Finding the best mattress for back pain is very important, no matter if your pain is caused by poor posture or an underlying medical condition. It’s no joke—back pain severely hinders and hampers our quality of life, can cause depression and anxiety and can be a serious health issue if the underlying cause isn’t treated.
For this reason, we have tried and tested the most popular mattresses for back pain and reviewed them with a specific focus on what’s best for your back pain. So without further ado, just scroll down and see which beds we chose!
Affiliate Disclosure
MedAlertHelp recommends only products approved by our team of medical experts. We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. Read our full Affiliate Disclosure.
What makes Purple Mattress a good mattress for a bad back is the brand’s very innovative, patent approach to its products. It uses its own unique Hyper-Elastic Polymer material. The bed has a four-inch layer of polyurethane foam at its base, keeping it stable. Then, the second transitional layer is softer than the base but still hard. Finally, the third layer is where their special polymer comes in.
This polymer is more similar to a gel or silicone, unlike memory foam. It’s very soft, flexible, and highly responsive. At the same time, it is a firm yet soft mattress for back pain, giving you both support and pressure relief. This top layer is further improved thanks to the grid-like structure it’s made in.
Furthermore, the polymer doesn’t retain heat. It’s a temperature-neutral material that doesn’t allow the sleeper’s body heat to transfer to the bed. The grid-like structure allows air to move freely, adding to its cooling effect. It’s an excellent choice for hot sleepers. The polymer actually conforms to your body but in a different way from foam. However, it also delivers just enough resistance so you won’t get “stuck” if you move around a lot, which gives a lot of comfort no matter if you sleep on your back, stomach, or side.
If you care about the environment and genuinely want to do as much as you can, then getting an organic mattress is a pretty good step in that direction. The Awara Natural Luxury Organic Mattress is made from natural Dunlop latex and organic cotton, and it even uses a natural wool cover. It only has two layers, with a base layer of zoned support coils, followed by Dunlop latex foam for support.
These organic materials aren’t just beneficial for the environment. Natural latex is antimicrobial, meaning it doesn’t gather dust mites or any other elements that can provoke allergic reactions. The support coils that keep your back in proper alignment make it a great mattress for lower back support. They also have just enough softness in the foam, which lets your hips sink (but not too much), keeping your lower spine nice and parallel to the floor.
This is one for the everyman—an affordable, sturdy memory foam mattress for back pain that does everything right. Bear’s flagship is a fantastic choice with the right level of pressure relief and contouring at an acceptable price. Like almost all of the products on this list, this bed comes with a sturdy foam base at the bottom. Then, there’s the middle layer, made from responsive foam. The top layer is made from open-cell gel memory foam, and it’s this combination that makes the mattress stand out.
The combo of a sturdy foam base with a softer transition layer and special gel-infused memory foam makes it the top cooling mattress for back pain. Many memory foam mattresses have issues with retaining heat, but the gel foam is there to prevent this issue. The material itself retains minimal heat, something that’s further emphasized with its open-cell structure.
What also makes it stand out is the mattress’s firmness. Even though it’s made from memory foam, you won’t get that sinking, stuck-in-the-mud feeling that’s not good for back pain.
DreamCloud is known for their orthopedic mattress, but their Luxury Hybrid mattress is amazing for back pain, thanks to its specific combination of coils and memory foam, not to mention the Euro top, pretty much giving you the best of both worlds. So first, you have a dense layer of support foam for the base, and then you get a layer of pocketed coils that add extra support and a little bit of responsiveness. What makes this hybrid mattress for back pain great is the third layer that’s essentially a transition foam, which gives a bit of extra softness between you and the coils.
Then, you get gel-infused memory foam, and finally, the quilted Euro top. The quilted Euro top gives this mattress that little extra something, and it allows for added softness and comfort while still not messing with the responsiveness and firmness of the innerspring layer. It’s perfect for heavyset individuals who need that extra support without wanting to completely sink into the mattress itself.
This one is great for almost all sleepers, but it’s still perhaps the mattress for side sleepers. It’s both comfortable and responsive. It’s soft yet firm, gives you a kind of memory-foam feel, but not too much. The Leesa Hybrid Mattress has five layers. First, there’s the base layer of support foam. Then you get a layer of pocketed coils that give the bed its durability, support, and responsiveness. Next, a layer of support foam serves as a transitional layer between the coils and the top layers. Finally, the top layer is 1.5 inches of memory foam to give you pressure relief, making this one of the top–rated mattresses for back pain.
This same memory foam is a bit different than the regular stuff, and it’s a unique blend—aerated premium foam, which is more neutral than the regular kind. This bed is paradoxically soft and firm—you sink into it a bit, but you also get a lot of support. The main reason for this is that it’s a hybrid with a relatively thin layer of foam on top of the coils. This means the metal innerspring part gives you the structure you need, while the rest is just soft enough to keep you comfy.
Another eco-friendly bed—Avocado’s Green Mattress, is an organic hybrid that provides you with a strong level of support through its innerspring coils while also providing a solid layer of foam, so you get some softness. But just “some,” which could either give you trouble or make you really like this mattress.
If you need a hard bed for back pain, this mattress is for you. It gives a lot of responsiveness and a lot of support, but you might want some extra padding—which Avocado can also provide. This mattress delivers perfect alignment for your spine, but it also can add more pressure to painful muscles and spots, so we don’t recommend it to people with muscle or joint issues.
People who switch positions a lot during the night will also appreciate this bed since they won’t sink into it while moving around. It’s truly great for upper back pain because it’s made from organic materials and keeps your back aligned.
The Casper Original is not overly firm nor overly soft. It’s made from four foam layers. You have a base layer of support foam, then a transition layer, then a layer of memory foam, and another layer of unique, open-cell foam. Moreover, it doesn’t especially feel like memory foam, so you don’t sink in as much as you would with other memory foam mattresses.
It’s a great mattress for side sleeper hip pain since you get Zoned Support for your spine, but you also get some softness to help with hip aches. We said that there’s no one-size-fits-all mattress, and that’s true. However, this one is closest to that statement, for better or worse, since most people won’t be making a mistake if they choose the Casper Original.
One of the more popular brands in the US, Nectar, is known for providing a good mattress for lower back pain that is affordable. The Nectar Mattress is a complete orthopedic foam bed made up of four layers, roughly eleven inches thick. First, there’s the base layer of thick support foam, followed by Nectar’s Adaptive Hi Core Memory Foam.
Thanks to its three memory foam layers, this mattress has a nice, strong feel to it. You won’t sink immediately into the bed, but the foam will conform around your body, taking on its shape. What’s more, you don’t really sink in as much as you would with other memory foam mattresses. Instead, your shoulders and hips will be cradled nicely, contributing to eased neck pain.
Note that both very light and heavyset individuals might not enjoy this mattress. For lighter people, it might be a bit too firm. On the other hand, heavier people will sink too deeply into it since it still is a memory foam mattress.
The Nolah Original 10 is the best foam mattress for back pain if you want to feel like you’re lying on a cloud. This mattress is made from three layers, all foam. First, you have the base support foam layer, followed by a thin transition layer. Finally, you get Nolah’s proprietary AirFoam top layer.
This one stands out because this layer is made out of open-cell foam. This allows better airflow circulation, allowing better temperature regulation within the mattress. Essentially, it draws body heat. It also isolates motion, meaning movement and changes on one side of the bed won’t influence the other side. Furthermore, out of all the entries on our list, it’s a pure foam mattress that retains the least heat.
This one is not for heavier people (anyone over 240 lbs) since they will most likely sink too far into the mattress, and there simply isn’t that much support to spare. However, for people who really like a soft mattress, this one is fantastic.
Helix Dawn is a six-core model with 4″ of foam and 8″ wrapped coils. It offers a kind of soft foam with a neutral feel. You won’t really get that special memory foam experience, but it also doesn’t feel like traditional innerspring mattresses. You get lots of responsiveness, support, and durability thanks to the coils, but the Dawn model is also nice and soft.
In fact, it’s specifically great for back, and stomach sleepers of lighter and medium builds since it gives you support but still allows for some softness. If you can’t decide between a soft or hard mattress for back pain, you should go for the Dawns. The combination of dawn, foam, and coils will give your back all the support it needs with some extra bounciness and firmness.
Ask yourself honestly, how old is your mattress? Warranty periods are fantastic, but your regular old mattress won’t really be of much use for longer than a decade of regular wear and tear. When it comes to finding the top-quality mattress for your particular needs, you need to consider several factors.
You’ll come across many mattress types while looking for the perfect one. Before you go deep into the research, you should decide which type would suit you best.
Innerspring mattresses, also known as coil mattresses, are the most common type. They’re made from steel coils that compress when you put some weight on them. More coils mean higher quality and better support. They’re cheap and simple to make, so naturally, they’re very affordable. However, they don’t last long since the springs tend to get worn down. Furthermore, the squeaking you hear from these beds gets old fast. Still, they tend to be the top beds for back pain since they’re on the firmer side and provide excellent back support.
While memory foam tends to be soft, it can still be good for back pain if reinforced or combined with coils. These mattresses are so popular because they give you a kind of pleasant sinking sensation, a feeling of being cradled. They provide both cushioning and support. They’re especially useful for people who need extra softness due to various painful conditions.
Gel-based mattresses are a subtype of foam mattresses. They’re essentially foam mattresses that are infused with a special gel-like material. Their core advantage is that they provide you with a cool sleeping surface, which is especially helpful for people who sweat a lot or have high body temperatures. They can be great mattresses for bad backs, provided they have a firm base.
Similar to memory foam, latex offers pressure relief and contouring. However, the level of contouring is lower than that of memory foam, which is actually a good thing. Side sleepers suffering from back pain may benefit the most from latex mattresses because they provide some extra resistance and bounce, meaning you can’t really sink into the mattress. However, these mattresses do let you sink a bit, which is excellent for people with broader hips and shoulders who sleep on their sides.
Hybrids offer the best of both worlds, with the softness of a latex or memory foam mattress combined with the support and bounce of an innerspring mattress. These are made by placing springs in the bottom layer, with a few layers of latex or memory foam on top of the mattresses—giving you support and softness at the same time, which is the main reason they’re top-rated beds for back pain.
We use these three together because they’re closely tied. Namely, the materials used in the construction of these mattresses, and the actual type of mattress (which we’ll cover down below), significantly influence how they’ll feel. A strong factor that influences a mattress’s comfort is also how the layers in a mattress are combined. A mattress made specifically for back pain should give you a certain level of support, comfort, and responsiveness. The extent to which they provide you with certain elements shows how they differ.
Response means that there’s a sense of springiness to the touch, that it even gives you some bounce. It’s great for people who move a lot in their sleep and heavier individuals since they might warp the bed a bit more. Furthermore, softness includes how deeply you sink into the mattress and how much it conforms around your body. Firmness, then, represents how little it actually conforms and sinks.
Certain mattresses handle heat better than others. Namely, heat transfers from the environment and the sleeper to the mattress in varying degrees. Certain materials, like memory foam, tend to soak up heat more than others. Many of the mattresses on our list have features that mitigate body heat.
Even the top-rated mattress for back and neck pain won’t be comfortable if it makes you feel like you’re in a sauna half the time you rest. Open-cell structures, ventilated grid systems, and other improvements make the mattress airier and help minimize heat transfer.
A mattress’s softness also influences how much heat is transferred. Namely, as the mattress contours, bending and enveloping your body, more of its surface area is exposed to your body heat, which is then redirected to your body.
One of the more important subjective factors when searching for a mattress for a bad back is how well it responds to your sleep position. Most back issues are caused by improper posture, and a mattress that doesn’t correspond to your sleep position will worsen this issue.
Your weight must be factored into your choice as you’re conducting your search for the perfect mattress. How much you weigh will influence how far you’ll sink into a mattress and how much pressure you’ll feel. However, note that this isn’t a matter of softness but rather support. So, if you can’t stand a lot of pressure on your joints and muscles but are also on the heavier side, you should go for a hybrid mattress with a foam top layer and coils that act as supports. Meanwhile, even the best mattress for back pain won’t help you if you’re very thin and have something too firm. An exceptionally thin individual might prefer something softer since firm mattresses tend to be uncomfortable. Still, they might have back issues that require extra support, leading them to the same mattress.
Nothing beats the feeling of finally finding the perfect mattress, but that joy isn’t your final step. Before you type in your credit card info and click that “buy” button, you should do a few more things:
First things first—you want to test the mattress out. Come to the store in comfortable clothes and footwear that’s easy to take off. Make yourself comfortable, take your time, and don’t fret about the salesperson. They should let you test everything out properly. Try all sleeping positions, see how you feel.
If you really don’t have the option to test the mattress, get one with a good return policy or a guaranteed trial period.
Getting a top-rated mattress for back pain won’t matter much if you pull a muscle getting it into your bedroom. A good company will likely offer employees, a delivery service, or some kind of wheeled box to allow you to get it into your home as easily as possible.
Be sure to inspect the mattress when it’s delivered. See if it has any stains or damage, and check that it has the right materials. If you accept the mattress and get it set up in your home, call customer service if there are any issues. Take photos or a video for proof.
Sleep is essential for the recovery of body and mind. Unfortunately, back pain can disrupt this recovery, causing even more health issues, so finding the perfect mattress could alleviate multiple problems. However, that’s easier said than done. Hopefully, our detailed buyer’s guide and mattress selection will help you get rid of the pain and sleep soundly again.
This depends a great deal on what type of back pain you feel. Although they reduce pressure point pain, memory foam mattresses deliver softness but not that much support. If you have postural issues or if pain flares up when your back is improperly aligned, then you should look elsewhere.
The best one will be a mattress that’s on the firmer side while still having some softness to it. In fact, the best mattress for side sleepers might be a hybrid, which gives you stability through its tougher, firmer base but still gives you some room for your shoulders and your hips.
These mattresses allow you to cushion your hips and your shoulders, providing you with proper alignment. Now, the trick here is getting something just firm enough not to let you sink too deeply because it will make it worse. Also, more heavyset individuals might prefer something firmer.
It depends on the cause of your lower back pain. If it’s a posture issue, you’ll want a firmer mattress that keeps your back in line. If you have some pain, maybe something softer that relieves pressure is a better choice.
If your back pain is postural, you could use some extra support. A too soft mattress will just let you sink into the thing, exacerbating your poor posture. However, if you have direct hip and back pain, you’ll want something softer, something that puts less stress on these direct points. Consulting your physician might be the wisest option since choosing the best mattress for back pain is a highly subjective experience.