In this review, we will discuss why you would get one of these beds over the other. In the process, we touch on feel, firmness, price, construction, and more. As a quick overview, Nolah is a soft and plush mattress made entirely of foam, while Casper has a medium firmness and is offered in both an all-foam and hybrid model.

Nolah Original 10 mattress VS. Casper Original mattress
$699 – $1,349Price Range$895 – $1,495
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  • Side sleepers and people that want a soft bed
  • If you’re looking for a bed-in-a-box mattress
Best For
  • People that are looking for a comfortable, affordable mattress
  • Anyone that’s interested in a bed-in-a-box mattress
120 NightsTrial Period100 Nights
LifetimeWarranty10 Years
Free Shipping and ReturnsShipping Options Free Shipping and Returns
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Nolah vs Casper: Introduction

Casper and Nolah are two of the most sought after bed-in-a-box mattresses available online. They, along with other mattresses, are ideal for side sleepers, and also have a lot in common in terms of construction.

Both Nolah and the original Casper mattress are constructed entirely of foam, and have a (mostly) neutral-foam feel. They’re both going to be best for petite to medium body types, and are very efficient at deadening cross-mattress motion (i.e. these are good beds for light sleepers).

We want to note that Casper recently released two hybrid models called Casper Hybrid and Wave Hybrid, which means the beds are constructed with a combination of foam and coils. Coils make a mattress more supportive and durable, so we think they’d be great options for those with heavier body types.

In this post, we’ll discuss what’s different about these mattresses, and which one might be better for you. For anyone that’s under a time crunch, here’s the gist of what we’ll be discussing in the sections below.

  • Feel and Firmness — Each bed has a distinctly unique feel and firmness level. This has implications for sleeping positions.
  • Price — If you selecting a bed based purely on price, Nolah is the winner.
  • Zoned Support — Casper has a three-zone construction to provide more precise support and pressure relief—it’s pretty neat.
Nolah Original 10
Nolah Original 10
Why it’s Great
The Nolah mattress has three layers and a soft, unique profile that is somewhere between poly foam and memory foam. It’s built specifically for side sleepers.
Best for
Side sleepers and people that want a soft bed
If you’re looking for a bed-in-a-box mattress
Sleep Positions
Back, Side and Stomach
Product Details
Firmness
Soft
Type
Mixed Foam
Temp
Neutral
Free Shipping
and returns
Trial Period
120 Nights
Warranty
Lifetime
Made in
USA

UP TO $250 OFF + FREE PILLOWS APPLIED IN CART

Up To $250 Off + Free Pillows Applied In Cart

Nolah might not be as popular as Casper, but there is a particular mattress shopper that will absolutely love this bed. In this section we’ll cover the major reasons why you’d get Nolah over Casper.

Nolah Is A Soft Foam Mattress

The Nolah Original 10 is a softer mattress that is going to be best for side sleepers. It’s a bit softer than Casper and feels a tad more like a memory foam mattress. That said, there’s no stuck-in-the-mud feeling the way there is with Novosbed or Zinus, and you won’t have any issues rotating between sleeping positions.

Nolah Original 10 is a nice blend between a memory foam and neutral-foam mattress, although it technically uses a proprietary foam called Nolah AirFoam. It’s soft, airy, and very comfortable.

Nolah Original 10 Mattress Review Profile Overview
The Original 10″ all-foam mattress

When you lay on the bed, it contours to the shape of your body without sucking you in the way a true memory foam bed would. It sort of cradles you and provides a soft, fluffy cushion. Nolah is one of those beds that makes you say “aahhhhh I really like this.” It’s immediately comfortable, assuming that you’re not looking for a firm mattress.

nolah mattress review original firmness level

As an FYI, firmness is a relative term. We rate Nolah at between a medium-soft and medium, but extra petite individuals will likely find it to feel firmer than that. The inverse is true for heavier people that weigh more than 250 lb—they’ll find that Nolah is even softer than a medium-soft. The point is that soft/firm should be considered on a spectrum, which is why in the graphic above we show Nolah’s firmness rating as a range.

Nolah Wins On Price

Nolah also happens to be the more affordable of the two mattresses. Both Casper and Nolah actually retail for around $1,000-$1,100 (queen size) but Nolah tends to be more aggressive when it comes to sales and discounts. For example, Nolah regularly offers $100-$135 off their beds. Plus, they sometimes even toss in free pillows with each mattress purchase.

Keep in mind that this depends on the season and which mattress deals the brands are offering. For instance, Casper is known to offer discounts in the $50-$100 off range, but that doesn’t mean they won’t offer larger deals from time to time. Having said that, in many cases, Nolah ends up being the more affordable option.

Nolah’s Commitment To Supporting Wildlife

Although this has nothing to do with the mattress itself, we do want to touch on Nolah’s partnership with the Defenders of Wildlife. For every Nolah mattress purchased, Nolah will donate some of their profits to the Defenders of Wildlife, and make you an honorary wild animal adopter.

At checkout, you can choose between 20 different animals that are native to the United States, and you’ll even receive a certificate in the mail with your name and your new “adopted” animal.

Casper Original
Casper Original
Why it’s Great
Casper Original is the mattress that started it all. If you just want a comfortable foam mattress, it’s hard to do better than Casper.
Best for
People that are looking for a comfortable, affordable mattress
Anyone that’s interested in a bed-in-a-box mattress
Sleep Positions
Back, Side and Stomach
Product Details
Firmness
Medium
Type
Soft Foam
Temp
Neutral
Free Shipping
and returns
Trial Period
100 Nights
Warranty
10 Years
Made in
USA

10%  use code:  SLUMBER10  in cart

10% Off
SLUMBER10

Casper, as a company is worth nearly $1 billion. You don’t build a company like that with subpar products. In this section we’ll discuss what’s so special about the original Casper mattress and why it’s worth your consideration over Nolah.

Casper Is Highly Accomodating

While Nolah is a soft mattress, Casper is basically a true medium on the soft/firm spectrum and has a neutral feel. Casper does use memory foam, but only a thin strip and it’s one of the middle layers. As such, Casper just feels like a neutral, unassuming, comfortable slab of foam.

CASPER MATTRESS REVIEW FIRMNESS AND FEEL OF THIS BED

Given the firmness rating of Casper, it is a suitable option for all sleeping positions (back, stomach, side, and any combo of the three). Therefore, if you’re a back or stomach sleeper that’s choosing between these two beds, Casper is the better option.

casper mattress review original
Casper is a neutral-foam bed that’s good for all sleeping positions

You still get a good amount of pressure relief with Casper, but the bed is a little firmer than Nolah. We see Casper as the safe pick—the bed you get if you don’t want to do anymore research. Maybe you’re sick of reading reviews or maybe you’re in a hurry. Either way, Casper is one of those beds that just tends to work for a lot of people. It’s a really nice, comfortable, accommodating mattress.

Casper’s Zoned Support Construction

Even though we’ve already discussed the feel of the Casper mattress, there’s something under the hood that’s interesting and worth taking a second to explain. With the Casper Wave Hybrid, they introduced a design that puts more support under your trunk and hips and more pressure relief under your shoulders.

Apparently this Zoned Support System was a success because in early 2020 they updated the original Casper mattress to incorporated it.

casper original mattress review zoned support
A look inside the Casper mattress—you can see the Zoned Support System

The Zoned Support System is subtle, but we really appreciate that Casper added it to the mattress. If you were to tear open the bed (like we did, but you should not), you’d see three different strips of foam in the second layer. The blue strip is a little firmer and more supportive, while the grey foam is a little softer. Again, it’s subtle, but nice to have.

Nolah vs Casper: Final Thoughts

This comparison really comes down to personal preference on things like feel, firmness, and price.

  • Do you want an especially soft mattress? If so, then you might want to go with Nolah.
  • Do you sleep in a variety of positions, including a good amount on your back or stomach? Well then, Casper is likely the winner.
  • Is price your first concern? If yes, you should get Nolah (most likely).
  • Are you intrigued by the Zoned Support System? If so, Casper wins it.

We can’t tell you what to do or think—all we can do is try to provide both sides. It’s not that one mattress is objectively better than the other. It’s all about what you want in a bed.

Review team

  • JD
    JD Christison

    Combo Sleeper

  • kenzie
    McKenzie Dillon

    Combo Sleeper

  • Owen Poole

    Side Sleeper

  • reynoso
    Jack Reynoso

    Combo Sleeper