If you or someone close to you experiences back pain, you are not alone. Back pain is so common that the National Institute of Health estimates that 80% of adults in the United States suffer from acute or chronic back pain. While this pain can be caused by a number of variables, your mattress is critical: it can cause back pain or make it worse if you are not sleeping on the correct mattress.
To find that ideal fit, the main areas to evaluate are firmness, sleeping position, and the type and materials of the mattress. Knowing how your bed affects spinal alignment and supports pressure relief is also crucial. In this guide, we have selected five of the best mattresses for back pain based on customer reviews and extensive testing.
These are the 10 best mattresses for back pain.
- Best adjustable bed: Saatva Solaire
- Best for combo sleepers: puffy mattress
- Best for hot sleepers: Casper Wave Hybrid
- Best Value: Nectar Mattress
- Best for side sleepers: Helix Midnight Luxe
- Best for Pressure Relief: Nolah Original 10 “
- Best Flippable: Layla
- Best for active people: bear
- Best Firm Mattress: Cocoon by Sealy
- The best technology: purple mattress
Read on to learn more about how your mattress is related to back pain and what each of these mattresses has to offer.
What people with back pain should look for in a mattress
Buying a new mattress is a very personal decision, but there are a few factors that anyone with back pain should consider when choosing a bed.
Firmness
It was once believed that a firmer mattress offered the best support for your back, but that is no longer the current wisdom. “While it is commonly believed that a firm mattress is better for those who sleep with back pain, that is not always the case,” said Dr. Luis Peña-Hernández, MD, FCCP, at the Institute of Lung Disorders, Caring Critics and the Dream. South Florida. “A firm mattress does not always provide a proper contour for the spine, which can cause additional problems. A better approach is to select a mattress that is aligned to your unique sleep needs and preferences rather than a single size. All options.”
Sleeping position
Depending on whether you have lateral, back, or stomach sleep, mattresses are designed to accommodate different sleeping positions. Authorities like Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic emphasize the correlation between sleep position and back pain and offer advice on how to reduce pain in each position. On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the strongest), this is what to look for depending on your usual sleeping position.
Side sleepers need a slightly softer mattress and can look for something in the 5.5 to 6.5 range for firmness.
Rear sleepers need a solid mattress of medium firmness and should aim at around 6 to 7 on the firmness scale.
People who sleep on the stomach need a slightly firmer mattress in the 6.5 to 7.5 range, allowing for individual preferences.
Mattress type and materials
Mattresses can be made of many different natural and synthetic materials. The most popular types are made with memory foam, latex, inner tubes, internal springs, or a combination, also known as hybrids. All of these can be great mattresses, but for back pain, when additional support is warranted, some are better than others.
Memory foam and latex
The most commonly recommended beds for back pain are memory foam and latex. Memory foam mattresses and their natural alternative, latex mattresses, offer incredible support and contour. They hug the body and cradle all your natural curves, withstand pressure points like the shoulders and hips, and relieve pressure to reduce pain. Looking for less shoulder pain, hip pain, or back pain? Memory foam and latex also help keep your spine aligned while you sleep, further reducing stress on your back and reducing pain in all areas.
Inner spring
An internal spring mattress, sometimes called a traditional mattress, is a coil bed with a layer of foam on top. These mattresses have been the standard for around a century, and while they’ve improved with bagged coils and better movement isolation, a regular internal spring with a foam cover generally doesn’t offer enough support for substantial relief from back pain.
Air mattress
Air beds have gained popularity in recent decades, and there are now more elaborate versions on the market. The basics do not offer the type of contour that memory foam or latex does. However, there are beds with air components that can be mechanically adjusted for more or less filling and more or less firmness. The ability to customize your bed can go a long way when it comes to getting good support to ease upper or lower back pain.
Hybrid
Common hybrids have an air coil or base with plush memory foam or a latex cap. The combination of two elements can work well to decrease back pain, reduce pain, and help you get a good night’s sleep. Look for a hybrid that has a good size memory foam layer and preferably multiple layers of foam, not just an ornament.
Top 10 mattresses for back pain
Of the many mattresses on the market today, the ones at the top of our list for the best backing are detailed below. Prices shown are for queen mattresses, but other sizes are available at different prices.
Best adjustable bed: Saatva Solaire
The Saatva Solaire is an unusual hybrid mattress that is technically an air bed. It’s built to be customizable, which means you can adjust the air to 50 different settings to get the perfect level of firmness for your individual needs (a great option if you’re having back problems). You can also use it with an adjustable base for a better fit and more support. In addition to its customizable features, this Saatva mattress is also very eco-friendly. It has an organic cotton padded pillow over a certified latex layer, which are two of the best natural mattress materials available. Plus, there’s a layer of CertiPUR-US® memory foam for added comfort, and customers praise its impact on back pain.
Overall, the Solaire is a luxurious mattress at a competitive price. It comes with a generous sleep trial period, free on-site delivery and setup, and an incredible 25-year warranty.
Mattress type: latex memory foam with air chambers
Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Firmness: customizable
Trial period for returns: 120 days
Best for combo sleepers: puffy
The Puffy is a luxurious box-bed firm mattress constructed from different layers of foam and memory foam, creating the perfect support balance whether you have a side, back, stomach or combination bed. Here’s how it works: Puffy is designed with a gel-infused foam top layer that will keep you cool and comfortable all year round, plus it has a second foam layer to support the contour and cushioning of your body. The base layer is made of a firmer support foam that, combined with the upper layers, provides excellent back support.
Beyond the physical components, Puffy has a competitive lifetime warranty, free returns, and a 101-day sleep test.
Mattress type: foam
Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Firmness: medium-firm (7/10)
Trial period for returns: 101 days
Best for hot sleepers: Casper Wave Hybrid
If your back hurts and you also sleep warm, the Casper Wave Hybrid is a solution for both of you. It has an inner base layer with two layers of memory foam: the top layer is a highly breathable foam to disperse body heat and keep it cool; The lower layer of support foam alleviates back pain.
The Casper Wave Hybrid offers everything that someone with back pain could want and more: it is the brand’s most luxurious mattress. It cools, supports and aligns, plus it’s extremely durable. With a solid 5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, this model is especially favorable for people who sleep on their side. And restless sleepers will appreciate your great recovery, making turning from side to side a frictionless experience.
Casper also scored highly in other areas. The company scores highly for its near-flawless shipping and stellar return policy.
Mattress type: Hybrid (memory foam and pocket coils)
Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Firmness: Medium (5/10)
Trial period for returns: 100 days
Best Value: Nectar
Nectar, considered one of the best and most comfortable mattresses to buy on the market, is ideal for supporting your back and reducing low back pain. In addition to its price, which is cheaper than most mattresses on the market, Nectar has many things going for it. It is consistently highly rated for comfort and pressure relief. In Nectar mattress reviews, superlatives like “best sleep” and “best mattress” are common.
Nectar is a layered memory foam mattress with contour and pressure point relief, making it an excellent choice for backing. It has gel memory foam to neutralize the temperature, which means you don’t get hot while you sleep. Plus, it comes with a cover that repels allergens and dust mites, a year-round sleep test (best in the industry), and a generous return policy to make your life easier.
Mattress type: foam
Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Firmness: moderately firm (6.5 / 10)
Trial period for returns: 365 days
Best for Pressure Relief: Nolah Original 10 ”
Back pain sufferers also often need a mattress that provides excellent pressure relief to prevent them from waking up in pain and pain each morning. That is the Nolah. Made from a special type of memory foam called “AirFoam”, the Nolah feels more buoyant and sleeps cooler than traditional memory foam mattresses. That makes it much easier on parts of the body that generally require pressure relief, such as the hips and shoulders.
In addition to relieving pressure, Nolah scored impressive spine alignment and responsiveness scores, which are critical areas to consider if you suffer from back pain. Sleepers report that Nolah cradles and responds to his movements in a comfortable way, without creating that trapped feeling that many other memory foam mattresses provide. Plus, at just over $ 1,000 for a queen, the Nolah is one of the most affordable pain relief mattresses on this list.
Mattress type: AirFoam
Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Firmness: moderately firm
Trial period for returns: 120 nights
Best Flippable: Layla
Different sleepers have different mattress preferences, particularly when it comes to the level of firmness. That is why Layla is such an attractive option. With two sides that offer different levels of firmness, it is the perfect choice for people who are not sure which type of mattress best suits their needs. Just flip the mattress over and test what feel is right for you.
In addition to its unique buoyancy ability, Layla is also impregnated with copper, helping to reduce joint pain and stiffness, as well as inflammation. So if you have back pain and arthritis or osteoarthritis this could be a good mattress for you.
Mattress type: memory foam
Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Firmness: soft and firm (depending on the side)
Trial period for returns: 120 nights
Best for active people: bear
If you are an active person, you need a mattress that works as hard as you do. The bear is exclusively designed to meet the needs of athletes and people who lead an active lifestyle. Mainly made of memory foam, the bear features a special Celtic covering that reflects infrared light back to the body. These cell fibers improve muscle recovery and promote blood circulation, helping active sleepers with back pain to sleep soundly and wake up feeling refreshed and free from aches and pains.
The Bear also features open-cell response foam designed to promote airflow and keep sleepers cooler than traditional memory foam – it actually feels cool to the touch.
Mattress type: memory foam with graphite gel
Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5
Firmness: moderately firm
Trial period for returns: 100 nights
Best Firm Mattress: Cocoon by Sealy
You may know the Cocoon by Sealy as one of the best cooling mattresses on the market, but did you know that it is also one of the best firm mattresses you can buy online? This memory foam mattress is constructed with three layers of foam that come in two firmness options: medium soft and extra firm. For those who sleep with back pain, the firmer option is probably the best because it keeps the spine aligned and relieves pressure on the hips and shoulders.
Despite being an excellent firm mattress, the Cocoon still manages to maintain great responsiveness, which means its foam layers adapt to your movements as you change position at night. In other words, whether you’re sleeping on your back, sleeping on your side, sleeping on your stomach, or a bit of all three, the Cocoon is a great option.
Mattress type: memory foam
Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Firmness: moderately soft and extra firm
Trial period for returns: 100 nights
The best technology: purple
Purple is a one-of-a-kind mattress with a unique and innovative construction. The top layer is made of a hyperelastic polymer molded in a grid pattern. This creates a very unique type of support that is different from foam, memory foam or internal spring. This mattress provides exceptional pressure point support and aids in proper alignment of the spine, which the International Association of Chiropractors emphasizes is crucial in reducing back pain.
If you want a mattress that lasts, Purple is a great candidate. It comes with a 10-year warranty and an almost cultured following of satisfied customers.
Mattress type: Hybrid (foam and hyperelastic polymer)
Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Firmness: moderately firm (6.5 / 10)
Trial period for returns: 100 days
