Nolah Original Hybrid Review

In This Review
Performance Tests | Firmness | Support & Sleeping Positions | Design | Materials | Comparisons | FAQs

At NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.

We test 10 different factors that impact the performance, comfort, and value of the mattress. We then take the results of that test and compare to every mattress we’ve tested to date.

Check out the full performance table below to see how this mattress ranks:

Factor	Nolah Original Hybrid	Average
Overall Score	8.76	8.57
Price (Queen)	$1,137	$1,332 (Hybrid only)
Cooling – Score	9.0	8.7
Sinkage – Depth	2.12″	2.14″
Sinkage – Feel	Moderate	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	6.4	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	13.11 m/s²	8.78 m/s²
Response Time – Score	9.9	8.9
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.2 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	0.4 sec.	0.9 sec.
Bounce – Height	10.34″	9.53″
Bounce – Feel	High	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	9.5	8.6
Edge Support – Sitting	3.00″	4.04″
Edge Support – Lying	Excellent	Good
Sex – Score	9.3	8.4
Pressure Relief – Score	9.0	8.7
Comfort Layer Thickness	4.0″	4.1″
Mattress Thickness	12″	12.0″
Off-Gassing – Score	8.3	8.1
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	6 days	7 days
Company – Score	9.1	8.6
Trial	120 nights	178 nights
Warranty	Lifetime	25% have lifetime warranties, average of other 75% of mattresses is 13 years

How is Nolah Original Hybrid Different?

The Nolah Original Hybrid has an overall performance that is slightly above average (0.19 of a point) and a price tag that is slightly below average—15% less than the average hybrid for a savings of $195 (for a queen-size mattress).

Advantages

Beyond price, other advantages of the Nolah Original Hybrid include slightly better cooling performance, better edge support, great sex performance, and a lifetime warranty.

Neutral Factors

This mattress has 1% less sinkage than average and 8% more bounce than average. Both sinkage and bounce are more preferential factors than anything else, as both of these scores are still within a reasonable window.

Disadvantages

The biggest disadvantage for the Original Hybrid is 49% more motion transfer than average and a shorter trial period than average (58 nights less than average).

The Nolah Original Hybrid has excellent cooling performance. During our tests, I felt no significant level of heat retention around my body.

The proven hybrid design does a great job of creating ample airflow, while the high-quality, open-cell foams resist heat retention. In addition, the Tencel-infused cover is breathable and limits moisture accumulation.

• Baseline Temperature – the temperature of the mattress before anyone lies on it
• Maximum Temperature (0 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after lying on it for 15 minutes
• Ending Temperature (5 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after being lied upon and having no one on it for 5 minutes

In our objective cooling tests, we measured a max temperature of 89.0° F. After getting off the mattress the temperature declined by 6.2° from minutes 0 to 1, which is 1.64° cooler than average.

From minutes 0 to 5 the decline was 11.9°, which is 4.86° cooler than average.

Heat Dissipation Over Time

When we consider the total picture of objective data, subjective experience, and material analysis, I’m confident most sleepers will find the Nolah Original Hybrid to be sufficiently cool.

The Nolah Original Hybrid has a moderate level of pressure point sinkage. In our sinkage tests, we measured a sinkage depth of 2.12”.

This is 0.02” less sinkage than the average of 2.14”. The mattress creates a balanced level of body contouring hug.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

The 1.5” quilted cover and all poly foam comfort layer, as opposed to memory foam, helps to create an even feel.

This creates a more traditional feel on the mattress. Those who dislike the feel of foam wrapping around the body will greatly appreciate the comfort dynamic that the Nolah Original Hybrid creates.

The Nolah Original Hybrid had a high level of motion transfer. In our tests, we measured a total acceleration range of 13.11 m/s². This is 49% more motion transfer than the average of 8.78 m/s².

The more traditional feel, usage of poly foam (as opposed to memory foam), limited 4.0” comfort layer, and pocketed coil base are all contributing to the higher level of motion transfer.

The level of motion transfer is also documented in the video below.

In our motion transfer chart, which visualizes our accelerometer data, we see the highest motion spikes from 0 to 0.15 seconds.

In addition, we have a secondary spike from 0.43 to 0.57 seconds before energy returns to near-zero levels at 0.78 seconds.

Neither the motion peaks nor motion duration paints a pretty picture. No matter what way we look at the data the Nolah Original Hybrid has a high level of motion transfer.

The Nolah Original Hybrid has a very fast material response time. In our tests, we measured a mostly recovered response time of 0.2 seconds and a fully recovered response time of 0.4 seconds.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

Both of these are considerably faster than the average responsiveness speed, which is 0.40 and 0.90 seconds, respectively. Each material layer rebounds back to shape effectively instantly.

The choice of Nolah to use poly foam, as opposed to memory foam, helps create this rapid response. The faster material recovery ensures ease of movement and that sleepers will never feel stuck on the mattress.

The Nolah Original Hybrid has a very high level of bounce. In our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 10.34”. This is 0.87” more bounce than the average of 9.53”.

The level of bounce is also documented in the video below.

The higher level of bounce helps make it easier to move around on the mattress and also greatly benefits sex performance.

Ideally, I like to see 8-12” of total bounce and the Nolah is well within that range. While the higher bounce does help movement and sex, it is also contributing to the higher level of motion transfer.

The Nolah Original Hybrid has outstandingly good sitting edge support and excellent lying edge support. In our sitting edge support tests, we measured a sitting sinkage compression of 3.0”.

This is 1.04” less compression than the average of 4.04”. Even when sitting directly on the edge of the mattress the Nolah creates a robust level of pushback and support.

The level of edge support while seated is documented in the images below.

The mattress edge remains sturdy and rigid and there is no material collapse. Lying edge support wasn’t quite to this same exceptional level, but it was still excellent. While lying directly on the edge of the mattress I felt well supported in all sleeping positions.

The level of edge support while lying is documented in the images below.

The Nolah website claims that the Nolah Original Hybrid is “Our Best Mattress for Edge Support”. Coming into this review I thought this claim was more puffery than anything else.

However, with just 3.0” of sitting edge sinkage, the Nolah Original Hybrid is objectively the best edge support performance on any Nolah mattress we’ve tested to date. It’s even better than the considerably more expensive Nolah Evolution 15.

Below we’ve included the objective sitting support sinkage / compression measurement, as well as our subjective lying edge support rating for each Nolah mattress we’ve tested.

Nolah Mattress	Sitting Support	Lying Support	Read Review
Nolah Original Hybrid	3.0″	Excellent	You’re Reading It
Nolah Evolution 15	3.25″	Outstanding	Read Review
Nolah Evolution Comfort+	4.0″	Excellent	Read Review
Nolah Original	4.0″	Excellent	Read Review
Nolah Signature All Foam Hybrid	4.0″	Excellent	Read Review
Nolah Natural	4.75″	Excellent	Read Review
Nolah Signature	6.25″	Fair	Read Review

The best mattresses for sex have high bounce, good edge support, quiet materials, and good pressure relief and cooling.

These 5 factors make up the NapLab sex performance score.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Rating
Bounce	65%	9.0	Very High
Edge Support	20%	10	Outstanding
Noise	5%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	9.0	Excellent
Cooling	5%	9.0	Excellent

The Nolah Original Hybrid has high levels of bounce and exceptional edge support. These two factors alone make up 80% of the sex score and are hugely significant to the success of this performance category.

In addition to great bounce and good edge support, the Original Hybrid also has minimal noise, excellent pressure relief, and excellent cooling performance as well.

The Nolah Original Hybrid has excellent pressure relief. During our tests, I felt no significant level of pressure point build-up anywhere on my body.

The mattress uses a 4.0” thick comfort layer consisting of a 1.5” quilted cover and 2.5” of additional poly foam layers (split into a 1.5” and a 1.0” layer).

Based on all of our mattress tests to date, the comfort layer thickness is 4.0” on average.

The Nolah Original Hybrid is a little less than that, but nothing I’m overly concerned with. The foam materials Nolah uses are all extremely high quality. I expect most sleepers will find pressure relief to be more than satisfactory. 

Off-gassing on the Nolah Original Hybrid is strong right out of the box and the smell lasted for 6 days before it was fully dissipated.

This length of time is 1 day shorter than the average off-gassing time period we’ve seen across all mattresses tested to date.

The company score takes a look at factors that may influence your experience with the mattress.

Factors include length of the trial period, warranty, shipping / return costs, and country of origin.

Company Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Data
Trial Period	15%	8.0	120 nights
Warranty	10%	10	Lifetime
Shipping	5%	10	$0
Returns	20%	7.0	$99
Trust	50%	10	Outstanding
Country of Origin	0%		USA

The mattress comes with a 120-night trial period and a lifetime warranty. Compared to the average mattress, this trial period is a bit shorter than average (the average trial is 178 nights) and the warranty is longer than 74% of all mattresses.

The Nolah Original Hybrid has a firmness of 6 out of 10 on the firmness scale, giving the mattress a medium-firm feel.

The Nolah Original Hybrid has excellent support. During our tests, I felt fully supported in all sleeping positions. The mattress is available in a single firmness, medium-firm, which meets the needs of a wide variety of sleepers.

In addition, the mattress uses a robust 8.0” pocketed coil layer. The coil unit provides zoned support, creating increased support in the middle of the mattress. Notably, the mattress lacks any type of explicit edge support (be it reinforced edge support coils or perimeter edge support foam).

Nevertheless, the edge support was exceptionally good at the absolute edge of the mattress. Most sleepers will find support to be more than sufficient.

Check out the table below to see the sleeper weights and sleeping positions that would be best suited for this mattress.

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleepers	Side Sleepers	Back Sleepers
Under 150 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
150-250 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
250-300 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes

Design

The Nolah Original Hybrid mattress has a 12″ thickness (although the Nolah website states only 11″) and a medium-firm feel, 6 out of 10 on the firmness scale.

Materials

This mattress has four distinct layers, including both foams and coils. From top to bottom, the layers include:

• 1.5″ quilted cover
• 1.5″ poly foam
• 1.0″ poly foam
• 8.0″ pocketed coils

The Cover

The cover of the Nolah Original Hybrid is a plush, quilted, Tencel cover. It is soft and breathable with gray contrasting sides.

The Comfort Layer

The comfort layer includes two separate layers of foam—a 1.5″ poly foam followed by a 1.0″ transitional poly foam.

According to Nolah, the 2nd poly foam is also supposed to be 1.5″, but ours was very clearly 1.0″ thick.

The Support Layer

Below the foams is an 8.0″ pocketed coil layer. On this layer, each coil is individually encased in a thin fabric, which allows them to move independently of each other, improving pressure relief and reducing motion transfer.

Product Evolution

The Nolah Original Hybrid was released in 2023. Being newer to the market, there have been no major design or material changes to this mattress.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure if the Nolah Original Hybrid is the right pick for you? Check out these three other top-rated hybrid mattresses for high-performing alternatives you may want to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Check out some of the top FAQs on the Nolah Original Hybrid mattress below and get the answers you’re looking for.