Who Is This Best For?

If you want a flippable bed

People that want a comfy foam mattress

Who Won’t Love It?

Heavier people

If you need a cheap mattress

Nolah Mattress Review

The Signature 12 Mattress from Nolah is the company’s high-end foam mattress. It’s thicker, more premium and has a comfortable blended foam feel. Basically all the positive things we have to say about the Original 10 apply also to the Signature 12, but it manages to be more ideal for side and combination sleepers. It’s one of the more popular foam mattresses within the bed in a box market, and we’re impressed by their philanthropic business model.

Here’s a quick overview of the subjects that we’ll be covering in this review. Click the links to jump to the appropriate section in this mattress review:

  • Nolah Signature 12 Video Review

In the video above, Slumber Yard video personality JD offers a quick summary of Signature 12 and what our thoughts were when we reviewed it.

The Signature 12 Mattress Construction

The Nolah Signature 12 is a soft mattress with four layers and an organic cotton cover. It offers 75% more of Nolah’s special AirFoam and a 20% thicker base layer. Recently, Nolah came out with a “hybrid” version of this mattress. It doesn’t have any coils, but it has AirFoam Flex, a more durable version of their signature foam.

Here is a breakdown of the bed’s different layers:

  • Base layer– 7″ of high-density foam meant for support and durability
  • Firm foam – A thinner 1″ layer of firm AirFoam that’s breathable and offers contouring and pressure-relief
  • Transition layer – A 1.5” slab of High-Resilience Foam for added support and comfort
  • Comfort layer – 2.5” of Nolah’s soft AirFoam which acts as the primary comfort layer for the mattress

Nolah AirFoam is quicker to respond than traditional memory foam, but offers that nice contouring and pressure-relief that comes with memory foam. It’s technically a high resilience polyurethane foam that is made without the heat-trapping chemicals that is normally found in memory foam. The best way to explain it is that it feels like a mix of traditional memory foam and latex.

Nolah is included on the CertiPUR-US list of companies that guarantees their products are free from formaldehyde and cancer-causing substances.

Nolah 12 Mattress Cover

The Nolah Signature 12” mattress is wrapped in an unbleached, thick, organic cover that does not have any harmful chemicals in it. It’s a nice cover that smells good, especially as compared to the cover on most other mattresses.

nolah signature 12 mattress review organic cotton cover
Organic cotton cover on the Signature 12 mattress

While the cover is technically removable, we don’t recommend throwing it in the wash. It may shrink and be impossible to get back on your mattress, Instead, if you spill something on your bed, we recommend spot cleaning. The easiest and best way to do this is to dampen a soft cloth with water and some detergent, and dab at the stain until it is gone.

Mattress Firmness And Feel

The first Nolah Signature mattress had a different firmness level on either side of the bed. However, their updated Signature 12 model offers one plush firmness level; we rate it around a medium-soft to medium.

The new model feels a bit more like memory foam than the original, but it’s still more responsive than a mattress like Nectar or TempurPedic. This might be a plus for people who want ample pressure relief, but are turned off by the viscous, conforming feel of traditional memory foam.

The mattress morphs back into shape after pressure is removed. This is particularly helpful for combination sleepers that rotate positions during the night. In fact, a more responsiveness mattress can help combo sleepers to get more restful sleep because rotating positions requires less effort. However, side sleepers will also really enjoy the pressure-relief it offers.

Is Nolah 12 A Good Mattress For Couples?

Motion Isolation

While typically the best motion isolating mattresses are made with memory foam, the Signature 12” holds its own well. Basically, the Nolah Signature 12” mattress is a good choice if you sleep in the same bed as a partner or large animal.

Edge Support

The Nolah 12 has pretty good edge support

A variety of people from our team tested the Nolah Signature 12” bed for edge support, and we all found that it performed well. You can comfortably sleep on the edge of this bed and not feel like you’re going to end up on the floor.

Sleeper Type Analysis

The earlier Nolah Signature 12 model was flippable and more firm, but the newer model is a little more plush. As such, it may not be right for every sleeper.

  • Back and Stomach Sleepers
    Good For

    The new Signature 12 model from Nolah is more of a soft mattress, and might not offer the support a back or stomach sleeper needs to keep their spine in neutral alignment. The only exception would be for a petite back sleeper under 150 lbs.

  • Side Sleepers
    Good For

    We think the Signature 12 Nolah mattress is ideal for side sleepers because it offers great pressure relief for your shoulders and hips, while keeping the spine in proper alignment.

  • Combo Sleepers
    Good For

    The Nolah 12” is a responsive bed, so combo sleepers who shift positions during the night will find it meets their needs. If you’re a petite combination sleeper, we especially think you’ll be a fan of this mattress because it will be a little firmer for you than someone over 150 lbs.

Body Type Analysis

  • Heavy Individuals

    We generally don’t recommend all-foam mattresses to heavy or obese people, but if you want a bed made entirely of foam, Nolah Signature 12 is not the worst option because it’s a thicker mattress..

    Because it is slightly thicker, it will probably last longer than your average bed-in-a-box mattress. That said, if you weigh more than ~230 lbs (what we consider heavy), you may want to look into their Nolah Evolution 15 bed. It’s their spring or hybrid mattress, which tend to be most durable than their all-foam counterparts.

  • Petite Individuals

    Those who weigh under ~230 lbs or so will think Nolah Signature 12 is perfectly accommodating. Keep in mind, the lighter you are, the firmer a mattress is going to feel.

Nolah Signature 12 Price

The only real downside with this bed, as compared to the entry-level Original 10, is price. With that being said, it’s comparable to other premium-level bed-in-a-box mattresses. Not to mention, after applying a coupon code, it’s even more affordable.

SIZEPRICE
Twin$1,099
Twin XL$1,199
Full$1,399
Queen$1,599
King$1,799
Cal King$1,799

Nolah Signature 12 Mattress Review Verdict

All in all, the Nolah 12 bed is an accommodating mattress that we think will be a good choice for people who sleep on their side or a combination of all the positions (back, side, stomach). If you are in a relationship or sleep with a partner, the Nolah Signature 12” mattress will be a good choice because it offers an accommodating feel that mimics memory foam, minus the slow-response time and heat retaining qualities. If you weigh under 230 pounds, we think this will be a great fit for you. However, due to its all foam construction, it may not be the best choice for heavier sleepers.

Other Nolah Reviews

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The Review Team

  • Jeff Rizzo

    Jeff Rizzo

    Combo Sleeper

  • JD

    JD Christison

    Combo Sleeper

  • kenzie

    McKenzie Dillon

    Combo Sleeper

  • wesley-ott

    Wesley Ott

    Combo Sleeper

Nolah Company Policy Information

Like most online mattress brands, Nolah’s perks are more generous than most online retailers because they want to offer an incentive (and safety net) to make it easier for you to purchase over the internet.

  • Free shipping and completely free returns
  • A 120-night risk-free trial period
  • A lifetime warranty
What does Nolah Signature 12 feel like?

This mattress is made with a classic, responsive Nolah Airfoam that gives off a very neutral feel.

How much does Nolah Signature 12 cost?

A queen size Nolah Signature 12 Mattress will retail around $1,600

What’s the difference between the Nolah Signature 12 Mattress and Original 10?

Nolah Signature 12 has a slightly softer firmness level than the Original 10 and a thicker profile. It also has more of a memory foam feel than the flagship model, and will come with a higher price tag.

How will my Nolah Mattress arrive?

Your bed will arrive in a box about the size of a 10-year-old. You just have to unbox it, unroll it, and wait about 24-48 hours to fully inflate.