What is the Best Mattress for Back Sleepers?

You’re busy—from work to your family to your social life—so it’s important that you get the sleep you need at night to recharge. A good night’s sleep is related to the right mattress, pillow and your sleep position. Let’s discuss how to choose the best mattress for back sleepers.

For any sleep position, when you’re looking for a mattress it’s important to consider the type of mattress (foam, latex, pocket spring, etc.), firmness, comfort and support. We understand that a mattress is an important decision—hopefully you’ll have it for years—so you want to choose a mattress that will have you feeling rested and pain-free in the morning. Back sleepers specifically should consider the mattress’ firmness. While firmness is up to your personal preference, the best firmness for a back sleeper is something not too soft and not too firm. A medium-firm mattress will give your lower back the support it needs so you don’t wake up with lower back pain.

The Leesa Original mattress is a premium all-foam mattress specifically made for support and body contouring, so it relieves your pressure points while you sleep.

The Leesa Hybrid mattress is our spring and foam mattress choice. It features cooling top layer foam, memory foam and the support of individually-wrapped pocket springs for enhanced support for back sleepers. The Leesa Hybrid mattress is an expert favorite: Wirecutter named it The Best Memory Foam Mattresses You Can Buy Online and it's also Business Insider's pick for Best Mattress Overall.

Our newest Leesa Legend mattress offers a dual-hybrid pocket spring system for targeted pressure relief where you need it most, which, as a back sleeper, is your hips and lower back. It features the same great cooling foam and memory foam and pocket springs as our hybrid, with an added layer of micro pocket springs for our most advanced support.

If you and your partner have different sleep positions (which many couples do), don’t worry. A foam mattress is the perfect compromise. Because Leesa mattresses have an adaptive feel, they're great for every body type and sleeping style, especially back sleepers.

So, what makes a foam mattress so great? What makes it the best mattress for back sleepers specifically? A foam mattress will adapt to every body type and sleeping position (whereas a latex or traditional innerspring mattress may not).

Foam mattresses also give you exactly what you need in a mattress: they provide the support you need as a back sleeper and the comfort you want in a mattress. In addition, the Leesa Original mattress is made with responsive and adaptive foam that keeps you cool while you sleep. A foam mattress will keep your spine and neck aligned so that you wake up ache-free after sleeping on your back.

Responsive top layer foam makes up the top layer of our Hybrid and Legend mattresses, too, as well as supportive memory foam layers. What make these mattresses different from our Original is the layers of pocket springs. Pocket springs provide enhanced support where you need it when you sleep, contouring your body so you wake up pain-free. (Psst! The Legend has two layers of pocket springs, with a micro pocket spring layer for our most advanced support.)

Often, when people think of mattresses and mattress shopping they picture squeaky, sagging mattresses and big showrooms with too many options. But getting a new mattress doesn’t have to be a nightmare! We’ve established that the best mattress for sleeping on your back is foam, but there are so many companies and mattress options. Guess what?! You can order a Leesa mattress online and have it shipped directly (for free) to your door in a box. Open the box, take off the plastic and watch your Leesa mattress come to life. Then, you get 100 nights to decide if you love it and if you don’t, you can send it back for a full refund (with a free return!). No squeaking, no sagging and no showrooms!

Finding a great pillow is just as important as finding the best mattress for sleeping on your back. Ideally, your neck needs to be in a neutral position, slightly elevated, while you sleep. This can help prevent waking up with neck pain.

At Leesa, we have two different pillows: the Leesa pillow and the Leesa hybrid pillow, both of which are great for back sleepers. The Leesa pillow is supportive and made with cooling premium foam—the perfect complement to your Leesa mattress. If you prefer a more customizable pillow, the Leesa hybrid pillow is adjustable and reversible, with a down-like pocket side and a reversible cooling side. It can be tailored four ways, so you can create your perfect pillow. Both pillows will give your neck the support you need if you sleep on your back.

Ready to get a good night’s sleep? Let Leesa guide you to the best mattress and best pillow for sleeping on your back.