Nolah Signature Mattress Review

Is the Nolah Signature Mattress for You?

Who’s Going to Love It

• Back sleepers
• Combination sleepers
• Those who enjoy a mattress that hugs them back

Who Should Steer Clear

• Heavyweight stomach sleepers—instead, the Helix Plus mattress has the firmness and support needed by these folks. 
• Hot sleepers—instead, the Saatva Classic mattress has a breathable construction that keeps sleepers cool.
• Those who hug the edge of the bed—instead, the Helix Midnight mattress earned a perfect score for edge support.

Nolah Signature Mattress Video Review

If you want to see how this mattress performs with your own eyes, check out our video review of the Nolah Signature mattress.

Nolah Signature Mattress Firmness & Feel

Nolah Signature Firmness

The Nolah Signature is a 6/10 on our 1–10 firmness scale, where 10 is ultra-firm and one is ultra-soft. The surface of the Nolah Signature is initially soft and cushioning, but quickly transitions into firm support. We compare the feel to sleeping “on” the mattress rather than “in” it. This firmness level is best for stomach and back sleepers.

Unfortunately, the Nolah Signature is not supportive enough for most heavyweight sleepers. For more supportive options, see the best mattress for heavy people.

What Does the Nolah Signature Mattress Feel Like?

The Signature has a traditional slow-sinking foam feel—one of our testers even described it as “smushy.” Even with the foam feel, you’ll stay mostly elevated on the surface, so you won’t feel stuck as you try to move around.

What Sleeping Position Is the Nolah Signature  Mattress Best For?

Body Type:	BACK SLEEPERS	STOMACH SLEEPERS	SIDE SLEEPERS
Lightweight (< 130 lbs):	5	4	3
Average-weight (130–230 lbs):	5	3	3
Heavyweight (> 230 lbs):	3	2	2

1 = Very poor, 2 = Not good, 3 = Fair, 4 = Good, 5 = Excellent

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers will experience nice pressure relief around the low back, and the top foam layer will slowly fill in the gap around your lumbar spine. Lightweight back sleepers may enjoy the firmer feel more, while average-weight sleepers will feel supported no matter what, but their comfort is dependent on the amount of sinkage they prefer. 

Heavyweight back sleepers will likely not feel enough support on this mattress and may want to check out the best mattresses for back sleepers.

Side Sleepers

When it comes to spinal alignment, the Nolah Signature really shines for lightweight, average-weight, and heavyweight side sleepers. However, most side sleepers will find the medium-firm foam too firm and may experience tension at the shoulder and hip joints in this position. See our picks for the best mattresses for side sleepers for other options.

Stomach Sleepers

We recommend the Signature to lightweight and average-weight stomach sleepers. It will gently take pressure off of the neck, hips, and shoulders while providing the firm support needed to prevent low back pain. 

Heavyweight stomach sleepers likely won’t get enough spinal support on the Signature. For mattresses that protect the hips and provide the right amount of support, see the best mattresses for stomach sleepers.

Combination Sleepers

Combination sleepers who don’t prioritize responsiveness and bounce may enjoy the Nolah. It has no coils, latex, or notably responsive foams in its construction, so if you’re searching for a bed that’s easy to move around on, you may want to keep looking. 

If you’re a lightweight, average-weight, or heavyweight combination sleeper who spends the majority of the night on your back and doesn’t mind the lack of bounce, we think you’ll love the Signature. However, the best mattress for combination sleepers may be a latex mattress or hybrid mattress that makes sleeping position changes easier.

Nolah Signature Mattress Performance

Is the Nolah Signature Mattress Cooling? 

Hot sleepers and all-foam beds typically don’t pair well together, since foam mattresses tend to trap more heat than innerspring and hybrid alternatives. However, the Nolah Signature has a cooling organic cotton cover, and the foam top layer is designed to sleep cooler than traditional memory foam. It contains no heat-sensitive chemicals and dissipates heat much faster than memory foam.

That said, we didn’t notice it being cool to the touch when we had it in our lab. The Nolah Signature will likely sleep temperature neutral, not cool, so if you sleep exceptionally hot, it may not be cooling enough for you. If you’re looking for more cooling features, check out the best cooling mattress for hot sleepers.

Edge Support 

To test edge support, we ask ourselves one question: how supportive is the perimeter of the bed? Because the Nolah Signature doesn’t have reinforced edges, the edge support isn’t great—we gave it a 2/5 for edge support. So, if living (or sleeping) on the edge is your thing, this may not be your mattress.

Responsiveness

A bed with good responsiveness means that the mattress is bouncy and easy to move around on. The Signature is pretty bouncy for foam; we gave it a 4/5 in this category, but the heavier you are, the easier it will be to feel stuck in the layers.

Motion Isolation: Is it good for those who share a bed?

Another performance category we tested the Nolah for was motion transfer—or how well it isolates the motion of your sleeping partner. Though we noticed some slight disturbance when changing positions, it certainly wouldn’t be enough to wake someone up. For that reason, Nolah may be a great mattress for couples, with memory foam that absorbs motion transfer between partners and durable support across the entire surface.

Noise

The Nolah Signature is made of four foam layers, meaning no noise as you move or get in and out of bed.

Pain Relief

Nolah’s proprietary AirFoam is designed to mimic the best qualities of memory foam, meaning that it has a slow response to pressure and a deep, contouring hug. It should provide an immense amount of pressure relief at the lower back. That’s great for people who experience joint pain on a daily basis or who struggle with ailments like arthritis. 

However, we noticed not as solid pressure relief when we tested the mattress for side sleepers. Lightweight and average-weight back sleepers should be more satisfied in this department than side sleepers. 

For those looking to reduce their pain, check out our picks for the best mattresses for back pain or best mattresses for arthritis.

Sex

If you share your bed with a romantic partner, how well the bed suits your sex life will be an important consideration for you. In order for a mattress to be good for sex is has to be responsive, durable, quiet, and cooling. The Signature has average performance in most of these areas, so it shouldn’t make your sex life suffer.

Off-Gassing

The Signature has that typical fresh-can-of-paint smell that foam mattresses may have after you unbox (AKA “off-gassing”). This smell is normal, non-toxic, and should dissipate after airing out your mattress for a fews hours.

Durability

While researching a new mattress, durability is often a top consideration. Memory foam beds tend to feel comfortable at first but may lose support and thickness faster than other mattress styles. 

According to Nolah, its AirFoam loses only 0.03” of thickness over time on average, compared with 0.09” in high-end memory foam and 0.78” in conventional memory foam. If you love the viscous, sinking feel of memory foam but also prioritize durability, the Nolah’s resistance to sagging and longer lifespan could be a great choice for your lifestyle.

The support layer features high-density and high-resilience foam, which is designed to provide support to your whole body. This means that you should still feel supported on your back or side, even though the top layer of foam conforms around your body. This helps evenly distribute your body weight and prevent excessive sinkage. Based on the materials in the bed, we anticipate that the Nolah Signature will last seven to 10 years.

Nolah Signature Mattress Construction: What’s it made of? 

The Nolah Signature is a mattress with comfort layers of Nolah’s AirFoam—a proprietary polyfoam designed to sleep cooler than traditional memory foam. For other top mattresses, see the best memory foam mattresses.

Layer #1—Cooling Cover: The Nolah Signature features a soft, breathable organic cotton cover. It’s removable so that you can clean it after spills, but we wouldn’t be mattress experts if we didn’t recommend a quality mattress protector.

Layer #2—Nolah AirFoam: This mattress features a comfort layer of AirFoam, a proprietary high-resilience polyfoam. The thicker layer allows for deeper conforming and pressure relief.

Layer #3—Support Layer: Beneath the AirFoam comfort layer is a layer of high-resilience foam, which is a durable, latex-like foam. This prevents sleepers from sinking too deeply into the bed’s firm core.

Layer #4—Pressure-Relieving AirFoam: This is another layer of AirFoam that helps keep pressure off of your hips, shoulders, and low back.

Layer #5—Base Layer: At the bottom of the Nolah is a core of high-density foam. The foam is breathable and reinforces the comfort layers for longevity and durability.

How Much Does the Nolah Signature Mattress Cost?

Mattress Size	Price	Dimensions	Height	Weight
Twin	$1299.00	38” x 75”	12”	55 lbs
Twin XL	$1399.00	38” x 80”	12”	58 lbs
Full	$1649.00	53” x 75”	12”	73 lbs
Queen	$1799.00	60” x 80”	12”	86 lbs
King	$2049.00	76” x 80”	12”	105 lbs
California King	$2049.00	72” x 84”	12”	104 lbs

If the Nolah mattress is outside of your budget, see our suggestions on the Best Mattress Deals in 2024 or the Best Mattresses Under $1,000.

How Do the Policies Measure Up? 

Shipping & Unboxing

The Nolah Signature ships for free anywhere in the contiguous U.S. Each mattress is handcrafted to order, which takes one to five days. Nolah ships via FedEx Ground, and most mattresses arrive four to eight business days after the order is placed. White glove delivery and shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, and other U.S. territories is available for an additional fee.

Your Nolah Signature mattress will ship rolled and compressed as a bed-in-a-box, so when it arrives, you’ll need to take it out of the shipping box and position it where you want to sleep. After cutting away the protective plastic, allow your Nolah mattress to expand for up to 48 hours before sleeping on it. 

Unboxing the mattress took us just under two minutes, and it was quite easy for two people to handle. Many of the online mattress brands have similar shipping and unboxing procedures.

Warranty

The Nolah Signature 12” comes with a limited Lifetime warranty, so if your mattress is found to be defective, it will be repaired or replaced by Nolah Sleep as long as the damage falls under the warranty terms. 

During the first 15 years of ownership, Nolah Sleep will pay for the repair and shipping costs associated with the repair or replacement. After year 15, Nolah will repair the mattress at a handling cost to the owner or replace the mattress at a prorated price, plus a $75 shipping fee.

The prorated cost of a mattress replacement during years 15–25 are 50 percent of the original purchase price. The cost to replace a mattress after year 25 is 60 percent of the original purchase price. For the fine print, see our breakdown of the Nolah Mattress Warranty.

Trial Period & Returns

Nolah Sleep offers a 120-night sleep trial to allow you to try the Nolah Signature at home before committing to it. The sleep trial period includes a 30-night break-in period, but you can return the mattress any time after the 30th night.

If you decide not to keep the mattress, Nolah Sleep will send a driver to pick up the bed, and returns are completely free. You’ll receive a full refund for the Nolah Signature 12” after the return. To learn more, see our Nolah Return Policy Breakdown.

Addressing Nolah Signature Mattress Complaints

• Creates shoulder pain: We come across a few customer complaints of side sleepers waking up with shoulder pain. These complaints don’t sound outlandish to us because in our pressure relief test, we noticed side sleepers had pressure buildup. If you’re a side sleeper with joint pain issues, we recommend the Nectar mattress.
• Sagging: There were a few reports of sagging after the first year or so. Luckily, the Lifetime warranty covers any sagging of 1” or deeper. If it happens in the first year or so, Nolah will replace your mattress for free. 

Comparing Different Nolah Mattresses

Nolah Signature vs. Nolah Original

Product

Firmness

Score

Product

Nolah Signature 12″ Mattress

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6/10

Score

3.0 / 5

Check Price

Read Nolah Signature 12″ Mattress Review

Product

Nolah Original 10″ Mattress

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6/10

Score

4.7 / 5

Check Price

Read Nolah Original 10″ Mattress Review

Nolah Signature Mattress is Best For:	Nolah Original Mattress is Best For:
Back Sleepers	Back & Side Sleepers
Combination Sleepers	Couples Concerned About Motion Transfer
Stomach Sleepers < 130 lbs	Budget-Conscious Shoppers

The Nolah Original mattress is a 10” foam mattress. The AirFoam layers in both provide excellent pressure relief for back sleepers, but side sleepers should choose the original Nolah. Also, the original has significantly better motion isolation. The biggest difference is that the Signature is more expensive.

Read our full Nolah Mattress Review for more information.

Nolah Signature vs. Nolah Evolution

Product

Firmness

Score

Product

Nolah Signature 12″ Mattress

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6/10

Score

3.0 / 5

Check Price

Read Nolah Signature 12″ Mattress Review

Product

Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress

Firmness

Score

4.8 / 5

Check Price

Read Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress Review

Nolah Signature Mattress is Best For:	Nolah Evolution Mattress is Best For:
Back Sleepers	Back & Side Sleepers
Combination Sleepers	Hot Sleepers
Those Who Want An All-Foam Mattress	Combination Sleepers

The Nolah Evolution 15” is Nolah Sleep’s first hybrid mattress, and it combines the company’s signature AirFoam with coils to create a medium-soft, conforming mattress with bounce. Compared to the Signature, the Evolution is better for hot sleepers who like a deep, conforming bed and people with pain who want a little more bounce. It’s more expensive, so shoppers with budget constraints should go with the Signature or Nolah original.

Read our full Nolah Evolution Mattress Review for more information.

Nolah Signature vs. Nolah Natural

Product

Firmness

Score

Product

Nolah Signature 12″ Mattress

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6/10

Score

3.0 / 5

Check Price

Read Nolah Signature 12″ Mattress Review

Product

Nolah Natural Mattress

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6/10

Score

4.2 / 5

Check Price

Read Nolah Natural Mattress Review

Nolah Signature Mattress is Best For:	Nolah Natural Mattress is Best For:
Combination Sleepers	Eco-Conscious Shoppers
Back Sleepers	Hot Sleepers
Those Who Want An All-Foam Mattress	Back Sleepers

The Nolah Natural 11” is Nolah’s eco-friendly, hypoallergenic latex mattress. It’s made with Talalay latex and coils instead of AirFoam. The cover is organic cotton with an organic wool fire retardant.

Like the Signature, the Natural has a firmer feel that’s best for back sleepers and lightweight stomach sleepers. Combination sleepers will get better responsiveness and hot sleepers will experience better temperature control on the Natural, but it costs more than the Signature.

Read our full Nolah Natural Mattress Review for more information.

Comparing Nolah to the Competition

Nolah Signature vs. Layla

Product

Firmness

Score

Product

Nolah Signature 12″ Mattress

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6/10

Score

3.0 / 5

Check Price

Read Nolah Signature 12″ Mattress Review

Product

Layla Mattress

Firmness

Multiple firmness options

Score

3.6 / 5

Check Price

Read Layla Mattress Review

Nolah Signature Mattress is Best For:	Layla Mattress is Best For:
Combination Sleepers	Those Who Want Multiple Firmness Options
Back Sleepers	Side & Back Sleepers
Stomach Sleepers < 130 lbs	Couples Concerned About Motion Transfer

Like the Nolah Signature, the Layla is an all-foam mattress. They both have a medium-firm firmness level, are responsive, and come with a Lifetime warranty. However, Layla works better for side sleepers, is flippable with two firmness options, and has better edge support and motion isolation.

Read our full Layla Mattress Review for more information.

Nolah Signature vs. Puffy Lux Hybrid

Product

Firmness

Score

Product

Nolah Signature 12″ Mattress

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6/10

Score

3.0 / 5

Check Price

Read Nolah Signature 12″ Mattress Review

Product

Puffy Lux Hybrid Mattress

Firmness

Medium-soft: 5/10

Score

4.0 / 5

Check Price

Read Puffy Lux Hybrid Mattress Review

Nolah Signature Mattress is Best For:	Puffy Lux Hybrid Mattress is Best For:
Combination Sleepers	Those Who Prefer Softer Mattress
Those Who Want An All-Foam Mattress	Side Sleepers
Back Sleepers	Those With Joint Pain

The Puffy Lux is a hybrid mattress with a medium firmness level (5/10) that conforms closely to reduce pressure points. Unlike the Nolah Signature, it’s pressure-relieving enough for side sleepers of all body types. Stomach sleepers and budget shoppers will prefer the firmer, more affordable Signature.

Read our full Puffy Lux Hybrid Mattress Review for more information.

Nolah Signature vs. Leesa Sapira Hybrid

Product

Firmness

Score

Product

Nolah Signature 12″ Mattress

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6/10

Score

3.0 / 5

Check Price

Read Nolah Signature 12″ Mattress Review

Product

Leesa Sapira Hybrid Mattress

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6/10

Score

3.8 / 5

Check Price

Read Leesa Sapira Hybrid Mattress Review

Nolah Signature Mattress is Best For:	Leesa Sapira Hybrid Mattress is Best For:
Back Sleepers	Side & Back Sleepers
Stomach Sleepers < 130 lbs	Those Who Need Excellent Pressure Relief
Those Who Want An All-Foam Mattress	Couples Concerned About Motion Transfer

The Leesa Sapira Hybrid is a medium-firm mattress with excellent pressure relief for side sleepers and motion isolation for couples. It works for all sleeping positions, whereas the Nolah Signature is best for back sleepers and lightweight stomach sleepers. Overall, the Leesa Sapira Hybrid scored higher than the Nolah Signature, but it costs $100–$300 more.

Read our full Leesa Sapira Hybrid Mattress Review for more information.

Nolah Mattress FAQs

The Nerd’s Take: What’s the Bottom Line?

The Nolah Signature 12” is ideal for lightweight and average-weight back sleepers who need pressure relief for back pain. It also sleeps a bit cooler than memory foam, making it a good choice for people who love the pressure relief of memory foam but struggle with sleeping hot on it.

The Nerd’s Scores for the Nolah Signature

Performance Factor	Out of 5
Motion Isolation	2.5
Pressure Relief	3
Ease of Movement	4
Edge Support	2
Temperature Control	3
Durability	3.5
Total Score	3/5

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