Is the Nolah Natural 11 mattress worth it? We tried the organic latex bed to find out
The Nolah Natural 11 is the brand’s organic latex hybrid mattress, featuring eco-friendly materials for hypoallergenic comfort. Right now, you can save 35% on the Nolah Natural at Nolah Mattress, with a queen just $1,364 down from $2,099. While it may still sit in the upper-mid price bracket, the Nolah Natural promises to deliver a bed that’s “good for you and the environment”.
Nolah Natural 11 Specs
Type: Latex hybrid
Firmness (1-10): 6-7
Height: 11″
Trial period: 120 nights
Warranty: Lifetime
Price: From $974 at Nolah
Well, we recently got the opportunity to visit Nolah’s showroom and factory in Arizona, where we got to try out the Nolah Natural and put its promise to the test. Our team of expert reviewers, who have slept on some of this year’s best mattresses for all sleep preferences, tested the Nolah Natural in key areas, such as design, comfort, and support.
Our verdict? This is one bouncy mattress, with our testing panel likening it to a hammock. It’s a medium-firm bed, which should suit most sleep positions, but it may take some nights to adjust to the unique, responsive feel if you’ve never slept on a latex mattress before.
Luckily, you get four months to try out the Nolah Natural thanks to a 120-night sleep trial. You’ll also never have to pay full retail price, due to regular mattress sales. Read on to find out what we thought about the Nolah Natural in terms of price, design, comfort, and more…
Nolah Natural 11: Price and extras
- The Nolah Natural sits in the upper-mid price bracket
- A regular 35% off sale, with a queen frequently discounted to $1,364
- Extras include a 120-night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty
As with most organic latex mattresses, the Nolah Natural does not come cheap. Thanks to a standard 35% off deal, a queen is often reduced to $1,364, down from a premium MSRP of $2,099.
Regular discounts stop the certified organic bed from veering into premium territory, but its upper mid-range price may still be out of a lot of people’s budgets.
- Twin: MSRP $1,499, normally sold at $974
- Twin XL: MSRP $1,099, normally sold at $1,104
- Full: MSRP $1,099, normally sold at $1,234
- Queen: MSRP $2,099, normally sold at 1,364
- King or Cal king: MSRP $2,499, normally sold at $1,624
- Split king or split Cal king: MSRP $1,398, normally sold at $2,209
We have observed some fluctuations in the discount over recent months, so you might sometimes spot sales prices slightly higher than the ones listed above (although they rarely drop lower).
If you aren’t in a rush to buy, you can hold off on purchasing and keep your fingers crossed the price will fall again soon. Extras include a 120-night sleep trial, a lifetime warranty, and free shipping. However, keep in mind that there is a $99 fee if you need to return it.
Nolah Natural 11: Design
- Made from organic materials for hypoallergenic, natural sleep
- 11″ tall, with two layers of latex, two wool layers, and a tier of coils
- Bottom cover comes with handles for an easy move
The Nolah Natural has a similar design to the beds found in this year’s best organic mattress guide, using organically sourced, eco-friendly materials for hypoallergenic, non-toxic sleep. At 11″ tall, it has five layers and two covers.
It begins with the top cover, which is made from breathable organic cotton for a soft, moisture-wicking sleep surface. Directly underneath you’ll find a strip of organic wool, which acts as a natural fire barrier and a non-toxic alternative to fiberglass.
Up next are two layers of organic latex. The first is 2″ thick and provides bouncy pressure relief, while the second latex layer provides responsive support and acts as a 1″-thick transition layer before the coils underneath.
The coil tier uses 8″ recycled steel springs to provide targeted zoned support and even more responsiveness. However, they are also individually wrapped to limit motion transfer (when one spring moves, it shouldn’t set the others bouncing).
Lastly, we have the bottom cover, which comes with handless for easy movement when rotating the mattress. The overall aesthetic of the design is light and neutral, which is the look you’d expect from an all-natural bed.
Nolah Natural 11: Comfort and Pressure relief
- Has a bouncy, responsive feel similar to a hammock or waterbed
- We feel this is a medium-firm bed (6.5/10)
- Great for back, combination, and restless sleepers
Thanks to the two buoyant latex layers and responsive coils, this is a bouncy bed. It’s so bouncy that our team members likened resting on the mattress to resting on a hammock or waterbed. If you are unfamiliar with the feel of a latex bed, you may find it quite unusual at first.
However, all members of our panel grew to like this bounciness. As we usually test mattresses by sleeping on them for at least 30 nights (the recommended time to “break-in” a mattress), we know that a day of testing the bed won’t accurately capture what it’s like to sleep on the mattress every night for a month.
That said, we do feel the 120-night trial will give you more than enough time to decide whether you’re a fan of that bouncy latex.
Due to its responsiveness, we think this will make an excellent mattress for restless sleepers who frequently move around, or combination sleepers who change positions in the night. We unanimously agreed that it suits back sleepers the most as it evenly distributes weight and provides balanced pressure relief for that position; it was cradling but without your lower back dipping.
Nolah prides itself on being a “side-sleeper brand”. However, side sleepers may take some time to get used to the buoyant feel. With that said, one tester felt almost immediately comfortable side sleeping as the bed offered cradling relief at the hips and shoulders.
As for stomach sleeping, our front-sleeping tester found it provided good contouring rather than sinkage when lying on their stomach. Meanwhile, a side-and-stomach sleepers said they were less inclined to sleep on their stomach for any sustained amount of time.
Nolah Natural 11: Edge Support
Edge support refers to how sturdy the edges of a mattress are. If a mattress has strong edge support you should be able to lie or sit on the sides without dipping or feeling like you’re about to roll off. You should also find it easier to get in and out of bed, as you can push against the edge for leverage.
To test the Nolah Natural’s edge support, we placed a 50lb weight in the middle of the mattress’s perimeter and corners, and measured the depth it sank. It sank 2.25″ along the sides and 2.5″ on the corners. Overall, this indicates great edge support that’s a little less sturdy in the corners.
Nolah Natural 11: Motion Isolation
Motion isolation refers to how much of your bed-sharing partner’s movements are transferred over to your side of the mattress. To test this out, we placed a wine glass in the middle of the Nolah Natural and then dropped (from 4 ” high) an 18lb weight from 25, 12, and 4 inches away. When the weight dropped, we recorded the movement of the wine glass.
From 25″ and 12″ away, the wine glass barely wobbled and managed to stay upright, which is pretty surprising considering the Nolah Natural is such a buoyant mattress. The wine glass only fell over when four inches away from the weight being dropped, indicating pretty good motion isolation — but not the best .
Nolah Natural 11: Temperature regulation
Latex is a naturally breathable material, as are the moisture-wicking organic cotton and organic wool layers. The coil system also adds some breathability thanks to its ability to boost airflow.
While it wasn’t as immediately cool-to-the-touch as the best cooling mattresses, which tend to feature ice-touch GlacioTex covers, the Nolah Natural still felt cool and breathable.
Should you buy the Nolah Natural 11
Buy the Nolah Natural 11 if…
✅ You move around a lot at night: The responsive medium-firm feel will support most sleep positions and provide ease of movement for restless sleepers and those who change positions throughout the night.
✅ You like a hammock or waterbed-like feel: The Nolah Natural has a bouncy sway to it, thanks to its responsive coils and buoyant latex layers. It might take some time to get used to, but this cradling can provide comfortable support.
✅ You want eco-friendly, hypoallergenic sleep: The Nolah Natural is fiberglass-free, non-toxic, and allergen-resistant. It features organically sourced materials for an eco-friendly bed.
Don’t buy the Nolah Natural 11 if…
❌ You prefer the slow-moving feel and hug of memory foam: If you like the enveloping, sink-in feel of memory foam, this is not for you. This has a much quicker movement.
❌ You want lower motion transfer: While the Nolah Natural provides a decent amount of motion isolation, it’s not ideal if you share a bed with a restless partner.
❌ You’re on a tight budget: As it uses high-quality, sustainable materials, the Nolah Natural sits in the upper-mid price tier.
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