Is a harder mattress better for your back?

Almost every week someone asks us for the hardest mattress we have, because they have been told it is best for the back. The belief is common in Kerala, where many people grew up on thin cotton or coir mattresses on wooden cots. The truth is more personal than that.

A mattress should keep your spine roughly in a straight line, the way it is when you stand well. For a back sleeper, a fairly firm surface often does this. For a side sleeper, a very hard mattress pushes the shoulder and hip up, bending the spine sideways, so a little more give is needed at those points. People who are heavier usually need more support, and lighter people often find firm mattresses uncomfortable.

We describe our mattresses on a one-to-ten scale. Our coir and latex is an eight, firm. The natural latex is a six, medium firm, and it adapts more to hips and shoulders. Most of our customers end up between five and seven, whatever they asked for at the door.

The best test is lying down. Lie on your usual side for five minutes in the store, and ask someone to look at your spine from behind. If it sags in the middle or curves up at the hip, try another. If you have a back problem diagnosed by a doctor or physiotherapist, ask them what they suggest and bring their advice along. We would rather sell you the right mattress than the hardest one.