Upper back pain is terrible for back sleepers. A too firm mattress is likely to be the reason behind upper back pain. Everybody needs a deep and comfortable sleep every night, so it is worth investing in a new softer mattress.
Here are my top picks for the best mattress for upper back pain:
Memory Foam Mattress
- Nectar Twin Mattress – Best all-around
- Olee Sleep Aquarius – Best for cooling
- Live Sleep Mattress 10 Inch – Best for couples
Hybrid Mattress
- Linenspa 8 Inch Mattress – Best overall
- Vibe Quilted Gel 12in Hybrid – Best for restless sleepers
- Classic Brands Sutton Cool Gel 12-Inch Mattress – Best for allergy sufferers
Memory Foam Mattress
A memory foam mattress is a great choice for those who have upper back pain. It distributes body weight evenly, thus, reducing pressure points up to 80%. Your back will be fully supported; you don’t experience tossing and turning all night, making your sleep deeper and better. A memory foam mattress is a solid block of foam. No gap means no allergens or odors inside the mattress, so it is effortless to clean the mattress.
Moreover, memory foam mattresses don’t transfer motion, which is a very desired feature when you are finding a mattress for two. The mattress doesn’t jiggle or bounce when you do something in your half, so your partner won’t be waked up at midnight.
However, memory foam mattresses tend to be more expensive. They also trap heat. After a while of use, they might become too soft.
Nectar Twin Mattress – Best all-around

- 4 layers & 1 cover help circulate air, distribute weight and contour to your body
- Support any position
- Environment friendly
- 180 night trial
- Come in many sizes; Two free pillows included
- Heavyweight and high price
Nectar Twin Mattress supports back sleeping, stomach sleeping, and side sleeping. It is Certipur-US certified for no ozone depleters, PBDEs, TDCPP, mercury or lead. Nectar Twin Mattress is an ideal choice for your health.
Moreover, Nectar Twin Mattress comes in many sizes – Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King, with two free high-quality pillows. You also have a 180-night trial; If you are not happy with the mattress you can return and get your money back.
Nectar Twin Mattress is absolutely the best mattress for upper back pain. However, you should mind its weight; it is quite heavy, which might cause you trouble when cleaning or moving it.
Product Specifications
Profile | 11 inches (Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King) |
Weight Capacity | 650 lbs |
Overall Weight | 55 lbs (Twin) |
Highlight Features | 4 layers & 1 cover; Certipur-US certified; 180-night trial; 2 pillows included |
Nectar Twin Mattress is firm enough to support you but soft enough to be gentle where you’re sensitive.
Olee Sleep Aquarius – Best for cooling

- 4 layers & 1 cover allow air flow ventilation, support bodyweight, and maintain body shape
- Maintain a constant mattress temperature
- Environment friendly
- Lightweight
- Affordable
- Not as soft as Nectar Twin Mattress
As advantages, Olee Sleep Aquarius has a much lower price, a much lower weight, and a much greater airflow ventilation. Olee Sleep Aquarius maintain a constant mattress temperature during your sleep.
However, as a 10in height mattress, Olee Sleep Aquarius is not as soft and comfortable as Olee Sleep Aquarius. Still, Olee Sleep Aquarius is a great choice at an affordable price.
Product Specifications
Profile | 10 inches (Twin, Full, Queen, King) |
Weight Capacity | |
Overall Weight | 35 lbs (Twin) |
Highlight Features | 4 layers & 1 cover; Certipur-US certified |
Olee Sleep Aquarius is an affordable mattress that has great airflow ventilation.
Live Sleep Mattress 10 Inch – Best for couples

- Top rated medium firm full-size mattress
- Supports side, stomach and back sleeping
- Pressure relief & support; cooling innovation, perfect contour
- Certi-Pur Certified, 20 Year Warranty
- Includes Premium Pillow
- Reasonable price
- Nothing to complain
Despite all the great features, Live Sleep Mattress has a very reasonable price. Moreover, it comes with a 20 Year Warranty and a premium pillow included.
Product Specifications
Profile | 10 inches (Twin XL, Full, Full XL, Queen, Short/RV Queen, King, California King) |
Weight Capacity | |
Overall Weight | 55 lbs (Full) |
Highlight Features | Top-rated medium-firm full-size mattress; Certi-Pur Certified; 20 Year Warranty; a premium pillow included |
Live Sleep Mattress 10 Inch is an affordable yet high-quality for couples.
Hybrid Mattress
A hybrid mattress combines memory foam layers with an innerspring system. A hybrid mattress has some advantages over a traditional memory foam mattress. First, it offers a good amount of bounce, preventing you from sinking too deep into the mattress. Second, it is usually more breathable, thus, maintaining a good temperature, especially in a hotter climate.
However, hybrid mattresses tend to be more expensive. Also, hybrid mattresses bounce, which means it transfers motion and maybe a bothersome for those who share a bed.
Linenspa 8 Inch Mattress – Best overall

- A medium firm feel, balancing firmness with softness
- Align the spine to minimize pressure points for increased comfort
- Lightweight
- Affordable
- Only 8 inch thick
The memory foam conforms to the unique shape of your body, aligning the spine to minimize pressure points for increased comfort. The mattress is ratted medium-firm, which means it provides you with balanced firmness and softness.
The innerspring provides you with the bounces for easier get up. The cozy knit cover treats your skin with ease. Besides, it is pretty lightweight, so that you can easily move or store it.
Linenspa 8 Inch Mattress might be too thin for somebody. If so, you can choose the 10in profile option.
Product Specifications
Profile (Inches) | 8 inches (Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King) |
Weight Capacity | |
Overall Weight | 32 lbs |
Highlight Features | hybrid construction, medium-firm feel |
Linenspa 8 Inch is the best overall hybrid mattress with both affordability and high quality.
Vibe Quilted Gel 12in Hybrid – Best for restless sleepers

- Sapphire blue euro pillow top
- Detailed stretch knit quilted cover
- High-quality memory foam
- Individually wrapped innerspring coils
- Hypoallergenic and resistant to allergens and dust mites
- CertiPUR-US certificated
- Heavy
The high-quality memory foam contours to your body for a comforting feel. The individually wrapped innerspring coils provide orthopedic support and prevent motion disturbance.
Moreover, Vibe Quilted Mattress has a sapphire blue euro pillow top and a detailed stretch knit quilted cover to optimize conforming properties. All are designed to bring you comfort and deep sleep.
Product Specifications
Profile (Inches) | 12 inches (Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King) |
Weight Capacity | |
Overall Weight | 89 lbs |
Highlight Features | Sapphire blue euro pillow top; Detailed stretch knit quilted cover; High-quality memory foam; Individually wrapped innerspring coils; Hypoallergenic and resistant to allergens and dust mites; CertiPUR-US certificated |
Vibe Quilted is a premium choice for restless sleepers who want a superiorly comfortable mattress.
Classic Brands Sutton Cool Gel 12-Inch Mattress – Best for allergy sufferers

- High-quality memory foam
- Individually wrapped innerspring coils
- Hypoallergenic and resistant to allergens and dust mites
- CertiPUR-US certificated
- 100 night risk-free trial
- Heavyweight and high price
If you are an allergy sufferer, you can rest assured since Classic Brands Sutton Mattress is completely hypoallergenic and resistant to allergens, mold, bacteria, and dust mites. The mattress is also CertiPUR-US certificated for performance, emissions, and durability. Moreover, you’ll have a 100-night risk-free trial. If you don’t like it, you can return it and get your money back.
Classic Brands Sutton Mattress also has drawbacks. First, it is very heavy, nearly 100 lbs, so you won’t want to move it around often. Second, it costs a lot. However, it is worth the investment if you are suffering from disturbed sleep.
Product Specifications
Profile (Inches) | 12 inches (Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King) |
Weight Capacity | |
Overall Weight | 93 lbs |
Highlight Features | High-quality memory foam; Individually wrapped innerspring coils; Hypoallergenic and resistant to allergens and dust mites; CertiPUR-US certificated; 100 night risk-free trial |
Classic Brands Sutton Mattress is the best in quality; it is worth your investment for what it offers.
How to choose the best mattress for upper back pain?
If you are suffering from upper back pain, you might consider a softer memory foam or hybrid mattress.
- Memory foam mattress: It distributes body weight evenly, thus, reducing pressure points up to 80%. Besides, a memory foam mattress doesn’t transfer motion, so you don’t need to worry that you wake your partner up when going to the toilet at night.
- Hybrid mattress: It combines advantages of a memory foam mattress with a spring mattress. The mattress has some bounces, so you don’t sink too deep into the mattress and can get up easily. It also has good breathability, thus, maintaining a good temperature, especially in a hotter climate.
You’ll also want to choose the right firmness. If you have back pain, you might want a mattress that is soft, balanced, or medium firm. You can choose a firm mattress as well if you like it but not extra firm.
Other things you need take into account are a preferred profile height (8 – 12 inches), the ability to be resistant to allergens and dust mites, CertiPUR-US certificated for performance, emissions, and durability.
Who makes the best mattress for upper back pain?
Nectar Sleep
Nectar is a young brand but has already gained a wide-spread reputation for its high quality. They have some of the best memory foam mattresses. Besides, they also create beds, bedding, and furniture, all with the highest quality. Nectar is the brand you can trust.
Live and Sleep
Live and Sleep is a famous brand in the mattress industry by providing quality yet affordable memory foam mattresses. They have one of the best customer services on the market, including 100 nights for trial and 20 years of warranty. Live and Sleep is a not cheap affordable mattress brand.
Linenspa
Unlike the two brands above, Linenspa is a 15-year-old brand with experience and reputation. They have one of the best-selling mattresses on the internet, which is Linenspa 8 Inch Mattress that I have reviewed above.
They are well-known for their remarkable quality, excellent value, superb service, and impeccable fashion sense. If you are looking for a hybrid Mattress, Linenspa is a to-go brand.
FAQs
Memory foam vs. hybrid mattress – which is better?
It depends on your preference. But in general, more people favorite a hybrid mattress. A hybrid mattress combines memory foam layers with an innerspring system; so it has both advantages of a memory foam mattress and a spring mattress. First, the memory foam layer distributes body weight evenly, thus, reducing pressure points up to 80%. Second, the innerspring system offers more bounces than a traditional memory foam mattress, preventing you from sinking too deep into the mattress. And the last, a hybrid is usually more breathable, thus, maintaining a good temperature, especially in a hotter climate.
How should I sleep to relieve upper back pain?
You can try sleeping on your side or stomach. If you want to sleep on your back, you’d better have a soft mattress and put a pillow under your knees or under the small of your back.
Is a 12 inch mattress thick enough?
Yes. In fact, it is thicker than most of the mattresses. It is thick enough for almost everyone, even those who weigh more than the average.
How long do mattresses for upper back pain last?
Mattresses can last beyond 10 years, some even last more than 20 years.
Why does my upper back hurt after sleeping?
It is likely that you sleep with an improper position. You should consider a memory foam mattress that contours your body, reducing pressure points up to 80%.
Conclusion
Nothing being frustrating than an upper back pain that prevents you from good night sleep. I hope that this guide can help you to choose a good mattress and have a deep sleep.

I’m James J. Decker, a hobbyist and DIYs and also a big of home improvement and gardening tools. I immensely enjoy how these amazing products improve productivity and efficiency, and allow me to do jobs for which I would’ve otherwise needed professional help.