10 Best Mattresses For Back Pains 2024 in the United States

Sleeping on a proper mattress is important for feeling well-rested. If this is true for healthy people, it’s all the more true for people with back problems or chronic back pain. A lot of it will depend on whether you sleep on your side, stomach, or back. If you have a serious condition, such as osteoarthritis or a herniated disc, you should buy a mattress only after consulting with a doctor. But, there are also supports that you can purchase, that can make even a worn-down mattress function as a medium-to-firm new mattress. Studies find that this grade of firmness is ideal for relieving pressure from your skeleton while sleeping. Purchasing a support will be much cheaper than replacing a mattress--and you can also feel good that you’re salvaging your mattress for a few more years.

Typically, these supports are made from memory foam, which is great because of its ability to form to the body’s contours. But, there have been many improvements and adjustments made to memory foam since it started being used for commercial purposes in 1990. Nowadays, you can find memory foam products that are more dense, with better spring-back behavior, yet can also dissipate heat better.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting a mattress for treating back pain. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of pain-relieving mattress,

• See useful tips about that particular type of pain-relieving mattress,

• Read reviews of different pain-relieving mattresses, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of pain-relieving mattress, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

• Toppers: The majority of products that you’ll see here are toppers: additions that you put on top of your mattress. They’ll usually consist of a 2” or 3” thick layer of memory foam. specially designed to relieve pressure by distributing your weight more evenly. An example is the Continental Sleep Foam Topper.

Continental Sleep Memory Foam Topper

• Supports: Although it might seem counterintuitive, a mattress support placed under your mattress actually can solve the problem of a mattress that has come to sag over time. Mattress Helper makes such an under-mattress support, which restores the mattress to its original shape.

Mattress Helper Insert

• Evens out over time: Some customers who used the Mattress Helper noticed that, at first, it corrected too much for a sagging mattress. Instead of a depression in the middle of the mattress, you’ll find at first that it becomes a mound! But, this corrects itself quickly in a few days, until the mattress is perfectly level. Also, because many toppers have to be rolled up for shipping, it will take around two days to assume their proper shape and thickness.

• Antibacterial, Hypoallergenic: A great advantage of the synthetic mattress toppers are that they are hypoallergenic and don’t allow for bacteria to spawn inside. Also, dust mites will not be able to infest a memory-foam mattress topper, as they would with mattresses with natural fillers.

• Matching the size: Some toppers and supports will not be able to correct an entire king-size mattress. It is adequate for a twin bed (measuring 31” x 50”), but some suggest buying two Mattress Helper supports, in order to cover the whole full-size mattress for sizes Full, Queen, and King.

• Under-mattress support as opposed to a mattress topper:  The makers of Mattress Helper say that an under-mattress support will do a better job than a mattress topper. The mattress topper will make the mattress feel softer, but will not be able to correct for the sagging in the middle.

• Memory foam types: Most of the mattress support products are made from memory foam. It becomes malleable when it warms from your body heat and modifies its shape to form to your body’s contours. This makes it ideal for supporting the body, without pushing on sensitive pressure points. A disadvantage of the first generation of memory foam is that it tends to retain heat, and makes a person sweat. Therefore, you’ll see two other improved versions:

  • Open cell memory foam--This is memory foam infused with air, to create balloon-like cells. This increases airflow through the mattress, letting heat escape. It is more durable than the older, closed-cell design, which eventually loses its bouncy quality. An example is the Lucid Memory Foam Mattress Topper. The LinenSpa Convoluted Gel Swirl Memory Foam Mattress Topper also uses an “egg crate” design, to disperse your weight more evenly, and allow for heat to dissipate.

LinenSpa Memory Foam Mattress Topper

• Gel-infused memory foam--This design has gel microbeads mixed into the memory foam. This regulates heat better than typical memory foam because the gel absorbs heat. This further subdivides into two types:

• Thermally-conducted foam, which is always cool to the touch, and

• Phase-changing material, which stores and releases heat within a certain temperature range.  

CR Comfort and Relax Gel Infused Memory Foam Topper

Mattress Helper--is a product that you place underneath your mattress, in order to restore its firmness, even after the mattress has started to sag. It can help reduce back pain, by providing more support.

Lucid--is based in Nibley, Utah. They make mattresses, toppers, adjustable bases, and other bedding accessories. They make mattresses from gel memory foam, latex, as well as hybrid materials.

CR Comfort & Relax--are manufacturers of mattresses, mattress toppings, pillows, and more. Their mattresses are made from memory foam. Some are provided with a bamboo fabric cover.

Linenspa--are makers of mattresses and bedding. Their bedding products include pillows, linens, toppers, and mattress protectors.