Saatva and Nolah are two leading brands to consider when looking for a new mattress, as both boast a range of luxury mattresses that cater to most sleeping styles. Both the Saatva Classic and the Nolah Evolution 15 are customizable mattresses, which means that they appeal to a wide range of sleeping styles.
The Saatva Classic, which tops our best mattress 2024 guide, is crafted from a luxurious combination of foams and coils. The Nolah Evolution 15 also uses foams and coils, but its construction is quite different to the Saatva, resulting in a different sleep experience.
At full MSRP there’s also quite a price different between the two, with a Saatva queen mattress costing $1,995 and the Nolah equivalent priced at $2,499. However, timing your purchase to coincide with major sale event — like the upcoming Presidents' Day mattress sales — means getting the greatest discount. Right now, early Presidents' Day sales mean you can buy a queen size Saatva Classic for $1,695 (was $1,995), while you can pick up a queen size Nolah Evolution 15 for $1,624 (was $2,499).
Now you know the best time to buy, but which mattress is best for your sleeping style? In this Saatva Classic vs the Nolah Evolution 15 comparison piece, we'll be exploring in finer detail the similarities and key differences between the two mattresses, helping you to decide which bed will best suit your sleep needs. Let's get started.
Saatva Classic vs Nolah Evolution 15 mattress: Specs
Saatva Classic vs Nolah Evolution 15 mattress: Price & trial
- Saatva regularly offers 12-15% off MSRP, or a tiered money-off system
- The Nolah Evolution 15 usually has $600-$700 off, plus two free pillows
- Both have lifetime warranties, but Saatva offers a longer sleep trial
Both the Saatva and Nolah are premium mattresses that fall into the premium price category. However, evergreen sales means you’ll never pay MSRP for the Saatva. You should expect 12-15% off, or we’ve sometimes seen tiered money-off deals where the discounts increase with the size of the bed. Even with these discounts, the Saatva is still in the upper-mid range price bracket, but keeping track of our Saatva mattress sales page will update you with any new sales or discounts.
It’s worth noting that the Twin size of the mattress isn’t always included in sales. You’ll usually be able to pick up a queen Saatva Classic for $1,696, which we think is a competitive price for an extremely luxurious innerspring hybrid.
Even though it’s Nolah’s most expensive mattress, the Evolution 15 is the brand’s most popular. Regular Nolah mattress sales cut between $600 and $700 off the MSRP of the Evolution 15, and you’ll also get a free pair of its pillows (which would normally cost $178).
In addition to price we also need to look at the length of mattress trials, mattress warranties and the type of shipping. Both companies offer a lifetime warranty with the mattresses, alongside free shipping. But Saatva give sleepers a whole year to try out the mattress, whereas you’ll only get 120 nights with the Nolah. There’s also free white glove delivery with the Saatva, which includes the delivery and set-up of your new mattress and removal of your old mattress, but you’ll have to pay $225 for this with the Nolah. Finally, and somewhat bizarrely for two such high-end brands, both companies charge a $99 return fee.
How much can you expect to pay for these mattresses when they’re not on sale? Here’s our Saatva vs Nolah price comparison:
Saatva vs Nolah price winner: It’s a draw
Although the Saatva comes with more impressive extras than the Nolah, you’ll pay less for the Evolution 15 once discounts have been applied. So overall these two mattresses balance each other out in the price stakes.
Saatva Classic vs Nolah Evolution 15 mattress: Design
- Both mattresses are hybrids
- The Saatva Classic has a plush pillow top and coils design
- The Nolah utilizes materials for temperature control and support
The Saatva Classic comes in two different heights (11.5” and 14.5”) and three different firmness options (Plush Soft, Luxury Firm and Firm). Underneath the 3” thick Euro pillow top (made with organic cotton and with zoned quilting in the middle for extra lumbar support), you’ll find a CertiPUR-US certified memory foam layer that’s specifically geared towards healthy spinal alignment.
Next up, a layer of individually wrapped 14.5-gauge recycled steel coils sit on top of a support base made up of 13-gauge tempered steel support coils. This is all wrapped up in a foam encasement around the perimeter to stabilize the whole mattress.
The Nolah Evolution 15 is, as you might have guessed, a 15” mattress made up of seven layers. Starting at the top, there’s a cover made with phase-changing ArticTex fibers, designed to absorb and release heat. The cover is cool to the touch, but it’s spot-clean only so we’d recommend a mattress protector to keep everything clean and stain-free. Next up is a quilted 2” Euro topper with cooling foam surround by a heat escape gusset.
Underneath this is another layer of the brand’s proprietary AirFoamICE graphite-infused foam that’s also designed to dissipate heat. High-resilience foam and a layer of transition foam sit on top of individually wrapped zoned coils and the mattress is supported by an eco-friendly foundation layer constructed from plant fibers.
Saatva vs Nolah design winner: Nolah
Both mattresses are superbly designed, but we think the Nolah just edges things with its multiple layers of foam combined with supported three-zoned coils. We also love the eco-friendly plant fiber base layer.
Saatva Classic vs Nolah Evolution 15 mattress: Comfort & support
- The Saatva Classic is available in three firmness options
- The Nolah is also available in three firmness options
- Saatva has lumbar support, the Nolah has zoned support in the coil layer
The Saatva Classic is available in three firmness options and two heights (the only difference here is the height of the springs). We tested the Luxury Firm in our review, which is the brand’s most popular comfort level and is, according to Saatva, designed to suit all sleeping positions. Our testers certainly agreed that it was a comfortable choice for most sleepers, although lightweight side sleepers are likely to find it too firm.
In our Saatva Classic mattress review we found that the Luxury Firm offered great pressure relief, along with a fairly traditional innerspring feel. This is a mattress that you sleep on top of, rather than sinking into. There’s good bounce from the coil system and the pillow top provides plenty of cushioning comfort.
We rate the way this mattress keeps the spine aligned and you’ll also feel that your pressure points are kept cushioned. As far as the other options go, the Plush Soft is one of the best mattresses for side sleepers who will feel cushioned at their pressure points of hips and shoulders. At the other end of the scale the Firm mattress is one of top picks in our best firm mattresses round-up, and is ideally suited to those who enjoy a firm mattress, are of a heavier build or sleep on their fronts.
The Nolah Evolution 15 is also available in three firmness options, and we tested the Luxury Firm option in our Nolah Evolution 15 mattress review. It was most popular with our back and stomach sleepers, but our side sleepers did find it too firm. The zoned support from the coils provides excellent pressure relief and lumbar support, and our testers felt their spines were kept aligned at all times when lying on their backs and fronts.
As with the Saatva, there are different options in the Nolah Evolution 15 to suit different styles of sleeping. Side sleepers and those of a lighter weight will prefer the Plush option, which offers more cushioning at the shoulders and hips. And those of a larger build will enjoy the Firm mattress, which is also particularly popular with taller customers.
Saatva vs Nolah comfort & support winner: Saatva
Again, these are both excellent mattresses but we think the Saatva just edges this particular category. The feel of the Saatva Classic is more luxurious and the support from the added lumbar support section is particularly good for those suffering with aches and pains – it’s our top pick in our best mattresses for back pain round-up.
Saatva Classic vs Nolah Evolution 15 mattress: Temperature control
- The foam in the Saatva helps to keep sleepers from overheating
- Saatva’s double layer of coils provides lots of space for air to circulate
- The Nolah can be a bit hit and miss for hot sleepers
When we tested the Saatva Classic all our testers stayed cool and comfortable throughout the night. The Saatva has very little foam along with a double layer of coils creating plenty of space for airflow. There’s also a cotton cover that’s naturally breathable.
The Nolah is packed with cooling tech, and you’d think this would guarantee a cool night’s sleep. The mattress does feel very cool to the touch, thanks to the ArticTex top cover, followed by the layers of cooling foam. But our testers had some nights where they felt a little warm in bed, with hot sleepers even breaking out in a light sweat. Overall, we were a little disappointed by the temperature regulation of this mattress.
Of course, neither mattress is a specialist cooling mattress so, if you’re a particularly hot sleeper, consider one of our best cooling mattresses to keep you comfy at night.
Saatva vs Nolah temperature regulation winner: Saatva
Despite the cooling tech in the Nolah, some of our sleepers overheated slightly on this mattress. But the Saatva kept our testers cool throughout the night and its lack of foam really prevents any heat from getting trapped in the mattress.
Saatva Classic vs Nolah Evolution 15: Which should you buy?
Buy the Saatva Classic if...
✅ You suffer from back aches and pains: The Saatva Classic does an excellent job of keeping the spine perfectly aligned and there’s extra support in the lumbar region.
✅ You want a mattress that lasts: The high-quality materials in the Saatva feel like sleeping on a luxury hotel mattress and, despite being in the premium price bracket price wise, we think it’s actually very reasonably priced for the luxurious feel it gives.
✅ You want the best customization options: The Saatva’s customization options give very different feels, allowing sleepers to choose the firmness that best suits their sleeping style.
Buy the Nolah Evolution 15 if...
✅ You share your bed with a restless partner: Motion isolation on the Nolah is excellent. You shouldn’t feel any movement from a partner, meaning you’ll have a restful night’s sleep.
✅ You want superior pressure relief: We were hugely impressed with the pressure relief provided by the Nolah, with just the right amount of give and firmness to support the lumbar region.
✅ You sleep on your back: The Luxury Firm option of the Nolah is particularly suited to back sleepers, who should feel immediate support and cushioning in this sleeping position.
