Saatva Solaire and the Saatva Rx — we’ve tried both mattresses and this is the one we recommend to those with back pain this Black Friday

If you live with chronic back pain, you need a mattress that can cushion pressure points without letting your spine drift out of alignment. Saatva makes two of the most advanced handcrafted options for pain relief, and both are seriously discounted in this year’s Saatva Black Friday sales.

We’ve tested the adjustable-air Saatva Solaire and the ultra-supportive hybrid Saatva Rx to see whether one delivers better results for people with persistent back pain. Both offer specialized lumbar support, but they differ dramatically in how they provide that support, how they regulate temperature and how much customization you can expect.

Here’s how the Saatva Solaire and Saatva Rx stack up, and which one is ultimately worth your money in the Black Friday mattress deals.

Customizable support

Saatva Solaire (twin XL): was $3,299 now $2,899 at Saatva

Saatva’s most expensive mattress, the Solaire, is packed with advanced tech, including adjustable firmness and dual-sided customization on queen sizes and up. Even with Saatva’s Black Friday deal of $400 off orders over $1,000, a queen still costs $4,199 (down from $4,599), so it’s a major investment. And regular Saatva mattress sales that offer a tiered discount, along with the brand's rare 15% off flash sales can actually offer bigger discounts. Still, its adjustable air-chamber system, handcrafted build and high-end materials, including natural latex and gel-infused memory foam, may justify the higher spend for sleepers who want precision control.

View Deal

Luxury hybrid

Saatva RX (twin): was $1,999 now $1,599 at Saatva

The Saatva Rx is marketed as the “first luxury mattress specially designed for sleepers with chronic back and joint conditions,” and the Black Friday sale at Saatva brings a queen down to $2,999 from $3,399. It’s still a premium price, but the Rx delivers strong value thanks to its targeted lumbar support, dual-coil system and pressure-relieving foams. As with all Saatva mattresses, you'll also get industry-leading perks, like free white glove delivery, a 365-night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty.

View Deal

Where the Saatva Solaire wins…

I’m two weeks into testing the Solaire, and as a sleep writer and Certified Sleep Science Coach, I can confirm it delivers one of the most customizable sleep experiences available for people with back pain. Living with chronic lower back pain myself, I’ve found it genuinely useful to adjust the Solaire’s firmness night by night, adding or detracting support depending on my pain levels.

The Solaire is fully adjustable with 50 precise firmness settings, thanks to the vulcanized air chamber, giving you total control over how soft or firm the mattress feels, and among the comfort layers is a 5-zoned latex layer to support the lumbar and lift the lower back into alignment. On nights when my back felt tight after a long day, increasing the firmness by just two or three levels made a noticeable difference in midsection support.

On queen sizes and larger, the Solaire features dual vulcanized air chambers, so each partner can independently adjust their side via remote control. This has been especially helpful in my household, as I can dial in firmer or softer support for my back pain as needed, while my husband can choose a completely different firmness without compromising either of our sleep.

The Solaire also has a flippable comfort layer design. One side uses breathable natural latex that’s great for hot sleepers who like a responsive feel (a major plus, as overheating can aggravate back pain), while the other side features contouring memory foam that cushions and cradles sensitive joints.

Precision pressure relief you can fine-tune for back pain

Sleepers with back pain need a mattress that cushions the shoulders and hips without letting the spine sag. The Solaire’s blend of latex, air and memory foam creates a buoyant, contouring feel, but the pressure relief will shift depending on which firmness setting you choose.

At softer settings, the Solaire provides excellent pressure relief for side sleepers, though that extra give can reduce lower back support (as a side sleeper, I was most comfortable at an 18). Increasing the firmness for stomach or back sleeping also makes the mattress more responsive and easier to move around on, which can help reduce pain when changing positions.

Stable edge support to help you sit and stand

People with back pain often rely on the edge of a mattress to sit, brace themselves and stand, so strong edge support is essential for reducing strain on the back and hips. The Solaire’s perimeter is reinforced, but its air chamber design limits how firm the edges can feel.

In testing, I found the edges comfortable for sitting and side sleeping, but slightly compressive at softer settings. If you have mobility issues or experience pain getting in and out of bed, you may want to keep the Solaire on the firmer side for better stability.

Heat management to prevent tossing and turning

Overheating can worsen back pain symptoms by causing additional tossing and turning.

Though the foam layers feature naturally cooling and breathable latex, gel-infused memory foam, and the mattress is topped off with 3" Euro pillow top that has a breathable organic cotton cover, foam is known to trap heat, and the airtight chambers aren't designed for airflow.

As such, the Solaire doesn’t feel cold, but it stays neutral, and as a hot sleeper, I never woke up sweaty.

What I didn’t like about it…

People with back pain are often sensitive to nighttime jolts, especially when sharing a bed. The Solaire has minimal motion transfer at softer settings, but increasing the firmness, particularly on the latex side, makes the mattress bouncier and I could often feel my husband move around.

The Solaire’s remote can also be tricky to use, as it continues inflating or deflating until you press a button to stop, making it hard to land on an exact setting. If you prefer a simpler bed that’s delivered, unboxed and ready to sleep on with no controls or learning curve, let’s consider whether the Rx is a better choice for sleepers with back pain who want a low-effort mattress.

How does the Saatva Rx hold up in comparison?

The Saatva Rx is a luxury hybrid built specifically for chronic back and joint pain, which it's why it's of the best mattresses for back pain you can buy. At 15" tall, it packs in plenty of features for comfort and support.

The build includes a a 1” strip of gel-infused memory foam in the middle-third of the bed for extra low back support, a layer of micro coils encased in high density foam either side, an 8" layer of individually wrapped recycled steel coils and a Therapeutic Support Core; a layer of Saatva's proprietary Wave-Tech foam that features five ergonomic zones that enhance pressure relief across the knees, lumbar region, hips and shoulders.

The Rx comes in a single “Supportive Plush” firmness, which our Saatva Rx mattress review panel rated at roughly a medium-firm 7.5 out of 10. Back sleepers loved the even weight distribution in this position, while side and stomach sleepers praised the well-balanced comfort and support.

Its high-density foams and zoned coils provide deeper, more consistent lumbar support than the Solaire, without any adjustments. It also has excellent stability around the perimeter (there are also high density foam rails around the 8" coils) that makes transitions in and out of bed smoother for people with back pain.

The support core automatically adapts to your body’s curves and movements, and the contouring foam layers offer superior motion control compared with the Solaire. The Rx is also designed for cooler sleep: its dual-coil system encourages airflow, while the Wave-Tech foam is infused with naturally cooling graphite and phase-change material which helps regulate body temperature.

What I didn’t like about it…

There’s little to fault with the Rx, which excels in cooling, pressure relief, edge support and motion isolation, but no mattress is universally perfect.

The Rx only comes in one comfort level, unlike the fully adjustable Solaire. Its medium-firm feel may be too firm for lightweight side sleepers, and at 15 inches tall, it can be challenging for smaller individuals to navigate, especially those with pain getting in and out of bed.

As one of the brand’s most expensive mattresses, the lack of customization is a noticeable drawback. If you want more control over firmness and back pain relief, read on to see if the Solaire or Rx is ultimately the better splurge for Black Friday.

The luxury mattress people with back pain should buy during Saatva’s Black Friday sale

After testing the Saatva Solaire and reviewing our testers’ experience with the Saatva Rx, I can confidently recommend which mattress is best for most people with back pain shopping Black Friday mattress sales. That said, everyone’s needs, priorities and budget are different, and your choice should reflect that.

The Solaire’s value comes from its 50 firmness settings, dual air options (from queen size upwards) and customizability, making it ideal if you struggle to find the right firmness or have fluctuating back pain.

The Rx shines for its specialized design for chronic back and joint pain, requiring no adjustments and offering strong performance across edge support, cooling and motion isolation.

For most people with back pain, the Saatva Rx provides better overall value this Black Friday because it delivers reliable support with fewer drawbacks. The Solaire, however, is still an excellent choice for certain sleepers:

Sleepers with fluctuating back pain: The Solaire’s fully adjustable firmness allows precise pressure relief during periods of intense back pain. The Rx comes in only one firmness, so you can’t tweak it once purchased.

Partners with different comfort preferences: Dual vulcanized air chambers on Solaire queen sizes and larger let each side be adjusted independently, perfect if you and your partner love different firmness levels.

Longevity seekers: The Rx is built to last 10-15 years with normal use, while the Solaire’s latex and air chamber construction can last up to 25 years. Though it has a higher upfront cost, the Solaire may be worth it if you don’t want to replace your mattress a decade down the line.