Nolah Mattress Review: Findings From Our Test Lab

“This mattress does a great job at preventing vibrations from rippling across its surface. It almost seems like a bed partner is sleeping in a separate bed.” – Jeremy

The Nolah Original 10 excels at reducing motion transfer across the mattress surface, making it an excellent choice for couples and light sleepers. The foam layers absorb movement effectively, preventing disturbances when one partner shifts position or gets in and out of bed.

With this mattress, most nighttime motion is well-contained within each person’s sleeping area, allowing partners to move freely without worrying about disturbing each other.

“I liked how well the Nolah Mattress softened the impact points around my hips and shoulders, but I sometimes wished it was just a bit firmer to limit sinkage.” – Brad

The Nolah Original 10 provides balanced pressure relief, particularly for side sleepers. Its top foam layers are designed to yield more around key pressure points like the shoulders and hips so that the spine can remain aligned during sleep.

That said, sleepers over 230 pounds – especially back and stomach sleepers – find that the mattress feels too plush for optimal pressure relief.

“I was worried about sleeping hot on this all-foam mattress, but I didn’t overheat. It wasn’t cool so to speak, but I think that its level of heat retention would mostly be an issue for naturally hot sleepers.” – Mary

Like many all-foam mattresses, the Nolah Original 10 has slightly below-average ratings for temperature regulation.

While its foam construction includes cooling features, some sleepers may find it holds in too much heat, especially relative to a hybrid or latex mattress. The mattress maintains a cool enough temperature for most users but may not be the best choice for those who prioritize active cooling.

“There’s some pronounced sinkage around the edge of the Nolah Original. It didn’t bother me too much, but it might be a bigger problem for people over 230 pounds.” – Mary

The edge support of the Nolah Original 10 is adequate but not exceptional, which is typical of all-foam mattress designs.

There’s notable compression of the foam around the perimeter, but most of our testers said the edges were stable enough for sleeping or sitting along the edge. However, people with a higher body weight and those who value a robust perimeter may prefer a firmer mattress with a reinforced edge.

“Because of the foam’s contouring, it takes a little bit of effort to roll over. You kind of have to work against the foam, but in the end, it wasn’t a major problem for me.” – Jeremy

The Nolah Original offers reasonable ease of movement, though some sleepers may find it takes more effort to change positions compared to springier mattress types.

The foam layers respond relatively quickly to movement, but there’s still some of the “hugging” sensation that can make it more difficult to turn over or adjust between sleep positions. Active sleepers and those who change positions frequently should be aware that this could be a downside of the Nolah Original.

“There was definitely a ‘new mattress smell’ for the first couple days, but it wasn’t too bad and cleared up pretty quickly.” – Brad

New owners should expect moderate off-gassing from the Nolah Original 10, which is normal for foam mattresses shipped in a box. While the initial chemical smell typically dissipates within 48 hours in a well-ventilated room, some sensitive individuals might notice a faint odor for up to a week. The emissions are not harmful but may be a nuisance when first sleeping on the mattress.