At the end of a long day, there’s nothing better than climbing into a snug, cozy bed and getting some rest. Here at Mattress Clarity, we want you to enjoy that luxury every single night. To help you do that, our mattress reviews consider factors that may not even cross your mind—like ease of movement.
Ease of movement refers to how easily you can move around on, reposition yourself in, and get out of a bed. Beds with high ease of movement can set the stage for better quality sleep. Let’s take a closer look at how we test for ease of movement and why it’s important.
Why Is Ease of Movement Important?
When a bed offers ease of movement, you experience less friction and restriction when moving around. This may mean you’re less likely to wake up as you switch positions in the middle of the night.
Ease of movement may be especially important for the following groups of people:
Combination Sleepers
Some people sleep on their backs, while others sleep on their sides or their stomachs. But not everyone sleeps in the same position all night long. Combination sleepers may wake up in the middle of the night if their bodies face too much resistance while turning in bed.
So if you’re a combination sleeper, you may want to prioritize ease of movement when picking out a mattress.
Seniors
As you get older, uninterrupted nights of sleep may become few and far between. Many seniors wake up more easily because they spend less time in deep sleep. So a bed with low ease of movement might disturb your sleep more than it would have when you were younger.
You might also find yourself waking up to go to the bathroom more often. This becomes less of a chore if your bed allows you to move around and get up easily.
Helps People With Mobility Issues
Finding a mattress that’s easy to move around on is crucial for people with physical conditions such as back pain, joint pain, or arthritis. It can affect your entire experience—from getting in to getting out of bed.
How We Test Ease of Movement
Ease of movement can be quite subjective. Taller and heavier people may find it more difficult to move around on a mattress, while petite people may think it’s easy. That’s why, when we test mattresses, we get opinions from all of our reviewers.
Marten, who is 6’7,” will roll around on a mattress and rest on his back, side, and stomach. Then, Elisa, who is 5’3,” will do the same thing. Tony, our accessories reviewer, will also hop in and offer his opinions. The three reviewers then compare notes and share their experiences. When the tester writes the review, they include information based on all three perspectives.
Which Mattresses Are Easiest to Move Around On?
We’ve tested hundreds of mattresses and found several that are quite easy to move around on. The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid contains springy coils in its support layer, which makes it really easy to switch sleeping positions. The Awara Natural Hybrid is another great option, because its thick latex comfort layer feels particularly responsive. And the Saatva classic mattress has a traditional innerspring construction, so you’ll never feel “stuck” inside it.
How Materials Affect Ease of Movement
There’s a reason we’ve seen the best ease of movement among latex, hybrid, and innerspring mattresses: The mattress’s materials play a big role in how easily you’ll be able to move around. Let’s take a look at why.
Memory Foam
Memory foam beds can be great for side sleepers. Combination sleepers? Not so much. Memory foam molds to your body and is slow to bounce back to its original shape. So it can be tough to move around on all-foam beds, especially if the foam is dense.
If you really love the feel of memory foam, but don’t want to “sink inside” your mattress, look for something made with responsive foam. The Nolah Original mattress is a great option, because instead of traditional memory foam, it contains proprietary AirFoam. This material quickly bounces back into place after pressure is applied.
Latex Hybrid
Latex is bouncy and responsive. It doesn’t contour to your body as much as memory foam does, so you shouldn’t feel “trapped inside” the mattress. Most people find it pretty easy to move and switch positions on latex mattresses.
The innerspring coils in hybrid beds also make it easy for people to move around. Combine latex with coils, as we see in latex hybrid mattresses, and you get a bed that’s very easy to move around on. Check out some of the best latex mattresses for some good options.
Memory Foam Hybrid
Want a memory foam mattress, but don’t want to feel trapped while moving across the bed? Just look into hybrid mattresses.
Memory foam hybrid mattresses contain coils in their support layer. Not only do these coils make the mattress more supportive; they also make movement easier. In many of these hybrid beds, you’ll find yourself lying “on top” of the bed, rather than “inside” it.
Innerspring
If ease of movement is your top priority, consider putting innerspring mattresses high on your list. These mattresses are full of coils, which offer support and allow the mattress to return to its original shape quickly. This makes innerspring mattresses some of the easiest to move around on.
FAQs
What kind of mattress do people with mobility issues use?
People with mobility issues should look for mattresses that let them get in and out of bed as easily as possible. Good choices include innerspring mattresses, like Saatva, and latex mattresses, like Awara.
What are the best mattresses for combination sleepers?
Combination sleepers need mattresses that won’t restrict their movement as they sleep. Innerspring and latex mattresses allow you to switch positions easily.