For many of us, back pain is something we’ve learned to accept.
We put it down to being out of shape, poor ergonomics, or just getting old.
But you’d be surprised how much difference an orthopedic and ergonomic mattress can make.
And the medical literature backs this up.
In my opinion a supportive mattress, cervical pillow, and a healthy sleep position can improve your back pain by at least 70%.
So to get you waking up on the right side of the bed, I’m going to recommend some high quality mattresses on the market.
I’ll also explain how your mattress might be causing you back pain, what to do about, and what to consider before buying.
Favorite Memory Foam Mattress
Sweetnight 12 Inch Queen Size Firm Mattress
- 12 inches of support and comfort
- supports up to 300 lbs
- 10 year no-risk guarantee
It is really amazing to think how much technology and effort went into creating the Sweetnight Mattress. The creators have managed to bring it to perfection in terms of quality and comfort.
This mattress offers medium firm support which is exactly what experts recommend is best for our body. This means you will neither sink into the bed, nor stay on top, giving you a perfect balance for your spine alignment and great support for pain related issues.
Cool layer
If you could look inside the mattress you’ll notice 3 layers of materials. The top layer is made of 3’’ of gel memory foam, specifically designed to keep you cool while you sleep.
Highly breathable
The second layer is made of highly breathable air-flow comfort foam which is consisted of millions open cell chambers allowing air to circulate freely.
The third layer acts as a support for the first two layers and is made of 5.5’’ high density foam. Aside from providing excellent support to you, this layer also helps prevent rolling off the bed.
This mattress will fit any kind of frame, or you can also choose to place it directly on the floor. After unpacking you need to wait for 72 hours for the cells to fully expand before using it.
What Customers Are Saying
Most of the customers that got this mattress are blown away by its quality and comfort.
People report sleeping far better and waking up rested. Some people were skeptical at first about a mattress that comes in a box, but it gets exciting after you let it fill with air and watch it come to life.
The only issue some people might have is the relatively high price, but if you can invest in 10 years of sleeping well, go ahead and do so.
What We Like
- Perfect firmness for spine alignment and comfort
- Keeps you cool
- Good quality materials that stays put
What We Don’t Like
- High initial investment
Second Favorite Ergonomic Mattress
Tuft & Needle Adaptive Foam Mattress
- Offers a bouncy feeling
- Heat-wicking graphite & cooling gel
- 100 night sleep trial option
The Tuft & Needle mattress is slightly firmer than the first one on our list. It is made of an adaptive T and N foam that has a bouncy effect. This one will be much fun for younger people, but it is definitely on the firm side so you should note that.
The Layers
The mattress is made of 2 layers of high density foam certified for purity. The support layer is 7’’ thick and its job is to keep your neck and spine properly aligned.
The top layer is 3’’ of their innovative adaptive foam that should provide bounce and pressure relief. This layer also contains cooling gel and graphite to help regulate your temperature while you sleep.
Finally you get a non-removable mattress cover that is a mixture of rayon, polyester, and fine grade silica inserted into the fabric.
This mattress will fit most bed frames and also requires 72 hours of airing before you use it.
What Customers Are Saying
When it comes to the Tuft & Needle mattress you really need to know what you’re getting in order to be satisfied.
Judging by user experience, most people agree this one was made for people looking for a firmer mattress, and definitely back sleepers.
This is due to the lack of edge support, so it kind of tends to sink if you sit on the edge, or press in a focused area while sleeping on the side.
The 100 day free trial only works if you return the mattress in the same box, which can be challenging, and it only applies to the US, for Canada this period is only 30 days of trial.
What We Like
- High quality materials that are marked safe
- Comfortable for back sleepers
- No motion transfer (your partner won’t wake you up when they move)
What We Don’t Like
- No edge support
- A bit on the firmer side for some people
Best Orthopedic Mattress
Snuggle-Pedic Flex-Support Memory Foam Mattress
- Extremely breathable mattress
- Removable Bamboo-knit cover
- 20 year warranty
If your main interest is to get a breathable mattress that will keep you cool no matter what.
Air Flow System
The creators of this mattress have made an air-flow system connecting the ventilation holes from the top layer, with the side chambers of the support layer. Sounds simple but it is an innovative idea and a breathable system that most mattresses are lacking.
In regards to materials and comfort this mattress is very similar to the Tuft & Needle. You get 7 inches of high-density foam for support and 3 inches of top layer made from extra buoyant memory foam.
This mattress is medium-firm and definitely is on the softer side. So it would be perfect for people that like the most delicate balance between firm enough for support and soft enough for comfort.
What Customers Are Saying
The first thing people really appreciate about this mattress is the removable cover. Something so simple, yet not practiced by most brands.
Excellent Customer Service
Also, if you’re not satisfied by the level of support vs. comfort you get, it is adjustable, as you can choose to exchange the layers of the mattress for free. This company offers a stable and caring customer support.
Made In USA
Another thing people appreciate when comparing to other mattresses – The Snuggle-Pedic is made in Southern California, USA and gives the manufacturer the highest level of quality control.
The company behind the product has been in the business for the last 15 years, and gives you a 120-night sleep trial and a bold 20 year warranty.
What We Like
- Modular system that allows modifications at no extra cost
- Amazing pressure relief
- Great customer service
What We Don’t Like
- Higher level of investment
Best Mattress Topper
Sleep Innovations Dual Layer Gel Memory Foam Topper
- cooling gel memory foam
- 4’’ 2-layer topper
- Pressure points support
If you are in dire need of having a good night sleep, but don’t feel like you should invest in a new mattress, this Sleep Innovations topper could do the trick.
It goes over your standard mattress, but gives you the comfort of the top layer featured in the high-priced mattresses.
The makers of this product have come up with different blends and ratios for different customer needs; this one is 50% quilted fiber for comfort and 50% gel memory foam for a cooling effect.
The topper comes with a machine washable cover which is great news for any family wishing to keep their topper sanitized.
Give your topper at least 48 hours to expand before using it.
What Customers Are Saying
Most people that got this topper said it feels like sleeping on a cloud. It doesn’t do much in terms of spine alignment, but it will definitely cradle your body and give you pressure point relief.
So instead of pushing into them you will sink into the memory foam. Many customers are raving about their disappearing headaches ad backaches.
The only downside is their customer service which is operating pretty low.
So if you happen to get a defective product you’d be better off going straight to Amazon since there have been many complaints that the manufacturer simply doesn’t respond.
What We Like
- Great for comfort
- Offers pain relief for some people
- Budget friendly price
What We Don’t Like
- Poor customer service
Excellent Air Mattress
King Koil Queen Air Mattress with Built-in Pump
The King Koil will be a life saver if you ever need an extra bed for guests or wish to have more comfort on your camping trip.
This is the only inflatable mattress that is recommended by the International Chiropractors Association and was made with ergonomics in mind for proper spine alignment.
The best part about it is exactly the air pump, since you can add or take away some air until you get your perfect balance of firmness and comfort.
The built-in AC pump does a good job of inflating the King Koil in 2 minutes. The bed is comfy and the top cover does a pretty good job of protecting the mattress.
What Customers Are Saying
People that got the King Koil love it. They say it feels comfy and enjoyable. It is thick enough to withstand 4 kids sleeping on it, and some animal owners report sleeping on it with cats or smaller dogs.
People also love the auto inflatable mechanism, and find it quite useful and fast. You are 20 inches off the ground which is also nice especially for camping trips, but it makes it easy to get off and on it as well.
The only thing to beware of- some products may come to you defective and you need to react within a year to claim your warranty.
Some people get the bed and end up not inflating it for over a year, only to discover theirs was defective.
What We Like
- Great ergonomic air-bed
- Built-in air-pump
- Budget friendly
What We Don’t Like
- Only 1 year warranty
How Beds Cause Back Pain
If you’re already suffering from chronic pain you are probably in desperate need of a good mattress, so knowing which factors to look for will help you on your search.
First of all, your current mattress might be one of the reasons why you have chronic pain in the first place.
Here are the important factors that make a good mattress:
It offers spine alignment support: which is very important because if your bed sags in any place it will push you into a bad position while you sleep causing pain in the morning.
It offers a good combination of support layer density vs. top layer breathability: If you’re a hot sleeper go for breathable mattresses with cooling gels, but also make sure you get enough support layer.
It offers pressure point relief: This is something that you have to experience to believe. But most of us have those pressure points that can cause stress on our back while we sleep.
With the help of memory foam and similar compounds your mattress gains a “give” helping your body compensate for any bad positions without losing the support.
Buying an Orthopedic Mattress: What To Consider
As we mentioned it is really important to understand what you’re buying and how that particular mattress might help you.
In the following segment you’ll learn about different mattress types, what they have to offer and which one would be good for you.
- Mattress Type
We have come a long way since innerspring and coil mattresses, although they are still the primary choice for general use.
Nowadays people can choose between memory foam, adaptive foam (this one is specific to the Tuft & Needle brand), latex foam (which can be a bit pricey), or a combination of those.
Let’s look at the different types of mattresses and their specific use:
Memory foam mattress
Memory foam is considered to be one of the best choices to help with back pain. It works by wrapping itself around your body thus relieving any pressure or irritation while you sleep.
Memory foam will also do a great job of keeping your spine properly aligned, and since it’s a lot more durable compared to the standard spring or coil mattresses it will support your back a lot longer.
This type of a mattress will be a perfect choice for people that enjoy that sinking feeling while falling asleep.
Innerspring mattress
These are the standard type of mattresses made for general use. What you get is coil springs as the base of the mattress, and some foam cushioning around them.
They typically do not offer additional support or relief. If you suffer from poor sleeping habits or any back related pain, it would be wise to pass them on.
Latex mattress
The Latex mattress is a step up from the standard memory foam. You get the same benefits the memory foam provides such as pressure relief, but the latex foam also keeps you cooler and won’t let you sink into the bed.
Hybrid mattress
Some brands have taken the game a step further and created different hybrid mattresses to cover various needs.
They usually experiment with a mixture of spring, foam and latex to provide the best of all worlds to the customer.
Whatever your need might be, always make sure your mattress covers the 4 basic needs: Correct firmness and density, enough airflow to regulate temperature, pressure relief and correct spinal alignment:
- Firmness & Density
The biggest mistake most people make when choosing a good mattress is reaching out for the firmest available.
This can be as bad as choosing the softest one. Both of them will not support your body correctly and could create more pain.
While I understand that different people will have different needs, if you’re choosing a mattress to help you alleviate back pain, or prevent one stay in the range of 5 -7 out of 10.
- Temperature
When choosing a correct mattress most people omit the temperature factor, but believe me it is SUPER important.
First of all getting enough ventilation means your body will get enough oxygen while you sleep.
This is crucial for your body, especially if you’re looking to recharge and refresh. If you’re going for a healthy, ergonomic option, do consider the cooling properties of your future mattress.
- Pressure Relief
Most heavy sleepers tend to push into the mattress with various body parts resulting in mild to horrible pain once they’re awake. Alas there is help!
Choose a mattress that will offer pressure point relief, like the memory foam type.
This way, eve if you’re placing yourself in an uncomfortable position while you sleep, the mattress will wrap your body and protect you from further irritation.
- Spinal Alignment
While we’re standing our spine naturally falls into its curve, but once we lay down it comes down to our mattress to support that natural curve.
This means the mattress should cradle the body while not allowing it to sink. Having this type of support while we sleep is crucial to waking up fresh and pain-free.
Other Excellent Mattresses
Sunrising Bedding Natural Latex Hybrid Mattress
The Sunrising bed is a bit different than your usual mattress. It consists of 4 layers: Supportive layer, Gel memory foam layer, soft memory foam on top of that, and a 100% natural Talalay latex top extracted from the sap of Malaysian trees. The top latex layer is 1 inch tick
To top all of that off, you get a cashmere wool mattress cover and a 20 year warranty. Sounds like a great deal to most of the 347 customers that went back on Amazon and gave it a 4.5 star rating.
Due to its pocket coil design you get a feeling of firmness and a subtle feeling of softness. Since every spring compresses individually the heavier parts of your body will yield more pressure while still giving support to your head, arms and legs.
Give your mattress out of a box 72 hours to fully expand.
Classic Brands Memory Foam & Innerspring Hybrid Mattress
The Classic Brands hybrid mattress might be offering the best of both worlds in one mattress.
It is a combination of 6’’ wrapped innerspring layer as a base and all the elements of a foam mattress including the support layer, soft comfort layer and memory foam top layer.
This type of mixture gives it a lot more elasticity and bounce, which makes it a great mattress for an adjustable base.
Also wrapped innerspring gives you a great weight distribution while retaining the ultimate comfort of memory foam.
Lucid 10 Inch Queen Hybrid Mattress
Here’s another Hybrid mattress that is very similar to the Classic Brand, with one major difference, this mattress has aloe vera and charcoal infused foam that reduces memory foam odor.
The charcoal is also good to pull away any moisture from the bed.
What you get is a 5.5 ‘’ of support base made of wrapped coils, 2 inches of support foam, one inch aloe vera transition foam and 1.5’’ of charcoal memory foam on top for a total of 10’’.
The entire bed provides edge support for added security. The firmness of this mattress is on the plush side. Some would argue it’s too soft for back-pain.
It is important to note that this mattress is one of the most hyped items in our list with over 1600 ratings on Amazon and 4.5 stars.
Sealy 12-Inch Hybrid Bed in a Box
If you’re looking for a mattress that will be ready for use a lot faster than all the others, then Sealy will do the trick. Unlike other mattresses it will be ready to use in 24 hours.
It comes as a hybrid mattress delivering the best from both worlds, so you get a layer of individually wrapped coils, comfort foam on top of that, a layer of premium memory foam to top it all off, and a removable cover that will be easy to wash.
Note that this type of mattress comes in two sizes, 10’’ and 12’’. The 12’’ mattress comes with an extra layer of memory foam on top resulting in a softer feel.
When it comes to user experience, people really like Sealy because it gives them enough support while providing high level of comfort.
Sleeping With Back pain
Getting up with pain in your back is not a productive way to start the day and robs you of energy even before you’ve had a chance.
That’s why choosing the right mattress is extremely important.
But there are other helpful tips to create an improved sleeping experience. Let’s consider the bed frame, healthy sleeping positions, how your pillow affects your sleep and possible accessories:
Bed frame
Among many available bed frames on the market, the one that could help you deal with pain the most would be the adjustable one.
It gives you the option to elevate your head or your feet which stimulate circulation and oxygen flow to the muscles. Once you try sleeping elevated you’ll never want to go back.
Sleeping position
The best position to help with back pain is back sleeping. This can be hard for some people that are not used to sleeping this way, plus we tend to shift while we sleep so it’s hard to maintain good posture while we sleep.
To help yourself place a pillow under your knees, this should get your spine aligned properly. You could also place a towel under your waist.
If you’re a side sleeper and wish to keep a good posture while sleeping, try placing a small sphere shaped pillow between your knees.
If this doesn’t work try getting a larger body pillow and hug it while you fall asleep.
This will help keep your shoulders straight and your back pain-free.
People that suffer from back pain should avoid sleeping on their stomach because it creates a completely unnatural spine alignment and causes further strain to the neck.
I’d recommend sticking with a body pillow and gradually transferring from stomach to side-sleeping for a pain-free experience.
Use a good pillow
A good pillow is essential to keep your body aligned, and every sleeping style demands a different kind of pillow.
A back sleeper would need a medium sized pillow, a side sleeper would need a higher loft, and a stomach sleeper would require a flat pillow or nothing at all.
Consider a mattress topper
A mattress topper could be a back-saving accessory for your bed. It gives you an additional layer of comfort and cradles your body while you sleep.
The topper is usually made of memory foam that cools your body and gives you pressure point relief. Plus you won’t need to break the bank in order to get the ergonomic goodness.