Saatva Classic vs Saatva RX: Which mattress is best for joint and back pain?

Saatva is the best-selling brand behind mattresses designed to recreate a luxury hotel feel in your own home. If you’re looking for an opulent bed that's built to last, Saatva is the brand to consider. One of the things it's extremely well regarded for is producing mattresses that help with aches and pains.

In particular, the Saatva Classic and Saatva RX luxury hybrid innerspring mattresses are designed to reduce pain during sleep, but they each deal with very different types of pain. In this Saatva Classic vs Saatva RX comparison, we’ll help you figure out which bed is right for you.

The Saatva Classic is our top recommendation for the best mattress of 2023 because it suits all sleepers, and it's also our best Saatva mattress overall. Both mattresses are amongst the best mattresses for back pain available, but there is a huge price difference between them with the RX being considerably more expensive.

This is because the Saatva Classic is designed to deal with general aches and pains, whereas the Saatva RX is a more specialist mattress aimed at those with serious and chronic back and joint conditions. You can read more about each mattress in our in-depth Saatva Classic mattress review and Saatva RX mattress review guides, which will give you wider analysis and test data. For now, here's our in-depth Saatva Classic vs Saatva RX mattress comparison.

Saatva Classic: from $1,295 $1,101 at Saatva
The Saatva Classic is the best hybrid mattress on the market, available in your choice of two different heights and three different firmness levels. The price of the smaller Saatva mattress have increased recently, with the Saatva Classic twin jumping up by around $200 compared to the prices we saw during Black Friday. A queen size costs the same though, at $1,696 (was $1,995) on sale. You'll get a year to trial it at home, with free old mattress and foundation removal and a forever warranty. That's excellent value.View Deal

Saatva RX mattress: from $1,995 $1,696 at Saatva
The Saatva RX is over $1,100 more expensive than the Saatva Classic, but it's still relatively affordable for a specialist mattress for people with chronic back pain and painful joint issues such as arthritis. There's a lot of mattress technology packed into the RX, including a Unique Therapeutic Support Core that constantly adjusts to your in-bed movements and your curves. You'll get free White Glove Delivery straight to your bedroom, and if you arrange it in advance Saatva will remove your old bed too.View Deal

Saatva Classic vs Saatva RX mattress: Specs

Saatva Classic vs Saatva RX mattress: Price, trial, warranties

• Saatva regularly offers 12-15% off MSRP

• A queen Classic costs $1,696 on sale; a queen RX costs $2,801 on sale

• Both come with a 365-night trial and lifetime warranty

Both Saatva mattresses sit in the premium price bracket, although the Saatva Classic is at the lower end of this bracket. You can normally get 12-15% off the Saatvas, or we’ve sometimes seen tiered money-off deals where the discounts increase with the size of the bed. Even with these discounts, the Saatvas are still in the premium bracket, but you can track discounts at our Saatva mattress sales page. It’s worth noting that the Twin size of the mattress isn’t always included in sales.

A queen Saatva Classic is usually $1,696 at sale price (MSRP $1995) and while this is still a premium price, it’s incredibly good value for a mattress that suits so many different sleepers. A queen Saatva RX is currently discounted to $2,801 (MSRP $3,295) which is over $1,000 more expensive than the Classic, but if you have a chronic condition, it may well be worth the extra expenditure.

In addition to price we also need to look at the length of mattress trials, mattress warranties and the type of shipping. Saatva have a 365-night trial, lifetime warranty and free white glove delivery on both mattresses. As both mattresses arrive flat, the delivery service includes free in-room delivery and setup, and Saatva will also remove your old mattress and foundation for free.

How much can you expect to pay for these mattresses when they’re not on sale? Here’s our Saatva Classic vs Saatva RX price comparison.

Saatva Classic vs Saatva RX price winner: Saatva Classic
It’s hard to ignore the price difference between the two mattresses, with the Saatva Classic being over $1,000 cheaper than the RX both at full MSRP and usual sale prices. Unless you have a chronic condition that necessitates the extra cost of the RX, the Classic is the winner here.

Saatva Classic vs Saatva RX mattress: Materials & design

• Both mattresses are luxury hybrid innersprings

• The Saatva Classic has three firmness options and two heights

• The Saatva RX comes in one firmness option and one height

Saatva make some of the best hybrid mattresses around, full of luxury materials to keep you sleeping comfortably through the night. Let’s look at the materials in each mattress.

The Saatva Classic starts with a 3-inch thick Euro pillow top made from organic cotton (and with zoned quilting in the middle for extra lumbar support), you’ll find a CertiPUR-US certified memory foam layer that’s specifically geared towards healthy spinal alignment.

Next up, a layer of individually wrapped 14.5-gauge recycled steel coils sit on top of a support base made up of 13-gauge tempered steel support coils. This is all wrapped up in a foam encasement around the perimeter to stabilize the whole mattress. The mattress comes in two different heights (11.5” and 14.5”) and three different firmness options (Plush Soft, Luxury Firm and Firm).

The Saatva RX starts with an organic cover along with the same lumbar zone quilting and memory foam layer as the Classic, although the memory foam here is gel infused. Up next is a layer of 1” micro-coils supported between two slabs of high-density foam for pressure relief and support. Individual 2” foam modules made from an open cell foam similar to latex help enhance contouring and reduce motion isolation.

They’re also infused with graphite and phase-change material or temperature regulation. These sit on top of individually wrapped 8” coils, with firmer spring coils around the perimeter for added edge support. The mattress is finished with a non-woven base layer to stabilize the mattress.

Both mattresses’ covers are treated with Saatva’s Guardin antimicrobial treatment, which inhibits the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew.

Saatva Classic vs Saatva RX materials & design winner: Saatva RX
The materials in both these Saatva mattresses are luxurious, comfortable, and designed to support the body. But the Saatva RX has extra layers of coils and foams to provide even more support to the back.

Saatva Classic vs Saatva RX mattress: Comfort & support

• The Saatva Classic is available in three firmness options

• The Saatva RX only comes in one firmness option

• Saatva beds have a more traditional ‘lying on top’ feel so you won’t sink in

The Saatva Classic is available in three firmness options and two heights (the only difference here is the height of the springs). We tested the Luxury Firm in our review, which is the brand’s most popular comfort level and is, according to Saatva, designed to suit all sleeping positions. We felt that lightweight side sleepers may find it a little too firm though.

Starting with the softest option, the Plush Soft is one of the best mattresses for side sleepers who will feel cushioned at their pressure points of hips and shoulders. At the other end of the scale the Firm mattress is one of top picks in our best firm mattresses round-up, and is ideally suited to those who enjoy a firm mattress, are of a heavier build or sleep on their fronts.

In our review we found that the Luxury Firm offered great pressure relief, along with a fairly traditional innerspring feel. This is a mattress that you sleep on top of, rather than sinking into. There’s good bounce from the coil system and the pillow top provides plenty of cushioning comfort. We rate the way this mattress keeps the spine aligned and you’ll also feel that your pressure points are kept cushioned.

Saatva calls its RX mattress ‘supportive plush’, with a rating of around 4-6/10. All our testers found it firmer though at around 7.5/10. However, even though it sleeps a little firmer, all our side sleepers felt the mattress provided the perfect balance of comfort and support, with the cushy top layers providing pressure relief around the shoulders and hips. Again, lightweight side sleepers may find the RX too firm.

Back sleepers and front sleepers also enjoyed the RX, with plenty of support to keep the spine aligned and the hips raised. Because it’s a responsive surface, it’s also easy to change positions meaning it’s ideal for combination sleepers as well.

Saatva Classic vs Saatva RX comfort & support winner: It’s a draw
With three different firmness options, the Saatva Classic makes it easy to find a mattress that supports the vast majority of body types and sleeping styles. However, the Saatva RX’s medium firm finish will also suit most sleepers. We’d pick here depending on the severity of your back pain. For most aches and pains, the Classic will be more than enough to help. But if you have a serious or chronic back or joint condition, the RX is well worth investing in.

Saatva Classic vs Saatva RX mattress: Temperature control

• Both mattresses offer great temperature regulation

• Coils and breathable covers on both mattresses promote airflow

• The Saatva RX has gel-infused foam for further cooling

Our testers never felt hot sleeping on either mattress, thanks to the well-spaced coils that promote airflow and breathable cotton covers to help wick away sweat and moisture. There’s also only a small amount of foam in these mattresses, which helps to prevent heat getting trapped. The Saatva RX does have gel infused memory foam, but it’s such a thin layer that it’s unlikely to make a huge amount of difference.

Although both mattresses do a good job of keeping sleepers cool, they’re not specialist cooling mattresses. If you do sleep very hot, consider one of our best cooling mattresses recommendations.

Saatva Classic vs Saatva RX temperature regulation winner: It’s a draw
Made from similar materials, both mattresses doe a good job at keeping sleepers cool at night. The smaller amounts of foam, breathable covers and coil layers all do a good job of helping with temperature regulation and promoting airflow.

Saatva Classic vs Saatva RX mattress: Which should you buy?

Buy the Saatva Classic mattress if…

✅  You suffer from back aches and pains: The Saatva Classic does an excellent job of keeping the spine perfectly aligned and there’s extra support in the lumbar region.

✅  You want to customize your mattress: With three different firmness ratings and two heights, the Saatva Classic allows sleepers to choose the mattress that’s right for their specific sleeping style.

✅  You’re on a smaller budget: The Saatva Classic is still a luxury option, but it’s far cheaper than the Saatva RX. So, if you’ve got money to spend, but can’t stretch to the higher price of the RX, the Classic is the option to go with.

Buy the Saatva RX mattress if…

✅  You suffer with severe and chronic back and joint conditions: The Saatva RX is specifically designed for chronic conditions such as sciatica and arthritis and is designed to give you maximum pressure relief to help alleviate pain.

✅  You want a slightly plusher top: Although you won’t sink into either mattress, the top of the RX feels slightly cushier than that of the Classic, with a little more give around the hips and shoulders.

✅  You’re got a bigger budget: If money is no option and you suffer with serious back issues, the Saatva RX is worth the extra for its very specifically designed support.