Nolah Mattresses Review 2024: A Bed for Everyone
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CNET has conducted a comprehensive review of Nolah's mattress lineup, showcasing its diverse range of options designed to meet the needs of various sleepers. From the affordable Nolah Original 10” to the luxurious Evolution Hybrid 15”, CNET thoroughly examines the features, comfort levels, and suitability of each model, highlighting Nolah's ability to cater to different preferences and budgets. Their detailed insights provide valuable guidance for anyone considering a Nolah mattress. Here's an excerpt from the article and Read the full article here.
What CNET has to say
Nolah is a popular online mattress brand. It has been around for a while, and its lineup of mattresses has slowly expanded over the years. You can get a wide variety of beds from Nolah today, ranging from affordable, classic foam mattress options to more luxurious pillow-top mattresses and even a natural latex bed. Nolah has offerings which cater to a wide variety of sleepers, so it can be tough to pick the perfect Nolah mattress for you. We've tested all their offerings, and in this review, we’ll cover all the things you need to know about all the beds from Nolah, starting with its most affordable mattress, all the way to the most expensive.
Nolah first impressions
My first impressions of the beds from Nolah varied from mattress to mattress, but I found them all to be solid from the get-go. The Nolah Original 10” and the Nolah Signature 12” were the first beds from Nolah I was able to test, and those have a unique feel that I typically don’t see, but it didn’t take long to get used to, and I found them to be quite comfortable.
The two versions of the Nolah Evolution were impressive right out of the box with its hybrid, pillow-top designs that feel comfy, supportive and wouldn’t seem out of place at a fancy hotel. They were a definite but welcome departure from the first Nolah mattresses, because pretty much everyone likes this pillow-top style.
The brand new Nolah Original Hybrid I found to be missing some of the unique feel characteristics of the Original 10” and the Signature 12”, but I still found it to be generally really comfortable and accommodating.
Nolah Original 10" mattress
This is the original mattress that Nolah released when it first started as a company. It’s undergone a few aesthetic redesigns over the years, but the construction underneath the cover has remained the same.
It is built with three foam layers with a 7-inch-thick layer of dense support foam at the very bottom, a 1-inch-thick layer of a responsive transition layer, and the primary comfort layer, which is a 2-inch-thick layer of Nolah “AirFoam.”
This three-layer design is similar to what is found on other popular beds like Nectar, Casper and Leesa.
Now, this is where it can get somewhat confusing because there are technically two “hybrid” versions of this mattress. There is the “real” hybrid that features coils, which we will cover next, and a version of this bed that's designed to mimic the feel of coils, but it's still foam.
I didn’t notice a significant difference between the two foam models of this mattress. There is a bit more bounce in the “hybrid foam” model, but it also costs more, and you don’t get the real benefits of coils. I would recommend most people stick to the original foam version of the Nolah Original 10”.
Nolah Original Hybrid mattress
The Nolah Original Hybrid is the newest mattress in the Nolah lineup and is the “true hybrid” version of the Original.
It features an 8-inch-thick layer of pocketed coils as its main support layer, a 1.5-inch-thick layer of transition foam and a 1.5-inch-thick layer of the same AirFoam as its primary comfort layer.
The coils are also laid out in the zoned support configuration, which means that the center third of the mattress is going to be slightly firmer than the outer thirds, providing more support in your lumbar region.
Nolah Signature 12" mattress
The Nolah Signature 12” mattress is designed to be a thicker, more plush version of the Original 10” mattress. Its construction is similar, with a few key differences.
It uses the same 7-inch-thick layer of dense support foam as the very bottom. Right above that, there are two transition layers totaling 2.5-inches, and then there’s another 2.5-inch-thick layer of the same Nolah AirFoam.
Like Nolah Original 10”, the Signature 12” also has a “hybrid” version that isn’t actually a hybrid, and my opinion on it is the same, which is I don’t think it’s worth the extra money.
Nolah Natural 11" mattress
The Nolah Natural 11” is sort of the odd one out of the Nolah Mattress lineup, because it doesn’t feature any AirFoam in its construction. Instead, it uses a combined 3 inches of natural latex foam as its primary comfort layers and uses an 8-inch-thick layer of zoned support pocketed coils for its support layer.
The coils are manufactured from recycled steel, the mattress cover is made of certified organic cotton, and it also has a layer of certified organic wool between the latex foam and the cover, which acts as a natural fire barrier.
Nolah Evolution Hybrid 15" mattress
The Nolah Evolution Hybrid 15” mattress was Nolah’s first hybrid bed in its lineup, and it has the same 8-inch-thick layer of pocketed coils found in the Nolah Natural 11” and the Original Hybrid.
Above the coils, there are two layers of transition foam, a 1-inch-thick layer of “EverAdapt” foam and a 2-inch-thick layer of “Core Support” foam. Layers like these are designed to give sleepers a buffer between the support layer and the main comfort layers. This lets you feel only the bounce and support from the coils, but not the coils themselves.
The main comfort layers are a 2-inch-thick layer of Nolah “AirFoamICE,” which has the same characteristics as the AirFoam found in the other beds from Nolah, only it’s meant to be more breathable and sleep cooler. This layer sits below another 2-inch-thick layer of a quilted Euro Pillow-Top.
The cover is also made with organic cotton and does have some noticeable cooling factor.
Nolah Evolution Comfort+mattress
The Nolah Evolution Comfort+ mattress has virtually the same construction as the Nolah Evolution Hybrid 15” mattress, and they even look almost the same. The biggest difference is that the coil layer features extra thick gauge coils that are designed to be extra durable because the Comfort+ is a bed designed to be maximally supportive for heavier individuals.
It also swaps out the two layers of transition foam for a different, single layer of “High Resilience Foam” for even more durability.
Nolah mattress feel
Nolah Original Hybrid mattress
Even though the Nolah Original Hybrid uses the same AirFoam, I didn’t think the Original 10” and this mattress felt all that similar. The top layer of AirFoam is thinner on this mattress, and that, plus the coils, means this bed feels more like a standard neutral hybrid mattress.
I think it’s quite comfortable and accommodating, and I think most people will agree, but it just doesn’t have the unique feel quality of some of the other Nolah beds.
Nolah Signature 12" mattress
The Nolah Signature 12” mattress has a very similar feel to the Original 10” because its construction is almost the same.
The biggest difference between the Signature 12” and the Original 10” comes down to firmness, which we’ll cover later on.
Nolah Natural 11" mattress
The Nolah Natural 11” mattress is a latex foam hybrid, and latex foam has a very distinctive feel in comparison to other types of foam. It has a spongy quality to it, and it provides lots of cushioning, but you don’t sink into much at all and its super responsive.
I like to think of it as almost the opposite of a memory foam. Combination sleepers who rotate between sleeping positions might gravitate toward latex foam beds like the Nolah Natural 11”.
Nolah Evolution Hybrid 15" & Comfort Plus
Nolah Evolution Hybrid 15” & Comfort Plus Even though both of these higher-end mattresses from Nolah feature a thick layer of AirFoam, neither feel very similar to the Original 10” or the Signature 12” mattresses. The defining feature of these mattresses is the pillow-top and it defines the feel of both.
The fluffy, pillow-top feel found on these beds is very comfortable in my opinion, and I have a hard time imagining that many people would disagree. I would even say the feel of these beds is similar to what you might find at a nice hotel.
Nolah mattresses firmness ratings and sleeper types
Nolah Original 10" mattress
This mattress sits right between a medium and a medium-soft on our firmness scale. This means it’s an ideal option for side sleepers and for combination sleepers who spend a good portion of the night on their side because it provides a lot of pressure relief.
Nolah Original Hybrid mattress
I found the Original Hybrid to be noticeably firmer than the Original 10” at around a flat medium, so it will generally be accommodating for all sleeper types. A medium firmness profile like this works especially well for combination sleepers and for couples.
Nolah Signature 12" mattress
The Signature 12” mattress is designed to be the most plush mattress offering from Nolah, and our team found it to be around a medium-soft on our scale, which means it will provide even more pressure relief than the Original 10” and be a great option for strict side sleepers.
Nolah Natural 11" mattress
In general, latex foam hybrid beds like the Nolah Natural 11” tend to be on the firm side of the spectrum, which means they’re not ideal for side sleepers.
This mattress is between a medium and a medium-firm, which means it should be accommodating for all sleeper types, including side sleepers. Petite side sleepers might not get quite enough pressure relief, though, because firmness is always subjective based on a person’s size, but it should work well for most.
Nolah Evolution Hybrid 15"
This is the only mattress available from Nolah that comes in multiple firmness options.
When checking out, you can select the Plush model, the Luxury-Firm model or the Firm model.
The Plush model is around a medium-soft, is noticeably plush and pressure-relieving and a great option for side sleepers.
The Luxury-Firm model is around a flat medium, so it is generally accommodating for combo sleepers and for couples. The Firm model is roughly a medium-firm, so more ideal for back and stomach sleepers looking to sleep on the mattress as opposed to in it.
Nolah Evolution Comfort Plus
In our testing, for an average-size person, we found it to be around a medium-firm on our scale (6-8 out of 10). This firmness makes it a great option for back, stomach and combination sleepers.
However, for a heavier person, it should feel softer than that, probably closer to a flat medium, which would make it a more appropriate option for side sleepers.
You don’t need to be a heavier person to be interested in the Nolah Evolution Comfort Plus, but you’ll have to be OK with a firmer mattress.
Nolah mattress performance
Temperature regulation
All of the Nolah mattresses perform pretty well in the category of temperature regulation, with some being stronger than others.
If you go to Nolah’s website, they will talk a lot about the cooling nature of the AirFoam used in the majority of its beds. Even though we found that it behaved in a pretty unique way in terms of feel, we didn’t observe it sleeping significantly cooler than most other beds. They shouldn’t really heat up on you at night and stay temperature neutral.
The Nolah Evolution Hybrid 15” and the Nolah Evolution Comfort+ both have covers that are noticeably cool to the touch that should help you sleep a bit cooler at night. They aren’t quite as cool as the beds found on our Best Cooling Beds list, but the cooling factor is noticeable.
For couples
If you’re going to be sharing one of these Nolah mattresses with a partner, and you both agree on the firmness and feel of the bed, you’ll want to know about edge support and motion isolation.
The motion isolation is very good on the foam mattresses, and light sleepers who wake up easily shouldn’t have any issues on the Original 10” or the Signature 12”.
The coil beds don’t perform quite as well, but in our testing, we found them to still be pretty solid. Modern coil beds do a much better job at preventing cross mattress motion than older beds, so I think most folks will be able to sleep through the night and not get woken up by their partner tossing and turning. A certain amount of light sleepers might struggle, however.
Off-gassing
Oftentimes, when a bed is unboxed, it will have a noticeable odor that takes 24 to 72 hours to dissipate. The bed can also be significantly softer in the first couple days, because it needs a little time to firm up. This is because the beds are packed very tightly in plastic wrapping for at least a few weeks, if not months.
Off-gassing is a longer process for mattresses made entirely of foam layers in comparison to coil beds, so you’ll probably encounter it more on the Nolah Original 10” and the Nolah Signature 12” beds. The Nolah Natural 11” shouldn’t have much of an off-gassing process at all because latex foam is so springy and it uses coils.
Nolah mattress pricing
In general, Nolah is a pretty affordable brand, with most of its beds clustered around the same price point. Even the more high-end beds are solid values when compared with the high-end options from other brands such as Casper, Purple and Saatva.
Also, Nolah as a brand tends to set high retail prices and then offer heavy discounts, up to 35% off, throughout the year. Brands will sometimes change their pricing and discount structures so make sure you check out our mattress deals page for the most up to date information.
Nolah Original 10”: A queen size mattress retails for $1,449, which would be quite expensive for a 10-inch-thick, three layer all-foam mattress. However, from what we’ve seen, it will be discounted year-round and bring the queen size price down to $942, which makes it much more competitively priced.
Nolah Original Hybrid: The retail price is $1,749 for a queen size, but I think you should expect to pay around $1,137 with the standard discount, which is in the usual price range for a hybrid mattress.
Nolah Signature 12”: This bed is almost the same price as the Nolah Original Hybrid, retailing for $1,799 for a queen size. Again, expect a pretty heavy discount, bringing the price just below $1,169.
Nolah Natural 11”: Natural hybrid beds that use latex foam are usually more expensive than other types of beds. The retail price for a queen size is $2,099, which is already a decent price for a latex hybrid, but it’s normally discounted to $1,364, which makes it one of the more affordable latex hybrids.
The Nolah Natural 11” doesn’t have as many certifications as other latex beds like the Avocado Green Mattress, which might explain the difference in price.
Nolah Evolution Hybrid 15”/Comfort Plus: Both beds are actually the same price, retailing for $2,499 for a queen.
Nolah mattress shipping, warranty and trial
Your shopping experience is important, and this includes stuff like shipping, returns, trial periods and warranties. Nolah actually does some things with its policies we don’t see with other mattress brands.
Nolah did send us these beds for free so we could review them and tell you about them, but if you decide to get one for yourself, you'll start with free bed-in-a-box shipping. This is how the vast majority of beds are delivered these days because it's a very quick and easy process, and the mattress arrives at your door. You do have the option to spend an extra $125 to get in-home setup and mattress removal.
Mattress removal is actually pretty valuable because it can be a real hassle to get rid of an old mattress and can sometimes be costly.
Unboxing
Even for the lighter, all-foam mattresses from Nolah, we would recommend having someone there to help you because it makes the process go a lot more smoothly. You might be able to get away with unboxing them solo, but having done that many times myself, it’s not easy.
The hybrid models, especially the Nolah Natural 11”, will be quite heavy and tough to move, so keep that in mind.
Trial period
Nolah gives customers an in-home trial period of 120 nights. The trial begins once the mattress is delivered, so make sure you get it unboxed as quickly as you can. Nolah does ask customers to try out any mattress for at least 30 nights before initiating a return because it can take time for your body to adjust to a new bed, no matter how well-suited it is to you and your sleeping preferences.
Unlike most brands, though, Nolah will charge a $99 fee to return a mattress. This is not paid upfront and will be taken out of your refund. For example, if you spent $950 on a queen size Nolah Original 10” mattress, you’ll get $851 back.
This is atypical, but I wouldn’t be surprised if more brands start implementing a similar policy.
Also, if you’re supremely confident you’ll love a mattress from Nolah, you have the option to waive the trial period completely and save an additional $100 on your purchase.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this option because a trial period is really important to ensure the bed actually works for you, but it's something we haven’t seen with any other brand.
Warranty
Nolah goes above and beyond the usual 10-year warranty and opts for a “Lifetime” warranty. Like pretty much any warranty that lasts longer than 10 years, this warranty is tiered and offers more protection in the first 10 years in comparison to the years after, but a lifetime warranty does mean that Nolah is really confident in its mattresses.
Final thoughts
Overall I would say Nolah is an interesting brand that features a unique material that gives some of its beds a feel profile you don’t find elsewhere. There’s also a solid variety of mattress in its lineup so there’s something for everyone, including really nice pillow-top options.
I would say if you’re interested in Nolah, the Original 10” and the Evolution Hybrid 15” are the most compelling options. For the Original 10” mattress, you have an affordable foam mattress with a unique feel that also has a great firmness profile for side sleepers and many people do favor their side. And the Evolution Hybrid 15” is just super comfortable and supportive with the option to pick and choose your firmness level, and it even has some cooling features for hot sleepers.
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