Hi Steve,

Thanks for getting in touch and sorry to hear you're struggling to find the right mattress for your back problems and spondylolisthesis (lower vertebrae slipping).

It sounds like you've hit the nail on the head with these foam mattresses not offering enough support for you. The drawback with all memory foam mattresses is that they tend to hold the sleeper in one position all night. This is because they are very slow to react if you need to move. This feel is great at first for some sleepers as they sink into the warm foam but for others with back issues, it can become a nightmare holding you awkwardly during the night. Waking you up as you struggle to turn and also retaining far more heat than a traditional pocket spring fibre mattress.

At your bodyweights and heights, you need a medium gauge 1.4 spring which will give you the correct support for your body weight. Then its comfort layers or upholstery that will help you get comfortable during the night. A pocket spring mattress will be far more responsive than slower foams and should help reduce if not remove the discomfort you're feeling during the night.

We have helped many people with back issues finally get a decent night sleep.

Mattress Recommendation for Spinal Stenosis & Spondylolisthesis:
The model I would recommend that is at a competitive price point like the boxed mattresses you have tried is our Origins Pocket 1500 mattress in a medium tension. Unlike the models you've tried its 2 sided so you can turn and rotate it each month. This will get you years more life out of your mattress and stops undue settlement and sagging.

This mattress has a really deep medium feel comfort layers which will give you a slight sink in the top layer before support. It's a medium feel so will be more forgiving for your wife compared to the Otty Hybrid.

• 300GSM WOOL
• 750GSM VERY SOFT POLYESTER
• 500GSM POLYESTER PAD
• ONE INCH FOAM INSULATOR LAYER
• 1500 SPUN BOND POCKET SPRINGS (1.4 GAUGE)
• TOTAL 1550GSM
• DEPTH 30-33CM

There's some more info here on why avoiding one-sided boxed mattresses is really important for anyone looking for a new mattress. What the mattress retailers don't want you to know!

I hope this assists but if you have any further queries please don’t hesitate to contact our small friendly team on 0161 437 4419.

All the best
John & Ryan