Best Mattresses for Sitting Up In Bed of 2024

If you spend a lot of time sitting up in bed, you might not have thought about how your mattress impacts that experience. However, there are mattresses that are better and worse for sitting up in bed.

This might not make a difference if all you do is read a little before sleeping. But if you spend a lot of time sitting in bed – if, for instance, you’re confined to a bed for long periods – the mattress you’re sitting on can make all the difference.

Best Mattresses for Sitting Up In Bed of 2024

If you want a mattress for sitting up in bed that offers a little something for everyone, check out the Amerisleep AS3 Hybrid. This mattress has a versatile medium feel for multiple sleep positions. It has pocketed coils for hybrid mattress lovers. And it’s got plant-based memory foam for those who love contouring and natural ingredients.

SEE ALSO: Best Casper Mattress Alternatives

If you have an active lifestyle and like to spend a little time reading or watching TV in bed before drifting off to sleep, consider the Zoma Hybrid. This hybrid mattress was designed with recovery in mind. It can help you get the best sleep possible and bounce back for another active day.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses for Athletes

If you want to buy a comfortable mattress for sitting up in bed without making an uncomfortable dent in your budget, check out the Vaya Hybrid. This hybrid mattress has all the responsive and cooling comfort of a hybrid without the astronomical price tag.

SEE ALSO: Best Pillow Top Mattresses

If you want the best of both hybrid and latex mattresses, check out the Nolah Natural 11. This all-natural latex hybrid mattress provides all the bounce of latex and the adaptable support of coils in one fantastic sleep surface.

SEE ALSO: Best Eco-Friendly Mattresses

Perhaps the best firmness level for sitting up in bed is… every firmness level possible! That’s what the Saatva Solaire offers you. It features 50 precise adjustable firmness settings that let you find your perfect setting for sitting up in bed and another perfect setting for lying down to sleep!

SEE ALSO: Best Customizable Mattresses

If you want a mattress that can accommodate sitting up and lying down as well as fight off common allergens, say hello to the Bear Elite Hybrid. This mattress offers tons of ergonomic support and creates a hostile environment for microbial allergens all at once.

SEE ALSO: Best Hypoallergenic Mattress for Allergies

If you want an all-natural mattress for sitting up and lying down, check out the Birch Natural Luxe Mattress. This natural latex hybrid mattress features multiple layers of wool and cashmere for added pressure relief and a unique feel.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses Without Memory Foam

Those who want a cooling mattress for sitting up in bed should consider the Aurora Luxe Cooling by Brooklyn Bedding. This mattress features multiple cooling technologies to keep you from overheating, asleep, or awake.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattress Made in the USA

If you’re checking out daybed mattresses that will spend most of the time being sat on and only some of the time being slept on, check out the flippable Layla Hybrid. This mattress can offer you a great sitting experience and your guests an even better sleeping experience.

SEE ALSO: Mattress Sizes and Bed Dimensions For Room Size Needs

How to Choose the Best Mattress for Sitting Up

Finding the best mattress for sitting up and lying down can be a little more complicated than finding a mattress that you’re only going to sleep on because you have to think about how your body presses on the mattress in two different positions.

When you’re lying down, your body weight is distributed over more surface area, which compresses the mattress less. When you’re sitting up, that same body weight is distributed over less surface area. This means you’ll need a mattress that won’t sag and can handle the extra pressure as well as keep you comfortable while you sleep.

Don’t feel discouraged. There are lots of durable mattresses that are up to the task. You just need to know which firmnesses and materials are best.

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Ideal Mattress Materials for Sitting Up in Bed

When you’re sitting up in bed, you’ll want a mattress material that offers lots of buoyancy and lift to ensure you don’t sink into the mattress while at the same time providing enough pressure relief and contouring to ensure that you don’t suffer pain while you’re sitting up in bed. The good news is there are several types of mattresses that fit this bill.

Memory Foam

Memory foam is manufactured using processed petroleum products to create a synthetic foam known as flexible polyurethane. This is one of the most popular bedding materials on the market because of its superior pressure relief, motion isolation, and adaptability.

A memory foam mattress is a perfectly adequate material for sitting up in bed, though it may not be the absolute best one. Memory foam is the most contouring of all mattress materials. This makes it one of the best mattress materials for sleeping. But the same adaptability that makes memory foam so great for lying down may make it a little less so for sitting up.

Memory foam molds itself to your shape in a way that other mattress materials can’t. This means when you sit up, it may compress more than you like underneath the added body weight. If you need a soft mattress, such as if you’re a side sleeper or a petite sleeper, this problem could be even more pronounced.

All this isn’t to say that you shouldn’t get a memory foam mattress if that is what you want. Memory foam is an excellent choice for sleeping because it provides unbeatable compression, establishing an excellent mattress for pressure point relief. Just be aware that you may need to use pillows or other implements to make sitting up on a memory foam mattress more comfortable.

Latex Foam

Those who want an all-foam mattress that is ideal for both lying down and sitting up may want to check out natural latex instead of memory foam. Natural latex comes from the sap of the rubber tree. This sap can be whipped into two different types of latex foam: Dunlop and Talalay.

Both of these latex types come from the same liquid sap. The manufacturing process is what creates the distinction between them. Dunlop is denser and more buoyant, while a Talalay latex mattress is lighter and more contouring.

Regardless of the type of latex you choose, natural latex wants to maintain its own shape more than memory foam does. This makes a latex mattress more buoyant and more responsive than memory foam, which can mean it’s a better choice for sitting up in bed because it will keep you better supported in a seated position and bounce back quicker when you move.

The biggest problems with a latex mattress are that it can trigger allergy symptoms in people who are sensitive to latex, and it is not a budget-friendly material. Natural latex is the most durable of all mattress materials, but its initial price is also the highest of all the most common bedding materials.

This means an organic latex mattress is not the most expensive mattress type over the course of its long lifetime, but it will hurt you in the wallet when you first purchase it. This cost can be prohibitive for some people.

SEE ALSO: Memory Foam vs. Latex: What’s the Difference?

Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses are another fantastic option for both lying down and sitting up in bed. Hybrids employ a pocketed coil support system and feature at least two inches of comfort foam on top of these coils. This creates a mattress that offers the responsiveness of coils and the pressure relief of foam.

Pocketed coils all move independently of one another, which allows them to adapt to your shape better than support foam can. At the same time, pocketed coils are also much more responsive than support foam. So you don’t have to wait for body impressions to clear when you move.

Plus, the wrappings around the coils and the thick foam tops establish excellent mattresses for motion isolation. This combination of support and responsiveness is fantastic for lying down and sitting up alike.

Hybrid mattresses will offer a lot more buoyancy and support for sitting up in bed than straight memory foam mattresses can. They’re also less expensive upfront than latex mattresses. You have to take the reduced initial cost of a hybrid mattress with a grain of salt, though.

Hybrid mattresses have coils inside them, and these coils lose tension and break down much faster than latex support foam wears out. This means a hybrid mattress will need to be replaced more frequently than a latex mattress. And this, in turn, means that hybrid mattresses are more expensive over the course of their lifespans than latex mattresses.

You may have to replace a hybrid mattress once or even twice before you replace a latex one. Still, for many, a hybrid is the most comfortable mattress when it comes to daytime and nighttime use.

Innerspring

When it comes to sitting up and lying down in bed, innerspring mattresses are the worst mattress type for both. All the problems inherent to an innerspring mattress come from its open coil support core.

Open coils, unlike pocketed coils, are not individually wrapped. Rather, they are unencased and wired together using steel cables. This creates a support system that cannot contour as well as pocketed coils or base foam.

Open coils tend to sag under the heavier parts of your body instead of molding themselves to your shape. Open coils are also infamous for exerting lots of pressure, so they cannot relieve your pressure points as other support systems can. This makes innerspring mattresses a poor choice for lying down.

The motion transfer issues inherent in innerspring mattresses are why they’re not good for sitting up, either. When you sit up in bed, you may have food or drink or other items with you.

Every time you move on an innerspring mattress, the open coil system will amplify your motion and transfer it all over the bed. This can result in more spills and accidents, as well as a constant minor annoyance as your body gets bounced around.

Furthermore, innerspring mattresses are not compatible with adjustable beds. The open coil support core in an innerspring mattress is too stiff to move and flex with an adjustable base. The coils will either float over the base as it moves out of the flat position, or the mattress itself may break.

This means you’re stuck with piling pillows behind you if you want to sit up in bed on an innerspring mattress. For all of these reasons, we recommend a hybrid mattress to those who want a coil support system.

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Ideal Mattress Firmness for Sitting Up in Bed

A mattress’s firmness is typically measured on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the firmest. Usually, you will never find mattresses softer than around a three or firmer than around an eight because mattresses on the extreme ends of the spectrum would have either insufficient support or insufficient compression.

Sitting up in bed may impact your mattress firmness needs. When you sit up, your body weight is distributed over a much smaller surface area than it is when you’re lying down. This means that sitting up exerts much more pressure on a mattress than lying down does. This, in turn, would mean that firmer mattresses are better for sitting up in bed because they can offer more support to your body in that position.

However, a mattress’s primary purpose isn’t sitting up. It’s sleeping. This means you’ll need to focus first on finding a mattress firmness that fits your sleep style and body type and then worry about finding a mattress firmness that is good for sitting up in bed.

Sleep Position

Your sleep position is the number one factor that impacts your firmness needs. Your preferred sleep position dictates how your spine lines up, how your body contacts the bed, and where your pressure points are. This means it should be your main focus when you’re looking at mattress firmnesses.

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers have potentially the easiest time finding a good mattress firmness for sitting up in bed because they already need the ideal firmness for this. When you sleep on your back, a mattress for back sleeping should offer a combination of pressure relief and support that slightly favors support. This way, you get enough contouring for the mattress to compress underneath your buttocks and rise to support the lumbar region.

At the same time, you get enough buoyancy to prevent you from sinking into the sleep surface, which can misalign the spine. This means back sleepers need medium-firm mattresses (6 of 10), which are incidentally among the best mattresses for sitting up in bed.

Combo Sleepers

Combo sleepers may have a bit harder go of it when it comes to finding a good mattress firmness for sitting up in bed because they need medium mattresses (5), which are not quite as ideal for sitting up in bed. Medium mattresses for combination sleeping are still perfectly adequate for sitting up in bed, but their extra pressure relief may translate into less support when your body weight is not as evenly distributed.

However, this does not mean you should choose a firmer mattress to sit up in bed. You should always choose the mattress that works for your sleep position. In this case, medium mattresses offer enough versatility to accommodate combination sleepers in whichever position they choose to adopt on a given night. So if you don’t have a strong preference for any one sleep position, go for a medium mattress.

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers may have the hardest time finding a good mattress for sitting up in bed because they need the softest mattresses of all. When you sleep on your side, your body weight presses your hip and shoulder joints into the mattress. A mattress that pushes back against these joints will exert pressure and cause pain. This means side sleepers need softer mattresses for side sleeping.

On the other hand, if you spend a lot of time sitting up in bed, you’ll want a mattress with extra support for when your body weight is more concentrated. In this case, you may want to consider a medium-soft (4) to medium mattress as a compromise because side sleeping is less compatible with sitting up in bed.

Stomach Sleepers

As a general rule, stomach sleepers need firm mattresses (7) to keep their spines aligned. Sleeping on your stomach allows your pelvis to sink into the sleep surface. This can overarch the spine and cause pain in the lumbar region. Firm mattresses or even extra firm mattresses counter this issue by keeping the pelvis lifted and ensuring the spine is aligned.

On the flip side, firm mattresses may exert too much pressure when you sit up in bed, and this can lead to pain in the buttocks or lower back. Since you still need a firm mattress for stomach sleeping, you may want to grab a pillow or a cushion for sitting up in bed.

Body Type

Your body type does not always impact your firmness needs. The only time it does is if you fall outside of the mattress industry’s definition of the average human weight range of 130 to 230 pounds. In this case, you may need to go up or down a firmness level based on your weight.

Petite Sleepers

Typically, petite sleepers, or those who fall under 130 pounds, need to go down a firmness level. This is because your body weight may not compress your mattress enough when you lie down if you are too light. This can translate into the mattress feeling firmer than it is and exerting more pressure on your body than it should.

Mattresses for lightweight sleepers need to be quick to hug the body. As an example, an average-weight back sleeper might need a medium-firm mattress, while a petite back sleeper would need a medium one to get the same amount of compression and contouring.

Plus-Size Sleepers

Those who weigh over 230 pounds are considered plus-size sleepers. Plus-size sleepers tend to have the opposite problem as petite sleepers because their body weight can overcompress a mattress with a firmness that corresponds to their sleep position. This can lead to sinkage, which allows the spine to fall out of alignment.

To counter this issue, most plus-size sleepers should go one firmness level up from the one that is considered their sleep position’s baseline firmness when browsing mattresses for heavy sleepers. For example, a plus-size combo sleeper might want to consider going up from a medium to a medium-firm mattress.

Mattress Sizes

Adjustable Bases for Sitting Up in Bed

Of course, you can sit up in bed using strategically placed pillows, or even a reading pillow with armrests. But no pile of pillows compares to the ease and comfort of sitting up in bed using an adjustable base. Adjustable bed bases move the entire mattress underneath your body to place you in whatever position you choose.

This can be especially helpful for those who are sitting up in bed because of long-term bed confinement. If you’re on bed rest, you may not even be able to maneuver yourself well enough to pile pillows behind your back or under your legs. However, you enjoy a mattress for bed sores as you sleep, then sit yourself up and let yourself down at the touch of a button with most adjustable bases during the day.

Another great thing about adjustable bases is they help improve your comfort and sleep when you’re lying down. With an adjustable base, you can sleep partially or fully elevated. This has many benefits that can help improve your sleep and your health, including improved circulation, reduced inflammation, and pain relief. There are adjustable beds for back pain and other issues for increased comfort.

You also don’t need to worry about adjustable bases costing an arm and a leg. While adjustable beds were more like ultra-expensive hospital beds 10 and 20 years ago. Nowadays, adjustable beds are much more affordable and sometimes not even that much more expensive than a standard mattress foundation. This allows many shoppers to reap the benefits of an adjustable bed.

Other Bed Accessories for Sitting Up Comfortably

Reading Pillows

Designed specifically for providing support while sitting or reclining, a reading pillow offers several benefits that contribute to a more comfortable experience.

A reading pillow provides excellent back support. It typically features a high backrest that aligns with the natural curvature of the spine, helping to maintain proper posture while sitting up. This added support reduces strain on the back muscles and promotes overall spinal alignment, preventing discomfort and minimizing the risk of developing back pain.

Moreover, reading pillows often include armrests or side supports. These features offer additional support and help alleviate strain on the arms and shoulders, making it easier to hold a book, tablet, or other items while sitting up. The armrests also provide a comfortable place to rest the arms, enhancing overall relaxation.

The plush and cushioned construction of a reading pillow adds a layer of comfort and coziness. It allows you to lean back and sink into the pillow, providing a soft and supportive surface to rest against. This can make extended periods of sitting up in bed more enjoyable and comfortable, whether you’re reading, watching TV, or working on a laptop.

Mattress Toppers

You don’t just have to use a mattress topper for sleeping. Having a mattress topper can actually make sitting up in bed more comfortable. What it does is add an extra layer of foam on top of your mattress, changing how it feels.

If you want to sit up in bed, adding a firm topper can be helpful. It gives you more support and stability. With a firm topper, you won’t sink too much or feel uncomfortable while sitting. It helps keep your spine in a good position.

The great thing about mattress toppers is that you can easily take them off at night when you want to sleep. So, you can enjoy the benefits of the topper while sitting up and then have the original feel of your mattress when it’s time to sleep.

Another option is to choose a firmer mattress that feels good to sit on, and then add a soft mattress topper for extra coziness when you sleep. However, it’s important to remember that a mattress is primarily designed for sleeping. So, it’s better to choose a mattress that suits your sleeping needs first and then use a topper if you need it for sitting up.

Seat Cushions

If you want to make sitting up in bed even more comfortable, you can also consider using a seat cushion. It may sound a bit strange to use a seat cushion in bed, but it can actually provide extra padding and support. This can help reduce pressure points and make sitting for long periods more comfortable.

Using a seat cushion can also help prevent back pain. When you sit for a long time, especially on hard or uncomfortable surfaces, it can put pressure on your spine and cause discomfort or pain in your lower back. But a seat cushion designed for back pain can improve your posture and reduce pressure points by providing supportive cushioning.

For anyone who spends a lot of time sitting up in bed, a foam seat cushion is a good option. Foam seat cushions are supportive because they conform to the shape of your body. They provide consistent support and distribute your weight more evenly, making sitting up in bed a more comfortable experience.

Daybed Mattresses

If you’re choosing a mattress for a daybed, you may have to rethink your priorities because you’ll probably be sitting up most of the time and only sleeping on it on occasion. This means you’ll want to focus more on comfort for sitting rather than comfort for sleeping.

Since this is the case, focus on mattresses that feel more like couch cushions in the sense that they have lots of lift and support. Hybrid and latex mattresses are better because they offer tons of responsiveness and buoyancy. You’ll also want to zero in on mattresses that have superior edge support, as you’ll be sitting on the edge of the mattress frequently.

SEE ALSO: Daybed Mattresses vs. Twin Mattresses

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FAQs

What is the best mattress for sitting up in a daybed?

Since a daybed is usually intended to serve primarily as a seating area and secondarily as a guest sleeping area, it might be best to select a mattress that is better for sitting. This means you’ll want a firmer mattress with lots of support and less compression. A medium-firm or even a firm mattress might be best for a daybed.

The best mattress materials for a daybed might be latex or hybrid construction. Both of these mattress types will offer lots of buoyancy and support, as well as enough bounce to ensure that you won’t be waiting for body impressions to clear out if you shift around on your daybed.

Can an adjustable bed make sitting up in bed easier?

An adjustable bed can absolutely make sitting up in bed easier. In fact, for some people, it may make sitting up in bed possible in the first place. Many people on bed rest or who are otherwise incapacitated are not able to pile up pillows and make the adjustments necessary to sit up on a standard bed.

However, nowadays, adjustable beds can be altered at the touch of a button. All you have to do is grab the wireless remote and select from one of the bed’s programmed presets or one of your own. This can make sitting up in bed a much more pleasant experience.

How can I stay comfortable sitting up in bed for long periods?

There are lots of ways you can stay comfortable sitting up in bed for long periods. One of the best ways to stay comfortable when sitting up in bed is to get an adjustable base. Adjustable bases force the mattress to flex beneath your body, and this creates a much more comfortable surface for you to sit on.

Strategically placing pillows can also help make you more comfortable sitting up in bed. For instance, a wedge pillow behind your back or a roll pillow under your knees may help you feel more comfortable.

Is there an ideal mattress firmness for sitting up in bed?

Technically, firmer mattresses will offer you more support when you are sitting up and more of your body weight is distributed over less surface area. However, you shouldn’t buy a mattress just to sit up in bed. The primary purpose of a mattress is for sleeping. This means there isn’t really an ideal mattress firmness for sitting up in bed.

Rather, there’s an ideal firmness for your sleep position. Side sleepers need softer mattresses. Stomach sleepers need firmer mattresses. And back and combo sleepers need mattresses that fall somewhere in the middle. You should focus more on your sleep style than sitting up in bed when selecting your mattress firmness.

What is the best mattress material for sitting up in bed?

There are a couple of mattress types that could be perfect for sitting up in bed. One of the best mattress types for sitting up in bed is a latex mattress. Latex is very buoyant and responsive, so it will feel more like sitting on a sofa than sitting on a mattress when you are in a seated position. But it still feels amazing lying down.

Another fantastic mattress for sitting up in bed is a hybrid mattress. Hybrid mattresses are also very responsive and very supportive, which can translate into hours of comfortable sitting as well as long nights of comfortable sleep.

Bottom Line

Sometimes the best mattress for lying down in bed and the best mattress for sitting up in bed might not be the same mattress. You might like to sleep on memory foam and sit on latex foam. You might need a soft mattress for sleeping and a medium-firm mattress for sitting up.

If your sleep style conflicts with sitting up in bed, you may have to find a compromise in firmness or material, or you may need to make yourself more comfortable using pillows and cushions. You could even use a soft mattress topper for sleeping and remove it during the day for sitting. But if you stick to the mattress list above, you are much more likely to find the best mattress for both daytime sitting and nighttime lying down.

Dr. Burns tests each mattress at eachnight’s facility to make sure the recommendations are based on real, expert reviews.