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Anyone who’s ever had knows it can cause significant pain, including in the hips, backside, leg, and foot. Others experience burning or numbness when moving, sitting, or lying in certain positions. Plus, many people who have sciatica have symptoms associated with lower back pain. No matter what symptoms you experience, adequate sleep is important to reduce discomfort and overall recovery [1] Staffe A, et al. Total Sleep Deprivation Increases Pain Sensitivity, Impairs Conditioned Pain Modulation, and Facilitates Temporal Summation of Pain in Healthy Participants. PLOS ONE. Dec. 4, 2019 . If your current mattress isn’t providing the support and relief you need to sleep well, it may be time to replace it.
Knowing how sleep affects your health, we reviewed a variety of mattresses for you to consider to help you find relief. While there is no one-size-fits-all option, we detail the highlights of each mattress below to help you make an informed decision. Plus, each mattress meets or exceeds the industry standards for a trial period (100 nights), so you get to try it out at home for more than three months before fully committing.
Be sure to talk to a medical professional before you purchase a mattress to help manage a medical condition (like sciatica). A new mattress is likely not the first—or only—treatment approach, so get the proper guidance to treat the root cause of your symptoms. It’s also important to rule out more serious conditions that can cause sciatica-like symptoms. [2] Ostelo R. Physiotherapy Management of Sciatica. Journal of Physiotherapy. April 2020
The Saatva Rx is our top mattress for people with sciatica because it’s supportive, pressure-relieving, and adaptable to most body types and sleep positions. Plus, you get free in-home delivery with your purchase.
| Mattress type | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Latex Hybrid | Foam | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Firmness | Medium | Medium | Firm | Firm | Medium | Flippable (firm and extra-firm sides) | Firm | Firm | Medium |
| Trial period | 365 nights | 120 nights | 100 nights | 120 nights | 100 nights | 120 nights | 120 nights | 120 nights | 120 nights |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime | Limited lifetime | 15 years | Limited lifetime | 25 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | Limited lifetime |
| White-glove delivery* | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
*Free shipping and setup of new mattress and free removal of old mattress
In this video, physical therapist and mattress reviewer Nicole Hernandez, DPT, discusses the importance of consulting your doctor if you are experiencing lower back pain or sciatica while highlighting the reasons the Saatva Rx mattress might be a good fit for you. See the video to learn how we tested mattresses to determine their usefulness in alleviating back pain and sciatica and what you’ll want to look for when choosing a mattress for your needs.
The Saatva Rx is our top mattress for people with sciatica because it’s supportive, pressure-relieving, and adaptable to most body types and sleep positions. Our team also loves how Saatva offers free in-home delivery (known as white-glove delivery) with your purchase, so you don’t have to worry about aggravating your symptoms by carrying and unboxing the mattress yourself.
This 15-inch-thick medium-firmⓘ Brands rate firmness on a scale from one to 10. One is the softest, and 10 is the firmest. It’s generally accepted that 6.5 is considered medium on this scale. mattress has multiple layers designed to contour your unique body shape, support the lower back, and relieve pressure from sensitive areas. Its primary coil layer, with reinforced coils along the center of the mattress, provides targeted support to the lower back, helping maintain the natural curve of the spine throughout the night. You also get a layer of memory foam specifically targeting the same area for added support.
Despite the supportive nature of the Saatva Rx, our testers were impressed by the level of pressure relief it provides. This is due to the foam caps on each spring and the additional micro-coil layer designed to adapt to movement and hug the body’s curves, regardless of your preferred position.
It also offers excellent functional support, which is our team’s measure of how easy it is to change positions or get out of bed. The Saatva Rx is springy and responsive, making it easier to roll to the side and push up to sitting. We also noticed how safe the edge support feels, as pictured below.
This mattress may be helpful if you’re careful with your movements, although we recommend talking to a physical or occupational therapist to improve your ability to move around easily in bed.
Although the Rx mattress is an investment, our team believes it’s a solid pick because it’s adaptable and caters to most body types. If you’re unsure, you can try it for up to one year before fully committing to your purchase. And if you keep it, you receive a limited lifetime warranty.
Who may love it
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You can contact Saatva customer service by:
Saatva accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Google Pay, and PayPal. The brand also offers financing options through Affirm.
Saatva offers $225 off a purchase of $1,000 or more to adults 65 and older, military members and their families, health care professionals, government employees, and more. This discount cannot be combined with other offers.
The Helix Dusk Luxe is our top choice if you want a comfortable plush mattress without a sinking and unsupportive feel. Although relatively soft mattresses can feel luxurious and cloud-like, they risk losing support over time. Sagging mattresses develop uncomfortable lumps and divots, which could provoke symptoms depending on your condition.
Although this mattress feels slightly firmer than medium (seven out of 10 on the firmness scale), our testers loved how the quilted cover and top three foam layers offer cradling pressure relief without sacrificing support or the ability to reposition easily. “Even though it’s a plush top, it’s very responsive,” said one tester. “You can feel the springs assist my movement. I don’t fight the material at all.”
Our testers also appreciated the zoned coil support, which is comfortable in most positions, but is most comfortable when side sleeping. The same tester added, “I’m a little curvier around the hips, so I can feel how my bum sits higher when lying on my back. I feel the cover and memory foam sitting underneath my back, but it’s not as supportive as it could be. It’s much better for me to lie on my side, but it probably depends on your body type. Less curvy people likely won’t feel what I felt.”
If you’re unhappy with your mattress, you can return it after the initial 30-day break-in period. And like most online mattress brands, white-glove delivery isn’t an option, so be sure to recruit help when setting up your bed.
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Who should avoid it
You can contact Helix Sleep customer service by:
Helix accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Shop Pay, Amazon Pay, PayPal, and Google Pay. Helix offers financing through Affirm and Katapult.
Helix currently offers up to 30% off (discount changes frequently) for military members, first responders, students, and teachers. The discount code can’t be combined with other promotional codes.
The Nolah Evolution 15″ mattress earned a spot on our lineup for its foam and coil-zoned support, which helps maintain your natural spine position throughout the night. If you find relief by placing a pillow between your knees while lying on your side to keep your hips and spine neutralⓘ A position that allows for the spine to maintain its natural curves at the neck (cervical), middle (thoracic), and lower (lumbar) regions. , this is a good mattress to consider.
Unlike the Helix Dusk Luxe and The WinkBed, which only offer zoned support in the coil layer, the Nolah Evolution provides targeted lumbar support with foam and coil layers. Nolah builds its mattresses with a unique foam called AirFoam. This proprietary foam is denser at the lower back to provide more reinforcement and less dense at the shoulder and hip to conform to sharp pressure points. Plus, the mattress has stronger coils along the center for added lumbar support.
While we tested the luxury firm version of the Evolution 15″, we thought it was slightly on the firmer side with a seven out of 10 firmness level, similar to the Helix Dusk Luxe. But it’s not as plush, which helped bolster its great functional support score. The mattress’s denser surface also provided better edge support. When testers sat on the edge of the mattress, they sank only 2.5 inches, which is relatively little considering the mattress’s 15-inch-tall profile. We felt secure sitting or lying close to the edge, meaning you’re less likely to slide when rising or putting on your shoes in the morning.
Nolah offers optional white-glove delivery through a company called Load Up. The service costs another $150–$300, depending on whether you need old mattress removal. According to one of our testers, moving this mattress is a hefty two-person job, so we highly recommend employing Load Up.
Who may love it
Who may want to avoid it
You can reach Nolah customer service by:
Nolah accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Shop Pay, and PayPal. Financing is available through Affirm.
The brand currently offers $50 off for military members and their families and health care workers. This discount cannot be combined with other promotional codes.
If your main priority is finding a comfortable mattress with a mobility-boosting surface, the Birch Natural is a great pick. This mattress is made with natural latex material instead of foam, which is more responsive for more easily moving around in bed. You might also appreciate how Birch mattresses are GREENGUARD Gold certified and Global Organic Textile Standard certified, which means they are free of potentially toxic chemicals and made with organic, responsibly sourced materials.
Although this mattress is a great choice for those who are careful with their movements, it’s best to talk to a physical or occupational therapist for tips on bed mobility. They’ll also be able to help with other activities and offer exercise and positioning recommendations that can ease pain.
The Birch Natural is among our highest-scoring options for functional support just behind the Saatva Rx. But it gets our top pick for mobility because of its materials—not only is latex a more natural choice over foam, but it’s also more resilient and durable while still providing good pressure relief. Our testers also like how protective the edge support felt, like it was pushing us back to the center if we got too close to the edge.
White-glove delivery is available based on your ZIP code, which you can check on the product page. This service ranges between $129–$398, depending on whether you need in-home setup, old mattress removal, adjustable base setup, or all of the above.
Who may love it
Who may want to avoid it
You can reach Birch customer service by:
Birch accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Google Pay, Shop Pay, Amazon Pay, and PayPal. Financing is available through Affirm.
Birch currently offers 25% off for military members, first responders, students, and teachers. The discount code can’t be combined with other promotional codes. To get the code, you must verify your identity and status using a third party called VerifyPass.
Some sleepers feel most comfortable lying on firmer surfaces. If you can relate, the Plank Firm is your best choice because you get two different firmness levels in one mattress. According to our testers, this mattress is a 7.5 out of 10 on the less firm side. And when you flip it over to the extra firm side, it feels like a nine out of 10, which is the firmest surface we’ve tested so far.
You can test both sides in the comfort of your own home for up to 120 nights, which should be plenty of time to decide whether to keep or return the mattress. Since the mattress weighs between 60–105 pounds, depending on its size, you may want to recruit another person to help you flip it.
The Plank Firm is a dense mattress with excellent edge support, earning it a high functional support score. Because you don’t have to fight plush material, testers noted how easy it felt to switch positions, although the lack of contour isn’t ideal for side sleepers.
Also, this all-foam mattress doesn’t have as much bounce as a hybrid, so you won’t get as much boost when you stand from the edge. In this case, the lack of springs and contour also limits surface support. You’ll likely feel supported while on your back and stomach, but it’s not as strong as other mattresses with zoned support, like the Saatva Rx or Helix Dusk Luxe. Testers noted that curvier back sleepers may not get enough lower back support, which can become uncomfortable.
Who may love it
Who should avoid it
Plank is a Brooklyn Bedding company and seems to have inconsistent hours when we tried reaching out ourselves. The website states you can reach customer service by:
Plank accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Amazon Pay, Shop Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal. Financing is available through Affirm.
The company currently offers 30% off for military members, first responders, medical providers, students, and educators. The discount code can’t be combined with other promotional codes.
The medium-firm option of the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe is our top pick for pressure relief because it scored maximum marks for offloading tension from prominent joints and curves, such as the hips and shoulders. Those with symptoms associated with pressure in certain areas, like around the backside, may appreciate how this mattress offloads and distributes weight across the surface to avoid uncomfortable pressure build-up. Those with sensitive joints may also enjoy the pressure relief this mattress provides.
Our pressure mapⓘ A mat with sensors that detects pressure buildup when someone lies across it. testing, detailed below, shows how well the Aurora Luxe redistributes weight across the mattress’s surface. Ideally, our testers want to see blue and green across the body, which denotes low-pressure buildup and good weight distribution. Yellow, orange, and red hues represent areas with pressure buildup.
The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe has excellent pressure relief for two reasons. The first is its thick layers of memory foam, which initially feels dense (7.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale) but contours the body well as you settle in. The second is its zoned support, which places softer coils at the shoulder and hip to offload pressure. Testers noticed above-average support at the lower back due to the stiffer coils along the center.
This mattress also offers good functional support for more easily moving around in bed. At about 13 inches tall, it should be relatively easy to stand from the reinforced edge.
When you purchase this mattress, you can choose between a softer and a firmer option. If you’re unsure what to get, you can try out one firmness level for up to 120 nights before returning or exchanging it. Be sure to recruit help to move and set up this mattress.
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Who may want to avoid it
While mystery shopping, our team found Brooklyn Bedding provided inconsistent support hours. The website currently lists the following customer service methods:
Brooklyn Bedding accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Amazon Pay, Shop Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal. Financing is available through Affirm.
The company currently offers 30%–35% off for military members, first responders, medical providers, students, and teachers. The discount code can’t be combined with other promotional codes.
The Titan Plus is a firm mattress (eight out of 10 on the firmness scale) with plenty of surface support and responsiveness. This is exactly what a higher-weight person needs to feel comfortable throughout the night, especially if a sagging mattress may affect your sciatica.
Since the Titan Plus is on the firmer and bouncier side with above-average edge and surface support, it earned a relatively high functional support score. Testers mostly agreed they did not sink into the mattress. “The quilted cover makes it a little harder to adjust from my back to side because it adds some give and friction,” said one tester. But the same quilted cover and underlying memory foam are likely responsible for this mattress’s good pressure relief despite being firmer.
If you have a lighter-weight partner (less than 130 pounds), you may need to consider upgrading to the Titan Plus Luxe. It adds an extra layer of memory foam, making the mattress about 2 inches taller and slightly more pressure-relieving. This may also be a good upgrade if you’re an avid side sleeper looking for as much pressure relief as possible.
Unfortunately, there is no white-glove delivery option, so you’re responsible for arranging help to unbox the mattress and set it up when it arrives.
Who may love it
Who may want to avoid it
Titan is a Brooklyn Bedding brand and seems to have inconsistent hours. According to its website, you can reach Brooklyn Bedding customer service by:
Brooklyn Bedding accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Shop Pay, PayPal, Amazon Pay, and Google Pay. Titan offers financing through Affirm.
The company currently offers 30%–35% off for military members, first responders, medical providers, students, and teachers. The discount code can’t be combined with other promotional codes.
The medium-firm version of the Bear Elite Hybrid is our top pick for people with hip pain from sciatica who are sensitive to certain positions or pressure points. This mattress offers maximum pressure relief at the hip during back and side sleeping. It also offers a gentle amount of zoned support to keep your spine aligned, encouraging a more neutral hip and leg to prevent position-dependent irritation.
Talk to a health care provider before purchasing a mattress for hip pain. Every case is different, and you may need a different approach. “Common hip conditions seen in older adults include arthritis, referred pain from the spine or other structures, tears, inflammation, tendinopathy, circulatory disorders, sciatica, or fractures,” said Lindy Royer, a physical therapist and Balanced Body educator. Find the root cause of your pain to determine the best treatment.
The Bear Elite Hybrid scored above average for functional support. It’s not mobility boosting, but it shouldn’t hinder you from changing positions easily during the night. Testers said getting out of bed felt slightly harder than expected due to the plush top’s forgiving feel. But the mattress’s 14-inch-tall profile provides a helpful boost that’s good if you’re experiencing lower body weakness.
This mattress comes in three firmness options: soft, medium, or firm. White-glove delivery is available but costs an extra $175 and is difficult to find on the website. Scroll to the footer of the product page and click on White Glove Service under “Support” to add it to your cart.
Our recommendation
Who may love it
Who should avoid it
You can reach Bear customer service by:
Bear accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, PayPal, Google Pay, Meta Pay, and Venmo. Financing is available through Affirm and ShopPay.
The brand currently offers a 40% discount for military members, first responders, law enforcement, health care workers, and teachers. This discount can’t be combined with other promotional codes.
At the end of the day, the best mattress for you is the one you find most comfortable. Knowing which mattress will deliver the most comfortable sleep is difficult even in a store. Always opt for brands that meet or exceed the industry standard for trial periods and warranties (100 nights and 10 years, respectively), so you can return your choice before committing. This is especially true when you’re shopping for a mattress to accommodate a health condition, like sciatica.
Our top pick is the Saatva Rx for catering to most sleepers, but we’ve tested and approved each mattress in this lineup as a great option for those with sciatica. If you prefer a firmer mattress, try the Plank Firm. But if you need as much pressure relief as possible, consider the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe or Bear Elite Hybrid.
As always, talk to your health care provider before purchasing any mattress to ensure it fits your treatment plan. And use our sleep tips to help you get a restful night’s sleep.
Sciatica affects everyone differently, so there is no one-size-fits-all mattress. In fact, few clinicians would recommend changing your mattress as part of the first line of treatment unless it’s old and worn. It’s best to talk to a health care provider to determine the root cause of your sciatica before purchasing a mattress. A good temporary solution could be using pillows under or between the knees (depending on your preferred sleep position) to improve comfort.
Sciatica is the irritation of the sciatic nerve, which spans from your lower back down the leg. It can cause pain, numbness, or burning down one or both sides of the body from the hips down to the foot. Each person’s symptoms and intensity are unique, so every case requires a tailored approach from a skilled rehabilitation clinician.
Some people may experience sleep-disturbing sciatica symptoms that leave you tossing and turning as you seek relief. Depending on your symptoms, you may find certain positions more comfortable than others.
The best position is the one that provides the most relief, so you can get a good night’s sleep. Some people feel more comfortable in positions than others, so there is no best position across the board. It all depends on your symptoms. If you’re having difficulty finding relief, talk to a physical therapist, who can give recommendations based on your condition.
Have questions about this review? Email us at reviewsteam@ncoa.org.
