Best mattresses for back pain

Sadly, 44% of Which? members say they suffer from back pain¹. Could investing in a new mattress help? Read our advice on the best mattresses for back pain.

It’s easy to be drawn in by mattress-makers’ claims, but buying a new mattress is no instant cure. If you have back pain, a new mattress won’t work miracles. Professional advice or medical help from a GP or physio should always be your first port of call. 

However, if you sleep on an old, saggy mattress and wake up with minor aches and pains, a new mattress could help. It won’t be a cure, but it will offer better support and pressure relief.

Visit our best mattresses to discover all our top-scoring recommendations.

Best mattresses for back pain

Our lab tests reveal mattresses that provide excellent body support for all types of sleepers (front, side and back) and evenly distribute pressure. This means you won’t wake up feeling like you’ve slept on a camp bed at a music festival.

These mattresses tick all those boxes. Check the full reviews to see if they will be stable enough for you and provide the right level of coolness or warmth.

Mattress reviews by sleeping position

In our tests, these mattresses scored at least four stars (good) out of five for the support they provide in the three key sleeping positions: back, side and front.

• Mattresses for side sleepers
• Mattresses for front sleepers
• Mattresses for back sleepers

Why you can trust our mattress reviews

A mattress is an essential purchase, so you're probably going to read product reviews before you buy, right? But who is writing what you read?

Which? is a not-for-profit consumer champion – we work for our members, not brands or advertisers. We buy all the products we test ourselves and we don't accept freebies from product manufacturers or retailers.

We don’t just have a few testers sleep on our mattresses and give us their subjective opinion. We test each mattress scientifically in a lab. This consistency of testing and lack of bias means you can easily compare different products across brands and ranges, so you make the right choice first time and avoid costly mistakes.

Lisa Galliers, Which? principal researcher and mattress expert, says:

Lisa Galliers is principal researcher in the Which? Product Testing team. As well as writing reviews and advice guides for both our magazine and website for more than 20 years, she has also contributed her considerable expertise to government consultations on product Eco Design and Energy Labelling Regulations.

As a key member of our mattress-testing team since 2020, she aims to lift the lid on the secrets of the mattress industry, with her research into potentially misleading mattress sales; mattress sleep trials and the very best mattress deals. She’s also added more than 400 mattress reviews to Which.co.uk.

Find out more about how we test mattresses.

What is an orthopaedic mattress?

The dictionary definition of ‘orthopaedic’ relates to medical practice that deals with the correction of bone and muscle deformities.

We often see mattresses labelled as ‘orthopaedic’ or named using medical-sounding prefixes such as ‘chiro’ and ‘physio’. But you can’t always believe the marketing hype. Just because a mattress is labelled or marketed as ‘orthopaedic’ doesn't necessarily mean it will be good for your back.

We spoke to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) regarding medical terms like these that are used to sell mattresses. An ASA spokesperson told us:

These are a few claims we’ve seen relating to mattresses for back pain:

• 'Provides orthopaedic support'
• 'Ergonomically designed: provides excellent spinal alignment'
• 'Promoting healthy body alignment to help reduce aches and pains'
• 'Engineered for enhanced pressure relief and superior support'

Whether or not these statements are backed by medical professionals, our advice remains the same: don’t buy a mattress just because the advertising suggests it may alleviate your back pain. Instead, choose one proven in our tests to provide long-lasting support for your spine in your favourite sleeping position.

Use our mattress reviews to find your perfect mattress.

Can a mattress cause back pain?

Your mattress is unlikely to be the sole cause of your back pain.

It's not always clear what causes back pain but it sometimes has a medical cause, including injury or existing medical conditions. It can also be affected by other factors, such as your age, muscle strength, flexibility and posture, as well as your personal history of back pain.

However, back pain that worsens in bed can sometimes be caused by a mattress that is unsupportive, encouraging poor posture. The optimum position for your back is when your spine maintains the same relaxed and natural shape when you lie down as it does when you stand. This tends to cause the least strain.

Whether your spine maintains the optimum position in bed depends on: 

• The body support provided by your mattress Body support has less to do with how firm or soft your mattress feels (that’s down to personal opinion) but rather how well your mattress adapts to your body shape and the position you usually sleep in.
• The height of your pillow If you sleep on your back, a low pillow will ensure your neck isn’t elevated too much, while a slightly higher pillow will help if you sleep on your side. 

Need an extra layer of defence? Find the best mattress protector

How old is your mattress?

A mattress that is more than eight years old could contribute to back pain due to the sagging and softening of the layers as it ages. Compressed mattress layers will most likely not hold your spine in the optimum position. 

The problem is that many of us are so used to sleeping on our mattresses, we don’t notice their gradual decline. Our mattress survey tells us that 47% of Which? members slept on a mattress for more than 10 years before they bought a new one². It's no wonder some of us think our mattresses are the root cause of our back pain.

Like the NHS and the Sleep Council, we suggest you replace your mattress every 8-10 years to give your back the benefit of optimal support.

Read more about when to replace your mattress.

How to reduce back pain with your current mattress

If you have temporary back pain, you don't need to buy a new mattress right away.

Try these tips:

• Make sure your neck isn't out of line with the rest of your spine. Correct your posture with a good pillow that’s the right height.
• Place a pillow between your knees or elbows to help keep your body aligned.
• Try sleeping in a different position

Need a new pillow? See our guide to the best pillows

What type of mattress is best for back pain?

There is no one-size-fits-all mattress for back pain because everyone has personal preferences. Which? members love pocket spring mattresses. Others might prefer memory foam mattresses, while the rise in popularity of the hybrid mattress indicates some want the best of both worlds.

• Pocket spring mattresses adjust to your body, providing support where you need it. Some are even designed with different zones to help target support to particular areas.
• Memory foam mattresses tend to give a more general feeling of comfort, due to the way your body sinks into the foam. 
• Hybrid mattresses can feel like they provide a mix of the best of both worlds thanks to their combination of springs and foam.

However, any mattress that offers the following will help:

• Good support for your body shape and sleeping position The more shapely you are, the more important it is that the mattress offers the right level of support for the contours of your body. We test mattress support for a range of body sizes, from smaller-than-average to larger-than-average, plus support in the three key sleeping positions.

• Good pressure distribution Mattresses that distribute pressure evenly mean you won't sink into one area more than the rest.

See our best pocket sprung mattresses and best memory foam mattresses.

What mattress firmness is best for back pain?

You may have read that medium-firm mattresses suit most people, and that firm mattresses are better for people with back pain, but this isn’t always the case.

If a mattress is too firm for you, it could cause discomfort by putting pressure on your shoulders and hips. If a mattress is too soft, you may sink into it too much and your spine won’t be held in the optimum position. 

The key is to find a mattress that offers you the right level of support where you need it most.

Your body weight and usual sleeping position are two factors that determine how much support you need and where - as well as what mattress firmness might suit you best.

Your body weight

The latest Health Survey by NHS England estimates the average male weight as 85.1kg and female as 71.8kg.

• If you are heavier than average, as a general rule you need a denser or firmer mattress, with a higher density of foam or springs. This will provide sufficient support to ensure you don’t sink into the mattress too much. Sinking in too much will compress the layers of the mattress and may affect pressure distribution.
• If you are petite or lighter than average, look for a mattress that allows your body to sink in, supporting the curvature of your spine. 

Some mattresses have a weight limit, such as Eve mattresses, which are not recommended for sleepers that weigh over 20 stone (130kg), while the Ergoflex 5G, for example, has a maximum weight of 29 stone (190kg) combined weight for its double mattress. 

Mattress weight limits aren't always easy to find. They're sometimes listed under the terms and conditions or in the returns policy. We record the maximum weight limits for each mattress we test, but only a handful come with it stated.

Our reviews rate mattress firmness on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the firmest and 10 is the softest. We assess each mattress in exactly the same way, so you can easily compare mattresses between different brands and ranges.

Your sleeping position

Your favourite sleeping position determines where your body might need extra support.

• Back sleepers Your lower back needs extra support. Your shoulders, pelvis and bottom should be able to sink sufficiently into the mattress without the support being reduced in these areas. See our recommended mattresses for back sleepers.
• Side sleepers Your shoulders and hips must be able to sink sufficiently into the mattress, without the neck and waist sinking too far. See our recommended mattresses for side sleepers.
• Front sleepers Sleeping on your stomach puts your body in an unnatural position, and many experts don't recommend it. An unsupportive mattress could put additional strain on your spine. If you regularly sleep on your stomach and often suffer from back, neck and/or shoulder pain during the day, try changing your sleeping position first before changing your mattress. See our recommended mattresses for front sleepers.

Discover the mattress brands Which? members prefer

References:
1. Based on an online survey of 1,220 members of the Which? Connect Panel conducted in October 2024.
2. Based on an online survey of 3,530 members of the Which? Connect panel conducted in October 2023