Made in Britain
Mattresses for back pain
The best mattress for back pain is a supportive one that keeps your spine in line for how you sleep, and firmer isn't automatically better. Every mattress here is supportive, but none is a treatment: see a GP or physiotherapist about ongoing pain.
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What type of mattress is best for back pain?
There's no single best mattress for back pain: look for one that keeps your spine in line in the position you sleep in, and don't assume the firmest mattress is the right one.
Your sleep position decides most of it. As a general guide, on our 1 to 10 firmness scale:
| How you sleep | Firmness to look for | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| On your side | Medium-soft to medium (3 to 6) | Lets the shoulder and hip sink, so the spine stays straight |
| On your back | Medium to medium-firm (5 to 8) | Keeps the hips level and fills the curve of the lower back |
| On your front | Medium-firm to firm (7 to 10) | Stops the hips sinking, so the lower back doesn't arch |
| A mix of positions | Medium (5 to 6) | A middle ground that's easy to move on |
Within those ranges, heavier people usually need firmer support, and lighter people often find very firm mattresses hard. Each mattress in this range shows its firmness on its page, so you can match it to the table. If you sleep on your back, our guide to mattresses for back sleepers goes into more detail.
Is a firm mattress better for back pain?
A firmer mattress is not necessarily better for back pain: in a 2003 trial published in The Lancet, Kovacs and colleagues found that people with chronic lower back pain did better on a medium-firm mattress than on a firm one.
That runs against the old advice that a bad back needs a hard bed. The trial has limits, though. It's one study, it looked at chronic lower back pain, and it compared two levels of firmness. It doesn't show that any mattress is a treatment for back pain, and because there's no industry-wide firmness scale, the trial's medium-firm can't be matched to an exact number on ours. Take it as a direction: don't go firmer than you need. Our medium firm mattresses sit at 7 to 8.
Could an old mattress be part of the problem?
An old mattress can be part of the problem once it starts to sag, because a dip under the hips stops it supporting your spine evenly; an adult mattress typically lasts around 7 to 10 years.
Replace it sooner if it sags, has lumps, lets you feel the springs, or you regularly wake stiff. To check for a dip, strip the bed and lay a straight edge, such as a broom handle, across the middle: a gap underneath shows where it has sunk. A topper can change the feel of a mattress but can't fix a sag. Look after the new one by turning it head to toe every few weeks for its first three months and every three months after that.
Is an orthopaedic mattress good for back pain?
An orthopaedic mattress isn't automatically good for back pain: the word has no legal or medical definition in the UK and usually just means a firmer, more supportive mattress.
Some orthopaedic mattresses are medium-firm and some are firm. Given what the Lancet trial found, check the firmness number on the mattress page rather than assuming the label means it's right for your back. Our orthopaedic mattresses page explains what the label does and doesn't mean.
How should I choose a mattress if I have back pain?
Choose a mattress for back pain by getting ongoing pain checked first, then matching the firmness to how you sleep and your build, and only then choosing materials.
- See a GP or physiotherapist about pain that lasts or keeps coming back. A mattress can't diagnose or treat it.
- Use your main sleep position and the table above to choose a firmness band.
- Go towards the firmer end of that band if you're heavier, and look for a deeper mattress with a strong spring unit.
- Choose a construction you like. Pocket sprung mattresses are springier and easier to move on; memory foam moulds more closely but recovers slowly.
- Go by the firmness number, not by names like orthopaedic or extra firm.
We're a family-run mattress shop, not a clinic, so we can't advise on pain, but we can help you compare firmness and construction: send us a message about how you sleep.
Mattresses for back pain: your questions answered
Can't see your question? Ask us and we'll get back to you.
Should I see a GP before buying a mattress for back pain?
If your back pain is new, severe or hasn't gone away, see a GP or physiotherapist before you buy. A mattress can't diagnose or treat the cause, and they can give advice for your situation, including sleep position. Once you know what you're dealing with, choose a supportive mattress that suits how you sleep and your build.
Is memory foam good for back pain?
Memory foam isn't a treatment for back pain, but a supportive memory foam mattress can be a good choice if you like a close, moulding feel. It softens with body heat and moulds to you, then recovers slowly, so changing position takes a little more effort. If you turn over a lot, a springier pocket sprung or hybrid mattress may suit you better.
Is a soft mattress bad for back pain?
A soft mattress isn't automatically bad for back pain, but if it lets your hips sink lower than your shoulders, it isn't supporting your spine evenly. That's more likely if you sleep on your back or front, or you're heavier. The 2003 Lancet trial compared medium-firm with firm, so it tells us nothing about soft mattresses either way.
Can a mattress topper help with back pain?
A mattress topper isn't a treatment for back pain. It can make a mattress that's too firm feel softer, but it can't fix one that sags, because it rests in the same dip. A topper makes sense when the mattress is still flat and supportive and simply feels too hard for you. If it has sagged, replace the mattress.
How long does it take to get used to a new mattress?
Getting used to a new mattress has no set timescale. A new mattress can feel unfamiliar for the first few weeks, especially if it's firmer, softer or a different type from your old one, and a rolled mattress needs 24 to 72 hours to reach its full shape. If your pain gets worse or doesn't settle, see a GP or physiotherapist rather than waiting for the mattress to bed in.
Is medium-firm the same at every shop?
Medium-firm isn't the same at every shop. There's no industry-wide firmness scale, so each brand decides what it calls medium-firm, and one shop's medium-firm can feel like another's firm. We grade every mattress on one 1 to 10 scale, with medium-firm at 7 to 8, so compare numbers within one shop rather than names.
Should I replace my bed base as well as my mattress?
Replace the bed base as well if it sags, has broken or missing slats, or shifts and creaks under you, because a mattress can only be as flat as what it sits on. On a slatted base, check the slat spacing your mattress maker recommends. A base that's flat, sound and firm can stay.
Is there a special type of mattress for back pain?
There's no special type of mattress for back pain, and no standard one has to meet. Labels like orthopaedic have no legal or medical definition in the UK. What matters is support: a mattress firm enough to keep your spine in line for how you sleep and your build, without being firmer than you need.
Not sure which mattress?
Tell us about your bed and how you sleep, and we'll suggest a few that fit.