The 6 Best Hybrid Mattresses for Back Pain Relief

Are Hybrid mattresses good for back pain?

Here you’ll find what hybrid mattresses can do for your back pain, and how to choose the best one for your needs while avoiding common mistakes when buying the best value mattress for back support.

Some people try everything from massage therapy to sleeping on a board until they realize a good mattress can make a world of difference for back pain relief.

Should you compromise on comfort when you are looking for the best mattress for back pain?

Through our research, the answer is NO.

Hybrid mattresses for back pain combine the pressure-relieving benefits of memory foam, with the bounce, support, comfort, and responsiveness of pocketed coils.

It’s like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but instead of porridge, you have a mattress.

Here’s a short overview, followed by our detailed reviews of the best hybrid mattresses to prevent back pain:

This post contains affiliate links, at no extra cost to you.

What is a Hybrid Mattress?

A hybrid mattress is much more than just a simple spring system. It’s got layers upon layers of different materials, designed to make you feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud, but with all the back support you need to keep your spine aligned at night.

Some hybrid mattresses have a cooling system, so you can sleep like a baby on a summer’s day – no more flipping and flapping trying to find the cool spot on the bed.

The pressure-relieving technology works out all the kinks while you snooze – no more aches and pain in the morning.

Here are the different layers you’ll find:

1. The base foam layer (firm layer) – has to be highly dense and of high quality.

2. A pocketed coils layer – allows for bounce and responsiveness and prevents motion transfer, which means that you can move freely and your spouse will not feel it.

3. A support layer – to support pressure points – critical for back support and pressure point relief – located between the base layer and the comfort layer.

4. A comfort layer

Important

If the memory foam layer is not thick enough (at least 3 inches) – there will be no support for the shoulders and thighs, and this will take your spine out of alignment – causing back pain.

Memory foam allows your body to sink into it and bounces back when you leave it. It allows for more comfort, even though it’s basically dense and supportive.

Latex vs. Memory Foam

Latex is a type of natural rubber, combined with synthetic material. There is no such thing as 100% natural latex. A high-quality latex layer will have at least 80% rubber.

Latex mattresses feel firmer and are a better choice for people who prefer a firmer mattress, that doesn’t allow your shoulders and thighs to sink into it.

Are Hybrid Mattresses Good for Back pain?

The ideal mattress for back pain sufferers should be not too soft and not too firm. A Hybrid mattress balances the support and pressure relief of pocketed coils with the comfort and softness of memory foam.

Stomach sleepers should opt for a firmer mattress to avoid sinking into it and pulling the spine out of alignment.

How to Choose a Hybrid Mattress 

Many people believe that the best way to buy a new mattress is to go to a store and lie on a few mattresses and see how it feels.

However:

Lying for 2-3 minutes on a mattress is not enough (or has any real value) to determine if it’s a high-quality and back-supporting mattress.

In fact, you’ll have to try it for at least 14 nights before you understand if it’s the right choice for you, that’s why all companies offer a (varying) trial period.

(That’s why buying online is just as safe as buying in a store!)

And most importantly:

You have to know all about the mattress’s materials, different layers, thickness, density, presence of toxic chemicals, and more.

We’ll give you all the details in each review you’ll find below.

The 6 Best Hybrid Mattresses for Back Pain 

Here are our 2024 top picks – reviewed:

1. Amerisleep AS3 Hybrid Mattress (12″) Best Cooling

The Amerisleep USA-based company offers 3 models of hybrid (and eco-friendly) mattresses, and the AS3 hybrid model appears to be the most comfortable and back-supporting one, perfect for people who prefer not-too-firm and not-too-soft mattresses.

It combines the pressure-relieving benefits of memory foam (open-celled Bio-Pur foam that retains coolness), with the responsiveness and bounce of pocketed coils.

The cover is made with an ultra-breathable blend of polyester, spandex, and celliant, helping you sleep cool, and allowing for a quick snap back into place.

( Celliant has been clinically shown to increase local circulation and cell oxygenation which helps you perform stronger, recover faster and sleep better!)

The 8-inch innerspring support layer makes this mattress bouncy, yet locally cushioned to prevent disturbing your spouse when you move.

The coils feature a zoned support system that makes the center of the mattress firmer than the edges, feels more supportive under the lower back when you are back sleeping, and softer under the shoulder and hips when you are side sleeping.

Amerisleep Hybrid Mattress Pros

• The perfect balance of spine support and comfort – not too soft or too firm
• Good for hot sleepers – support layer and cover are breathable and do not trap heat
• Eco-friendly materials
• USA-made
• Comes with 2 free cooling pillows
• Works well with solid or slatted bed frames, works with adjustable bed frames as well

Cons

• Those who sleep on their stomach need a firmer mattress than this one
• Doesn’t fit people who prefer firm or soft mattresses. For a softer model go for the Amerisleep AS5, and for firmer models go for the AS2 model.

✅ Available at Amerisleep ($950 with code LD500)

Trying to train yourself to sleep on your back? Here are the best pillows to keep you on your back!

2. Nolah Signature 12 Hybrid Mattress Best for Side Sleepers

The Nolah Signature is Nolah’s flagship product, combining 12” of plush, thick layering with deep support and extra cooling features.

It’s flippable and includes AirFoam™ technology and organic materials throughout the construction.

The Nolah Signature 12 is a double-sided hybrid mattress with two firmness levels you can choose from (a soft side and a firmer side) and is made from the new and unique AirFoam. This makes it one of the best hybrid mattresses for side sleepers.

AirFoam (pneumatic air-filled foam) is especially good for side sleepers because it provides 4 times more pressure relief for the back, shoulders, and hips.

AirFoam is 100% temperature neutral and is more cooling than the average hybrid mattresses (see the heat mapping tests here).

The Nolah mattress is one of the most durable mattresses on this list, tested and found to be 300% more durable than high-priced memory foam competitors.

Nolah Signature 12 Pros

• Supportive, conforming, and soft
• Two firmness levels in one mattress
• Organic cotton cover
• 100% made in the USA
• 120-night trial, free shipping and returns, lifetime warranty
• Highly resilient and durable double-sided mattress
• Fits side sleepers most, but is good for all sleep positions
• Stays cooler than competitors thanks to AirFoam

Cons

• It may not fit heavier stomach and back sleepers
• The firmer side is firmer than the industry standard
• Less bouncy than pocketed coils mattresses

✅ Price – $1169 at Nolah Sleep

3. PlushBeds Luxury Bliss Latex Mattress (12″) Best Organic

The PlushBeds Bliss Latex mattress is the healthiest hybrid mattress on this list, made with 3 inches of organic Dunlop latex and wrapped with an organic cotton cover (with a natural wool fire barrier).

The company claims that Less than 1% of Mattresses Can Match their Purity Certifications.

The mattress is offered in two firmness levels: medium (best for side sleepers weighing less than 130 lbs.) and medium-firm (best for stomach sleepers and hot sleepers).

The latex support layer is less responsive and less conforming than memory foam, and the feeling it offers is more like sleeping on the mattress than sleeping in the mattress (though the medium model allows users to sink in a little deeper).

However:

If you love eco-friendly and toxin-free materials, you can add one of PlushBeds mattress toppers, for more plushness and comfort.

Plush Beds Luxury Bliss Pros

• Perfect for chemical-sensitive people (free of toxic materials and chemicals) and environmentally-conscious buyers
• Organic materials with multiple industry environmental certifications (certified organic latex, cotton, and wool)
• No off-gassing – no need to air out the mattress for a few days
• USA-made
• Great fit for people who prefer firm back support
• Latex is durable and long-lasting
• Sturdy edges – safe to sit or sleep near the edges
• 100-day trial (free shipping and returns) and 25-year warranty
• Works with all adjustable bases

Cons

• Not for people who prefer the “huggy” feeling of memory foam
• Less-than-average motion isolation
• Expensive (due to organic latex production)

✅ Available at PlushBeds ($1599 with free bedding!)

4. Helix Midnight Lux Hybrid Mattress Best Overall

The Helix Sleep company offers 6 hybrid mattresses in different firmness levels and varying amounts of plushness.

The Helix Midnight Plus falls in the middle of this range and is just a bit firmer than average – making it a great fit for back sleepers, side sleepers, and stomach sleepers with back pain (especially those who change sleep positions throughout the night!)

Side sleepers will also get adequate pressure relief at the shoulder and hip area.

This model has a great balance of comfort and back support – you’ll enjoy a ton of pressure relief without sacrificing spine alignment.

Helix Midnight Lux Pros

• Breathable and cooling top layer and coils – prevents locking of heat
• Great fit for people with back pain who toss and turn
• Excellent motion isolation thanks to slow-moving memory foam near the top – great for couples who toss and turn and don’t want to disturb each other
• USA-made
• 100-night sleep trial (free shipping) and 15-year warranty

Cons

• Only decent edge support
• Some initial off-gassing – requires airing out for a day or two

✅ Available at Helix ($1780 with 2 free pillows)

5. Purple Hybrid (12″-14″) Best for Combo Sleepers

The Purple brand is famous for its propriety comfort layer, which uses a hyper-elastic gel material constructed into a grid pattern.

What does this mean?

The walls of the grid only buckle under the sleeper’s weight, which helps prevent motion from spreading, and springs right back when pressure is removed.

(However: stomach sleepers over 230 lbs. may sink in too deeply for optimal spine alignment).

You can choose from 2 grid thickness options – 2 inches or 4 inches (The Purple Hybrid Premier).

The 7.5-inch pocketed coils layer provides bounce and edge support.

The Purple Hybrid is a great option for those looking for bounce and pressure relief!

Purple Hybrid Pros

• Strong motion isolation – great for couples
• Nontoxic fire-retardant material – not chemically treated
• Good pressure point support – side sleepers sink in just enough to support the hips and shoulders, while the spine stays supported
• Easy to move on and feels like floating rather than sinking inside
• Breathable cover, good airflow, stays exceptionally cool
• 2 firmness/thickness options
• Made in the USA
• 100-night trial (free shipping and returns) and a 10-year warranty

Cons

• It May not fit sleepers who like the huggy feeling of traditional memory foam
• May emit some off-gassing at first but airs out quickly

✅ Available at Purple ($2099)

6. Bear Hybrid (14″) Best Budget

The Bear Hybrid is one of the best when it comes to balancing comfort and support, and is a great pick for side sleepers and back sleepers with back pain – for a reasonable price.

Here’s why:

The top layers are very soft and comfortable, and the coils are supportive enough for a wide range of body weight.

The celliant cover is excellent at dissipating heat and the cover is also quilted with a very soft gel foam that adds to comfort and support.

The foams in the Bear Hybrid are all CertiPUR-US certified, meaning they are more eco-friendly than traditional foam.

Bear Hybrid Pros

• Great balance of comfort and support – best for side and back sleepers
• Good edge support (the edges won’t crumble)
• Uses cooling hand-quilted Celliant technology (clinically tested infrared textile)
• All foams are certified eco-friendly
• 100-night trial with free shipping and returns, 20-year warranty

Cons

Not the best fit for stomach sleepers due to the soft cover layer

✅ $1126 at Bear Mattresses

Signs That You Are Sleeping on the Wrong Mattress

Back pain is a serious obstacle when it comes to healthy sleep.

When you don’t sleep well because of back, shoulder, or neck pain – your pain intensifies – leading to more lack of sleep.

This is a vicious circle with no end in sight.

The right mattress makes sure you are sleeping in the right sleep posture – when the spine is aligned and with a minimal amount of strain being placed on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

A bad mattress puts a strain on your spinal discs, spinal nerves, muscles, tendons, and ligaments – pulling your body out of alignment, and may result in the following conditions:

• Excessive fatigue and difficulty falling asleep
• Back/neck/shoulder pain and stiffness
• Sciatica
• Neck stiffness that leads to headaches or migraines
• Anxiety/depression caused by lack of sleep
• Joint pain

That’s why investing in a high-quality mattress is more important than you may think, and critical for your health and well-being.

What is Better –  a Firm or a Medium Mattress?

Research on firm vs. medium mattresses is limited, but one large study assigned new mattresses to more than 300 people with lower back pain. They used either “medium-firm” or “firm” mattresses for 90 days. Those in the medium mattress group had better outcomes for pain in bed, pain on rising, and disability.

Are Hybrid Mattresses Worth the Money?

Yes, hybrid mattresses are worth the money, because they combine the support and pressure relief of memory foam with the breathable and bouncy spring layer – this is especially for back pain sufferers who don’t want to settle on comfort. Also, With both foam and springs, hybrid mattresses tend to have a longer lifespan – the coils can prevent the foam from breaking down over time, and the foam can help reduce pressure on the coils.

To your health and happiness,

The Back Pain Relief Products Team

Studies

Ahmed Radwan, Philip Fess, et al. Effect of different mattress designs on promoting sleep quality, pain reduction, and spinal alignment in adults with or without back pain; systematic review of controlled trials, Sleep Health, Volume 1, Issue 4, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2015.08.001.

Mattresses for Chronic Back or Neck Pain: A Review of the Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines [Internet]. Ottawa (ON): Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; 2014 May 14. SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK263383/

Kovacs FM, Abraira V, et al. Effect of firmness of mattress on chronic non-specific low-back pain: randomised, double-blind, controlled, multicentre trial. Lancet. 2003 Nov 15;362(9396):1599-604. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)14792-7.