Nolah Original Hybrid Mattress Review

Written by Amelia Jerden, Senior Staff Writer

Our Methodology

Our Certified Sleep Science Coaches have reviewed more than 300 mattresses in our lab, testing each one on its materials, comfort, cooling, support, and other categories.
Learn more.

In This Review

I’ll cover my experience testing the Nolah Original Hybrid mattress, including the results of our tests in factors like cooling, pressure relief, motion transfer, and more.

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Nolah is a brand we’ve covered quite extensively here at Sleepopolis, reviewing beds such as their Nolah Evolution or Nolah Natural mattresses or sleep accessories like their Nolah mattress topper or pillows. So I was excited to have the chance to review the Nolah Original Hybrid mattress, the brand’s most affordable hybrid bed currently offered.

I put the Nolah Original Hybrid to the test, assessing how it feels, as well as how it performed when we tested it on factors like motion isolation, pressure relief, and more to help you decide if it should be your new mattress.

Short on time? Click here to skip to my review summary.

Nolah Original Hybrid Mattress Overview

The Nolah Original Hybrid is an 11-inch tall mattress made with foam and coils, with a Tencel cover. The bed has a medium-firm feel, with some cushioning in the top layer and lots of support from the pocketed coils. This bed works especially well for back sleepers, who not only need spinal support but also want some pressure-relieving comfort around the shoulders or lower back.

This bed ships compressed in a box, so we recommend having a friend help you unbox it. Give the bed a day or so to fully inflate and air out any possible off-gassing smells. In our experience, this bed popped up quite quickly after we cut the packaging, and even though it didn’t have any strong smells, it’s still a good idea to allow some air-out time before use.

Nolah Original Hybrid Mattress Review Video

For an even closer look at the Nolah Original Hybrid, check out my video review of the mattress. In this video, I put the Nolah Original Hybrid through many of the tests discussed in this review. Ultimately, I rated the bed 4.2 out of 5 stars.

Nolah Original Hybrid Mattress Sleepopolis Score

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You may notice the Nolah Original Hybrid scored comparatively low on cooling. We found the bed retained enough heat that its cooling capabilities can only be described as decent, which resulted in the slightly lower score (more on that later). If you’re interested in a better cooling option, check out our best cooling mattresses.

What Is the Nolah Original Hybrid Mattress Made Of? 

Let’s take a look inside the Nolah Original Hybrid to see what exactly it is made of.

Cover – The Nolah Original Hybrid features a Tencel cover. Tencel is a semi-synthetic fabric — it’s a lyocell made from regenerated cellulosic fibers from wood. Lyocell is similar to viscose, but its creation process is more eco-friendly. Tencel is known for its soft and temperature-regulating feel.

Comfort Layer – Under the cover lies a 2-inch section of Nolah’s proprietary AirFoam, which is hole-punched for airflow and additional pressure relief around the head and foot of the bed. This foam is CertiPUR-US certified.

Transition Layer – This 1-inch layer of EverAdapt transition foam is more responsive than the AirFoam above it, serving as a transition between the plusher comfort layer and the support layer. This foam is also CertiPUR-US certified.

Support Layer – The primary support of the bed is an 8-inch section of individually wrapped recycled steel coils, which are separated into three targeted support zones. This is intended to provide more support around the middle of the bed for the hips and lumbar regions than at the shoulders or feet.

Base Layer – Under the coils is a mattress pad made from recycled fibers, which stabilizes the coils.

Nolah Original Hybrid Mattress Firmness 

Here at Sleepopolis, we rate mattress firmness on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is the softest and 10 is the firmest. We use 6.5 as the standard for medium-firm, the most common mattress firmness. To determine each mattress’s firmness, we lay on the bed and change between sleeping positions, assessing how soft or firm the mattress feels compared to the hundreds of other beds we have tested. Then we rank it on the scale based on how close the bed feels to medium-firm.

After testing it out, I decided the Nolah Original Hybrid had a true medium-firm feel, so I rated it as a 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale. The bed does allow for some sinkage into the material, as the top has a plush feel, but I didn’t feel myself sink in very deeply. Overall, the Nolah Original Hybrid feels sturdy and supportive, with a touch of cushioning, resulting in a classic medium-firm feel.

Sleeping Position and Body Weight

Now let’s talk about how sleepers of different weights may feel on the Nolah Original Hybrid.

We recognize that people come in all shapes and sizes, and people of every size deserve a mattress that works for their body type. We use the weight categories light, average, and heavy to more easily categorize sleepers based on how mattresses will perform for their body type, as most mattresses are designed for the group we call “average” (130 to 250 pounds).

As a general rule, lighter sleepers don’t require as much support as average weight sleepers, and mattresses will tend to feel firmer to them. On the other hand, heavy sleepers tend to need more support than average weight sleepers and tend to sink into the mattress more.

As far as sleeping positions go, side sleepers tend to need a softer mattress while stomach sleepers usually need a firmer, more supportive one. Back sleepers are usually somewhere in the middle.

Here’s my take on how each weight group will feel in each sleeping position on the Nolah Original Hybrid.

Is the Nolah Original Hybrid a Good Mattress for Light Sleepers (Under 130 pounds)?

• Light Back Sleepers –  The Nolah Original Hybrid should be a good match for light back sleepers. The medium-firm feel should allow for some comfort from the foam layers, while the coils provide sturdy spinal support.
• Light Side Sleepers – I think this bed will be too firm for most light side sleepers. I felt a fair amount of pressure buildup side sleeping on this bed — I’m in the average weight group, so I think light side sleepers will sink in even less than I did for pressure relief.
• Light Stomach Sleepers – Light stomach sleepers may do okay on the Nolah Original Hybrid, as they may not sink into the material, and thus will have their hips supported.

Is the Nolah Original Hybrid a Good Mattress for Average Weight Sleepers (130–250 pounds)?

• Average Weight Back Sleepers – I think the Nolah Original Hybrid is a great match for average weight back sleepers. I felt well-supported, but comfortable on my back on the Nolah Hybrid, thanks to the supportive coils and cushioning in the upper layers.
• Average Weight Side Sleepers – The Nolah Original Hybrid didn’t offer quite enough contouring to be comfortable for side sleeping for me, so I think most other average weight side sleepers will also prefer something softer or that offers more sinkage around the joints.
• Average Weight Stomach Sleepers – I felt my hips sinking into the mattress when I laid on my stomach on the Nolah Original Hybrid, so I think most other average weight stomach sleepers will likely have a similar experience.

Is the Nolah Original Hybrid a Good Mattress for Heavy Sleepers (over 250 pounds)?

• Heavy Back Sleepers – The Nolah Original Hybrid could work for some heavy back sleepers, as it has a supportive, medium-firm feel. Some heavy back sleepers may prefer a slightly firmer bed though, as they are likely to sink down more than an average weight sleeper.
• Heavy Side Sleepers – I don’t think the Nolah Original Hybrid is a good pick for heavy side sleepers, as these folks might sink through the comfort layer to the coils, causing pressure on their shoulders and hips.
• Heavy Stomach Sleepers – The Nolah Original Hybrid isn’t firm or supportive enough to keep heavy stomach sleepers’ hips from sinking into the material.

Nolah Original Hybrid Mattress Performance

Beyond firmness and feel, we also like to assess every mattress we test on a few performance factors. We test beds in areas like pressure relief, motion isolation, responsiveness, cooling, and edge support to further help you determine if this mattress is right for you and your lifestyle.

Nolah Original Hybrid Mattress Pain Relief Performance

Pressure relief is an important test for many different people, such as side sleepers or those with chronic pain. We test pressure relief with a heat-mapping pressure mat, which we lay on top of the mattress. Then a tester lays on the mat and it uses thermal imaging to generate a color-coded pressure map, showing where pressure is building on that sleeper’s body. Blue and green indicate lower pressure, while yellow to red indicates higher pressure.

As you can see in the pressure map results above, the Nolah Original Hybrid worked very well for back sleeping pressure relief. There is very little pressure showing in my back sleeping result. For side sleeping, these results are less impressive. There are some noticeable pressure points showing where the bed was not able to relieve pressure on my body.

Motion Transfer

If you share the bed with a partner or pet, the motion transfer test is one you’ll want to pay attention to. Motion transfer is a measure of how much movement carries from one side of the bed to the other — for example, if your partner is tossing and turning and you can feel every little movement, that would be high motion transfer. Ideally, we look for a mattress that can isolate motion at the source.

We come up with our motion transfer score using a few different tests. The first one is simple: we just lie down on the mattress with a colleague, roll around, and see how much of each other’s movement we feel. We also place a full wine glass on the mattress, and see how much the wine moves around with us. If the liquid has zero to little movement, then it’s a safe bet that the mattress has low motion transfer, which is what you want to see.

Finally, there’s our seismometer test. This involves dropping a 10 pound steel ball from heights of four inches, eight inches and 12 inches, then measuring the disturbance it causes: the bigger the lines on the graph, the bigger the disturbance and the higher the motion transfer.

Overall, we saw good results on the Nolah Original Hybrid. We did see some smaller movements showing up in our wine test and seismograph tests, but on the whole I thought the bed did a good job of isolating most of the motion at the source. I think you can expect to feel larger movements, such as someone hopping on the bed, but you aren’t likely to be disturbed by a partner simply tossing and turning.

Responsiveness

Responsiveness is a measure of how quickly a mattress responds to pressure, which correlates to how easy or difficult it is to move around on the mattress. A responsive mattress can be beneficial for combination sleepers who change between sleeping positions, people with mobility issues, and for having sex.

I tested the Nolah Original Hybrid’s responsiveness by moving around on the mattress’s surface and changing between sleeping positions to see how much effort it required. Moving around on this bed, I definitely didn’t feel stuck, but it also didn’t offer a ton of bounce. I’d say overall the Nolah Original Hybrid is decently responsive.

Cooling

Cooling is an important consideration for many people, such as those who live in warm climates, run warm at night, or share the bed.

First, we like to look at the materials a bed is made of when assessing cooling, as these materials play a big role in how cool or warm a bed is. The Nolah Original Hybrid uses Tencel in its cover, which is a great fabric for temperature regulation. It also has a large section of coils, which allow for lots of airflow within the bed. Additionally, the comfort layer has hole punches in the foam to promote even more airflow.

We also test out each mattress with a device called a thermal gun, which uses color-coded imaging to measure how much and how quickly a mattress heats up when we lie down on it. If it heats up more than 15 degrees Fahrenheit, we consider it to have poor cooling capabilities. 10 to 15 degrees indicates decent cooling, 5 to 10 degrees indicates good cooling, and less than 5 degrees indicates excellent cooling.

After laying on the Nolah Original Hybrid for five minutes, it increased in temperature by about 14 degrees. This would qualify as decent cooling on our scale. I expected slightly better from this mattress, because it has the Tencel cover, in addition to some breathable elements, but foam can still trap body heat easily. I think the Nolah Original Hybrid is a solid option for most people, but if you are particularly concerned about cooling, one of our best cooling mattresses might be a better option.

Edge Support

Edge support refers to how well the perimeter of the mattress bears weight. If a mattress has poor edge support, the edges will sag or collapse underneath your weight. But if a mattress has good edge support, you should feel as supported at the edge as you did in the middle of the bed.

I first tested the Nolah Original Hybrid’s edge support by sitting on the edge of the bed. I saw a small amount of sinkage, but not the worst I’ve ever seen. Then I laid along the edge and felt well supported, with very little sinkage. The edge felt quite sturdy when I was lying along it. So overall, I would say the Nolah Original Hybrid has good edge support.

Nolah Original Hybrid Mattress Performance For Couples

To decide if a mattress is good for couples, we look at four of the performance factors discussed above: motion transfer, responsiveness, cooling, and edge support. Overall, based on these scores, the Nolah Original Hybrid is a pretty good choice for couples.

The bed showed fairly low motion transfer, so couples shouldn’t be overly disturbed by each other’s movements. The bed is fairly responsive, making it a good choice for sex. And it has fairly good edge support, which will allow couples to maximize the surface area of their mattress and spread out all the way to the edges. The cooling capabilities on this bed are only decent, but I think it should still be cooling enough for most couples, unless they have major heat concerns.

Additionally, this bed’s medium-firm feel could make it a good choice for couples, as medium-firm is often a good middle ground firmness for two people with different preferences.

My Final Thoughts about the Nolah Original Hybrid Mattress

That’s all for my tests on the Nolah Original Hybrid! Let’s recap everything I covered in this review with my recommendations of who should and shouldn’t consider buying the Nolah Original Hybrid.

Who I Recommend the Nolah Original Hybrid Mattress For

• Back sleepers should be happy on the Nolah Original Hybrid. Its medium-firm feel provides the right mix of support for spinal alignment and plushness in the top layer for comfort.
• Couples should appreciate the Nolah Original Hybrid’s good motion isolation, responsiveness for sex, and edge support.
• Those who prefer an “on top of the bed” feel will likely appreciate how the Nolah Original Hybrid offers some cushioning, but keeps you propped up rather than sinking in.
• Sleepers with mobility issues may appreciate the bed’s responsiveness and sturdy edge support, which can make moving on the bed and getting out of the bed easier, respectively.

Who I Don’t Recommend the Nolah Original Hybrid Mattress For

• Side sleepers are likely to find the Nolah Original Hybrid too firm. It showed significant pressure buildup on our pressure map readings.
• Budget shoppers may prefer one of our best mattresses for the money instead. This bed is more expensive than the average hybrid, but I’m not sure it provides extra value for that price.

Nolah Original Hybrid Pricing and Sizing

Wondering how much the Nolah Original Hybrid costs? Here is a breakdown of pricing, by size. Price is a key factor for many shoppers, since mattresses are a high-ticket item, so take a look at the prices for the Nolah Original Hybrid. Don’t forget to use our Nolah coupons to get the best deal.

Size	Dimensions	Price
Twin	38″ x 74″ x 11″	$1,299
Twin XL	38″ x 80″ x 11″	$1,399
Full	53″ x 75″ x 11″	$1,649
Short Queen	60″ x 74″ x 10″	$1,749
Queen	60″ x 80″ x 11″	$1,749
Short King	72″ x 75″ x 10″	$1,749
King	76″ x 80″ x 11″	$2,049
California King	72″ x 84″ x 11″	$2,049
Split King	38″ x 80″ x 11″ (x2)	$2,798

Nolah Original Hybrid Mattress Policies and FAQs

How does the Nolah Original Hybrid ship?

Nolah offers free shipping within the contiguous United States.

Does the Nolah Original Hybrid come with a sleep trial?

Nolah offers a 120-night trial period with this mattress. That means you have 120 nights to test the mattress out at home. If you decide you want to return it, you can return it within those 120 nights for a full refund. However, you will have to pay a $99 fee for pickup gas and labor.

Does the Nolah Original Hybrid come with a warranty?

Yes, Nolah offers a lifetime warranty on this mattress.

Is the Nolah Original Hybrid flippable?

No, you should not flip the Nolah Original Hybrid. If you flip this bed, you’ll be sleeping on the coils instead of the layers of foam. You could rotate the bed 180 degrees periodically, if you want to distribute the wear and tear more evenly. You can also take a look at our best flippable mattresses for some flippable options.

What other products does Nolah offer?

Nolah sells a variety of other mattresses and sleep products. We’ve tested their Nolah mattress topper, Nolah bamboo sheets, Nolah Weighted Bamboo Blanket, Nolah Smart Adjustable Base, and Nolah pillows.

Nolah Original Hybrid Mattress Vs

Not sold on this bed? It’s good to explore all your options — let’s compare the Nolah Original Hybrid to some competitor mattresses.

Nolah Original Hybrid vs WinkBed

The WinkBed is a hybrid mattress with a Euro pillow top that comes in three firmness options: Softer, Luxury Firm, and Firmer. We tested the Luxury Firm model and rated it as a 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale, meaning it is just firmer than average.

• Price: At full retail price, the WinkBed and Nolah Original Hybrid cost just about the same amount — the WinkBed is about $50 more expensive.
• Sleeping position: With the three firmness levels available, the WinkBed is a very versatile mattress. The Luxury Firm model we tested worked best for back sleepers, but could also work for stomach sleepers. However, the Softer model could be a good choice for side sleepers and the Firmer model could work well for many stomach sleepers.
• Cooling: The WinkBed performed slightly better in our cooling test than the Nolah Original Hybrid — it only increased in temperature by about 10 degrees. However, this is still only decent cooling (like the Nolah Original Hybrid).
• Body weight: I think the WinkBed is a better choice for heavy sleepers than the Nolah Original Hybrid, as it is a taller and overall sturdier mattress. WinkBed does also offer the WinkBed Plus, which is specifically designed for heavy sleepers.

Read more in our full WinkBed mattress review.

Nolah Original Hybrid vs Helix Midnight

The Helix Midnight is a hybrid mattress from Helix’s line of Core mattresses. The Helix is the middle firmness option from this collection of six mattresses. When we tested the Helix Midnight, we rated it as a 6 out of 10 on the firmness scale, meaning it is just softer than average.

• Price: The Helix Midnight is less expensive than the Nolah Original Hybrid, by about $400 for a queen size.
• Sleeping position: With a softer than average feel, the Helix Midnight is best suited for back and side sleepers.
• Cooling: As a hybrid with a Tencel cover, the Helix Midnight should be similarly cooling to the Nolah Original Hybrid.
• Body weight: Neither of these beds are standout choices for heavy people, but both could also be decent choices for heavy people. They are both hybrids, so the coils will provide support, but neither are especially tall or sturdy beds.

Read more in our full Helix Midnight mattress review.

Nolah Original Hybrid vs DreamCloud

The DreamCloud is a hybrid mattress with a quilted cashmere blend cover. When we tested it, we felt it had a firmer than average feel and rated it as a 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale.

• Price: The DreamCloud is less expensive than the Nolah Original Hybrid, by about $400 for a queen size.
• Sleeping position: With a slightly firmer than average feel, the DreamCloud is best for back sleepers.
• Cooling: As a hybrid with gel-infused foams, the DreamCloud sleeps fairly cool. It should be a similarly good choice for hot sleepers as the Nolah Original Hybrid.
• Body weight: The DreamCloud could work for some heavy back sleepers, like the Nolah Original Hybrid. But neither of these beds are standout options for heavy people.

Read more in our full DreamCloud mattress review.

Other Models from Nolah

Maybe a different Nolah mattress would be better for you than the Nolah Original Hybrid. Luckily, they offer quite a few other beds. Let’s compare a few to the Nolah Original Hybrid.

Nolah Original Hybrid vs Nolah Signature

The Nolah Signature 12” is an all-foam bed from Nolah that uses the same AirFoam that is in the Nolah Original Hybrid. When we tested it, we rated it as a 5.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, meaning it is quite soft.

• Price: The Nolah Signature is priced similarly to the Nolah Original Hybrid, but actually costs more by about $50 for a queen size.
• Sleeping position: As a super soft mattress, the Nolah Signature is a great fit for side sleepers. It can work well for some back sleepers too — particularly those who like some contouring around the lower back.
• Cooling: The Nolah Original Hybrid is a better pick for hot sleepers than the Nolah Signature. While it is made with Nolah’s AirFoam, which is meant to sleep cooler than traditional memory foam, this all-foam bed is still likely to trap more heat than a hybrid.
• Body weight: The Nolah Signature likely won’t be supportive enough for heavy sleepers.

Read more in our full Nolah Signature mattress review. 

Nolah Original Hybrid vs Nolah Evolution

The Nolah Evolution 15” is another foam hybrid bed from Nolah. It features a cooling cover, Nolah’s AirFoamICE, and support coils. The Nolah Evolution is also taller than the Original Hybrid — it’s 15 inches tall. It comes in three firmness levels: Plush, Luxury Firm, and Firm. We tested the Luxury Firm model and rated it as 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, meaning it is medium-firm, like the Nolah Original Hybrid.

• Price: The Nolah Evolution is considerably more expensive than the Nolah Original Hybrid. It costs about $2,500 at full retail price for a queen size.
• Sleeping position: Even though the Luxury Firm Nolah Evolution is medium-firm like the Nolah Original Hybrid, it allowed for much more sinkage, making it a good fit for back and side sleepers. Still, side sleepers could opt for the Plush version for even more softness. And stomach sleepers could go for the Firm model for better support.
• Cooling: The Nolah Evolution features quite a bit of cooling tech intended to keep the bed sleeping cool. We found it slept fairly cool when testing it out. 
• Body weight: With a tall and sturdy build, the Nolah Evolution is a good choice for sleepers of all weights.

Read more in our full Nolah Evolution mattress review. 

Nolah Original Hybrid vs Nolah Original

The Nolah Original 10” is an all-foam bed, made with Nolah’s signature AirFoam. When we tested it, we rated it 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, meaning it is medium-firm, like the Nolah Original Hybrid.

• Price: The Nolah Original is less expensive than the Nolah Original Hybrid, by about $300 for a queen size.
• Sleeping position: We found the Nolah Original most comfortable for back and side sleepers.
• Cooling: The Nolah Original mattress should sleep cooler than some other memory foam mattresses, since it uses Nolah’s AirFoam, but it still is probably going to be warmer than the Nolah Original Hybrid, which has coils that allow hot air to more easily escape. 
• Body weight: We don’t recommend the Nolah Original to heavy sleepers, as it doesn’t provide much support for heavier folks.

Read more in our full Nolah mattress review. 

Our Review Process

At Sleepopolis, our team of Certified Sleep Science Coaches personally test each mattress. We start by unboxing the mattress to figure out how difficult (or easy) it is to get the mattress from the box to the bed. Then, we spend time laying on the bed in different positions, taking time to assess it on our backs, stomachs, and sides. Next, we perform our Sleepopolis tests, using specialized tools to measure qualities like motion transfer, bounce, and pressure relief. Our last step is to open up the mattress and take a look at each layer. These steps allow us to give our final verdict on the mattress.

Amelia Jerden

Senior Staff Writer

About Author

Amelia is a Senior Staff Writer for Sleepopolis. She primarily covers bedding and sleep accessory products in reviews, how-to guides, and more. You can also find her over on the Sleepopolis YouTube channel. Amelia is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with double majors in media and journalism and in dramatic art. Outside of work, Amelia can usually be found on a hike, traveling to a new city, or at her local thrift store.

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