Nolah Evolution 15″ Hybrid Mattress Review: Solid 9.8 Out Of 10 For Back Pain, Cooling, Overall Comfort

My Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress review let us get up close and personal with this America made 15″ tall foam and pocketed coil hybrid.

It rated 9.8 out of 10 after we conducted our 11 point test, offering everything from cooling to excellent pressure and pain relief- without being too soft or firm.

In fact, this mattress is available in three firmness options including Plush, Luxury Firm, and Firm. I’m going to try and provide a more simplified explanation of its features and benefits.

I’ve actually tested and slept on all of the Nolah mattress options myself, and considering I spent 25 years as a mattress manufacturer myself, I can get right to the stuff that matters.

Bottom line, while the Nolah web site throws a lot at you with some pretty technical information, you’re probably wondering how it feels, what kind of support it offers, as well as cooling, edge support, bounciness, and other bullet points.

Priced at $1599 for a queen, and $1799 in king size, the Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress offers quite a bit of technology for the price than you would expect.

Our Test And Review Evaluated 11 Important Features

Hybrid mattresses, which are made using a combination of pocketed coils and various foam layers, is a pretty crowded category right now. Because the Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress has a lot of technical pieces and parts that seem hard to understand, it’s easy to bounce off and keep on looking.

Nolah is a company that uses specific elements inside of their mattresses for precise purposes, and we will outline those components as simply as possible. You won’t find any wasted space or fluff materials stuffed inside, and the team that designed it focused on an inviting initial body contact feel even though you can choose from multiple levels of firmness.

The degree of firmness is controlled by using higher densities of foam in each model as they increase in firmness. Increasing densities of foam mean an ever so slightly increase in resistance. So, you’ll immerse a little more in the plusher version, and less on the firmer options.

I will stress though that with many hybrid coil/foam mattresses I’ve reviewed before that so-called “plush” vs. firmer models can have a wide degree of variation. We tested the Medium Firm option, but personally I’d opt for the softest version of a hybrid mattress that I could find simply because I’m a side sleeper and like a mattress to be immersive and very body embracing.

The Nolah Evolution Hybrid is ideal for people with the following preferences:

• Hot And Warm Sleepers– due to cooling foams and fabrics in the pillowtop, and the mesh netting vent system that wraps around the edge of the mattress- a unique proprietary feature.

• People Seeking A More Luxurious Mattress-but seeking an affordable price. Nolah gets around all of the middleman costs by using 8 factories in their network to manufacture and ship directly.

• Back Sleepers– quilted top on all three levels of firmness fills in void areas like between pelvis and rib cage, and effectively moves weight away from your body. This is due to increasingly supportive layers, the yielding nature of the pocketed coils used, and the design of the mattress edge.

• Side Sleepers– excellent for side sleepers, even if you opt for the firmer version. Couples who are side sleepers might have found the perfect last piece in the puzzle when opting for this mattress.

The Nolah Evolution Hybrid might not be the best choice if:

• If you are seeking a mattress without coils, or an option that is less than the $1599 queen or $1799 king size price. I will mention that you also get a free gift, either a Nolah Squishy Pillow or a Nolah Weighted Blanket (tested both, they are fantastic)

• Stomach Sleepers– I’d recommend checking out something with a lot of latex inside. It’s a tad more flexible for belly sleeping, and will immediately bounce back and won’t keep your spine in a sway back position.

• People looking for a super firm mattress- even the firmest model is not really extremely firm, and if you need it to be similar to a carpeted floor, consider other options.

We’re going to get into what makes this mattress tick, layer by layer below, but first, here’s what we experienced after resting, reading, and sleeping on The Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress for 24 hours:

ANALYSIS OF RESULTS FOR NOLAH EVOLUTION HYBRID MATTRESS

1. Overall Comfort: 9.4 out of 10

The Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress is available in three levels of firmness, including Plush, Luxury Firm, and Firm. The primary difference between the softer version and the firmest option is the density of the foam layers inside. They vary in density a bit from model to model, but I rated the comfort level of the Medium Firm a solid 9.4, and I rarely give anything above a 9.2- quite a decent ranking coming from an industry pro.

One thing you won’t experience on this mattress is bottoming out, unless your total weight (either solo or with a partner) is over 300lbs. The pocket coils are fairly supportive, and the overall feel of the mattress whether on side, back, or belly, is inviting, buoyant, and extremely easy to turn on. Edge of the bed experience, not sliding off, adds to my rating.

2. Support: 10 out of 10

Support is always the important consideration in all of my mattress reviews. The Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress is really great at helping you relax muscle groups, joints, and connective tissue which prevents pain and inflammation during sleep. I scored this option higher because it is available in three firmness options that allow you to dial in on your preference more effectively.

After sleeping on my sample, I noticed the following benefits immediately:

• A good level of suspension that prevented pressure points minimizing constant position change
• Excellent support while on my back, with pillowtop and comfort layers kept me from sinking in
• I sleep on my sides and back, changing position 6-7 times during the night. Easy to turn on, excellent choice for combination sleepers of people who change position a lot.
• Zoned layers in both upper layers of comfort foam and in pocketed coil system provide better support for key areas like lower back, between shoulder blades, even legs and arms. This also helps to distribute load sideways rather than down.

3. Solo Sleeper: 9 out of 10

The Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress  is a terrific option for solo sleepers because of its three firmness options, and if you are of typical height and weight or have a bigger body, you’ll get the support you need. It’s an investment grade mattress that is about 50% of the price of retail store brands offering cooling, pressure relief, and the slightly springy yet immersive comfort it offers.

Another solo sleeper advantage is that because the mattress is gently pre-compressed and vacuum packaged, it is easily handled and setup using two people. You can opt for in home delivery on the web site, for $125.

4. Couple Experience: 10 out of 10

There’s a common complaint from couples when mattress shopping that drives them nuts? Without question, it’s motion transfer. For bigger couples, it’s really hard, and even the slightest movement can send jiggles and shakes through the top of a mattress. By incorporating dampening high density foam layers and a pocket coil system built with just the right amount of tension, The Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress resists motion transfer and is highly effective.

Checkout the real reason why we are all very sensitive to motion transfer in this NIH study. Evidence suggests that auditory levels when moving around at night become enhanced if one partner is sleeping restlessly.

Being mammals, evolution has wired us to respond to predatory alerts, kind of like cats, who sleep just below the fully alert level, to protect themselves. Not being cats, though, we require deep REM sleep to experience restorative sleep. So, it’s essential to invest in a mattress with minimal motion transfer.

5. Edge Support: 10 out of 10

Superior edge support can be found in The Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress largely due to the use of a perimeter high density foam edge around the entire perimeter of the mattress. This also makes this option terrific for people who are bedbound, disabled, or otherwise confined to bed for lengths of time.

You can check out my Best Mattress For People With Disabilities page for more mattress options on this topic, too. For full service setup with this mattress, the extra charge of $125 is well worth the price.

6. Cooling Capability: 10 out of 10

Using Nolah’s proprietary ArcticTex cover which contains heat dissipating fibers, along with a graphite infused layer of high resiliency foam right underneath the pillow top section, The Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress is cool to the touch. I noticed continued cooling for hours when lounging and testing out my initial perception of this pocketed coil hybrid.

We Sleep Deeper When Our Bodies Are Cooler

When you are hot, whether created by room temperature, menopause, or other medical conditions, falling asleep is much more difficult. this causes you to toss and turn which generates even more heat.

Your body will naturally lower your internal temperature by 1-2° F as you fall asleep, which is why you can’t easily fall asleep when you have a fever. If you are hot sleeper, you need effective cooling technology to help you get to sleep and stay there.

The Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress has multiple elements built in that help cool you down, and keep the immediate environment around you cool, too. It’s also ideal for couples and larger people that naturally sleep hot.

Another note: when I tested our sample, we kept our room temperature at about 68°F, which research suggests is ideal for your body and your brain.

7. Sex And Intimacy: 9 out of 10

Note that most mattress review sites are not actually testing every mattress sample by pairing up reviewers to make love and record each datapoint- but- actual owners do write about it.

As a mattress designer myself, I’ve custom made mattresses for couples who specifically ask for a bedding option designed for optimal sex. What this usually meant was incorporating a comfortable and softer surface rather than too firm, the use of motion dampening and energy absorbing materials like memory or gel foams, and in some cases natural latex.

I gave The Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress high marks primarily because of actual owner reviews which offered the following value feedback to consider

• Not bouncy or jiggly, ideal motion dampening without having a typical “dead memory foam slab kind of sensation”
• Excellent support for edge of the mattress sex, with minimal sliding
• Cooling capabilities prevents overheating even when using cover-ups like sheets and comforters
• Just the right amount of sink- get firmer options for couples that weigh over 350 combined
• Really great for after sex cuddling

If you are looking for something with some serious bounce or spring back with minimal sinkage, you could consider Natural Latex Mattresses which are a bit springier allowing for better “grip” on bodies, however options might be limited for larger couples to keep from feeling trapped.

8. Bounce, Liveliness, And Motion Transfer: 10 out of 10

I found that The Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress delivers a pretty good level of subtle bounce, better described as responsiveness when it comes to motion transfer, which is a common complaint heard from larger couples, especially when there are light sleepers and restless sleepers in the mix.

The pilowtop section, which has an organic cotton covering, has a lot of motion dampening ability, primarily due to the taught feel that the pillow top area has. It has just the right amount of tension to keep is a bit tighter up top. Generally, mattresses that use a sleeker fabric, such as the ArcticTex used in the Nolah Evolution, you’ll experience a bit more flexing and springiness.

9. Cost vs. Value Delivered: 10 out of 10

For the money, The Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress pricing is on point. I’ve seen Sealy, Serta, and Tempur-Pedic mattresses that cost a lot more ($3,000 and up for a queen) that don’t deliver what you get with this mattress. Selling for $1599 in queen, and $1799 in king, it is an excellent value.

10. Trial Period, Warranty, Customer Service 10 out of 10

Saatva’s premium delivery and setup service, factory and fulfillment network of 15 strategically located facilities helped drive up my score for this category.

The turnaround time of 9-21 days to receive your mattress is acceptable considering each mattress is made to order and not rolled and compressed, collecting dust in a dusty warehouse. Customer service is something I thoroughly checked out too, with 6 different chat questions regarding pretty technical questions being answered rapidly and effectively. The best part about their customer service: NO BOTS on the chat line. Genuine human beings. That alone is worth a healthy five stars!

11. Shipping And Delivery Experience 10 out of 10

Overall, 10 out of 10, with excellent packaging and timely shipping. Your order will arrive within 9-12 days after the day you place your order. Nolah uses strategic shipping points around the country. Shipping and delivery is typically reliable with most online mattress companies, but with enhanced services, the ability to coordinate production and scheduling in home setup services takes some effort. I did it for years with my own online mattress companies.

Even more difficult is handling COI’s (certificates of insurance) often required by co-ops, apartment buildings, and condos before a delivery can be made. Saatva will handle that for you provided you send them a copy of the building COI prior to delivery date, a really nice feature that takes the consumer out of the loop.