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The best mattress for easing back pain
Waking up in pain? Try sleeping on one of these...
Tested by Blossom BoothroydHomes Testing Manager
Waking up with a bad back can be really debilitating. You don’t feel rested, everything’s stiff, and just bending over to lace up your shoes is a tough task.
Pain in this area isn’t unusual. In fact, nearly 10% of the world’s population suffer from lower back pain with almost one in five Brits self-reporting long-term musculoskeletal conditions (including back, neck and joint pain).
While back pain is dependent on lots of different factors, if you’re struggling from stiffness when you wake up in the morning, it’s certainly wise to investigate your sleep set-up. And investing in the best mattress you can afford can make a real difference.
What can help further provide the support and cushioning is by using one of our tried and tested best mattress toppers for the best bed set up.
As part of our testing here at the Good Housekeeping Institute, we turn to our reader panel to find out which mattress brands are the most supportive to sleep on month after month and year after year. And we’ve heard from nearly 4,000 of you.
We’ve used this information to bring you the brands people rate highest for easing aches and discomfort – and we’ve then turned to an expert to select the best mattresses for back pain from each brand.
Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about achieving a pain-free night’s sleep.
What is the best mattress for back pain?
After many hundreds of nights of snoozing, these are the mattresses our readers rated as the best for back pain:
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What type of mattress is best for back pain?
According to Alison Hughes, a chartered physiotherapist and founder of Thistle Physio, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to solving back pain. While this may not be the news you hoped for, there are still plenty of ways to problem solve.
In fact, if you often think that you had the best night’s sleep after a hotel stay or at a friend’s house, this is a good sign that your current mattress isn’t right for you, explains Alison.
This doesn’t mean you automatically need to spend hundreds of pounds on a brand new, osteo-approved mattress though, especially if you’ve recently bought a new one.
“If theirs is less firm than what you’ve been used to and you like it, you could consider purchasing a mattress topper to try and replicate that feeling,” explains Hughes.
It’s a different story if your mattress is old, though. “As a general rule of thumb, you should consider changing your mattress every seven years to ensure the best chance of a happy back,” she adds.
This search can be tricky – again there isn't one type of mattress that’s best for easing specific pain – so, while options like memory foam may improve comfort, there aren’t any studies that suggest this would be better than a pocket sprung or hybrid mattress for your back. Really, it’s down to personal preference, and the level of comfort and support you like.
Hughes also stresses how important it is to be happy with your choice. “Many companies nowadays offer a 30 to 90-day returns policy, which means if you find your mattress isn’t right, you can send it back – something that makes the process of finding the right one less stressful,” she says.
Is a firm mattress good for back pain?
Many people consider a firmer mattress as better for back pain as they offer more support, but this isn’t always the case.
“A mattress that’s too soft doesn’t provide enough back support,” explains Hughes. “But if it’s too hard, it can create pressure points on your spine and body.”
Instead of a firm mattress, she recommends trialling a mattress that’s medium to firm – one that’s somewhat supportive, but still disperses a good amount of pressure from those key areas.
How we picked these mattresses
To make sure we’re only recommending the very best on the market, we turned to our wonderful panel of readers and sent out a survey to those who had owned their mattresses for over six months. We asked for their overall opinion on their mattress brand, including detailed feedback on comfort, temperature regulation, design, longevity and support.
Once we received more than 50 responses from readers about a mattress brand, we then scored them according to the feedback.
We’ve then taken these reader scores and chosen a top mattress recommendation from each brand that best fits our expert's advice about looking for a medium-firm mattress to help support your back comfortably.
If you struggle with back pain, we’d always recommend speaking to a specialist before buying, as well as trying out a few options in-store to find the right one for your sleep-style and preferences.
What our reader’s thought about Zinus
When it came to easing back pain, our readers enjoyed a great night’s sleep on their Zinus mattresses. In fact, the majority said their symptoms improved over time as they slept on them. Almost everyone said they’d recommend their mattress to others suffering with similar back issues too.
Our pick of Zinus Mattresses: Zinus Hybrid Spring Mattress
Another hybrid pick, this mattress has three layers of foam, one layer of pocket springs and a soft-knitted cover to create a comfortable and supportive surface. The mint green trimmings give it a premium look too. Just note, the mattress cover isn’t washable so take care to avoid spills or stains.
This mattress was by our panel, who all agreed it was excellent at regulating body temperature, so could be a great pick if you’re also a hot sleeper.
What our readers thought about Woolroom
All but two of our readers said their Woolroom mattress noticeably improved their symptoms over time – a pretty impressive feat. Both readers and their partners reported less discomfort and the majority agreed that their mattresses provided an adequate amount of support and a good level of firmness.
Our pick of Woolroom Mattresses: Woolroom Hebridean 3000 Mattress
We’ve picked this mattress as our recommendation because it contains approximately 3000 pocket springs for optimum support. There’s a layer of micro-coils and a layer of normal-sized springs, and both work together to disperse tension around pressure points and help you achieve a restful night's sleep. It's another good pick if you happen to be a hot sleeper too, as it contains 100% British wool – a natural temperature regulator – in its top layer.
Woolroom also offers a 100-night trial when you purchase this mattress with a Chatsworth Wool mattress protector or any topper.
What our readers thought about Slumberland
Providing an adequate amount of support across the board, Slumberland impressed our readers. They were pleased with the level of comfort their mattress brought to their night’s kip. Almost all were happy with the firmness the brand offered, and the majority found it improved back pain symptoms, too.
Readers also noted that their mattresses were quiet to sleep on, leaving them undisturbed when their partner rolled over in the night.
Our pick of Slumberland mattresses: Slumberland Air 9.0 Memory Mattress
Just like the Woolroom mattress above, this combines 2000 mini springs with 1050 full height ones, which adapt to your body as you move. As it’s a hybrid mattress, it also features seven zones of memory foam that are contoured to your hips and shoulders, relieving pressure.
We’ve put this model through its paces with the help of our testing panel, who also loved it – in fact, it left them sleeping better than before the trial period. However, opinions were split about the height of the mattress as its taller than most.
What our readers thought about DFS
Just over a third of our readers noticed a big difference in back pain while sleeping on their DFS mattresses, with another quarter finding that their pain eased slightly. They did say that their mattresses made a noise when their partner rolled over at night though, which is worth noting if you’re a light sleeper. However, most reported a good level of support and said they would recommend DFS to others.
Our pick of DFS mattresses: Dorinda Luxury 2000 Pocket Mattress
A luxurious pillow top sits above the layers of pocket springs in this DFS mattress. It has a medium-firm rating, so while the cushioning gives a cosy sink-in feel, it should still provide a good level of support for your hips, back and shoulders, and respond to any tossing and turning. Plus, its copper-infused fabric outer layer has anti-bacterial properties, with studies suggesting it helps nourish the skin.
What our reader’s thought about Tempur
Overall, our readers were certainly happy with their Tempur mattresses; most said that they’d buy the same one again and recommend it to friends and family. They had a good level of firmness and left readers feeling comfortable throughout the night.
Most said they noticed some changes in their levels of back pain, but a few found no improvement in their symptoms. Even so, the majority would still recommend Tempur for getting the support you need.
Our pick of Tempur mattresses: Tempur Pro Plus SmartCool
Tempur’s Pro Plus Smartcool mattress comes in a selection of firmness levels, including one that’s medium-firm. It contains four different layers of foam to relieve pressure and keep you slumbering in comfort. In fact, the mattress is designed to cradle your body for a restful night’s sleep. Plus, if you don’t like it after 100 nights, you can return it and get your money back.
What our readers thought about Emma
When sleeping on an Emma mattress, most of our readers found their back pain eased slightly thanks to a decent level of support provided. A few found their mattress landed on the softer side compared to what they were expecting though, so bear this in mind if you typically prefer a firmer mattress. Just over half said they’d recommend Emma mattresses to family and friends who suffered similar back issues.
Our pick of Emma mattresses: Emma NextGen Premium Mattress
Emma’s NextGen Mattress uses pocket springs across seven zones (head, shoulders, chest, lower back, hips, thighs and feet) to promote correct spine alignment and offer a good amount of support for the main pressure points. Layers of memory foam provide added comfort by moulding to the shape of your body and absorbing as much movement as possible when your partner tosses and turns.
This is another medium firm mattress that's been tested by our panel, who found it quick to spring back into shape after a night’s kip and were impressed by how evenly it distributed their weight.
What our readers thought about Hypnos
Readers rated Hypnos mattresses highly for comfort, with most saying the firmness level was just right for their sleep style and preferences. Around two-thirds noticed some improvement in their back pain symptoms, with only a few saying they wouldn’t recommend the brand to others with similar issues.
Our pick of Hypnos mattresses: Hypnos Orthos Support 8 Mattress
Our pick comes from Hypnos’ Orthos Support collection, which uses a firm pocket spring system to alleviate pressure and respond to your shape, height and weight. The mattress also boasts a layer of fibre made from recycled polymer-based bottles that offers additional support and breathability, keeping you cool as well as comfortable.
What our readers thought about Dormeo
Around 80 per cent of readers were very happy with the level of comfort offered by their Dormeo mattress. Most said they provided support and a good level of firmness too.
A few found their back pain issues didn’t improve or didn’t notice much of a difference; however, over two-thirds said they would still recommend their Dormeo mattress to others for supporting back issues.
Our pick of Dormeo mattresses: Dormeo Octaspring Hybrid Mattress
Octaspring was developed by Dormeo to adapt to the contours of the body. Each spring has a honey-combed shape that moves three-dimensionally and they’re arranged into three separate zones throughout the mattress, to make it feel bouncier and more responsive.
The mattress has a medium to firm feel, with a layer of memory foam on top for added cushioning and comfort.
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s senior homes and lifestyle writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market and has written hundreds of product reviews on everything from the best vacuum cleaners and coffee machines to the best ice cream makers and robot window cleaners.
When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her running every distance from 5km to 100km or relaxing at home with her cat – there really is no in between.
Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, Women's Health, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall.
Blossom is passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for GH readers. As head of the homes testing team, she has led reviews across multiple categories, from pizza ovens, and smart plugs to portable fans and hobs. She enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols to ensure we’re testing them against their claims. Her aim is to find the top-performing products on the market, to help take the hard work out of housework. Blossom’s most notable accomplishment in the lab has been toasting 528 slices of bread in her quest to find the best toasters money can buy. In her free time, she openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.
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