Saatva RX vs Contour5: Which mattress offers better support for back pain?

We’ve pitted these two mattresses against each other on price, design, comfort, temperature regulation and, of course, back support, to help you decide which one you should buy in this year’s Black Friday mattress sales. And, thanks to our exclusive Saatva Black Friday sale, you can get $400 off any Saatva bed over $1,000. So, let’s take a look…

Saatva RX vs Contour5 Mattress: price & trial

• Both are premium mattresses from luxury brand Saatva
• The Saava RX is a luxury hybrid with an MSRP of $3,295 for a queen
• The Saatva Contour5 is an all-foam bed with an MSRP of $2,995 for a queen

The Saatva RX and Saatva Contour5 are both premium mattresses from a brand known for being among those that produce the best luxury mattresses handcrafted in the US. The RX, a hybrid bed, is our best mattress for back pain, the more expensive of the two, with an MSRP of $3,295 for a queen. The all foam Contour5 is slightly cheaper with an MSRP of $2,995 for a queen.

Saatva mattress sales don’t happen all the time so when you do see these beds reduced it’s sensible act fast. Right now, we have an exclusive Saatva Black Friday sale deal which means you can get $400 off both of these beds in any size (reducing the RX down to $2,895 for a queen and the Contour5 to $2,599 for a queen).

Within that price is an range of excellent benefits including a 365-night sleep trial, a lifetime warranty and free white glove delivery, which includes bringing the new mattress to a room of your choice and removing your old one.

Saatva RX vs Contour5 Mattress: Materials & Design

• The Saatva RX is an innerspring hybrid
• The Saatva Contour5 is an all-foam mattress
• The RX comes in one firmness option, the Contour5 has two options to choose between

The main difference between these two mattresses lies in their construction, with the Saatva RX being a hybrid, while the Saatva Contour5 is an all-foam bed.

The Contour5 is all-foam, but like the RX, is also made up of seven layers. First up, there's the breathable knit cover that has had a botanical antimicrobial treatment and below that, a thin nontoxic flame barrier made using cellulose fibers derived from tree products.

There is then a 2” CoolVent system which has lumbar support. This is made using a phase change material designed to absorb excess heat and dissipate it, keeping you cooler for longer and improving the support offered by the mattress. Next is 1.5” of gel-infused foam for pressure relief and body contouring.

A 3” layer of ultra-premium dense memory foam for pressure relief follows (it's also great for improving the mattress' durability). Then, there's a 2” transition layer which is available in both medium and firm options. Finally, a 6” high-density foam provides additional support and finishes off the bed.

Saatva RX vs Contour5 Mattress: Comfort & Support

• The Santa RX comes in just one firmness option
• The Saatva Contour5 has two firmness options
• Both mattresses have great edge support

When it comes to comfort, the Saatva RX is a medium feel mattress that has been designed specifically for those who are suffering with joint and back pain, particularly chronic conditions like arthritis, scoliosis, sciatica and herniated discs. And, unsurprisingly, during our Saatva RX mattress review our tester found the mattress provided a good balance of pressure relief and firm support.

The RX also has special lumbar zone technology in the 1” strip of gel-memory foam that can help to promote healthy spinal alignment, and the layer of unique Therapeutic Support Core also adjusts as you do helping to relieve pressure points, both of which contributed to our tester, who has chronic back pain and mild scoliosis, rating this mattress highly as she noticed a reduction in back pain while using it.

Overall, back sleepers felt this mattress distributed weight evenly, while side sleepers rated it for providing support that still had give along the knees, hips, and shoulders (though we felt it may be a touch on the firm side for lightweight side sleepers). Combination sleepers were able to switch up positions easily and lightweight stomach sleepers fared well with it (noting that they didn’t sink in too deep.)

The Saatva Contour5, on the other hand, comes in two firmness options: medium and firm, which makes it's suitable for a wide range of sleepers. In our Saatva Contour5 Mattress review our lead tester tried out the medium firmness option, and despite sometimes experiencing back pain, she noted that regardless of the position she slept in, she had no discomfort and felt aligned and supported. Another big plus was pressure relief, which our tested rated extremely highly for this mattress.

When it comes to motion isolation, we gave the Contour5 4.5 out of 5, with our tester noting that she wasn't disturbed while next to a restless sleeper. Thanks to its bounce, the RX may not be best option if motion isolation is high on your list. We gave it 3 out of 5.

The edge support on the RX is definitely above average, largely thanks to the firmer coils that surround the mattress' individually wrapped comfort coils. These mean you can easily get in and out, and make the most of the full surface of your bed if you're someone who moves around or sleeps close to one side. As an all-foam bed, the Contour5 doesn’t have such a good level of edge support, and while it provides a comfortable level when sleeping toward the sides of the bed, there is sinkage when sitting on the outer areas of the mattress.

Saatva RX vs Contour5 Mattress: Temperature regulation

• The Saatva RX uses foam infused with cooling graphite and phase change material
• Contour5 is temperature neutral with cooling foams
• Both are good options for hot sleepers

Sleeping hot is never fun, but when you're awake at night trying to find a cooler position, it can also impact any aches and pains you have. If you’re a very hot sleeper or suffer from night sweats, you may want to check out our guide to the best cooling mattresses for options that specifically target the issue.

However, both the Saatva RX and the Saatva Contour5 have features designed for temperature regulation, and won't cause you to overheat. For example, each option has covers that are made from cooling, breathable cotton which will wick away moisture and heat from the body.

As a hybrid, the Saatva RX will naturally sleep cooler than an all-foam counterpart because the springs allow for extra airflow. This mattress also features plenty of cooling tech in the foams, with the 0.5" layer of foam lumbar crown infused with cooling gel and the patented Therapeutic Support Core made using cooling graphite and phase change material.

Despite being all-foam, the Contour5 has design features focused on cooling - including 2" of phase change material in the lumbar region of the mattress to absorb and disperse heat and ensure that specific area is extra supported, since it remains several degrees cooler. Below that is the gel-infused memory foam, which features airflow channels to assist in keeping the mattress (and you!) cool.

Our tester for this mattress sometimes sleeps hot, and found that while the Contour5 didn't actively cool her, she remained temperature-neutral while sleeping on it.

Saatva RX vs Contour5 Mattress: Should you buy?

Buy the Saatva RX if...

✅ You suffer from chronic back or joint conditions: This bed has been specifically designed to tackle any chronic back and joint conditions including sciatica, arthritis, herniated disc, and scoliosis. It's also been recommended by leading US chiropractors and endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association.

✅ You like a responsive feel: If you want the contouring comfort of memory foam but you like a bit of bounce on your bed, the RX is a hybrid and brings together the best of both worlds.

✅ You have a bigger budget: If your budget will stretch then the additional benefits that come with this mattress, it's worth considering.

Buy the Saatva Contour5 if...

✅ You want an all-foam mattress but sleep hot: this mattress does a great job of keeping things cool thanks to it's inclusion of cooling tech such as zoned phase change material and gel-infused memory foam.

✅ You crave deep pressure relief: The pressure relief on this mattress is excellent. Our tester rated it very highly in this area and noted that no matter what position she slept in, she didn't experience any back pain.

✅ You share a bed: If you share a bed with a restless partner or you're a light sleeper, the Contour5 does a superb job of isolating motion.