Nolah Signature 12” Mattress Review

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Nolah Signature 12” Mattress Review

✔️Last updated: September 2023

✔️Customer Rating: 4.8/5
✔️Mattress Advisor Score: 8.6/10
✔️Type: AirFoam
✔️Firmness: Medium-Soft
✔️Free Shipping & Returns
✔️120-Night Sleep Trial
✔️Limited Lifetime Warranty

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Quick Overview: The Nolah Signature is a great mattress for side sleepers and combination sleepers. The pressure-relieving layers of Nolah’s AirFoam should do an excellent job of helping side sleepers, especially those with shoulder pain, wake up free of aches and stiffness.

Who Will Love This Mattress?

Nolah Signature is best for: Nolah Signature may not be best for:
  • Side sleepers
  • People that toss and turn
  • Combination sleepers
  • People with back pain
  • Budget shoppers
  • Those who need good edge support

 

Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers - Mattress Advisor

The Nolah Signature 12” mattress is made of breathable AirFoam. This memory foam alternative allows it to sleep cooler than most memory foam mattresses. It’s been featured on our roundup of best mattresses for side sleepers thanks to its medium-soft feel and pressure-relieving qualities.

 

In this review, you’ll get to see if Nolah is the best mattress for you as we cover pros and cons, sizes and prices, and of course, how it scored in our mattress lab tests. (If you want Nolah’s comfort close to your skin, also check out our Nolah Bamboo Sheet Set review.)

Our Favorite Things About the Nolah Signature:

  • The Nolah AirFoam™ technology provides pressure relief for the hips and shoulders that is designed to be 4x more supportive than memory foam.
  • It has excellent responsiveness (we give it a 9.5/10 responsiveness score), which makes it a very good choice for restless sleepers and combination sleepers.
  • For an all-foam mattress, the Nolah Signature sleeps pretty cool. We give it an 8/10 cooling score.

Testing Scores

Check out our score breakdown below to learn how the Nolah Signature mattress scored on different tests and evaluations in our Mattress Lab.

Mattress Advisor Test Score (Out of 10)
Shipping 6
Trial Period 10
Return Policy 10
Warranty 10
Set-Up 8
Motion Transfer 7
Edge Support 6.6
Pressure Relief 9.25
Spine Alignment 7.75
Responsiveness 9.5
Cooling 8
Durability 8
Customer Service 9
Social Impact 7
Total Score for the Nolah Signature Mattress: 8.6/10

Pros and Cons

✅ Pros

  • Pressure Relief: Sensitive pressure points sinking into the mattress night after night can cause you to have shoulder, hip, or back pain in the morning. Luckily, like other all-foam mattresses, the Nolah Signature received a nearly perfect score in pressure relief.
  • Responsiveness: As you move at night, your mattress should adjust. And with a 9.5 out of 10 in responsiveness, Nolah does just that.
  • Cooling: Nolah Signature is made using cooling Nolah Airfoam, making it breathable for an all-foam bed.
  • Durability: The Nolah mattress is built to last for years to come; you even get a lifetime warranty with purchase.

Cons

  • Nolah Signature has lackluster edge support, meaning people who sit on the edge of the bed to get ready or those who end up sleeping there won’t have as much support as they’re used to.
  • Though Nolah did phenomenally in our pressure relief test, it did not fare as well in spinal alignment.
  • Note that there may be a slight odor after you unbox your Nolah. This should go away within a few days.

Responsiveness

If you have a difficult time identifying your go-to sleeping position, then you may be a combination sleeper—someone who regularly switches between the three primary sleeping positions (stomach, back, and side) throughout the night. If this is the case, then you should be on the lookout for a mattress with a high score in responsiveness, which is a way of measuring how easy it is to move around on a mattress and how quickly you are able to settle into a new position.

The Nolah Signature scored a very impressive 9.5 in responsiveness. Our testers found that the mattress was springy enough to allow for effortless movement, but soft enough to comfortably adapt to any changes in position. If you tend to toss and turn in your sleep, then the Nolah Signature is an excellent choice for you.

Edge Support

The edge support test measures how well a bed’s perimeter holds up under pressure. The higher the score, the sturdier the edges. In this test, the Nolah Signature scored a 6.6/10. This means that if you roll over to the far side of the bed when you sleep, or even if you sit on the corner of the bed to tie your shoes in the morning, then you may notice an uncomfortable sag under your weight.

Motion Transfer

We gave the Signature 12” a 7/10 for motion transfer after testing that movements on one side of the mattress were detectable on the other side. This isn’t a disqualifying score, but it does suggest that the mattress doesn’t isolate motion as well as many others, which could be an issue for light sleepers or those who sleep with a restless partner. If you’re looking for a mattress that won’t send the ripple effects of movement from one side of the bed to the other, consider the Nolah Original, which earned an outstanding 9/10 in our motion transfer test.

Pressure Relief

Possibly the most important test for side and back sleepers, pressure relief measures a bed’s ability to support sensitive areas like shoulders and hips. A high scoring mattress can often help reduce, or even prevent, morning aches and pains.

The Nolah Signature scored a 9.25/10 in pressure relief, which is an outstanding score. Our testers felt their shoulders sink just far enough into the surface of the mattress to feel sufficiently cradled, but not so far in that changing position would be difficult. If you suffer from back or shoulder pain then your current mattress might be to blame, and we’d definitely recommend the Nolah Signature as a great alternative.


How Firm is the Nolah Signature?

The Nolah Signature is 4.5/10 (medium-soft on the firmness scale). This means it works for many types of sleepers.

How the Nolah Signature 12″ Supports Different Sleeping Positions

Side sleepers: Side sleepers are the primary group that will enjoy the medium-soft Nolah Signature. The mattress provides excellent pressure relief with its patented Airfoam—your hips and shoulders should be cradled and supported, so that tension is dispersed before it has a chance to build up. We gave the mattress a 9.25/10 for pressure relief, which is a good sign for side sleepers.

Back sleepers: Most exclusive back sleepers will find that the mattress doesn’t provide enough support in the lower back and midsection for comfortable back sleeping. It also falls short on spine alignment, which is a good indication that back and stomach sleepers might do better with a different—and likely firmer—mattress.

Stomach sleepers: Stomach sleepers are the group most likely to need a firm mattress. For this reason, the Signature 12” isn’t a great fit. Its medium-softness has too much cushion to keep your hips from sinking in, and it doesn’t provide enough support through the midsection for good alignment through the spine and shoulders.

Combination sleepers: Combination sleepers who frequently sleep on their sides should appreciate the medium-soft Signature 12”—while it might not provide sufficient lumbar support for back sleeping, the mattress more than makes up for it with next-level pressure relief when you roll onto your side.

If you want to see how the Nolah Signature stacks up against other top mattresses for different sleeping positions, head over to any of our guides below.

Cooling

Body heat can get trapped in traditional memory foam mattresses, but Nolah’s special Airfoam keeps you temperature neutral. Latex mattresses and innerspring beds will sleep cooler, however.

Is the Nolah Signature 12” Good for Pain Relief?

Back Pain

The Nolah Signature 12” might not be the best option for those who suffer from back pain, due to its disappointing performance in our test of spine alignment. Back sleepers and stomach sleepers with back pain will likely find that it doesn’t support your hips and lower back and allows your core to sink out of alignment with your shoulders. Side sleepers with back pain, however, might find that the mattress’s excellent pressure relief makes up for its so-so spine alignment and provides the contouring support you need to offset back and joint aches.

Hip Pain

Back and stomach sleepers with hip pain likely won’t get the support they need from the Signature 12”—the mattress earns a below-average score for spine alignment and doesn’t do the best job of preventing hips from sinking further into the mattress than your shoulders. Side sleepers with hip pain, however, need a lot of pressure relief from a mattress to cushion those aching joints. This is one area in which the Signature 12” excels—its soft, contouring memory foam cradles your hips to disperse tension and offset hip pain.

Shoulder Pain

Side sleepers who suffer from shoulder pain should do well with this mattress, which cushions your hips and shoulders in layers of soft memory foam. It earned a 9.25/10 in our pressure relief test, indicating that it does a good job of preventing pain and pressure from building up in one area. Back and stomach sleepers and heavier sleepers with shoulder pain, however, might find the mattress is too soft for good pain support.

How Much Weight Does it Support?

The Nolah Signature holds up to 700 lbs for a queen size. This will support most types of sleepers, although the Signature’s medium-soft feel probably isn’t firm enough for people who weigh more than 230 lbs.

If you’re a plus-size sleeper, see our roundup of best mattresses for heavy people.

Foundation Compatibility

The Nolah Signature will work on any firm, flat surface. This includes a box spring foundation, flat frames, slats, and adjustable frames.

A Look Inside

The Nolah Signature bed is made with 6 layers. The foams used to make the Nolah Signature 12 mattress are CertiPUR-US Certified, meaning they are good for you and the environment.

Nolah Signature Mattress Layers
  1. Organic cotton cover: It’s soft, cooling, and wicks away moisture.
  2. Contouring Nolah AirFoam™: 2.5” of soft and cooling AirFoam. Sleeps cooler than Memory Foam and provides 4x better pressure relief
  3. Deep supportive high-resilience foam: 1.5” high-resilience foam comfort layer is both soft and contouring enough for side sleepers and supportive enough for back/stomach sleepers.
  4. Firm pressure-relieving AirFoam™: This 1″ layer of AirFoam™ has a higher firmness than the upper 2.5″ AirFoam™ comfort layer.
  5. Reinforced high-density core foundation: 7” of core foundation foam to provide a support layer and prevent sinkage.
  6. Four-way knit border cover: Made with four-way knitted poly-yarns, it also features a non-skid fabric bottom layer to ensure the mattress doesn’t move on the bed frame.

Sizes and Prices

Size Dimensions Weight Price*
Twin 38” x 75” x12” 55 lbs. $1,099
Twin XL 38” x 80” x 12” 58 lbs. $1,199
Full 54” x 75” x 12” 73 lbs. $1,399
Queen 60” x 80” x 12” 86 lbs. $1,599
King 76” x 80” x 12” 105 lbs. $1,499
Cal King 72” x 84” x 12” 104 lbs. $1,799

*Prices do not reflect exclusive offers or discounts. You can save money with our exclusive Nolah mattress coupons.

Unboxing the Nolah Signature

The Nolah mattress comes compressed and rolled up in a box. You will simply unbox, unroll, and watch it spring to life. The Nolah Signature mattress took us exactly two minutes to set up. This mattress puffed to life instantly and did not have a noticeable off-gassing odor.


Purchase Information

Policy Details
Delivery Free delivery; Compressed and rolled in a box
Trial Period 120 days
Warranty Limited lifetime warranty
Return Policy Free returns
Financing Available through Affirm of Katapult

Delivery

The Nolah Signature comes with free delivery and should arrive at your doorstep within 2-8 business days.

Sleep Trial

You have 120 nights, or four months, to sleep on your new Nolah mattress to decide if you’re going to keep it. This is a more generous offer than the standard 100 night other bed-in-a-box companies have. If you decide to make a return during this period, you will receive a full refund.

You can save money on your Nolah mattress by opting out of the sleep trial, but opting out makes the mattress ineligible for returns or exchanges under the sleep trial.

Warranty

The Nolah Signature mattress comes with a limited-lifetime warranty. This warranty covers full replacement for the first 15 years of ownership and then is prorated for the remainder of the mattress’s life.

Customer Service

Getting in contact with Nolah’s customer service is easy.

  • Live chat with a customer service rep on their website
  • Call 1-866-403-6615
  • Fill out an email form on their contact page

Returns

If you’re not in love with your Nolah mattress, you can return it for a full refund within your 120-night trial period. Nolah will have a representative come to your house and pick up your mattress to be donated or recycled. Nolah asks that you give your new mattress a try for at least 30 nights.

Is the Nolah Signature 12″ Right for You?

The Nolah Signature scored high marks on many of our mattress performance tests, such as responsiveness, pressure relief, and cooling, making this a great option for those looking to solve for morning aches and night sweats. And though it’s not the cheapest mattress, it is quite affordable relative to other high performing mattresses that we’ve tested in our lab.

If you’re interested in a new mattress at a slightly lower price point, check out our roundup of the best mattresses under $1,000.

See How It Stacks Up

Nolah also offers a 10-inch mattress model called the Nolah Original. The Original is quite a bit more affordable than the Signature, but it did not score quite as well on the pressure relief test. That said, we did find that the Original did a better job of absorbing motion than the Signature did, so it might be a better option for you if you sleep with a partner. And if you have a little one at home, you can check out Nolah’s new kid mattress, the Nolah Nurture.


Other Products Sold by Nolah

AirFoam Pillow

nolah pillow

Adjustable Base

nolah adjustable base

Nolah Original 10" Mattress

Nolah mattress

Nolah Bamboo Sheet Set

Nolah Bamboo Sheet Set

FAQs

Q.

Is the Nolah Signature made in the United States?

A.

Yes! The mattress is supplied and assembled entirely in the USA.

Q.

How long can I keep the Nolah Signature in the box?

A.

You should only keep Nolah in the box for up to 30 days.

Q.

How can I clean my Nolah Signature?

A.

To clean the Nolah Mattress, simply spot clean with a homemade cleaning solution, upholstery or enzyme cleaner. Although the cover may be zipped off, do not put in the washing machine. It will shrink.