I’m a mattress tester with back pain — why I’d buy the Saatva RX in Labor Day sales

As someone with lower back pain, I’m always on the lookout for a mattress that helps ease my discomfort. The Saatva RX is the one I recommend to anyone in the same boat as me as it's designed especially for people with chronic back and joint conditions. Today you can save $400 on the Saatva RX at Saatva, with a queen reduced to $2,895 (was $3,295). You'll get free mattress installation and old bed removal too.

Saatva ranks number one in our guide to this year's best mattresses for all sleepers, and the RX is the brand's specialist joint and back pain mattress. It scored highly in all in-house tests by Tom's Guide, with lead tester Alison, who has mild scoliosis and intermittent lower back pain, feeling a big reduction in her back pain from the first night of sleeping on the Saatva RX.

Saatva’s $400 discount is part of its early Labor Day mattress sales and deals, and I doubt the price will get any cheaper than this. So, if you’re in the market for the Saatva RX, there's no reason to wait as this is the best Saatva Labor Day sale offer we can expect.

• I test the best hybrid mattresses – my top pick is $400 off in Labor Day sales

Saatva RX mattress

Was from: $1,995
Now from: $1,595
Saving: Up to $400 at Saatva 

Summary: Our lead tester in the Saatva RX mattress review suffers from lower back pain and mild scoliosis, and found that her back pain was almost instantly improved by sleeping on the Saatva RX. The RX’s USP is a Therapeutic Support Core, which allows the mattress to adjust to your body when you move, keeping the back and lumbar region supported at all times. This is backed up by the brand’s patented lumbar crown, which is a 1” strip of gel infused memory foam sitting in the middle of the mattress directly under the cover. This provides enhanced lumbar support, helping the mattress to feel instantly comfortable and supportive. This combination gives sleepers plenty of pressure relief across all the major pressure points. However, although the mattress is rated by Saatva as ‘Supportive Plush’, our testers rated it as medium firm to firm, meaning that lightweight side sleepers might find it a little too firm to get enough sinkage around the shoulders and hips. Still, overall we rate this as the best mattress for back pain. The only minor niggle is that there is a little bit of motion transfer.

Price history: Although there are monthly Saatva mattress sales and deals offering discounts on all models, these aren’t as common in the summer months and the Saatva RX is even occasionally sold at full MSRP. So, this new discount is the best saving we've seen since Memorial Day. 

Benefits: Year's trial | Lifetime warranty | Free mattress installation and old bed removal

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What is the best mattress firmness for back pain?

In recent years, chiropractors and spine doctors have recommended medium-firm as the ideal mattress firmness for all sleepers including people with back pain. That's because medium-firm offers a good balance between spinal support vs comfort, with plenty of pressure relief too. 

Before that, very hard mattresses were thought to be the best approach for sleeping with back pain. However extra firm mattresses are not suitable for all body weights and sleeping positions, and in some cases they can make back pain worse. 

If you're of an average body weight or lighter and have back pain, try a medium-firm mattress with good lumbar support. If you weigh over 250lbs and your partner does too, try a firm mattress but make sure there are ample comfort layers near the top.

The golden rule when buying a new mattress online is to ensure it comes on a free sleep trial. That means you can sleep on it for a set period of time and return it for a full refund (within the mattress trial period) if it isn't right for your back pain.