Medium-Firm Mattresses Side-by-Side

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For non-specific low back pain, medium-firm is the best-supported place to start in Caggiari and colleagues' review of 39 articles, and it suits the widest spread of builds and sleeping positions. Start your comparison there.

A medium-firm label places a mattress within its maker's range, not on a shared scale across brands, so one maker's medium-firm can feel like another's firm when you lie down. The trade does like a tidy answer.

Back pain doesn't require the hardest tension

A hard bed isn't essential. You don't necessarily need one for a bad back, according to Bed Advice UK, so avoid choosing the hardest tension simply because you're in pain. No mattress tension treats back pain.

See a GP if your back pain hasn't improved after a few weeks of treating it at home, as the NHS advises. For the buying decision, compare support and surface comfort in the back-pain mattress guide.

Your build changes how medium-firm feels

A heavier body presses further into the same comfort layer, so you'll generally need a firmer tension, which is the guidance from Bed Advice UK. Allow at least 10 minutes lying in your normal sleeping position when you try a mattress.

Your build and position	What to compare medium-firm against
Lighter build, sleeping on your side	Try medium and ask about comfort-layer depth so your shoulder has room to sink.
Average build, in any position	Try medium and firm. Compare comfort-layer depth alongside spring gauge.
Heavier build, sleeping on your back or front	Try firm and ask about spring gauge, with attention to how far your pelvis sinks.

Comfort-layer depth changes how the tension feels, while pocket springs push back where foam gives way. Give comfort and pressure relief more weight when comparing card scores, then compare the construction with the neighbouring tension that suits your build.