Nolah vs Nectar – which mattress brand is best on test?

Nolah and Nectar are two of America's biggest box mattress brands, renowned for their quick and convenient delivery of memory foam and hybrid mattresses. To help you decide between the brands, I'm setting Nolah vs Nectar head to head.

For the sake of a fair fight, I wanted to choose a similar mattress from each store. I've landed on the Nolah Original Mattress and the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress (one of our top contenders for the title of best mattress).

Here at Homes & Gardens, we score each mattress against the same criteria: pressure relief; thermoregulation; motion isolation; and edge support. Don't worry if you encounter any unfamiliar terms: you can always cross-reference against my mattress jargon buster. In general, these mattresses are pretty evenly matched, but the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress takes the title for value for money.

Nolah vs Nectar − which mattress brand is best on test?

Before we begin, I'd like to introduce our two testers. Jamie Davis Smith, one of our regular freelance mattress testers, sampled the Nolah Original Mattress. Casey Clark, also a regular mattress reviewer for Homes & Gardens, tested the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress.

Nolah vs Nectar − Head to head

Nolah vs Nectar – Pressure relief

WINNER: Nolah

It's a close contest, but the Nolah Original Mattress takes the victory. 'This mattress feels plush up top, with more solid foam down below,' says Jamie, 'so it's suitable for all sleep positions. I felt I could sink through the first few inches of foam, really relaxing into the mattress, and still feel supported. Good news for side sleepers: the Nolah Original Mattress feels extra flexible around the shoulders, so you shouldn't wake up with a stiff neck.'

That's not to say the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress is uncomfortable: it just feels firmer. That suits Casey, who needs a firmer mattress to support her joints and ease the aches and pains of her fibromyalgia. 'I appreciated how the mattress sank underneath my chest area when I laid on my front, allowing for some breathing room in that department,' says Casey. 'When I lay on my back, I felt like my body was in perfect alignment.' Still, if you prefer a slightly softer surface, you'll have better luck with the Nolah Original Mattress.

Nolah vs Nectar – Thermoregulation

WINNER: Nolah

Your average memory foam mattress tends to trap heat: there isn't much room for air to flow through thick layers of dense foam. That's why Nolah strategically perforates their foam and wraps the mattress in a cooling cover to dissipate heat and wick moisture.

'I tested the Nolah Original Mattress through the summer and still managed to sleep cool,' says Jamie. 'I particularly appreciated the Tencel cover, which felt cool to the touch, even through my fitted sheet. As far as memory foam goes, this is one of the best cooling mattresses on the market.'

As a hot sleeper, Casey struggled on the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress: 'While this mattress was cooler than others I’ve had in the past, I still did wake up sweaty on most nights. Yes, that’s even with a fan blowing on me at full speed.' Another one of our expert testers, Millie Hurst, found the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress feels far more breathable.

Nolah vs Nectar – Motion isolation

WINNER: It's a tie

Memory foam is made to absorb motion, so it's a great choice for couples and light sleepers. We find that the best way to assess motion isolation is to fill a glass with water and set it in the middle of the mattress: then, place a weight on the mattress and move it incrementally closer to the glass. The more the glass moves, and the more water spills, the worse the motion isolation, and the less suitable the mattress for couples and light sleepers.

Jamie says: 'the Nolah Original Mattress has excellent motion isolation: the glass barely moved, even when the weight was right next to it. In practice, I was noticeably less disturbed by my husband getting into and out of bed and my young son wriggling away in the night.' Casey says: 'Even as I put my hands directly around the cup, there was no motion. That's how you know the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress has excellent motion isolation.'

Nolah vs Nectar – Edge support

WINNER: Nolah

Neither mattress particularly excels in this area, but the Nolah Original Mattress comes out on top. 'I could comfortably sit on the side of the mattress to tie my sneakers or get dressed in the morning,' says Jamie. 'Edge support is especially important if you struggle with mobility and need a little extra help getting into or out of bed.' For the best edge support, I recommend the Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt.

Casey wasn't impressed with the edge support on the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress: 'While Nectar claims that the mattress has consistent and firm edge support, I didn’t experience that. The edges really sunk under the weight. This is a common pitfall of even the best memory foam mattresses: the soft squishiness of the center extends around the edges.'

Nolah vs Nectar – Practical points

Both Nolah and Nectar are box mattress brands: their mattresses arrive tightly wrapped in plastic. As you unbox, you might notice an unpleasant chemical sort of smell: that's the mattress off-gassing, and it's par for the course with memory foam. The best way to get rid of the smell is to crack open a window and close the bedroom door.

Where Nectar offers a 365-night mattress sleep trial, which gives you a whole year to get to know your mattress before you commit to your purchase, Nolah only offers 120 nights.

Both Nolah and Nectar offer limited lifetime mattress warranties, covering all the usual defects in materials and manufacture.

Nolah vs Nectar – Which should I buy?

The Nolah Original Mattress and the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress are pretty evenly matched for performance. Both offer excellent motion isolation and plush comfort, though Nolah edges the victory for thermoregulation and edge support.

Still, I wouldn't say that the Nolah Original Mattress is worth $400 more than the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress – though that's what Nolah would have you believe. If you're buying on a budget, and you want a good mattress that ticks all the big boxes, then I suggest you stick with the Nectar Memory Foam mattress: we voted it the best affordable mattress, and with good reason.

How we test mattresses

As the resident Sleep Editor at Homes & Gardens, I lead a team of expert testers in the search to find the world's best mattress. Together, we represent a wide range of sleep styles, ages, and body types, and we live all over the country in different climates. We sleep on each mattress for a minimum of 30 nights to get an indication of long-term performance before we write our initial reviews. To learn more about how we test mattresses, consult our expert guide.

We assess each mattress against the same criteria: pressure relief; thermoregulation; motion isolation; and edge support. To assess pressure relief, we lie on the mattress on our stomach, back, and sides, considering where we feel most comfortable and supported. To assess thermoregulation, we switch off our AC to sleep through all weather conditions, making note of any nights where we wake up in a sweat.

To assess motion isolation, we fill a glass with water and set it in the middle of the mattress. Then we take a weight and place it on the mattress, moving incrementally closer to the glass. The more the glass moves, and the more water spills, the worse the motion isolation, and the less suitable the mattress for light sleepers and couples. To assess edge support, we sit on the side of the mattress and measure how far we sink. The further we fall, the worse the edge support, and the harder it might be to get into and out of bed.

Where possible, we compare our findings against verified customer reviews to get a better idea of long-term performance. We also consider the practicalities of mattress shopping, from the details of delivery to sleep trials and warranties. Finally, we bring it all back to the price of the mattress to help you determine value for money.