Compare our top five favorite mattresses for back pain
honorable mentions
Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Lux Cooling Mattress for $1,586: If you’re looking for something that’s stiff without being too stiff, like Plank Natural, this is another good option. It also has cooling features, which is a nice bonus.
DreamCloud Premier Hybrid for $1,099: This soft mattress was still providing support. I liked sleeping on it, but it didn’t reduce my back pain as much as the other mattresses we recommend. Still, if you want support without being too firm as a side sleeper it was a good choice.
Saatva Classic for $1,879: It was a previous choice in our guide to the best mattresses. This is a good choice for back support, especially in the “luxury” firmness level.
Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid for $1,799: The Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid is marketed as firm, and is designed to support your lower back with cushioning in the center. Wired contributor Nicole Kinning was a little short at 5’2″ for lumbar support, but it might be a good fit for more average-sized people. It also has cooling properties, but they didn’t stand out compared to other cooling mattresses.
Nectar Premiere for $949: Wired reviewer Martin Szymer is a side sleeper who suffers from sciatica back pain from time to time, and he says this hybrid mattress is a great option for those who want a soft mattress to get plenty of pressure relief and excellent contours while they sleep.
Plank Firm for $1,072: Wired reviewer Adrienne So says it takes a few days to reach its full firmness level — after initially unboxing it she thought it was too soft, but after a little more time it became much stronger. She describes Plank Firm as sleeping on a clean hardwood floor (which she loves). It’s entirely foam, and flippable with two different firmness levels on each side.
Purple Restore Cool Touch for $2,700: Wired contributor Nicole Kinning says this is the best cooling mattress overall. It also contains a grid-like gel layer, called GelFlex, which adds extra support and makes it easier to get out of bed in the morning.
The WinkBed The WinkBed for $1,799: WIRED reviewer Julian Chokkattu recommends this mattress for his fellow stomach and back sleepers. There are three levels of firmness. He tried the luxury firm and liked that the plush pillow-top also adds a luxurious, hotel-like feel to a relatively sturdy bed.
Wolf 12-inch Memory Foam Hybrid Medium Firm Mattress for $749: Wired reviewer Molly Higgins found herself surprisingly impressed with this affordable mattress. She says the medium-firm memory foam hybrid mattress feels luxurious beyond its price point, and the individually wrapped coils provide great support and help with the overall structure, while the top gel foam conforms to the curves of your body and aids in pressure relief.
mattresses should be avoided
While the awesome futon mattress that started my quest no longer exists—hallelujah for that!—there are plenty of other mattresses that have caused me or other Wired reviewers back pain.
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt for $2,199: This mattress was extremely soft and conforming, but it wasn’t at all supportive and had more of a sinking feeling when you lay down on it. The pain in the muscles on my right side got worse after spending the night on this mattress, and my damaged spine was feeling noticeably miserable. My sister also tried sleeping on it, and she described it as “sleeping on an air mattress that’s losing air overnight.”
MagniFlex MagniStretch 12 for $3,699: This Italian-made mattress advertises itself as being spine-friendly. It is endorsed by retired Italian soccer player Giorgio Chiellini and current pro basketball player Stefano Tonata, who plays for the Italian equivalent of the Boston Celtics. Well, the Magniflex certainly has some effect on the spine, although WIRED reviewer Martin Szymer found it pretty unwanted. He could only last two nights on the MagniStretch before Uncle started crying and lying limp on the next test mattress. He describes the feeling the morning after as akin to sleeping on a swing made of a chainlink fence.
questions to ask
How does a mattress help with back pain?
What makes a mattress ideal for back pain solutions? A general rule of thumb is to aim for a medium-firm mattress. “A medium-firm mattress may be better for people with back pain than a soft or firm mattress,” says Shawn Mackey, “but these are based on low-quality studies.” Harvard Health also recommends avoiding mattresses that are too soft or too hard if you have back pain.
You’re looking for something that can support the spine if you have spinal pain, or relieve pressure if your pain comes from pressure points you’re sleeping on. The firmness of the mattress plays a big role, but the overall design of the coils, foam layers, and any additional support measures also play a big role.
During my testing, I was impressed to see that a firmer mattress actually made a big improvement in my back pain. I expected the hard surface to flare up the pain or dislocate my back, which has happened before on cheap, hard mattresses. However, I slept well and woke up with no aches or pains. While I wanted a softer sleep surface because I’m a side sleeper, choosing a firmer style of mattress immediately provided better support to my spine and kept the pain at bay, rather than causing it to flare up like I thought it would.
Mackey also recommends checking with your own doctor or occupational therapist. “With chronic conditions, we don’t have ‘this is the best thing for you,’” he says. He also recommends testing a few things when you sleep, whether it’s different pillows or mattresses of different firmness. You could also try physical therapy or stretching before bed: Mattress maker Charles P. Rogers has an entire area of its site devoted to pain-free sleep. It is not just about whether you are sleeping, but it also matters how much you are taking care of yourself before going to bed.
I will probably always live with my spinal condition, and there are things that help, like stretching before bed and staying highly active during the day. But sleeping on a better mattress is a good first step to staying active and pain-free — at least for the morning.
If you’re hesitant about investing in a new mattress, there’s an easy place to start: the knee pillow. This was one of the first recommendations that Sean Mackey, doctor of neurology, chief of the Stanford Pain Medicine Division, and former president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM), gave me when I asked him how to reduce pain while sleeping. He explained that one of the sources of pain may be rachis alignment, or a lack of alignment of your spine. “Generally, you should either sleep on your back or place a pillow or support under your knees for spinal alignment,” says Mackey.
As a side sleeper, I went out and tried some knee pillows designed for side sleepers with my original, crappy foam mattress that I’d been sleeping on for the past five years. Mackey wasn’t kidding—it helped. I was more comfortable and fell asleep faster. I liked both the Pillow Cube Knee Cube (which is discontinued) and the Everlasting Comfort Knee Pillow ($30) for different reasons. The Everlasting has a strap to keep it in place, but it’s nice and small if you don’t want something as heavy as a pillow cube in your bed. I found that the smaller Everlasting was more likely to end up on the floor, however, as the pillow cube was easier to move and tuck back into my knees in the middle of the night. Both helped with my spinal alignment and reduced my back pain a bit, but I still found switching to a more supportive mattress to be a big improvement.
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