Best Mattress for Back Pain
Shopping for the best possible mattress for back pain can be an overwhelming and confusing process especially with so many options available these days.
What matters most in a mattress if you suffer from back pain? In this guide, we list the parts of the mattress that are essential in providing the proper support and comfort needed specifically for those who experience lower back pain and other back problems. Last updated
Click here to jump to our top 4 mattresses for back pain.
Quick Overview: Our Top Picks for Mattresses for Back Pain
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
|---|---|---|
 | Our Top Pick Tempur Luxe Breeze
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 | Hope Aspire Hybrid
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 | Bear Pro
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 | Helix Midnight Luxe
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Important Factors When Buying a Mattress for Back Pain
There are several key factors to consider if you suffer from back, neck, or shoulder pain and want to choose the best mattress to ensure a good night’s sleep.
Mattress Support for Lower Back Pain and General Back Pain
Lower back pain is a problem for many sleepers. It is crucial to find a mattress that offers good support so you won’t suffer from added pressure to your back every time you go to sleep!
It is important to note that firmness and support are not the same. A mattress can be firm without offering good support while a soft mattress can give you great support. Adequate support comes from a mattress that keeps your spine in alignment, while also remaining comfortable.
Comfort and spinal alignment are equally important. If the mattress is creating pressure points on your back or elsewhere on your body, then you are likely to experience pain and discomfort which negates the benefits that a mattress with good support provides.
A good mattress for back pain should keep the spine aligned and supported and be comfortable at the same time.
Mattress Firmness
What is the ideal firmness for a sleeper with back pain? Firmer mattresses provide the feeling of sleeping on the top of the mattress rather than inside it which is a typical characteristic of softer mattresses that let you sink into them, hugging and contouring to your body.
A mattress that is medium to slightly firm is most preferred and recommended. Therefore, it should be around a 5-7 on the firmness scale, with 10 being the firmest. This medium level of firmness offers an ideal balance of support and softness necessary for comfort and pressure relief.
However, there are some sleepers, especially light sleepers, that prefer a softer mattress and feel that it is better for their back. Light sleepers typically steer away from the firmer mattresses because they provide too much of the “floating” feeling which exacerbates lower back problems.
Depending on their sleeping style, softer mattresses can provide more consistent spinal alignment, leading to less pressure and fewer aches.
Pressure Point Prevention
One of the most important things that back pain sufferers should pay attention to is pressure points. Typically, pressure points mean that there is more pushback on one specific area, causing misalignment along your body and spine. When the back /body moves out of alignment, more pressure is placed on your spine, leading to unwanted back pain.
Therefore, it is important to choose a mattress that will allow your body to rest in a relaxed state, and the pressure points along the spine and lower back will be significantly reduced.
What Causes Back Pain?
Nearly 80% of sleepers will encounter some kind of back pain in their lifetime. Not everyone is affected equally but we all need to pay attention to that pain because it can become worse over time if left untreated.
The renowned Mayo Clinic puts back pain into two primary categories: acute and chronic. Back pain can come suddenly, caused by a fall or heavy lifting and it can last less than six weeks (acute) or more than three months which is less common than acute (chronic).
A few of the primary causes of lower back pain and back pain and some preventative measures to help alleviate them are listed below.
Stress and Anxiety
Stress is believed to be the most common cause of back pain. Stress causes a lack of sleep which, in turn, means more tossing and turning throughout the night. The more you toss and turn, the more likely you are to pull a muscle or to fall asleep in an unnatural position your body is not used to.
Also, lack of sleep can leave muscles susceptible to strains. Your muscles have to work extra hard during the day when you are tired, which might lead to lower back issues.
Some solutions to stress-related back pains are:
- Exercise – helps release endorphin which leads to more energy, improved sense of well-being, and a reduced level of stress
- Eat healthily – a well-balanced diet leads to better sleep and, therefore, less stress. In addition, reducing caffeine, sugar, and alcohol intake can help improve sleep and reduce stress
- Massages – will release stress in the back and body and lead to better sleep
Get enough sleep – Make sure you have enough time to fully rest and recover each night. Sleep is one of the most important factors affecting stress levels.
Abnormal Spinal Curvature
Whether sitting, standing or sleeping, it doesn’t matter. If your spine is abnormally aligned due to poor posture, the lower back is more likely to occur.
There are three different regions along the spine, each of which should be properly supported to help alleviate back pain as a whole.
- Cervical – this is the top third of your spine. This section works to support the head, which is where sleeping style and pillows come into play.
- Thoracic – this section makes up the middle third of your spine. The center of your spine works to support the upper body.
- Lumbar – This is the bottom third of your spine. The lumbar supports our lower backs and is considered the foundation of our back.
What Are the Best Mattresses for Back Pain?
Now that you know some of the causes of back pain and the criteria for evaluating the best mattress for back pain including support, firmness, and pressure relief, you can make a better choice when looking for the best mattress that could help you deal with your back pain.
Choosing a mattress that provides ideal support and firmness and reduces pressure points is key to preventing or alleviating current or future back pain.
Memory foam, latex, and hybrid coil mattress types that combine all of these materials are great choices for those suffering from back pain. Having a mattress that offers excellent support for all sleeping styles is important to ensure a pain-free night’s sleep.
Our Top 4 Best Mattresses for Those Suffering from Back Pain
The following mattresses are a few of many excellent mattresses on the market today that can help alleviate or reduce your back pain when sleeping.
Although these are not the only mattresses that are good for back pain, they are some of the best currently present on the market and we heartily recommend them to all those suffering from back pain.
1. Tempur Luxe Breeze
The new, updated Tempur Luxe Breeze provides you with that classic memory foam mattress feel with the plush support of TEMPUR material that is very responsive and conforms to your body movements and shape. It also adapts to your body temperature and helps dissipate heat when necessary to achieve a cool sleep.
The Luxe Breeze comes with excellent motion isolation that will leave you undisturbed even with a partner that moves around during the night or if you yourself constantly get in or out of the bed. It is great for all types of sleepers and all sleeping styles as it provides excellent support and sleeps cool while also being very comfortable.
The Tempur Luxe Breeze is an all-foam mattress that provides that firm yet adjustable support needed on your head and back. It will keep your spine properly aligned and prevent back pain or any other kind of discomfort. And the fact you can save money by clicking here and ordering online makes it even better!
Get the full TEMPUR-PEDIC mattress review.
2. Hope Aspire Hybrid
($1050 for a Queen size. Click here for the best price on the Hope Aspire Hybrid!)
The Hope Aspire Hybrid is a unique 14″ coil/foam hybrid that delivers phenomenal comfort, spinal alignment, and temperature regulation. It is a universal comfort model and its features make it ideal for most side, stomach, and back sleepers.
The mattress will provide you with an ideal balance of pressure-relieving comfort and support necessary for rejuvenating and deep sleep every night.
It will keep your spine naturally aligned when sleeping on your back in that the softer memory foam layers on top will cushion your body and work with the slightly firmer transition layer to slowly transition your body weight into the firm pocketed coil layer, so you won’t feel any pain or discomfort.
Besides this, the Aspire also sleeps incredibly cool due to the special cooling technologies used in its construction.
Read the full Hope Aspire Hybrid mattress review.
3. Bear Pro
($890 for a Queen size. Click here to save up to $275 and get a free pillow!)
The Bear Pro mattress is an impressive 12″ all-foam mattress that features thick top layers of pressure-relieving memory foam and a special Celliant cover designed to stimulate faster muscle recovery.
The combination of copper-infused memory foam, gel foam, responsive foam, and high-density foam in the comfort, transition, and support layers of this mattress provides a universal medium-firm feel and an ideal balance of comfort and support suitable for all sleeping styles and all types of sleepers, particularly those suffering from back pain.
The top comfort layers of the Bear Pro provide that classic memory foam hug and contour and allow you to sink into it to a certain degree for extraordinary comfort and pressure relief, while the somewhat firmer transition layer and the firm base layer below provide enough support needed to keep your spine properly aligned and eliminate any pain and discomfort..
It is one of our top picks for those who suffer from back pain due to its extraordinary comfort and support and the unique Celliant cover which stimulates faster muscle recovery and relieves pain.
Get the full Bear Pro mattress review.
4. Helix Midnight Luxe
($1749 for a Queen size. Click here to get $125 off the Midnight Luxe with our code: MFT125!)
The Helix Midnight Luxe is an amazing new hybrid mattress that has recently hit the market. It’s the newest hybrid by Helix Sleep online mattress company that now offers a Sleep Quiz to help you pick the best Helix mattress for your needs based on your answers.
The Luxe is a 14″ thick hybrid made up of gel memory foam, 1000 + pocketed coils, and comes with some special features which make it truly unique.
The mattress offers a perfect balance of comfort and support and comes with a body zoning technology that provides the right amount of support to those areas of your body where it is needed most, an incredibly soft pillow top that will make you feel like sleeping on clouds, and an ultra-breathable cover that will keep you cool and comfortable all night long.
It will provide proper support for your body regardless of your preferred sleeping position and keep your spine naturally aligned and prevent back pain.
Get the full Helix Midnight Luxe mattress review.
Conclusion
We hope that the information above helps you understand the causes of back pain and what to look for when shopping for the best mattress for back pain.
Ensuring that your mattress has good support, the right firmness level, and pressure-relieving features is crucial for ensuring a painless and restful night’s sleep.
