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Based on Data From Over 9,050 Actual Mattress Owners
Page last updated: June 25, 2010.
The following information is based on over 9,000 actual mattress owner experiences collected from diverse, credible sources.
The information reports what is true for people as a group; some individuals may have different or even opposite experiences.
Firmness
Contrary to commonly held belief, the firmness of a mattress has little or no effect on lessening or preventing back pain, according to the collected owner data.
In other words, as a group overall, owners of soft, medium or firm mattresses all report similar outcomes in regard to back pain or lack thereof.
Sagging and Conformability
While mattress firmness is not a factor for the alleviation or cause of back pain for people as a group, sagging and the conforming ability of a mattress clearly are factors.
Mattress sagging, "hammocking" and the development of body impressions and sink holes can often cause back pain. How much sagging depth is needed to cause pain is not clear, but the more sagging your bed has the higher likelihood it will cause you pain both in and out of bed. Owner satisfaction of a mattress is largely tied to whether or not it sags; innerspring beds have the most complaints regarding sagging by a significant margin.
The conformability of a mattress is another important factor, albeit significantly less important than sagging. The data suggests that mattresses that conform to the contours of one's body / back will be more likely to prevent / reduce pain. Memory foam (especially high density), latex, air and water mattresses possess good contouring properties. Innerspring mattresses with a layer of memory foam and or latex can also be beneficial.
The graph below shows the pain- (including back pain-) relieving ability of the different mattress types based on owner data. The types that are better at reducing pain are less likely to sag and more likely to have good conformability. (Keep in mind that the graph represents
what is often but not always the case; a particular brand,
model or individual mattress may go against these findings.)
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Price
Does paying more for a mattress result in less likelihood of back pain? Yes and no. Those mattresses that are most effective at relieving back pain often cost at least somewhat higher than average. For example, high density memory foam, latex and air mattresses tend to start at over $1,000. However, the more expensive models of these types do not tend to result in noticeably increased pain relief compared to cheaper models of these types.
Adjustable Beds
The data suggests that adjustable beds, especially those with memory foam, latex or air mattresses, can help at least somewhat in relieving back pain and other pain. See our adjustable bed reviews & ratings.