The best mattresses for back pain in 2025, tried and tested

CNN

03-03-2025

The best mattresses for back pain we tested
Best mattress for back pain: Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid Mattress
Best budget mattress for back pain: DreamCloud Hybrid
For those with back pain, sleeping on the wrong mattress can lead to an agonizing night of rest. Worse yet, those restless nights will quickly multiply unless you fix the issue promptly and get a new mattress. But that's where the best mattress for back pain can be a godsend.
Many of the best mattresses you see online have some combination of buzzwords that may make you think they're designed for folks with back pain. But what's most important is knowing the correct materials and firmness levels that impact your spine's alignment and reduce the pressure your back endures throughout a night of sleep.
To find the best mattress for back pain, and to help you sift through what is or isn't legitimately helpful, we enlisted the team at CNN Underscored to undergo the ultimate test: to throw out their old mattress and sleep on a new one for 30 days. Each of the nine mattresses tested below claims to aid in back pain in some capacity, and every tester reported varying levels of back discomfort. Ultimately, two mattresses came out as the best option for most people.
Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid Mattress
The Leesa drastically improved our tester's sleep quality and is a great middle-of-the-road, medium-firm mattress. It was plusher at first and took a few days to develop into its true shape, but overall it's given some relief to her cranky lower back and tight hips.
DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress
Our tester was incredibly pleased with the DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress, and while it didn't entirely alleviate her back pain, it did make her night's rest far better. She appreciated the medium-firm support and noted that the mattress was still soft and plush to the touch. After three weeks of sleeping on the Leesa, our tester, Underscored content strategist Madison Yerke, experienced a noticeable improvement in her comfort and sleep quality. The mattress strikes a great balance between firmness and cushion and allows her body to mold into it without sinking in too deeply. The foam adjusted well to her back and stomach sleeping positions, and she found it offered the right level of pressure relief without feeling too soft.
Though Yerke initially struggled with back discomfort on the first few nights, by the fourth, she began to feel a significant difference. She says she started waking up feeling more refreshed and less sore. Yerke suffers from chronic lower back pain and tight hips, but this mattress provided her welcome relief. After two weeks, the discomfort she usually experiences upon waking noticeably decreased, and now she finds herself falling asleep faster and waking up less stiff.
The only downside of her experience was the initial unboxing. The box and package came damaged and almost torn open, not to mention it took a decent bit of effort and help to get into her apartment. After that small hiccup, Yerke found the mattress itself in perfect condition and the setup process straightforward.
The initial feel of the mattress was firm but not uncomfortable, and when she first sat on it, she was surprised at how well her body molded to the surface. Yerke appreciated how this mattress offered support while still having enough cushioning for a comfortable experience.
Overall, this Leesa mattress exceeded our tester's expectations and drastically improved her sleep experience. The firmness suits her back and stomach sleeping positions and offers the correct amount of support while feeling soft enough to prevent discomfort. The Leesa has given Yerke a sense of being well-supported in her sleep while still being able to enjoy the plushness of foam. After years of using a hand-me-down squishy mattress, she found the transition to the Leesa surprisingly easy and says she now looks forward to getting into bed every night.
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The DreamCloud Hybrid mattress was easy for our tester, associate newsletter editor Lindsey Smith, to set up once out of the box. It was tightly rolled inside an outer plastic layer that, once cut, unfolded the mattress immediately so it could expand on its own. With this in mind, it's important to know which side is up and down so it can unfurl in the right direction versus needing to flip it over or around to get into place when expanded. There is a spot that allows you to cut it open and adjust the condensed mattress on your box spring before cutting open the main part of the plastic that expands it as well. Smith accidentally cut into the main part first, so she had to race to get it positioned correctly. She says she thinks the brand could do a better job at labeling the spot to cut with a different colored piece of plastic or other marker.
The brand suggests waiting up to 72 hours for the mattress to fully expand before using it (which is slightly annoying considering it'd be preferable to sleep on a new mattress the night you receive it). The mattress is an eight-layer mattress that uses coils on the bottom and a three-layer foam combination on top. It's covered in a tufted cashmere-blend cover that looks and feels luxurious and soft to the touch.
While Smith says she would consider it a medium-firm mattress, upon first feeling it, it reacted more like a memory foam that's responsive when you press down onto it and let go. Although the DreamCloud Hybrid is plush to the touch, Smith says it feels more like a traditional spring mattress when lying down since it's firm and supportive. It is firmer than she's used to, but she enjoyed how it cradled and supported her body without feeling like she was sinking into the mattress.
The medium-firm feel of the mattress is great for someone who sleeps on their side or back. Smith says that when she sleeps on her side, her hips tend to sink deeper into her mattress than her shoulders, so she wakes up in a lot of pain due to the unevenness. With this mattress, she feels like her spine and hips are more supported and aligned in a straight line throughout the night. She found the pain has lessened now that she sleeps on the DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress because her body is supported better and those eight layers of the mattress are putting in serious work.
Smith also noticed a difference in how comfortable she is while sleeping on her side now that her body isn't uneven. Her shoulders, hips and neck don't hurt as much or as quickly as they did with her previous mattress. Her discomfort isn't entirely gone, but she's not sure a mattress would be able to completely remove it. She says she doesn't toss and turn as often as before and can stay in one position for several hours without needing to readjust.
Perhaps most impressive about this mattress is that, given the benefits, the price point is excellent. It looks and feels like a luxury mattress that could cost three times its $700 price tag. Usually 'you get what you pay for' but for $700, Smith says she's incredibly impressed by what this mattress delivers. Plus, the brand is generous and allows returns for up to a full year.
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Testing several mattresses is no easy feat, let alone the nine we have covered in the guide. So, to do so, we enlisted the help of the wider CNN Underscored editorial team. Each tester received a brand-new mattress and went through the entire process from delivery and setup to multiple weeks of sleeping on it.
Along the way, they assessed a few key categories to determine if the mattress they tested was worth buying for those with back pain. Here's everything the testers considered throughout the process:
Quality of delivery and ease of setup
Delivery: How did the mattress get delivered? Was the box in one piece? Was the mattress in perfect condition?
Setup: Was the tester able to set it up by themselves or did they need help? Was the mattress packed down small in a box? Was it vacuum sealed?
Sleep quality
Sleep tests: Did the tester notice a big difference compared to their old mattress? Was it comfortable to sleep in the position they normally did? What stuck out after the first few nights? Did they notice a more comfortable night of rest?
Relief of back pain
Pain relief: How well did it manage their back pain? Did it make it noticeably worse or better? Were certain sleeping positions better than others? Was it beneficial on night 1, or did it take some time to break in?
Value
Cost-effectiveness: Would they spend money on this mattress? Is it worth the investment? Could they confidently recommend this as a mattress to purchase for someone with back pain?
Medium-firm is likely best for most people
According to Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, a sleep expert, neuroscientist and head sleep researcher at Wesper sleep clinic In New York City, a medium-firm mattress is ideal for those with back pain. She says medium-firm mattresses are vital for keeping someone's spine in the correct position while they sleep and can help alleviate any pressure put on their back.
Because of that, most people with back pain will want to buy a medium-firm mattress. Of course, this isn't a must for anyone who experiences back pain but should serve as a good starting point. If you're having trouble deciding between a medium-firm, firm or extra-firm mattress, visit a mattress store to try them out in person before committing to a purchase.
It's worth spending money on a quality mattress
Most mattresses worth buying don't come cheap. And that's entirely fine. You shouldn't skimp on something you'll be using for so many hours a day, and this is doubly true for folks who endure back pain. Put plainly, a quality mattress, while possibly expensive, goes a long way to being part of the equation to alleviate back pain and provide relief.
As you'll notice above, our top pick is $2,799 when not on sale, while we also recommend a budget option at $1,664, on sale for $699. Our budget option, while significantly less, is still a high-quality mattress for back pain that scored highly during our extensive multiweek testing. However, it's not the absolute cheapest mattress, and for good reason. Spending more on a quality mattress once is far better than spending less for something you either don't like, isn't comfortable or won't be as durable, and then you're left spending yet again in a few years.
Double-check warranties and guarantees
Many mattress companies offer some form of trial period, whether it's something as short as one month (i.e., 30 days) or longer at 100 days or even a year. Buying a mattress isn't cheap, so it's important to keep these warranties and guarantees in mind when you buy. And don't be afraid to act on those guarantees if you don't like what you purchase.
WinkBeds The WinkBed Luxury Firm Hybrid Mattress
Our tester said that while the WinkBed seemed to help with his back pain, it was a little too firm for his liking. However, the brand says the mattress should soften over time, though this didn't occur over the first month of our tester's time with it. Our tester, contributing writer Jason Cipriani, received his queen-size WinkBed Luxury Firm Hybrid Mattress via UPS. The box was a little damaged, but the mattress inside was unharmed. According to the instructions, once the mattress is on a bed frame or box spring, you remove the outer plastic wrap to unroll the mattress. Cipriani attempted to do so using the included tool but accidentally punctured the inner plastic, resulting in the mattress expanding while still partially rolled up. The next 30 seconds were chaotic as he frantically tried to reposition the mattress as it expanded.
Cipriani says his favorite feature of the Luxury Firm mattress is that it feels like he's sleeping in the bed all by himself. His previous mattress — which was around 10 years old — made sure he and his wife both knew every time someone rolled over or moved in the bed. That's not the case with the WinkBed. After the second night of testing, Cipriani says his wife mentioned she had a rough night of tossing and turning, and apologized if she had kept him up as well. He says he was dumbfounded because he had no idea she had moved at all.
He also noted that for the last few years, he'd sit up every morning and feel pain in his lower back and chalked it up to something he had to deal with while getting older. However, after testing the WinkBed, he's started to notice his back isn't screaming as much when he wakes.
He admits the first week was rough, with his back aching throughout the night due to how firm the mattress was. He adds that for anyone who isn't a big fan of firm mattresses, the WinkBed Luxury Firm Hybrid is firm and the first few nights felt more like sleeping on a carpeted floor that offered minimal padding.
If he had to do it over, however, he thinks he would have purchased the softer WinkBed model.
Nectar Classic Hybrid Mattress
While the feel of this mattress seemed nice, sleeping on it was quite a bad experience. It's too stiff for various sleeping positions (like side sleeping), and when our tester flipped onto his back when he was uncomfortable, it wasn't supportive enough, and he woke with back pain. Our outdoors, sustainable living and pets editor, Kai Burkhardt, was not a fan of the Nectar Classic Hybrid Mattress. While he thinks it might work for some, it was the opposite of what he needed. He's a side sleeper with back pain, so a plush yet supportive mattress would be ideal, but the Classic Hybrid Mattress was much too firm and lacked support. After waking up several times the first night with a sore shoulder from trying to sleep on their side, he hoped it would soften over the next few weeks of testing. That never never happened.
The mattress has a nice hand feel, and its top memory foam layer feels like it would be soft and comfortable to sleep on, but throughout the three weeks of testing, Burkhardt found it too hard to sleep on his side. And when he switched to his back to avoid shoulder pain, he'd wake up with back pain. To make matters worse, his back pain got worse over the testing period instead of better, and by the last week, he ended up putting pillows underneath his back to gain some actual support.
If you're a side sleeper or someone with back pain, we wouldn't recommend the Nectar Classic Hybrid Mattress. Burkhardt said he'll be on the lookout for a softer, more plush mattress in the future.
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt Legendary Pressure Relief Mattress
The more nights our tester slept on this mattress, the more uncomfortable it became when finding a position to fall asleep in. However, the delivery and setup experience was excellent, and she did notice the mattress absorbed movement well, so when her partner moved around, it didn't affect her much. The Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt mattress is a layered mattress that uses its proprietary Tempur-Material to reduce pain and pressure points by '[adapting] to your weight, shape and temperature,' per the brand. Our tester, copy editor Danielle Poiesz, was optimistic she'd be sleeping soundly on her side and waking with reduced back pain in no time. Unfortunately, that's not exactly how it went.
The white-glove delivery service was fantastic, with a clear scheduling process, on-time delivery — and only a three-hour delivery window — and smooth, courteous and quick setup. She didn't have to lift a finger other than moving her previous mattress to storage. (Though Tempur-Pedic did offer to remove her old mattress and dispose of it for her.) Upon its arrival, she, her mother-in-law and her toddler all lay down on the new mattress, all sinking into that famous memory foam and feeling pretty darn good. But after sleeping on it overnight, Poiesz quickly realized the Tempur-Adapt wasn't a good fit for her.
The mattress was a strange combination of very hard and overly soft. 'I'm not sure I would even call it firm,' she says. 'It felt straight-up hard, like it had zero give below the memory foam surface.' Her body sank into the Tempur-Material as expected; however, there didn't seem to be any support to that memory foam to reduce pressure points or hold her body in proper alignment. 'While the mattress does seem to conform to my body, it seems as if it's dipping me deeper into positions that are potentially uncomfortable and keeping me there,' Poiesz says. 'I have issues with the correct alignment of my body, which puts undue pressure on certain points, so instead of supporting me to keep me in a proper position, it seems as if this mattress encourages me to stay in the improper positions that cause me pain.'
It also felt as if there were hollow zones in spots when she would shift as if the memory foam wasn't bouncing back to support her new position. As a result, she ended up waking with increased pain with significant pressure points at her hips, shoulders, neck and knees. She attempted to address the issue by using her adjustable base but was only able to slightly reduce the new increased pain. The mattress did, however, move and adjust properly with the adjustable base so it is suitable for beds of that type.
While this mattress didn't work well for her, her husband, who also sleeps on his side but doesn't have back pain, found it very comfortable. Poiesz also noted that the mattress absorbed movement well, so when either she or her husband moved around, it didn't affect the other much.
Casper Dream Hybrid Mattress
The Casper Dream Hybrid is a firm, supportive mattress that has done well in relieving some back pain for our tester. With a price tag under $2,000, it's also a quality investment, even for those on a budget.
Take up to 20% off at Casper with code CNNSLEEP through March 10. Exclusions apply. Casper's Dream Hybrid Mattress might appear as a victim of its own hype, but our tester, writer Henry T. Casey, thoroughly recommends it, as it's been the right fit for his sleeping style. It's also deftly pushed some of his recent lower back pain out of the picture. Its three-zone design delivers a firmer, supportive mattress for your spine and back, while your head is resting more comfortably. Casey thought about getting Casper's The One Mattress initially, which doesn't have these sections and is much stiffer, and he says he's glad he didn't.
The one thing that surprised Casey — and that he'd change if he could — is that it's always a little odd when the mattress sinks slightly whenever he sits down on it before bed. It's an extremely temporary moment and instance (he says he has no real need to sit on his bed), so he's not exactly put off by it.
Overall, though, The Dream lives up to its name as it hits the right mix of cozy and supportive. Casey wishes he could say he's been doing the right stretches and bodywork to get his back in the best shape, but Casper's mattress did more than enough to make him forget about his recent back pain so much that he didn't even realize it.
Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress
Although this mattress takes time to adjust to, it becomes comfortable once broken in. Our tester reported a better night's sleep at around the three-week mark after the firmness softened. The breathable design also helped with temperature regulation, keeping her cool throughout the night. Setting up The Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress wasn't easy. While the box was intact upon arrival, it was slightly ripped and scuffed, and the handle tore immediately when our tester, social coordinator and writer Gabriella Triolo, tried to lift it. It was heavy and bulky too, so she needed her parents' help to move and unbox it. The plastic packaging was also tricky to remove since they had to be extra careful not to accidentally cut the mattress. She initially expected the mattress to be flat and low to the ground, but once she fully unwrapped it, it expanded into a thick, full-sized mattress, just like a traditional one that doesn't come in a box.
She noted that her sleep quality gradually improved as she adjusted to the new mattress. At first, she wasn't used to the firmness and experienced some soreness in her neck and shoulders. The mattress felt supportive, but it took some time for her body to adapt.
By the second week, she noticed a big difference. She was sleeping better and tossing and turning less, though her upper back still bothered her. The mattress requires a break-in period but started feeling more comfortable over time. By the third week, she was sleeping very well. The mattress is on the firmer side, so if you prefer a firm mattress, this one is a great option. Triolo notes that she no longer experiences back pain or discomfort throughout the night, and the mattress provided consistent support.
Overall, if you like a firm yet comfortable mattress that offers great support, the Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress is a solid choice.
Plank by Brooklyn Bedding Firm Luxe Hybrid Mattress
The Plank Firm Luxe delivered noticeable back pain relief to our tester who felt the mattress had just the right balance of comfort and support. It's firmer than she's used to but delivered a far better night's sleep for her than a more plush model. Our tester, director of social Stephanie Griffin, is a side sleeper who frequently switches sides throughout the night. Since she often wakes up with back and neck stiffness, she was eager to see if the Plank Firm Luxe mattress could alleviate those issues, and after a few weeks of testing, it did.
The mattress, which is reversible with 'Firm' and 'Firmest' sides, arrived at Griffin's home in a slightly damaged box, but luckily, the mattress itself remained in perfect condition. Setup was a breeze too. It was delivered vacuum-sealed, expanded to full size within minutes and had no noticeable chemical odor. The instructions were printed on the outside of the box, though Griffin says she later discovered additional key features on the brand's website that weren't included in the packaging.
According to Griffin, 'right out of the box, the mattress felt extremely highquality and soft to the touch.' She started with the 'Firmest' side facing up, and while it was much firmer than her old mattress, she says it still provided contouring support. She then flipped it to the 'Firm' side, which was noticeably softer and molded to her body's curves better. This was her sweet spot, and she was able to sleep through the night with less tossing and turning. She notes that she immediately noticed a significant reduction in upper back and neck stiffness, especially in the mornings.
By the third week, Griffin reported that her sleep quality had greatly improved. She says she woke up fewer times throughout the night and that her morning pain had disappeared completely. 'I appreciated how the motion isolation kept me from feeling my partner's movements during the night,' she says.
Griffin says the Plank Firm Luxe has been a huge upgrade, and though it's firmer than what she's used to, ultimately, it provided better support and significantly improved her sleep quality.
Nolah Evolution 15 Luxury Hybrid Mattress
The Nolah Evolution is a fine mattress that can help provide support to combination sleepers and did a good job of relieving the back pain our tester often experiences while sleeping. It is quite high at 15 inches, which isn't a deal breaker but takes some getting used to.
Get 30% off mattress orders with code CNNSLEEP through March 10. Our tester, editorial coordinator Rachel Dennis, says the first thing she noticed about the Nolah Evolution Mattress was how tall it is. Clocking in at 15 inches, the mattress was significantly higher than her previous one. The delivery experience was as expected, and although the box arrived in poor shape, the mattress was in perfect condition. It also came with two pillows (which Dennis says was a nice touch), though she admits she used the pillows she already had throughout testing.
Setting up the mattress required quite a bit of work and involved Dennis requesting the help of both of her parents to maneuver it and carry it up the two flights of stairs to her apartment. Because the box was so heavy and awkward to carry, she ended up unboxing the mattress downstairs with the help of her mom. She noted that using a tarp made it easier for the mattress to slide across the floor. Once the mattress was in her apartment, she was able to unravel it — it came heavily wrapped in plastic — and get it situated on the bed frame.
Dennis says she slept on the mattress right away that first night. It didn't come with any instructions otherwise and came out of the plastic wrapping ready to go. The Nolah Evolution consists of a quilted topper, several foam layers, 8-inch coils and a foam foundation. It also comes in three firmness levels — Plush, Luxury Firm and Firm — each with their own benefits. Dennis opted for Luxury Firm, which is the brand's bestselling firmness and the one best-suited for people who sleep on their side, back or both.
She noticed an immediate difference in sleep quality with this mattress. She is both a side and back sleeper who changes her sleeping position regularly, so she appreciated how the mattress contoured to her body while still offering firm support. Dennis found that whether she slept on her back or side, she felt supported and cushioned, which made for a better sleeping experience, especially during the weekends when she says she likes to sleep in. The mattress also features cooling technology, though Dennis says that wasn't a feature that stood out during testing.
We compiled a testing panel of nine Underscored staffers to help find the best mattresses for back pain. Each tester reported some level of back pain and spent weeks testing one of the mattresses in our testing pool.
Outdoors, sustainable living and pets editor Kai Burkhardt is a side sleeper who experiences back pain. He tested the Nectar Classic Hybrid Mattress.
Electronics writer Henry T. Casey is a side sleeper who experiences back pain. He tested the Casper Dream Hybrid.
Contributing writer Jason Cipriani sleeps on his back and experiences back pain. He tested the WinkBeds The WinkBed Luxury Firm.
Editorial coordinator Rachel Dennis is a side sleeper who experiences back pain. She tested the Nolah Evolution 15.
Copy editor Danielle Poiesz is a side sleeper who experiences back and neck pain. She tested the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt.
Director of social Stephanie Griffin is a side sleeper who experiences back pain. She tested the Plank Firm Luxe.
Associate newsletter editor Lindsey Smith is a side sleeper who experiences back pain. She tested the DreamCloud Hybrid.
Social coordinator Gabriella Triolo is a side sleeper who experiences back pain. She tested the Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress.
Digital content strategist Madison Yerke sleeps on her stomach and back, and experiences back pain. She tested the Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid Mattress.
For this article, we consulted the following expert for insights about the best mattresses for back pain.
Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, sleep expert, neuroscientist and head sleep researcher and consultant at the Wesper sleep clinic in New York City
The following FAQs were answered by sleep expert, neuroscientist and sleep researcher Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib.
What mattress firmness level is best for those with back pain?
What mattress firmness level is best for those with back pain?
'People who suffer from back pain typically have poor spinal alignment, so they need to choose a mattress that is medium-firm,' Rohrscheib says. 'This level of firmness will keep the spine in the appropriate position without placing too much pressure across the back.'
Are there certain materials sleepers with back pain should avoid in a mattress?
Are there certain materials sleepers with back pain should avoid in a mattress?
'Certainly. Avoid materials that are too plush or do not offer sufficient support,' Rohrscheib says. 'Cheaper mattresses tend to break down faster, leading to lumps and bumps. Spring mattresses may not distribute pressure evenly, for instance. You also want to avoid a mattress that moves too much.'
Can a mattress actually relieve back pain?
Can a mattress actually relieve back pain?
'It depends on what is causing the pain in the first place, but a poor sleeping position can lead to pain or make existing pain worse,' Rohrscheib says. 'If your pain is caused by your sleeping position, then yes, a good mattress can relieve that pain. However, pain that exists for other reasons, such as an injury or arthritis, is unlikely to be resolved by a mattress alone.'
CNN Underscored thoroughly tests all the products we cover and provides full transparency about how we test them. We have a skilled team of writers and editors with years of testing experience and ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when relevant to make certain we are testing each product accurately and speaking to the pros and cons of each item.
For this guide, members of the CNN Underscored team took on the task of testing nine different mattresses over the course of a month. A standardized testing rubric was created so each mattress was judged similarly, and each panel member's experience with their new mattress was shared with senior testing editor Rick Stella.