The best mattress for back pain can help soothe discomfort caused by joint and back pain, helping you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. The Saatva Classic and Saatva Rx are two of the best mattresses for back pain, offering optimum support and soothing pressure relief. But with both discounted in today's Memorial Day mattress sales, which bed is best for you?
The Saatva Classic tops our best mattress guide and is a great choice for anyone who wakes in the morning with general aches and pains, whilst the Saatva RX has been designed specifically to help with chronic pain caused by back and joint conditions including arthritis, sciatica, herniated discs and scoliosis.
Our exclusive Saatva sale means you can take $400 off all mattresses over $1,000. This means you can buy a queen size Saatva Classic mattress for $1,695 at Saatva (was $2,095), or buy a queen size Saatva Rx for $2,895 at Saatva (was $3,295). But is now really the best time to buy either Saatva, and if so — which one is best for your back pain? Let's take a look...
Saatva Classic vs Saatva Rx: Specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Saatva Classic | Saatva Rx |
| Type: | Innerspring hybrid | Innerspring hybrid |
| Internal layers: | 5 | 7 |
| Firmness: | 3, 5-7, 8 | 6 |
| Height: | 11.5" or 14.5" | 15" |
| Trial: | 365 nights | 365 nights |
| Warranty: | Lifetime | Lifetime |
| Price: | from $1,395 | from $1,995 |
Saatva Classic vs Saatva Rx: Price, Trials & Warranty
- Our exclusive Saatva sale with $400 off all mattresses over $1,000
- Both some with a 365-night trial and lifetime warranty
- The Saatva Rx was cheaper in February when there was up to $698 off
Both the Saatva Classic and Saatva Rx sit firmly in the premium price bracket with the Saatva Classic being the cheapest of the two. Saatva sales usually hover around 12-15% off all their mattresses. However, our exclusive Saatva sale means you can take $400 off all mattresses over $1,000, which means even the twin and twin XL are included in the deal.
This means a queen size Saatva Classic costs just $1,695 (was $2,095) and a Saatva Rx in queen size is $2,895 (was $3,295). While this is an excellent discount, we have seen the Rx discounted by at much as $698 during Presidents' Day in February. However, savings like those are incredibly rare and difficult to predict. Both mattresses come with the same perks; you get a 365-night sleep trial, a lifetime warranty and free white glove delivery.
Saatva Classic vs Saatva Rx: Materials & Design
- Both mattresses are innerspring hybrids
- The Saatva Classic has a 3" Euro pillow top
- The Saatva Rx has extra lumbar support
Both of these mattresses are made with premium materials and have an innerspring hybrid design. The Saatva Classic is the original and flagship mattress for the brand. It has a 3” Euro pillow top which is made from a cooling cotton and has zoned quilting offering extra lumbar support. There is then a layer of memory foam followed by a layer of individually wrapped 14.5 gauge recycled steel coils, these sit on a support base made up of 13-guage tempered steel support coils which are then wrapped in a foam encasement for extra stability.
The Saatva Rx also has an organic cover that helps promote a cooler sleep with patented lumbar zoned quilting to ensure a healthy spinal alignment. The first internal layer is a gel-infused memory foam with extra support in the lumbar region. The next layer is micro-coils that are encased in two layers of high-density foam for enhanced contouring. Next is a layer of individually wrapped 8” coils, with firmer spring coils around the perimeter for added edge support. The covers on both of these mattresses have Saatva’s Guardin antimicrobial treatment which will stop the bacteria, mold and mildew from growing.
Saatva Classic vs Saatva Rx: Comfort & support
- The Saatva Classic has three firmness and two height options
- The Saatva Rx comes in just one firmness option
- Both mattresses are great for motion isolation
The Saatva Classic comes in three firmness options (Plush Soft, Luxury Firm and Firm) and two different heights (11.5” and 14.5”) so you can choose options that perfectly suit your sleep style. During our Saatva Classic review, our tester tried out the Luxury Firm option and found this mattress a great choice for side sleepers but stated lightweight sleepers would find it a little too firm.
The Saatva is a good option for couples who have different firmness preferences as the luxury firm option tends to suit all sleepers. This mattress does do a good job at offering support and pressure relief but it is better suited to sleepers who have mild back pain or just wake up in the morning feeling like their stiff with their joints aching.
Where as the Saatva Rx is designed to help those who suffer chronic pain and have conditions such as arthritis, sciatica or scoliosis. The Saatva Rx has special Lumbar zone technology which works to promote a healthy spinal alignment by adjusting whenever you move around in bed.
This Lumbar zone technology is found within the cover and the gel-infused memory foam so you get a lot more support and durability with this mattress. During our Saatva Rx review our tester, who suffers from back ailments, experienced a marked improvement on her pain. Both mattresses do a really good job at isolating motion, this is good news if you share your bed but if you suffer with back complaints your muscles won’t be disturbed by a restless partner.
Saatva Classic vs Saatva Rx: Temperature control
- The Saatva-Rx has a gel-infused foam for extra cooling
- Both mattresses has springs which promote extra airflow
- Both mattresses have covers made from breathable cool-to-touch fabric
Both of these mattresses do a good job of staying cool throughout the night. Whilst neither has made it onto our best cooling mattress list both mattresses have covers made from a breathable, cotton fabric which will wick away moisture and keep heat away from the body.
The use of innersprings in both of these mattresses also helps with cooling, the springs allow for extra airflow and the thin layers of memory foams used mean heat doesn’t get trapped within the fibres.
Saatva Classic vs Saatva Rx: Should you buy?
Buy the Saatva Classic if…
✅ You suffer from general aches and pains: if you’re fed up of waking up in the morning and feeling stiff and achy, this mattress will do a good job of relieving the pressure from your back, hips and knees leaving you feeling rested and refreshed.
✅ You want to buy at the best possible price: Saatva's Memorial Day sale offers a bigger discount and a lower MSRP on the Classic, discounting a queen to $1,695 (was $2,095) - we can't see prices dropping lower than this.
✅ You like the idea of customizing your mattress: The Saatva Classic comes in three firmness options with two different heights so you can choose the right mattress for your individual sleep style.
Buy the Saatva RX if…
✅ You suffer from chronic back pain: If you suffer from chronic back or joint pain then this mattress can offer exceptional pressure relief which will help to ease that pain.
✅ You have a larger budget: When it comes to mattresses it’s always ideal to get the best you can afford. So if you’re able to spend the extra money then the additional comfort benefits of the Saatva make it worth it.
✅ You sleep hot: Whilst both mattresses do a great job of not overheating, the Saatva performed slightly better when it came to keeping sleepers cool. This is partly down to it’s gel-infused layer but also the deep spring layer allows for plenty of air to flow through the bed.
