Updated April 2024

Top 10 Best Mattresses for Back Pain

A good mattress can certainly help deal with back pain & lower back pain. Research shows that the ideal mattress for most people with back pain is a medium-firm mattress. Below you can find the ones we believe you should try

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Our Top Choice

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    Best Overall
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    The world’s most five star reviewed mattress brand
    The world’s most five star reviewed mattress brand
    • Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress
    • Free Shipping & Returns
    • Won over 50 sleep industry awards;
    9.9 Outstanding

    Materials: Aerocoil microsprings and cooling Simbatex foam

    Firmness: medium-firm

    Shipping: Free delivery & returns

    Trial Period: 200 nights

    Warranty: 10 Years

    Certifications: CertiPUR

    Financing: 0% interest, up to 4 years & pay nothing for a year

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    Best Mattresses for Back Pain 2024
    Best Overall
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    Best Value
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    Best Hybrid
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    Model Simba Mattress Nectar Mattress Dreamcloud Mattress Nectar Hybrid Mattress Hypnia Supreme Hybrid Mattress
    Material Hybrid Foam Hybrid Hybrid Hybrid
    Cooling 9/10 8/10 9.5/10 9/10 7/10
    Firmness 6.5/10 6.5 / 10 6.5/10 6.5/10 6.5/10
    Motion Isolation 8.5/10 8/10 7/10 7/10 7/10
    Trial Period 200-Nights 365-Night Trial 365-Night Trial 365-Night Trial 200-Night Trial
    Free Shipping and Returns Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
    Warranty 10 Years Lifetime Lifetime Lifetime 15 Years
    Price Level Dollar Dollar Dollar Dollar Dollar Dollar Dollar Dollar Dollar Dollar Dollar Dollar Dollar Dollar
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    How to Choose the Best Mattress for Back Pain?

    A good mattress can alleviate back pain issues. The opposite is true: a mattress that does not meet your personal needs can cause or worsen existing lower back pains. A while ago, the common recommendation for back pain was a firm bed, preferably a sprung mattress. While firm mattresses work for some people, recent research shows that they don’t do the magic for everyone. 

    We put a guideline with the most important considerations when buying a mattress to relieve back pain below: 

    How to Choose the Best Mattress for Back Pain?

    Mattress type

    Memory foam 

    Yes, memory foam beds are generally considered a great choice for people suffering from back pain. The best memory foam mattresses conform to your body type to hug your curves, cradle your joints, and support the natural curves of your spine.

    Latex mattresses 

    Latex works like memory foam when it comes to cradling your body and pressure points. Compared to memory foam, latex offers far more support, which helps promote the natural alignment of the spine. And although natural latex is significantly pricier than memory foam, it sleeps comparably cooler and does not off-gas. 

    Spring-based/hybrid mattress  

    If you’re considering an innerspring mattress, we recommend getting a hybrid pocket-coil and foam bed. These mattresses combine bounciness with a good amount of conformity and stiffness. Thus, pocketed-coil mattresses could help reduce lower back pain without being overly stiff or bouncy.

    Firm or soft mattress for back pains?

    The key to getting the best mattress firmness level for back pains is choosing a mattress depending on your sleeping style and weight. A firmer mattress is better for heavy people (16 stones and above) who sleep on their stomachs. On the other hand, skinnier individuals (10 stones and below) with back pain issues prefer a relatively softer but supportive mattress. If you’re not sure, we recommend going for a medium-firm mattress. These mattresses tend to work for most people because they balance spinal alignment with comfort. 

    In general, research shows that firmer mattresses tend to help more than softer ones.

    Test-drive it

    There’s no single mattress that works for all people suffering from back pains. What works for one person might not be the best choice for someone with an almost similar build. Luckily, most mattress brands today allow you to try the mattress for 30-100 days before deciding whether it’s the best option for your needs. 

    On the same note, if you get a great night’s sleep free from back pain after sleeping at a hotel, inquire about the mattress's exact model. 

    Our Top Picks
    for April 2024
    Simba Mattress
    Best Overall
    Simba Mattress
    Hybrid | 6.5/10
    Simba Mattress
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    Nectar Mattress
    Best Value
    Nectar Mattress
    Memory Foam | 6.5 / 10
    Nectar Mattress
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    Spring SALE | 21% OFF All Mattresses
    Dreamcloud Mattress
    Best Hybrid
    Dreamcloud Mattress
    Hybrid | 6.5/10
    Dreamcloud Mattress
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    SALE | 58% OFF Mattresses + Free Bedding Set

    Recommended Mattress

    Best Overall: Simba Mattress

    The Simba mattress is a nicely-built mattress that we expect to meet most people’s sleep needs. This mattress offers an impressive balance between comfort and support and will accommodate different body types and sleeping positions. Best of all, the manufacturer has addressed the heat retention issue that troubled the previous version. We also appreciate the 200-night trial period and the 10-year warranty that Simba offers. Although most people end up keeping the mattress, those who’ve returned it affirm that the process is straightforward. Have we pointed out that all returns are free?

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    Simba Mattress
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    Trial200-Nights
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    Warranty10 Years
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    Shipping/Returns& Returns
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    Mattress TypeHybrid
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    Firmness6.5/10
    May Day Sale - Up to 25% OFF
    • Hot sleepers
    • 200-night home trial
    • People with back pain
    • back sleepers
    Overview

    The Simba is a 5-layer 25cm (9.75 inches) thick hybrid mattress with conical pocket springs, proprietary memory foam and poly foam. The mattress is categorised as medium-firm, managing a 6.5 on the 1-10 firmness scale. It comes in all UK bed sizes from small single to Emperor and EU sizes ranging from EU small single to EU queen. This mattress is part of the bed-in-a-box technology and it's shipped in a large box measuring 107cm x 50cm x 50cm. This can be used on any supportive mattress platforms including box spring and slatted bed frame.

     

    Pros & Cons
    • Offers excellent back pain relief
    • It’s cooling
    • Has above-average edge support
    • Accommodates various sleeping positions
    • Doesn’t make you feel stuck
    • Not as bouncy as standard hybrid mattresses
    • Mattress has no handles

    Best Value: Nectar Mattress

    Definitely, it’s hard to go wrong with the Nectar if you’re looking for a relatively affordable but great quality memory foam mattress. Its medium-firmness makes it a suitable candidate for first-time memory foam buyers who aren’t sure which firmness level will work for them. In addition, its ability to support different sleeping positions makes it a great pick for couples who can’t agree on the best mattress. Lastly, this mattress will make an incredible purchase for a guest room.

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    Nectar Mattress
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    Trial365-Night Trial
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    WarrantyLifetime
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    Shipping/Returns& Returns
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    Mattress TypeMemory Foam
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    Firmness6.5 / 10
    Spring SALE | 21% OFF All Mattresses
    • Hot sleepers
    • Couples
    • People on a budget
    • All Sleepers
    Overview

    The Nectar mattress is an 11-inch foam bed that can be used on any type of bed frame, including adjustable and metal frames. It has a medium firmness rating of 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale and offers sleepers all-around comfort across all body shapes. This bed-in-a-box style mattress ships right to your doorstep, providing value for money with its 365-day trial period, free shipping, free returns and Forever Warranty. We expect this product to last 5 to 7 years with regular use.

    Pros & Cons
    • Accommodates different sleeping positions
    • Sleeps cooler than traditional memory foam
    • Easy to move on
    • All-foam construction compromises bounce