The 11 Best Mattresses for Back Pain: Doctor Tested and Approved

The all-foam, flagship Nectar Classic mattress brings a mix of pressure relief and support in its construction that eases back pain — and a price and warranty that relieves budget aches. Although the Nectar is less expensive than other mattresses on our list, it scored a 4.3 overall because it exceeded expectations across the board, earning a 4 or higher in all performance categories, including pressure relief, edge support, motion isolation, and responsiveness.  

Although the Nectar is a memory foam mattress with a slow-moving, contouring feel, it still offers balanced support, including a sturdy perimeter that allows sleepers to use the entire bed surface without fear of the edges collapsing. After testing the Nectar, Dr. Tedesco said, “This bed can be great for those with back pain, especially if you need to stay aligned to feel comfort because it creates a very supported feeling. Those with back pain who need structural support will likely think this bed is great.” 

If you shy away from all-foam mattresses because of some known drawbacks, such as a lack of responsiveness and cooling, you will be pleased with how well the Nectar performs in this category. It’s surprisingly responsive, meaning it could be a solid choice for combination sleepers and sexually active couples who need a bed that allows them to move from one position to another without much effort. 

My colleague and mattress expert, Kenny Timper, said, “For an all-foam bed, it is surprisingly easy to switch between different positions. I think it’s easier to switch positions because it’s not a very tall bed, so you don’t sink too far into it.” 

Heat can often get trapped in foam, leading to overheating, but the breathable cooling cover on top of the mattress helps to mitigate that. Though it wasn’t cool to the touch, the Nectar impressed us during testing. Kenny took an initial temperature of the bed using a thermal temperature gun and then another one after he lay on the bed for five minutes. After absorbing his body heat, the Nectar’s temperature increased less than six degrees, causing him to state, “I think the Nectar has excellent cooling.” 

Foam beds are usually coveted for their motion-isolating ability. The Nectar delivers a cushy, sinking feeling on top, but its thinner surface layer isn’t enough to absorb movement before it travels across the surface. Small shifts might go undetected, but if you wake up when your partner gets out of bed, you might want to look for a mattress that adapts better to motion. Also, although our lightweight tester, Asha Birjah, felt comfortable on her back on the Nectar, she wasn’t as keen on it when she was on her side, saying, “I feel pressure and discomfort around my shoulder.”

Want to find out more? Read our full Nectar mattress review. You should check out the Bear Original for a foam bed with better motion isolation.

The Saatva combines coil-on-coil construction with a cushiony pillow top to win the title of best innerspring mattress for back pain. The Saatva did well in most of our performance tests, but it shined brightest in edge support and responsiveness, landing a 4.8 and 5 out of 5, respectively. These solid performances garnered the Saatva a 4.2 overall.  

The mattress packs in multiple back-pain-specific enhancements, including a layer of foam designed to contour to your lower back, a wire within the coils that promotes proper spinal alignment, and zoning in the center third of the mattress to add additional firmness where you’ll need it most. 

After spending some time on the Saatva, Dr. Tedesco stated, “This is an excellent bed for people with back pain — no matter their preferred sleeping position.” He was particularly impressed with how evenly his weight was distributed, leading to a supported and neutrally aligned spine. My co-worker, Livvi DiCicco, a combination sleeper who tucks herself in on a Saatva Classic every night, agreed with Dr.Tedesco; she enjoys it in every position: back, side, and stomach. 

One of the highlights of the Saatva Classic is its bounce. It earned a perfect score in this category, likely because it almost launches you across the surface when you move around on it. Livvi calls herself a “particularly rowdy combination sleeper,” and she loves how easy it is to move around on the bed’s surface without feeling “trapped” by the cushiness of the Euro top. The only downside is that this mattress’s bounce doesn’t translate well to isolating motion, earning it just a 2.7 out of 5 in this category. Livvi said, “I can feel every little movement on the other side of the bed, and I wouldn’t recommend the Saatva for light sleepers with a restless partner.”

The Saatva comes in three different firmness options and two heights. This allows you to tailor the mattress to your specific preferences. We tested the Luxury Firm and think that it’s an excellent choice for back sleepers. However, side sleepers, especially petite ones, will likely want the Soft model. When testing the Luxury Firm on her side, lightweight tester Asha Birjah, said, “I feel a lot of pressure in my shoulder and upper back, and I don’t feel like my hips are aligned with my spine.”

Read our Saatva Classic review to find out more. Want a Saatva bed with better motion isolation? Check out the Saatva Rx, also on this list.

The Helix Midnight Luxe is a hybrid with a luxurious feel, thanks to its pressure-relieving pillow top. It’s got a medium firmness (we rated it at 6 out of 10 on our firmness scale) that’s sure to please a wide variety of sleepers, not just the side sleepers it was designed for. The bed earned a 4.0 or higher in all our tests, with particularly impressive scores of 4.7 in motion isolation and a flawless 5 in cooling. Its consistency secured a 4.3 overall score and the superlative for best mattress for combination sleepers with back pain. 

Combination sleepers need a bed that allows them to move from one position to another with little effort. When a sleeper can move from their back to stomach or their side to back without much work, their risk of waking up is lowered. The Helix Midnight Luxe’s coil unit adds great springiness. When I tested this bed’s responsiveness, I noted that although it has a softer upper layer, it was still easy to move in all positions. I didn’t feel stuck. 

Dr. Tedesco was a fan of this bed for side and stomach sleepers. This is a bit of an anomaly, as side sleepers usually need a much softer bed than stomach sleepers. He said, “This could be great for side sleepers with back pain because I feel that my pelvis lifted. For some people, this can mean opening up space in the lower back, which could feel very therapeutic. However, when I switched to my stomach, my knees were lower than my butt, and I felt a posterior pelvic tilt, making it a solid choice for stomach sleepers with back pain.”

Although neither Dr. Tedesco nor I tested a model with the optional ErgoAligh Layer, it is a worthwhile addition for back pain sufferers. This layer uses zoned dense foam to provide additional back support and pressure relief where you need it most. It also helps keep your spine in a neutral position throughout the night, contouring your lower back.

Other areas the Helix Midnight Luxe excelled were edge support (4.2 out of 5) and cooling (a perfect 5 out of 5). The reinforced coils along the perimeter of the mattress keep it from sagging, even as the plush pillow top compresses when bearing weight. When we performed our cooling test, we only saw a temperature increase of 3.3 degrees after lying on the bed’s surface for five minutes, making this the right mattress for hot sleepers. Two main drawbacks of this bed that come to mind are its sub-par motion isolation (it only earned 3.5 out of 5) and cost. It’s a luxury mattress with a luxury price, which may deter some budget shoppers.

Read our full Helix Midnight Luxe review to find out more. If you’re looking for something more affordable, you might consider the original Helix Midnight model.

Overheating on your mattress is the last thing you want to deal with on top of back pain. Luckily, WinkBed has been built to address both of these problems. Its highlighting feature is its sturdy zoned coil unit, which is firmer in the center to provide necessary support for the lumbar area. The coil construction also offers ample room for airflow, keeping the bed cool while you’re on it and helping this bed earn our spot for best cooling mattress for back pain. However, the WinkBed isn’t a one-trick pony; it secured a 4.3 or higher in back pressure relief, edge support, and motion isolation, resulting in an overall score of 3.9.

The WinkBed is an excellent example of why we use quantitative data and hands-on testing. When we used the thermal temperature gun to record an initial surface temperature and then captured another reading after tester Riley Otis had lounged on it for five minutes, we saw an 8-degree increase, which earned this bed a 3.5 out of 5. 

However, Riley’s hands-on feedback and other testers’ experience with this bed’s cooling allowed us to evaluate the mattress under real-world conditions and reward it with a best-in-class cooling superlative. Riley said, “I thought the WinkBed felt pretty cool when I first laid down on it. After 5 minutes, I didn’t notice any significant heating up, despite what the thermal gun said. You can feel that 8-degree increase with some beds, but I didn’t notice it on the WinkBed.”   

Dr. Tedesco thinks the WinkBed is an exceptional choice for those with back pain because of its pressure-relieving capabilities. He said he had no pressure buildup when he was on my back. “I prefer sleeping on my back, and when I was in that position, I could have fallen asleep during the few minutes I spent on the WinkBed,” he said. He also thinks those with back pain will reap the benefits of sleeping on this bed. The doctor said the even support combined with the softer pillow top should make it an excellent option for those who sleep on their sides.  

Although Dr. Tedesco and our other testers enjoyed this bed on their backs, it didn’t fare as well for lightweight side sleepers. Asha Birjah, a tester who weighs less than 130 pounds, said, “My hips sank in a little bit, causing some strain on my mid back, and my weight didn’t feel evenly distributed.”

The excessive sinkage that Asha felt on her side might also present a problem for combination sleepers. The WinkBed only scored a 3 out of 5 for response because our testers sank into its plush pillow-top comfort layer. While this comfort layer offers back sleepers great pressure relief, combination sleepers who frequently change positions at night might find it more challenging to do so on this mattress.

Find out more in our full WinkBed mattress review. Want a foam version? Check out the WinkBeds GravityLux.

Back sleepers struggling with back pain should be on the lookout for a mattress designed to offer superior pressure relief while still ensuring the healthy alignment of the spine. One such bed is the Saatva Rx, an orthopedic-focused luxury mattress with Saatva’s proprietary “Lumbar Zone” technology, consisting of quilting and a gel-infused “crown” in the center to support and contour the lower back. It earned a 4.8 when we average side and back pressure relief and a perfect 5 in motion isolation, helping it achieve an overall score of 4 out of 5. 

After Dr. Tedesco tested the Rx, he felt it may be a pain relief prescription. “This bed could be a great option for someone who sleeps on their back and has back pain,” he said. “I feel some nice elevation in my legs, which feels good and gives me some back relief because my legs feel a little lifted; having that slight posterior tilt could provide a lot of relief.”

Back sleepers typically benefit from a bed with medium firmness that balances support and contouring, and product tester Erin Chiles found that this mattress hit that sweet spot. She said, “I absolutely loved this mattress on my back. The pillow top fills in every area of my body while the firmness supports the heavier areas. This is probably one of my favorite mattresses I have tried.” 

Erin was also impressed with how well this bed performed during the motion isolation partner test. She said that she couldn’t tell when her testing partner, Kayla Godfrey, got in or out of bed. When Kayla changed positions, Erin said, “It was one of the lightest motion disturbances I have experienced on a mattress. It was barely noticeable.”

However, as much as Dr. Tedesco and Erin enjoyed this bed, that doesn’t mean it is without fault. When Erin tested the seated edge support, she noted that the strong support she felt in the center of the bed didn’t extend to the perimeter. The edge collapsed under her, making it more difficult to stand from a seated position. When we performed our cooling test, we also found that the mattress heated almost 10 degrees from the initial surface temperature to the one taken after Erin lay on the bed for five minutes, which suggests that this bed doesn’t dissipate heat well. If you overheat when you sleep, you may want to skip the Rx.

Check out our full Saatva Rx review for more information. If you’d like a bed by this manufacturer that offers better edge support and cooling, check out the Saatva. 

Many folks like a balanced hybrid mattress, which combines pressure-relieving foams and sturdy coils for support. It’s why hybrids often make some of the best mattresses for back pain, and the Bear Elite Hybrid is the best of the best in this category. It earned a 4 or higher in our tests for back pressure relief, edge support, motion isolation, and responsiveness for a 4.3 overall score. 

To further flex its versatility muscles, the Bear Elite Hybrid has multiple firmness options (Soft, Medium, and Firm) so you can choose which will work best for you. We tested the Medium and found it at a 7 out of 10 on our firmness scale, a smidge harder than true medium-firm. 

Although it is a little firmer than what typically works for side sleepers, Dr. Tedesco gave me an emphatic yes when we asked him if he thought it would work well for side sleepers with back pain. “In the side position, I feel very supported and cradled,” he said. “I don’t notice any pressure that would lead me to believe that people with back pain wouldn’t enjoy this mattress.”

Our heavyweight mattress tester, Caine Wilkes, also appreciated how this bed relieved pressure when he was on his back. He said, “I feel no extra pressure and am equally supported throughout my body. I think this is a good mattress for heavy back sleepers.” Caine’s feelings about the Bear Elite for back sleepers were backed up when we tested his pounds per square inch (PSI) on a specialized mat to track pressure buildup. The average mattress PSI for back sleepers is 14.8, and Caine’s was 14.5 on this mattress. Considering he weighs over 230 pounds, this is an impressive score. 

One of the main reasons I like hybrids in general and the Bear Elite, in particular, is because they often perform well in two categories that matter a lot to me: responsiveness and motion isolation. Although I sleep primarily on my side, I switch back and forth from my right to my left side throughout the night, and the Elite’s responsiveness, which received a 4 out of 5, allows me to do so fairly effortlessly. Since my husband is an extremely restless sleeper, I also look for beds that isolate motion well, and the Bear Elite Hybrid earned a 4.7 in this category. 

The major drawback for this bed might be that its $2,000 price point for a queen-sized mattress won’t fit all budgets. We also found it may cause too much pressure for lightweight side sleepers. 

Check out our full Bear Elite Hybrid review to learn more about this bed. Price-conscious? Take a look at the Bear Original, Bear’s affordable foam mattress.

Sometimes, a plain Jane, bare-bones mattress won’t cut it, especially if you’re looking to treat yourself and your back pain. A luxury mattress like the Nolah Evolution treats your lumbar aches with layers of sumptuous foams, strong coils, and proprietary features to enhance overall performance and comfort. Our testers and Dr. Tedesco evaluated the Luxury Firm version of this mattress and found that it was well worth its hefty price tag. The Nolah Evolution scored a 4 out of 5 or higher in responsiveness, motion isolation, edge support, cooling, and pressure relief. This propelled it to an impressive 4.4 overall.

In addition to its top-notch materials and construction, this is an excellent bed for those who have painful backs. After Dr. Tedesco tested the Evolution, he said, “I think people who have back pain could stand to benefit from this mattress. With this mattress, you get some great weightlessness and slight posterior tilt as a back sleeper, which is ideal for alleviating hip and back pain.”

As a middle-aged CrossFitter, I am always looking for ways to ease my aching back, but  I also pay special attention to how well a bed isolates motion. My partner is so restless it feels like I experience nightly earthquakes, although we live nowhere near a fault line. Eliminating how much of his flipping and flopping I felt was one of the main reasons I bought the Nolah Evolution. The latest updates of this bed have made it even more appealing, and I am trying to figure out how to treat myself to a second new Evolution in less than 18 months.  

The price tag will be the primary deterrent for shoppers with this mattress. And considering the cost of this mattress, it’s disappointing that they consistently arrive in boxes that look like they have been bounced down the interstate. I would like more resolute packaging for a bed that will add as much to your credit card statement as this one. 

We are working on our full review of the Nolah Evolution Luxe and will post it as soon as possible. Check out the Nolah Signature if you want a more affordable bed from the same brand. 

If you or your partner are looking for a new mattress to address your back pain, you may want to consider one that’ll be good for couples, too. If you fall into this category, you’ll want to check out the Silk & Snow Hybrid, our pick for the best mattress for couples with back pain. Not only can this bed help alleviate back pain for some sleepers, but it also scored a 4 or above in responsiveness, motion isolation, and cooling — all of which benefit couples. These scores helped it earn a 4.1 overall. 

Given its performance scores for couples and Dr. Tedesco’s evaluation of how it should relieve back pain, it was a no-brainer that we’d recommend this bed to couples where one or both partners have back issues. “I really like this mattress for back pain, especially for back sleepers with back pain,” said Dr. Tedesco. “It gives a little posterior pelvic tilt, which makes it feel like your knees are bent and your knees are slightly elevated, like if you had a small pillow under your knees — but without the pressure buildup you might get from having something actually under your knees.”

Sexually active couples usually prefer beds that make it easy to switch up positions, and the spring coils at the base of this bed should help them do that. When my colleague Dan Caffrey tested this mattress, he said that he didn’t find it challenging to switch positions, but once he was in a new one, he felt a little wobbly before eventually settling in. Ultimately, he said, “I would say that, overall, this is a pretty responsive mattress that makes it fairly easy to move around on.”

Although Dan has been testing mattresses for years, he admitted that the Silk & Snow Hybrid’s motion isolation ability surprised him a little when he performed the “ripple test.” Dan filled a large container with water during this test and placed it on one side of the bed. He then sat down on the other side, stood up, and moved around like a partner going to bed at a different time would while evaluating how much the water swished and splashed.

He said, “I was surprised how little the water moved on the Silk & Snow Hybrid. Hybrid mattresses aren’t always the best at isolating motion because of their springs, so it was refreshing to see how still the water remained.” 

However, one of the drawbacks of this bed is that its support isn’t as strong along the perimeter as it is in the center of the bed. This could be problematic for couples who like to spread out and use the whole sleeping surface, as they may not feel secure when they scoot to the edge. It also lacked a little when it came to side pressure relief, which is something you should note if this is your preferred sleeping position. 

Read our full Silk & Snow Hybrid mattress review for more. Want better edge support? Check out the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid. 

Brooklyn Bedding offers a wide array of mattress options, with the Signature Hybrid being one of its most comfortable and economical mattresses (you can often find a queen size for under $1,000 after discounts). Our testing found that its simple yet effective hybrid construction of foams and springs helped us maintain a healthy sleeping posture, essential for avoiding back pain. This bed performed well in our cooling and edge support test, earning 4.5 and 4.3, respectively. These scores helped this mattress obtain a 3.8 overall score. 

Dr. Tedesco said the Signature Hybrid was an excellent choice for back and side sleepers with back pain. “On my back and side, I can tell that the bed is providing great support for my spine’s natural curves through the lumbar, thoracic, and cervical spine,” he said. “You aren’t put in any unnatural position.” The doctor’s assessment shows that you don’t have to go into debt to find a mattress that will ease your back pain. 

I was the pressure relief tester for this bed, and although the Signature Hybrid  isn’t flashy, I appreciate its steady consistency. Since pressure-relieving capabilities can help with back pain, I was pleased with how well this mattress performed in this category. When I used a specialized mat to measure my pressure in PSI, it showed a 13.43 reading when I was on my side, which is well below the average PSI of 14.45 for side sleepers. 

Unfortunately, the Signature Hybrid’s motion isolation and responsiveness did not stand out. When my colleague, Kenny Timper, tested the responsiveness, he noted that the soft cover layer caused him to exert more effort to move from his back to his stomach. Kenny also noted noticeable movement when he conducted the “ripple test” to assess the bed’s motion isolation. When he placed a container of water on one side of the bed and moved around on the other side, he saw significant splashing when he shifted from one sleeping position to another. 

Check out our Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid mattress review. Want a hybrid with better motion isolation? Check out the Bear Elite Hybrid.

If you’re looking for a firm mattress, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better option than Brooklyn Bedding’s Plank Firm Luxe. The Firm Luxe is a flippable hybrid that has a Firm and an Extra-Firm side. However, our testers found that the Firm side felt harder than the Extra-Firm side, with the former being given a 9 out of 10 for firmness and the latter a 7.5. Both sides received a perfect 5 out of 5 for responsiveness. The Extra-Firm side outperformed its softer counterpart in cooling, edge support, and motion isolation, scoring a 4.3 or higher in those categories and a 4 overall. 

Yet, when it comes to back pain, Dr. Tedesco recommended the regular Firm side. He felt that the Extra-Firm side is ultimately just too rigid for back pain relief but said that the Firm side will give you support where you need it. He said, “My pelvis, hips, and spine are in a neutral position. People with back pain who are back sleepers will feel supported and neutral.”

Another benefit to this bed is that it’s responsive — and back pain shouldn’t be exacerbated by the need to put a lot of effort into moving around on it. My colleague, Riley Otis, found the Firm Luxe to be very easy to migrate around on. “It’s like rolling on a flat surface,” she said.  “There is no deep sinkage to prevent mobility, but there is also no bounce to help switch positions. However, it’s not needed since the firm foams don’t trap the body.”

Considering this mattress’s firmness on both sides, we don’t recommend it for side sleepers. They will likely find it unyielding and feel substantial pressure buildup. Also, if you sleep with a restless partner, you may want to find a mattress with better motion isolation. The Extra-Firm side performed better in this area, though you may still detect some movement transfer from your partner’s side of the bed because of its innerspring coils. I would recommend a firmer, all-foam mattress to these sleepers instead.

Read more in our Plank Firm Luxe review. Want a bed with better motion isolation? Check out the original Plank Firm.

A firm and supportive mattress is crucial for heavy sleepers who compress the mattress layers more than others. Fortunately for these folks, Brooklyn Bedding has designed the Titan Plus for people over 230 pounds. This bed received an outstanding 4.4 overall score, assisted by perfect 5s in motion isolation and responsiveness and a 4 or higher in back pressure relief, cooling, and edge support. 

This mattress does a great job promoting proper spinal alignment through the use of coils and foam, a boon for those with back pain. Dr. Tedesco thinks this bed is excellent for side sleepers with back pain. While he also feels that many back sleepers with back pain will benefit from this bed because of its substantial support, he said, “If you have issues with back pain stemming from your sacrum, you may not feel as much relief. So, it depends on where your back pain is and your sleeping position.”

That said, our heavyweight tester, Marten Carlson, was a fan of this mattress for back sleeping. “The Titan Plus provides great alignment and fantastic overall support. This is great for back sleeping…. especially for a bigger guy like me.” Marten also tested how well this mattress relieves pressure using a specialized mat that takes thermal images of pressure buildup. These images are color-coded to indicate pressure points, with blue and green meaning little pressure and yellow and red showing higher pressure areas. Marten said, “The pressure map is great. My whole body is light blue when I am on my back.”

Counter to Dr. Tedesco’s thoughts, the Titan Plus did not fare well for side sleeping, especially for lightweight folks. Our lightweight tester, Asha Birjah, said, “I feel a ton of pressure and strain on my neck and shoulders. I wouldn’t recommend this for lightweight side sleepers.” We also don’t think it is a great fit for those looking for a bed that wraps you in a deep hug. You’ll feel more “on top” of the Titan Plus than “in” it. If you’re looking for a more enveloping feel, I’d recommend one of our best memory foam mattresses.

Read more about this bed in our full Titan Plus mattress review. Want more motion isolation? Check out the upgraded model, the Titan Plus Luxe.