Nolah Signature Hybrid Mattress Review 2024: Nolah's Newest Hybrid Bed Tested by Experts

The Nolah Signature Hybrid is an excellent hybrid mattress -- one that packages its pocketed coils in several layers of foam, ensuring you get both comfort and support as you sleep.

CNET's ever-sleepy mattress testers have tried out various types of Nolah Signature mattress over the years, including a flippable model and various foam versions, though it's only now that the range has got a hybrid mattress to capture the best of both worlds. When our team toured the 3Z facility, we got an early sneak peek at the bed before it was released to the public, and we've since had the chance to test Nolah Signature Hybrid for a thorough review.

This particular mattress lands on the soft side of things, and is best suited to side sleepers, though combination sleepers who tend to change position should find it works well for them too. In this review you'll find everything you need to know about the Nolah Signature Hybrid, from sizing and pricing to its construction and ideal body type.

Video: Nolah Signature Hybrid review

Watch me review the Nolah Signature Hybrid mattress.

First impressions of the Nolah Signature Hybrid

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Like many other online beds, this mattress ships directly to your door in a large box. The unboxing process is quick and easy to do by yourself, but since this is a heavier hybrid bed, you may want a friend to help you out with everything. Some beds are difficult to unbox solo.

Once our Nolah Signature Hybrid was freed from its plastic confinement, the coils on the bottom helped it spring into shape pretty quickly, but it was noticeably softer on top than we anticipated. We took this as a sign that the bed needed a night to inflate a bit more.

In the morning, the bed looked and felt right as rain, finally ready to be tested. It had firmed up quite a bit from the unboxing, but it was still pretty soft for a hybrid bed. When I hopped on the mattress, I felt lots of pressure relief, but compared to the other foam beds from Nolah, this one felt much more neutral and generally accommodating.

Nolah Signature Hybrid mattress firmness and feel

What does the Nolah Signature Hybrid feel like?

This bed has a neutral hybrid feel that should be able to accommodate most sleepers right off the bat. When you push into the mattress and let go, it's equal parts responsive and pressure relieving. This type of feel provides a nice balance of comfort, and is widely regarded as a generally comfortable style of mattress feel.

As opposed to something like a memory foam feel or even a latex foam feel, a neutral feel is often a safe way to go for the average sleeper. If you're someone who's unaware of what type of mattress you want your next bed to have, you probably won't regret getting something with a feel like this.

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How firm is the Nolah Signature mattress?

This bed skews a bit softer than your average hybrid found online. It sits right around a medium on our scale, maybe towards the softer side of that medium firmness. This firmness profile makes the bed a viable option for all sleeper types, but especially strict side sleepers looking for a more pressure-relieving mattress.

Both of the all-foam beds from Nolah are great considerations if you tend to prefer sleeping on your side at night. That proprietary Nolah AirFoam on top offers an ample amount of pressure relief for your shoulders and hips, but it's also supportive enough to handle back and stomach sleepers. If you're looking for a much firmer style of Nolah bed, the Evolution 15 is available in a firm rendition, and the Comfort Plus is firmer by default.

Nolah Signature Hybrid mattress construction

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This is a 13-inch hybrid mattress with a premium design. It's made up of the following support and comfort layers:

1. On the bottom, you've got a thin layer of base foam to act as the fundamental starting point for the bed.

2. Then, you have the bed's main support system of pocketed coils, which are reinforced along the edges and have a Zoned Support design.

3. Next is a transition layer of a more responsive foam to buffer between the support and comfort layers of the bed

4. Then, the bed has a Zoned AirFoam, which gives the bed its blended feel and adds a lumbar support feature to it.

5. Right on top, you've got a 1-inch quilted foam top panel. This gives the bed some additional comfort and pressure relief

6. Rounding everything out is an organic cotton cover that's also slightly cool to the touch.

Nolah Signature Hybrid mattress performance

Motion isolation

Given the bed's hybrid design, it doesn't isolate motion as well as its foam counterpart, but it's still decent. Since dense memory foam beds usually perform the beds for this category, you might get a superior amount of motion isolation from something like a Tempur-Pedic mattress. Comparatively, though, the Nolah Signature Hybrid is on par with other softer hybrid beds motion isolation wise.

Edge-to-edge support

Due to its enhanced pocketed coil perimeter, this bed performs excellent in terms of supporting you along the edges. There's no apparent roll-off sensation when sleeping close to the perimeter of this mattress at night. Even when you place your full weight right on the edges, you still feel plenty of support. I'm a bed hog, so that's great news for my fiance.

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Temperature

While the organic cotton cover on the Nolah Signature Hybrid is cool to the touch, it doesn't give the bed a true "active cooling" quality. It may sleep slightly cooler than the average foam bed to an especially hot sleeper, but in general, we'd classify this as a temperature-neutral sleeping mattress.

Durability

Since this is a hybrid mattress, it should be able to support any and all body types, including much heavier people. We often recommend bigger body types consider coil beds over all-foam ones, just because they provide more long-term support and durability. I'm a bigger guy, I sleep on a hybrid mattress, and I love the level of support I get from it.

Who is the Nolah Signature Hybrid mattress best for?

Since this hybrid mattress is on the softer side, it might be best for a specific set of sleeper types. Here's who will benefit from sleeping on the Nolah Signature Hybrid the most.

Sleeping position

Given that the bed sits on the softer side of a true medium, it's going to be best for side and certain combination sleepers. Based on our observations over the years, we've noticed side sleepers tend to favor softer mattresses that offer plenty of pressure relief for their shoulders and hips. For this reason, we think this bed would be best for side sleepers, and it's even better for heavier side sleepers when you factor in the coils. 

If you're a combination sleeper who also prefers a soft bed, you'll likely enjoy the Nolah Signature Hybrid as well. Back and stomach sleepers who prefer a firmer, more supportive option might want to look elsewhere.

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Body type

As mentioned above, this is great for all body types. It's an awesome choice for heavier folks looking for something softer, but it's also not too firm to alienate medium to petite-sized builds. Again, I'm a bigger guy, and this is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine. I think it provides the perfect level of support on the bottom while also providing a nice amount of cushion on top. More supportive beds online often skew a bit firmer, so it's nice to test a softer one.

Nolah Signature Hybrid mattress pricing

For a more premium hybrid bed catering side sleepers, I think Nolah prices this bed reasonably. Keep in mind that this pricing is before any discounts are applied, and once you apply one the price goes down considerably. After discount, a queen size is currently available for $1,350. I think that's a great value, all things considered.

Trial, shipping and warranty

As a brand, Nolah backs its beds with some of the best policies in the game. Its beds ship to you in a box for free, and once it's in your possession, you get a 120-night trial period to try it at home risk-free. If you happen not to like it within that time frame, you can return it, but a small transportation fee will be deducted from your refund. On the other hand, if you decide to keep it, you're backed by a lifetime warranty. Just be sure to use the right foundation for the bed. Otherwise, you could void your bed's warranty.

How does Nolah Signature Hybrid compare to other mattresses?

Nolah Signature Hybrid vs. Nolah Signature 12

The main difference between these two Nolah beds ultimately comes down to support. The coils in the Signature Hybrid make it the better choice for heavier people, while the dense support foam in the Signature 12 makes it ideal for small to average-sized people. They also might perform differently for couples. The Signature 12's foam design gives it better motion isolation, while the edge support on the Signature Hybrid is superior. Both beds do have some sort of Zoned Support feature, and they are each nice values for a quality mattress.

Nolah Signature Hybrid vs. Nolah Evolution 15

These are the two of the brand's more enhanced hybrid mattresses. Both feature Zoned Support coils with reinforced edges and will be supportive enough to handle all body types. The Evolution 15 is more of a pillow-top mattress that's available in three separate firmness levels. 

The Signature Hybrid only comes in one main firmness profile, but it suits the needs of just about any sleeper. The Evolution is the slightly more premium bed, which is reflected in its price, so between the two, the Signature Hybrid is the more affordable option.

The final verdict

This is quickly becoming one of my new favorites within the online space. I think it's a super quality hybrid bed that achieves a perfect balance of support and comfort. The mattress has a nice level of Zoned Support, its edges are sturdy and there's not much I can see the bed improving on. Maybe if the price came down slightly and the brand threw in an optional cooling cover it would become my absolute dream bed -- no pun intended there.

Jonathan Gomez/CNET

You might like the Nolah Signature Hybrid mattress if:

• You want a hybrid mattress
• You want a neutral feel
• You like a bed that's slightly softer 
• You want a bed backed by generous policies

You might not like the Nolah Signature Hybrid bed if:

• You're looking for an all-foam mattress
• You prefer the feel of a dense memory foam
• You like your bed to be on the firmer side
• You're on a super strict budget

Other mattresses from Nolah

There are many other options to choose from within the Nolah lineup. You can check out the brand's most affordable options, which in this case are the two all-foam Original 10'' beds and the Original Hybrid. These are the most basic in terms of construction and design. 

From there, you step up into the midtier options, the Signature beds. You have the all-foam Signature and the Signature Hybrid to consider. Both feature a more premium design compared to the Original beds.

There are several hybrid options from Nolah nowadays. The Evolution 15 is the most popular and accommodating choice, as it's a comfortable pillow-top bed available in three different firmnesses. The Comfort Plus is the ultrasupportive version of this bed, and you even have an ethically sourced hybrid option to check out called the Nolah Natural. It also has a kids' bed called the Nurture and even a brand new Alaskan King -- the biggest Nolah yet.