mattress for Seniors – Amerisleep AS3
• Best Mattress for Spine Alignment for Seniors – Level Sleep

We’ve highlighted our top-rated mattresses for seniors. If you want to read more about a particular mattress brand, we’ve got you covered in the next section.

All of the mattresses we’ve reviewed here have at least a 100-night trial period and free returns. So even though you can buy them online, you can try them out in the comfort of your own home, risk-free, to see if it’s the right mattress for you or a loved one. To learn more about how to evaluate a mattress before purchasing, check out our mattress buying guide.

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The Saatva Mattress

Best Mattress Overall for Seniors

Saatva is our top pick for seniors, and for good reason. This mattress received strong scores in set-up of the product, edge support for older people who need a little support when getting out of bed, and spine alignment for the elderly sleeper who might have back issues.

Pros

Seniors can choose from three different comfort levels for a perfect match of sleep styles and firmness preferences. An optional adjustable base makes the Saatva mattress perfect for anyone looking for relief from leg cramps, acid reflux, snoring, and lower back pain.

Cons

As much as we love this mattress, you might do better when looking for a mattress that best serves the couple. We only scored the Saatva with a 7.5 out of 10 on motion transfer, which means you may notice when your partner jumps into bed.

See our full Saatva mattress review.

Helix

Best Mattress for Senior Couples

Couples can choose mattresses that blend their comfort preferences or dual comfort mattresses that deliver personalized comfort on each side. By answering a few questions about sleep preferences and body types, seniors get a custom-made hybrid mattress that perfectly addresses their needs.

Pros

The combination of individually wrapped coils and personalized foam layer adjusts to each sleeper’s weight and position without disturbing their partner. Also, extra cooling is provided by Helix’s own super cooling foam to prevent sleepers from sleeping hot.

Cons

If you are a senior, you may need help setting up your new mattress, because some of the Helix queen mattresses weigh 100+ pounds, with the Luxe models weighing even more. We suggest the WinkBeds Plus if ease of set-up is a major issue for you.

Read our full Helix mattress review.

Casper Wave Hybrid

Best Mattress for Seniors With Back Pain

Endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association, the Casper Wave Hybrid is a great mattress for seniors dealing with back pain. The construction of this mattress provides ergonomic support that targets specific body points for optimal comfort and alignment.

Pros

The Casper Wave Hybrid mattress is extremely breathable, contouring, and responsive, meaning it’s easy to move around on even though it provides a nice hug around the hips and shoulders.

Cons

With so much to love about this mattress (it received strong marks in all of our metrics), it’s hard to find fault. However, the price might take your breath away. A queen size mattress can run $2,600, which may make you choose to look elsewhere.

Read our full Casper Wave Hybrid mattress review.

The Leesa Legend

Best Mattress for Seniors With Shoulder Pain

The Leesa Legend scored highly in our spine alignment and our pressure relief tests, two factors that are important for side sleepers, especially those with shoulder pain.

Pros

Edge support is critical for the sleeper who likes to sleep on the edge and for the person who needs a little help getting out of bed or likes to put on their shoes at the bedside. The Leesa Legend received a 9 out of 10 in that metric, as well as an 8.5/10 for durability.

Cons

The Leesa Legend scored an 8/10 on motion transfer, meaning that if you are sensitive to movements by your sleep partner, kids, or pets, there might be a better choice for you, such as one of the Helix mattresses.

Read our full Leesa Legend review.

WinkBed Luxury Firm

Best Mattress for Seniors for Moving About

If you move around a lot at night, maybe changing positions or getting out of bed for a drink of water, The WinkBed is an excellent choice. We ranked it 9 out of 10 for responsiveness in our mattress lab.

Pros

A good pillow top goes a long way, and the WinkBed Luxury Firm certainly delivers here. The surface is pleasantly soft, but not too soft that you sink deep into the mattress. Also, the WinkBed scored an impressive 9.75 for edge support, meaning that seniors can sit on the side of their bed without having to worry about it sagging under their weight and potentially letting them slip off.

Cons

We only scored The WinkBed a 6.4 out of 10 on motion transfer, meaning it may not be your first choice if you are easily disturbed by your partner or pets when they get out of bed. In that case, you might consider the GhostBed Flex.

Read our full WinkBed Luxury Firm review.

Puffy Lux Hybrid

Best Cooling Mattress for Seniors

While some memory foam hybrids tend to sleep hot, the Puffy Lux Hybrid incorporates ClimateComfort memory foam that regulates the body temperature and prevents overheating.

Pros

We found that it took our testers 122 seconds to set up this mattress, and we found the off-gassing, which is similar to that new-car smell, to go away pretty quickly. In fact, we gave the Puffy Lux Hybrid a score of 9/10 for set-up.

Cons

We found edge support to be lacking with this product. That’s because the Puffy Lux Hybrid sagged quite a bit during our testing, which can make you feel like you’re falling off the bed at times. If this is a deal-breaker for you, consider the Casper.

Read our full Puffy Lux Hybrid mattress review.

Purple

Best Mattress for Seniors With Arthritis

This bed is ideal for seniors who suffer from arthritis, fibromyalgia, or similar conditions. Inside the Purple mattress there is a hybrid construction of plush comfort foam and a grid of hyper-elastic polymer–a unique material for a mattress.

Pros

The Purple mattress does extremely well in spine alignment, something that the sleeper with aches and pains will appreciate. This product also performs well with pressure relief, which is a big issue for the side sleeper.

Cons

This mattress may not be your first choice when it comes to responsiveness, something the restless sleeper or person who often changes positions may want to consider. The Leesa mattress may be the choice for you if this is a deal-breaker.

Read our full Purple mattress review.

Birch

Best Mattress for Edge Support

The Birch mattress performed well for edge support in our mattress lab, making it a good choice for the sleeper who likes to sleep on the edge, elderly people who need a little help getting out of bed, or the person who likes to put their shoes on right away.

Pros

For seniors who have allergies or are wary of the chemicals that come in traditional mattresses, Birch is perfect. Birch latex mattresses are naturally hypoallergenic, resistant to mold, microbes and dust mites, and there are no harsh chemicals.

Cons

While the Birch mattress is great for durability and edge support, this product is not ideal for cooling. It received a 7 out of 10 for cooling in our mattress lab, which was a bit of a surprise given that this mattress is a latex hybrid, which often does well for hot sleepers.

Read our full Birch mattress review.

Amerisleep AS3

Most Durable Mattress for Seniors

If you’re looking for a mattress that is strong in durability, you can’t get much better than the Amerisleep AS3. It received a score of 8.5 out of 10 in our mattress lab for durability. Its Bio-Core base layer is a high-density foam that offers stability and enhances durability.

Pros

Seniors may be more accustomed to sleeping on innerspring mattresses, since those are the traditional type that were sold primarily before bed-in-a-box brands came around. If you’re a senior looking to try out a memory foam mattress for its contouring comfort but don’t want to sacrifice quality, support, or long-lasting durability, the AS3 mattress is the way to go.

Cons

Pressure relief may not offer the comfort you are looking for in your shoulders and hips. This particularly true for the sleeper who weighs less than 130 pounds. Also, the restless sleeper or person who often switches positions may want to look at another mattress that scores well on responsiveness, such as the WinkBed Luxury Firm.

Read our full Amerisleep AS3 mattress review.

Level Sleep

Best Mattress for Spine Alignment for Seniors

In our mattress testing, we found the Level Sleep to score on high spinal alignment. With the entire body protected, the Level Sleep’s responsive foams allow combination sleepers to change positions and seniors to not feel stuck in the mattress layers..

Pros

Setting this mattress up is one of its greatest benefits. It’s easy to move about, the “new-car smell” dissipates quickly and it puffs up in no time after it’s taken out of the box, all great features that senior sleepers are looking for.

Cons

The edge support on the Level Sleep mattress is not the best for someone who needs support when getting out of bed or likes to put their shoes on while sitting on the edge of the bed. The Casper mattress, on the other hand, received a near-perfect score from us for edge support.

Read our full Level Sleep mattress review.

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What Types of Mattresses are Best for Seniors?

In general, the best mattresses for seniors have sufficient support to maintain neutral spine alignment, enough contouring to relieve pressure points (think heels, hips, shoulders), and some means for regulating body temperature.

Mattresses with firm edge support will not only prevent sagging and last longer but also make it easier to get in and out of bed.

One of the common challenges for seniors is dealing with pain while they sleep. If you’re a senior with arthritis, back pain, or other joint pain, the best mattress types include latex and high-density memory foam mattresses with a medium to medium-firm level of firmness.

Read More: Best Mattress for Arthritis

If you deal with leg cramps, poor circulation, sleep apnea, snoring, or acid reflux, an adjustable bed frames can be a good choice. These also make it easier to get in and out of bed.

Hybrid Mattresses

Hybrid mattresses, or mattresses made of innerspring and foam, may be the best of all worlds for many seniors.

The best hybrid beds combine the firmness and “push-back” of an innerspring, making it easy to move around and get out of bed, with the “hug” of a foam mattress to relieve pressure points, which are important to people with aching joints. Coil support cores allow for significant airflow keeping sleepers cool and comfortable naturally.

Latex Foam Mattresses

Natural latex foam mattresses provide seniors the benefits of memory foam without some of the drawbacks. Latex provides the “hug” and contouring of memory foam without sleeping hot.

It offers superior pressure point relief for those aching muscles and joints and virtually eliminates motion transfer. That means you won’t wake up every time your partner rolls over or goes to the bathroom.

What to Look for in a Mattress for Seniors

There are a few key factors to look out for when shopping for a mattress for elderly people or seniors including:

• Pressure Relief: Seniors need a mattress that evenly distributes their body weight to avoid pain in the pressure points.
• Edge Support: Having strong support on the edges of the mattress make it easier and safer for seniors to get in and out of bed.
• Firmness Level: Firmness is an important factor to determine comfort. We recommend avoiding anything super soft or super firm and stick to a bed with a medium or medium-firmness firmness level.
• Temperature Regulation: Certain mattress materials are more cooling than others. Gel beads and copper infused mattresses are generally the best cooling mattresses. Hybrid mattresses also tend to be more naturally cooling than memory foam mattresses.
• Responsiveness: A responsive bed is one that quickly adjusts to your movements and makes it easier to move around. This also makes it easier to get in and out of bed.
• White Glove Delivery: With this service, the delivery person brings the bed to your home and sets it up for you. Some mattress brands like Saatva offer free white glove delivery and old mattress removal with your purchase.

Seniors and Sleep Challenges

The Golden Years sound downright idyllic and relaxing, don’t they? No worries from work, playing with the grandkids, time to work on the golf swing, and the leisure and money to travel—sounds like the perfect recipe for fun-filled days and restful nights.

You’d think that seniors would have no trouble at all sleeping at night. But ask any person over 65 how they sleep and chances are, you’ll hear a host of complaints.

Trouble falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and sleep disturbances are more common among the elderly than any other age group. And even though retirement may mean less stress from the challenges of achieving a healthy work/life balance, other stressors that come with age plague the elderly, making a good night’s sleep increasingly elusive.

Sleep difficulties are so common among the elderly that we often assume it’s just a normal part of aging. While changes in sleep architecture are normal as we age, sleep deprivation is not.

Just because many adults function — often unwillingly — on less sleep as they get older, doesn’t mean it’s healthy for them. In fact, older adults require the same amount of sleep as they did in their 20s, and yet, for a host of reasons, they can’t get it.

Believe it or not, a change as simple as finding the best mattress for seniors could make a world of difference in your or a loved one’s sleep performance. But since there is no one mattress that will address all the various sleep challenges that seniors face, it’s helpful to understand just what is keeping older people up at night.

Why Do Seniors Have Sleeping Problems?

One consolation for seniors who can’t sleep at night is that they are not alone. Studies show that up to 50% of older people have trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep with women experiencing insomnia more than men.

While some older people experience insomnia for no apparent reason, many elderly people have underlying medical conditions or take medications that can disrupt normal sleep patterns. Some reasons for seniors to lose sleep include:

• Depression and/or anxiety
• Joint pain caused by arthritis
• Leg cramps caused by poor circulation
• Breathing issues related to COPD
• Acid reflux
• Frequent urination
• Obstructive sleep apnea and snoring
• Restless leg syndrome
• Sleep-walking (Rapid Eye Movement Sleep-Behavior Disorder)
• Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia
• Parkinson’s disease
• Side effects from medications such as beta-blockers, bronchodilators, corticosteroids, decongestants, diuretics as well as medications for cardiovascular, neurologic, psychiatric and gastrointestinal conditions

Changes in sleep architecture due to aging

Sleep architecture refers to the cyclic pattern of four sleep phases that repeats through the night. A normal sleep cycle consists of:

1. Stage 1: introduction to sleep when muscles begin to relax and brain activity slows
2. Stage 2: light, dreamless sleep
3. Stages 3 and 4: deep sleep or slow wave sleep
4. REM sleep: includes dreaming and high brain activity

For people who experience healthy sleep patterns, this sleep cycle repeats four or five times each night. But as people age, they tend to spend less time in deep sleep stages, sometimes skipping them altogether.

This change in their sleep architecture can make them feel sleepy during the day and lead to napping. In addition, frequent sleep disturbances like those listed above disrupt seniors’ sleep cycles, leading to daytime sleepiness.

About 1% of seniors also experience a circadian rhythm disorder called Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder (ASPD) that signals an earlier bedtime (between 7 and 9:00 pm) and an earlier rising time (about 3 or 5:00 am) than the rest of society.

Now there’s nothing wrong with following an “early to bed, early to rise” schedule, but it can be isolating from family and friends.

Sleeping Tips for Seniors

Certain lifestyle changes can help seniors overcome some of these sleep challenges. These improvements to sleep hygiene include:

• Limiting caffeine intake
• Increasing exposure to bright daylight
• Exercising regularly
• Going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each morning
• Following a soothing bedtime routine every night
• Having a quiet, comfortable bedroom, including a comfortable mattress

Can a mattress really make much of a difference in sleep quality? Absolutely. A good mattress is crucial for healthy, restorative sleep.

A study conducted at the Oklahoma State University found that newer, more comfortable mattresses reduced back pain and stress and improved sleep performance among participants with chronic aches and pains that compromised their sleep.

Mattress Shopping Doesn’t Have to Be an Expensive Chore

Older people can easily convince themselves that they don’t need a new mattress. Difficulty with mobility can make shopping at a brick and mortar store too taxing. Others may think a new mattress will cost too much money and may be reluctant to spend money on something they’re not sure they need.

But buying a new mattress doesn’t have to be difficult or costly and could be the best investment in health seniors can make. Researching mattresses online before you shop will reduce the time spent trying mattresses in stores.

Alternatively, online mattress companies offer some of the best mattresses for seniors, delivered right to your front door or set up in your home, at prices that often beat those at mattress stores.

Signs It Could Be Time for a New Mattress

How do you know if you need a new mattress? Even if you think a mattress is fine, the Better Sleep Council recommends replacing your mattress every seven years especially if:

• You wake up with aches and pains
• You sleep better away from home than you do in your own bed
• You are usually tired even though you had a full night’s sleep

Living Well By Sleeping Well

Finally, since a new mattress will improve sleep performance, seniors can reap significant health benefits from the investment. Consistently sleeping well on a comfortable mattress could result in:

• Improved memory
• Lower stress
• Improved mood
• Better weight control
• Greater creativity
• Less inflammation
• Longer life span

On the other hand, according to WebMD, people who sleep poorly could be at greater risk risk for:

• Heart disease
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Irregular heartbeat
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Diabetes

With so much at stake, the cost of a mattress that will increase the quality of sleep seems well worth the money. In fact, a mattress that costs $1,000 and lasts seven years will cost about 40 cents per night — a small price to pay for good health and well-being.

And while new mattresses will not overcome all sleep challenges seniors face, they can help alleviate some common issues that keep older people from getting the sleep they need.

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Summary

As a reminder, here’s a recap of our top picks for the best mattresses for seniors:

 

Mattress	Accolade	Mattress Advisor Score
Saatva	Best Overall for Seniors	8.7/10
Helix	Best for Senior Couples	8.9/10
Casper Wave Hybrid	Best for Seniors With Back Pain	9.3/10
Leesa Legend	Best for Seniors With Shoulder Pain	9.0/10
The WinkBed	Best for Restless Sleepers	8.6/10
Puffy Lux Hybrid	Best Cooling Mattress for Seniors	8.3/10
Purple	Best for Seniors With Arthritis	8.4/10
Birch	Best for Edge Support for Seniors	8.7/10
Amerisleep AS3	Most Durable Mattress for Seniors	8.4/10
Level Sleep	Best for Spine Alignment for Seniors	8.5/10

If you have any questions about our picks, or sleep in general, feel free to contact us.