Want the Saatva RX but don't have the budget? 5 extended Black Friday mattress deals to shop instead

Two mattress testers sat on the Saatva Classic mattress in a well-lit bedroom

(Image credit: Future)

If you experience back pain and need a new mattress, you'll probably have come across the Saatva RX, a luxury mattress specially designed for sleepers with chronic or serious back and joint pain. Right now, a Black Friday sale means you can buy a queen Saatva RX for $2,895 at Saatva(from $3,295), it's still an incredibly expensive bed.

Saatva is the brand behind the best mattress of the year, the Saatva Classic. Thanks to a high density memory foam lumbar crown, the Classic is another great choice for back pain. But for more severe back conditions, such as arthritic and scoliosis, the RX is our top choice. However, there's no escaping the fact that the RX is incredibly expensive.

If you are shopping for a new mattress for back pain in the extended Black Friday mattress sales but don't quite have the budget for Saatva RX, we've selected five excellent alternatives. Not planning on buying today? Our Cyber Monday mattress deals guide contains the best deals that are already live, plus our sale predictions.

Saatva RX Mattress: from $1,995 $1,595 at Saatva
The Saatva RX is a luxury mattress specifically designed for those with chronic or serious back and joint pain. Hands down, this is best mattress for back pain on the market today. Using a patented gel lumbar support to help ease back pain, the mattress also has a Therapeutic Support Core that allows the mattress to adjust as a sleeper moves. You can read more about it in our Saatva RX mattress review. Right now, a queen is reduced to $2,895 from a MSRP of $3,295 and you'll also get a 365-night trial, forever warranty and free white glove delivery.

5 BLACK FRIDAY DEALS TO SHOP INSTEAD OF THE SAATVA RX

1. DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress
Was: from $1,130
Now: from $419
Saving: up to $1,336 at DreamCloud

Summary: While there's no special discount for Black Friday, but the DreamCloud is our favourite alternative to the Saatva RX and costs considerably less. The mattress is fantastic for hip and back pain, adapting quickly to sleepers' bodies and providing support where it's needed in the lumbar region. In our DreamCloud Hybrid mattress review, our testers praised the bed for its full body support and the relief from aches and pains it provided. The moisture-wicking cover and individually-wrapped coils keep the temperature comfortable at night, and motion isolation is excellent. Edge support is a little lacking for heavier sleepers and some may find it a little firm (we rated it as 8 out of 10 on the firmness scale), but overall this is a fantastic alternative to the Saatva.

Price history: Evergreen discounts mean that the DreamCloud doesn't have a special discount in the Black Friday DreamCloud sale – a queen has been $665 (MSRP $1,613) all year, but you’ll struggle to find better value for money. Chuck in a discounted bedding bundle when you buy the mattress, a 365-night trial and forever warranty, along with free shipping and you'll be getting a fantastic bargain.

Benefits: 365-night trial | Forever warranty | Free shipping

2. Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Mattress
Was: from $1,199
Now: from $839.30
Saving: up to $799.50 at Brooklyn Bedding

Summary: If you're a hot sleeper with back pain, the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe is the mattress for you. It's one of the best cooling mattresses on the market, with a GlacioTex cooling cover to keep sleepers' temperature controlled through the night. There are also three firmness options to choose from (soft, medium and firm). It's likely that most back pain sufferers will get the most relief and support from the firm option, but lightweight sleepers and side sleepers may prefer the medium option. In our Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe mattress review, our testers thought the mattress offered the perfect blend between support and comfort, with the optional Cloud Pillow Top adding extra cushioning and pressure relief. Edge support is excellent but this isn't a mattress to choose if you share your bed with a restless partner, as we found it had a fair amount of motion transfer.

Price history: Brooklyn Bedding always has a mattress sale of some description, usually with 20-25% off MSRP. But for Black Friday, the brand has upped the discount to 30%, meaning you can pick up a queen size with Cloud Pillow Top for $1,585.50 (MSRP $2,265). This is the same discount we've seen at other major sales events, but it's still worth taking advantage of.

Benefits: 120-night trial | 10-yearwarranty | Free shipping

3. Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress:
Was: from $1,373.33
Now: from $1,002.54
Saving: up to $2,097.54 at Helix Sleep

Summary: Our favourite mattress for side sleepers, our testers in our Helix Midnight Luxe mattress review praised it for its enhanced zoned lumbar support, which eased back pain for both back and side sleepers. The cushioned pillow top adds a soothing layer that helps to reduce pain around pressure points. For chronic back pain, consider upgrading to the Helix Midnight Luxe with the ErgoAlign layer, a dense foam layer designed to cradle the lumbar and relieve pressure from the spine.

Price history: Helix mattress sales typically range between 20% and 25%, with some flash sales reaching as high as 32% for Prime Day earlier this year. Today's Helix Black Friday mattress sale takes 27% off when you enter the code TOMS27 at checkout and comes with up to $418 in free bedding. That brings the price of a queen $1,732 from $2,372. While you could have bought this bed cheaper during Prime Day, you wouldn't have had the freebies.

Benefits: 100 night sleep trial | 15 year warranty

4. Saatva Classic
Was: from $1,395
Now: from $995
Saving: $400 at Saatva

Summary: If you can’t run to the Saatva RX, but your heart is set on a Saatva mattress, the Classic is another fantastic option for back pain. You’ll get the same enhanced lumbar support that you’ll find in the RX, and there are three firmness options to choose from (plush soft, luxury firm, firm). In our Saatva Classic mattress review, we tested the luxury firm option and found it suited the vast majority of sleepers, as well as easing aches and pains. Back pain sufferers will probably get the most relief from the luxury firm and firm options, but side sleepers who need more cushioning at their pressure points might want to try the plush soft version. The Saatva Classic is incredibly high-quality, with perfect scores for edge support, motion isolation and temperature regulation. That’s why we think it’s the best hybrid mattress on the market.

Price history: The Saatva Black Friday mattress sales mean there’s $400 off all sizes of the Saatva Classic, matching the discount we’ve seen at other major sales events. This means you can pick up a queen size mattress for $1,695 (MSRP $2,095). The MSRP of the Saatva has increased by $100 in the last year, but we still think this is an excellent price for a luxurious mattress.

Benefits: 365-night trial | Forever warranty | Free white glove delivery and old mattress removal

5. Nolah Evolution 15” Mattress
Was: from $1,499
Now: from $924.35
Saving: up to $1,169 at Nolah with code TOMS50OFF

Summary: The Nolah Evolution 15” is our top pick for those suffering with lower back pain, with exceptional pressure relief and lumbar support. Like the Saatva Classic, the mattress comes in three firmness options (plush soft, luxury firm and firm). In our Nolah Evolution 15” mattress review we tested the luxury firm option, finding it particularly suited to back and stomach sleepers. Motion isolation on the Nolah is excellent, but a few of our testers did find that the mattress slept a little warm, so we wouldn’t recommend it to hot sleepers - they would be better off with the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe instead.

Price history: The Nolah Evolution is always discounted but the brand has upped the normal 30% off to 35% for Black Friday. Add in our exclusive code, TOMS50OFF and you’ll get a further $50 off the mattress, taking a queen down to $1,574.35, reduced from $2,499, and you'll get two free pillows included as well.

Benefits: 120-night trial | Forever warranty | Free shipping

Jo Plumridge is an experienced mattress reviewer with several years' experience covering all things mattresses and sleep, and who tests memory foam, hybrid and organic mattresses. What Jo doesn't know about a boxed mattress isn't worth knowing, so naturally we tasked her with producing a series of features for Tom's Guide looking at all aspects of mattresses, from how to pick between latex and memory foam (it's a tricky one), to the seven mistakes people make when buying a mattress for the first time. When testing the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid for Tom's Guide, Jo said: "I loved the back support and pressure relief it offered. Plus, it looks far more expensive than it is." When she isn’t writing about sleep, Jo also writes extensively on interior design, home products and photography.