Nolah Evolution Mattress Review - Honest Thoughts After 6 Months

Written by Sosha Lewis, Senior Staff Writer

Our Testing Process

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I am a mattress reviewer and a sleep science coach, and this may lead you to think I have it all together when it comes to getting a blissful night’s sleep. However, considering it is my goal to bring you honest and transparent information, I need to make a confession: my husband, Tony, and I have considered a sleep divorce.

I am a notoriously light sleeper, and my husband’s tossing and turning makes it feel like I am trying to snooze on a county fair Tilt-a-Whirl. In a last-ditch effort, before deciding on custody of the master bedroom, I proposed getting rid of our decade-old all-foam mattress for one that better met our needs.

Enter the Nolah Evolution.

Did we make the right choice and save our sleep marriage? Follow along to see why we picked the Nolah Evolution mattress and how it’s working out for us now that we’ve slept on it for six months.

Our Mattress Decision-Making Process

The first step in our bed-buying process was to jot down the features that mattered most to each of us. While my priorities were motion isolation, a hybrid design, and a medium firmness, Tony’s main focus was cooling.

Sosha and her husband, Tony

Tony	Sosha
Cooling	Motion isolation
	Hybrid design
	Medium firmness

We also considered what kind of mattress we thought we would like best, our preferred sleep positions and body type, and then explored the features (or feature in Tony’s case) that were most important to us in more detail.

Type of Bed

Not long after our now 15-year-old daughter was born and before I started my mattress review career, we hastily bought a GhostBed. It was not a bad decision overall, but as the old adage goes, once you know better, do better. I now know the GhostBed was durable and a good investment, but we ultimately needed something that wouldn’t trap heat as much and was easier for us to move around on.

Our first decision was to switch to a hybrid mattress. Hybrid mattresses typically combine the coziness of foam with the quick response of an innerspring unit. Plus, the open-structure of the coils encourages air to flow more freely, which helps keep the mattress cooler.

Sleep Positions and Body Weight

My husband and I both sleep on our side part of the time. When we change positions, I go to my stomach, but my husband flips to his back. We appreciated how the soft foam of the GhostBed mattress cradled our shoulders and hips didn’t want to give that up in our new bed, but we also needed something that would work well for stomach and back sleeping too.

This can make it a little tricky because stomach sleepers and back sleepers who weigh a little more usually need a firmer bed than those who sleep exclusively on their sides. The best way to navigate our different sleep positions was to find a bed with universally appealing medium firmness.

Learn more: Mattress Firmness Guide

Preferences

The most important feature of a mattress for me is how well it isolates motion. Sleeping beside my restless husband often makes me feel like I’ve been launched off Niagra Falls in a barrel. Although memory foam usually does an excellent job in this regard, the GhostBed was thin enough that it often felt like he was moving the entire bed. I can become unhinged with rage when this tossing and turning is combined with his chainsaw-like snoring.

My husband’s main concern, seemingly his only concern, was cooling. When he goes to bed, his body temperature seems to fluctuate between lava and the surface of the sun, and the heat-trapping GhostBed didn’t help this. In this case, we would need a new mattress that’s also great at cooling.

Helpful Finds: Best Cooling Mattresses

Throughout this process, we were consistently led back to the Nolah Evolution mattress. The deal was sealed when my colleague who tested and reviewed the Evolution told me she liked it so much that she bought one.

The surface of the Nolah Evolution mattress

Our Nolah Evolution Buying Experience

Buying the Nolah Evolution was a breeze with their easy-to-navigate website. I selected the size we needed, and since this bed comes in three firmness options — Plush, Luxury Firm, and Firm — I selected that as well. We decided on the Luxury Firm model because we felt it would give us the firmness balance that would serve us best.

I knew the bed had free delivery, a lifetime warranty, and a 120-night sleep trial. I was happy to see that it was on sale and came with two free pillows., but what intrigued me most was that Nolah offered an option to remove the sleep trial for a $100 discount. I have an abysmal track record when it comes to returning items I’ve purchased, and by this point in the process, I was certain that this was the mattress that would save our sleep relationship. So, I opted out of the sleep trial and put that money toward their GlacioTex™ Cooling Mattress Protector for extra cooling.

Nolah’s GlacioTex™ Cooling Mattress Protector

Nolah Evolution Delivery and Setup

Nolah offers delivery and set up for additional fees starting at $125, but since I move mattresses frequently and there are two of us, I didn’t choose this. However, I love that the company offers this at a reasonable price. The website states that the mattress ships in 3-10 days, and ours took 10 days. I was a little irritated by this, but that is just because I am impatient, not because it took longer than the company stated it could.

The Evolution arrived in an aesthetically pleasing navy blue box with white designs and lettering, but it was pretty battered by the time it got to my doorstep. Nonetheless, I was excited and quickly pulled the mattress inside. My husband wasn’t home, but as I mentioned, I’m impatient and decided to set the bed up myself. I broke a pretty good sweat and a lamp in the process, but I eventually got it freed from the box and plastic covering and set up on my base. Admittedly, it was a struggle, and I don’t recommend setting this bed up solo.

The Evolution quickly started inflating and reached its full 15-inch height in a couple of hours. Some mattresses let off a chemical smell called off-gassing during this time, but I didn’t notice any with this mattress.

ABFAEE5C F8AA 4AA2 89CA 9233FE0966B7 1 — The Nolah Evolution fully set up in our home

Sleeping on the Nolah Evolution

This may sound hyperbolic, but the Nolah Evolution has changed my life. Although some minor tweaks could be made, this mattress makes me look forward to going to bed every night. Also, I am happy to report that my husband and I have had a sleep reconciliation.

After sleeping on it for six months, here are my favorite aspects of the bed, and those that may turn some people off.

Pros

Incredible motion isolation – Even with my husband’s aggressive nocturnal swirling, I sleep mostly undisturbed.

Cooling – We have both noticed that we are much cooler throughout the night.

Responsive – After years of navigating a deep-sinking, slow-moving all-foam bed, we’ve both been thrilled with how easy it is to move and reposition on the Nolah Evolution.

Cons

Too soft for stomach sleeping – Unfortunately, with the Luxury Firm model, I feel a slight pinch in my lower back when I sleep on my stomach.

Cost – Although you can frequently catch this bed on sale, it is not cheap.

Who I Recommend the Nolah Evolution For:

👍 Sexually active couples – You won’t have to worry about getting awkwardly stuck when you’re repositioning during sex with the Nolah Evolution. The coils are incredibly responsive and make it easy to move about.

👍 Folks with restless partners – Responsive beds don’t always have the best motion isolation, making the Nolah Evolution a rare gem. My husband tosses and turns with a lot of pizazz, which doesn’t wake me.

👍 Hot sleepers – Staying cool through the night was my husband’s number one priority. Although he thinks our comforter is still too warm, he gives the Evolution’s cooling two big thumbs up.

Who I Don’t Recommend the Nolah Evolution For:

👎 Memory foam fans – Although the top layers of foam provide some cradling, if you want the deep hug feel of memory foam, you won’t find it in this bed.

👎 Some stomach sleepers – I don’t think that sleepers who prefer to sleep on their stomachs will find the luxury firm version to provide enough support.

Final Thoughts on the Nolah Evolution After Sleeping on It for Six Months

After sleeping on the Nolah Evolution for six months, my husband and I are both champions of this bed. The versatile medium firmness hits a nice note of compromise.

Considering we both spend much of our sleeping time on our sides, we also appreciate this bed’s superior pressure-relieving capabilities. Tony and I agree that the aches and pains we once woke up with (lower back for him and hips for me) have significantly decreased since we purchased this bed. Also, this is an excellent bed for sex as it responds to weight and you don’t feel like you’re sinking into the mattress.

Cooling and motion isolation drove our decision to purchase the Nolah Evolution, and we have been beyond pleased with both. I am not leaving the bedroom in a huff after Tony’s tossing and turning roused me, and he doesn’t feel like he needs to hop into a cold plunge in the middle of the night anymore. Plus, this bed is just comfortable. We enjoy watching a movie in it or reading a book on a slow Sunday morning.

Learn more about the Nolah Evolution in our comprehensive review.

Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress

Nolah’s innovative pressure-relieving abilities should be an excellent fit for side-sleepers, and if you struggle with overheating, the AirFoamICE™ technology should keep you cool all night long.

Score 4.8/5

Read Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress Review

CHECK PRICE

35% off sitewide + 2 free pillows + $150 off BedJet with mattress purchase Cyber Monday Sale

Material

Hybrid

Trial Period

120 nights

Shipping Method

Free shipping

Firmness

Multiple firmness options

Warranty

Lifetime warranty

Price Range

$$$$$

We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:

Seniors

This bed is perfect for senior sleepers.

Hip Pain

This bed is perfect for anyone suffering from hip pain.

Back Sleeping

Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.

Side Sleeping

Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.

Financing Options

Financing options are available for this mattress.

Visit Nolah

Average Customer Rating