After interviewing numerous experts and personally testing 50 mattresses over the last two years as the sleep editor for Health, I know that sleep is the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. Yet it’s difficult for many people to get quality rest, especially if you suffer from chronic back pain. Since we began testing mattresses, I’ve learned that the right one can be an almost instant fix for many back issues. However, finding the right one for you depends on many factors, including your sleep position, what type of back pain you have, your body weight, and personal comfort level.
For over two years, our team tested more than 60 mattresses, both in our testing Lab and in our editors’ homes. After all of that hands-on testing (and sleeping!), our best overall pick, which would work for most people with back pain, is the Bear Original, thanks to its dense memory foam and pressure point support. But because everyone with back pain has unique needs, we’ve also included eight other picks that impressed us and may be best for you.
During our testing, we sawed five of the picks below open—including the Bear Original—to take a closer look at the layers and see just how they support your back for better sleep. We also spoke to sleep and medical experts to understand how mattresses can affect back pain and to learn more about mattress firmness (we even created our own mattress firmness scale) and other factors that can influence pain and your sleep.
PHOTO: Bear
The Bear Original beat out many more expensive picks thanks to its combination of dense memory foam and responsive transition layers that supported our spines and pressure points for relief from back, hip, and shoulder pain. This mattress offers slightly less edge support—and a thinner profile—so it may not be the best option for those who change positions throughout the night.
How It Sleeps
“Going from my old mattress to this one was amazing,” our tester Jenni said. “This Bear mattress is so comfortable! When I sleep on it, it hugs my body and [contours] to what I need it to when sleeping.”
The Bear Original had an upper end of medium firmness (about a four on our scale), which we found effective for supporting spinal alignment for reduced back pain while still cradling our joints and muscles for instant relaxation. As a side sleeper who prefers a firmer mattress, the Bear Original felt firm enough to keep my spine totally aligned while still having enough give to cushion my knees, hips, and shoulders during our lab test.
Its responsive middle layer allowed for easy position changes throughout the night with minimal partner disturbance. After a year of testing, we’re still feeling well-rested and fully recovered in the morning. “I’m able to get out of bed now without any pain,” our tester adds.
When we tested this option in our Lab, we were impressed by the cooling capabilities, which we felt lived up to the brand’s claims. It took less than two minutes for the mattress surface to return to ambient temperature after lying on it, making it a great option for active people—like our tester—or those who run hot.
Breaking Down the Materials
A three-layer structure keeps this mattress simple and straightforward. The sleep surface is a cooling graphite memory foam for joint support and temperature control. Just under it is a transition foam that adjusts to your movement throughout the night for a personalized feel. The foundation is made with high-density foam for fuller support and added firmness.
The mattress has a Celliant cover add-on for further heat dissipation if you’re a hot sleeper. Celliant can increase tissue oxygen levels and aid in athletic recovery while you sleep by turning excess body heat into infrared energy—a process that’s so effective the FDA classifies Celliant products as medical devices.
PHOTO: Pottery Barn
We felt instant comfort and relief as soon as we laid down on the Birch Natural Mattress. Naturally breathable latex kept us cool and free from allergy irritations, and it worked so well to reduce back pain that we were able to cancel appointments with our chiropractor. We couldn’t find much to fault with this mattress, but it does come with the slightly chemical scent that many latex products have, though this reduced after just a few hours.
How It Sleeps
“When I first laid on this mattress I kid you not I gasped,” our tester Cydnie said. “This mattress felt like it wrapped around my body completely.”
While our previous mattress had forced us to make chiropractor appointments, the Birch Natural Mattress had us canceling those. The sharp pain we’d been experiencing before practically disappeared. As combination sleepers, we felt we could easily and comfortably transition between back and side sleeping throughout the night. “It’s so comforting, the perfect balance of firm and soft. I can easily and comfortably change sleeping positions without feeling like I have to work for it or waking up due to [discomfort].”
“I had a chiropractor appointment scheduled prior to this test, but just after a week of use, I canceled the appointment and haven’t felt extreme back pain like that again since using,” Cydnie added. “I wake up refreshed, comforted and in no pain every single day, and that is priceless.”
Breaking Down the Materials
1,000 individually wrapped coils kept up with our movements and minimized partner disturbance throughout the night. A thick layer of eco-INSTITUT-certified latex cushioned our pressure points while springing back into place for full support with all movement. Wool and cotton layers added extra support, comfort, and breathability.
PHOTO: Brooklyn bedding
Responsive foam cradled our joints and supported our spines, no matter our sleeping position. Gentle foam for joints and a firmer surface everywhere else kept us comfortable, whether we slept on our stomachs or sides, but the slightly firmer surface did take a few nights to get used to.
How It Sleeps
“First impression… it was a dream,” our tester Tina said. “It was perfectly firm to support your body but cushioned enough to where it felt cozy.”
After being swallowed up by our old too-soft mattress, we immediately noticed the support of the Brooklyn Bedding Signature mattress. This slightly firmer mattress took about a week for us to get used to, but we felt totally comfortable and supported after that initial adjustment period. We felt cozy, even on its firmer surface, and instantly felt more support than our previous soft mattress topper had been giving us. We fell asleep more easily and woke up feeling much less back pain and got a fuller night’s sleep.
During my own testing experience, the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid felt perfectly broken in and not like it needed the first couple of weeks that many mattresses need to fully adapt to their sleepers. The medium option felt like a true medium to me, about a 3 or 3.5 on the Health scale.
We change positions throughout the night, but we’ve noticed that this mattress does a better job of isolating motion, meaning we’re not disrupted by position changes or partner movement.
Breaking Down the Materials
Four inches of foam top off 8-inch encased coils to create a hybrid supportive for all positions. Encased coils isolate motion—great for reducing movement during nighttime position changes—while transition foam and responsive comfort foam add to movement support by keeping the mattress steady for combination sleepers .
PHOTO: Wayfair
Even while sleeping on its firm surface, the Beautyrest Harmony Lux left us feeling like we were floating, with immediate neck and back pain relief no matter our position—even as back and side sleepers. While this mattress is available in seven firmnesses, we did test it in Firm, which was about a five on our firmness scale, a great option for dedicated stomach sleepers, larger sleepers, or anyone who wants added spinal support and alignment.
How It Sleeps
“Our spines and backs are feeling great on this mattress. The pressure relief is evident—the body just relaxes on this mattress, with no stress,” said our tester, Sara. “It is like an oasis in the bedroom and we both look forward to going up and lying down every night.”
While this mattress was towards the top end of our firmness scale, we still felt enough give as back and side sleepers to feel like we were floating each time we laid on its surface. It lightly conformed to our contours for total support, and we woke each morning feeling energized, pain-free, and well-rested. Our pressure points had soft, gentle support, while our spines were totally supported.
“We both feel great when we wake up; this mattress is supportive and we are both feeling wonderful. I have no aches or pains, and I was waking up a lot with our previous mattress, but this one is allowing us to sleep soundly throughout the night.”
Breaking Down the Materials
The Harmony Lux is one of the most customizable mattresses on our list, available in seven firmnesses and two different styles, one of which emphasizes cooling with three additional layers of cooling foam. The Harmony Lux Anchor Island—our tested version, the base style—starts with a cooling topper, followed by layers of dense memory foam, customizable to your firmness choice. The Harmony Lux includes 40% coils than other Beautyrest Harmony models, which we felt contributed to its firm, supportive feel.
PHOTO: Leesa
Zoned support around the lumbar and hip area left us feeling fully rested and energized with dramatically reduced lower back pain. The sleep surface was plush and cushioned while still feeling fully supportive. We would’ve liked to see more rigid edge support and slightly more dense foam for a firmer feel, but these didn’t outweigh the positives.
How It Sleeps
This mattress felt like a true medium, exactly what we had been looking for to support achy lower backs and joints. “This level of firmness and comfort was exactly what I was looking for,” our tester Henry said. “Not too soft where I feel like I’m sinking in too much and not too firm where it would hurt my lower back, or feel uncomfortable as I roll to my side from time to time.”
We noticed dramatic improvements in every area of our sleep. “After a full night’s sleep, I feel more rested and free from any aches, a complete 180 degrees from my old mattress,” our tester said. While we didn’t have trouble falling asleep on our old mattress, staying asleep was a significant issue. After sleeping on the Studio Chill Hybrid, nighttime wakefulness is a thing of the past—and so is the lower back and joint pain our lumpy spring mattress used to give us. We woke feeling more rested and energized.
“My joints definitely felt better as a result from better body positioning and support, two key things I was lacking from the old mattress,” our tester added.
Breaking Down the Materials
The star of the Studio Chill Hybrid design is its zoned support coil system, which provided added support to our lumbar area. Airy memory foam and copper-infused foam layers above the coils are designed to keep sleepers cool. A cooling cover and quilted memory foam layer near the top keep up the cooling surface and respond to movements throughout the night.
PHOTO: Saatva
The firm edge-to-edge support of the Saatva Classic impressed our stomach sleeper tester. While it eventually softened up a bit to suit our side sleeper’s preference—without saging and losing support for either sleeper—note that this mattress is on the firmer end.
How It Sleeps
From almost night one, we were impressed with the edge-to-edge support we felt on the Saatva Classic. “On this mattress, my hips are really well supported, and I can tell the curvature of my spine while sleeping is so much better,” our tester Ashleigh, a stomach sleeper, said. “The support is amazing, wouldn’t change a thing!”
We tested the Saatva Classic in Firm, but it’s also available in Plush Soft and Luxury Firm. Our side-sleeping partners initially found it too firm for total comfort, but the pillow top softened over a few weeks to suit both side and stomach sleeping. Overall, we found the Classic Firm to be super supportive, keeping our stomachs from sinking in and bowing our spines.
“I can tell that the firmness and support are exactly what my body (and specifically my back) needs,” Ashleigh said. “I wake up without any kinks or soreness in my lower back, which is where I would normally wake up feeling off.”
Breaking Down the Materials
The Saatva Classic is spring-forward, with 884 individually wrapped steel coils making up the bulk of its support system. The steel coils offer plenty of firmness, great for supporting stomach sleepers and keeping their spines aligned. A pillow top and dense memory foam top off the coil base, along with added edge support for firm support that covers the entire mattress.
PHOTO: Purple
Purple’s signature top layer grid complements its medium firmness and offered cradled support in the shoulders, spine, and hips—areas where we needed them most as side sleepers. A bottom layer of supportive coils offered us extra airflow as hot sleepers and kept our spines aligned while keeping up with any nighttime position changes without partner disturbance. It is dense, however, at 11.5 inches thick and 121 pounds for a Queen size.
How It Sleeps
“I sleep deeply and fully—what a wonderful change! I feel like I sleep as deeply as I did when I was a kid,” our tester Mary said. Even after responding to nighttime disruptions—like infant sleep regression—we fall back asleep immediately and wake feeling refreshed and pain-free. “The back pain and neck pain is just not there… I have spent too much time trying to find the right words to describe the support. I truly would just urge someone to try one out.”
Purple’s GelFlex grid didn’t just feel like a marketing gimmick during testing—we immediately felt a difference on its luxe, cushion-y surface that cradled our joints, while sturdy foam kept our spines aligned as side sleepers. We did note, however, that the GelFlex grid doesn’t extend to the edges of the bed when we cut the mattress open during our lab test. This may have led to the mattress underperforming during the edge test, though it did hold up to lying and tossing and turning near the edge of the bed.
“I’ve also noticed that I don’t have a hot spot like my other mattress. I’m a very comfortable temperature all night, not too hot, not too cold,” our tester said. “My husband is a very hot sleeper, and with this mattress I don’t feel the heat from his side as much.” I personally noticed that this mattress had an almost cool-to-the-touch feel, which was even noticeable through several layers of clothing.
While its internal structure wasn’t what we expected, we were impressed by the bed’s motion absorption that kept partners undisturbed. Along with its superb motion isolation and comfortable support, we thought the Purple Restore struck the right balance between responsiveness, temperature regulation, and pressure point relief.
Breaking Down the Materials
The Purple Restore has Purple’s signature GelFlex grid. This polymer grid layer contoured our joints—especially around the hips, shoulders, and legs—and offered pressure relief at our hips and knees, where we’d been experiencing nightly pain on our old mattress. Two foam layers add comfort and isolate motion, while a coil base keeps the whole mattress sturdy. A breathable cover helps with cooling.
PHOTO: Amazon
We were impressed with the edge-to-edge support that beat out more expensive mattresses. Paired with an under-$500 price, it’s a great option for people looking for quick pain relief without shelling out for a luxury mattress. While it did conform to our bodies just where we needed it to, it’s not the plushest mattress on the market.
How It Sleeps
We were impressed with the Sweetnight Queen from night one. It kept us from tossing and turning and provided a blend of comfort and support that felt much more expensive, especially considering its under-$500 price. While Sweetnight claims this mattress has enhanced ventilation, we did feel it slept a little warm. Plus, we didn’t think the edge was very supportive.
“I definitely do not have any lower back or neck pain when I am sleeping on this mattress,” our tester, Jodi, said. “I like that it doesn’t create an uneven surface when I move around [unlike] the memory foam mattress I had previously.”
Breaking Down the Materials
The Sweetnight Queen mattress has a simple three-layer structure: a gel-infused memory foam top, a more solid transitional foam layer, and a high-density base foam layer for support, all of which we felt made for a solid mattress. If you’re used to the structure of a hybrid mattress—or one that moves with you—this memory foam option may take some getting used to, but we did feel that it molded to our contours and position changes throughout the night.
PHOTO: Lull
The “cloudlike” feel of the Lull Luxe Hybrid impressed us from night one, supporting and aligning our spines as back sleepers with a blend of firm coils and softer memory foam. The mattress did break in a bit over time, but we still found it fully supportive at the one year mark after beginning our test.
How It Sleeps
As back sleepers, we’d often struggled with mattresses that felt fully supportive and designed for our sleep position, but the Lull Luxe Hybrid cradled us without putting our hips out of alignment with our spines. Coils provided slightly firm support while the memory foam layers came up to meet our joints and spines. We did notice some breaking in over time, but we still found the mattress to be just what we needed for back support.
“The first night was an absolute dream. I could immediately tell a stark difference between this mattress and our previous coil mattress,” our tester Lindsey said. “The material conformed to all of my countors extremely well so that I felt cradled all throughout. I actually looked forward to going to bed each night.”
Breaking Down the Materials
The Lull Luxe Hybrid combined supportive memory foam with a base of strong coils to support us throughout our backs. Pocketed coils make up the base, topped off by extra firm edge support, transition foam, cooling gel memory foam, and quilted memory foam at the top. The whole thing is covered with a temperature-regulating cover and attached handles for easier maneuvering.
To find the best mattresses for back pain, we conducted extensive research to ensure our selection included various types of mattresses to cater to diverse sleeping preferences. We tested more than 60 popular models across brands and price points. Each was subjected to rigorous testing over a period of several weeks or months. We also spoke with the following sleep experts to learn more about sleeping with back pain:
Angelie Mascarinas, MD, board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) doctor with fellowship training in interventional spine and musculoskeletal care, who practices at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City
Kevin Lees, DC, director of chiropractic operations at The Joint Chiropractic, the nation’s largest chiropractic care provider
Danielle Kelvas, MD, chief medical advisor at Sleepline, a sleep resource website
Shelby Harris, PsyD, licensed clinical psychologist, clinical associate professor, and director of sleep health at Sleepopolis, an independent sleep education company
During testing, we particularly focused on comfort, support, and the overall sleep experience. Each mattress was assessed for unique features, such as dual-sided designs, cooling properties, and motion isolation. Finally, we considered factors like shipping and delivery options, trial periods, returns, and warranty, which significantly affect the overall customer experience. We compiled our results and constructed an unbiased review so you can make an informed purchase decision.
At Health, we have our own firmness scale, where we rate mattresses from 1 to 5, from soft to extra firm. While you might see a mattress rating out of 10 when browsing manufacturer websites, we measure out of 5 because, in practice, there’s not much difference between all 10 levels of firmness. More importantly, you won’t see many mattresses at either extreme of the 10-scale. We’ve decided to keep our scale to the middle of that scale and rate them out of 5 so you know what to expect.
Firmness at a Glance
Firmness Level
Description
Who It’s Best For
1
Soft: These mattresses offer the lowest level of support and the highest level of “sinking in”
Potentially back and side sleepers; these may work for people in smaller bodies, but ultimately they won’t provide much support
2
Soft Plus: A soft sink with some added support for alignment, typically from coils
Sleepers looking for a lot of pressure relief around the shoulders and hips; people in smaller bodies
3
Medium: You’ll still have some level of sink, but your spine should be in alignment and well-supported
Side sleepers; will also work for most sleepers, aside from those who sleep exclusively on their stomachs
4
Firm: These offer sturdy support with very little sink
People with back pain who need a little extra alignment; stomach sleepers
5
Extra Firm: The highest level of support. You’ll find little to no conforming.
People with larger bodies or anyone who likes a firm sleeping surface
In general, a firm mattress provides the most support to those with back pain, according to Danielle Kelvas, MD, chief medical advisor at Sleepline. Memory foam, latex, or hybrid mattresses can evenly distribute body weight, reduce pressure points, and offer a personalized level of comfort, says Shelby Harris, PsyD, licensed clinical psychologist, clinical associate professor, and director of sleep health at Sleepopolis. It’s also important to consider a mattress compatible with your health needs, such as one with cooling properties for those with night sweats or general overheating.
Keep these factors in mind when selecting a mattress for back pain:
Firmness: A mattress that’s too soft lacks the support needed to keep your spine aligned while you rest. Start your search with a medium-firm mattress that offers a balance of contouring, bounce, and support. In our reviews, we’ve noted the firmness of each mattress on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 is the softest; 5 is the firmest).
Material: Foam, gel, and latex conform to your body’s shape to help relieve pressure points and encourage proper body alignment and reduce pain throughout the back.
Temperature regulation: Mattresses with temperature-regulating properties absorb and dissipate your body’s heat so you don’t get too hot throughout the night.
Trial period: Some manufacturers offer a trial period to test the product for 30 days up to 365 days. Keep in mind this program sometimes costs extra, so read the fine print carefully.
Motion transfer: If you sleep with a partner, motion transfer may be of concern. Consider memory foam mattresses that absorb and isolate motion to ensure neither of you is disturbed by the other’s movements.
Sleep position: Different mattress types and firmness levels work best for specific sleep positions.
The experts we spoke with agreed that the best mattress for back pain is one that will support and align your spine. For most, this mattress will be on the firmer side, especially if you sleep on your back or stomach or are a larger sleeper. Side sleepers may want a medium-firm mattress that will keep the hips and shoulders aligned. Some mattresses offer added lumbar support—often firmer foam or more dense springs—around the middle of the mattress for extra support.
Spending so much time on your mattress means that it’s going to make a huge difference in your back pain—for better or worse. A too-soft mattress can leave you with a convex spine, causing muscles to strain around your spine and limbs, says Rahul Shah, MD, FAAOS, board-certified spine surgeon at Premier Orthopaedic Spine Associates.Firmer mattresses are generally better for back pain, but one that’s too firm can exacerbate pain in pressure points.
The best mattress provides optimal support and alignment so you wake each morning feeling refreshed.
Jaylyn Pruitt is Health’s sleep editor. She’s been covering sleep products for over two years and has tested more than 50 mattresses, helped to oversee mattress testing in our lab and even toured a mattress factory to learn more about how mattresses go from raw materials to your bedroom. During her time covering sleep products, she’s interviewed several experts, including sleep medicine doctors, neurologists, spine surgeons, and sleep coaches.
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