December 29, 2023 07:30 pm | Updated 07:30 pm IST
Best Mattress for back pain foam cutting
Back pain is almost an endemic that affects the quality of sleep. The best mattress for back pain offers an ideal balance between comfort and support. If you have back pain, choose a mattress that aligns your spine. Such a mattress will relax your muscles and provide comfortable sleep.
We tested many mattresses and have picked the best Orthopaedic mattresses for you.
The Sunday Ortho Latex Mattress sets the standard for back pain relieving mattresses. Its high-quality natural foam and 5-zone design align the spine and ease aches. The 100% natural Sunday Latex Plus mattress is the best option for a luxurious mattress. Sleepwell’s Spine Coir Mattress also ranks high with its premium design and construction.
Many mattresses claim to prevent and relieve body pain. Manufacturers often market these as “Orthopaedic” mattresses. However, most are low quality and may worsen the pain.
Our Top 5 Picks for Best Mattress for Back Pain
We tested about 10 mattresses, and picked the best 5 to review for this article. We covered online and offline brands, and mattresses made of different materials and at various price points.
Best Mattress for Back Pain - Sunday Ortho Latex Mattress
The Sunday Ortho Latex Mattress, a hybrid medium firm mattress, tops our list. This hybrid mattress contains high-quality certified latex and memory foam. It uses natural and organic materials in its superior design for pain relief. It comes with a 100-night trial period, and is not compressed for longer life.
Best Luxury Orthopaedic Mattress – Sunday Latex Plus Mattress
Sunday Latex Plus Mattress is a 100% natural latex mattress of 8-inch thickness. It gives you the feel of a five-star hotel, but at the same time, it has the best spinal support. It is suitable for those who weigh up to 150 kilos. It comes with 100 nights trial, and 10 year warranty.
Best Rebonded Foam Mattress for Back Pain - Sleepwell Spine Coir Mattress
Sleepwell Spine Coir mattress combines firm foam (rebonded foam and hard PU Foam) with a layer of coir. To add some comfort, it has a quilted top layer. It is a great mattress if you are looking for a higher-firmness option.
Best Spring Ortho Mattress - Peps Spring Koil Mattress
Peps Spring Koil mattress is a firm one. It is a Bonnell spring mattress with a layer of felt on the top. The bed is also affordable, making it the best mattress for back and neck pain.
Best Coir Mattress for Back Pain - Kurlon Inspire Mattress
With its Inspire Mattress, Kurlon delivers a combination of rubberised coir + bonded foam. As the top coir mattress maker, it’s a must-have if you want a coir mattress.
Cheapest Orthopaedic Mattress - Wakefit Orthopaedic Memory Foam Mattress
The Wakefit Orthopaedic mattress is one of the most affordable memory foam mattress in the industry. It’s an excellent option for students or recent graduates under 80 kilos. But remember - it’s a compressed mattress. So it can feel too soft.
We evaluated each mattress on 5 key factors using a 10-point scale. Higher scores reflect better performance in that area. The factors are:
• Spinal Alignment - How well the mattress keeps the spine properly aligned in different sleeping positions. Higher points indicate better spinal support.
• Pressure Relief - The mattress’ ability to relieve pressure points and pain, especially in the back, hips and shoulders. Higher points reflect better back pain relief.
• Firmness - Rating on a scale of 1 (very soft) to 10 (very firm). Scores indicate the optimal firmness level for spinal support.
• Comfort - Overall cushioning, softness and ability to contour to the body. Higher scores mean more luxurious comfort.
• Support - Degree of support and lift for the back, hips and shoulders. Higher scores reflect better support of proper spinal alignment.
This mattress provides the best back pain relief and 5-star hotel comfort. Despite costing over ₹40,000, experts highly recommend it. The 7-zone design adapts to your body posture. The cotton zipper cover on top ensures cool comfort in summer.
What We Don’t Like
It is definitely one of the best mattress for back pain on our list, with the highest ratings across all the tested parameters. The bed has a five-zone design for better targeted support. It can provide a sweet balance of comfort and support combined with medium firmness.
Sunday keeps its consumer’s choices neat. We found it evident from its product offering of only three mattresses. With a 10-year warranty and 100 nights of trial, this is the only brand that can do a better job.
What We Don’t Like
We found Sleepwell Spine Coir Mattress very comfortable to rest upon. While the firmness is high due to rebonded and coir foam usage, it was also comfortable to sleep on.
What We Don’t Like
We usually recommend avoiding innerspring mattress for back pain sufferers. However, the Peps Spring Koil Mattress is an exception. It has used memory and innerspring systems to relieve back and body pains. The manufacturer layers Bonnell springs between felt pads for a restful sleep.
What We Don’t Like
Kurlon is an expert on coir mattresses, a unique material for bedding. Spinekare Mattress has rubberized coir in between layers of rebonded foam. The top layer has quilted memory foam, making the bed soft and springy.
What We Don’t Like
It is the flagship mattress of Wakefit and the cheapest on our list. The bed has a 7-pressure zone layer for providing uniform support to the body. It has a memory foam layer with a bottom core of high-resiliency foam. This is a hybrid mattress and comes in a box.
Wakefit Orthopaedic Memory Foam Mattress
What We Didn’t Like
Choosing a mattress is a taxing task. There are many factors to keep in mind along with the budget. It is a long-term buy, and you must consider things since it properly impacts your sleep quality and well-being.
What is an Orthopaedic Mattress?
When buying a mattress to address back pain, doctors or experts often recommend an “orthopaedic” mattress. However, no specific parameters exist to label a bed as “orthopaedic” or designed for back pain.
Any good mattress, that provides support and pressure relief to your body can ease back pain. Manufacturers can use foam (PU, memory, or latex), springs, or other materials. They typically make these mattresses in medium firm to firm firmness. You should carefully select the best mattress to relieve your back pain.
Type of Material in the Mattress
A mattress for back pain or an orthopaedic bed can have different materials - memory foam, latex, spring, or coir. Each material brings specific pros and cons with it. The most popular materials are:
Memory foam, also known as visco-elastic foam, moulds to the contours of your body. The memory foam regains its original shape after you remove the pressure. A memory foam mattress distributes the body’s weight evenly and offers adequate support to your back for a good night’s sleep. It also provides high-motion isolation, ideal for co-sleepers. This is a popular material used in most online mattress brands.
Latex mattress provides the best support to your body, along with excellent spinal alignment. Latex is elastic and offers excellent back support by relieving pressure points. Its bounce-back property doesn’t make you feel stuck like in a memory foam mattress. It is dust and mite-resistant, stays cool, and is the most eco-friendly material.
Innerspring mattresses have a steel pocketed coils at the core to provide support. The coils distribute weight evenly and add some bounce. There are two main types - Bonnell and pocketed coil springs. While spring mattresses can relieve mild back pain, they are not ideal for those with chronic back pain especially upper back pain.
PU foam as this foam is referred to in short is one of the most popular materials used in mattresses. In fact, Memory foam is also a type of PU foam but used in Luxury mattress.
The firmness level is an individual and personal preference anyway. But experts often recommend medium firm mattresses as ideal for back pain relief. Go for a firmer mattress if you have any injury or joint pain. If you suffer from sleep disorders or insomnia, you can look for a medium firm mattress with a plush top.
People with back pain (especially in the lumbar region) should avoid softer bed since they will not give support and relief to their back and body.
Contouring refers to a mattress moulding to your body shape and cradling it, lowering pressure on the body. Materials differ in contouring ability. Memory foam offers the best contouring. Latex mattress also contours but with proper neutral spinal alignment.
The sleeper’s weight determines whether to go for a high or low-density mattress. The more important, the higher should be the density of the mattress, and it also impacts the life of a mattress. Lower-density mattresses tend to break down faster. However, higher-density mattresses are cumbersome and need strong bed frames.
Temperature Regulation and Motion Isolation
You should keep in mind these two factors while buying any mattress. For people in hot, humid climates, a breathable and supportive mattress, is essential. Latex offers the best temperature regulation. Even spring and coir allow air circulation within the bed.
Motion isolation in a mattress prevents movement from spreading across the bed. This feature is vital for people sleeping with a partner or children. Some of the best mattress brands in India use Memory foam, and latex to ensure excellent motion isolation.
While budget is usually the most important factor for buying a new mattress, there are other factors that you should consider. We have already talked about material, firmness, and contouring. Here are some additional tips you should follow:
• Thickness - When buying to relieve back pain, go for a thickness of 8 inches. You can choose a 6-inch mattress if the sleeper weighs less than 60 kg. Thicker mattresses are softer on the surface with solid support. Avoid beds that are lower than 6 inches.
• Edge support - A mattress with weak edge support will be uncomfortable if you are a side or combination sleeper. All the beds in our list have excellent side and strong edge support.
• Bed frame - Orthopaedic mattresses tend to be heavier than regular mattresses, and you will need a sturdy bed frame. Of course, you must also consider the bed size while buying a new mattress.
• Discounts - We agree that discounts are attractive, but beware of fake deals. Also, some mattress brands are forever on a deep price slash, which speaks a lot about the quality.
• Motion Transfer - Look for a mattress which offers zero motion transfer even if you are not married. In general a mattress with zero partner disturbance.
When to take back pain seriously
You have used mattresses every day and for many years. Without proper care, it can become infested with dirt and germs. Good care and regular maintenance can easily make it last long years. We have some time-tested tips for keeping your mattress clean and cared for
• Vacuum the mattress from time to time.
• Use a mattress protector to protect from bed bugs, dust mites, and any damage arising out of liquid spillage. Good quality covers are also machine washable.
• Never leave the mattress wet, as it will damage the foam. Air-dry it away from direct sunlight.
• Avoid using the mattress to iron clothes.
• Rotate the mattress every three months.
1. Which beds are best for back pain?
For back pain relief, choose a memory foam or latex mattress. They distribute body weight evenly, help maintain proper spinal alignment, and promote blood circulation. Research in France shows that lower back pain leads to poor sleep. So, it is important to invest in a good mattress.
2. Is it better to sleep on a very firm mattress or soft mattress for back pain?
If you are experiencing back pain, avoid using a very soft or hard mattress. Medium firmness is the most optimal surface for back pain, so almost all manufacturers offer medium firm mattress. If you are older, then you can choose a firmer mattress for back pain relief.
3. Is a memory foam mattress suitable for relieving back pain?
Memory foam mattress is one of the most suitable beds for relieving back pain, and it offers support, contouring, and pressure relief. However, latex foam mattresses are even better with dual benefit of back pain relief and better temperature regulation (no heating issue).
4. Does my back hurt because of my mattress?
Mattress affects the quality of sleep. Choosing the wrong bed or sleeping on an old and sagging mattress will cause your back to hurt. You cannot fall asleep and will feel tired and aching in the morning if you do not choose the best bed.
5. Is doctor’s advice needed before buying a mattress for back pain?
Orthopaedic mattresses offer support, comfort, spinal alignment, and pressure relief. This makes them beneficial for anyone. But recovering from an injury or chronic back pain calls for a doctor’s input first.
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