Nolah Original Mattress 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 9 different factors that impact the comfort and feel of the mattress. Testing categories include:

Test	Rating
Cooling	Excellent
Sinkage	Minimal
Motion Transfer	Extremely Low
Response Time	Extremely Fast
Bounce	Very Low
Edge Support	Excellent
Sex	Very Good
Pressure Relief	Very Good
Off-Gassing	Excellent
Company	Excellent

How is Nolah Original Different?

The Nolah Original mattress has average performance and a price tag that is just slightly less than average—a savings of $9 for a queen mattress, compared to the average foam mattress.

Advantages

Advantages to the Nolah include slightly better cooling performance, low levels of motion transfer, and better edge support.

Neutral Factors

This mattress has 9% less sinkage and 46% less bounce compared to the average. If you’re looking for very low bounce levels, this may be an advantage, but if you’re looking for something more engaging (and good for sex), then you may find the Nolah Original to be disappointing.

Disadvantages

The Nolah Original is only a 10″ mattress which could be a disadvantage to heavier sleepers or those who sleep on their side. There is only 3.0″ of comfort material which is 1.2″ thinner than average.

The trial is also about a month shorter than average, which may or may not be a critical factor.

Factor	Nolah Original	Average
Overall	9.51	9.51
Price	$1,159	$1,168 (Foam only)
Cooling	9.5	9.4
Max Sinkage	1.99″	2.17″
Total Motion Transfer	2.62 m/s²	8.52 m/s²
Response Time	0.4 sec.	0.4 sec.
Total Bounce	5.22″	9.65″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage	4.00″	4.11″
Mattress Thickness	10.0″	12.0″
Sex Overall	9.1	9.6
Comfort Material	3.0″	4.2″
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	5 days	5 days
Trial	120 nights	161 nights
Warranty	Lifetime	26% have lifetime warranties, average of other 74% of mattresses is 14 years

Cooling performance on the Nolah Original mattress is excellent.

During our tests, I felt comfortable and cool for the duration. I did not experience any significant hot spots or heat retention around my body. The Nolah mattress seems to breathe well.

• 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

Looking at the material layers, this cooling dynamic makes more sense. It’s 100% poly foam, there’s only a 3” comfort layer, and there is no memory foam. As far as cool foam mattresses go, the Nolah has quite a lot going for it.

Memory foam, even cooler memory foam, is almost always going to sleep warmer than poly foam. Since Nolah doesn’t use any memory foam, that’s a big advantage with respect to cooling.

Furthermore, with only 3.0” of comfort material it further reduces the physical material in which heat could be more effectively retained (at the expense of pressure relief, but we’ll talk about that further down).

Heat Dissipation Over Time

Looking at our objective data, we can see that Nolah performed well. The Nolah is able to rapidly dissipate heat.

Within 1 minute it drops from 85.7 °F to 81.0°, a drop of 4.7 °F. The mattress continues to step down over the next 2-4 minutes before landing at 77.2 °F, where it remained.

In our pressure point sinkage tests we measured 1.99” of sinkage on the Nolah Original mattress. This is within what I would consider a “moderate” level of sinkage.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

On average, across all mattresses we’ve tested to date, we see a sinkage depth of 2.21”. While the sinkage on the Nolah Original is less than the average, it’s not drastic. Most sleepers will find this level of sinkage to be comfortable. 

Motion transfer was very low on the Nolah mattress. In our accelerometer tests, we measured just 2.66 m/s² of acceleration.

This is among the very lowest motion transfer scores we’ve tested. Based on all of our mattress tests to date, on average, we see an acceleration range of 8.52 m/s².

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

Any motion transfer of 5.00 m/s² or less I would consider low motion transfer. However, lower motion transfer is always better. Typically, we only see this level of motion transfer on memory foam mattresses.

Looking at our motion transfer chart (which visualizes our accelerometer data) we can see that almost all of the energy is dissipated by 0.22 seconds. That’s a very fast dissipation time.

I was pleasantly surprised at just how much energy (and how quickly) the Nolah was able to dissipate. As a result, this makes the Nolah Original mattress an excellent mattress for couples. Low motion transfer ensures that couples are less likely to disturb each other during the night.

Response time on the Nolah Original mattress was fast. In our tests, we measured 0.4 seconds for the mattress to mostly recover and 0.6 seconds for a full material recovery.

This is notably faster than the average (across all mattresses we’ve tested to date), which is 0.57 seconds to mostly recover and 0.94 seconds for a full material recovery.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

The absolute fastest responding mattresses we’ve tested thus far mostly recover in 0.2 seconds and fully recover by 0.3 seconds.

So Nolah’s Original isn’t quite to that level, but it’s far from slow. A faster-responding mattress helps ensure sleepers don’t feel stuck. The Nolah is plenty fast enough to achieve that.

The Nolah Original mattress has a low level of bounce. In our tests, the total bounce height measured just 5.22”. This is considerably lower than the average (across all mattresses we’ve tested to date), which is 9.65”.

The Nolah Original has the 7th lowest bounce among all mattresses we’ve tested to date. The top layers of foam massively reduce energy upon impact.

As a result, we see low bounce (and also very low motion transfer, which we discussed above).

Energy absorption is a bit of a double-edged sword. It’s great for keeping motion transfer to a minimum, however, having a bounce height this low isn’t exactly ideal.

Super low bounce means worse sex and it can be harder to move around on the mattress. That said, we don’t use bounce to score mattresses, as it’s more of a preferential factor.

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

You should certainly consider whether or not you would be comfortable on a mattress with such a low level of bounce height.

If you’ve slept on a more traditional spring / coil mattress over the years you may find the lack of bounce to be too jarring to find comfortable.

Edge support for both sitting and lying on the was excellent. In our sitting edge support tests, we measured a maximum sinkage depth of just 4.0”.

This is better than the average, which is 4.65”. Less sinkage compression is always better, though as a benchmark I am generally looking for 4.0” or less.

As you can see from our photographs, the Nolah Original fully supports the body weight even when sitting directly on the edge.

While there is certainly more compression when I wear the weighted vest (bringing my weight to 200 pounds), the mattress still supports the weight and does not collapse.

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

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

Lying support on the Nolah was equally as good. When lying directly on the edge of the mattress I felt fully supported in all sleeping positions. The Nolah Original has a relatively thin comfort layer at 3.0” thick.

As a result, sleepers feel the more supportive 7.0” foam base more immediately. In my view, this is the primary reason why the Nolah has better than average edge support. This material design leaves something desired for pressure relief, however, when it comes to edge support, it’s excellent.

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	60%	8.8	Very Low
Edge Support	20%	9.5	Excellent
Noise	10%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	9	Very Good
Cooling	5%	9.5	Excellent

For the Nolah Original mattress, these individual factors generated a sex score of 9.1.

This is not a great score for sex and there are a couple of reasons why it may struggle. Let’s go through them.

First up, bounce.

The level of bounce on the Nolah Original is quite low and low bounce is detrimental to good sex.

Pressure relief was also good, but not great. This mattress only has a 3.0″ comfort layer, which is really the minimum I like to see.

With the added pressure that sex can create, good pressure relief is critical to making sure both partners have an enjoyable experience. A deeper comfort layer would have been helpful in this area or having a layer of memory foam.

Pressure relief on the Nolah Original mattress is good, but not great. In our tests, I didn’t feel uncomfortable, but the Nolah leaves something to be desired when it comes to pressure relief.

While the material design of the mattress does benefit sleepers when it comes to edge support, motion transfer, and cooling, that same design results in worse pressure relief. While mattress thickness isn’t everything, a 3.0” comfort layer is basically the absolute minimum that’s acceptable.

Likewise, a 10” total thickness is the minimum I like to see. Not utilizing memory foam improves cooling, but it also worsens pressure relief.

The Nolah Original mattress has a more restrained contour, restrained sinkage depth, and restrained hug. These facts, combined with the medium-firm to slightly firm feel, create a situation where pressure relief just isn’t as good as it could be.

The heavier you are, the more likely you will experience worse pressure relief on the Nolah.

It’s not a mattress I would recommend for sleepers who need better pressure relief or for sleepers over 200 pounds.

Upon immediately unboxing the Nolah mattress there was a strong odor. The off-gassing smell persisted for 5 days.

After the 5th day, the smell had dissipated and there was no longer a strong smell. On average, we see mattresses off-gas for 2.76 days.

While the Nolah is more than the average, it’s nothing that’s particularly alarming.

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	25%	9	120 nights
Warranty	25%	10	Lifetime
Shipping	25%	10	$0
Returns	25%	9	$99
Country of Origin	0%		USA

For Nolah, these individual terms and conditions generated a company score of 9.5.

They offer a 120-night trial period with a lifetime limited warranty. Shipping is free and the Nolah is made in the USA.

However, returns do cost $99 to cover the cost of gas and labor for the mattress pick.

In addition to the terms and conditions listed above, Nolah also offers a live chat feature. This is generally a nice feature and allows sleepers to ask questions about the product, materials, feel, etc before making a final purchase.

When I tested the chat, the representatives were friendly and responded quickly. But I found their responses to be a little robotic.

Simple questions were given long-drawn-out responses that seemed like a “copy / paste” response instead of a simple, human answer.

This was a little off-putting and could be an issue if you have some concerns you want to discuss, but may not be an issue for all sleepers.

The Nolah Orignal mattress is around a 6.5 out of 10, where 10 is the most firm. This is slightly firmer than what we typically see from other medium mattresses, but is not too far off-center on the scale.

This firmness is in an acceptable range for a wide group of sleepers. The vast majority of sleepers prefer a firmness in the 5-7 range.

The exception to this rule would be lightweight sleepers (under 150 lbs.) or heavier sleepers, 200 lbs. or more.

Overall support on the Nolah Original mattress is good. However, it’s not right for all sleepers. The Nolah Original uses a popular budget-friendly material layering of 3.0” of comfort foam on top of a 7.0” support foam base.

While this design helps keep the price lower, it also puts a cap on the performance.

Support is really a mix between support and comfort.

A concrete floor is supportive, but lying on it would create pressure points and pains due to a lack of comfort material.

Looking at the Nolah Original we see only 3.0” of comfort material. Even at 140 lbs., I felt that the pressure relief was lacking, especially lying on my side.

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleepers	Side Sleepers	Back Sleepers
Under 150 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
150-250 lbs.	Yes	No	Yes
250-300 lbs.	No	No	No

Sleepers who are heavier are more likely to experience these same types of pressure relief issues, making support less than ideal.

As a result, if you’re a moderate to heavyweight side sleeper I would advise looking at other mattresses with a thicker comfort layer.

In my view, the 3.0” comfort layer just isn’t sufficient to create the right level of pressure relief and comfort, while still feeling supportive.

Design

The Nolah Original mattress is a poly foam mattress with a pretty simple composition and simple breakdown. It has three layers, two layers of comfort foam, and one thicker layer of support foam.

The total thickness of this mattress is only 10″, so it’s a little on the thinner side. That said, the thinner materials also mean lower cost.

Materials

You can see a more detailed breakdown of the materials below.

• 2.0″ poly foam
• 1.0″ poly foam
• 7.0″ support foam

The Cover

The cover of the Nolah Original mattress is soft and has a good amount of stretch to it. It uses Tencel, which is a special type of fiber, that helps the cover stay cool to the touch and limit heat retention.

The sides of the mattress continue the same fabric that we see on the top.

Oftentimes, there is a different, sturdier fabric used for the sides of mattresses (as well as handles), which helps with long-term durability.

But sticking with a simpler cover certainly helps keep cost low for this budget-friendly mattress.

The Comfort Layer

The comfort layer on the Nolah has two layers of poly foam. The top one is a 2.0″ slab and the middle layer is a 1.0″ slab, for a total of 3.0″ of comfort material.

As mentioned above, this is a bit thinner than I would like to see, but would probably be adequate for teens, young adults, and sleepers under 200 lbs.

The Support Layer

The bottom layer of the Nolah Original is a 7.0″ thick layer of high-density support foam. This layer simply supports the upper layers and provides deep support to sleepers across the mattress.

Product Evolution

The Nolah Original mattress was launched in 2016 and has undergone a handful of design changes since then.

The Nolah Original mattress sold in 2022 is notably different. The most apparent change is the cover. The current Nolah Original uses a simpler cover, most likely less expensive to keep the price lower.

In terms of material and design, the Nolah Original of 2022 is very similar to the 2016 version. It still uses 3.0″ of comfort material, split into 2.0″ and 1.0″ poly foam layers. And it’s still 10″ thick.

The original version used a 1.0″ layer of Avena foam, a branded latex-like poly foam. The 2022 version of the Nolah Original does not use Avena foam, opting instead for a unnamed responsive poly foam.

One big change we do see from the company is the addition of a number of different mattress models to pick from. The Nolah Original paved the way for the company, but since its launch, they have developed four other mattresses.

• Nolah Signature: improved pressure relief with 12″ profile
• Nolah Evolution: better for heavier sleepers with 15″ profile
• Nolah Natural: natural latex foam with 11″ profile
• Nolah Nurture: 2-sided kids mattress with 10″ profile

These mattresses were introduced as a way to meet other needs that the Nolah Original may not be ideal for.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Still not sure if the Nolah Original mattress is right for you? Check out some of our other top recommendations below for other mattresses to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

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