This site uses cookies - see our privacy policy. Ads & links in bold may give us a small payment from the seller, at no cost to the buyer. However, this never affects our views - if we like it, we recommend it.
5 Best Mattresses For People Who Sleep On Their Back 2021
So which is the best mattress if you sleep on your back?
The short answer is...it varies depending on your weight and build, but I appreciate that's as helpful as a sieve on a sinking ship.
So here's the gist of it:
Some academic research has been carried out into the topic of sleeping positions, notably a study in 2020 in China by Zhang and Hou called 'The Influence of Mattress Material on Sleeping Comfort of Different Age'.
Amongst the findings was some suggestion of which type of mattress materials are best for people who sleep on their back (or supine position, as it's called in academic papers). Their research concluded that 'young and middle aged subjects' who slept on their side had 'high evaluation' of memory foam and latex mattresses. Meanwhile, 'young-elder' back sleepers had 'higher evaluation on memory foam, and coir mattress' (in case you're wondering, coir comes from coconuts and is sometimes used as a mattress filling). Conversely, the 'elder subjects' who slept on their back 'preferred coir and cotton mattress'.
Perhaps surprisingly, Zhang and Hou concluded that 'The subjects lay on back preferred softer material than subjects lay on side'. This is contrary to the usual advice that side sleepers prefer softer mattresses because of the increased pressure on their shoulders and hips.
Here's our pick of five mattresses worth considering if you sleep on your back. Prices are for double mattresses and are correct at the time of writing:
The short answer is...it varies depending on your weight and build, but I appreciate that's as helpful as a sieve on a sinking ship.
So here's the gist of it:
- Heavier people generally need firmer mattresses than lighter or thinner people (regardless of what position you sleep in). So, a seven foot rugby player would probably want a firm mattress whilst a four foot jockey would want a soft mattress. This is to make sure the mattress is sufficiently 'supportive'.
- However, if you sleep on your back you need a bit more support than a side sleeper, so you should lean towards a firmer mattress than usual. So, a five foot jockey who sleeps on their back might like to test out a medium firmness mattress instead of a soft mattress, for example.
- Just to confuse you, there's not a consistent way of measuring firmness in the mattress industry. As a result, our five foot jockey should probably try out a few 'medium' mattresses in a showroom or pick one online with a free trial period.
Some academic research has been carried out into the topic of sleeping positions, notably a study in 2020 in China by Zhang and Hou called 'The Influence of Mattress Material on Sleeping Comfort of Different Age'.
Amongst the findings was some suggestion of which type of mattress materials are best for people who sleep on their back (or supine position, as it's called in academic papers). Their research concluded that 'young and middle aged subjects' who slept on their side had 'high evaluation' of memory foam and latex mattresses. Meanwhile, 'young-elder' back sleepers had 'higher evaluation on memory foam, and coir mattress' (in case you're wondering, coir comes from coconuts and is sometimes used as a mattress filling). Conversely, the 'elder subjects' who slept on their back 'preferred coir and cotton mattress'.
Perhaps surprisingly, Zhang and Hou concluded that 'The subjects lay on back preferred softer material than subjects lay on side'. This is contrary to the usual advice that side sleepers prefer softer mattresses because of the increased pressure on their shoulders and hips.
Here's our pick of five mattresses worth considering if you sleep on your back. Prices are for double mattresses and are correct at the time of writing:
1. Emma Mattress/Casper Mattress - £699/£750 - good for lighter weight people who sleep on their back
|
I've cheated a bit here and included two similar mattresses which are usually described as medium tension. As a result, they are more suited to a slightly lighter than average person who sleeps on their back.
They're both foam-based mattresses which have won several awards from expert testers:
|
The Emma Mattress offers a 200 night trial and a 10 year guarantee...
...whilst The Casper has a 60 night trial so you can swap it if you don't like it
|
2. Ergoflex 5G Mattress - £739 - good for average weight people who sleep on their back
|
The Ergoflex 5G is a medium/firm mattress which comes with outstanding reviews and the option to send it back if you don't like it. It comes with a 10 year guarantee and has won a best buy award from expert testers.
When we checked in January 2021, it was the highest rated mattress brand we could find on TrustPilot with an average score of 4.7/5. You don't get the mammoth 200 day trial period that you get with the Emma Mattress (above) but you do get 30 days which should be plenty of time to try it out. It's certainly better than lying on a mattress for 10 seconds in a showroom (although that does allow you to compare a few different models, of course). The Ergoflex 5G doesn't use any springs and is another memory foam mattress, so it won't be to everyone's taste. Most of us still go for the more familiar feel of a pocket spring mattress rather than memory foam. However, a lot of people find that a memory foam mattress 'provides more support' (John Lewis & Partners buying guide) and there's some evidence that it doesn't gather dust in the same way as natural fibres. As mentioned earlier, research by Zhang and Hou in China found that memory foam was a popular material amongst back sleepers who were 'young and middle aged' or 'young elder' but less so amongst 'elder subjects'. You can read the summary of their research here. |
Ergoflex is one of the highest rated mattress brands on TrustPilot
|
3. John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection Fleece Wool 8400 - £1249 - good for slightly above average build/weight people who sleep on their back
|
If you can afford them, take a look at the John Lewis Natural Collection of mattresses. They're made by a company called Harrison Spinks which is a posh mattress maker based in Yorkshire.
The company has won awards such as 'Bed Manufacturer of the Year' 2018 at the National Bed Federation Awards. In case you are really interested, the type of springs used in this one won a prize at the same Awards in 2019. The company is also one of the few mattress brands with a Manufacturing Guild Mark, which is a sign of good quality. We've picked out this firm mattress which is a mid-priced option in the range (a double mattress ranges from about £600 - £2600). John Lewis & Partners say that their Natural Collection firm mattresses are about right for someone who is more than 16 stone. They are one of the few companies which actually offer such clear guidance on the recommended weight for their mattresses. In all there were 18 firm mattresses in the John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection when we checked - so what's the difference between a £600 mattress and a £2600 mattress? Cheaper mattresses tend to be thinner, as they don't use as many materials and some cheaper mattresses can't be turned over, which means they might develop sags and dips quicker. There are also boring technical things such as whether it has 'hand side stitching' which gives it more strength when you sit on the edge. Mattresses with a higher spring count usually cost more, but be aware that mattresses with thousands of springs are actually ones with several layers of small springs. This John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection Fleece Wool 8400 has a very good specification with hand side stitching, a high spring count and the option to turn it over. As well as the usual sizes, it's also available in Super King Zip Link which is where two smaller mattresses are joined together. It comes with a 7 year guarantee. Overall, Harrison Spinks was scoring 3/5 on TrustPilot when we checked. |
Award winners Harrison Spinks makes mattresses for John Lewis & Partners
|
4. Sleepeezee Ultrafirm 1600 Pocket Spring Mattress - £469 - good for heavier people who sleep on their back
|
If you prefer the feel of a 'traditional' mattress with pocket springs rather than a foam or memory foam mattress then I'd consider something like this 'extra firm' Sleepeezee Ultrafirm 1600.
However, I'd only go for a very firm mattress like this if you are a heavier than average person who sleeps on their back. There's an old myth that a firm mattress is good for your back, but actual experts like the Sleep Council say that it isn't that simple and that you need a mattress which is supportive enough to give your spine the 'correct alignment'. If you're too light, you'll just lie on the top and won't sink in at all. Some firms use the phrase 'orthopedic' but that usually just means it's a very firm mattress, and is no guarantee that it is good for your back. We've picked out a mattress from the Sleepeezee range for a number of reasons. The company has been going for many years and even has a Royal Warrant, which isn't given out lightly. If you're a republican, you might be more impressed with the TrustPilot reviews which were a very commendable 4.4/5 when we checked (September 2020). Alongside all that, you get a 60 night sleep trial so you can 'exchange your mattress for a different Sleepeezee model if you're not 100% happy'. Such home trials are now very common in the foam and memory foam mattress market, but are much less common for traditionally made pocket spring mattresses. With all those credentials, you might assume Sleepeezee are expensive but they aren't really - I'd put them as mid-priced. The Sleepeezee Ultrafirm 1600 was scoring about 9/10 from 100+ customers when we checked and comes with a 5 year guarantee, which is a bit shorter than some. Most modern foam mattresses come with a 10 year guarantee (OTTY, Eve Sleep and Simba Sleep), whilst posh brand Vispring offer 30 years and Nectar Sleep offers a 'Forever' guarantee. Obviously, you should have a read of the small print with a guarantee as there's variation in what is covered. |
Sleepeezee has a Royal Warrant but their mattresses aren't as expensive as you might think
|
5. Brook + Wilde Lux Mattress (firm version) - £799 - good for average or slightly above average build/weight people who sleep on their back
|
The Brook + Wilde Lux is a memory foam and springs mattress which deserves a mention in our top 5 despite being a lesser-known name.
They only make three mattresses, but the Brook + Wilde Lux comes in four different levels of firmness - soft, medium, firm and extra firm. The idea is that you can swap it for a different firmness or get a refund within 100 days if it doesn't give you the right support (much like OTTY, Eve Sleep, Simba Sleep and Nectar Sleep - check the Ts and Cs of this) The Brook + Wilde Lux mattress is what's known as a 'hybrid' mattress which means that it combines memory foam and pocket springs. Memory foam is a material which provides consistent support and which 'hugs' you in bed. Some people aren't keen on the slight 'sinking' feeling but others find it is much better than traditional pocket springs. Others have an issue where they find memory foam is a bit too hot for them, but this Lux mattress is among those which aims to overcome this with 'cooling memory foam'. Lower down the mattress are pocket springs, which is the type of support that most of us are used to from a mattress. Cheap and nasty sprung mattresses use 'open coil' springs but most half-decent mattresses use pocket springs as they don't wobble around like jelly. It comes with a 10 year guarantee and arrives squashed up into a box to make it a bit easier to get it upstairs. If you're 'average' weight and build and you sleep on your back then the firm version of the Lux is more likely to offer the right level of support. If you're lighter or weigh less than average then you might be better trying the medium firmness version. When we checked, the brand was scoring 4.6/5 on TrustPilot. |
You can choose from soft, medium, firm or extra firm with Brook + Wilde's Lux Mattress
|