The Nolah Original offers better motion isolation than many of its all-polyfoam counterparts. Polyfoam has adaptive qualities but it is also more responsive than memory foam, resulting in more bounciness on the surface. The AirFoam used in the Nolah Original has a fairly plush feel, allowing the material to absorb movement from sleepers and prevent more motion from transferring across the surface of the mattress.
That said, the mattress does not completely eliminate motion transfer. You and your partner may notice some movements, but unless you are a particularly light sleeper, we don’t expect the mattress to cause significant sleep disruptions.
Additionally, the Nolah Original is completely silent when bearing weight. You won’t need to worry about squeaks, creaks, or other noises when your partner changes positions or gets in and out of bed during the night.
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Nolah Mattress Review: Test Lab Ratings
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Price Range: $649 – $1,559
Mattress Type: Foam
Firmness Options: Medium (5)
At a Glance
The Nolah Original is a plush all-foam mattress ideal for side sleepers and people with frequent pain or pressure points. Breathable, open-cell foams help reduce heat buildup on the surface and isolate motion for couples.
Ratings Summary
Motion Isolation
8.5/10
Edge Support
6.5/10
Temperature Control
5.5/10
Ease of Movement
5.5/10
Off Gassing
6/10
Pressure Relief
8/10
Pros
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Open-cell foams resist heat buildup
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Great motion isolation for couples
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Adaptive design alleviates pressure points
Cons
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Strong off-gassing may occur after unboxing
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Limited support for back and stomach sleepers
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Edges may sink when bearing weight
Table of Contents
Nolah is an online mattress company that first launched in 2015. The company offers a total of five mattresses, including two all-foam models and one hybrid. In this Nolah mattress review, we’ll take a closer look at the Nolah Original, which is also known as the Nolah Original 10.
The Nolah Original is constructed with a comfort layer of adaptive AirFoam, Nolah’s proprietary high-resilience polyfoam material. The mattress has a medium feel that rates as a 5 on the 1-10 firmness scale, so you’ll feel noticeable contouring from head to toe. The mattress also contains a transitional polyfoam layer to prevent excessive sinking, followed by a support core made of high-density polyfoam. The cover is made from Tencel lyocell, a plant-based fabric that is very soft and breathable. Altogether, the Nolah Original measures 10 inches thick.
Nolah offers another all-foam mattress, the Nolah Signature 12, which also has a medium (5) feel. Nolah’s luxury hybrid, the Nolah Evolution 15, is a Euro-top hybrid featuring adaptive foam comfort layers and a pocketed coil support core. Like the Nolah Original, the Evolution 15 has a medium (5) feel, but it is better suited to people who want a thicker, more responsive mattress. The Nolah Natural is a latex hybrid. Lastly, the Nolah Nurture is a flippable kids mattress.
In this review, we’ll take an in-depth look at the Nolah Original in terms of construction and composition, prices, and performance across different sleeper categories. You’ll also find a detailed look at Nolah’s shipping, return, and warranty policies.
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Nolah Video Review
Watch the video below to see how the Nolah Mattress performed when put to the test in our lab.
Sleeping Style and Body Weight
Nolah Original 10
Sleeper Type
Side Sleepers
Back Sleepers
Stomach Sleepers
Side Sleepers
Side sleepers will likely get the most out of the Nolah Original. The AirFoam is soft and adaptive enough to provide ample cushioning for the shoulders and hips, which can even out the spine and target pressure points throughout the body. At the same time, the high-resilience polyfoam transitional layer prevents most side sleepers from sinking too deeply into the mattress.
A side sleeper’s experience with the Nolah Original will largely depend on their weight. The mattress is best suited to those who weigh less than 130 pounds and prefer a softer surface feel. Side sleepers weighing between 130 and 230 pounds may also find the mattress comfortable, but there may be more sinkage around the shoulders and hips. For those who weigh more than 230 pounds, the mattress will probably feel too soft and sag too much. A firmer, more supportive mattress may be better instead.
Back Sleepers
Back sleeping – unlike side sleeping – promotes spinal alignment because the shoulders, back, and hips are evenly aligned. However, a mattress that feels too soft may sink too much around the torso, midsection, and waist. This can cause these areas to rest deeper beneath the surface than the head, neck, and legs. Neck, shoulder, and hip pain often follow.
The Nolah Original should be supportive enough for back sleepers weighing up to 230 pounds. The medium feel is a good match for this weight range because people are less likely to sink excessively. Back sleepers who weigh more than 230 pounds may feel differently. Despite the robust transitional and support layers, the AirFoam may be too soft to keep these individuals on an even plane.
Stomach Sleepers
Stomach sleepers are likely to run into the same issues as back sleepers when it comes to the Nolah Original. The mattress offers a comfortable contour and plush feel that may be very comfortable for stomach sleepers who weigh less than 130 pounds. However, those who weigh 130 pounds or more are more susceptible to deep sinking, added pressure, and aches and pains in the neck and lower back.
Like back sleepers, stomach sleepers typically need less contouring and more support to feel comfortable on a mattress. Most people carry a fair amount of weight in their chest and stomach. When you sleep face down, this weight can pull your body into the mattress – possibly to an excessive and uncomfortable degree. The best beds for stomach sleepers provide enhanced reinforcement for the torso and midsection.
Mattress Performance
In addition to the hands-on feedback from our team, we conduct a number of quantitative tests in our Test Lab. The below ratings are based on the experience of our testers.
Generally, polyfoam does not alleviate pressure quite as well as memory foam. Polyfoam has some adaptive qualities, but memory foam’s slow response and deep body contour tend to reduce pressure more effectively. The AirFoam in the Nolah Original is a notable exception. Thanks to its medium feel and close contouring, the AirFoam adapts to your body and evenly distributes your weight to reduce pressure in sensitive areas. At the same time, the foam is responsive enough to resist deep sinkage in order to keep your body on an even plane.
Side sleepers, in particular, can benefit from the Nolah Original. People who use this position often feel pressure due to poor spinal alignment brought on by a lack of support to the shoulders and hips. The AirFoam cushions these areas to promote alignment and alleviate pressure for side sleepers, as well as people who weigh up to 230 pounds.
In terms of temperature control, the Nolah Original outperforms many of its all-foam competitors. The AirFoam doesn’t absorb too much body heat due to its breathable composition, which allows it to sleep relatively cool.
That said, the Nolah Original may absorb and trap heat for some. This is particularly true for people who weigh more than 230 pounds because they will sink more deeply into the mattress, resulting in less surface airflow. Those who weigh less than 230 pounds won’t sink as much, but even then the mattress may sleep warm – especially if you tend to run hot on any mattress.
Edge support is another category where the Nolah Original performs better than the average all-foam mattress. This can be partially attributed to the bed’s transitional layer and thick support core, which work together to reinforce the perimeter.
However, you’ll probably still notice some sinkage when getting on and off the mattress due to its medium feel. Sinkage can be especially problematic for people who weigh more than 230 pounds because it makes getting in and out of bed more difficult. This can also make some sleepers feel less secure lying near the edges and confine them to the middle of the mattress.
Other Nolah Beds You Might Like
Nolah Signature 12
Overall Rating:
8.0 /10
Price Range:
$844 – $1,819
Mattress Type:
Foam
Firmness Options:
Medium (5)
Nolah Evolution 15
Overall Rating:
8.8 /10
Price Range:
$974 – $2,079
Mattress Type:
Hybrid
Firmness Options:
Medium (5), Medium Firm (6), Firm (8)
Nolah Evolution Comfort+
Overall Rating:
8.7 /10
Price Range:
$974 – $2,079
Mattress Type:
Hybrid
Firmness Options:
Firm (7)
Nolah Natural 11
Overall Rating:
8.6 /10
Price Range:
$1,049 – $2,398
Mattress Type:
Latex Hybrid
Firmness Options:
Medium Firm (6)
Nolah Original Mattress Review Breakdown
The Nolah Original is an all-foam mattress. The 2-inch comfort layer consists of AirFoam, Nolah’s proprietary polyfoam material. AirFoam adapts and conforms to the body but also feels somewhat responsive and bouncy on the surface. The mattress has a medium feel, but you shouldn’t sink too much if you weigh 230 pounds or less and sleep on your side and/or back.
The AirFoam feels fairly breathable, making it well-suited to people who normally sleep too hot on all-foam mattresses. The close body-contouring will also be optimal for people who experience pain or pressure points in the shoulders, lower back, or hips.
A 1-inch transitional layer of polyfoam rests beneath the comfort layer. This material essentially provides a buffer between the comfort layer and the denser support core to prevent you from sinking too much.
The Nolah Original’s support core is made of high-density polyfoam. This layer measures 7 inches thick and gives the mattress good overall stability to keep your body on an even plane. The mattress also has above-average edge support for an all-foam model.
The snow-white cover is crafted from Tencel lyocell, a plant-based material that is silky-soft and exceptionally breathable. The fabric is textured in a grid pattern.
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Firmness |
Medium – 5 |
|---|---|
|
Mattress Type |
Foam |
|
Construction |
The Nolah Original is an all-polyfoam mattress consisting of three individual layers and a Tencel cover. A full construction breakdown of this mattress is listed below. Cover Material:Tencel lyocell Comfort Layer:
2″ AirFoam polyfoam
Support Core:7″ high-density polyfoam |
Nolah Original Mattress Sizes
The Nolah Original is available in all six standard sizes, as well as a split king. The table below lists width, length, thickness, and weight dimensions for the Nolah Original in each size.
Trial, Warranty, and Shipping Policies
The Nolah Original is exclusively sold on Nolah’s website. This mattress is not available through any third-party retailers or online marketplaces and Nolah does not operate any brick-and-mortar locations.
Nolah ships free to the contiguous U.S. Nolah does not offer expedited shipping, White Glove delivery, or old mattress removal.
The mattress is compressed, wrapped in plastic, and vacuum-sealed for shipping. For most locations, the mattress will ship within three to five days of the original order and reach the customer’s residence in another two to five business days. The mattress will be delivered curbside in a box, so you won’t need to be at home to sign for the package.
After the Nolah Original arrives, carry the box to the room where you plan to use the mattress. Unbox the bed, use a knife to carefully remove the plastic wrapping, and watch the bed expand. Expect the mattress to reach its full shape within 48 hours or less.
Nolah offers a 120-night sleep trial for the Nolah Original. This trial requires a break-in period of 30 nights, so you won’t be able to return the mattress until 30 nights have elapsed.
Nolah issues a full mattress refund for all returns within the 120-night window. Nolah will also arrange for a courier to pick up the mattress from your residence and transport it for recycling or charitable donation.
The Nolah Original comes with a partially prorated lifetime warranty. Nolah will cover all costs for repairing a defect or replacing a defective mattress – including shipping and transportation charges – during the first 15 years of ownership. After 15 years, owners must pay a round-trip transportation fee of $75 but the company will cover all other repair or replacement costs.
Additionally, if the mattress needs to be replaced between years 15 and 25, the owner must pay 50% of the original purchase price to receive their new model. After 25 years, the owner pays 60% of the original price.
The warranty covers sagging and body impressions in the surface that measure 1 inch or deeper. Other defects covered under warranty include manufacturing flaws that cause mattress materials to split or crack prematurely, or manufacturing flaws associated with the cover seams and/or zipper. Additional issues, such as normal wear and tear or physical damage from abuse or misuse, may not be covered under warranty.
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