Nolah Mattress Review 2021 – A Comprehensive Buying Guide

Editor’s Rating: 9/10

Nolah Mattresses are a bed-in-a-box type of mattress and has started shipping mattresses online since 2016. Initially the Nolah mattress started off as an all foam mattress that was built to target pressure relief and cooling in its mattress. This version of the mattress is 10 inches in height and has gain much popularity throughout the years.

The 10 inch Nolah Mattress has been popular amongst side sleepers as it has great pressure relieve and is soft and supportive to the user. It comes in 3 layers that is able to contour and relieve pressure from the body while still being a responsive mattress.

There has been a recent introduction of the new Nolah mattress known and called as the Nolah Signature. This mattress is 12 inch in height and has been made with 2 firmness level in its mattress making it a flippable mattress. Both sides of the mattress has different firmness allowing the user to choose from it hence making it a mattress that just might suit all sleeping positions.

The Nolah Signature is made out of 4 layers of foam with one side of the mattress having the cooling Nolah airfoam and the other using the Nolah airfoam. The cover of the mattress is also organic cotton making it even more comfortable for the user as the material is breathable and soft.

Nolah has said that the newer model of the mattress which is the Signature consists of all the things that the original mattress had. Below we will discuss in greater detail about both mattresses as well as its similarities and differences and which mattress would suit you.

Key takeaways:

• Flippable
• Great Pressure Relief
• Durable

Material 

The Nolah mattress uses high quality materials and all foam products used are Certi-PUR US certified meaning that it is safe from harmful and harsh chemicals that is dangerous to users.

The Nolah

The Nolah has 4 layers to it. The first layer of the bed is the cover, it is made with viscose and polyester as well as a semi-synthetic cotton substitute. The use of these materials makes the cover comfortable and is soft and cool to the user when lying down on it. Hence, improving their sleep quality as well.

Next is the comfort layer of the bed which is the top layer that the user interacts with. This layer is about 2 inches in height and is made with the Nolah AirFoam™. This foam layer is able to provide the user with the right support and comfort as it will contour the body but it does not trap any heat in the mattress that most memory foam mattresses is known for. The memory foam used will be able to relieve pressure from the body when sleeping especially for side sleepers making it comfortable and allows the user to feel well rested.

The next layer to the Nolah mattress is the transition layer. This layer is placed between the comfort and base layer. It is made out of latex-like foam and also has quick response when pressure is placed.

Lastly is the base layer. This layer is the foundation to the whole mattress and is made with a 7 inch high density polyfoam. It is able to respond well to pressure placed on the mattress and also gives the mattress its shape, structure and support.

The Nolah Signature

The Nolah Signature has some difference in its material to the Nolah mattress. It is a mattress that is designed to have 2 firmness level on one mattress. Meaning that each side of the mattress has a different firmness level. It is made out of 5 layers and is 12 inches in height.

The first part of the bed is the cover. The cover of the Nolah Signature is made with organic cotton. This material offers great comfort to the user as it is extremely soft and breathable, making it comfortable to lie down on. The organic cotton material also contains moisture-wicking properties in it that help pull away moisture from the body hence allowing the user to sleep dry, cool, comfortable and improving the sleep quality as well.

Next is the comfort layer of the mattress. This layer is 2.5 inches thick and it is made with the same cooling air foam material as in the Nolah mattress. The material of this layer is extremely soft and and provides the body with the contouring support without trapping heat in the mattress. This layer adds to the cooling effects that the Nolah Signature has while helping with the pressure relief at the same time.

The transition layer of the bed is placed between the comfort layer as well as the support layer of the mattress. This transition layer is 1.5 inches thick and is made out of deep supportive foam that is very resilient. Same as the Nolah mattress, this support layer is a latex like foam and has quick response to pressure as well. This will help transition from the soft comfort layer to the foundation layer and creates a balance between different firmness. Side sleepers may feel the mattress to be softer and back sleepers will be able to feel supported at the right places.

Again, similar to the Nolah mattress the Nolah Signature’s core foundation is made with high density poly foam that is 7 inches in height and is able to respond to pressure quickly. This layer supports the other layers on top of it and is the support of the entire mattress.

The last layer is the other side of the bed and is another comfort layer. This bottom layer consists of 1 inch of the Nolah AirFoam ™ that is cooling and gives support to the user at the same time. This side of the mattress is ideal for back sleepers and those who likes firm mattresses.

Firmness

The Nolah Original Mattress and the Nolah Signature Mattress have difference in its firmness. In fact, due to the Nolah Signature Mattress being a flippable mattress, the Nolah Signature Mattress have different firmness on its own. Hence, we will be talking about and comparing both these mattresses’ firmness.

Nolah Original

For the Nolah Original Mattress, based on the materials used in the making of this mattress, it is actually made to be a softer mattress. Even with light pressure applied onto it, you can observe some sinking into the top layer of Airfoam. It is a soft mattress even to the touch and it gives a soft contouring feel to the sleeper even though it is not a memory foam mattress.

When more pressure is applied, one thing that can be noticed is that the bed sinks inwards. In other words, users of this bed will not so much feel like they are sleeping on the bed, rather sleeping in it. This may be a let down to stomach sleepers as they would not be provided with the support that they need, but on the other hand, this is ideal for sleepers who primarily sleep on their sides.

One thing to take note of when discussing about the firmness of a mattress is always that this is a very subjective matter. Two sleepers can find that one mattress have different level of firmness, and this is heavily dependent on their weights. As a result, the only way to have a fair value of the firmness is by comparing it among sleepers of different weight categories.

On average, the Nolah Original Mattress gives a rating of roughly a 5.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, with 10 being the maximum firmness. The industry standard for a mattress is a 6.5, whereby 6.5 is a medium-firm mattress. This shows that the Nolah Original Mattress do lie on the softer side.

This mattress actually is comprised on among the softer foam mattress on the market. One of the reason for this is that the company did set out to produce the best mattress catered to side sleepers. Side sleepers in general do require a softer bed as the contouring of the mattress is important to them in order to provide pressure relief and support in the right areas.

Like mentioned, the firmness is heavily depend on the weight of the sleeper. As for the Nolah Original Mattress, sleepers who are overweight may not actually get to experience the softness of the mattress. This is because they might sink right through the soft comfort layer and hit the support foam in the mattress.

Nolah Signature

Now, moving on to the Nolah Signature Mattress. The changes made in the Nolah Signature Mattress most heavily impacted the firmness of the mattress. Hence, this is one factor that has to be compared among the two mattresses.

The Nolah Signature Mattress on the soft side has an average rating of 5.5 out of 10. This indicates the mattress is a soft mattress comparing to the industry standard of 6.5. But comparing to the Nolah Original Mattress, the soft side has similar rating to the Nolah Original Mattress.

But once the mattress is flipped over to the firm side, the average rating of the mattress on the firmness scale is a 7.5 indicating that it is a firm mattress. It is obvious that the Nolah Signature Mattress has quite a dramatic difference in both sides of the mattress. When the mattress is flipped over to the firm side, there is a thinner section of Airfoam which results in the mattress being firmer.

Durability

There is not much said of proven about the durability of the Nolah Mattress. This is because it is fairly new in the market and the amount of test are limited. The Nolah Mattress has only been in business since 2015, so although tests have indicated that the mattress is a lasting mattress, there is not much physical evidence of customers using the mattress till the end of its lifespan.

With that being said, the Nolah mattress do use high quality materials that are manufactured in USA, which guarantees longevity. The founders of Nolah Mattress did confidently say that the mattress has more durability than even the best memory foam mattress in the market. They back their confidence up with a longer warranty period than many mattresses in the market.

Motion Isolation

The Nolah Original  Mattress being an all foam mattress is likely to face some motion transfer. The mattress uses a layer of Avena foam which is supposed to be a little more responsive. However, what is below the Nolah foam is the material that is similar to a memory foam which will soften motion. The mattress has a dense base foam which also helps reduce motion transfer.

Sleepers should feel some but minimal motion transfer using this mattress. The motion transfer is not the kind that would disturb partner’s sleep. In fact, it should go by unnoticed.

The Nolah Signature Mattress does an even better job with isolating motion. Being a thicker mattress, it takes in motion and reduce transference of motion even better than its predecessor making it a better mattress for couples.

Temperature

The Nolah Mattress is a mattress that sleeps cool. Nolah does not inject their mattress with random chemicals that results in heat transfer making it a more breathable mattress. The Nolah Mattress does not contain elastics that results in heat trap that most foam mattresses have also making it more temperature neutral.

Besides, the foam used is not a temperature-sensitive foam, so the Nolah Mattress can contour your body without trapping the heat beneath your body. This makes the bed cool.

Although mentioned earlier that the mattress gives a ‘sleeping in’ experience, the Avena foam and base layers are good for support. This avoids the sleepers from having the feeling of sinking into a hole and getting overheated.

Edge Support

The Nolah Original Mattress being an all foam mattress does not have the greatest of edge support. When sitting by the edge of the mattress, the mattress would depress inwards but not to the extent of feeling like you are falling of the mattress.

When lying at the edge of the mattress, you should not feel like you are about to be thrown of the mattress. This shows quite a decent edge support but nothing spectacular as you will still have the feeling of being near the edges.

The Nolah Signature Mattress being a 12 inch rather than a 10 inch mattress makes the edge support better than the original, making it a better choice for couples.

However, if you are really light, there’s nothing to be worried about using the Nolah Original Mattress.

Pressure Relief & Comfort

The Nolah mattress is a really comfortable mattress that is responsive from the moment you lie on it. It contours according to the shape of the sleeper and gets back into position upon movement offering really good pressure relief to avoid pain on the sleepers.

The layer at the top of the mattress is the Nolah Air Foam which is a unique material that provides cooling and makes it breathable. This foam is viscoelastic free which is the cause of heat trap in most traditional foam mattress and the material is comfortable and also able to reduce pressure points.

The Avena foam in the second layer helps with bounce and responsiveness without the usage of chemicals and is able to support the spine and provide breathability in the mattress.

Beneath it is the support base. This is also foam base, but it is a dense foam that provides firmness and stability to the mattress and also keeps your back in position to align the spine and prevent excessive sinkage into the mattress.

All the materials are made from viscose fibres. This makes it extremely breathable as well as wicks moisture to avoid sweat from accumulating throughout the night and it gives the mattress a refreshing feel when lied on.

Conforming

The Nolah mattress is made from a blend of foams used to provide better heat dissipation and pressure relief than the standard memory foam.This is done by making the foam undergo a compression process that adds a multitude of microscopic air bubbles. The aeration from the air bubbles allows conforming in the mattress so that the mattress contours according to your body more effectively than standard foam.

Advantages

Trial Period

From the date of purchase of the mattress, you will enjoy a 120-night risk-free period. This means you will be able to test the mattress at your own home to see whether it suits you or you may just prefer something else. During this trial period, if you decide that this is not the mattress for you, you may return and refund all of your money, no questions asked. However, Nolah does require their customer to give the mattress at least 30 days before requesting a refund as they would not want their customer to make a wrong decision.

Warranty

Nolah offers a 15-year warranty on their mattresses which covers manufacturing defects and indentations larger than an inch. They, in fact, have a longer warranty period than most of their competitors that offer a 10-year warranty.

Shipping

Many customers had praised Nolah for making shopping so convenient for them and they are impressed with how simple the ordering process was and how fast it took for it to arrive.

The customers also remarked that the shipping was so fast and they were amazed at how it only took less than a week for the mattress to be delivered

Social Responsibility

Another thing that Nolah is deserving of praise of is their care for the environment. When a customer purchases a mattress from Nolah, they also receive a certificate allowing them to adopt wild animals along with the mattress. Nolah is a contributor that help protect endangered animals by being a benefactor to Defenders of Wildlife

Sex

The Nolah mattress uses Avena foam at the center of the mattress. This foam offers good bounce just the way latex foam does, excluding some of its disadvantages. For instance, latex is known for heat trap but this is not heard of with the Avena foam.

The Nolah is a cool mattress and has better durability than the standard latex and at the same time, it is very responsive. The responsiveness shows that the mattress offers some springy feel and less feel of being stuck in the mattress. The Nolah Air foam is also the material that contributes to the prevention of overheating during bedtime activities.

The bed offers good mobility and decent edge support too (better edge support for the Nolah Signature Mattress of course). The support means that when couples are along the edges, the depression into the mattress should not be overly noticeable and give them the sensation of tumbling off the mattress. But being a foam mattress, couples are still encouraged to avoid being at the edges too much as it might disturb their activities.

All in all, this mattress does make a good mattress for sexual activities is a good pick for active couples.

What Makes the Nolah Different?

Nolah claims that their mattress is not memory foam but better and here’s why they say so. The Nolah mattress is has a good combination of soft and firm. They added that since their mattresses are free from viscoelastic chemicals used in Memory Foam, their mattress do not have issues with heat trap like memory foam mattresses do, making it sleep cooler. Nolah is known for its ability to relieve pressure and they believed that their mattresses are more durable than even the best memory foam and latex mattress.

Here are some of the features that causes Nolah’s customers to love the mattress even from the very first night.

Pain relief

Many customers have remarked that the bed did a great job in reducing pain by limiting the amount of pressure point as much as possible. With the good mix between softness and firmness, sleepers get to enjoy the softness of the bed, but gain the support they need especially in the hips, shoulders and back. Basically where it is needed the most. This combination of soft and support are the recipe for a good night’s sleep especially for side sleepers. As for back sleepers, the Nolah Mattress does a good job at aligning the spine and customers too have reported relieve in lower back pain.

Refreshing sleep

The Nolah Mattress users are astonished with how the Nolah Mattress has given them a restful and refreshing sleep. They have said to be amazed about how they can sleep throughout the entire night without awakening with aches and pains and the need of finding a new comfortable spot. This is mainly contributed by the Nolah Mattress’ minimal pressure point and also the great cooling that it offers.

Breathability

Sleepers have said that they do not face the problem of sleeping hot when using the Nolah Mattress. This is because it has good airflow as well as the ability to wick sweat very well.

The Nolah Signature Mattress does have some additional benefits that we are about to talk about.

Flippable

The mattress has two sides to it, the soft side and the firm side. For people who might want to change things up, they have the option to flip the mattress over and there will be a new sleeping experience.

Edge Support

The Nolah Signature Mattress is a thicker mattress that the Nolah Original and providing it with more edge support. This is an important factor too many, especially couples or people who are heavier.

Difference Between The Nolah Original and Nolah Signature

According to the materials used, the two mattresses provide a different comfort level. While the Nolah Original provides a universal firmness, the Nolah Signature provides two different options.

The Nolah Signature is a thicker mattress being a 12 inch mattress, while the Nolah Original is a 10 inch mattress.

The Nolah Original appeals to a wide range of sleepers. It is made to fit most sleeping positions, albeit appealing most to side sleepers. The Nolah Signature however, being a dual firmness mattress appeal to side sleepers on the soft side but back sleepers on the firm side.

The Nolah Signature as mentioned multiple times is a flippable mattress with two firmness options.

The Nolah Original uses 2 inch of cooling airfoam and an inch of high resilience foam, while the Nolah Signature uses 2 and a half inch of the cooling airfoam and 1 and a half inch of high resilience foam. This indicates better pressure relief and durability for the Nolah Signature as compared to the Nolah Original.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the standout features about  the mattress as well as some weaknesses.

Nolah Mattress

Pros

• Great pressure relief.
• More durable than other foam mattresses like memory foam and latex.
• Long warranty and trial period.

Cons

• One comfort level
• Poor edge support

Nolah Signature Mattress

Some additional Pros specifically for the Nolah Signature Mattress

• The thick layer of memory foam layer on the top creates even better pressure relief, but mainly on the soft side.
• Less motion transfer which is great for partners.
• It is among the best guest room bed choice as it caters to guests that may like soft mattresses or firm mattresses.

Final verdict

The Nolah Mattress is your best pick if you’re looking for a long lasting mattress that can stop the aches and pains you face in the morning.

This is for you if:

• Looking for a durable mattress
• Hot sleeper
• You suffer pain in shoulders and hips when sleeping.

Potential downside include:

• Edge Support
• If you are heavier sleeper, movement might cause more motion transfer