Nora Mattress Review
By clicking on the product links in this article, Mattress Advisor may receive a commission fee at no cost to you, the reader. Read full disclosure statement.
Our synopsis: The Nora mattress by Wayfair is an all-foam mattress that incorporates unique cooling technologies like jade gemstone and grooved base foam. We think it’ll provide the best sleep for couples, hot sleepers, and combination sleepers. Plus, you won’t pay more than $1,000 for even a cal king size mattress.
Who Is the Nora Mattress Best for?
| Nora is best for: | Nora may not be best for: |
|
|
Nora Mattress Review Highlights
You’re likely familiar with Wayfair as an ecommerce retailer with a catalogue of over 18 million home goods. The Nora mattress was designed by sleep experts exclusively for the Wayfair Sleep brand. We decided to get our hands on the Nora to see if all the five star customer reviews stand up to our in depth review process.
In this review, we’ll explore how Nore performed in our mattress lab tests, who we think it’s best for, pros and cons, and more!
The main features:
- Cooling Technologies: There is cooling tech in every layer of the Nora mattress—from the unique jade-infused cooling cover to gel-infused foams and breathable bottom layers.
- Hypoallergenic: The Nora mattress materials are resistant to allergens, mold, bacteria, and dust.
- Medium Firmness: Nora’s medium firmness level appeals to most consumers’ comfort levels.
- Bed-in-a-Box Delivery: Unlike traditional mattresses, the Nora is delivered to your doorstep and easily unrolled on your bed frame.
Video Review
Take a look at our Nora mattress review and see how it performed in our testing to help you determine if this could be the mattress for you.
Unique Lab Test Scores
Here’s how the Nora mattress scored on our Mattress Advisor tests and evaluations. Each score is a rating out of 10 points. The total score is a weighted average that incorporates all of the functional and performance characteristics of the mattress.
| Mattress Advisor Test | Score (Out of 10) |
| Shipping | 9 |
| Trial Period | 9 |
| Return Policy | 9 |
| Warranty | 9 |
| Set-Up | 9 |
| Motion Transfer | 8.6 |
| Edge Support | 7.5 |
| Pressure Relief | 6.5 |
| Spine Alignment | 8.5 |
| Responsiveness | 8 |
| Cooling | 8.5 |
| Durability | 7.5 |
| Customer Service | 6 |
| Social Impact | 5 |
⭐Total Score for the Nora Mattress:8.1/10⭐
Best and Worst Features
✅ Pros
- Low Motion Transfer: The Nora does a great job of preventing motion from spreading from one side of the mattress to the other.
- Responsiveness: We noticed that the mattress surface had very little lag time when our testers continually changed sleep positions.
- Spine Alignment: The Nora keeps your spine straight when sleeping on your side.
- Cooling: We stayed quite cool on the Nora mattress, despite its all-foam construction.
❌ Cons
- Fiberglass: Wayfair uses fiberglass as a flame retardant in the Nora, which can cause respiratory irritation, and is not good for those with asthma.
- Not Made in the USA: Unlike many of its competitors, Nora is not made in the US; it’s manufactured in China.
Motion Transfer
We wanted to see how well the Nora isolates motion, so we asked one of our sleep lab technicians to don a blindfold and the other to roll around on the mattress. After a few rounds of this exercise, our technicians gave the mattress an 8.25/10, with 10 meaning they felt no movement at all.
Then, we replaced the blindfolded person with a tall glass of wine (don’t worry, we used a waterproof mattress protector). The glass stayed so still that we gave it a 9/10, which averages a total of 8.6/10 for motion transfer.
Pressure Relief
To evaluate pressure relief, we use a pressure mapping film that shows how well the mattress supports different parts of the body. The blue and green spots indicate that the mattress is evenly distributing your body weight, and the yellow or red spots show areas of high pressure. Low pressure is especially important around hips and shoulders, since those areas can carry a lot of weight.
We saw lots of red on both testers’ shoulders, meaning there was poor pressure point support in that area. Overall, we gave the Nora a moderate score for pressure relief—6.5/10.
Spine Alignment
Sleeping posture is just as important as waking posture, so we made sure to investigate how well the Nora keeps your spine aligned. We asked our testers to lie on their sides and tracked the curvature from tailbone to the base of the neck. Both testers’ spines stayed in a neutral position with only a slight curve, so we gave the Nora an 8.5/10 for spine alignment.
What Is the Firmness Level?
The Nora has a medium firmness, but a lot of people say it feels closer to medium-firm. Medium firmness is a good universal option for most types for sleepers and sleepers who don’t know what they want.
Which Sleeping Position Works Best with the Mattress?
Nora’s excellent spine alignment and supportive base layers make it a good pick for back sleepers and stomach sleepers. Side sleepers will want to add a soft topper to get more pressure relief.
The average responsiveness works well for average weight and lightweight combination sleepers.
Does it Sleep Cool?
We found the Nora to sleep quite cool for an all-foam bed. The combination of cooling gel, jade-derived cover materials, and breathable base layers is very effective. The cover isn’t cool to the touch, but the foam layers don’t retain heat like traditional memory foam.
Body Weight Support
In general, we recommend foam mattresses to sleepers with average body types. Foam usually stays supportive for a max of 10 years, and excessive weight can degrade the foam layers even faster. With that said, Wayfair says the Nora mattress can support up to 1,000lbs.
What Bed Frame Should You Set Nora on?
The Nora can be stored on pretty much any flat, stable surface. Wayfair suggests using a platform bed, slatted foundation, or adjustable bed base. They discourage the use of coiled box springs, since they aren’t strong enough to keep the memory foam from sagging.
What Is It Made of?
The Nora is made with four CertiPUR-US certified layers of foam.
- Cooling Cover: The tight top mattress cover is woven with a jade-derived material that has cooling properties.
- Gel Memory Foam: The top layer of memory foam conforms to your body and uses tiny gel pieces to cool.
- Cooling Foam: A second layer of gel-infused foam draws heat away from your body.
- Bottom Layers: Two grooved layers of high-density support foam enhance the mattress’s airflow and provide balance and support.
Nora Mattress Sizes, Dimensions, and Pricing
| Size | Dimensions | Weight | Price* |
| Twin | 39” X 75” X 12” | 50lbs | $479 |
| Twin XL | 39” X 80” X 12” | 53lbs | $519 |
| Full | 54” X 75” X 12” | 60lbs | $629 |
| Queen | 60” X 80” X 12” | 78lbs | $749 |
| King | 76” X 80” X 12” | 98lbs | $949 |
| Cal King | 72” X 84” X 12” | 98lbs | $949 |
*Prices do not reflect exclusive offers or discounts. Click below to see the best price for the Nora mattress.
How to Set up
The Nora mattress is compressed, rolled, and packed in a box, which is delivered to your doorstep. It took us under two minutes to set up the mattress, and we gave it a full 12 hours to fully expand.
To set up the Nora, simply pull it out the box, unroll it onto your foundation, cut away the plastic packaging, and let it expand for up to 48 hours.
Nora Buying Guide
Next, we’ll cover all the details you’ll want to know before buying your Nora mattress.
| Policy | Details |
| Delivery | Free bed-in-a-box delivery |
| Trial Period | 100 nights |
| Warranty | 10 years prorated |
| Return Policy | Free returns and exchanges for 100% refund |
| Financing | Wayfair Credit Card |
Do You Have to Pay for Shipping and Delivery?
Wayfair ships the Nora mattress for free within the contiguous US (there is an extra charge for shipments to Alaska and Hawaii). The shipping time depends on where you live, but you can plan on three to seven business days. Currently, white glove delivery and old mattress removal aren’t available, so you may want to enlist a friend to help you with setup.
How Does the Sleep Trial Work?
The 100-night trial period starts on the day your mattress is delivered. You can return the mattress during this period, but we recommend giving yourself at least 30 days to adjust to the new sleeping surface.
What Is the Mattress Warranty?
The Nora mattress is covered by a 10-year warranty, which is standard for online mattresses. Wayfair doesn’t specify what the warranty covers beyond “manufacturer defects” resulting from normal use, which means they probably assess claims on a case-by-case basis. If they approve your claim, they’ll ship you a replacement mattress or repair your original at no extra cost.
You can also add a Protection Plan at checkout, which costs $38.99 for 10 years. The Plan includes a mattress protector and covers common accidents like spills and muddy paws.
Wayfair Customer Service
In our experience, the Wayfair customer service team is friendly and helpful. They are available over online chat or phone (844-223-4895) during the following times: Monday-Friday 8:00AM–10:00PM, Saturday 8:00AM–8:00PM, and Sunday 9:00AM–6:00PM EST.
Is there a Return Policy?
If the Nora just isn’t a good fit, you can return it for a full refund during the trial period. You can also exchange it once for a different mattress; you’ll just need to pay (or be refunded) the difference in price. Wayfair will pick up the original mattress and either donate or dispose of it.
Who Is Nora Great/Not Great for?
The Nora is a great choice for hot sleepers and average-sized couples who want an all-foam bed, although there are better bed-in-a-box foam options for the same price (see our comparison section below).
Side sleepers should look for a mattress with better pressure relief like the Tuft & Needle Mint mattress, which is equally cooling and also top-rated for those with back pain.
Compare Nora
We put the Nora next to a handful of other all-foam mattresses. Predictably, it provides better cooling than most of the other mattresse, but suffers in comparisons of pressure relief. Here are a few of the mattresses we looked at:
- The Casper memory foam mattress provides better pressure relief, but isn’t as cooling as the Nora. The Casper is also a little more expensive.
- The Zinus Cooling Gel memory foam mattress has almost an identical construction as the Nora. The Zinus is lower cost and provides better pressure relief, but the Nora has better edge support and cooling scores.
- The eLuxury 10” Gel memory foam mattress earned the same score for cooling as the Nora, and it has similar price points, but it received a higher score for pressure relief.
- The Layla mattress is flippable and has a soft and firm side. It’s not as cooling as the Nora, but it’s more pressure relieving and versatile.
Nora Mattress FAQs
Q.
How do I clean the Nora mattress cover?
A.
Machine wash the mattress cover with cool water and mild detergent. Dry it on low heat and let it air dry once it’s only slightly damp. You can also spot clean the cover, just be sure not to use bleach or any other harsh chemicals.
Q.
How do I care for the Nora mattress?
A.
Use a waterproof mattress protector and rotate the mattress head-to-foot every three to four months.
Q.
How do I get rid of the new mattress smell?
A.
It’s normal for new foam products to have a slight off-gassing odor when they are first taken out of their package. It’s nontoxic and normally goes away within 24 hours. You can speed up this process by opening the windows in your room or propping the mattress against a wall for a few hours to ventilate both sides.
By clicking on the product links in this article, Mattress Advisor may receive a commission fee at no cost to you, the reader. Read full disclosure statement.
