What Are the Best Types of Mattresses for Acid Reflux?
Today’s mattresses fall into five main categories: foam, hybrid, latex, innerspring, and airbed. Due to their construction, innerspring and airbed models are less compatible for use with an adjustable base. Innerspring beds are less flexible because of their innerspring support grid, while airbeds may run into functional issues if the adjustable base blocks airflow to any of the air chambers.
Foam, hybrid, and latex models, on the other hand, all perform well with adjustable bases. We review each of these mattress types below.
Best Foam Beds for Acid Reflux
Mattress Reviews
Nectar Mattress Review
Mattress Reviews
Loom & Leaf Mattress Review
Foam mattresses are made entirely from foam, with higher-density polyfoam in the support layers and memory foam and polyfoam in the comfort layers. Memory foam mattresses are known for their pressure relief and body-hugging cradle. These beds offer high levels of conforming and often create the feeling of sleeping “in” as opposed to “on” the mattress.
This quality is ideal for side sleepers, as well as those with GERD who have trouble adjusting to the side sleeping position. The foam will conform closely to the sleeper’s body, encouraging healthy spinal alignment and helping them stay put in the side sleep position.
Additional benefits of foam mattresses include their superior levels of pressure relief and more affordable price-points. However, these beds do have a tendency to trap body heat, especially if they have softer firmness levels. Some mattresses, like our picks the Nectar and Loom & Leaf, infuse their memory foam with cooling gel to help neutralize the mattress temperature.
Best Hybrid Beds for Acid Reflux
Mattress Reviews
Helix Mattress Review
Mattress Reviews
Purple Hybrid Mattress Review
Hybrid mattresses get their name from their design. These beds feature thick comfort systems of memory foam, latex, and/or polyfoam, and use a coil-based system for support — effectively combining elements from both the foam and innerspring mattress types.
While they don’t conform quite as closely as an all-foam model, hybrid mattresses still offer good pressure relief and support for the side sleeping position. They also sleep much cooler than all-foam models, thanks to airflow throughout the pocketed coil layer. Some hybrid models will use gel-infused foams in their comfort system, like the Purple Hybrid, to further improve the bed’s temperature neutrality. With or without gel-infused foam, however, these beds can be a good option for hot sleepers who have acid reflux.
The key with choosing a hybrid mattress for an adjustable bed is finding a thinner model. Because these beds have both thick comfort systems and support layers, they tend to have larger profiles overall.
Best Latex Beds for Acid Reflux
Mattress Reviews
Avocado Mattress Review
Mattress Reviews
EcoCloud Mattress Review
The term “latex mattress” describes a broad category including beds made entirely from organic or synthetic latex, beds made from a blend of both, and beds that feature a hybrid construction with a pocketed coil support layer and a latex-based comfort system.
Latex mattresses are extremely durable, boasting some of the longest lifespans of all the mattress types. This is particularly true for those made with higher amounts of natural latex. Latex-hybrids and latex models using organic latex will resist sagging and sleep cooler for a longer time, which makes them a good pick for value-seekers as well as heavier individuals who have acid reflux.
While any of these three mattress types have good motion isolation (memory foam is the best for light sleepers), latex beds offer the benefit of maintaining a certain level of responsiveness as well, so they may be favored among couples and those who use their mattress often for sex.
Mattress Shopping FAQ for Sleepers with Acid Reflux
Here are a few key questions to ask when shopping for a new mattress to be used with an adjustable bed: