By MattressDealsOnline Editorial · Updated September 2026 · 5 mattresses ranked
A mattress affects hip pain by determining whether the hip is allowed to sink into the surface or has to bear the body's weight against it. That single fact decides most of this ranking, and it is why the five
mattresses below do not come out in the order you would get for a sleeper without hip pain.
How we ranked: every mattress is scored 0 to 100 on the same ten attributes. For
hip pain, pressure relief and support carry the most weight, with motion isolation behind them,
and each bed is scored on how close it lands to the firmness target, not on being firmest.
Target firmness for hip pain
1 · Plush5-6 · Medium10 · Extra firm
Disclosure: we earn a commission on purchases made through links on this page.
It does not affect the ranking, which is computed from the attribute weighting shown in
full further down.
#1 · Best Mattress Overall for Hip Pain
Puffy Cloud
86.1/100
Scored against the weighting this page uses, the Puffy Cloud comes out at 86.1.
It takes the top spot on pressure relief (90/100) and firmness (98/100),
which are exactly the attributes that carry the most weight for hip pain.
At 5 out of 10 it also lands within
0.2 of a point of the 4.8 target.
1 · Plush5-6 · Medium10 · Extra firm
Ring marks the 4.8 target for hip pain
Pressure relief
90
Support
65
Motion isolation
88
Type: Foam
Queen price: $1,049
Trial: 365 nights
Warranty: Lifetime
Strong: pressure reliefStrong: motion isolationStrong: 365-night trialWeak: coolingWeak: edge support
Its strongest showing here is pressure relief at 88/100.
It has no real weakness against this weighting. It gives up ground across several
attributes instead of failing on one.
Its strongest showing here is pressure relief at 82/100.
It has no real weakness against this weighting. It gives up ground across several
attributes instead of failing on one.
1 · Plush5-6 · Medium10 · Extra firm
Ring marks the 4.8 target for hip pain
Pressure relief
82
Support
62
Motion isolation
85
Type: Memory foam
Queen price: $499
Trial: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 year
Strong: valueStrong: coolingStrong: motion isolationStrong: under $800Weak: edge supportWeak: responsiveness
Its strongest showing here is pressure relief at 78/100.
It has no real weakness against this weighting. It gives up ground across several
attributes instead of failing on one.
Its strongest showing here is pressure relief at 68/100.
What holds it below the Puffy Cloud is motion isolation, where it scores
45/100 against a weighting that cares about it.
Every mattress here is scored 0 to 100 on the same ten attributes. What changes between
one page on this site and the next is how much each attribute counts. For hip pain,
the weighting is:
Pressure reliefContouring at hip and shoulder
×6
SupportSpinal alignment under load
×3
Firmness0 = plush, 100 = very firm
×3
Motion isolationPartner movement absorption
×2
Firmness is target-scored. It is not more-is-better. For hip pain the target is
4.8 out of 10 and each mattress is scored on how close it lands to that,
which is why a very firm model does not automatically win.
Understanding Hip Pain
Hip pain at night usually comes from one of a few sources: wear in the joint itself, inflammation of the bursa on the outside of the hip, tendon irritation around the joint, or pain referred from the lower back that is felt in the hip. The distinction matters for buying a mattress, because joint pain and bursitis respond to almost opposite surfaces.
What it does to your sleep
The hip is one of the two points that carry most of the body's weight in side sleeping, and it is a relatively small contact area for the load involved. On a surface that will not yield there, the pressure builds over an hour or two and wakes people up needing to turn over.
Bursitis in particular tends to be worst on whichever side you lie on, and that is why some people with hip pain end up alternating sides all night.
What to look for in a mattress for hip pain
Why the target sits softer than most conditions on this site
Nearly every back condition lands at or above the middle of the firmness scale. Hip pain is the exception, and the reason is straightforward: the hip is a small contact point carrying a large share of body weight, and a surface that will not yield there converts that into concentrated pressure.
The target on this page is deliberately below centre.
Contouring without collapse
The catch is that a mattress soft enough to let the hip sink can also let the whole pelvis drop, which tilts the spine and produces lower back pain instead. What you actually want is a surface that gives locally at the hip while still holding the waist up.
That combination is what separates a good mattress here from a merely soft one, and it is why support still carries weight in this page's ranking despite the soft firmness target.
Zoned construction
Zoning is a direct answer to the problem above: softer through the shoulder and hip region, firmer under the lumbar area. Two mattresses with the same firmness rating can behave very differently under a side sleeper's hip if one is zoned and the other is not, and the spec sheet will tell you which is which.
Where the pain is actually coming from
This is the consideration most likely to change what you should buy. Pain in the joint itself and pain from an inflamed bursa on the outside of the hip want different things. the first tolerates a firmer surface, the second is aggravated by direct pressure and wants more give.
Pain referred from the lower back wants a different mattress again. If you know which one you have, buy for that.
The pillow between the knees
Cheap, unglamorous, and it does more for side-sleeping hip pain than most mattress features. Without it the top leg falls forward and rotates the pelvis, adding a twist to a joint that is already loaded. Try it before you spend anything.
Sleeping positions with hip pain
Side sleeping
Side sleeping puts the full load on one hip, which makes it the position most affected by the mattress. A pillow between the knees stops the top leg dragging the pelvis forward and adds rotation, which is a common and easily fixed contributor.
Back sleeping
Back sleeping takes direct pressure off the hip entirely and is the easiest position if you can sleep in it. Support under the knees reduces the pull of the hip flexors on the lower back.
Stomach sleeping
Stomach sleeping keeps weight off the hip joint but extends the lower back, so it can trade hip pain for lower back pain. If the pain is referred from the back rather than coming from the joint, this is the position to avoid.
Mistakes to avoid when buying for hip pain
Buying firm because it is a joint problem
The reflex to buy firm for anything skeletal fails here. A firm surface refuses to yield at the hip, which is precisely the contact point you need it to yield at.
Buying so soft the pelvis drops
The opposite error, and the more common one once people know they need contouring. If the whole midsection sinks, you swap hip pressure for lower back pain and end up back where you started.
Not trying the knee pillow first
It costs almost nothing, works within a night, and addresses a genuine mechanical cause. Testing it first also tells you something useful about whether rotation is part of your problem.
Treating all hip pain as the same problem
Joint wear, bursitis and referred back pain are different mechanisms that respond differently to the same surface. Buying for the wrong one is how people end up on their third mattress.
Ready to check the latest price on the Puffy Cloud?
Softer than the middle of the scale for most people, because the hip is a small contact point carrying a lot of weight and needs the surface to yield there. The limit is the point where the whole pelvis starts to drop, which trades hip pressure for lower back pain.
Is memory foam or a hybrid better for hip pain?
Both work. Memory foam contours more readily at the hip; hybrids hold the waist up better while still giving at the contact points. If you weigh more, the hybrid's support core matters more; if you are lighter, foam may contour enough on its own.
Why does my hip hurt more on one side?
Because side sleeping loads whichever hip is underneath. If the pain is on the outside of the hip and worst on the side you lie on, that pattern is typical of bursitis, and it responds to more give at the contact point rather than more support.
Does a pillow between the knees help hip pain?
For side sleepers it often helps more than any mattress feature. Without it the upper leg drops forward and rotates the pelvis, adding a twist to a joint already carrying load. It costs almost nothing and works within a night, so try it before buying anything.
Should I sleep on my back with hip pain?
If you can, it takes direct pressure off the joint entirely and is usually the easiest position. Support under the knees stops the hip flexors pulling on the lower back. Most side sleepers cannot switch permanently, but it is worth knowing which position your mattress needs to serve.
Can a mattress cause hip pain?
It can cause or worsen the night-time part of it. A surface too firm to yield at the hip concentrates pressure there, and one too soft rotates the pelvis. Neither creates joint disease, but both can be why the pain is worst in bed and on waking.
