Best Mattress for Back Pain in 2024 (Doctor Recommended)

During hands-on tests, the EcoCloud earned its most favorable ratings from side and back sleepers weighing up to 230 pounds. Extra cushioning beneath the shoulders and hips helps ensure even alignment and less pressure for side sleepers, while the mattress is firm and supportive enough to maintain an even surface for back sleepers. Most of our stomach sleepers and testers over 230 pounds found the EcoCloud a bit too soft.

Why We Like It
If you struggle with back pain, you should consider a zoned mattress that provides extra support beneath your torso and hips. The WinkBeds EcoCloud features a latex comfort layer and pocketed coil base, both of which are zoned to keep your entire body on an even plane. A medium (5) feel ensures plenty of cushioning to reduce pain and pressure in your upper and lower back, but the mattress is robust and responsive enough to prevent excessive sinkage.

Standout Features
We awarded high marks for ease of movement and edge support. Since the Talalay latex is light and responsive, none of us felt stuck when scooting across the surface, and most noted little to no sinkage when sitting along the perimeter to mimic getting in and out of bed. Our temperature control tests also indicate the mattress sleeps very cool even by latex hybrid standards.

The ratings below indicate how suitable this mattress is for different sleeping positions and sleeper weights, taking into account factors such as support and pressure relief.

The Signature does not contain any memory foam, but instead features a comfort system with proprietary TitanFlex and VariFlex polyfoam layers. Our tests show these materials cushion the body without a deep “hug,” making the Signature Hybrid a good option for anyone who prefers a plush sleep surface but sinks too much on memory foam.

Why We Like It
If you frequently wake up with soreness in the upper or lower back, your mattress might be a major factor. Excessive sinkage – especially around the torso and hips – can contribute to back pain. The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid is a model from this company with multiple firmness options to suit sleepers with different needs.

The ratings below indicate how suitable this mattress is for different sleeping positions and sleeper weights, taking into account factors such as support and pressure relief.

The DreamCloud Premier Memory Foam Mattress has a soft and breathable cashmere blend cover quilted with polyfoam and memory foam layers, creating a plush feel on the surface. Underneath is a layer of memory foam that softens and conforms closely to your body, followed by a firmer polyfoam layer that prevents too much sinkage. A thick support core made of high-density polyfoam stabilizes the entire bed. Note that the mattress also comes in a hybrid version if you prefer the enhanced support of coils.

Why We Like It
The DreamCloud Premier Memory Foam Mattress is an all-foam model that delivers strong cushioning without sacrificing support. It’s an optimal choice for sleepers who enjoy deep cradling for sensitive joints but find competing foam beds too soft.

Standout Feature
A standout feature of this medium firm (6) mattress is the strong pressure relief, which we credit to the cushioned, quilted surface.

The ratings below indicate how suitable this mattress is for different sleeping positions and sleeper weights, taking into account factors such as support and pressure relief.

The Rx’s comfort system begins with a dense memory foam pad located beneath your lumbar region to cushion your lower back. A thick polyfoam layer and microcoil transitional layer add to the plush surface feel. You’ll notice deep cradling as your body settles into the mattress and these materials adapt to your unique curves.

Why We Like It
The Saatva Rx is one of the plushest, most adaptive hybrids on the market today. A medium soft (4) feel and thick foam layers ensure a deep cradle for your body, while a memory foam lumbar pad and multi-zone coils provide gentle pushback in areas prone to sharp pressure points. The price-point is somewhat high for a hybrid, but if you’re losing sleep due to upper or lower back pain, this may be worth the investment.

Standout Features
Since the Rx is so soft, it earned high marks for motion isolation and pressure relief – two testing categories where hybrids often underperform. At the same time, edge support is somewhat lacking and the surface may sink when you move on the mattress. Our team didn’t notice excessive heat retention, but the mattress sleeps warmer than most competing hybrids despite steady airflow through both coil layers.

The ratings below indicate how suitable this mattress is for different sleeping positions and sleeper weights, taking into account factors such as support and pressure relief.

Despite their similar designs, you’ll notice a distinct balance of cushioning and pushback on all three of the Bear Elite Hybrid’s firmness levels. The medium design provides close contouring, the firm feels quite robust, and the medium firm is a nice compromise between the other two. Since the transitional polyfoam and pocketed coil layers feel firmer around the midsection, people with extra weight in their torsos and hips should feel comfortable and properly supported on the medium firm or firm designs.

Why We Like It
As many side sleepers know, this position leaves them vulnerable to back pain — and the wrong mattress can make this issue even worse. Bear’s Elite Hybrid offers a design that’s both adaptive and sturdy, with a surface layer that contours evenly and zoned construction in the transitional foam and pocketed coils. You can choose from medium (5), medium firm (6), and firm (8) designs based on how much you weigh and your preferred cushioning level.

Standout Feature
We found that the Elite Hybrid excels at temperature control. This can be attributed to a phase change cover that dissipates heat on contact, breathable foams in the comfort system, and steady airflow throughout the coil system. Couples seeking a mattress that isolates motion well should opt for the medium model, whereas the medium firm and firm mattresses performed better in categories like edge support and ease of movement.

The ratings below indicate how suitable this mattress is for different sleeping positions and sleeper weights, taking into account factors such as support and pressure relief.

The Back Science Series 2 Mattress has a Firm (7) feel but doesn’t feel too hard. It has light springiness and doesn’t feel too bouncy. The mattress resists sinkage, including around the perimeter. In our tests, it showed solid temperature regulation but did transfer some motion across the mattress surface. Taken together, most of our testers said that the Back Science Series 2 Mattress felt both supportive and comfortable.

Why We Like It
One of the keys to avoiding back pain is keeping the spine in a neutral position during sleep. With proper spinal alignment, there’s less stress on the muscles and vertebrae. The Back Science Series 2 Mattress was designed specifically to try to support the spine and limit tension that can lead to aches and pains.

Standout Feature
The Back Science Series 2 Mattress uses robust materials that give it a solid all-around performance. For our testing team, the mattress felt stable and supportive with light cushioning of key pressure points like the shoulder, hips, and lumbar spine.

The ratings below indicate how suitable this mattress is for different sleeping positions and sleeper weights, taking into account factors such as support and pressure relief.

Why We Like It
Back and stomach sleepers who weigh more than 230 pounds need extra reinforcement from their mattress compared with other sleeper types. The Plank Firm by Brooklyn Bedding is one of the firmest mattresses we’ve tested in our lab. This flippable all-foam model features two sleep surfaces: one that’s firm (7) and another that’s extra firm (9).

Standout Feature
Since very little sinkage occurs on either side, the budget-friendly Plank Firm sleeps quite cool and earned high marks during our temperature control tests. Exceptionally hot sleepers can also order a panel of phase change material (PCM) to be sewn onto both sides of the mattress.

The ratings below indicate how suitable this mattress is for different sleeping positions and sleeper weights, taking into account factors such as support and pressure relief.

The FloBeds vZone 12” Natural Latex Mattress is composed entirely of Talalay latex, which gives the surface a responsive and buoyant feel that conforms gently to your body’s joints and curves. Latex does not compress as readily as foam, so you won’t need to worry about sinking too deep into the bed.

Why We Like It
Few beds offer the degree of customizability as the FloBeds vZone 12” Natural Latex Mattress. Since you can pick a different firmness level for each side of the bed, we highly recommend this mattress for couples with different firmness preferences. The mattress is also an excellent choice for hot sleepers, thanks to the natural coolness and breathability of latex. The all-latex design results in minimal heat retention.

The ratings below indicate how suitable this mattress is for different sleeping positions and sleeper weights, taking into account factors such as support and pressure relief.