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The Nolah mattress is a bed-in-a-box foam mattress that is sold exclusively online.
At first glance Nolah didn’t seem too different from other mattresses on the market, but after sleeping on it for a few weeks I think it does have some unique features that should intrigue some mattress shoppers (see how Nolah compares HERE) and is great for someone looking for something cooler and bit softer. I think it offers a great value and has a pretty cool feel to it that I think a lot of people will like.
Overall I liked the mattress, but had some complaints as well. Read on for my full Nolah mattress review.
You will love Nolah if you…
Are a side sleeper – I found Nolah to be softer than the average bed-in-a-box (note firmness is subjective, but that’s my take), making it ideal for side sleepers.
Want good value – Nolah sells only online, using the ecommerce mattress model to provide as much value to consumers as possible.
Want to sleep cool – I’m not sure what makes up the proprietary Air Flow foam they use in the top layer, but in my experience it did sleep quite cool (for a foam mattress).
Want a little bit of bounce – the second layer of foam is Avena foam, which I’ve only seen used in the Leesa before. This is a latex-like foam, which has more bounce than memory foam. When used as the second layer, it gives the mattress just a little bit of bounce.
Want a mattress with a lot of bounce – though the mattress has Avena foam, the top layer feels most like memory foam. If you want a full latex foam feel, this is not the right choice.
Want a firm mattress – firmness is subjective, but I think most fill find the Nolah to be softer than average (aka not my choice for stomach sleepers)
Firmness and Feel
Firmness is always a subjective measure (every mattress will feel different to each person based on their sleeping position, weight, etc), but generally I feel the mattress to be softer than average.
As you can see in the video, it’s fairly easy to push down on the mattress, I think it’s a good option for side sleepers, but maybe not the best option for stomach sleepers.
The mattress also feels mostly like a memory foam mattress, but has more resilience due to the Avena foam as the second layer. This might be best for a person that likes the memory foam feel, but wants to avoid a little bit of the “stuck in the mattress” feeling.
Motion Transfer
Though the foam is a proprietary make-up, in terms of feel and motion transfer it feels the most similar to memory foam.
As expected, the mattress performs very well in the motion transfer test, this will be a fine mattress option for couples.
The mattress size shown in the video is a Queen, but I expect motion transfer should be similar across all other sizes.
Mattress Construction
The mattress is 10.25 inches thick in total, consisting of three foam layers:
2 inches of Air Foam comfort layer (2.75 lb/sqft)
1 inch of Avena foam transition layer (4 lb/sqft)
7.25 inches of polyfoam (1.8 lb/sqft)
The cover is a knitted viscose cover (non-removable), I found it to be soft to the touch.
My Experience
First thing to note is that for every mattress purchased, Nolah “adopts” a wild animal, which means they spend some money to help protect wildlife communities (7% of their profit). During the checkout process, you choose an animal to protect – I chose the Bison. Very unique and very cool in my opinion. Check out my adoption certificate below:
I slept on the Nolah for two weeks in the NYC summer heat, a great (and pretty extreme) environment to test! I’m a side sleeper myself, so the softness of the mattress really resonated with me. I think it does a great job of pressure relief, especially on my shoulder, which tends to be a problem spot for some mattresses. I would absolutely recommend this mattress for side sleepers.
Though I was in hot conditions, the mattress does sleep cool, and it will do a better job than a lot of the other bed-in-a-box options in the market.
I originally reviewed this mattress as the company was started, and now I can say that their customer service is really great.
Other things to note
Nolah has a 120 night sleep trial (100% refund for returns during this time)
The mattress is made 100% in the USA
15 year warranty and free shipping
Nolah
4.5Reviewer
Summary
Nolah is a very comfortable mattress made with proprietary foam and Avena foam. It's a bit softer than average, so I think its a great fit for side sleepers. Sold only online, its a strong value and has a unique donation proposition that I think will resonate with a lot of mattress shoppers.
Comfort4.7
Support4.2
Value (Price)4.5
Doesn't Sleep Hot4.6
Motion Transfer4.5
Edge Support4
Materials/Durability4.6
Company Reputation4.3
Return Policy/Warranty4.8
Overall Sleep Experience4.6
Final Recommendation
Overall I think the mattress is good quality and is great at pressure relief, making it a great choice for side sleepers. I really like the animal protection donation (very unique and cool), though I don’t think that should make/break a mattress purchase, but a good cherry on top for those of you that already are looking to buy Nolah. Overall I think if you’ve made it this far, Nolah is worth a try.
I saw that this is a good mattress for side sleepers. I was shot in a car jacking incident years ago and developed side sleeping because I can’t lay on my back becuase I get back spasms and I can’t lay on my right side due to injuries on that side. I am so glad you offer give aways. because I am disabled and can not work. The money I recieve from disability pays for my rent and bills with not much left over. I can’t even save for my future or my daughters let alone trying to find a good quality mattress. I don’t sleep well, and I honestly know that a lot of it is me. But, my 20 year old mattress does have it’s drawbacks. Thank you for the opportunity to own one, and Enjoy life!
Joe, this looks great for two of my concerns, sleeps cool and as I am a dedicated side sleeper with major pressure point in hips and sometimes shoulders. However, I can not find any info on weight limitations. I am 6’2″ and 245lbs with the lower body of of a 170lb runner with no hip/butt padding at all and have the upper body of a 300lb beer guzzling redneck with broad shoulders. I am concerned it will not provide enough support being less than 11 inches. I am also considering the Helix and Novosbed as well as the Amerisleep Colonial. Any advice?
