Nolah Original 10" Detailed Mattress Review & Best Coupon

Daniel Galle and Anna Hjoellund founded Nolah Sleep in 2014 with the goal to bring high tech science to mattress development.  With the introduction of revolutionary sleep materials, Nolah quickly became one of the most sought after online mattresses.  

One key feature of Nolah mattresses  is the introduction of AirFoam.  The founders embarked on three-year-long research and development process that by the end, resulted in a new type of temperature neutral pressure relief foam. It’s a more comfortable foam that sleeps cooler, offer better pressure relief and durability than memory foam.  Since then, Nolah has added 5 new mattresses including a kids mattress.

In 2023, Nola joined the growing Z3 Brands family which includes world class brands such as Brooklyn Bedding, Helix Sleep and Birch.  They have earned a reputation not only for making the leading mattresses in the industry, but for quick delivery, superior customer support and one of the best trial and warranties in the industry.  Nolah joining the team seems like a perfect fit.

Before we dive into the Original 10″ comfort and feel, let’s have a look at 4 independent layers that make up this award winning mattress.

The Cover

The Original begins with an ultra breathable, highly wicking, hypoallergenic, Tencel cover.  The cover is stretched over Nolah’s proprietary cooling foam layer, AirFoam, resulting in a cool, comfortable flat sleep surface.

Comfort Layer

2″ AirFoam: AirFoam is Nolah’s proprietary pressure relieving foam.  Void of heat trapping visco elastic materials that plague regular memory foam, AirFoam is proven to be temperature neutral.  AirFoam is specially designed to provide 4x more pressure relief than traditional memory foam in the hip and shoulder areas creating a comfortable, contouring, yet durable comfort layer.  For those seeking greater pressure relief, the Signature 12″ boasts 75% more temperature regulating AirFoam.

1″ Ultra Breathable Active Response Foam: Nolah’s high resilience dynamic transition foam is a key component of both the comfort and support of the Original mattress.  Where the AirFoam layer brings you in, the transition foam is more responsive and adds support.  The dynamic nature of the foam allows it to spring back so you do not get an overly sinky feeling when lying on the mattress.  The result is exceptional pressure relief that can help reduce joint and muscle pain. Additionally, the cooling gel infused within the transition foam pulls heat away from the body, keeping you cool all night long.  The open cell structure and overall design enables it to have higher water absorption and greater moisture wicking. This engineering allows moisture to be released from the mattress more quickly, also contributing to a cooler, more comfortable sleep.  You’ll have 1.5 inches of ultra comfortable transition foam on the Original.

Support System

7″ Reinforced High Density Core Foundation: A 7″ layer of ultra dense foam provides the support layer for the Original 10″.  The support foam is 300% more durable than traditional support foam providing a sag-free sleeping experience for many years to come.  Nolah backs that claim with a lifetime warranty.

Protecting it All

Encasing it all is a full height extra durable border fabric to help increase edge support.  and a non-slip bottom to prevent any unnecessary movement of the mattress once it’s in place.

Tufting

Tufting is the process where the individual parts of the mattress are either sewn or glued together to prevent slippage.  In the Original’s case, Nolah does not tuft as the top cover is stretched over the sides of the mattress.  The Original has a flat surface.  

Does the Nolah Original Sleep Cool?

YES!  We found Original to offer a cool, comfortable temperature control. Being cool at night is all about being dry.  Original accomplishes this through its proprietary foams and layering technique:

1. First, the cover wicks away moisture and enables you to directly feel the cooling properties.
2. The AirFoam memory foam comfort layer pulls heat from the body (and doesn’t return it!)
3. Special airflow channeling design within the mattress allows for unwanted heat to escape.  

Final result – Original will keep you cool and dry throughout the night allowing your body to get the rest it deserves.

How about Edge Support?

The Original offers good edge support compared to other all foam mattresses but lacks  edge support compared to traditional spring based  mattresses.  Reinforced edges and the extra durable border fabric keep all the parts, reducing any sagging.  Even though the Original has several inches of memory foam comfort layer, you will be able to sleep comfortably all the way to the edge of the mattress without worry of “slipping off”!

Will the Nolah Original Stand the Test of Time?

Original is a very high quality mattress and  Nolah spends a tremendous amount of time stress testing the materials to get the most out of the springs and foam. The dense transition foam is more durable than regular gel-foams.  And AirFoam has been shown to be 300 percent more durable that high end memory foams.  The result?  A long lasting bed that can support well over 800lbs.  

Original 10″ (5/6 on the firmness scale)

Seventy percent of Americans are side sleepers (or combination side / back or stomach).  With the Original 10″, Nolah hit the mark of an all foam mattress built with side sleeper comfort in mind.  The key to a restful night’s sleep is proper spinal alignment (as demonstrated in the photo above).  

Side and combo sleepers need contouring to cradle the hips and shoulders so that the spine may remain properly aligned.  As soon as you lay on the smooth organic cotton cover, you feel the AirFoam bring you in gently – just enough sink to really feel comfortable on your side.  Generally, the more the sink, the warmer the experience.  However, with Original’s ActiveFoam cooling layer, you will have a cool comfortable sleep all night long.  Even with soft gels, the transition layer is quick responding, meaning it will go back to its original shape quickly as you move about.  You will definitely feel more “in” the mattress as opposed to “on” it, but without sacrificing the support.  

 The sweet spot for weight is up to 200 lbs.  Above that weight, you’ll start to lose the benefit of the pressure relief from the AirFoam as your body rests more on the foam core.  At that size, you might consider Nolah’s Signature 12″ as it offers greater pressure relief and a greater support base.  

As it’s a very comfortable but base model for Nolah, it’s priced to compete with base models by the well advertised traditional all foam mattress brands.  However, none of them come close to providing the pressure relief, cooling or contouring necessary for side and combo sleepers. 

On Sandman’s Firmness Scale, we rate Soft a 5/6 out of 10.

• Primarily designed for side and combo sleepers, exclusive back and stomach sleepers should look towards a firmer mattress.  
• The Original is all about cool and pressure relief.  Absolutely no overheating here which will keep you cool and dry all night long. 
• Edge support is good – compared to other all-foam mattresses.  However, it lacks versus traditional spring based models.    

As an all foam mattress, the Original offers excellent motion isolation – it’s everything you would expect from a luxury all foam mattress.  Simply put, you will not feel your partner move at night.  Whether they are a toss and turner, an early riser or using the facilities, it’s not the bed that will wake you.  Generally in a mattress, springs create the motion transfer.  However, the open cell structure of AirFoam by its very nature does not transfer motion.  It isolates and absorbs energy so you may rest peacefully all night long.

All Nolah mattresses come in a box. It’s crazy to think that a king size Original 10″ model with a dense core can be compressed, but it can.  And, with no sacrifice to quality and durability.  The way Nolah compresses its mattresses, each layer keeps their shape and strength.  The box arrives via Fedex from their Phoenix, AZ factory.  Simply unbox the mattress.  Rest it on the bed frame and remove the plastic wrapping and the bed will decompress before your eyes.  You can begin sleeping on the bed and enjoying a restful night sleep that same day.

Nolah offers a 120 night trial period.  You may either return it for a 100% refund, or exchange it for a different mattress and pay/refund any price difference.  Here’s how the system works:

1. The trial begins when you RECEIVE the mattress (the FedEx delivery day).
2. You can sleep on it for 120 nights.  As there can be a slight break-in period, Nolah asks that you not initiate a return during the first 30 days.  
3. If it’s not the mattress of your dreams, reach out Nolah at [email protected], or chat (on their website), provide your name and order number and let them know if you wish to RETURN or EXCHANGE.  Either way, there are no questions asked!
4. Returns: In most cases, Nolah will request that you have the mattress donated. Many of the charity foundations that are available offer a local pickup service. In the event that you are having trouble getting this coordinated, please let Nolah know and they will offer additional assistance. Once donated, you will receive a full refund.  If you are having trouble, reach out to Nolah and they will be happy to assist.
5. Full 100% refunds (no fees!!) are issued within 3-4 business days of the pick-up. 
6. Exchanges: For an exchange, Nolah will send the new mattress to your home BEFORE the old one is removed so you’ll never be without a bed to sleep on. 

Nolah doesn’t stop there!  After the trial period ends, Nolah offers a Lifetime warranty.

Yes, Nolah offers financing through Affirm.  Pay as low as 0% for 12-24 months with Affirm.  Click here to see if you qualify.

Nolah has 14 showrooms located in the Phoenix and Scottsdale AZ area.   However, if you are in the Chicago or Columbus OH area, please visit to test out the Original 10″.  We’ll (we’ll even help get it ordered for you!)