Most Saatva’s mattresses are good for relieving aches, but there are only two I’d choose if a bad back wakes you up at night like it does me — and both are on sale for President’ Day

The composite image shows a cream and gold Saatva RX mattress on a grey bed foundation on the left, and a dark haired tester sitting on a cream and gold Saatva Classic mattress on the right. Overlaid on top is a Tom's Guide Presidents' Day deals badge.
(Image credit: Future/Saatva)

As someone who has experienced recurrent lower back pain for over a decade, I thought waking up in pain was something I had to just live with. However in the years that I’ve been helping to test mattresses for better sleep, I’ve seen first-hand how transformative a supportive mattress can be to your pain levels. And when it comes to comfy beds for bad backs, Saatva, where you can currently save $400 on luxury mattresses, is our top-rated brand.

If you can't sleep most nights due to back pain and you've been eyeing Saatva's beds as a potential solution, you're barking up the right tree. For me, as a professional mattress tester with back pain, there are only two beds to pick from in the Saatva Presidents' Day sale: the Saatva Classic and the Saatva RX

Let's take a closer look at each mattress, and why I'm recommending them to anyone browsing this year's best Presidents' Day mattress deals for a good bed for back pain relief...

1. Saatva Classic mattress

The Saatva Classic is the best mattress we've ever tested, offering unparalleled comfort and support for practically all sleepers (more on who should give it a swerve further below).

While it wouldn't look out of place in a luxury hotel suite, features such as Lumbar Zoned Quilting and superb support around the bed's edge make the Classic the best mattress for back pain you can buy in 2026.

The Classic wasn't designed to be a specialist mattress for back pain, but it's the mattress we recommend to most people with general aches and pains (as well as being endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association). And that's because it does everything incredibly well, such as temperature regulation.

As anyone else who experiences back pain will know, a breathable mattress that helps you sleep comfortably is so important for preventing restlessness, which can disrupt restorative deep sleep and increase your risk of incurring further injury by tossing and turning.

(Kicking off the covers because you're overheating, only to induce a back spasm is never fun).

Two members of the Tom's Guide sleep team sit on the Saatva Classic mattress on a bed frame in our testing studio, discussing the comfort and support of the Saatva Classic, our number one mattress for most sleep styles

(Image credit: Future)

Along with edge support, the Classic also earned full marks in our pressure relief tests, which is crucial for back pain relief. As a member of the testing panel, I can vouch for this.

When lying on this top-rated hybrid mattress you can feel your lumbar lift in line with the rest of your body, which is instantly comfortable (no breaking in period here).

Our Managing Editor and lead tester Claire Davies credits the Classic with helping soothe her pregnancy-induced back discomfort, which is why she always comes back to it in between testing other beds.

There's three firmness options those choose from (Plush Soft, Luxury Firm and Firm), and two thicknesses (11.5" and 14.5"), so you can customize the Classic to suite your specific sleep needs.

The Luxury Firm is the tension we tested and recommend to most people, offering a keen blend of pressure relief and support for keeping back pain at bay.
While it earned a near-perfect score in our Saatva Classic mattress review, those weighing over 600lbs will need something with a higher weight capacity (for our recommendations, check out our guide to the best mattress for heavy people).

1. Saatva Classic (queen)
1. Saatva Classic (queen): was $2,179 now $1,779 at Saatva

In today's Saatva Presidents' Day mattress sale, there's $400 off all sizes of the luxury innerspring, bringing a queen down from $2,179 to $1,779. That matches the deal we saw last Black Friday, making right now one of the best times to snap it up. It comes with a 365 night sleep trial, free white glove delivery and limited lifetime warranty.

Our Saatva Classic mattress review: ★★★★★
Customer score: ★★★★★ (4,700+ reviews)

2. Saatva RX

In contrast to the Classic, the Saatva RX has been designed specifically as a luxury solution to chronic back and joint pain, such as sciatica.

Our lead tester Alison Barretta has mild scoliosis and recurrent back pain, and found that her pain levels and discomfort were significantly improved while sleeping on the RX (check out her Saatva RX mattress review).

The Therapeutic Support Core is the star of the show here, which adjusts to your sleeping position to provide support exactly where it's needed (bliss). You'll also find the same Lumbar Zone Quilting as in the Classic, as well as well as gel-infused memory foam to lift and support the 'S' shape of your back.

While the Classic comes in three firmness options, the RX comes in one; a Supportive Plush tension that the brand rates as 3-4/10 on the firmness scale.

However, our testing panel place it closer to 7.5/10, making it a medium firm. While medium-firm mattresses are suitable for most sleep styles, it could be too firm for lighter weight sleepers.

Tabby cat exploring the Saatva RX mattress

(Image credit: Future / Alison Barretta)

While a queen Saatva Classic is $1,779 in today's Saatva mattress sales, the RX is significantly more expensive.

A queen is currently $3,049 (was $3,449), which is a considerable price difference.

However, if you live with chronic back pain and don't want to sacrifice luxury in the name of support, we think the price tag is justified.

2. Saatva  RX (queen)
2. Saatva RX (queen): at Saatva

Today's Presidents' Day sale is a great time to buy the Saatva RX; our $400 off sale takes a twin size down to $1,599 (was $1,999), and a queen down to $3,049 (was $3,449), beating Saatva’s general access sale price. However, if you're shopping for a king or larger, you'll save more in the general access sale, with savings up to $525.

Our Saatva RX Mattress review: ★★★★½
Customer score: ★★★★½(360+ reviews)

Nicola Appleton
Sleep Editor

Nicola is the Sleep Editor at Tom’s Guide, where she helps steer the mattress and sleep content published on Tom’s Guide, including our Best Mattress for Back Pain buying guide. With a career in journalism spanning the best part of two decades, Nicola brings experience to the team and the knowledge of what makes a great article, whether that’s a how-to mattress cleaning feature, a deep dive into melatonin gummies, or an in-depth mattress review. As a sleep editor, few better understand how important a decent mattress is to the overall quality of our sleep, and precisely how our sleep impacts our physical and mental health. As well as tackling the vast topic of sleep, Nicola joins the raft of expert mattress specialists at Tom’s Guide, who test and compare a wide range of mattresses in order to guide readers towards the very best options on the market. 

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