The 5 Best Adjustable Mattresses for Back Pain

• Best rated adjustable mattress for back pain: Saatva Solaire Adjustable Mattress
• Best temperature-regulating adjustable mattress for back pain: Eight Sleep The Pod
• Most customizable adjustable mattress for back pain: Selectabed Air-Pedic 1000
• Best luxury adjustable mattress for back pain: Personal Comfort A10 Bed
• Best firm adjustable mattress for back pain: Sleep Number 360 c2 Smart Bed

When you hear “adjustable mattresses,” you might think of the ones you’d find in a hospital, but rest assured, commercial adjustable beds designed for your home can do more than just elevate your head and legs.

Thanks to advanced technology and innovative engineering, many adjustable mattresses are loaded with high-tech features that allow you to adjust the firmness or change the temperature of your mattress with a click of a button.

If you pair your adjustable mattress with an adjustable base, you’ll be able to elevate your head and legs — which is supposed to simulate the neutral position of your body in zero-gravity — and you may get the most comfortable, relaxed sleep yet.

There aren’t a ton of adjustable mattress options out there, but we did the research to find the best adjustable beds for back pain.

When creating this guide, we took into account various factors:

• Customer reviews. Companies can say anything about their mattresses, so we took a look at what customers had to say to verify our recommendations are actually as good as the brand claims.
• Company reputation and transparency. Before recommending any mattress, we check that the brand has a good reputation and is known for transparent business practices.
• Company policies. We also made sure that brands include solid warranties and in-home trial periods for you to figure out if it’s really the right pick to put your back pain to bed.

Pricing guide

The prices we reference below are based on a standard queen size mattress.

• $ = under $2,600
• $$ = $2,600–$5,200
• $$$ = over $5,200

Best rated adjustable mattress for back pain

Saatva Solaire Adjustable Mattress

• Price: $$
• Type: Airbed with foam comfort layers
• Height: 13 inches
• Sizes available: twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, split California king

The Saatva Solaire Adjustable Mattress is constructed with six layers of comfort and support.

Topped with an organic cotton pillow top, the Solaire mattress uses a combination of Talalay latex and gel-infused memory foam to promise back support and pressure relief around the body, while its layer of air chambers and individual controls allow you to choose from 50 firmness levels for each side of the bed.

Pair the Solaire mattress with the Saatva Lineal adjustable bed base to adjust the elevation of your head and feet for added back and neck pain relief. The base also features a wave massage option for added relaxation.

Saatva also offers free white glove delivery, which means they’ll come set up the mattress and haul away your old one. This can be a great option for anyone with back pain who’s looking to avoid any heavy lifting while searching for a new mattress.

Best temperature-regulating adjustable mattress for back pain

Eight Sleep The Pod Pro

• Price: $$
• Type: Foam
• Height: 12 inches
• Sizes available: full, queen, king, California king

Research from 2018 found that sweating at night can reduce sleep quality, which can “impair task performance and post-physical activity recovery.”

So if you tend to sleep hot, getting good sleep can be harder to come by. The Eight Sleep Pod mattress was designed to keep sleepers at the perfect sleep temperature all night long.

With its built-in sensors and a cooling and heating system, the bed can automatically adjust each side of the bed’s temperature from 55 to 110°F (12.8 to 43°C) by detecting when you fall asleep and wake up, room temperature, humidity, and local weather.

While the Eight Sleep Pod mattress can be paired with a standard box spring, slatted base, or bed frame, the manufacturer advises against pairing it with an adjustable base. This may be a major drawback for those interested in elevating their head or legs.

Note: Healthline does not currently endorse the Eight Sleep smart bed sleep tracking technology because we’re unable to validate its health claims. We’ve included this recommendation solely for its temperature adjustability technology.

Most customizable adjustable mattress for back pain

Selectabed Air-Pedic 1000

• Price: $$$
• Type: Airbed with foam comfort layers
• Height: 14.5 inches
• Sizes available: twin XL, queen, California king, Eastern king, split king, split-top king

This mattress is made with a 1-inch pillow top that rests on top of three layers of foam designed for a plush, body-contouring feel.

Its dual air chamber system allows you and your partner to adjust the comfort level of each side of the bed from 10 to 99 using the handheld remote — or directly from your smartphone through their app.

This mattress also allows for customized firmness in three zones: feet, lumbar region, and head. This makes for an ultra-personalized feel to help you find the perfect firmness for your ideal spinal alignment. For even more pain relief potential, you can purchase their separate adjustable base.

While customers rave about the comfort, they also praise the company’s exceptional customer service, which is always important when making a big purchase.

Best luxury adjustable mattress for back pain

Personal Comfort A10 Bed

• Price: $$$
• Type: Airbed with foam comfort layers
• Height: 15 inches
• Sizes available: twin, twin XL, full/double, queen, king California king

At 15 inches thick, the Personal Comfort A10 Bed is the plushest mattress on this list.

The bed contains 9 inches of comfort layers — including a cooling top layer, a gel-infused comfort layer, and an airflow comfort layer — designed to keep you cool all night long.

At the base is the bed’s air chambers, which can be adjusted to increase or decrease the firmness. You can choose from 45 different settings, ranging from 5 to 50, to find your ideal comfort. Paired with their Power-Flex 4 base, you have even more options for customizing your comfort.

The queen size also comes in a “flex head” option, so you can lower and lift your head separately from your partner — which isn’t always an option unless you opt for a split king.

Best firm adjustable mattress for back pain

Sleep Number 360 c2 Smart Bed

• Price: $
• Type: airbed, 2-inch gel-infused comfort layer
• Height: 8 inches
• Sizes available: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, split king, Flextop king, California king, Flextop California king

You’ve probably heard of Sleep Number before. This manufacturer is pretty famous for its mattress lines that feature an adjustable air chamber. This chamber is how you adjust for your firmness preference, inflating or deflating it until you’ve found your “just right” level.

Of all the mattresses from this company, this is thought to be the firmest option. Each side of the mattress can be adjusted for firmness (via your Sleep Number setting). The mattress is also responsive — automatically adjusting for firmness on each side.

Originally this model didn’t feature a foam topper, but now it has a 2-inch, gel-infused comfort layer (although they don’t disclose what exact materials that layer is made of). It’s worth pointing out that a 2-inch layer isn’t very plush at all, which probably helps make it one of the firmest options from the brand.

Since traditional box springs don’t provide support for this mattress, according to the brand, there are a number of adjustable Sleep Number bases available, but these are not available for twin XL size mattresses. These are available across different price points too.

Adjustable features

If you’re simply looking for an adjustable mattress that can be made firmer or softer without too many bells and whistles, look for adjustable air beds that allow for firmness customization.

If you’re more interested in temperature control, look for mattresses like Eight Sleep The Pod that are designed specifically for that purpose.

Some companies claim that their smart beds have the ability to track your sleep and provide health metrics based on that technology. While this is an exciting and high-tech option that might appeal to you, keep in mind that these claims are often hard or impossible to validate and should be taken with a grain of salt.

We recommend choosing your adjustable mattress solely on the actual mattress rather than any claimed sleep tracking technology.

Adjustable base or frame

Many of these manufacturers give you the option to pair the mattress with an adjustable base for an additional cost. If you already own an adjustable base, make sure it works with the new mattress you’re considering so you don’t void your warranty.

Mattress type

Airbeds are the most common adjustable mattress. The air chambers serve a similar purpose as coils in innerspring and hybrid mattresses — they provide extra support than foam can on its own. The biggest difference is that airbeds can increase or decrease pressure for a more custom support system.

All of the airbeds on our list feature foam comfort layers, which can withstand the stretching and angling of the air chambers. While most mattresses can be paired with an adjustable base, double-check with the manufacturer to make sure.

Mattress performance and comfort

Firmness is often adjustable (if you purchase an airbed), but you may need to pay special attention to what materials are used in the comfort layers above the mattress’s air chambers to determine if the mattress will provide solid motion isolation, pressure relief, temperature control, or edge support.

Also, always look at what reviewers say when it comes to these features. They’ll always provide an actual snapshot of how the mattress really performs.

In-home trial periods

Like any bed purchase, adjustable beds are a major purchase. However, these types of mattresses are even more expensive than standard mattresses, so you should take advantage of their at-home trials to test out the beds.

A review of studies concluded that a mattress that is subjectively identified as a medium-firm and is self-adjusted is optimal for improving spinal alignment and sleep quality. This means that adjustable mattresses can be a great option for people with back pain.

Firmness adjustability helps you take the guesswork out of figuring out which standard mattress to buy for back pain relief or proper spinal alignment. You can increase or decrease the firmness of an adjustable bed to suit your needs — even if your needs change every night or even multiple times per night.

Most can be paired with an adjustable base to elevate your head and legs, which can help you get even more comfortable as you doze off.

In addition, adjustable beds are perfect for couples sharing a bed. With dual settings and separate controls for each side, adjustable beds take negotiating firmness (and sometimes temperature) levels out of the equation.

Finding the right mattress is important for healthy sleep and can help you find the best sleeping position for your back pain. It’s still best to talk with a doctor if one is available to you. This is especially true if your back pain has been bothering you for a week or longer.

They can help you find the cause of your back pain and recommend treatment options. There are simple lifestyle habits that may help ease back pain. Still, sometimes in more severe cases, your doctor may suggest injections, prescription medication, or surgery.

Do adjustable beds actually help with back pain?

Studies suggest that medium-firm beds that are self-adjustable may help improve spinal alignment and back pain.

Do doctors recommend adjustable mattresses for back pain?

Since studies suggest medium-firm and adjustable mattresses are best for back pain, your doctor may suggest this type of mattress for you as well. Your doctor can also properly diagnose the source of your back pain and suggest treatment options that are best for you.

Do adjustable mattresses help with sciatica?

People living with sciatica may benefit from specific sleeping positions and sleeping on certain mattresses. Again, according to research, adjustable beds can help ease back pain and establish proper spinal alignment.

Adjustable mattresses are more expensive than standard beds because of their customizable features, but if you’re comfortable with the price point, they can be a great option if you have chronic back pain.

Shanley Chien Pierce is a Houston-based freelance journalist who specializes in covering health, science, and medicine. She earned her master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in 2015 and bachelor’s degree in English and media studies from UC Berkeley in 2011. Outside of writing, she loves exploring the vibrant restaurant scene in Houston, enjoying a glass of single malt scotch, hosting game nights with friends, working out, and practicing mixed martial arts.

Breanna Mona is an empathetic writer committed to helping people live their most authentic lives. Her work focuses on general health, wellness, beauty, sexual health, and mental health. Breanna is also a pop culture enthusiast, covering high-profile entertainment stories. She holds a master’s degree in media and journalism from Kent State University.