How to Find the Best Mattress for Hip Bursitis and 6 Mattress Recommendations

Our Reviews of the Best Mattresses for Hip Bursitis

Best Overall - Editor’s Pick — Puffy

Starting our review of the best mattresses for hip bursitis, the Puffy can boast of many cool characteristics. But the best one, in my opinion, is its ability to deliver pinpoint pressure relief. The Puffy can provide different levels of support for each body section due to its conforming feel. This makes the tension spread out evenly and helps with pain alleviation too.

Read our full Puffy mattress review for more information.

What Is the Best Sleeping Position for Hip Bursitis?

When trying to find the best mattress for hip bursitis, you need to consider your sleeping position. People always naturally gravitate toward a specific position when lying down, and it can affect many aspects, including pain levels and choosing the appropriate mattress.

There are 3 general positions: on your stomach, back, and side. There are also so-called combination sleepers, or simply those who tend to switch between a few positions during the night.

Each of them can affect how you sleep with hip pain. And each of those positions will determine the properties your new mattress has to possess. So, let’s take a closer look at how you sleep.

On your side

Around 60% of Americans prefer sleeping on their side. If you are one of them, you need to be extra attentive to your hips and sleeping posture. When lying on one side, the hip kind of crushes into the surface of the mattress. If the bed is firm, the hip experiences resistance or pressure.

Additionally, when the mattress does not cradle the hips, it can affect the sleeping posture and create unhealthy curves in the spine and the neck.

That’s why most side sleepers are recommended to choose softer beds. If we’re to look at the firmness scale (with 1 being the plushiest and 10 being the stiffest), average side sleepers should pick a mattress rated around 3 or 4. Heavier sleepers (over 230 pounds) may sink deeper and need stronger support, so they may want to choose beds rated 5, or maybe even 6, depending on how tender their hips are. As for petite individuals (under 130 pounds), their weight might not be enough to sink into the comfort layers, so they might enjoy softer mattresses (rated 2 or 3). 

A quick tip: if you are struggling with a sore hip due to bursitis, you may want to try sleeping on your “healthy” side. If both of your hips hurt, placing a pillow between the knees can help with proper hip alignment and might reduce tension. If that doesn’t work, perhaps you should try switching to back sleeping and see whether it would reduce the “load” from your hips. 

On your back

Back sleeping is generally considered one of the healthiest sleeping positions as it allows for the most optimal conditions needed for proper spinal alignment. 

When it comes to hip bursitis, a back sleeper would require a decent amount of sinkage for the hips and buttocks. Lying on your back, you want the bed materials to hug the hips instead of keeping them on top of the mattress, elevating the lover back and creating an unnatural curve in the spine. In that case, your tender hips may experience more pressure.

Therefore, back sleepers are advised to pick medium mattresses. For an average individual, anything rated 5 or 6 should suffice. Heavier folks may require something stiffer, around 7 on the firmness scale. And lightweight sleepers might need a medium-soft bed, rated around 4. 

A quick tip: to encourage the natural curve of the spine, you may want to place a wedge pillow (or simply a rolled towel) under your knees. This may also reduce stress from the hips, which can come in handy when dealing with bursitis.

On your stomach

Sleeping on one’s stomach is generally frowned upon as it can cause a strain in one’s neck and back, especially if it’s out of alignment. As for hip pain, stomach sleepers need to make sure that their mattress is supportive enough. You see, the stomach and hips are heavier than most parts of the body and tend to sink deeper, while the chest, legs, and neck remain on the surface of the mattress. This results in an unhealthy sleeping posture and, consequently, more tension in one’s hips, which can aggravate bursitis symptoms.

Therefore, stomach sleepers need a firmer mattress. For average users, that should be anything rated around 7. For heavier sleepers, an extra-firm bed would be more comfortable (rated 8 or 9 on the firmness scale). And for lightweight stomach sleepers, a mattress rated around 6 should do the trick. 

Aren’t sure?

Then you are probably a combination sleeper. In this case, you need a mattress that will not restrict your movements during the night—especially when dealing with hip pain, which can make shifting and turning quite challenging. If you pick memory foam, make sure it has a more resilient polyfoam transition layer to avoid the quicksand feeling. Combination sleepers also feel quite comfortable sleeping on latex and hybrid mattresses, so you might want to check those out.

As for the firmness level, combination sleepers typically feel the most comfortable on medium mattresses. So, for an average sleeper, that would be something close to the 5 or 6 rating. For petite users, anything rated around 4 or 5 would suffice. And heavier folks may want to consider something stiffer, around 6.5-7 on the firmness scale.

How to Find the Best Mattress for Hip Bursitis: Buyer’s Guide

Here’s the deal:

The best mattress isn’t the most top-rated or the priciest one.

The best mattress for hip bursitis is the one that possesses a set of features meant to help you deal with this condition. It should be comfortable and work for your body type. And to find something that would be suited for you, consider the following aspects when shopping:

• Type. As explained before, all mattress materials have their specific properties. Now it’s up to you to decide which one you might enjoy the most. If you appreciate a deep hug, go with memory foam. If you want a bouncy feel combined with pressure relief, latex is your “guy”. And if you are seeking a comfy combination of support and cradling, you might enjoy sleeping on a hybrid mattress.
• Firmness. Again, you already know that each specific sleeping position requires a certain mattress firmness. And don’t forget to take your weight into consideration as well. Petite sleepers don’t usually sink deep into the comfort layers, which can put pressure on the hips and worsen the bursitis pain. Therefore, they need slightly softer mattresses. Be careful and don’t go for something overly soft, as such mattresses do not provide enough support and can even cause back pain. As for larger folks, they require sturdier support (hence, a firmer mattress) to achieve proper spinal alignment and weight distribution. 
• Pressure relief. One of the main symptoms of hip bursitis is tenderness or pain in the inflamed area. Therefore, a good mattress for bursitis should be able to relieve tension from the hips. That is achieved when the mattress surface aligns with the curves of one’s body and aids proper weight distribution. You need to look for something with thicker comfort layers that use pressure-relieving materials, such as foam or latex. 
• Support. Another aspect that encourages healthy spinal alignment (and can help reduce hip pain) is proper support. A good mattress should be supportive enough to maintain your body weight. It should compress slightly under the heavier body parts (hips and shoulders) and maintain its surface under the rest of the body, especially in the lower back area. By the way, there are many mattress models that use a special lumbar support system, adding extra materials in the lower back section to help your spine maintain its natural curve when lying down.
• Durability. A mattress is a serious investment, and you probably don’t want your money to go to waste. Therefore, you should check what materials the mattress uses in order to predict its durability. Try to avoid low-density foam as it is prone to sagging. Latex and hybrid mattresses belong to the most durable ones, but high-density foam beds also have a good lifespan. And don’t forget to check the warranty period. If it’s too short, chances are the manufacturer used low-quality materials that aren’t expected to serve you for a long time. 
• Budget. Luckily, mattresses come in a variety of price categories. However, for hip bursitis, you need a reliable, supportive bed, and overly cheap models can’t always guarantee proper support and weight distribution. So, try to avoid anything below at least $300. Also, keep in mind that innerspring beds tend to be the cheapest ones. There are many affordable options among memory foam mattresses. As for latex and hybrids, those are usually more expensive due to their durability and unique feel.
• Sleep trial. It’s hard to find a perfect mattress, but when you are dealing with bursitis-related hip pain, the task becomes even more difficult. An extended sleep trial would be very helpful in this case. By testing your new mattress at home for a couple of weeks (or even months), you can see how well your body responds to your new bed. You might also want to try changing your sleeping position, which also takes time to get used to. Plus, many new mattresses require a break-in period, as the material needs time to adjust to the curves of your body.
• Motion isolation. This aspect is especially important for couples. If it’s hard for you to find a comfortable position because of the hip pain, your movements can disturb your partner, especially if they are sensitive. In this case, you need a mattress that would absorb shock from motion quite well. Foam shows the best results in this case, but you can also consider a hybrid mattress that uses foam for its comfort layers. 
• Temperature regulation. It’s hard to sleep peacefully when you’re in pain, but it’s twice as challenging when you are sweating throughout the night. Therefore, it’s better to choose a mattress that uses temperature-neutral materials for the comfort layers. Latex fits perfectly under that description. And if you are a fan of foam, give your preference to open-cell or gel-infused options, as those tend to sleep much cooler than regular foam.
• Reviews. You can check how the mattress worked (or didn’t) for people with hip bursitis. Additionally, other users’ reviews can help you understand how a mattress performs in the longer run.

Conclusion

Sleeping with hip bursitis shouldn’t feel like torture, and a good mattress can help with that.

To find what works for you, pay attention to the materials and the firmness level of the mattress you are considering. Check the warranty and the sleep trial, in case the bed doesn’t fit your needs perfectly. And of course, don’t forget to account for your sleeping position.

As for me, I would give my preference to the Puffy mattress without hesitation. This model is incredibly comfortable. Plus, it excels at pressure relief and can even help sleepers experience less pain. I also appreciate that the Puffy offers excellent value for money, as this model doesn’t cost that much but comes with a ton of perks.

Which mattress managed to impress you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments!