• Home
  • Mattress advice
    • How to choose a mattress
    • Best Mattresses beginners guide
    • Memory foam v pocket spring mattresses - which is best?
    • 6 tips for buying the best pocket spring mattress
    • 5 tips for buying the best memory foam mattress
    • The 5 questions you need to answer before buying a bed
    • Is an orthopedic mattress the best for a bad back?
  • Best mattresses
    • 10 best mattresses 2020 and 2021
    • By type >
      • 6 best pocket sprung mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best natural mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best wool mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 6 best memory foam mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best latex mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best bed in a box 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best hybrid mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best pillow top mattresses 2020 and 2021
    • By brand >
      • By brand - A to E >
        • Brook + Wilde Lux Mattress
        • Casper Mattress
        • 5 best Dormeo mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • Dunlopillo mattresses
        • Emma mattresses >
          • Emma Mattress/Emma Original
          • Emma Hybrid Mattress
        • Ergoflex Mattress
        • Eve Sleep mattresses >
          • Eve Mattress/Eve Original
          • Eve Hybrid Mattresses
      • By brand - F to R >
        • Hypnos mattresses >
          • The Premier Inn Hypnos Mattress
          • 5 best Hypnos mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • Nectar Sleep Mattress
        • OTTY mattresses
        • 5 best Rest Assured mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • REM-Fit >
          • REM Fit mattresses
          • REM Fit 400 mattress
        • Rollo by Slumberland mattresses
      • By brand - S to Z >
        • 5 best Sealy mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • 5 best Silentnight mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • Simba Sleep mattresses >
          • Simba Hybrid Mattress
          • Simba Hybrid Pro Mattress
        • Sleepeezee >
          • Sleepeezee mattress reviews, awards, discounts and buying guide 2020 and 2021
          • Sleepeezee Mayfair 3200 Pocket Spring Mattress
        • Tempur mattresses
        • 5 best Vispring mattresses 2020 and 2021
    • Specialist mattresses >
      • 10 best cot mattresses for baby's beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best kids mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 7 mattresses for heavy people 2020 and 2021
      • 6 best couples beds and mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • Best mattresses for back pain and bad backs 2020 and 2021
      • Best mattresses for arthritis 2020 and 2021
    • By firmness >
      • 5 best soft mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best medium firm mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best firm mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best orthopedic/orthopaedic mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best split tension and dual firmness mattresses 2020 and 2021
    • By size >
      • Single beds and mattresses >
        • 5 best single beds and single mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • 6 best single memory foam mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • 5 best small single mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • Double, small double, queen beds and mattresses >
        • 5 best double beds 2020 and 2021
        • 5 best small double mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • 5 best queen size beds and queen mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • King, super king, emperor, zip-link beds and mattresses >
        • 5 best king size beds 2020 and 2021
        • 5 best super king size beds 2020 and 2021
        • 5 best zip link beds and mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • 6 best emperor mattresses, beds, bedsteads and divans 2020 and 2021
    • By price >
      • 6 best cheap mattresses under £200 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best cheap beds 2020 and 2021
      • 6 best mattresses with a free trial 2020 and 2021
      • 5 cheap memory foam mattresses 2020 and 2021
    • By sleeping position >
      • 5 best mattresses for side sleepers 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best mattresses for front and stomach sleepers 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best mattresses for back sleepers 2020 and 2021
  • Best Beds
    • Divan base or bedstead - which is best?
    • Day beds, sofa beds and guest beds >
      • 5 best sofa beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best air beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best day beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best guest beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best trundle beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best chair beds and single sofa beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best folding beds 2020 and 2021
    • Divan beds >
      • 5 best divan beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best single divan beds 2020 and 2021
    • Bunk beds >
      • 5 best bunk beds with desks 2020 and 2021
      • 6 best bunk beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best double bunk beds 2020 and 2021
    • Wooden, metal and fabric bedframes >
      • 5 best leather beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best metal beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best sleigh beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best white beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best white single beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best wooden beds 2020 and 2021
    • Storage beds >
      • 6 of the best ottoman beds and storage beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best single beds with storage and single ottoman beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best double ottoman beds and double beds with storage 2020 and 2021
    • Adjustable beds, TV beds, headboards >
      • 6 best adjustable beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best TV beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best cheap headboards 2020 and 2021
  • Duvets, pillows & bedding
    • Duvets and blankets >
      • 5 best duvets for summer and winter 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best electric blankets and heated blankets 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best weighted blankets 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best bedspreads 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best blankets and throws 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best wool blankets and wool throws 2020 and 2021
    • Pillows and pillowcases >
      • 5 best pillows 2020 and 2021
      • 6 best silk pillowcases 2020 and 2021
    • Bedding, sheets and toppers >
      • 5 of the best bedding sets 2020 and 2021
      • 5 of the best fitted sheets 2020 and 2021
      • 5 of the best mattress protectors 2020 and 2021
      • Which are the best mattress toppers?
    • Other guides >
      • 6 best silk pyjamas 2020 and 2021
      • Which is the best type of carpet material?
  • Retailers
    • 10 best places to buy cheap mattresses and divan beds under £500, £200 or £100
    • 10 of the best mattress retailers online 2020 and 2021
    • Buying a John Lewis & Partners mattress - 5 top tips for 2020 and 2021
  • About
    • About
    • Disclaimer
    • Plagiarism advice
    • Press/PR
    • Privacy policy
The Best Mattresses Guide

Simple advice on the UK’s best mattresses and beds

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.

Is An Orthopedic Mattress The Best For A Bad Back?

If Sandi Toskvig and Alan Davies found themselves with nothing to talk about one week, they could fill a whole episode of QI discussing mattresses. Admittedly it would not be a ratings-winner and they have gone past series M, but there are numerous myths and misconceptions about the mattress market.

For example, how many springs would you expect to find in a 1000 pocket spring single mattress? It’s certainly not 1000 (it’s more like half that as the number relates to how many you’d fit on a king size mattress).
Woman being given a massage
Will an orthopedic mattress help you look after your back?
One of the most enduring myths is that people with a bad back should have a very firm bed. I'm not a chiropractor but after starting to read mattress guides online I realised pretty quickly that it's not that simple. 

According to both the British Chiropractic Association and the Sleep Council, what you actually need is a ‘supportive’ bed. For some people, that will be a firm mattress but for other people it will actually be quite a soft mattress.

The key to getting a mattress that will look after your back is finding one that creates a nice straight spine when you are lying on your side. With a firm mattress, an 8 stone jockey will not sink into the bed enough so the spine will end up curvy (resembling a frowny face was how one guide described it). Similarly, an 18 stone wrestler will be swallowed up by a soft mattress and would need something firmer to help keep their spine straight.

Also, the position that you usually sleep in plays a part in deciding how a firm a mattress you need. Side sleepers should go for softer mattresses than people who sleep on their front or back. This is because a very firm mattress will put a lot of pressure on your hips and shoulders if you are sleeping on your side.

You can achieve a straight spine with a memory foam, pocket sprung or latex mattress. Several bed comparison websites conclude that a good quality memory foam or latex mattress has the potential to offer superior support, although you can certainly look after your back with a decent pocket sprung mattress. Also worth noting is that the charity Versus Arthritis says that ‘many people find memory foam mattresses or toppers helpful’. Obviously that advice is specific to arthritis rather than bad backs in general.

The hard mattress myth is confused further because some manufacturers offer a mattress which they describe as ‘orthopedic’. It sounds kind of scientific and medical, much like those shampoo adverts with diagrams of hair strands. However, what it usually means in the mattress market is that it is extra firm but there’s no blanket rule (pun intended) that it will be the best option for your back. 

And here’s another weird quirk of the mattress market – no-one has ever decided what ‘firm’ or ‘soft’ actually means. One company’s ‘soft’ could be the same as another company’s ‘medium’ mattress, in much the same way that a medium t-shirt from one shop might be a large t-shirt in another.

That’s terribly confusing for the mattress buyer, particularly if you buy something online. Your options are either to buy from a bed shop where they may not stock that award-winning mattress which you’ve read about, or to buy online and hope that it is the right level of firmness for you. Some mattresses offer a free return after a month or two of sleeping (see our guide to mattresses with a risk free trial) but I’m rather too British and would be reluctant to return it unless it had completely fallen apart. 

The best advice I’ve found online after many (many) hours of reading is to put your hand flat underneath your back whilst lying on the bed. If you can’t fit your hand in, it’s too soft. If there’s a huge gap then the bed is too hard for you.

Personally, I’d like to see more bed companies offering a rating which explains that ‘this bed is ideal for people who weigh 10-12 stone’ or something similar (Vispring are one of the few companies to offer this - they recommend soft for up to 11 stone, medium for 11-16 stone, firm for 16 - 20 stone and extra firm for 20 stone+).

Until then, we’ll have to settle for awkward trips to the bed shop where we attempt to work out if our spine is straight.

Buying advice

Beginners' guide
​
Best retailers
Cheap retailers
Divan or bedstead?
​
How to choose a mattress
​John Lewis mattresses
​Memory foam or springs?

Best mattresses

Top 10 mattresses
Arthritis
Back sleepers​
Bed in a box
Best for bad backs
​Cheap mattresses
Cheap memory foam
​Emperor mattresses
​Best firm mattresses
Mattresses with free trials
​
Front sleepers
​Best for heavy people
​Hybrid mattresses
​Kids mattresses
​King size mattresses
Best latex mattresses
Medium firm mattresses
Top 5 memory foam
​Pillow top mattresses
Pocket sprung mattresses
​
Queen size mattresses
​Side sleepers
​
Single divans
​Single mattresses
​
Single memory foam
​Small double mattresses
​Small single mattresses
Best soft mattresses
​
Split tension mattresses
Super king size mattresses
Wool mattresses
Zip link mattresses


Other guides

​Adjustable beds
Air beds
​Best bedding
Bedspreads
Blankets/throws
​Bunk beds
​Bunk bed with desk
Best carpets
Chair beds
​Cheap beds
Cot bed mattresses
​Day beds
​
Divan beds
Double beds
Double bunk beds
Double storage beds
Duvets
​Electric blankets
​Fitted sheets
Folding beds
Guest beds
Headboards
Mattress protectors
​Metal beds
Ottoman beds
Pillows
​Silk pillowcases
Silk pyjamas
​
Sleigh beds
​5 best sofa beds
Best toppers
Trundle beds
TV beds
Weighted blankets
White beds
​Wooden beds
​
​




Brands

Brook + Wilde
​Casper
Dormeo
Dunlopillo
Emma
Ergoflex
Eve
Hypnos
Nectar
OTTY
Rest Assured
REM-Fit
Sealy
Silentnight
Simba
Sleepeezee
Tempur
Vispring

About

Disclaimer
Privacy policy
​Advice for plagiarists
​
While we endeavour to keep the information on this website up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose - please see our disclaimer for more details. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 
© COPYRIGHT 2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Mattress advice
    • How to choose a mattress
    • Best Mattresses beginners guide
    • Memory foam v pocket spring mattresses - which is best?
    • 6 tips for buying the best pocket spring mattress
    • 5 tips for buying the best memory foam mattress
    • The 5 questions you need to answer before buying a bed
    • Is an orthopedic mattress the best for a bad back?
  • Best mattresses
    • 10 best mattresses 2020 and 2021
    • By type >
      • 6 best pocket sprung mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best natural mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best wool mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 6 best memory foam mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best latex mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best bed in a box 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best hybrid mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best pillow top mattresses 2020 and 2021
    • By brand >
      • By brand - A to E >
        • Brook + Wilde Lux Mattress
        • Casper Mattress
        • 5 best Dormeo mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • Dunlopillo mattresses
        • Emma mattresses >
          • Emma Mattress/Emma Original
          • Emma Hybrid Mattress
        • Ergoflex Mattress
        • Eve Sleep mattresses >
          • Eve Mattress/Eve Original
          • Eve Hybrid Mattresses
      • By brand - F to R >
        • Hypnos mattresses >
          • The Premier Inn Hypnos Mattress
          • 5 best Hypnos mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • Nectar Sleep Mattress
        • OTTY mattresses
        • 5 best Rest Assured mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • REM-Fit >
          • REM Fit mattresses
          • REM Fit 400 mattress
        • Rollo by Slumberland mattresses
      • By brand - S to Z >
        • 5 best Sealy mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • 5 best Silentnight mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • Simba Sleep mattresses >
          • Simba Hybrid Mattress
          • Simba Hybrid Pro Mattress
        • Sleepeezee >
          • Sleepeezee mattress reviews, awards, discounts and buying guide 2020 and 2021
          • Sleepeezee Mayfair 3200 Pocket Spring Mattress
        • Tempur mattresses
        • 5 best Vispring mattresses 2020 and 2021
    • Specialist mattresses >
      • 10 best cot mattresses for baby's beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best kids mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 7 mattresses for heavy people 2020 and 2021
      • 6 best couples beds and mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • Best mattresses for back pain and bad backs 2020 and 2021
      • Best mattresses for arthritis 2020 and 2021
    • By firmness >
      • 5 best soft mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best medium firm mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best firm mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best orthopedic/orthopaedic mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best split tension and dual firmness mattresses 2020 and 2021
    • By size >
      • Single beds and mattresses >
        • 5 best single beds and single mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • 6 best single memory foam mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • 5 best small single mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • Double, small double, queen beds and mattresses >
        • 5 best double beds 2020 and 2021
        • 5 best small double mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • 5 best queen size beds and queen mattresses 2020 and 2021
      • King, super king, emperor, zip-link beds and mattresses >
        • 5 best king size beds 2020 and 2021
        • 5 best super king size beds 2020 and 2021
        • 5 best zip link beds and mattresses 2020 and 2021
        • 6 best emperor mattresses, beds, bedsteads and divans 2020 and 2021
    • By price >
      • 6 best cheap mattresses under £200 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best cheap beds 2020 and 2021
      • 6 best mattresses with a free trial 2020 and 2021
      • 5 cheap memory foam mattresses 2020 and 2021
    • By sleeping position >
      • 5 best mattresses for side sleepers 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best mattresses for front and stomach sleepers 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best mattresses for back sleepers 2020 and 2021
  • Best Beds
    • Divan base or bedstead - which is best?
    • Day beds, sofa beds and guest beds >
      • 5 best sofa beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best air beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best day beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best guest beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best trundle beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best chair beds and single sofa beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best folding beds 2020 and 2021
    • Divan beds >
      • 5 best divan beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best single divan beds 2020 and 2021
    • Bunk beds >
      • 5 best bunk beds with desks 2020 and 2021
      • 6 best bunk beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best double bunk beds 2020 and 2021
    • Wooden, metal and fabric bedframes >
      • 5 best leather beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best metal beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best sleigh beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best white beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best white single beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best wooden beds 2020 and 2021
    • Storage beds >
      • 6 of the best ottoman beds and storage beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best single beds with storage and single ottoman beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best double ottoman beds and double beds with storage 2020 and 2021
    • Adjustable beds, TV beds, headboards >
      • 6 best adjustable beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best TV beds 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best cheap headboards 2020 and 2021
  • Duvets, pillows & bedding
    • Duvets and blankets >
      • 5 best duvets for summer and winter 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best electric blankets and heated blankets 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best weighted blankets 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best bedspreads 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best blankets and throws 2020 and 2021
      • 5 best wool blankets and wool throws 2020 and 2021
    • Pillows and pillowcases >
      • 5 best pillows 2020 and 2021
      • 6 best silk pillowcases 2020 and 2021
    • Bedding, sheets and toppers >
      • 5 of the best bedding sets 2020 and 2021
      • 5 of the best fitted sheets 2020 and 2021
      • 5 of the best mattress protectors 2020 and 2021
      • Which are the best mattress toppers?
    • Other guides >
      • 6 best silk pyjamas 2020 and 2021
      • Which is the best type of carpet material?
  • Retailers
    • 10 best places to buy cheap mattresses and divan beds under £500, £200 or £100
    • 10 of the best mattress retailers online 2020 and 2021
    • Buying a John Lewis & Partners mattress - 5 top tips for 2020 and 2021
  • About
    • About
    • Disclaimer
    • Plagiarism advice
    • Press/PR
    • Privacy policy