Nolah vs GhostBed Mattress Comparison

Nolah’s Three Layer Construction

The original Nolah mattress is 10” thick and manufactured entirely out of foam. The first foam layer is 7” thick, and made from high-density foam meant to provide a base for the foundation of the bed.

The second layer is 1” thick, and made up of a softer foam than the one found in the base layer. It’s polyurethane foam, or what the mattress industry calls neutral-foam, and its purpose is to prevent you from feeling that harsh bottom layer.

Finally, the main comfort layer of the mattress and the reason why Nolah’s mattress is so comfy is the 2” slab of “Cooling Nolah AirFoam,” a proprietary material made especially by the company, for the company. It’s an open-cell foam that reminds us of a memory foam/poly foam blend. You get the pressure relieving factor from memory foam, but not that deep viscous feel.

Nolah’s textured cover is really soft, made from viscose and polyester fibers. It’s not machine washable, however, so if you happen to get a stain on that white cover, you’ll have to spot clean with hot water and a mild detergent.

Nolah Original Mattress’s Soft Foam Feel

On the Slumber Yard firmness scale, we placed Nolah Original 10 in between medium and medium-soft. It’s a really plush, and comfortable bed, so we think it’s a really good option for side sleepers who need a soft surface to contour against their curves.

Since you can’t lay on it yourself, we like to describe the feel to our readers. For Nolah, we think it feels like a neutral-foam bed, but with a hint of memory foam. It isn’t noticeable and you don’t get that typical viscous feel you get with a traditional memory foam mattress. The foam is actually pretty responsive. So with that said, it’s also a good bed for combo sleepers who switch positions during the night.

We base our firmness judgments off the opinions of average sized individuals, so keep in mind, the mattress will feel different if you’re more petite or heavy. As a rule of thumb, the heavier you are, the softer a mattress is going to feel.

Nolah’s Commitment To Wildlife

Earlier we mentioned how Nolah adopts an animal for every mattress they sell, and this is a highlight we want to discuss a little more considering there aren’t many brands on the market who go above and beyond with their philanthropic efforts.

When you buy a mattress on NolahMattress.com, you’re actually able to choose which animal you want to “adopt,” like an arctic fox, a jaguar, or a shark (disclaimer, you don’t actually get to take the pet home. Just want to make sure we don’t have any disappointed lion lovers on our hands). If you want more information on this aspect of Nolah, feel free to check out their website.

GhostBed vs Nolah Mattress Pricing

For some shoppers, price is one of the big deciding factors on whether or not they should get GhostBed or Nolah. In this case, GhostBed has a slight edge over Nolah. When you compare the MSRP’s of these mattresses, there isn’t a huge difference; a queen size GhostBed retails for right under $1,000, while Nolah sells for about $1,020.

Most online mattresses run promotions pretty often, so you (usually) won’t have to pay MSRP. Once you take discounts into consideration, GhostBed can sometimes be more affordable than Nolah. From what we’ve seen, for the queen, GhostBed ends up somewhere around $800-$900, depending on the sale, and Nolah is typically around $900. You can check NolahMattress and GhostBed.com to see the offers today.

GhostBed Original Mattress Pricing (MSRP):

Nolah Original Mattress pricing (MSPR):

GhostBed Has A Thicker Construction

The GhostBed mattress has just as many layers as the Nolah mattress, but it’s slightly thicker at 11”. Starting from the bottom, the first layer is 7.5” of dense polyurethane foam, which is found in the bottom layer of most bed-in-a-box mattresses.

GhostBed’s second slab of material is made out of gel memory foam, meant to sleep a little cooler than your average memory foam. It also acts as the transition layer in between the firm and soft layers.

Finally, the last layer is 1.5” thick, and made from aerated latex foam. It’s actually synthetic latex foam, so it doesn’t have any of the natural/organic certifications that come with beds like the Avocado mattress and Birch mattress. It does, however, feel like latex foam and have some of the benefits you’d expect from the material.

Like the cover on Nolah’s mattress, GhostBed’s is made out of a polyester/viscose blend and it’s not suitable for the washing machine. So if you spill from coffee in bed for example, you’ll have to spot clean the stain with warm water and a mild soap.

GhostBed’s Blended Foam Feel

Latex foam mattresses usually feel extra responsive like innerspring beds, and the material is slightly sponge-like (in the best way possible). With that being said, we don’t think you get an overwhelming latex foam feel with this bed.

We were actually surprised because GhostBed doesn’t respond to pressure as quickly as latex foam usually does, so that memory foam layer in the center of the mattress really neutralizes the springy feel of this particular mattress. Overall, we think it feels like a neutral blend of foam materials, rather than just latex foam or just memory foam.

On our scale from soft to firm, we put GhostBed right in the middle at a medium. Thanks to the memory foam layer this bed offers ample pressure relief, while the latex foam provides a good amount of bounce back. For this reason, we think GhostBed works for all sleeper types from back, stomach, side, and combination sleepers.

Do keep in mind, though, a person’s weight helps determine how soft or firm a bed feels. Therefore, petite side sleepers might find this bed a little too firm. If you identify with this body/sleeper type, check out our top picks for the best plush mattress.

We also don’t think this bed, nor Nolah, will work for heavy set folks over 250 lbs because they’re solely made out of foam. Larger individuals would benefit more from a hybrid mattress because the coils offer additional support and durability. GhostBed actually does sell GhostBed Flex, which has coils.