Novosbed Mattress Review

Michael Magnuson

Founder of GoodBed, Leading Mattress Expert

Summary: Is Novosbed a Good Mattress?

The Novosbed is an 11" mattress made of all foam: two layers of memory foam atop a block of polyurethane support foam, under a zip-off, washable cover. The bed is available in Soft, Medium, and Firm versions (we tested the Medium), but Novosbed also offers a way to adjust the comfort and support post-purchase. Through its Comfort+ program, the company will send you an additional foam layer that can be zipped into your mattress to make it firmer or softer to suit your needs. (We did not test the Comfort+ program).

If you like that slow-melting feel of memory foam, this mattress has it; the memory foam used in the the Novosbed is very slow responding, plus this mattress has deeper than average cushioning, so you get more of a hugged/cradled feeling (as opposed to a firmer, floating on top feeling). 

Overall, we found the Medium version of the Novosbed to be too soft for our 200-lb. tester in most sleeping positions; were we to test this model again, we would have liked to try a Firm version, or see if a Comfort+ addition might have helped firm up the mattress so that our testers hips did not sink quite so far into the mattress. We did feel that for people lighter than our tester who enjoy deep cushioning, support and spinal alignment would likely be just fine.

Highlights of the Novosbed for us were pressure relief; with lots of premium memory foam and cushioning, our tester experienced no joint/pressure issues. Motion isolation was excellent, so the Novosbed would be a good choice for those sensitive to a partner's movements.

On the downside, edge support wasn't very good (it often isn't with memory foam beds), and we questioned whether this mattress would feel hot to those with issues of overheating in bed. Because of the slow-responding foam, we also found moving around on the bed a bit more cumbersome than with mattresses that are not as deeply cushioned.

Price-wise, the Novosbed is similar in cost to other sold-online mattresses with high density foams, and the option of the Comfort+ program certainly adds some value.

Free shipping is included, but just as with any other package, it’s left at the door. A ‘white glove’ service is available as an upgrade for $99; that means the bed would be delivered and set up in the room where you want it. Removal of your old bedding is available for an additional $35. A 120-night trial is included, with the requirement that you try the mattress for at least 60 days.

Note that the Novosbed mattress does not come with a box spring (nor does it need one). You can place the Novosbed mattress atop the support of your choice, including a separately purchased box support, a bed frame, platform bed, or adjustable bed frame. Novosbed sells its own matching foundation, but it isn't a required purchase.

Read on for our detailed report, and be sure to check out the video to see this mattress in action as we put it through our tests.

Note: The Novosbed is an all foam mattress made with memory foam and polyurethane foam. One of its unique features is a zip-off, washable top cover, along with a post-purchase comfort adjustment program called "Comfort +" through which the company will send you a free additional layer for your Novosbed if needed.

Bottom Line: Who is the Best Match for a Novosbed Mattress?

BEST if you:

• Like that slow-responding memory-foam feel
• Need good pressure relief
• Are sensitive to movements of a partner
• Enjoy a deeply cushioned mattress
  

NOT IDEAL if you:

• Weigh more than 200 lbs (get Firm)
• Tend to sit or sleep on the edge of your bed
• Have an issue sleeping hot
• Find repositioning challenging

Comfort and Feel

The “feel” characteristics of a mattress cannot be universally better or worse. They can only be more or less desirable to you, based on your personal preferences. For this reason, we call these “preference-based” attributes. Our ratings here are based on objective measurements that we apply to a consistent scale for products from all brands.

Softness ( what’s this )

Keep in mind that what mattress companies call “firm” or “soft” is a purely a preference. All mattresses should be supportive and promote healthy spinal alignment. Whether a mattress is fluffy and squishy (what mattress companies call soft or plush), or less so (what companies call firm), is purely down to your personal needs and preferences.

The Novosbed comes in Firm, Medium, and Soft varieties; we tested the Medium version. We would class the medium version of the Novosbed as more of a Medium Soft on our scale.

Not sure what softness is best for you? Take our Mattress Match Quiz and find out.

Cushioning Depth ( what’s this )

This refers to how deeply you sink into the mattress or feel cradled or hugged by your mattress; how far you sink into it. For our tester the Medium version of the Novosbed mattress had deeper than average cushioning.

Responsiveness ( what’s this )

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?

The Novosbed has four inches of high quality, slow-responding memory foam up top, so it has plenty of that slow-melting memory feel. We also tested bounce, and unsurprisingly for a mattress with this much memory foam, there's hardly any bounce.

Back Support

The key to good back support is for the mattress to support your spine in a “neutral” position while you sleep, meaning that the shape of your spine is roughly the same as when you're standing. The ability of any given mattress to do this will vary by sleeper, depending on its “fit” for your weight, body shape, and preferred sleep position(s).

Keep in mind that we tested the Medium version of the Novosbed mattress, which we found to be more of a medium soft on our scale. For our 200-lb. tester, this version of the Novosbed was too soft overall, allowing his hips to sink into the mattress more than felt natural. For that reason, we believe the Medium Novosbed mattress would be better suited for those lighter in weight than our tester. It is possible that the firm version would have worked well for our tester, but it was not available for comparison at the time of our testing.

Spinal Alignment

The key to good back support is maintaining proper spinal alignment while you sleep. This means that the mattress should hold your spine in roughly the same position it's in when you're standing. The ability of a given mattress to do this will generally depend on your weight, sleep position, and body shape.

Here is how we break down the spinal alignment of the Novosbed mattress:

Back Sleepers:

While our tester was on his back, he noted that while spinal alignment for him was good, his hips were sinking into the bed further than he would have liked. This effect would be more pronounced for someone heavier than our tester. Those weighing more than about 200 lbs. might find the Firm version more suitable, but we did not test it.

Side Sleepers:

Our tester had a similar experience on the Novosbed in the side-sleeping position, with hips sinking in a bit too much once more. He noted that shoulder absorption was good (see the Pressure Relief section below). Again, we felt that the Firm version would be more suitable for side sleepers weighing more than 200 lbs.

Stomach Sleepers:

Achieving good spinal alignment for stomach sleepers can often be trickier as the hips can tend to sink down too far, leading to an over-arched back, which in turn could lead to back pain. Our tester found the Medium version of the Novosbed to be too soft for him for back sleeping and side sleeping, so it would also be too soft for stomach sleeping.

Pressure Relief

Inadequate pressure relief from your mattress results in “pressure points,” which can be a source of pain, soreness, loss of circulation, restlessness, and other problems. Pressure relief requirements will vary be sleeper, with side sleepers needing the most. Likewise, the amount of pressure relief that a given mattress provides will also vary by sleeper, depending on its “fit” for your weight and body shape.

Performance Features

With the “features” of a mattress, performance will tend to be consistent across all sleepers – without regards to your body type or preferences. However, these attributes have differing levels of importance to each sleeper, which is why we consider them “priority-based” characteristics.

Motion Isolation ( what’s this )

With a bowling pin standing upright on the Novosbed mattress, we tested motion isolation first by applying manual pressure (our tester pushed into the mattress with his arm), then by our tester dropping his weight onto the bed. 

Either way, there was almost no movement from our bowling pin, which leads us to conclude that the Novosbed mattress would be a very good choice for those sensitive to a partner’s movements in bed.

Temperature ( what’s this )

If you do not have a known issue of overheating, we do not think the Novosbed mattress will feel hot. Memory foam has a reputation for heat retention; in the case of the Novosbed bed, the top memory foam layer is pierced with pin-core holes to help promote airflow. However, since this mattress has deeper cushioning, you will sink in more, and less of your body will be exposed to the air.

If overheating in bed is an issue for you, and you’ve experienced it with other mattresses, you might want to explore other models, or consider going with an innerspring mattress or pocket spring model.

Edge Support ( what’s this )

Foam mattresses aren’t typically very supportive along the very edge of the mattress—important if you like to sit on the edge of the bed, or if you tend to sleep along the edge. With the Novosbed mattress, our tester did experience a substantial amount of dip when sitting on the edge of the mattress.

When laying on the very edge of the mattress, our tester felt like he was starting to lean as his body warmed the memory foam layer of the bed. If edge support is a priority for you, competing mattresses offer specific edge support features.

Ease of Repositioning ( what’s this )

If you change positions a lot in the night, or have joint issues that make movement difficult, ease of repositioning may be a priority for you. With mattresses that include a lot of slow-melting memory foam, users sometimes describe a 'stuck in quicksand' feeling when trying to move around. Our tester did feel that moving on the Novosbed was a little more cumbersome than with other foam mattresses, but we think that unless you have a specific issue that makes moving difficult, most will not find it bothersome.

Green Features ( what’s this )

For mattress shoppers concerned with the use of natural materials, sustainable manufacturing practices or the like, we offer our subjective evaluation of any efforts taken by the company to make the mattress more green, healthy, or safe. 

In the case of the Novosbed mattress, the company makes no claims about the use of natural materials, however all of the foams used are certified to the CertiPUR-US standard, which verifies that a material has low VOC off-gassing as well as a lack of chemicals and other substances regulated by the CPSC.

Upon unboxing the bed, we gave it an informal 'sniff test' and noticed nothing beyond the normal 'new mattress' smell that's common on beds that arrive wrapped in plastic.

Adjustable Base Compatibility ( what’s this )

We did not specifically test the Novosbed mattress with an adjustable base. However, the company says that using the Novosbed with an adjustable base is perfectly fine and will not damage the mattress. And based on its construction and heavy weight, we would expect the Novosbed to conform to an adjustable base very well. Because it has a smooth cover that's not heavily quilted, we would not expect any annoying bunching of the cover.

Materials & Construction

What's in a Novosbed Mattress?

Overall, we classify the Novosbed mattress as a "Memory Foam over Foam" construction type. It is an 11″ thick mattress comprised of 3 layers (listed below from top to bottom):

• 2" memory foam with pin-core holes, 5 lb. density
• 2” transitional memory foam, 5 lb. density
• 7” polyurethane foam support layer, 1.8-lb density

Memory foam over foam beds are not very unusual these days, but the Novosbed does differ from the competition in some ways. The top 2" layer of memory foam is pierced with pin-core holes, intended to help with air flow. The 5-lb. density of the top foam, and the next memory foam layer under it, is higher than average, indicating excellent quality. The main support foam is a standard block of polyurethane foam in a 1.8 lb. density.

The Novosbed mattress is available in Firm, Medium, and Soft; we tested the Medium version.

Novosbed also offers its Comfort+ program. If you find your mattress too soft or too firm, the company will send you an additional later for free that can be zipped into the mattress. The image below shows what the mattress would look like with the addition of a Comfort+ layer.

Cover

Durability, Warranty & Value

The “value” of any mattress is both subjective and personal – reflecting how well it meets that person’s unique sleep needs and preferences, relative to their budget. As a result, our ratings in this area are focused on more objective factors like quality and longevity.

How Much Does a Novosbed Mattress Cost?

Prices shown are list prices. Remember that GoodBed keeps our site current with the best available discounts on online mattresses, many of which are exclusive discounts for our readers.

What Are You Getting?

The Novosbed is an 11-inch mattress made with four inches of premium, high density memory foam. The company has a unique Comfort+ program where if you find you need more firmness or more softness, the company will send, free of charge, an additional layer to add to the top of your mattress. A zip-off, washable top cover allows access to add the extra layer. We felt that the cover seemed sturdy and well made.

How Long Will the Novosbed Last?

When it comes to estimating the comfort lifespan of a mattress, we tend to use foam density as our best, albeit imperfect, predictor of how long a foam will retain its shape and resiliency. In the case of the Novosbed mattress, the lower support layer made of 1.8-lb density foam is fairly standard. The top two layers are 5-lb. density memory foam, indicating excellent quality.

Overall, we see no red flags that would indicate to us that the Novosbed would not last as long as competing mattresses, or even longer.

Overall Value

Pricing for the Novosbed is right in line with many of its online competitors, but higher than some others. However, we do feel the Novosbed has higher quality foams than most, and the Comfort+ program adds additional value and peace of mind that you'll find a comfort level that suits you.

Warranty

• Warranty Length: 15 years
• Indentation Coverage: 1” and above for the first 10 years; 2" thereafter

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 mattresses is generally between ¾” and 1.5”. Novosbed has chosen to cover indentations that meet or exceed 1” for the first 10 years of the warranty, and 2" or more for years 11-15. Practically speaking, that means any softening or sagging would need to be at least that deep before the warranty would offer you protection. Full details on Novosbed's warranty.

Other Factors to Consider

Delivery

• Free delivery to door

Novosbed includes free delivery via common carrier, which is not particularly unusual among its competitors. For an extra $99, you can opt for their VIP or ‘white glove’ service, where the mattress is delivered and set up in the room where you want it, and the packaging is removed. Removal of your old bedding is another $35 option.

Returns

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

Novosbed offers buyers a 120-day trial period, with a requirement that buyers try the mattress for a minimum of 60 nights before initiating a return. Returns within the trial period are free, with pickup of the mattress included. Returned mattresses will be donated to charity, according to the company. See: Novosbed returns policy.