Nolah Original vs. Tempur Pedic
These days, more people than ever before are considering all-foam mattresses when looking for a new bed. But, since all-foam mattresses are considerably different from the traditional innerspring beds, it’s not uncommon for people to have questions on the quality of these mattresses and whether foam would be a good fit for them, etc.
In this review, we’ll be focusing on the features and benefits of two popular all-foam mattresses: Nolah Original and Tempur Pedic. We’ll help you realize how foam may be perfect for you and pick an ideal mattress for your specific needs. Last updated
Nolah Original
The Nolah Original mattress is unique in that it delivers the benefits of memory foam without the use of memory foam. Nolah created their own proprietary foam, Nolah Air Foam, which sleeps cooler than memory foam and is more durable than latex.
Nolah Original mattress
Construction and Materials
The Nolah Original mattress is 10″ thick and made up of 3 layers of proprietary foam:
- 2″ Top Comfort Layer – This layer is 2″ of proprietary cooling Nolah Air Foam designed to provide superior pressure relief and comfort and ensure cooling during sleep. It will contour perfectly to your body without making you feel trapped in foam.
- 1″ Transition Layer – This layer is 1″ of deep supportive high-resilience foam that is stronger and more durable than latex. It provides a healthy and responsive bounce and aids in transitioning motion between the upper and lower layers.
- 7″ Support Layer – This layer is 7″ of high-density breathable base foam that provides durability and stability to the mattress, excellent support as well as deep compression support for the body.
The cover of this mattress is a new snow-white Botanic Origin Tencel cover. It is a sustainable cellulosic cover of botanic origin that has a nice soft textured pattern and feel to it.
Firmness and Support
The Nolah Original is a universal comfort model and it only comes in one firmness option, which we rate at a 6-7 out of 10 (10 being the firmest). It initially may feel a little bit firm, but after a week or two, it totally adapts to your body.
This model is ideal for all sleeping positions as it offers enough give in the top comfort layer to support your shoulders and hips and has the necessary firmness if you switch to your back or stomach.
Nolah Original mattress, corner view
Comfort
Although the Nolah Original mattress initially feels rather firm and not as cushioned, as time passes your body adapts to it and molds to its all foam construction.
The Air Foam and the other layers in its construction work well together to provide the classic memory foam feeling of body hug and contour without causing you to feel trapped in a mattress.
The layer of high-resilience foam does a good job of supporting your body and providing good responsiveness when changing positions during the night without causing excessive motion transfer.
Sleeping Hot
The Nolah Original does a good job at creating a cool sleeping surface due to the use of the proprietary Nolah Air Foam. It retains a minimal amount of heat which is typical for most all-foam mattresses, but it’s nothing too serious to cause a sticky, sweaty feeling and deprive you of sleep.
Sinkage and Motion Transfer
With the Nolah Original mattress sinkage and motion transfer are reduced to the minimum. Andrew who is 230 lbs compressed the mattress to a certain degree, but he did not sink all the way down through it and come to rest on its foundation which is often the case with other all-foam mattresses.
Nolah Original mattress – profile
Edge support is also good with this mattress as edges don’t compress when sitting or lying near them, and they don’t cause the feeling of rolling off the bed.
Smell / Off-Gassing
The Nolah Original had an average amount of off-gassing when taken out of the box and packaging. This is to be expected due to its all-foam nature and the fact that it is delivered wrapped in a plastic package within a box, but any smell that was present dissipated within a few hours.
Customer Service:
- 120 Night Sleep Trial Period
- Lifetime Warranty
- Made in America
- Free Shipping
Price
This model is reasonably priced coming in at $799 for a Queen, which is a good price given the quality materials used in its construction.
Click here to read the full Nolah mattress review.
Tempur Luxe Breeze
Construction and Materials
Tempur-Pedic, unlike other mattress companies, don’t share a lot of information about their technology. They consider it proprietary information, so there are not many details about the materials they use for the construction of their mattresses, density of the layers, etc.
Tempur Luxe Breeze is an all-foam mattress by design and it is based on the following layers:
Luxe Breeze Layers
- PureCool+ Phase Change Top Layer: This is their new comfort layer that includes exclusive technology designed to wick heat away from the body and provide a cooling layer. All memory foam, no gel materials or anything, and not a lot of public information on exactly what the Breeze consists of.
- TEMPUR-CM+ Layer: This is their support layer, made of the advanced TEMPUR material which allows maximum airflow and works with the top layer to dissipate heat for all-night cooling comfort and provide overall sleep support.
- The Foundation Layer: This layer is made of the Ventilated TEMPUR-APR material which is known to be one of the most pressure-relieving materials ever and now it also comes with an ultra-breathable design. It serves as the core foundation of this mattress and provides overall support and base for the mattress.
The cover of the Tempur Luxe Breeze comes with a SmartClimate Dual Cover System. It is an advanced zip-off cover with double the cool-to-touch power that is cool and pleasant to the touch and that will also make you feel cooler when you lie down.
Firmness & Support
The new Tempur Luxe Breeze soft model is quite soft when compared to other models and the Nolah mattress. The PureCool+ Phase Change layer and TEMPUR-CM+ layer of this mattress place it around a 4-5 on a 10-point scale (10 being the firmest). So, when you lay on the mattress, you sink into it quite a bit, especially if you are a heavier sleeper like Andrew (230lbs).
The Tempur Pedic differs from many other memory foam mattresses in that it may initially seem to sleep hot or be too hard. However, the company recommends a 2-3 week “break-in” period for your body to acclimate to the mattress, and as time passes your body totally adapts to it.
Comfort
As it has been already mentioned, the new Tempur Luxe Breeze soft is a very soft model and it gives you the feeling of sleeping on a could. It is extremely comfortable, it cushions your body and feels super luxurious.
Although it doesn’t have any special technology and materials included in its construction, its high-quality, heavy foam for which it is known perfectly conforms and adapts to your body.
Sleeping Hot
Tempur Pedics used to be known for sleeping hot. The early models would be hot in the summer, and hard and cold in the winter. The ones we have used and slept on were no different.
The company has introduced their special cooling technology to address this, which is a key feature in the Tempur Luxe Breeze model which to a degree isn’t bad, but really is just more layers of memory foam designed to wick heat away.
These innovations are equally as effective as those of the mattresses including the newer heat-regulating technology such as the use of copper, gel cooling layer or latex. Their new cooling technology does keep the mattress much cooler than previous generations of Tempur Pedic models for sure.
Luxe Breeze cooling system
Sinkage and Motion Transfer
Tempur Pedics are known for having a very minimal motion transfer, due to the use of high-quality dense foam in their construction.
However, sinkage with the new Luxe Breeze is a little pronounced because it is Tempur Pedic’s softest model, and when Andrew sat down on it, it compressed quite a bit but did not cause him to sink down to the foundation.
Tempur Pedic LuxeBreeze – profile and edge support demonstration
Smell / Off-Gassing
Although there was a significant chemical smell with the earlier Tempur Pedics, they seemed to have addressed this with the current models, and with their delivery of uncompressed mattresses. So, no noticeable smell comes from the Luxe Breeze.
Customer Service
Tempur Pedic used to sell their mattresses through major mattress retailers exclusively which helped them avoid dealing directly with the customers. Lately, however, they began selling their mattresses online as well.
Tempur Pedic customer service includes:
- 90 Night Sleep Trial
- 10 Year Warranty
- In-home delivery guaranteed by Tempur Pedic.
Price
Although Tempur Pedics are generally expensive (a queen Luxe Breeze costs $5399), the company offers discounts that can help you save up to 30% on certain sizes of the Luxe Breeze.
Click here to read the full Tempur Luxe Breeze review.
Nolah Original vs. Tempur Pedic Mattress Comparison
Below is our comprehensive side-by-side comparison of the Nolah Original vs. Tempur Pedic mattress.
| Nolah Original | Tempur Luxe Breeze | |
|---|---|---|
| Layers | 2″ of proprietary cooling Nolah Air Foam, 1″ of deep supportive high-resilience foam, 7″ of high-density breathable base foam | PureCool+ Phase Change Top Layer, TEMPUR-CM+ Layer, Ventilated TEMPUR-APR Foundation Layer |
| Height | 10″ | 13.5" |
| Cover | A new snow-white Botanic Origin Tencel cover | Thin, removable cotton cover |
| Firmness | 6-7 out of 10 | 4-5 out of 10 |
| Support | Very good | Good |
| Motion Transfer | Very minimal | Very minimal |
| Price-Queen | $799 | $5399 |
| Price-King | $899 | $6099 |
| Warranty | 15 years | 10 years |
| Trial Period | 120 days | 90 days |
| Shipping | Free shipping | In-home delivery |
| Refunds & Returns | Yes | Yes |
Which Mattress Is Right for You?
Choose Nolah Original mattress if you like:
- Memory foam feel – As has been already mentioned, this mattress offers a classic memory foam feel without the actual use of memory foam. The company created their own Nolah Air Foam which sleeps cooler than memory foam and is more durable than latex. It perfectly molds to your body and provides a hug typical for memory foam mattresses without causing you to feel trapped.
- Supportive mattress – The Nolah Original mattress does an excellent job at supporting your body in all sleeping positions. It will not compress too much under your weight, and it will not cause you to sink down to the foundation.
- Sharing your bed – With this mattress, there is almost no motion transfer which means that it is perfect for couples. So, if you plan on sharing your bed with a partner, the Nolah Original mattress may be the right pick for you. It will allow you to move freely around your bed and get in and out of it during the night without disturbing the sleep of your beloved one.
Choose Tempur Luxe Breeze if you like:
- The feel of the memory foam – If you like the soft feel of full memory foam mattresses, then the Tempur Luxe Breeze may be the right choice for you. It is an all-foam mattress, made of high-quality dense foam layers that provide the necessary comfort and hug typical for memory foam.
- Soft mattresses – The Luxe Breeze is a very soft all-foam mattress. Its top comfort layers provide enough cushioning and they perfectly mold to your body.
- Sharing your bed – Memory foam is known for causing minimal or no motion transfer at all, and the Luxe Breeze does a good job at isolating excessive motion transfer as well due to its dense memory foam layers. Therefore, if you plan on sharing your bed with a partner, this mattress may be ideal for you. You can change your position or get in and out of bed during the night freely without disturbing your beloved one.
