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- Best latex mattress topper for back pain: PlushBeds 100% Natural Latex Topper
- Best memory foam mattress topper for back pain: Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Topper Supreme
- Best organic latex mattress topper for back pain: Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper
- Most breathable mattress topper for back pain: Lift by Amerisleep Mattress Topper
- Best mattress topper for motion isolation: Saatva Mattress Topper
- Best cooling mattress topper: Layla Memory Foam Topper
- Best responsive foam mattress topper for back pain: Tuft & Needle Mattress Topper
- Most affordable memory foam mattress topper for back pain: ViscoSoft Memory Foam Mattress Topper
- Best plush mattress topper for back pain: Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper
- Best mattress topper with targeted zones for back pain: GhostBed Memory Foam Topper
- Best three-layer mattress topper for back pain: Casper Comfy Mattress Topper
Back pain doesn’t just show up during the day. Chronic back pain can also make it tough to rest comfortably — and an unsupportive mattress might even worsen your pain.
If a new mattress just isn’t in your budget, you still have a few options for getting a better night’s sleep.
One clever, affordable way to upgrade your sleep setup? A mattress topper. This removable layer usually consists of a few inches of memory foam or latex. As the name suggests, it rests on top of your mattress.
The key to improving your rest lies in finding a mattress topper with the right balance of support and comfort to alleviate your aching back. Read on for our recommendations for the best 11 mattress toppers for back pain.
Like mattresses, mattress toppers come in a variety of materials. Some materials, like latex and memory foam, are notable for their ability to alleviate pressure and offer superior support without sacrificing comfort. These materials also help you maintain proper spinal alignment as you sleep, which can mean fewer aches and pains when you wake up.
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If you have an older mattress or one that’s too soft or too firm, a good mattress topper can add a key layer of support and comfort that reduces the level of strain you notice in the lumbar region, or lower back.
It might go without saying, but improving your comfort level in bed can also improve the quality of your sleep.
To choose the best mattress toppers for back pain, we considered:
- Materials: We prioritized specific materials, like latex and memory foam, recognized for their pressure-relieving properties and support.
- Brand reputation: We searched for brands that demonstrate a commitment to quality, safety, transparent business practices, and customer service. We also confirmed there were no current or recent lawsuits that might indicate potential quality or safety issues.
- Customer reviews: We combed through customer reviews to find out what real people think of their mattress toppers and the brands that produced them.
- Key certifications: Finally, we checked for certifications and standards that indicate a superior level of safety.
The mattress toppers on our list have been vetted to ensure that they align with Healinggeeks’s brand integrity standards and approach to well-being. You can read more about our vetting process.
Pricing guide
All prices are based on a queen mattress topper with nonsale pricing. Keep in mind that prices vary for other sizes. And of course, you might save a little if you shop during a sale.
- $ = under $250
- $$ = $250–$400
- $$$ = over $400
Best latex mattress topper for back pain
PlushBeds 100% Natural Latex Topper
- Price: $$$
- Materials: latex
- Firmness: soft, medium-soft, medium, medium-firm, extra-firm
- Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen king, California king
- Trial: none offered
- Shipping and returns: free shipping, not returnable
- Pro: choice of firmness and thickness
- Con: cover not included
The PlushBeds latex topper adds a buoyant layer of natural latex to your bed. The topper’s open-cell design helps distribute body heat and isolate motion, so this topper may be a good choice if you share your bed with a partner. Plus, latex is known for its supportive and pressure-relieving properties.
The PlushBeds topper comes in a choice of five firmness options and two thicknesses. It’s OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and Greenguard Gold certified, and it comes with a 5-year warranty.
This topper earns an average of 4.9 stars from more than 1,100 customers, who report improved sleep and overwhelmingly praise its quality and comfort.
Best memory foam mattress topper for back pain
Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Topper Supreme
- Price: $$$
- Materials: TEMPUR memory foam
- Firmness: medium
- Sizes: twin, twin long, full, queen, king, California king
- Trial: none offered
- Shipping and returns: free shipping, not returnable
- Pro: removable, washable cover
- Con: may not accommodate hot sleepers
This topper consists of 3 inches of TEMPUR material, which is known for its responsiveness and support. According to the brand, this material is also more durable than other kinds of memory foam.
While the topper is designed for breathability, you can upgrade to a cool-to-the-touch cover for another $60. Reviewers call this cooling feature “wonderful” and say you can feel it through the sheets. Even if you don’t opt for the cooling cover, the topper still comes with a basic cover that you can remove and toss in the washing machine. The cover is also resistant to dust mites and allergens.
The brand offers free shipping and a 10-year warranty. While you can’t return this topper, it may be worth taking a chance on — it has more than 4,900 5-star reviews on the brand’s website. Customers praise its comfort, softness, contouring, and durability.
Best organic latex mattress topper for back pain
Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper
- Price: $$$
- Materials: latex, wool, cotton
- Firmness: plush, firm
- Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen king, California king
- Trial: 1 year, with a 30-day minimum
- Shipping and returns: free shipping and returns
- Pro: made with organic certified latex, wool, and cotton
- Con: some customers report a strong odor
Avocado is known for its nontoxic mattresses, and the mattress topper is no different. It’s made with Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) certified latex and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified wool and cotton for durability, support, and breathability. The 2-inch topper is available in both soft and firm.
The firm option adds support and resilience to help alleviate back pain — and you can test it out for yourself with the topper’s 1-year trial period.
The topper has more than 2,400 reviews, with an overall rating of 4.6 stars. Many customers rave about the topper, saying it helped ease their pain and improve their sleep.
Most breathable mattress topper for back pain
Lift by Amerisleep Mattress Topper
- Price: $$
- Materials: memory foam
- Firmness: plush (Comfort Lift) and medium-firm (Support Lift)
- Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen king, California king
- Trial: none offered
- Shipping and returns: free shipping, not returnable
- Pro: available in two firmness choices
- Con: some customers say they found the topper is too warm
The 3-inch Amerisleep mattress topper comes in two different models. Comfort Lift uses a memory foam material called Bio-Pur for a cushioning feel and responsiveness. Support Lift is made with the company’s Affinity material for a firmer feel. Both options have an open-cell design that helps wick away heat for cooler, more comfortable sleep.
Both toppers also have Amerisleep HIVE technology. According to Amerisleep, HIVE can reduce pressure point pain by up to 49%.
The Amerisleep mattress topper ships free and comes with a 5-year warranty. It has more than 200 reviews, and most reviewers rate the topper 5 stars. Customers praise its comfort, level of support, and soft feel, saying it made a major difference in their sleep.
Best mattress topper for motion isolation
Saatva Mattress Topper
- Price: $
- Materials: memory foam
- Firmness: medium
- Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, split king
- Trial: 180 nights
- Shipping and returns: free shipping and returns
- Pro: graphite-infused for cooler sleep
- Con: cover can’t be removed
The Saatva mattress topper is made with 3 inches of graphite-infused memory foam. The graphite helps pull away body heat to keep you cooler while you sleep, and the topper’s organic cotton cover adds breathability. You can’t remove the cover, though, so you can only spot-clean this topper.
The contouring memory foam helps relieve pressure and limits motion transfer — a very good thing if you share your bed with a partner, child, or pet. Each topper also comes complete with elastic anchor bands to help secure it to your mattress.
Saatva offers a 180-night home trial, free shipping, and a 1-year warranty.
There are only a handful of reviews, but they’re almost all 5-star. Just keep in mind that a few reviewers found the topper quite firm.
Best cooling mattress topper
Layla Memory Foam Topper
- Price: $$
- Materials: memory foam
- Firmness: plush
- Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
- Trial: 120 nights
- Shipping and returns: free shipping and returns
- Pro: CertiPUR-US certified
- Con: single option for firmness
The copper gel beads in this memory foam topper help absorb body heat for cooler, more comfortable sleep. The copper-infused gel is antimicrobial — it
The supportive 2-inch topper condenses under compression, cradling points like the hips and shoulders for proper spinal alignment. Plus, it’s made with CertiPUR-US certified foam.
Layla offers a 5-year warranty and a generous return policy. If you don’t love your new topper, they’ll work with you for a full refund.
Over 500 reviews give the Layla mattress topper an average of 4.5 stars. Several reviewers praise the cooling effect and say the topper helps prevent overheating at night.
Best responsive foam mattress topper for back pain
Tuft & Needle Mattress Topper
- Price: $
- Materials: foam
- Firmness: medium-firm
- Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
- Trial: 100 nights
- Shipping and returns: free shipping and returns
- Pro: relieves pressure
- Con: some reviewers found the topper too warm
The 2-inch mattress topper from Tuft & Needle is made of responsive foam for a layer of softness and pressure relief on the hips and shoulders. The open-cell foam design offers breathable support, and silicone beading on the bottom helps keep the topper in place.
Just note you can’t remove the topper’s polyester-blend cover, so you’ll only be able to spot clean this topper.
Tuft & Needle offers a 100-night trial, a 3-year limited warranty, and free returns, so if you aren’t completely satisfied, you can send it back.
Over 1,700 reviews give the topper a 4.4-star overall rating, with customers mentioning improved comfort and pressure relief. Plenty of people say the topper did work well to relieve pain, but a handful of negative reviews say it left them too warm.
Most affordable memory foam mattress topper for back pain
ViscoSoft Memory Foam Mattress Topper
- Price: $
- Materials: memory foam
- Firmness: medium
- Sizes: twin XL, queen, king, California king
- Trial: 60 days
- Shipping and returns: free shipping and returns
- Pro: very highly rated
- Con: limited sizes
This 3-inch gel-infused memory foam mattress topper is designed to optimize airflow for cooler sleep and to serve as a supportive base for proper spinal alignment.
The topper has a removable bamboo-rayon cover that you can toss in the washing machine. It has a slip-resistant mesh backing and adjustable elastic straps.
The ViscoSoft topper comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee and a 5-year warranty.
This topper has more than 11,000 reviews on Amazon. Most reviewers give it 5 stars, with plenty of people saying it helps them get better, pain-free sleep.
Best plush mattress topper for back pain
Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper
- Price: $$$
- Materials: latex, organic cotton, organic wool
- Firmness: plush
- Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
- Trial: 100 nights
- Shipping and returns: free shipping and returns
- Pro: nontoxic
- Con: single firmness option
The Birch Plush mattress topper is made with organic cotton, organic wool, and natural latex. It has a plush, pillow top feel, thanks to the layers of hypoallergenic wool, but the Talalay latex layer offers a contouring effect to help promote better spinal alignment during sleep.
The topper is wrapped with an allergen-free, quilted organic cotton cover for temperature regulation and breathability. Just note you can’t remove the cover to wash it. The 3-inch topper is also Greenguard Gold and GOTS certified, and it’s made entirely without synthetic materials.
Birch sends its topper with free shipping, a 100-night sleep trial, and a 10-year warranty.
Reviewers say it adds just the right softness and helps ease back and hip pain — without heating up your mattress.
Best mattress topper with targeted zones for back pain
GhostBed Memory Foam Topper
- Price: $$$
- Materials: memory foam
- Firmness: medium-firm
- Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, split king
- Trial: none offered
- Shipping and returns: free shipping, not returnable
- Pro: added pressure relief in targeted areas
- Con: a small number of reviewers found it too firm
This 3-inch topper features cooling and contouring gel memory foam for a more comfortable night’s sleep. It also has what the company calls “targeted comfort zones,” which are designed to deliver extra pressure relief.
The included cover is cool to the touch and waterproof, with a grippy 2-inch elastic band to hold it securely in place. As a bonus, the cover is big enough to cover your entire mattress, and you can also remove it and toss it in the washing machine.
There are over 500 reviews, with an overall rating of 4.9 stars. People say the topper offers “unbeatable” comfort and helps them get better sleep without pain. A few people did find it a little warm but mention that cooler sheets made a difference.
The topper also comes with a 5-year warranty.
Best three-layer mattress topper for back pain
Casper Comfy Mattress Topper
- Price: $
- Materials: memory foam
- Firmness: plush
- Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
- Trial: 30 nights
- Shipping and returns: free shipping and returns
- Pro: three layers of support and comfort
- Con: single thickness option
As you might imagine from the name, the Casper Comfy mattress topper is made for comfort. Its three-layer construction helps it deliver extra support to relieve pressure and pain as you sleep.
A perforated foam layer on top helps keep you cool. The next layer of responsive memory foam helps cradle your body for proper alignment as you sleep. The memory foam base adds structure and support.
Casper offers a 30-night trial period for their topper, with free shipping and returns.
While the topper doesn’t have any reviews on Casper’s website, reviewers on Amazon call the topper supportive and comfortable, with quality construction.
| Price | Materials | Firmness | Pro | Con | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PlushBeds 100% Natural Latex Topper | $$$ | latex | soft, medium-soft, medium, medium-firm, extra-firm | choice of firmness and thickness | cover not included |
| Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Topper Supreme | $$$ | memory foam | medium | removable, washable cover | may not accommodate hot sleepers |
| Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper | $$$ | latex | plush, firm | made with organic certified latex, wool, and cotton | some customers report a strong odor |
| Lift by Amerisleep Mattress Topper | $$ | memory foam | plush (Comfort Lift) and medium-firm (Support Lift) | available in 2 firmness choices | some customers say they found the topper is too warm |
| Saatva Mattress Topper | $ | graphite-infused memory foam | medium | graphite-infused for cooler sleep | cover can’t be removed |
| Layla Memory Foam Topper | $$ | copper-infused memory foam | plush | CertiPUR-US certified | single option for firmness |
| Tuft & Needle Mattress Topper | $ | performance foam | medium-firm | softening and pressure-relieving | some reviewers found the topper too warm |
| ViscoSoft Memory Foam Mattress Topper | $ | memory foam | medium | very highly rated | limited sizes |
| Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper | $$$ | latex | plush | nontoxic | single firmness option |
| GhostBeds Memory Foam Topper | $$$ | memory foam | medium-firm | added pressure relief in targeted areas | a small number of reviewers found it too firm |
| Casper Comfy Mattress Topper | $$ | memory foam | plush | 3 layers of support and comfort | single thickness option |
When searching for the best mattress topper for your back pain and other sleep needs, you’ll want to consider:
- Materials: Latex or performance memory foams may offer more contouring, which can help relieve pressure on your hips and shoulders and better align your spine.
- Firmness: Medium-firm toppers may work best for alleviating back pain. A
small 2018 study also found that mattress toppers with high rebound can help improve sleep quality. - Price: Since the goal is to alleviate back pain, you may need to spend more money on toppers made with more durable, supportive materials.
- Temperature: A hot bed can disrupt your sleep, so choosing a cooling mattress topper could also help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Chronic pain due to an injury or conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia can cause pain at night, but a mattress that doesn’t offer the right support can also lead to back pain.
Your pain could relate to the firmness of the mattress, as well as your preferred sleeping position. For example, sleeping on your back on a too-soft mattress can lead to poor spinal alignment, which can cause pain.
Sleeping on your stomach can also strain your back and put pressure on your joints, leading to pain. If you’re a consistent stomach sleeper who often wakes up with pain, you may want to try changing your sleeping position.
When back pain routinely disturbs your sleep, it’s important to work with a healthcare professional who can help you determine the source of your pain and rule out any underlying health conditions.
Even if you suspect your back pain relates to a previous injury, you’ll still most likely want to check in with your doctor. They can order tests to make sure the injury is healing as it should.
It may be time to reach out if you:
- frequently wake up in pain during the night
- experience daytime fatigue, sleepiness, or discomfort
- consistently get fewer than 6 hours of sleep due to pain
- experience pain during the day as well as at night
Can a mattress topper really alleviate back pain?
Yes. A good mattress topper can add a layer of comfort and support to an older or unsupportive mattress to help alleviate back pain.
What should I look for in a mattress topper for back pain?
Search for materials with pressure-relieving properties, like latex and memory foam. You may also want to opt for a topper with a medium-firm feel — a topper with this firmness should provide the support necessary for proper spinal alignment.
Are some materials better than others in a mattress topper to alleviate back pain?
Latex and memory foam are both good options, since they contour to your shape, minimize pressure, and help keep your spine aligned.
If you’re dealing with back pain and have pinpointed your mattress as a likely culprit, a good mattress topper can offer a workaround.
Mattress toppers made of materials like latex and memory foam may offer a good balance of comfort and support that helps your body stay comfortably aligned for a better night’s sleep.
Jessica Timmons has been working as a freelance writer since 2007, covering everything from pregnancy and parenting to cannabis, chiropractic, stand-up paddling, fitness, martial arts, home decor, and much more. Her work has appeared in mindbodygreen, Pregnancy & Newborn, Modern Parents Messy Kids, and Coffee + Crumbs. See what she’s up to now at jessicatimmons.com.
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