Best Mattress for Back Sleepers – Our Top 10 Picks

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Back sleepers benefit from snoozing in a position that keeps the spine relatively neutral. The right bed can reinforce this healthy posture, ensuring that you sleep soundly and comfortably. 

If you’re a back sleeper, one of your chief concerns when shopping for a mattress should be support. This sleeping position tends to require a bit of firmness, and to that end, you’ll want a bed that blends coziness with a reassuring solidity. We’ve rounded up our top 10 best mattresses for back sleepers with this mix in mind.

10 Best Mattresses for Back Sleepers

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The Best Beds for Back Sleepers, Reviewed

Best Overall

Saatva

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Certified Organic Cotton
  • CertiPUR-US® Certified
  • 365-Night Trial
  • Lifetime Warranty
  • Charity Initiatives
  • Made in the USA

Though on the surface Saatva feels plush and soft, this innerspring brand doubles up on the support that back sleepers need with two coil systems. Stacked on top of each other, these units make for an exceptional experience in spinal alignment. Back sleepers can feel the plush cover and foam push up into their lumbar region, and the first layer of pocketed coils comfortably conform to the body. The base’s interconnected coil system provides a strong and sag-resistant system that helps keep your back in a neutral position.

This bed comes two different heights, 11.5 and 14.5 inches, and three different firmness levels. The Firm comfort level incorporates slightly firmer foams that offer pressure relief and additional support simultaneously. The Firm level is also better for heavier sleepers.

What makes it special?

  • This company does not fold their mattresses into boxes, which means they are able to offer materials that are more compression-resistant than bed-in-a-box competitors.
  • Environmentally-conscious shoppers can appreciate Saatva’s efforts to incorporate more sustainable materials, including bio-based oils that help create their foams, coils made from recycled steel, and an all-natural cotton cover.

Best Hybrid Mattress for Back Sleepers

Helix Dusk

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Hybrid Mattress
  • CertiPUR-US® certification
  • Made in the USA
  • 100-Night Trial
  • 10-Year Warranty

Back sleepers searching for a top-quality mattress to give them a comfortable night’s rest should find the Helix Dusk a viable contender. The Dusk’s design is geared especially toward back sleepers, but comes with a medium comfort feel that should work well for most sleepers.

The Dusk’s layers include Helix Dynamic Foam, Memory Foam Plus, individually wrapped coils, and DuraDense Foam. Back sleepers should feel well supported by the combination of durable foams and coils while also getting soothing pressure relief from the Dynamic and Memory Plus Foams. Topping off the Dusk’s construction is the Soft Touch Design Cover.

Why we love it

  • The Helix Dusk offers a more affordable alternative to the Dusk’s Luxe option while still providing customers with a quality sleep experience.
  • All Helix mattresses are designed and made in the United States.

Best Cheap Mattress for Back Sleepers

DreamCloud Hybrid

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Hybrid Mattress
  • CertiPUR-US® certification
  • 365-Night Trial
  • Forever Warranty

Although the DreamCloud Hybrid’s price is lower than that of many other mattresses on this list, it by no means lacks the crucial support that back sleepers crave.

Starting at the top of the mattress is the cashmere-blend cover, which gives this bed a luxurious touch. Poly foam is quilted into the cover for a plush surface, followed by gel-infused memory foam to relieve pressure points. A poly foam transition layer helps guide you from the softer foams into the firm coils below. Adding extra support to the DreamCloud is a final layer of dense foam at the base.

Why should you consider this bed?

  • The foams in the DreamCloud are all CertiPUR-US® certified to ensure they meet strict safety standards.
  • DreamCloud offers one of the best trial and warranty deals around; Customers get 365 nights to try out the bed and a forever warranty.

Best Organic Mattress for Back Sleepers

WinkBeds EcoCloud

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Hybrid Mattress
  • Latex Comfort Foam
  • Firmness Level: 5.5/10
  • 120-Night Trial
  • Lifetime Warranty

WinkBeds offers back sleepers a top-tier organic mattress with the EcoCloud. The bed is 12 inches tall, combining four inches of Talalay latex comfort foam with 8-inch individually wrapped coils.

The coils in the EcoCloud are zoned for enhanced back support and promote airflow so that the sleeper stays comfortable throughout the night. The Talalay latex layer delivers additional benefits to back sleepers by offering more support in the lumbar region and is made with an open-cell design for cooling.

What makes it unique?

  • The EcoCloud is equipped with an advanced edge support system to avoid sagging if you sleep close to the bed’s edge. The ExtraEdge™ Anit-Sag Support coils reinforce the perimeter. This feature is especially beneficial to couples since they can enjoy extra use of the bed’s surface space.
  • The EcoCloud comes with a lifetime warranty to cover the mattress for as long as you have it.

Best Soft Mattress for Back Sleepers

Aurora Luxe

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Hybrid Mattress
  • Three Firmness Levels
  • Made in the USA
  • 120-Night Trial
  • 10-Year Warranty

While some back sleepers enjoy a firmer mattress, others don’t want the support to overwhelm them so much they don’t feel any pressure relief. Brooklyn Bedding’s Aurora Luxe offers shoppers three firmness levels to choose from, including a soft model that should benefit back sleepers who want something more plush.

The Aurora Luxe's soft version is rated a 5 for firmness, which should strike a nice balance of support and pressure relief. The mattress’ construction includes Brooklyn Bedding proprietary foams, memory foam, and proprietary Ascension X™ pocketed coils. The comfort foams should give sleepers much-needed pressure relief after a long day, while the pocketed coils deliver sturdy support for optimal alignment to prevent back pain.

Why do we love it?

  • The Aurora Luxe's three firmness options are great for shoppers seeking customization.
  • The mattress is American-made, which is ideal for those who want a locally-sourced product.

Best Memory Foam Mattress for Back Sleepers

Nectar

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • CertiPUR-US® Certified
  • 365-Night Trial
  • Forever Warranty

Though back sleepers are often served best by a firmer mattress, these can create uncomfortable pressure points on certain parts of the body. Luckily, the all-over sinkage provided by the Nectar hugs your silhouette for a snug and supportive sleep.

Nectar offers all of the great features of a quality memory bed at an exceptionally affordable price, and it stands out as an exceptional value. The high-density base layer is strong and durable, lending itself nicely to spinal alignment.

The medium-firm feel of this bed is highly versatile, and this brand’s design does an excellent job of gradually increasing firmness through the three layers of foam so that both the heaviest and lightest parts of your body sink into the mattress for a more uniform feel.

What makes it unique?

  • Memory foams are often associated with high levels of heat retention, but this brand’s top layer is infused with a gel that helps reduce the likelihood of heat build-up.

Best Cooling Mattress for Back Sleepers

Nolah Signature

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Made in the USA
  • Memory Foam Design
  • CertiPUR-US® Certified
  • Lifetime Warranty

Back sleepers who struggle with feeling too warm at night should like the Nolah Signature and its cooling features. This memory foam mattress is 12 inches tall, featuring four foam layers, a cotton cover, and a four-way knitted border cover. 

The first cooling layer is the 2.5-inch cooling AirFoam™ foam under the cotton cover. Apart from cooling, this layer provides targeted pressure relief, which should benefit both back and side sleepers. The cooling foam adapts to your body while pulling the heat away from you and toward the bottom of the bed. The mattress is rated 4/10 on our firmness scale; those who like sleeping on their stomach may prefer a firmer bed.

Why do we like it?

  • The Signature is made entirely out of foam, allowing excellent motion isolation (a quality often found in the best mattresses for couples). 
  • The bed features another layer of AirFoam™ deeper in the construction. This layer is firmer and should provide additional pressure relief and support. 

Best Mattress for Back Sleepers with Shoulder Pain

Bear Original

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Foam Mattress
  • Firmness Level: 6.5/10
  • Great for Athletes
  • CertiPUR-US® Certified Foams
  • 120-Night Trial

If you’re a back sleeper with shoulder pain, this bed’s medium-firm feel and high-tech cover may be a great fit. With its signature Sleep Recovery Technology™, the Bear Original mattress is geared toward both comfort and physical recuperation. The cover of the Bear Original mattress incorporates Celliant®, a type of performance fabric that aims to boost blood flow and reduce inflammation. 

What stands out?

  • This mattress is dedicated to keeping sleepers at a comfortable temperature, as both its cover and its gel memory foam have cooling properties. 
  • The Bear Original is GREENGUARD Gold certified, meaning it abides by high standards for the exclusion of chemicals and pollutants.

Best Mattress for Back Sleepers with Hip Pain

TEMPUR-Adapt®

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Foam and Hybrid Mattress
  • Multiple Firmness Options
  • 90-Night Trial Period
  • 10-Year Limited Warranty

If you’re a back sleeper experiencing hip pain, the TEMPUR-Adapt® model may be a good product to help alleviate your discomfort. This mattress comes in four different firmness options, including Soft, Medium, Medium Hybrid, and Firm. The varying firmness choices are excellent for customization and give you the chance to find what feels most comfortable against your hips.

The TEMPUR-Adapt® comes as an all-foam or a hybrid bed. However, the hybrid is only available in a medium firmness. The specific construction of the TEMPUR-Adapt® depends on the firmness you select, but each model contains high-quality proprietary materials for an enhanced sleep experience.

Why do we love it?

  • The customization options are great for finding what feels most comfortable for hip pain. While some might enjoy the extra plushness of the TEMPUR-Adapt® Soft, those with limited mobility may enjoy the added responsiveness the coils in the Medium Hybrid provide.

Best Mattress for Back Sleepers in Need of Pressure Relief

Layla Hybrid

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Hybrid Mattress
  • Two Firmness Levels
  • CertiPUR-US® Certified
  • 120-Night Trial
  • 10-Year Warranty

If you’re a back sleeper in need of pressure relief, Layla offers an exceptional hybrid model. The Layla Hybrid comes in two firmness levels, soft and firm. The soft version is rated a 4 out of 10, and the firm version is a 6. The good news is that either version should be plush enough to ensure you reap the benefits of the bed’s pressure-relieving layers.

The Layla Hybrid incorporates copper-gel memory foam. For those who value pressure relief, memory foam is king. This material excels at contouring the sleeper’s body to alleviate uncomfortable pressure buildup. The only downside to memory foam is that it can run hot, so Layla infuses this layer with copper gel, which cools down the material to prevent overheating.

What makes it unique?

  • Back sleepers can decide between the soft and firm versions of the Layla Hybrid for a more customized shopping experience.

Shopping for a Mattress As a Back Sleeper

Back sleepers have a natural advantage when it comes to promoting healthy spinal alignment: When you snooze on your back, your spine hews pretty closely to its natural curvature. Your choice of mattress can help to optimize this alignment even further, plus offer additional benefits based on your sleeping preferences.

What Type of Mattress Is Best for Back Sleepers?

all types of mattresses illustration

Back sleepers can be suitably cozy on almost any kind of mattress, but each type brings something different to the table. (Or should we say bedroom?)

Innerspring

Innerspring mattresses are the most classic option, and their robust coil units do provide a good amount of support for back sleepers and stomach sleepers. If you’re considering an innerspring mattress, know that you’ll want to watch for sagging over time, and make sure that the bed’s upper layers compress enough underneath you to provide adequate pressure relief.

Foam

As long as they’re supportive enough, foam mattresses can certainly satisfy back sleepers. They’re especially good for folks who want to sink into and feel “hugged” by their bed. If you sleep on your back and you want an all-foam bed, just be sure that you’re not sacrificing support in pursuit of that immersive feel.

Latex

Utilizing the hot new material on the mattress scene, latex mattresses balance a springy feel with the pressure-relieving qualities of traditional foams. Back sleepers should enjoy the versatility of latex, its cooling properties, and the support it provides. Combination sleepers should also enjoy its level responsiveness while shifting positions. However, latex mattresses aren't for you if you don’t like a small bit of bounce to your bed.

Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses feature both springs and foams, and this combination can be a heavenly blend of support and softness for back sleepers. Hybrids skew a bit pricier than other mattress types, and there’s a lot of variability between them, so think about what other features you value in a mattress for help in selecting your match.

What Mattress Firmness Is Best for Back Sleepers?

Ideal Firmness Range for Back Side and Stomach Sleepers

A medium-firm mattress is typically the best fit for back sleepers. You’ll want the right amount of support to keep you elevated and preserve your spinal alignment, but enough plushness to meet your standards for comfort.

If the mattress is too soft, your lumbar (or lower back) region in particular can lack the support it needs. You want this part of your back to feel nicely buoyed by your bed. If the mattress is too firm, then you might not be able to settle in and sleep. A rock-hard mattress can also contribute to aches and pains, which you definitely don’t want.

We recommend trying mattresses with middle-of-the-road firmness levels to see which ones tickle your fancy. There’s still a lot of wiggle room in that middle range, so back sleepers should experiment with beds that rank between a 5 and an 8 on our firmness scale.

What Kind of Pressure Relief Do Back Sleepers Need?

woman sleeping on her back illustration

Back sleepers put the most pressure on the backs of their shoulders and hips. When you test out a mattress, pay attention to how those areas feel and how deep they’re sinking into the bed. As always, it’s a balancing act: You want enough support to make these areas feel like they aren’t getting “lost,” and enough contouring to make them feel appropriately cradled.

How Does Sleeping on Your Back Affect Your Sleep and Health?

Many sources point to back sleeping as the most beneficial sleeping position. But why might this be the case? There are a few key reasons:

  1. It keeps your spine aligned. Sleeping on your back keeps your spine close to a neutral position, in which it maintains its natural curve. A misaligned spine can result in symptoms such as muscle strain, back pain, and noticeable changes in posture.1
  2. It doesn’t create a lot of pressure on the body. Compared to side and stomach sleeping, back sleeping results in the least amount of pressure exerted on the body (and on your mattress).2
  3. It distributes pressure evenly. Side sleepers place a lot of pressure on their shoulders and hips, whereas stomach sleepers have to worry about their chest, hips, knees, and sometimes their neck. Back sleepers stay symmetrical while they sleep, and the points that experience the most concentrated pressure—around the shoulders and tailbone—are often more suited to the task.
Illustration of a Spine Alignment when Person Sleeps on Their Back

Are There Health Concerns Related to Sleeping On Your Back?

Although back sleeping has noted benefits, there are certain health concerns that may preclude this position from your bedtime regimen.

  • Sleep apnea: Back sleeping can exacerbate sleep apnea symptoms—and snoring—due to how your head and airway is positioned. Consider changing your sleeping position and investigating the best mattresses for sleep apnea.
  • Acid Reflux: If you struggle with acid reflux and symptoms such as heartburn, sleeping on your left side may be the most comfortable position for you.3
  • Pregnancy: The American Pregnancy Association recommends side sleeping during pregnancy, as back sleeping can cause a host of symptoms associated with your abdomen putting increased pressure on your digestive system, blood vessels, and back.4 Your bed can also impact your comfort when you're expecting, so it's worth looking into the best mattresses for pregnancy.
  • Pain: If back sleeping seems to cause you more pain than other sleeping positions, it may not be the best choice for you. Always consult with a medical professional if you’re experiencing pain that doesn’t quickly resolve with simple, at-home modifications.

Is Back Sleeping Healthy for Everyone?

What works for some people may not work for everyone, and back sleeping is no exception.

Sleep experts like to privilege this position above side and stomach sleeping, but it’s worth noting that research has yet to deliver a hard verdict on which sleeping position is best, on average. Case in point: In 2019, a scoping review concluded that more studies would be needed to determine how sleep positions impact spinal symptoms in adults.5

We recommend back sleeping as a baseline, but your sleeping position should be the one that works best for you, your body’s needs, and your sleep hygiene.

Conclusion

Back sleepers are a lucky bunch. Their preferred sleeping position holds their spine in neutral alignment, or close to it, which has a host of associated benefits. But the right mattress can still make a big impact in the quality of their sleep and how nimble they feel when they wake up.

If you’re a back sleeper, hopefully we’ve helped you to narrow down your choices as you search for a new mattress. If you’re not, then perhaps you’d like to learn how to sleep on your back? As with most things in life, it just takes a bit of practice.

Sources:

  1. “Posture and back health.” Harvard Health Publishing, March 9, 2014. https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/posture-and-back-health.
  2. “Sleeping Posture.” UCLA Ergonomics, last modified January 22, 2020. https://ergonomics.ucla.edu/backsafety/sleeping-posture.
  3. “Choosing the Best Sleep Position.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, August 8, 2021. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/choosing-the-best-sleep-position.
  4. “Best Sleeping Positions During Pregnancy.” American Pregnancy Association, last modified May 5, 2022. https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/pregnancy-health-wellness/sleeping-positions-while-pregnant.
  5. Cary, Doug, Kathy Briffa, and Leanda McKenna. “Identifying relationships between sleep posture and non-specific spinal symptoms in adults: A scoping review.” BMJ Open, June 28, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6609073.
Melanie Kassel
Sleep Advisor