The Best Mattress for Shoulder Pain
There are plenty of people who suffer from chronic shoulder pain, and the first thing you should do is see a doctor. Although there are many things that a mattress can do in helping prevent shoulder pain or offering you the support you need to feel less of it, a mattress can heal you, and there are chances that your shoulder pain is a result of an injury/medical problem.
What we can do is go over some of the main causes of shoulder pain and show you mattresses that are constructed specifically for people who need this type of pain alleviation.
| Rank | Product | Highlights |
| #1 | 
WinkBed |
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| #2 | 
Saatva |
|
| #3 | 
Bear Mattress |
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| #4 |  Leesa |
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| #5 | 
Nolah |
|
What Causes Shoulder Pain?
Shoulder pain can sometimes come from sleeping on a mattress that is too firm for you. However, it can also be a sign of other underlying condition, such as:
— Arthritis
People who suffer from arthritis have tenderness and swelling in the joints. There are several types of arthritis, with the most common one being osteoarthritis. This condition causes the protective cartilage of joints and bones to wear down. Rheumatoid arthritis is also pretty common, and it’s characterized by joint lining breaks down that spread pain throughout the entire body.
Check our recommended mattresses for arthritis.
— Shoulder Impingement
Although not as common, there are people who have shoulder blade bone abnormalities that cause their bones to have unusual shapes. On a more specific level, this condition leads to a narrowing of the gap that’s located between the rotator cuff tendons and surrounding bones.
— Frozen Shoulder
This condition of frozen shoulder is rather rare, but it can interrupt sleep for people who do suffer from it. This is literally a stiffness experienced in the shoulder area which aggravates over time. The condition itself is more common in people who are recovering from surgery or have suffered from any medical problems that ended up impacting their range-of-motion.
— Joint Inflammation
People who suffer from joint inflammation in the shoulder area can confirm that the pain that they feel is sometimes unbearable. Even those who don’t feel intense pain have high levels of discomfort because of this condition. Bursitis is a form of joint inflammation that is characterized by irritations of the comet sacks that normally act as bone and muscle paddings.
What to Look For
If you’re looking to shop for a mattress designed to help alleviate shoulder pain, there are a few specific characteristics that are going to weigh more than others.
- The conforming ability of the mattress is very important because it plays a key role in the bed’s capacity to alleviate pressure points. What you want is a good bed that’s capable of contouring to different parts of the body, specifically to the shoulders. If you have shoulder pain, it’s best to seek out beds that have thicker comfort layers and perform really well in terms of conforming.
- The support that the mattress offers is translated into its ability to prevent sagging. If you suffer from shoulder pain, you need to look out for mattresses that have the structure and materials capable of providing better overall support. The things you are most interested in are the quality of the materials used and the durability of the bed.
- As you already know, mattresses are made from different kinds of materials or combinations of materials that work together to provide a comfortable sleeping experience night after night. Naturally, each of the materials that are used in the construction of a bed has different properties that may or may not be useful to those who suffer from shoulder pain. For example, some of the best mattresses that can help with shoulder pain are those made from foam or hybrids. Latex mattresses are excellent for a variety of different sleepers but they are sometimes too firm to create the pressure point relief that a person who suffers from shoulder pain needs.
Top 5 Mattresses for Shoulder Pain
In the following paragraphs, we are going to go over the specifications and benefits provided by the best mattresses for shoulder pain that money can buy right now, in hopes that you can find something to help you sleep better at night.
1. WinkBed
SPECS:
- Available sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King
- Mattress height: 14.5 inches
- Construction: foam/foam and latex + pocketed coils
Label: best hybrid
The WinkBeds mattress is an exceptional hybrid bed made for people who suffer from shoulder pain. The mattress is available in four different firmness options: soft (4.5), luxury firm (6.5), firm (7.5), and plus (8).
The comfort layers that are found in the first three firmness options include a Euro-pillow top comfort later that’s made from two parts, combining polyfoam and gel polyfoam. The firmest option is actually the best for heavyweight sleepers, as it comes with extra-soft latex for better spinal support.
The core of the bed lies in a 7.5-inch layer of pocketed coils that are divided into five different support areas. This layer is encased by polyfoam and comes with a perimeter of foam-encased pocketed microcoils. The mattress measures 14.5 inches in height and it excels in almost every chapter except for motion isolation.
| Pros | Cons |
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Who Should Buy This?
The WinkBeds mattress comes in four firmness levels, being suitable for a variety of different sleepers: those who love the bouncy feel of a mattress, those who experience back and shoulder pain, and sleepers who weigh more than 300 pounds.
2. Saatva
SPECS:
- Available sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King, Split King, Split Cal King
- Mattress height: 11.5 or 14.5 inches
- Construction: foam + pocketed coils
Label: best for heavyweight sleepers
The Saatva bed is another hybrid mattress that’s available in three firmness levels: Plush Soft (4), Luxury Firm (6), and Firm (7.5). We’ve added it to our list of best mattresses for shoulder pain because it is your best option if you are a heavyweight sleeper in need of a good bed for pain alleviation that can also provide you with the support you need.
Regardless of the firmness you choose, the comfort layers of your mattress will be made from polyfoam and memory foam. The transition layer of the Saatva mattress consists of 4 inches of pocketed coils which are made from recycled steel. The core of the mattress is another layer of recycled steel coils but the thickness of this layer will depend on the height of the mattress you choose. If you opt for the 11.5-inch mattress, the support layer will measure 4 inches in height, but if you opt for the 14.5-inch mattress, then this layer will measure 7 inches.
As far as the cover of the mattress is concerned, you get a Euro-top designed with foam/fiber padding with thickness and construction varying depending on the firmness level chosen. While the mattress doesn’t perform really well in terms of motion isolation, it is a regular champion in other chapters, providing excellent temperature neutrality and good edge support.
| Pros | Cons |
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Who Should Buy This?
This mattress makes an excellent choice for people of different weights and preferred sleeping positions but it is highly recommended for heavyweight sleepers who are seeking better support, and for those who tend to sleep really hot, as the coil layers inside the mattress facilitate airflow.
3. Bear Mattress
SPECS:
- Available sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King
- Mattress height: 14 inches
- Construction: foam + pocketed coils
Label: best for injury recovery
The Bear mattress is a bed that we like to refer to whenever we get the chance because of its rather unique construction and the fact that it’s designed in such a way as to provide a proper sleeping environment for active people, athletes, and also for those who have suffered different injuries and could use every mean of recovery available.
This hybrid mattress is made with a comfort layer of responsive polyfoam that keeps the sleeper on top of the bed instead of providing that feeling that you’re sinking into it. The transition layer is also made from polyfoam, while the support layer is made from 8 inches of pocketed coils plus a high-density base foam. Overall, the mattress measures 14 inches in thickness and has a firmness rating of 6 on a scale of 1 to 10.
But what makes this mattress truly interesting is the cover. The cover is constructed from a polyester blend with Celliant fiber infusion. For those of you that have never heard of this, Celliant is a material designed to turn the body heat of the sleeper into infrared energy which is then transferred back in order to increase tissue oxygenation and help the body recover faster from injuries.
| Pros | Cons |
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Who Should Buy This?
The Bear mattress is excellent for people who suffer from shoulder pain, for athletes and active people, but also for seniors.
4. Leesa
SPECS:
- Available sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King
- Mattress height: 10 inches
- Construction: all-foam
Label: best for sleepers under 230 pounds
The Leesa is a medium-soft mattress with a rating of 5 out of a maximum 10, and which is constructed entirely out of memory foam. It has a cover that combines Lycra spandex and polyester to create a material that’s resistant to heat and super elastic. The comfort layers of the mattress are made from 2 inches of HD polyfoam, followed by a layer of memory foam of lower density. These two layers will offer excellent body contouring and amazing pressure point relief, especially if you are a side sleeper.
The core of the mattress is made of 6 inches of HD polyfoam, designed to offer support to the entire bed, but also to your spine. The mattress measures 10 inches in height and it is available at a really good price.
Thanks to its all-foam construction and excellent choice of materials, the Leesa mattress is outstanding when it comes to pressure relief and motion isolation, but lacks edge support and isn’t the most cooling mattress you can find (hot sleepers, beware).
| Pros | Cons |
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Who Should Buy This?
The Leesa mattress is a great option for people who suffer from chronic back and shoulder pain, but also for those who share a bed and are sensitive to their partner’s movements.
5. Nolah
SPECS:
- Available sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King
- Mattress height: 10 inches
- Construction: all-foam
Label: budget pick
The Nolah Original 10 mattress is a bed with a 10-inch profile that comes with an all-foam construction designed for side sleepers who need as much pressure point relief as they can get out of a budget pick. The Nolah Original debuts with a comfort layer of high-resilience polyfoam that the company likes to call AirFoam. This layer is paired with a thinner lower layer of polyfoam but of a higher density, resulting in a comfort zone that’s durable and highly conforming.
The core of the Nolah Original mattress is a block of HD polyfoam that measures 7 inches in height, thus leading to the total 10-inch profile of the bed. On a scale from 1 to 10, the Nolah Original has a rating of 5.5 and is considered a medium-soft mattress. It is a great mattress in terms of pressure point alleviation, which is particularly important for side sleepers with shoulder pain.
Even if the Nolah is a budget buy, it does really well in terms of motion isolation and has a decent level of temperature neutrality compared to other mattresses made entirely out of foam.
| Pros | Cons |
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Who Should Buy This?
The Nolah Original 10 is a mattress suited for people on a budget, for lightweight side sleepers that weigh under 130 pounds and suffer from shoulder pain.
Bottom Line
When you suffer from shoulder pain, it’s very important to seek out a mattress that offers conforming and pressure point alleviation so that you can literally sleep on a bed that takes the weight of your shoulders. If you are a side sleeper, the chances of feeling shoulder pain intensify, as this position puts a lot of pressure on the shoulders and hips.
As you’ve noticed, there are plenty of amazing beds out there ready to step in and provide a wide pool of benefits to people who suffer from shoulder pain. What’s left is to prioritize, carefully read about the construction, firmness, and feel of each bed, and decide which one provides the perks you’d most like to get.