Best Mattresses for a Herniated Disc (2025)

The Nolah Evolution is a luxury hybrid mattress that checks all the boxes for the best mattress for a herniated disc. Its foam-and-coil construction brings just the right balance of softness and support. It demonstrated impressive pressure-relief performance, earning a 4.5/5 rating in our tests for this feature. It also comes in three firmness options, but we tested the Luxury Firm, which we found to be comfortably medium-firm (6.5/10 on our scale). We appreciated that the universally appealing firmness, pressure-relief capabilities, and balanced support should work for a variety of sleepers, including those seeking pain relief from a herniated disc.

Physical therapist Dr. Hannah Habeeb tried out this mattress to get a feel for its overall comfort and what conditions it could help to manage. “This bed offers a lot of support yet is still very contouring, so I think people with back pain could find relief,” she said. She also thought that the level of contouring was enough to consider this bed orthopedic. Both are good news for sleepers with herniated discs. 

If you sleep with a partner, too, the Nolah Evolution should have you covered in the motion isolation department. Our motion isolation tester, Caitlin Giddings, awarded this mattress its highest score in this category, a perfect 5/5. She got into the mattress while a fellow tester rolled around on the other side of the bed. “My side of the mattress remained static, regardless of what was happening on the other side,” she said.

Couples who like to spread out should also appreciate the bed’s edge support. Caitlin both sat and lay down on the perimeter of the bed to determine how they held up when bearing weight. “I’d say the mattress has above-average to good edge support—when I sat on its side, it dipped slightly but didn’t completely crumble,” she said. “When lying at the far reaches of the bed, I felt beyond secure.” She ultimately gave its edge support a score of 4.6/5.

Finally, the Nolah Evolution earned two more respectable scores, a 4 in both cooling and response, to round out the bed’s impressive performance. Caitlin thought the mattress felt both temperature-neutral and relatively responsive as she moved around on it. These results should benefit both hot sleepers and combination sleepers. A temperature-neutral mattress won’t overheat, and a bouncy bed lets combination sleepers switch positions without much effort. 

With the accolades it received in testing, you may be wondering what the downside to this bed is—if there is one at all. Unfortunately, the delivery and unboxing process with the Nolah Evolution left something to be desired. This is a luxury mattress with a hefty price tag, so it surprised us when it arrived in our studio in a beat-up box. It required some extra hands for unboxing and unwrapping, but it ultimately puffed up pretty quickly. Still, it’s worth noting that it wasn’t the most glamorous experience we’ve had with a bed-in-a-box.

Want a seamless customer service experience? Check out the Saatva Rx. You can read more about this bed in our Nolah Evolution mattress review.

Memory foam mattresses are great for pressure relief, a key piece in the best bed for herniated discs. And the DreamCloud Premier Memory Foam mattress earned 4/5 in our pressure relief tests, despite its firmer feel. I took this bed for a spin myself and was impressed by how supportive it remained despite its all-foam construction. It’s a dense, well-built bed that’s sure to keep your spine aligned. 

I rated this mattress a 7/10 on the firmness scale, and I found that, combined with its doughy feel, it was perfect for back sleeping. The dense foam pillow top supports and cushions the spine at once, and it also fills in the gap at the lower back. 

My fellow tester, Riley Otis, agreed, but also found comfort on her side. I found this surprising as she is a lightweight sleeper (weighs less than 130 lbs). “This bed is really firm, and I feel ‘on top’ of the bed, but my alignment is amazing,” she said. On the flipside, our heavyweight tester Matt Schickling was also pleased by the bed’s balanced yet firm feel. “This mattress is firm, so if it holds up over time, it would be great for heavy sleepers,” he said. Sleepers of all sizes wanting firm foam should be pleased with this mattress.

Another group that could benefit from this bed is those with a herniated disc who sleep with a partner. The DreamCloud Premier Memory Foam’s highest score was in motion isolation (4.7/5), indicating that it should effectively absorb most movement before it transfers across the bed’s surface. When I tried out this bed with a fellow tester, it felt like she was on the other side of a molasses sea. I’m a light sleeper, and I was impressed by how little motion I felt. I think most couples should be more than happy with this bed.

If you also overheat, the DreamCloud Premier Memory Foam is surprisingly breathable. I don’t often recommend foam beds for hot sleepers as they’re notorious for trapping heat, but this bed performed rather well in our cooling test. As I lay on the surface of this bed, I didn’t feel as though it was actively cooling, but neither did I feel like it was heating up beneath me. I rated cooling at 4/5. I’d say if you’re looking for a temperature-neutral all-foam option, you’re set. 

The one area I felt the DreamCloud Premier Memory Foam could perform better was in the response department. When I moved around on the surface of this bed, it felt truly like one big block of foam. It didn’t make me feel “stuck” down in it, but it wasn’t as bouncy as a hybrid bed (or even some other foam beds). I just don’t think it’s a good match for combination sleepers, as they will likely have to put some effort into moving like I did. 

Want better bounce from your mattress? Check out the Nectar Classic Hybrid. 

Many folks with a herniated disc also have a condition called sciatica, which is nerve pain caused by the compression of the sciatic nerve. These sleepers need a bed that has plenty of support while also offering cradling around sensitive areas. The Helix Midnight Luxe is one such bed; this premium hybrid has a plush pillow top and a sturdy coil unit. 

Moreover, physical therapist Dr. Hannah Habeeb recommended it heartily for those with sciatica: “On this bed, there’s no pressure in the lower back and hips, so no concern about pressure around the sciatic nerve.” Our testers also gave it an impressive pressure relief score of 4.2/5.

As a whole, Dr. Habeeb found this mattress to be a star all-around. She loved its profile for those who have generalized back pain. “I feel like I want to make snow angels on top of it because it is so silky and comfortable,” she said. “It is also very supportive.” 

As a mattress tester who falls within our average-weight designation, meaning I weigh between 130-230 pounds, I agree with our chief medical product tester that this mattress is both comfy and steady. It came in at 6/10 on the firmness scale, which is closer to medium than medium-firm.

This firmness led me to enjoy the bed most when lying on my back. Though it’s not my typical sleeping position, as soon as I plopped into the Helix, I could feel the foam contouring to my lumbar spine, filling in the gap at the lower back. However, our heavyweight tester, Caine Wilkes, preferred side sleeping to back sleeping on this bed. “The plush top feels really nice and comfortable while the bottom layers are more supportive,” he said. “I would recommend this for side sleepers in my weight category.”

The Helix Midnight Luxe’s hybrid construction also enabled it to excel in nearly every category. I was most impressed with the bed’s edge support. The lengthwise edges of the bed barely budge when you sit or lie down on them. 

I knocked it down because the foot of the mattress isn’t similarly reinforced, so if you want to use that to tie your shoes, you might find yourself slipping. Still, 4.8/5 is a super-high score that should satisfy folks with mobility issues or those who, like me, sleep with one leg off the bed.

This bed also has a great balance of both response and motion isolation, thanks to its combination of springy coils and dense foams. Both of these areas earned respectable 4/5 scores. 

The bed’s coils make it so moving around on the surface of the bed is virtually seamless. Although you may encounter some pushback from the pillow top, it doesn’t require intense effort to get into a new position.

However, if you hop into bed with a partner, though, the springs won’t carry that motion over to their side of the bed. As a light sleeper, I was pretty impressed with how little I could feel my fellow tester’s movements. They felt muffled, and I think most sleepers who share the bed won’t be awoken by any restless tossing and turning.

The only drawback to the bed is that it may not be suitable for every sleeper type. I didn’t enjoy the cushy pillow top while resting on my stomach, and as an average-weight sleeper, I wouldn’t recommend it to stomach sleepers over 230 pounds. 

I’ll also draw attention to the price. This is the upgraded version of the Helix Midnight, so it’s a bit more expensive. If you want a similar feel for less, you might want to stick to the OG. 

Read more in our Helix Midnight Luxe review.

Back pain is a common symptom of a herniated disc. It is also a common complaint from folks who sleep on an uncomfortable or unsuitable mattress. Thankfully, the Bear Star Hybrid comes heartily recommended for back pain by Dr. Hannah Habeeb (DPT). “It supports the back really well and the spinal alignment is great,” she said.

You may notice the Bear Star Hybrid earned a surprisingly low score in our pressure relief test, but this was mostly because of our lightweight tester’s ratings. While the bed may be a touch too firm for sleepers under 130 pounds, those above should reap the benefits of this mattress—including a cushy pillow top and zoned support.

I tried out this mattress myself and found it to be comfortably cushioning on my back and side. I rated it at a true medium-firm feel (6.5/10), and was surprised I didn’t feel much pressure on my hips and shoulders when lying on my side. The bed has some zoning that makes the center a bit firmer, keeping your spine properly elevated, and I could feel it when I lay on my back, especially.

Our heavyweight tester, Matt Schickling, also thought the bed was comfortable on his back. “I’m sinking slightly but still feel supported,” he said. He did note that he could feel some pressure at his lower back, but it wasn’t enough to turn him off to sleeping on this bed. The rest of his back, his hips, and shoulders all felt nicely cushioned, though. 

If you switch between your back and side on this bed, you’ll have little trouble moving around to do so. I’m a particularly restless combination sleeper, and I was pleasantly surprised by how responsive the surface of the bed was. Even through the doughy contours and valleys of the pillow top’s tufted shape, I was able to roll around without much incident. With a response score of 4/5, I think this bed should satisfy most combination sleepers and sex-positive sleepers seeking ease of movement.

Regardless of what sleeping position you prefer, you’ll be able to spread out to your heart’s content on this mattress, thanks to its solid edge support. When I sat on the perimeter of the mattress, I noticed that the pillow top collapsed quite a bit under my weight, but the coils beneath kept me relatively steady. It was the same story when lying down; I noticed the bed sinking a bit, but I didn’t feel like I would roll right off. I rated the edge support at 4.2/5.

Finally, this bed rounds out its impressive showing with equally admirable motion isolation and cooling. If you share the bed with a partner and find yourself overheating, neither should cause much concern on the Bear Star Hybrid. When my fellow tester hopped around on the bed, I could feel some of his movements lying on the other side, but nothing that jostled the bed too violently.

During the cooling portion of our tests, I was eager to see if the Bear’s moisture-wicking cover and gel-infused foam could tackle my chronic night sweats. While this bed wasn’t cool to the touch, at no point during my seven minutes of lying on the surface did I feel like I was overheating. It’s a nice temperature-neutral option for the average sleeper. Especially hot sleepers may want to consider upgrading to the bed’s cooling cover, which features a unique performance textile, Celliant. 

Dr. Habeeb offered a final caution against certain sleepers going for the Bear Star Hybrid. “Lightweight sleepers won’t find as much cushioning as other body types, but they’re likely still going to find comfort if they like a firm feel.” If you’re looking for more contouring, you might like a bed like the Saatva Rx, which offers a plush, swaddling feel. 

Read more in our Bear Star Hybrid mattress review.

If you’re dealing with generalized joint pain alongside a herniated disc, you needn’t look further than the Saatva Rx. This aptly named mattress was built with chronic pain in mind, featuring an uber-plush, contouring pillow top and a mini coil layer for targeted support. This bed earned an impressive 4.5/5 for pressure relief, helping to keep any sensitive areas cradled like a newborn baby. 

After trying out the bed, Dr. Hannah Habeeb (DPT) agreed: “This bed provides the perfect cushioning around the bony areas, such as the hip, shoulders, and knees,” she said. “There’s no extra force being placed on these joints, which can help provide some relief.”

Average-weight tester Sosha Lewis liked the bed on her side, but she was most impressed by the bed’s pressure-relieving effects when she lay down on her back. “It’s really cushiony and my spine feels aligned,” she said. Though she isn’t a back sleeper normally, she still recommended the bed for back sleepers because of her comfort in the position. 

Heavyweight tester Caine Wilkes echoed Sosha’s sentiments. He enjoyed the bed most on his back as well. “I don’t feel any pressure in a specific spot,” he said. “This mattress feels really nice.” Overall, this is a resounding win for back sleepers of all sizes.

Despite our testers’ rave reviews, Dr. Habeeb was somewhat hesitant about the Saatva Rx’s softer profile. She thinks it could be a red flag in terms of support for some sleepers. It’s something to keep in mind if you prefer a firmer bed.

But those who won’t be disappointed are couples. This mattress earned its highest score in motion isolation, with our in-house tester claiming, “I have said this before, but this is actually the best motion isolation I have experienced for a mattress.” She could barely feel any movement from her fellow tester when they got in and moved around on the other side of the bed. She rated the motion isolation at 4.7/5, a surefire marker that light sleepers will rest easy even with a restless partner.

With its dense, cushy pillow top and excellent motion isolation performance, I expected this bed to lag in responsiveness. However, our tester was able to move around on the surface with relative ease. “This mattress is very thick and plush but also firm at the same time,” she said. “Due to the textured top, it feels a little more difficult to switch positions, but very minimal in nature.” Based on these results, she rated the bed’s responsiveness as 4/5.

Although our tester found that the mattress didn’t overheat during her cooling tests, some shoppers may want to consider the bed’s hot and cold performance during our edge support tests. When our tester sat on the edge of the mattress, she felt it sink significantly beneath her weight, enough that she thought she might slide right off. 

However, as she lay on the perimeter, it was like night and day. “I didn’t feel any pressure on the edge or that I would tilt or fall off,” she said. If you’re an older adult or have mobility concerns that require steadfast edge support, you may want to look elsewhere.

Looking for top-notch edge support? Take a look at the Helix Dusk Luxe. Or you can read more about this bed in our full Saatva Rx review.

Firm mattress fans with a herniated disc have to be careful in selecting a mattress. Firm beds are great for support, but some may lack the necessary pressure relief that helps stave off pain. The Helix Dusk Luxe is one such bed, having earned a 4/5 in our pressure relief tests. It’s advertised as having a medium feel, but we found it fell on the firmer side. Our in-house tester rated it at a 7/10, to be exact. The coils on this luxury hybrid only add to the lifted feel, so you’ll feel like you’re resting on top of this bed rather than sinking into it—a firm fan’s dream.

Physical therapist Dr. Habeeb also thought the bed’s firmer feel would do a world of good for support and pain relief. “This would be a great mattress for someone with back pain,” she said. “It keeps your body very neutral but is also so cushiony and comfortable, yet you’re not sinking in too much to where the spine gets misaligned.” Overall, she found it contouring despite the firm nature of the bed, which should help cushion the spine and other sensitive areas and joints.

Pain relief and support aside, this bed also scored two perfect scores in performance categories that are important to many sleepers — cooling and responsiveness. Our tester performed our cooling test by using a thermal gun to measure the surface temperature, once before she got in, and a second time after resting on the bed for 7 minutes. The bed rose a meager three degrees, well below the average 7.1-degree increase we often witness. “I thought this mattress felt cool to the touch and did a good job of keeping cool throughout the test,” she said. “I think if you’re a hot sleeper, this would be a great mattress for you.”

When it came to response, our tester again had only nice things to say. As she moved around on the surface of the bed, she encountered little resistance from the pillow top, helped by the bed’s firm feel. “It doesn’t conform to my body too much, so I was able to move around the mattress easily,” she said. Combination sleepers and sexually active folks should benefit from the Dusk Luxe’s springy surface.

Another area this bed scored high in was edge support, earning a 4.8/5. Regardless of whether our tester sat or lay on the edge of the mattress, she didn’t notice any egregious sinking and felt secure. She even thought that the springy nature of the bed helped her bounce out of bed easily and recommended it to older adults or those with mobility concerns who need a sturdy perimeter to rely on.

Finally, the Dusk Luxe also did well in our couples’ test, earning a respectable motion isolation core of 4/5. Our tester docked a point because she could feel her fellow tester moving around quite a bit on the other side of the bed, noting it was more noticeable than, say, a foam mattress. “However, this mattress should be sufficient for most couples when it comes to light sleepers,” she added. “If I were asleep, I don’t think I would have noticed the movement at all.”

This bed’s firmer feel is a standout for individuals who require more support, such as stomach sleepers and those who weigh more than 230 pounds. However, this firmer, on-top feel may not be suitable for all sleeper types. Sleepers under 130 pounds, especially those who sleep on their sides, may want to opt for something softer, such as the Helix Midnight Luxe.

If you want to find out more about this bed, read our full Helix Dusk Luxe review. 

Sinking into a plush mattress can provide some of the best pressure relief and a soothing swaddle that can comfort sleepers with a herniated disc. At the same time, you don’t want your mattress to be so soft that it lacks support. That’s where a hybrid bed like the Nectar comes in. 

The Nectar Classic Hybrid features layers of contouring memory foam on top of its coil unit, which contributes significantly to its pressure-relieving ability. Our testers gave it a 4/5 in pressure relief tests, and when it comes to firmness, I gave it a 5.5/10—which is pretty plush. Side and back sleepers who prefer a soft mattress and have a herniated disc should be pleased with this bed. 

Our testers generally appreciated the balance of softness and support that the Nectar Classic Hybrid provided. Our lightweight tester did prefer something that would allow her to sink in more, while our heavyweight tester, Matt Schickling, thought it a good choice for his weight category. “It has that nice memory foam feel on the top layers, but the coils make it more supportive than most all-foam beds,” he said.

As an average-weight tester, I found the mattress most comfortable when I slept on my back. The comfort foam effortlessly filled in the little gap at my lower back. I didn’t mind sleeping on my side, but neither will I rave about it. However, I prefer a lifted feel to the deep-sink of memory foam, so it may come down to personal preference.

If you prefer a cooling mattress, though, you’ll be happy with the Nectar Classic Hybrid. Though these aforementioned dense and cushy foams can oftentimes trap heat on other beds, on this one, they’re swaddled in a cooling cover. When I ran my hand over it, I was surprised to find it felt a bit cool to the touch. Lying down in it, I also didn’t feel like I was overheating. And even after I was off the bed, the spot where my body had been didn’t feel hot. I rated the bed’s cooling capability at 4.5/5, a hallmark of an excellent bed for hot sleepers—who don’t want to give up memory foam.

Memory foam is one of the best materials for isolating motion, and I found that to be the case with this bed. When my fellow tester Kenny Timper hopped into bed with me, I was prepared to start jostling around myself, as I usually end up moving because of whatever’s happening on the other side of the bed. However, I remained relatively still. I could still feel his movements, such as when he got in and out of bed, but I could barely feel most of the minute shifting beside me. I rated motion isolation an overall 4/5, and I think that fellow light sleepers should be able to sleep undisturbed alongside a restless partner. 

This bed also had a surprising amount of bounce, for which I gave it a rating of 4/5 for responsiveness. I didn’t expect the bounce of the coils to permeate the thick and plush foam layers on top. You do sink a bit into the bed as you roll around, but it’s nowhere near as tricky as other foam beds I’ve encountered. I think that most combination sleepers like myself should be pleased with the ease of movement you can achieve on this bed. Just don’t expect to be launched across the surface like a rocket.

Where this bed let me down, though, was the edge support. I’m someone who sleeps at the very edge of the bed, sometimes with a leg over the side, so I need something that won’t collapse under any weight. Hybrids are usually good bets for this, but the thick comfort foam on top of the mattress buckled when I sat and lay down at the perimeter of the Nectar. Since I would prefer something more sturdy, I only gave the edges a 3.8/5 rating for their lackluster support. 

Looking for more rock-solid edges? Check out the Bear Star Hybrid. Read more about the Nectar Classic Hybrid in our mattress review.