Nolah Original 10'' Mattress Review

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Nolah Original 10'' Mattress Review

✔️Last updated: September 2023

✔️Customer Rating: 4.7/5
✔️Mattress Advisor Score: 8.9/10
✔️Type: All-Foam
✔️Firmness: Medium-Firm
✔️Free Shipping & Returns
✔️120-Night Sleep Trial
✔️Lifetime Warranty

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Quick Overview: The Nolah Original 10″ is an all-foam mattress that relieves pressure without deeply hugging the body. Its universal firmness level works well for all sleeping positions, although its support is best for people who weigh less than 230 pounds. It provides excellent spinal alignment, is cool, and minimizes motion transfer. (If you’re looking for accessories as well, check out our Nolah Bamboo Sheet Set review.)

Who Is the Nolah Original Mattress Best for?

Nolah Original is best for: Nolah Original may not be best for:
  • Couples and those who co-sleep
  • People who toss and turn
  • All sleep positions 
  • People with back pain
  • Back sleepers

Nolah Original Mattress Review Highlights

Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers - Mattress Advisor

Nolah is a direct-to-consumer mattress brand that aims to deliver something better than the traditional memory foam mattress. After testing hundreds of different formulations, the company arrived at the memory foam alternative used in each one of its all-foam and foam hybrid mattresses. Each of these beds boasts Nolah’s proprietary AirFoam, a polyfoam designed for pressure relief, responsiveness, and cool sleep.

 

In this review, we’re going to explore the Nolah Original 10” mattress. We brought this bed into the Mattress Advisor Lab to put it to our through 14-point evaluation. Find out how it performed in our Nolah Original mattress review

What We Love About It

  • Nolah’s AirFoam allows generous airflow for a cool night’s sleep.
  • Nolah is an excellent mattress for couples thanks to its ability to minimize motion transfer. It also has sturdy edges, so you can spread out if you need more space.
  • The Nolah Original earned a nearly perfect score in our test for spine alignment.
  • Nolah’s shock-absorbing air pockets provide good pressure relief for side sleeping. It’s been featured on our list of best mattresses for side sleepers.
  • Nolah mattresses come with a risk-free 120-night trial and a lifetime warranty.

Video Review

Want to see how the Nolah mattress performed at our Mattress Advisor lab? Take a look at our Nolah mattress review video to see if it has what you need!

Testing Scores

The table below summarizes how the Nolah Original mattress performed during our mattress testing. Our 14 categories include performance and functional characteristics, customer experience, and social impact.

Find out more about our review process.

Mattress Advisor Test Score (Out of 10)
Shipping 10
Trial Period 10
Return Policy 10
Warranty 10
Set-Up 9
Motion Transfer 9
Edge Support 8.5
Pressure Relief 7.25
Spine Alignment 9.5
Responsiveness 9.25
Cooling 8
Durability 7
Customer Service 9
Social Impact 6
Total Score for the Nolah Original Mattress: 8.9 /10

 

Pros and Cons

✅ Pros

  • Nearly Perfect Spine Alignment: The Nolah supports neutral spine alignment. Healthy alignment is good for everyone, but it’s even more important for people with back pain
  • Impressive Motion Isolation: The Nolah’s all-foam construction minimizes motion transfer, so you won’t feel your sleeping partner’s every move. 
  • Very Responsive: The Nolah quickly adapts to your movements, so you won’t feel stuck when you need to reposition.
  • Reliable Edge Support: The Nolah has sturdy edges. This allows you to comfortably sleep or sit along the mattress perimeter.
  • Sleeps Cool: Nolah’s AirFoam doesn’t sleep as hot as the foam found in most all-foam mattresses

Cons

  • Off-Gassing: Most all-foam beds emit small particles into the air right after they’re removed from their box, creating a mild odor known as off-gassing. The Nolah had this temporary scent when we set it up, but it went away in a few hours. 
  • Not Too Durable: The Nolah has about average durability for an all-foam mattress, which isn’t quite as durable as the average hybrid or innerspring mattress. 

Excellent Responsiveness

Have you ever found it hard to move around on a mattress? This is typical of traditional memory foam mattresses that deeply hug the body. Because most mattresses today have thick foam layers, we test every mattress for its responsiveness, which is how quickly a mattress responds to your movements. The more responsive, the easier it is to move around and get comfy.

During our responsiveness test, our mattress experts take turns lying on the mattress and switching sleeping positions. They rate the bed on a 1 to 10 scale for how easy it was to move and how quickly they settled into the new position.

The Nolah earned an impressive 9.25/10, making it one of the most responsive all-foam mattresses that we’ve tested. This is great news for combination sleepers who tend to move around a lot at night.

Great Spine Alignment

Proper posture isn’t only important during the day. At night, a mattress needs to deliver the right amount of support and contouring to keep the spine properly aligned.

To see how well a mattress supports healthy spine alignment, we have our sleep testers lie on their sides. We then take a close-up image of their backs. What we want to see is a straight spine from base to tip.

Take a look at the spine alignment images below. Both of our sleep subjects had spines that were nearly perfectly aligned, earning the Nolah mattress a 9.5/10 for spinal alignment. People with back pain need a bed that keeps their backs aligned to help relieve aches and pains.

Decent Pressure Relief

Pressure relief is a measure of how well a mattress dissipates excess pressure from problem areas. Side sleepers need adequate cushion at their hips and shoulders, while back sleepers need some give at the lower back.

We use a pressure mapping film to see if there are any areas of high pressure when our mattress testers lie on a mattress. Red marks extra-high pressure zones and yellow moderately-high pressure areas. What we want to see are cool blues and greens everywhere.

As you can see from the images below, the Nolah provided excellent pressure relief when our mattress experts were lying on their backs. When on their sides, our lighter subject had reds in both their shoulders and hips, while our average-weight tester didn’t have any areas of extra-high pressure.

What these results tell us is that the Nolah delivers sufficient pressure relief for back sleepers and some side sleepers. However, if you weigh less than 130 pounds and sleep on your side, you should look for a mattress with a softer top layer.

Firmness

The Nolah Original mattress is a medium-firm mattress. On a 1–10 firmness scale, with 10 being extra-firm, the Nolah falls between a 5 and 6. This level of firmness works well for every sleeping position and is the preferred feel of the average person.

Sleeping Position Compatibility

The Nolah Original’s universal firmness level works for side sleepers, back sleepers, and stomach sleepers. There’s enough cushion for the average side sleeper and the right amount of support and comfort for stomach and back sleepers. And thanks to a responsive surface, it’s also a good fit for combination sleepers who alternate positions as they sleep.

Does It Hold Body Heat?

Nolah’s foams are designed with breathable air pockets that reduce built-up body heat. The result is a mattress that’s cool enough for the average sleeper but isn’t quite as cool as most innerspring or hybrid mattresses.

How Much Weight Does the Nolah Original Support?

The Nolah Original isn’t the best mattress for heavy people. Nolah customer service recommends their thicker Signature and Evolution models for people who weigh more than 190 pounds.

Foundations and Bed Frames

The Nolah mattress is versatile and can be used on almost any sturdy foundation. This includes box springs, platform bed frames, adjustable bases, slatted bases with slats spaced no further than four inches, or a bunkie board.

Layer by Layer

The Nolah Original 10″ is a three-layer all-foam mattress. Let’s take a look at what’s inside.

nolah 10 inside
  1. Tencel Mattress Cover: Tencel is a naturally-derived material that’s soft and breathable, minimizing stored body heat
  2. Nolah AirFoam Comfort Layer: A top layer of proprietary polyfoam cushions pressure points without a sinking feeling. Made without heat-trapping viscoelastic chemicals like those found in memory foam, the Nolah is designed to be temperature neutral.  
  3. Supportive High-Resilience Foam: A transition layer that was engineered to minimize sinkage while keeping the spine properly supported. 
  4. Base Foam Support Layer: A base layer of high-density foam brings durability without sacrificing comfort.

Nolah Original Mattress Sizes, Dimensions, and Pricing

Size Dimensions Price*
Twin 38” x 74.5” x 10” $699
Twin XL 38” x 80” x 10” $899
Full 54” x 74.5” x 10” $999
Queen 60” x 80” x 10” $1,149
King 76” x 80” x 10” $1,349
Cal King 72” x 84” x 10” $1,349
Split King 38” x 80” x 10” (2x) $1,798

*Prices do not reflect exclusive offers or discounts. Find out how to save money with our Nolah mattress coupons.

Unboxing

As a bed-in-a-box mattress brand, Nolah mattresses come compressed in a cardboard box. Nolah was one of the easiest mattresses that we’ve set up in the Mattress Advisor lab. Thanks to intelligently-designed packaging with handles, we set the Nolah up in less than two minutes.

There was a slight off-gassing odor when we first removed it from its packaging that faded within a few hours.

Purchase Information

Here’s what you can expect when you buy your next mattress from Nolah.

Policy Details
Delivery Free delivery; arrives in 5–10 business days
Trial Period 120 nights
Warranty Lifetime
Return Policy Free returns
Financing Available through Affirm and Katapult

Shipping and Delivery

Nolah mattresses are available anywhere in the lower 48 states with free FedEx delivery. Your new mattress will arrive compressed in a box in around five to 10 business days. You don’t have to sign for the mattress; it will simply be left at your door.

Sleep Trial

After you’ve slept on your mattress for 30 nights, you can return it for a full refund within 120 nights from the day of delivery. This 120-night trial period is slightly longer than the industry-standard 100-night sleep trial, giving you even more time to make up your mind.

You can opt out of the sleep trial for a lower price on your mattress, depending on size. However, opting out makes the mattress ineligible for returns or exchanges under the 120-night trial.

Warranty

Nolah mattresses come with a lifetime limited warranty. During the first 15 years, Nolah will repair or replace the mattress and pay for shipping costs for a covered defect. After 15 years, the customer is responsible for shipping as well as prorated fees for repair or replacement.

To file a claim, reach out to Nolah customer service. For more information, check out our Nolah mattress warranty guide.

Customer Service

It’s easy to get in touch with Nolah’s customer care team. Simply send them an email request, use the live chat feature at nolahmattress.com, or call them at 1-866-403-6615. When we’ve contacted them during the week, we’ve received help right away.

Nolah Return Policy

You can return your mattress only after you’ve owned it for 30 nights. This waiting period allows your body time to adjust to a new sleeping surface while giving the foam time to break-in.

After 30 days, you can initiate a refund at any time during your 120-night trial. Nolah will work with you to find a local charity to pick up the mattress so it goes to someone in need. After the donation, you’ll receive a full refund.

Should You Buy the Nolah Original?

The Nolah Original 10” mattress is a high-quality all-foam mattress. Its medium-firm feel is the preferred firmness of the average sleeper, and it works well for every sleeping position. Thanks to Nolah’s AirFoam, the mattress is both responsive and cool when compared to the average all-foam bed.

In the Mattress Lab, the Nolah excelled in most of our tests and evaluations. When it comes to its performance, it earned an 8/10 or higher in our motion transfer, edge support, spine alignment, responsiveness, and cooling evaluations. Combined, these scores tell us that the Nolah is a good choice for couples, people with back pain, hot sleepers, and those who toss and turn.

There is one group of people for whom the Nolah Original isn’t the best mattress—heavier people. If you weigh more than 230 pounds, you should look for a more supportive, durable mattress. An all-foam mattress that’s excellent for plus-size people is the Plank Firm by Brooklyn Bedding.

Compare Nolah

Nolah Original 10″ vs Other All-Foam Mattresses

The Nolah Original mattress costs around the same as the average bed-in-a-box foam mattress. Its medium-firm firmness level is also similar to the average all-foam bed.

What makes the Nolah mattress stand out is that it utilizes no memory foam, so it doesn’t have a deeply hugging feeling. This makes the Nolah sleep cooler than your average foam bed while also being easier to move around on.

Related: Nolah vs. Bear, Nolah vs. Layla, Nolah vs. Nectar

Nolah Original vs Other Nolah Mattresses

Nolah Original 10” vs Nolah Signature 12”

Both of these mattresses are all-foam beds made with Nolah’s AirFoam for a cool and responsive night’s sleep. While the Nolah Original is a medium-firm mattress, the Nolah Signature is a flippable mattress with two firmnesses. The soft side is medium-soft and the firm side has a firm feel. This makes the Signature better for people who prefer mattresses that are softer or firmer than average.

In the Mattress Advisor lab, the Original outperformed the Signature in our tests for spinal alignment, motion isolation, and edge support. These results lead us to recommend the Original over the Signature for couples and people with back pain. The Signature delivered superior pressure relief, so it may be better for side sleepers.

Find out more in our full Nolah Signature 12” mattress review.

Nolah Original 10” The Nolah Evolution 15”

The Nolah Evolution is Nolah’s only hybrid mattress, meaning it’s the only one that has a layer of pocketed innerspring coils. This coil layer makes the Evolution cooler, bouncier, and more supportive than the Original. The Original’s all-foam construction provides better motion isolation. Both beds have a medium-firm feel with excellent spinal support.

Nolah Original 10″ vs Nolah Nurture

While both the Nolah Original and Nolah Nurture are 10″ mattresses they vary in their type of construction. The Nolah Original is an all-foam and the Nurture is a hybrid. Since the Nurture is designed with kids in mind, it uses OEKO-TEX certified materials and is hypoallergenic. It also only comes in twin, twin XL, and full-size models.

To see how else it compares to the Nolah Original, check out our full Nolah Nurture mattress review.

Nolah Original 10″ vs Nolah Signature All-Foam Hybrid

Despite having the words “All-Foam” and “Hybrid” in the name, the Nolah Signature All-Foam Hybrid is actually a 100% foam mattress. It’s 2 inches taller than the Nolah Original, and the key feature is a three-layer AirFoam Flex Support System. It offers significantly better pressure relief (9/10 Mattress Advisor score) than the Original but performs slightly worse at cooling.

For more details, read our Nolah Signature All-Foam Hybrid mattress review.

Nolah Mattress FAQs

Q.

Does Nolah use CertiPUR-US Certified Foams?

A.

Yes, they do! This means you can rest easy knowing your mattress is made from foams that are tested to be free from toxic compounds like formaldehyde and heavy metals.

Q.

Should I flip my Nolah Original mattress?

A.

No, this is a one-sided mattress with a distinct top and bottom. You shouldn’t flip this mattress, although rotating it once every six months may help boost its longevity.

Q.

Where are Nolah mattresses made?

A.

Nolah manufactures its mattresses in the United States from US-materials.

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