Michael Magnuson

Founder of GoodBed, Leading Mattress Expert

Note: This is not a review. This is an in-depth overview and explanation of the Nolah Evolution mattress, available in three comfort levels.

If you’d prefer to watch rather than read, check out our full Nolah Evolution mattress video.

Nolah Evolution: Features Overview

The Nolah Evolution is the top-of-the-line mattress from Nolah. It's a 15-inch-tall bed that's available in three softness levels. This is a very traditional, luxury-look mattress, with quite a few higher end features. Let's take a look.

Coil unit

The three mattresses are more similar than different. It all starts with a pocketed spring coil unit, with 840 coils in a queen size. This is a zoned support unit, with stronger/firmer coils in the central third of the mattress, under the hip area (the heaviest part of your body). 

The Nolah coil unit also has firmer edge-support coils on the long sides, which in our tests, was good, especially when laying right on the edge. There's also some edge support on the two short edges, but in our view, it isn't as good as the edge support on the long sides. 

Quilted cover

The three Nolah Evolution mattresses also share the same cover. Made partly from organic cotton, the cover also contains high-density polyethylene fibers. Those high-density fibers give the cover a slight coolness to the touch.

Stitched into the cover is about 2" of soft foam. That gives the top of the bed a lot of surface softness, and gives it a traditional look and feel. Our tester called it "cozy." 

The mattress's side panels are fitted with sturdy handles, a nice feature since this bed weighs more than 100 pounds. The soft side panels also include what Nolah called a gusset. We think it looks like a faux Euro-top. That gusset is made of a different fabric that Nolah says allows for more air flow.

AirFoamICE

Under the quilt layer on all three mattresses is a 2" layer of Nolah's AirFoamICE. This is a soft, graphite-infused foam. Graphite is a known conductor of heat, meant to help draw heat from the body. Between the graphite foam and the coil unit, the Nolah Evolution has good airflow. In our opinion, airflow is really the secret to staying cool at night as you sleep.

Under the AirFoamICE on each mattress are two layers of additional foam--and this is where the differences between the three versions of the mattress are found. Nolah varies the density and softness of these layers to create levels of softness.

Responsiveness

Responsiveness refers to how quickly a mattress recovers its shape after being compressed. When you press your hand into the mattress, for instance, then remove it, does it take several seconds for the mattress to return to flat, or does it recover immediately?

None of these foams are memory foam, so none of them have that "melting into the bed" sensation that we associate with memory foam. They do have a little delayed response. After being depressed, the mattress does take a second to come back to shape. Even so, there's no memory feel to speak of.

Nolah Evolution Softness

There are three versions of the Evolution, which Nolah calls Firm, Luxury Firm and Plush.

Evolution Firm

The Nolah Evolution Firm has an interesting combination of feels. You get lots of softness right on top of the bed due to the soft quilt layer, with much more firmness right underneath. On our scale, we would call it a Medium Firm.

We think the Firm version of the Nolah Evolution would be a good option for stomach sleepers who need that firmess under the hip area to keep the back from over-arching. At the same time the softness of the quilt layer and graphite foam adds some pressure relief for knees and elbows.

Evolution Luxury Firm

On our scale, we'd call the Nolah Evolution Luxury Firm a straight-up Medium on our scale, with a blend of feeling like you are sinking into the bed versus floating on top of it. If we had to pick, we'd say there's just a bit more of that hugged or cradled feeling.

In our view, the Luxury Firm version would be a good choice for combo sleepers who often change positions.

Evolution Plush

In terms of softness, the Nolah Evolution Plush is pretty close in feel to the Luxury Firm version, with a little more cushioning depth and conformance due to the softer transition foams. 

Because of the extra softness, it's worth noting that edge support on this model isn't quite as good as on the other two models, probably owing to the softer transition foams. 

Delivery

• Free delivery to door

Nolah includes free delivery, which is not particularly unusual among its competitors. The Nolah bed comes in a big box; the queen size mattress weighs 115 pounds.

Returns

• 120-day trial period
• Full refund, including free pickup within trial period

Nolah offers buyers a 120-day trial period. Returns within the trial period are free, with pickup of the mattress included. The company requires you to keep the mattress at least 30 days before initiating a return. See: Details on Nolah trial policy

Warranty

• Warranty Length: 2 years full, then with fees
• Indentation Coverage: 1” and above

One of the biggest, if not THE biggest complaints about any mattress from consumers regards body impressions—the inability of a mattress to spring back, eventually creating a low spot/sinkhole in the mattress. As such, mattress warranties all contain a term defining how big a sag or ‘body impression’ (measured when no one is on the mattress) is considered a defect, and thus covered under the warranty. The industry standard for memory foam mattresses is 3/4" to 1". Nolah has chosen to cover indentations that meet or exceed 1”. Practically speaking, that means any softening or sagging would need to be at least that deep before the warranty would offer you protection.

The "lifetime" warranty includes 2 years of full coverage, with free replacement and shipping. For years 3-10, the company will repair and recover a defective mattress, but the customer pays $99 shipping both ways. Beyond that, the customer pays a percentage of the cost for a new mattress, based on years of ownership.