Nolah Signature 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 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 Signature	Average
Overall Score	8.82	8.57
Price (Queen)	$1,169	$1,079 (Foam only)
Cooling – Score	9.0	8.7
Sinkage – Depth	2.15″	2.14″
Sinkage – Feel	Moderate	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	8.8	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	7.62 m/s²	8.78 m/s²
Response Time – Score	10	8.9
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.2 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	0.3 sec.	0.9 sec.
Bounce – Height	7.56″	9.53″
Bounce – Feel	Low	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	6.5	8.6
Edge Support – Sitting	6.25″	4.04″
Edge Support – Lying	Fair	Good
Sex – Score	7.3	8.4
Pressure Relief – Score	10	8.7
Comfort Layer Thickness	4.0″	4.1″
Mattress Thickness	12″	12.0″
Off-Gassing – Score	8.1	8.1
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	7 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 the Nolah Signature Different?

The Nolah Signature has an overall performance score that is above the average mattress (8.82 versus 8.57) and a price tag that is slightly above others in the all-foam variety ($1,169 versus $1,079). However, when compared to the average price of all mattresses, it is 17% lower, saving you $233.

Advantages

All Nolah mattresses a lifetime warranty, which is a longer warranty than many other companies offer. If you’re concerned about the durability or lifespan of your next mattress, Nolah is a great option.

The Nolah Signature has a 12″ profile, which is thicker than the Nolah Original, Nolah Natural, and Nolah Nurture. The only Nolah mattress with a thicker profile is the Nolah Evolution, which is a hybrid mattress with a 15″ profile.

Neutral Factors

As far as preferential areas like sinkage and bounce, the Signature All-Foam is around average levels for both. It’s sinkage is only 0.01 (0.4% more) than average.

Although, bounce is a tad bit lower. At 7.56″ of combined bounce depth and rebound, it’s 1.97 inches lower than the average, but also critically below my ideal minimum for what is considered good bounce.

Disadvantages

The only significant area in which the Nolah Signature struggles is in edge support. Specifically, when sitting directly at the edge there is a near collapse of materials, making it unsuitable for most uses amorous or otherwise.

Cooling performance on the Nolah Signature 12” was excellent. During our tests, I did not feel any significant heat retention around my body. The mattress seems to breathe well and remains comfortably cool.

In terms of design, we have an all-foam construction, but we have no memory foam, which helps to reduce heat retention issues.

• 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 our objective tests, we measured a max surface level temperature of 88.1° F, which is 1.5° cooler than the average (based on all of our tests to date). The heat dissipation curve was excellent.

The Nolah Signature released heat quickly over our testing period. From minutes 0 to 1 it dropped 3.6° F (which is about a full degree worse than average) and continued to gradually step down, ending at 81.0°.

Heat Dissipation Over Time

Overall, cooling is respectably good. For most sleepers, I don’t expect cooling will be a major problem. 

The Nolah Signature 12” mattress has a moderate level of sinkage depth. In our pressure point tests, we measured 2.15” of sinkage.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

This is just slightly more sinkage than the average sinkage of 2.14” (based on all of our tests to date).

While the total sinkage depth is moderate there is a dramatic body forming contour. The mattress creates a significant hug.

It has a softer feel, so you feel more enveloped by the material layers. During my tests, I noted that heavier portions of my body, in particular, would sink more deeply, especially the butt, midsection, shoulders, and head.

I could see some sleepers not liking the more significant hugging contour that the Nolah Signature creates. It’s not quite as exacting a hug as memory foam, but it’s not far off.

The Nolah Signature 12” has a low to moderate level of motion transfer. In our tests, we measured 7.62 m/s² of acceleration range. This is 13% more than the average motion transfer of 8.78 m/s².

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

While the motion transfer is acceptable, it’s not amazing. I expected far better performance given the relative softness and all foam construction.

Typically all foam mattresses absorb energy far more readily, creating less motion transfer. In my view, we are seeing more motion transfer here due to the relative tautness of the cover itself.

When a sleeper moves around on the mattress that cover is pulling in the direction of the movements.

This creates more motion transfer. When we look at the motion transfer chart, which visualizes our accelerometer data, we can see the highest energy peaks by 0.22 seconds.

While the peaks themselves are higher, the duration is extremely short. The mattresses with the least motion transfer are able to dissipate energy within 0.3 seconds.

Given the short duration of the motion, I expect most sleepers will find it sufficiently low enough to not have a dramatic negative impact on their sleep.

The response time on the Nolah Signature 12” is extremely fast. In our tests, we measured a mostly recovered response time of 0.2 seconds and a fully recovered response time of 0.3 seconds.

This is as fast as it ever gets. The Nolah Signature is tied with the fastest responding mattresses we’ve tested to date.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

When we compare the Nolah’s response performance to the averages (based on all of our tests to date), it’s even more apparent how fast it really is.

On average, we see mattresses mostly recovered in 0.4 seconds and fully recovered in 0.9 seconds. As a result, the Nolah Signature is significantly faster than the average.

The fast response time helps to ensure that sleepers will never feel stuck or trapped by the mattress.

Typically, all foam mattresses have a slower response time. This is doubly true when the foams are on the softer side.

However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that not the case with Nolah’s Signature.

The Nolah Signature 12” has a moderate level of bounce. In our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 7.56”. This is notably less bounce than the average.

On average, based on all of our tests to date, we have measured a total bounce height of 9.53”. All foam mattresses at this firmness level tend to have less bounce.

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

It’s not surprising to see only 7.56”. Generally, I like to see 8-12” of bounce. We’re a good bit below that with the Nolah Signature. As a result, some sleepers may find the bounce lacking.

Less bounce can make it more difficult to move around on the mattress and absolutely reduces sex performance.

Edge support on the Nolah Signature 12” leaves much to be desired. While sitting directly on the edge of the mattress we measured 6.25” of sinkage compression. This is poor performance.

This is considerably more than the average of 4.04” edge sinkage. While sitting on the edge I do not feel well supported.

There is a collapse of the materials and the support foams struggle to create sufficient support. Typically, I want to see 4.0” of sinkage or less.

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

The Nolah Signature is far away from best-in-class when it comes to sitting edge support. Edge support while lying directly on the edge is good, but it’s still not amazing.

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

These foams create lots of sinkage, which is fine when it’s in the middle of the mattress, but not so much when it’s all the way to the edge. With this sinkage depth at the edge of the mattress you end up with insufficient support.

I did not feel very well supported while lying on the edge of the mattress. Back, stomach, and side sleeping positions all felt about the same.

If you look at the images of lying on the edge you can see a notable level of sinkage and dip in the mattress, especially around the butt / midsection.

That dip gets even more pronounced when we’re using the weighted vest and bringing the weight up to 200 pounds. All things considered, it’s not bad edge support, but it’s far from great. 

The Nolah Signature only has fair sex performance.

We use the following scores, plugged into the formula, to derive a sex score for each mattress.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Rating
Bounce	65%	7.2	Moderate
Edge Support	20%	5.9	Poor
Noise	5%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	10	Outstanding
Cooling	5%	9.0	Excellent

Breaking down this score, here are the conclusions we came to during our tests.

First, let’s talk bounce. Bounce is on the low side when considering sex performance. Ideally, higher bounce levels are better for sex. But edge support performance was even worse.

With the type of collapse we see when sitting at the edge, I simply wouldn’t recommend it for amorous activities of any kind.

The lower bounce levels and worse edge support create less than amazing sex performance.

Pressure relief on the Nolah Signature 12” is outstanding. During our tests, I felt incredibly comfortable in all sleeping positions.

The mattress creates lots of hug with a deeper, yet still balanced level of contour around the body.

It’s got a medium soft to medium feel that you just melt into.

The thick comfort layer and all foam construction ensure an even and balanced transitional support for most body types, body weights, and sleeping positions.

When it comes to pressure relief I have nothing but praise for the Nolah Signature.

Out of the box, the Nolah Signature had a strong smell. The smell lasted for a full 7 days before dissipating.

This is a bit longer than the average time for off-gassing, which is around 3 days.

To speed up off-gassing, be sure to leave off any bedding and keep the mattress in a well-ventilated space.

Nolah has an excellent company score. They offer a 120-night trial period and a lifetime warranty.

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

Shipping is free, but returns have a $99 handling fee if things don’t work out. Lastly, Nolah mattresses are made to order in a handful of different factories around the U.S.

The Nolah Signature is a 5 out of 10 on the firmness scale. This will have a medium soft to medium feel.

It is just slightly softer than your typical medium-firm feel (6 out of 10), which is the most common firmness among all mattress brands.

Support on the Nolah Signature 12” was excellent. During our tests, I felt fully supported in all sleeping positions. My only concern is for heavier weighted sleepers.

I could see that sleepers over 200 pounds, but especially over 250 may not love the level of sinkage depth on this mattress. As I noted throughout our tests, the heavy portions of my body sank more deeply into the foam layers.

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

For a mattress to create that type of feel for even my lightweight 140-pound body is notable. Heavier weights, larger bodies, and curvier figures are more likely to experience that type of pronounced sinkage depth.

In terms of raw support, the Nolah Signature will be supportive for up to 300 pounds. So it’s more a question of whether or not you like the firmness and deeper contouring hug.

You can really see the potential support issues on display when lying on the edge of the mattress with the weighted vest. The Nolah Signature’s relative softness creates a lot of sinkage in the middle of the mattress.

I would not recommend this mattress for sleepers over 300 pounds.

In my view, sleepers of that weight class need a more supportive base layer and likely a firmer feel.

Design

The Nolah Signature is a 12″ tall mattress with an all-foam design. It has a medium firmness and broad appeal for a wide range of sleepers.

Materials

The Nolah Signature is made up of four separate layers of foam. The top two are for comfort, the 3rd layer is a bit of a transitional layer, and the bottom layer is strictly for support.

From top to bottom, here is the breakdown.

• 2.5″ poly foam
• 1.5″ poly foam
• 1.0″ poly foam
• 7.0″ support foam

The Cover

The Nolah Signature has an organic cotton cover. It has a moisture-wicking feel and a diamond pattern stitched into the cover.

As the white cover transitions to the side, the fabric shifts to a dark-colored reinforced textile. This dark accent is a 4-way knitted border also has a non-skid fabric bottom to keep the mattress in place.

This provides better durability for the base of the mattress. There are no carrying handles on the Nolah, which can sometimes be a nice addition for an all-foam mattress, but not necessarily a requirement.

The Comfort Layer

The comfort layer is made up of the 2.5″ poly foam top layer, 1.5″ poly foam middle layer, and the 1.0″ transitional layer of poly foam (3rd from the top).

• The top layer poly foam is Nolah’s AirForm, which is made with tiny air bubbles that help keep the foam cool and improve pressure relief.
• The secondary layer of foam is somewhat of a support layer for the AirFoam above. The higher density of this foam provides bounce and pushback, preventing sleepers from sinking too deep into the surface of the mattress.
• The third layer of foam is another AirFoam, but this one has a much higher firmness that the top layer. This layer is designed for improving pressure relief and helps to evenly transition weight into the support layer below.

The Support Layer

The 7.0″ support layer is a high-density foam designed for optimal support of the above layers.

Product Evolution

The Nolah Signature 12 was launched in September of 2021. This is following the launch of the original foam Nolah back in 2015.

Since the Nolah Original, there have been a few other releases including the Nolah Evolution 15, the Nolah Natural 11, and the Nolah Nurture 10.

The Nolah Signature is the first high-profile, all-foam mattress that Nolah has released. It caters to sleepers looking for better pressure relief and fast response time, but without the bounce like what you’ll get with a hybrid.

There have been no major updates to the design, materials, or layers of the Nolah Signature mattress since it launched in 2021.

Nolah Signature vs. Original

The Nolah brand offers two all-foam mattresses—the Nolah Signature and the Nolah Original. A quick comparison below highlights the difference between the two.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure if the Nolah Signature is the best pick for you? Check out these three other top-rated mattress options to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

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