The Best Mattresses for Back Pain

WIRED

26-02-2025

My right side almost always hurts. My scoliosis puts more weight on that side, creating a painful pressure point overnight. Fun combo! But the Saatva Rx let me sleep on my right side and wake up without a single pain. There's a lot going on that makes this possible. There are seven layers, including a half-inch memory foam layer placed for lumbar support, a high-density foam layer encasing a micro-coil layer, and a layer Saatva calls the 'Therapeutic Support Core' with a foam module on top of individually pocketed coils and phase change material, which can help regulate temperature overnight. It feels nice and soft, but not so soft that I'm sinking into it. It totally erases my pressure points and muscle pain overnight. I let my sister sleep on it after she strained a muscle in her upper back, and the next morning she said it felt seriously improved and noted how easy it was to spring up. It's a little too soft to support my spine's spondylosis damage, and I woke up with a twinge of discomfort in my lower back where that damage is, even with the extra lumbar support. But if you have more pressure point pain or overused-muscle aches rather than spine damage, the Saatva Rx is a fantastic choice. Saatva also offers a 365-night trial and a lifetime warranty, and it delivers the mattress in a truck and fully formed—no shrink-wrapped mattress-in-a-box here. You'll get a heads-up about the delivery and can ask for it to be placed in your room of choice. Composition Seven layers of foam and coils Firmness One option, supportive plush is about 5/10 Height 15 inches Cooling No, but has phase change material Trial period 365-night trial
Charles P. Rogers Estate Tradition Mattress
The Tradition Estate is the newest mattress in Charles P. Rogers' lineup and an upgrade to the existing Estate mattress. This 13-inch mattress has seven layers of gel, foam, and springs, with an Oeko-Tex-certified quilted top and foam edge support. The spring layer is called Powercore, with each coil moving individually for targeted support. You can feel the firm support of the Powercore and other layers within it, but the top still has enough softness and give that I'm plenty comfortable sleeping on it with my side sleeper ways. It only has one firmness level, which Charles P. Rogers describes as 'gentle firm,' and I'd agree with that. I'd guesstimate it's a 7.5/10 in firmness, but with the soft top and very firm interior layers, it's hard to assign a number to it.
My achy back feels nicely supported throughout the night with the firm base, and I woke up usually without an ache to be found in my lower back. It took a couple nights to break in the top softer cushion—the first night or two it felt a little too firm on my side and back—but after that, the top layers felt soft and forgiving on my side sleeper position while the lower layers supported my spine. I woke up without any pressure pain, thanks to that softer top.
My husband liked this mattress a lot too, even though he's a back sleeper who prefers a firmer mattress. It was a great middle ground for our different needs, and it did a fantastic job supporting my back and erasing my pressure pain. I'd recommend it for just about anyone to sleep on. If it doesn't end up working for you, Charles P. Rogers allows returns and exchanges within 100 days of delivery. The Tradition Estate also has a 5/15-year warranty, with five years of complete coverage against manufacturing issues and another 10 years of prorated coverage. It comes shrink-wrapped and rolled up, making it easy to get into your house, and then you can throw away the layers of material instead of a big ol' box. Composition Seven layers of latex, gel, and coils Firmness One option, gentle firm is around a 7.5/10 Height 13 inches Cooling No Trial period 100 days of delivery $1,499 at Charles P. Rogers