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The best mattress toppers for back pain, tried and tested
Give your mattress a new lease of life and enjoy a supportive night’s sleep
Tested by Blossom BoothroydHomes Testing Manager
A worn out or unsupportive mattress can be the difference between waking up refreshed, or feeling a little sluggish, and probably a little achy, in the morning. That's where the best mattress toppers can save the day (or night).
The Good Housekeeping Institute experts have tested every kind of topper in our lab and with our reader panel, to find the best for every sleep concern – including the best mattress toppers for back pain.
If you're experiencing stiffness in your back and suspect it could be down to your mattress, but don't want to fork out hundreds of pounds to find out, it's the perfect solution. It will add a comfy extra layer of support without costing a fortune.
Eager to get shopping? You'll find our tried and tested picks below but keep reading to find out more about how these sleep saviours can ease your discomfort. Oh, and we've also tested the best mattresses for back pain in case you're interested.
Best wool mattress topper for easing back pain
The Woolroom Woolly Sprung Mattress Topper
Read review
Are mattress toppers good for back pain?
While back pain can be caused by a whole host of factors, including your lifestyle, sleep environment and physical health, Sam Bhide, an advanced practice physiotherapist and spokesperson for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, explains that there is evidence to suggest a medium to firm mattress can help ease discomfort.
“We spend on an average of seven to eight hours of our day sleeping, so a good supportive mattress is essential,” she says.
She recommends upgrading your mattress if you'd had it for over 10 years and you're experiencing stiffness. “If someone's suffering with back pain and they feel discomfort when sleeping, then it is wise to investigate changing a mattress that's over 10 years old,” she advises, adding that a mattress topper shouldn't be used to avoid replacing an old mattress.
A topper can, however, be useful for providing an extra layer of comfort to younger mattresses, or for altering the firmness of your existing mattress. "A mattress topper is usually added to provide added comfort for improving sleep quality,” says Bhide. “For example, if your mattress is firm and you'd prefer a softer top layer, a topper can help.”
And while prioritising the right surface should help improve your quality of sleep, Bhide also suggests trying some gentle back stretches before bedtime as well as using a hot water bottle to ease any niggles.
How to choose a mattress topper for back pain
Similar to the advice given for mattresses, choosing a medium to firm topper is the best way of giving your lower back the right level of support.
Bhide adds that the right mattress topper for back pain also comes down to its thickness. “There are various options available in terms of thickness that range from two to four inches (five to ten centimetres),” she explains. “If a mattress topper is used for providing extra comfort, then its thickness should be high.”
As always, there are lots of things to consider when choosing your bed set-up, so we always recommend trialling it out if possible.
How we test mattress toppers
To find the best mattress toppers, a panel of testers were tasked with trialling them at home for at least three weeks, before giving detailed feedback on their experience, including how comfortable, supportive and breathable each topper was.
Back at the GHI, our experts assessed the fit, comfort, and ease of use, including how comfortable they were to sleep on and how evenly distributed the filling was.
When selecting the best mattress toppers for back pain specifically, we also followed our expert's advice on optimum thickness.
All sizes shown are for a UK double.
The White Company Luxury White Down Topper
Pros
- Filling was evenly distributed
- Fits back into the packaging easily, making it good for storage
Cons
- Contact details can only be found online should you have any queries
Score: 93/100
Two layers of goose down and feathers make this mattress topper from The White Company a great pick for easing any niggles. Its plump nine-centimetre thickness provides a “luxurious feel” that helped our panellists get a better night’s sleep.
It fitted our mattresses securely and neatly, and its surface was smooth to the touch, so you won’t have any princess-and-the-pea situations. There was no new smell either, leaving every single tester satisfied and sleeping soundly.
Key specifications
| Type | Goose feather and down |
|---|---|
| Sizes | Single, double, king, super king, emperor |
| Depth | 9cm |
| Features | Detachable washable top, elastic straps suitable for mattresses up to 34cm deep |
Pros
- Made in the UK from recyclable materials
- Straps are a convenient length
Cons
- Hard to store due to its thickness
Score: 91/100
If you want to sleep like royalty, this Simba topper could be the one. This firm hybrid design is seven centimetres thick and combines foam and spring to create an excellent, supportive surface for your back and add another layer of comfort to your sleep set-up.
Our panel found it came up slightly bigger than the mattress, but this had no impact on the quality of their sleep. Instead, it was easy to fit, comfortable to lie on, and helped our testers wake up feeling refreshed.
Key specifications
| Type | Foam and spring |
|---|---|
| Sizes | Single, small double, double, king, super king |
| Depth | 7cm |
| Features | Machine washable, 200-night trial, 10-year guarantee |
Pros
- Filling is evenly distributed
- Comes with a 100-night trial
Cons
- Shrunk a little in the wash
Score: 88/100
The clue's in the name, but this topper comes with a premium price tag. However, our panellists loved it all the same. Everyone said they’d recommend it to others after enjoying its soft yet supportive design.
Adding a huge nine centimetres to your mattress, this topper has just what you need to transform your sleep set-up. Note, it doesn’t have straps, which meant some panellists found it slipped a little overnight. Overall, though, this was a popular topper on test.
Key specifications
| Type | Foam |
|---|---|
| Sizes | Single, small double, double, king, super king |
| Depth | 9cm |
| Features | Washable, temperature regulating tech |
Pros
- High quality stitching and feel
- Fairly lightweight and easy to place on the bed
Cons
- Some testers noticed a smell that took longer than ideal to dissipate
Score: 87/100
With adjustability as its USP, this Emma topper is perfect for sleepers who like to change their preferences often, or if you’re just not sure what you want. With softer foam on one side and firmer on the other, panellists found it easy to enjoy a comfortable and supportive night’s sleep that suited their individual needs.
It wasn’t lumpy or bumpy, and it fitted on the bed neatly, but again, some flagged the lack of straps meant it slipped. Well-fitting bedsheets helped keep it in place, but if you frequently toss and turn, you may want to try another option.
Key specifications
| Type | Two-layer foam |
|---|---|
| Sizes | Single, double, king, super king |
| Depth | 6cm |
| Features | Adjustable firmness with two different sides, removable cover and removable interior foam, 10-year guarantee, 200-night trial |
The Woolroom Woolly Sprung Mattress Topper
Pros
- Panellists found it minimised motion transfer and wasn’t too noisy to sleep on
- It fitted each mattress well and remained firmly in place
Cons
- Has to be dry cleaned and requires a large drum size
Score: 82/100
This super thick topper is made from 100% traceable British wool and has micro springs inside too, all intended to help regulate your body temperature and keep you well-supported at night.
While it’s on the bulky side, panellists found the topper was easy to install because of the elastic straps that snugly secured it to their mattresses. They also found it smooth to the touch.
The natural smell wasn't to everyone’s taste, but it should dissipate eventually, and it's still a great pick for giving your mattress some extra life.
Key specifications
| Type | Micro coils |
|---|---|
| Sizes | Single, single XL, double, small double, euro double, king, euro king, super king |
| Depth | 9-10cm |
| Features | Made with naturally temperature regulating and hypoallergenic 100% traceable British wool, 12-month manufacturing warranty, 100 night sleep trial |
The verdict on the best mattress toppers for back pain
While we always suggest that you seek professional advice for your back pain, these mattress toppers all tick the boxes for adding a good level of thickness and support to your bed.
If you’re a lover of feather and down, The White Company’s Luxury White Down Topper is a no-brainer. It’s plump, luxurious and recommended by our panellists for a getting a good night’s sleep.
If not, we’d suggest the foam and spring combo of Simba’s Hybrid Mattress Topper which combines a firm rating, bouncy springs, and soft foam to help you drift off.
We also love the Emma Flip Topper, which can be adjusted to your sleep style.
Why you should trust the Good Housekeeping Institute
Megan Geall, the GHI's homes writer, has written about hundreds of sleep products and spoken to the experts in order to find the best set-up for your bedroom. As part of our annual sleep awards, we tested over 300 products dedicated to helping you snooze better, from the best mattress and best mattress toppers for every sleep style to the best sleep gadgets.
Each topper on our list has been put through its paces and measured against strict protocols designed by our homes testing manager, Blossom Boothroyd.
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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