Is back pain keeping you up at night? Looking for a mattress that will give you comfort, support, and ease your chronic aches and pains? You’re in luck! In this guide, I’ll help you find the best mattress to provide pain relief and improve your sleep quality.
Best Mattress for Back Pain - Reviews and Buyers Guide
How to Find The Best Mattress for Back Pain
Considering a new mattress to help combat chronic back pain? If you’re getting the 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, as recommended by the Mayo Clinic, you’ll spend one-third of your life in bed. That makes the mattress you choose, one of the most important factors for quality of life. And if you pair sleep quality with pain relief, the importance of investing in the right mattress jumps through the roof.
In this guide, I will review the most important factors to aid in purchasing a new mattress for back pain. Aside from the primary topics related to back pain, I will also go over some of the secondary topics that you might want to consider when making your final determination. However, if you’re just looking for a quick recommendation, see our top picks for the best mattress for back pain below.
What is the Best Mattress for a Bad Back?
This is the all-important question that we need to answer. I can provide my top recommendations, however, your personal experience may differ from mine. I encourage you to make your decision based on the factors that matter the most to you. Here are our recommendations based on specific areas of back pain.
Best Overall
Upper Back Pain
Lower Back Pain
Hip Pain
Pressure Relief
Stomach Sleeping
Level Sleep
“Level has a mission…and it’s to alleviate back pain while you sleep.“
Reason to Buy
While all the mattresses reviewed are fantastic, I feel that Level Sleep provides the best overall relief for back pain sufferers. Level Sleep has designed a mattress that provides both back and joint pain relief based on scientific and clinical data.
This mattress has three layers of protection, referred to as Tri-Support Layers. The Tri-Support layers are designed to reduce pain, provide support, and contour to your body for proper spinal alignment.
Whether you require better absorption for your shoulders, support for your side or alignment for your hips and lower back, Level Sleep is a great option for you.
Best Mattress for Upper Back Pain
Leesa Hybrid
“My shoulders and back used to be sore every morning of my life. I love this mattress!“
Reason to Buy
If you’re a side sleeper or just need pressure relief in your upper back and shoulders, the Leesa mattress is an excellent choice. Leesa went the extra mile by identifying the sleeping characteristics most common in the majority of the population and then reverse-engineered a mattress to support them.
The mattress is designed with three layers to provide ideal sleep for people suffering from chronic back pain. The first is a comfort layer to provide pressure relief. The second is a recovery layer designed to contour to your body. The third is a support layer to help cradle any sleeping position.
Because of its strong reputation for absorbing the shoulders and providing proper spinal alignment, I feel the Leesa is the best mattress for upper back pain.
Best Mattress for Lower Back Pain
Saatva
“If you like the way high-end, luxury mattresses used to feel 20 years ago, but still appreciate advanced technology at work, then the Saatva is a great choice.”
Reason to Buy
If you’re a fan of a more classic-style mattress, but still want relief from lower back pain, the Saatva mattress might just be the right fit for you. The Saatva mattress has the innerspring base of a traditional mattress but with the newer, hybrid technology of wrapped coils, a pillow top, and memory foam.
The Saatva mattress is designed to provide additional support to the middle third of the mattress where your lumbar region (i.e. lower back) would be. Additionally, an added layer of “visco-elastic” memory foam supports the areas most commonly associated with pressure points.
Whether you require extra support to relieve your chronic lower back pain, or simply prefer the firmness of a traditional-style mattress and the added benefits of pain-free sleep, the Saatva mattress is a great option.
Best Mattress for Hip Pain
Helix Midnight
“Helix has 9 mattress options and counting…this one is great for body support”
Reason to Buy
Helix does an incredible job being inclusive with their products. They have a variety of customized options so shoppers can find what’s just right. So it’s no surprise they have a model is fits the bill for back and hip pain.
The Helix Midnight Luxe is a foam hybrid that offers some excellent support. It has multi-zone zone construction to provide different support to different parts of the body…exactly what you would help if you’re trying to maintain a healthy spine alignment to reduce back stress.
Don’t believe us? Click the link above and visit their site. You can take their quiz and find just the right match.
Best Mattress for Pressure Relief
Brooklyn Signature
“As one of the highest quality mattress makers in the industry, these things are built with your body in mind.”w
Reason to Buy
You’ve probably read it elsewhere on the site…I like Brooklyn products a lot. They also offer quality goods thanks to their rigorous quality assurance process.
Brooklyn offers its Signature in soft, medium, and firm options. While they’re not the only brand to do this, it’s still somewhat rare. The beauty of this is that if you like the mattress materials, but it’s not quite the right feel, you can opt for a different firmness that fits your body type. This is a fantastic option if you’re looking to relieve some pressure.
Combine the power of choice with Brooklyn’s 1024 premium wrapped coils and you have one supportive mattress. Enjoy!
Best for Stomach Sleepers
Layla
“Flipping the bed and the script, that is Layla’s claim to fame. Two chances to get the perfect level of support.”
Reason to Buy
If at first, you don’t succeed…flip it over. That’s definitely not Layla’s official slogan, but it’s what I like most about a flippable mattress.
Stomach sleeping is finicky. It’s often touted as the worst sleeping position. But…it’s comfortable. So how can we make it as harmless as possible? Find a mattress that supports the proper way and doesn’t put undue stress on your back. That typically means a firmer mattress.
Layla has a firmer and softer side, to appeal to many, but the reality is, this is all relative depending on the person. I’m confident that between the two sides, you’ll find one that is a good fit for a stomach sleeper.
Other Factors to Consider
While relief from chronic back pain may be your primary concern, there are other factors you’ll want to consider before you make your final decision. Here are some other components you may want to look for in a mattress when you’re narrowing down your options.
Mattress Type
While some chronic pain sufferers prefer a memory foam mattress that contours to the shape of their body, others prefer the firm support of an innerspring mattress for their back pain. There are pros and cons to both types, and now, many companies have attempted to capture what works for both develop a hybrid mattress. I advise that you try several and determine which option you prefer.
In addition, mattresses will vary in firmness. You might prefer a firmer mattress or a medium firm mattress. You may want a combination of both. For example, a firm mattress with a softer top layer for added comfort and support. Again, if you’re not sure which is best, you can always try some before you make your final choice.
Sleep Position
The position you prefer to sleep in should definitely be a consideration when choosing a mattress. Whether you prefer to sleep on your side, your stomach, your back or a combination of positions, there is a mattress for you that will also provide pain relief for your back. In fact, many are engineered to support a variety of sleep positions.
Motion Transfer
If you plan to share your bed, you’ll want a mattress that minimizes motion transfer. That way, you and your partner won’t be woken up every time one of you has to get out of bed or change positions. If this aspect is important to you, you’ll want to find a mattress that has characteristics designed to eliminate motion transfer.
Temperature
Are you a hot sleeper? Many older styles and cheap mattresses tend to retain heat. If you want cooling comfort in addition to pressure relief for your back, you’ll want to invest in a mattress designed for ventilation. Many of the newer types of foam used in quality mattresses are engineered to keep you cooler.
Edge Support
If you sleep near the edge of your mattress or sit on the edge of the bed often, you’ll want a mattress with good edge support. If this is particularly important, you may want to opt for an innerspring mattress as foam mattresses, by nature, don’t offer great edge support. If you’re planning to purchase an innerspring mattress, I recommend looking for a mattress with upgraded foam encasement around the edge as opposed to the old-fashioned steel rods on the side.
Conclusion
Since you will spend a third of your life in bed, your mattress should be a good investment, particularly if you suffer from back pain. The right mattress can provide good support, relieve chronic back pain and provide the restful sleep you need to be productive and energetic.
Choose a mattress that is specifically designed to treat your type of pain whether it is upper back, lower back or hip pain. And while that may be the most important factor, it isn’t the only factor. You’ll also want to take into account your preferred sleep position and mattress type. Finally, there are other factors that might be important such as motion transfer, temperature, and edge support.
I’ve recommended the four mattresses that I feel are the best for back pain but your experience may be different from mine. The good news is that most mattress companies now offer sleep trials so you can be sure it’s the best match for you.
If you want to learn more about how and when to purchase a mattress, check out our Best Mattress Buying Guide.
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