6 Best Mattresses for Sciatica of 2026: Doctor Reviewed

Pros and cons

Pros

• Supports spinal alignment in all sleep positions
• Great pressure relief all-around
• Dampens motion

Cons

• Weak edge support
• Limited bounce for ease of movement

Features

• Materials: Memory foam
• Firmness: Medium firm
• Trial period: 365 nights
• Warranty: Lifetime

Key takeaways from our testing

Impressive spinal alignment and pressure relief. In our tests, the Nectar Premier Memory Foam notched almost-perfect scores for spinal alignment and pressure relief in every position. That means sleepers’ spines are more likely to stay neutral and supported no matter what position they’re in. Tester Donna, a 60-year-old combination sleeper with nighttime back pain, said she didn’t feel any pressure in her lower back on this mattress. “I feel firmly supported,” she said. “I like my beds a little firmer, but this still offers great spinal support.”

Excellent at dampening movement. The Nectar Premier Memory Foam aced our lab team’s ripple test, where they placed a beaker of red liquid in the center of the bed, made several controlled movements and recorded how much the liquid ripples. Because the mattress is made with dense memory foam, it absorbs movement very well, which can be helpful for people who are awoken easily. While some older adults with sciatica may prefer more bounce for repositioning, dense foam can help cradle pressure points — a plus if you have lower back pain caused by a herniated disc. Herniated discs can pinch nerves and put pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Slightly unstable edges. The mattress’s edges didn’t hold up in our testing. “The edge support was lacking. It wasn’t awful, but it didn’t assist me much,” Donna said. She also said the cover felt slippery and the mattress compressed more than others she tested. If strong edge support is important, consider the Saatva Classic.

Best Hybrid: DreamCloud Classic Hybrid

Score: 9.8 out of 10

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Pros and cons

Pros

• Good pressure relief for side and back sleepers
• Mix of soft comfort and strong coil support
• Stable edges for getting in and out of bed

Cons

• Not suitable for stomach sleepers

Features

• Materials: Hybrid
• Firmness: Firm
• Trial period: 365 nights
• Warranty: Limited lifetime

Key takeaways from our testing

Relieves pressure for back and side sleepers. The DreamCloud Classic Hybrid is made with a combination of memory foam and supportive coils, which helps support the spine and cradle pressure points. Tester Karin rated the bed’s pressure relief and spinal alignment a near-perfect 4.5 out of 5 for side sleeping and an impressive 4 out of 5 for back sleeping. “Lying on my back, I feel good and well-supported,” she said. “My spine is aligned with my hips, and my lower back is supported.”

Strong edges. This mattress is built with reinforced coils along the perimeter, which helped Allison feel secure even when lying near the edge. “Compared to lying in the center of the bed, it felt the same. I felt very stable,” she said. In addition, the mattress’s bounce helped her get out of bed without using her hands.

Too firm for some stomach-sleepers. Karin said she felt uncomfortable sleeping on her stomach on this mattress, rating it 2.5 out of 5 for that position. She said her lower back arched too much and her chest sat too high. “It felt like there wasn’t much give for stomach sleeping, and there was a lot of pressure on my chest,” she said. For stomach sleepers with sciatica, this lack of contouring can lead to poor spinal alignment.

Best for Side Sleepers: Saatva Classic

Score: 9.7 out of 10

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Pros and cons

Pros

• Excellent spinal alignment and pressure relief for side sleepers
• Extra support in the midsection
• Firm, supportive edges

Cons

• Too bouncy for some sleepers

Features

• Materials: Hybrid
• Firmness: Luxury firm
• Trial period: 365 nights
• Warranty: Lifetime

Key takeaways from our testing

Strong spinal alignment and pressure relief on the side. Side sleeper Allison felt comfortable and supported while lying on her side on the Saatva Classic. (The bed is one of our picks for the best mattresses for side sleepers.) “The right side of my lower back felt much more supported than normal. I usually have trouble with that area, and this offered great support,” she said. “My spine feels great with this mattress,” she added. That’s likely due to the Classic’s extra support in the center-third of the mattress.

Edges feel supportive. Tester Dana, a 67-year-old combination sleeper with neck and back pain, appreciated the mattress’s responsiveness and secure edges. “When I sat on the edge, the mattress had great bounce and assisted me out of bed,” she said. She sank in slightly, but not enough to make standing difficult. Dana also felt the reinforced piping added stability, rating the Saatva Classic a 4.5 out of 5 for edge support.

Too bouncy for light sleepers. The coil system’s responsiveness can make it easier to change positions at night, which may help people with sciatica stay comfortable, says Morse. The trade-off is weaker motion isolation. Allison rated the mattress only a 2 out of 5 in the ripple test and a 2.5 out of 5 in the couple’s motion test. In our couple’s motion test, the tester laid on one side of the mattress blindfolded while a member of our lab team changed positions and got in and out of the bed on the other side. “The bounce helped with edge support and movement, but I could feel my partner moving the whole time,” Alison said.

Best Soft: Nolah Evolution Luxury Firm

Score: 9.8 out of 10

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Pros and cons

Pros

• Plush pillow top promotes spinal alignment
• Strong pressure relief for hips and lower back
• Comfortable for all sleeping positions

Cons

• Movement may wake up lighter sleepers

Features

• Materials: Hybrid
• Firmness: Luxury firm
• Trial period: 120 nights
• Warranty: Limited lifetime

Key takeaways from our testing

Soft upper layers help with spinal alignment. Although it’s classified as a luxury firm mattress, the Nolah Evolution has a thick, plush pillow top that provides a balance of softness and support. Dana said the lofted top felt soft and cushioned, while the deeper layers provided structure. “Even though there’s a lot of foam, it’s not too soft. I still felt lifted and supported,” she said. Karin agreed: “My back feels wonderful. There’s great pressure relief and spinal alignment. I feel cradled by the soft cover and the good support underneath.”

Strong pressure relief in all positions. Karin reported excellent pressure relief in all positions, which helped keep her spine aligned. She didn’t experience pressure buildup in her hips or lower back, and she found stomach sleeping comfortable as well. However, softer mattresses can sag over time for some body types, which may pull the hips out of alignment and worsen sciatic pain. If you prefer a firmer feel, the DreamCloud Classic Hybrid may be a better option.

Noticeable motion transfer. Like many hybrid mattresses, the Nolah Evolution prioritizes bounce over motion isolation. During our ripple test, Karin rated the mattress a 3.5 out of 5 for isolating movement. “The liquid moved more when I switched positions, swaying side to side. I’ve seen better,” she said. If your sleep is easily disrupted, a mattress with stronger motion isolation, such as the Helix Dusk Luxe, may be a better fit.

How we tested the best mattresses for sciatica 

We started our process by researching the market. What mattresses are popular and why? Who has the best customer reviews — and are the reviews legitimate? After talking with medical experts, we narrowed our list from 50 mattresses to the more than 30 we tested in our lab.

To identify their strengths and weaknesses, we used controlled tests to assess performance metrics like edge support, bounce and temperature regulation. Then we recruited more than 15 testers ages 50 and older to give us their unbiased feedback. 

These testers answered questions like: Did the mattresses provide good pressure relief on your lower back and hips? (Pressure buildup in those areas is common for people with sciatica) Does the mattress support your lower back in all positions? Is your spine aligned with your hips? Beds that excelled in our tests made our list of the best mattresses for sciatica. For more details, see our mattress testing methodology.

How to choose the best mattress for sciatica for you 

Nearly 60 percent of our survey respondents said they wanted a new mattress because their current one felt uncomfortable or because they hoped a new bed would help relieve their sciatic pain. However, before buying a new mattress for sciatica, talk with your health care provider. A supportive mattress can help reduce discomfort, but it’s not guaranteed to resolve sciatic pain on its own.

Based on insights from medical experts and our survey and test results, here’s what to consider when shopping for a mattress if you have sciatica.

Source of sciatic pain 

Sciatica can stem from several underlying conditions, including herniated discs, arthritis and bone spurs. Understanding what causes your symptoms can help you choose a mattress with the right type of support. “These sciatica triggers are precisely why mattress choice can be so critical,” says Morse. “Your mattress can either alleviate or worsen nerve irritation.”

If your sciatica is caused by a herniated disc, Morse says consistent spinal support is especially important. “The mattress needs to keep the vertebrae aligned and prevent compression or twisting of the spine,” she says.

A mattress that supports the natural curve of the spine and keeps it in a neutral position can reduce stress on the sciatic nerve and help ease pain overnight.

Mattress type

There are four main mattress types: innerspring, memory foam, hybrid and latex. While no single type is proven best for sciatica, each offers characteristics that may help, depending on your symptoms and mobility needs.

• Innerspring. Innerspring mattresses have a base layer of metal coils, and they tend to be bouncy and supportive. Some may place too much pressure on sensitive nerves, but models with thick foam toppers, like the Saatva Classic, can offer better cushioning while still making movement easier.
• Memory foam. Memory foam mattresses tend to be forgiving and relieve pressure. They vary widely in firmness, depending on their foam density. High-density foams can support spinal alignment while cushioning pressure points, which may help reduce irritation of the sciatic nerve.
• Hybrid. Hybrid mattresses, which mix foam layers with innerspring coils, “can work well for people with sciatica,” says Anne Marie Morse, a neurologist and sleep medicine doctor in Pennsylvania. That’s because the combination of foam’s contouring pressure relief and the responsive support of coils helps cushion areas sensitive to sciatic pain, like the lower back. However, construction varies widely, meaning comfort, firmness and temperature regulation can differ from model to model. Still, they often offer a great balance of pressure relief and support, and they’re one of the most popular types of mattresses on the market. Five out of the six beds on this list are hybrids. 
• Latex. While we didn’t test a latex mattress for this review, latex is naturally bouncy and breathable. It can provide strong pressure relief and durability, says Morse.

Firmness

Most mattress brands measure firmness on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the firmest. Between 5 to 6.5 out of 10 (medium to medium firm) is the common firmness for most models.

A firm mattress may help relieve some types of back pain, but that’s not always ideal for sciatica, says Morse. She generally recommends a medium-firm firmness, which allows the hips and shoulders to sink slightly while keeping the spine aligned. Research backs this up. 

Firmness can feel different, though, depending on your body weight and shape. Lighter-weight sleepers may prefer softer mattresses with more cushioning, such as the Nolah Evolution, while higher-weight sleepers may want firmer support, like the DreamCloud Classic Hybrid.

Look for a mattress that keeps your spine aligned in its natural curve while supporting the hips and lower back. “Too firm, and the shoulders and pelvis can’t sink enough,” which can increase hip pain and irritate the sciatic nerve, says Kenneth Hansraj, a spinal and orthopedic surgeon at Premier Medical Group in Poughkeepsie, New York.  

Maintaining neutral spinal alignment helps reduce irritation of the sciatic nerve by limiting unnecessary pressure and micro-movements, Hansraj adds.

Pressure relief for hips and lower back

Every mattress in our review scored a 3.8 out of 5 or higher for pressure relief. We prioritized beds that cushioned common areas of sciatic pain, such as the hips and lower back.

“The ideal mattress provides a balance of strong support and contouring pressure relief,” says Morse. Mattresses that are too firm can aggravate inflamed nerves, while overly soft mattresses may fail to support the spine. Hybrid and memory foam mattresses often strike the right balance.

Responsiveness

If sciatic pain makes it difficult for you to change positions or get out of bed, look for a “responsive” mattress — one that responds to your movements and doesn’t “suck” your body in. Memory foam mattresses tend to be less responsive, while hybrid and latex mattresses usually make movement easier.

Hybrid mattresses combine pressure-relieving foam with responsive coils. “That combination cushions pressure points while providing the support needed to stay aligned,” says Morse.

The Helix Dusk Luxe, Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid and DreamCloud Classic Hybrid all earned high scores for responsiveness in our testing.

Trial period

A generous sleep trial gives you more time to determine whether a mattress helps ease your sciatica symptoms. Some brands, including Saatva, DreamCloud and Nectar, offer a free 365-night trial, while others offer 120-night or shorter trials.

How much do the best mattresses for sciatica cost?

The mattresses on our list cost between about $1,300 and $2,400 for a queen, depending on the brand and model.

The most affordable option is the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid at $1,332. The Helix Dusk Luxe is the most expensive model at $2,399, but it earns high marks across our tests for bounce, edge support and temperature regulation.

Questions or feedback? Email us at AARPSmartPicks@aarp.org.