As someone who has experienced recurrent lower back pain for over a decade, I thought waking up in pain was something I had to just live with. However in the years that I’ve been helping to test mattresses for better sleep, I’ve seen first-hand how transformative a supportive mattress can be to your pain levels. And when it comes to comfy beds for bad backs, Saatva, where you can currently save $400 on luxury mattresses, is our top-rated brand.
If you can’t sleep most nights due to back pain and you’ve been eyeing Saatva’s beds as a potential solution, you’re barking up the right tree. For me, as a professional mattress tester with back pain, there are only two beds to pick from in the Saatva Presidents’ Day sale: the Saatva Classic and the Saatva RX
Let’s take a closer look at each mattress, and why I’m recommending them to anyone browsing this year’s best Presidents’ Day mattress deals for a good bed for back pain relief…
1. Saatva Classic mattress
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(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Tom’s Guide, Future Plc)
The Saatva Classic is the best mattress we’ve ever tested, offering unparalleled comfort and support for practically all sleepers (more on who should give it a swerve further below).
While it wouldn’t look out of place in a luxury hotel suite, features such as Lumbar Zoned Quilting and superb support around the bed’s edge make the Classic the best mattress for back pain you can buy in 2026.
The Classic wasn’t designed to be a specialist mattress for back pain, but it’s the mattress we recommend to most people with general aches and pains (as well as being endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association). And that’s because it does everything incredibly well, such as temperature regulation.
As anyone else who experiences back pain will know, a breathable mattress that helps you sleep comfortably is so important for preventing restlessness, which can disrupt restorative deep sleep and increase your risk of incurring further injury by tossing and turning.
(Kicking off the covers because you’re overheating, only to induce a back spasm is never fun).
(Image credit: Future)
Along with edge support, the Classic also earned full marks in our pressure relief tests, which is crucial for back pain relief. As a member of the testing panel, I can vouch for this.
When lying on this top-rated hybrid mattress you can feel your lumbar lift in line with the rest of your body, which is instantly comfortable (no breaking in period here).
Our Managing Editor and lead tester Claire Davies credits the Classic with helping soothe her pregnancy-induced back discomfort, which is why she always comes back to it in between testing other beds.
There’s three firmness options those choose from (Plush Soft, Luxury Firm and Firm), and two thicknesses (11.5″ and 14.5″), so you can customize the Classic to suite your specific sleep needs.
The Luxury Firm is the tension we tested and recommend to most people, offering a keen blend of pressure relief and support for keeping back pain at bay.
While it earned a near-perfect score in our Saatva Classic mattress review, those weighing over 600lbs will need something with a higher weight capacity (for our recommendations, check out our guide to the best mattress for heavy people).
2. Saatva RX
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(Image credit: Saatva)(Image credit: Future / Alison Barretta)
In contrast to the Classic, the Saatva RX has been designed specifically as a luxury solution to chronic back and joint pain, such as sciatica.
Our lead tester Alison Barretta has mild scoliosis and recurrent back pain, and found that her pain levels and discomfort were significantly improved while sleeping on the RX (check out her Saatva RX mattress review).
The Therapeutic Support Core is the star of the show here, which adjusts to your sleeping position to provide support exactly where it’s needed (bliss). You’ll also find the same Lumbar Zone Quilting as in the Classic, as well as well as gel-infused memory foam to lift and support the ‘S’ shape of your back.
While the Classic comes in three firmness options, the RX comes in one; a Supportive Plush tension that the brand rates as 3-4/10 on the firmness scale.
However, our testing panel place it closer to 7.5/10, making it a medium firm. While medium-firm mattresses are suitable for most sleep styles, it could be too firm for lighter weight sleepers.
(Image credit: Future / Alison Barretta)
While a queen Saatva Classic is $1,779 in today’s Saatva mattress sales, the RX is significantly more expensive.
A queen is currently $3,049 (was $3,449), which is a considerable price difference.
However, if you live with chronic back pain and don’t want to sacrifice luxury in the name of support, we think the price tag is justified.
More of today’s top deals on mattresses for back pain
