Written by Olivera Jancikin, Content Writer
Can’t decide between a hybrid or an all-foam bed?
This Sparrow Signature Hybrid and Nolah Signature comparison will showcase two mattress products head-to-head to help you narrow your choices down.
Nest Bedding believes good sleep should last forever and offers a lifetime comfort guarantee to prove it. Nolah is dedicated to giving every sleeper plush comfort with superb pressure relief.
The Sparrow was formerly known as the Alexander Signature Hybrid and comes in Plush, Medium, and Firm feels. We reviewed the more versatile Medium. The Nolah Signature is sold as an all-foam or a hybrid, but we’ll be checking out the all-foam.
Quick Comparison: Nest Bedding Sparrow vs. Nolah Signature
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Who I’d Recommend the Nest Bedding Sparrow For
- Pillow top fans – If you like a supportive bed with a slightly plush feel, a hybrid with a pillow top wouldn’t be a bad idea, and this is exactly what the Sparrow offers. Its cooling pillow top contains gel-infused memory foam and phase change fabric to offer a soft, temperature-neutral start to the bed.
- Shoppers who want customization options – The Sparrow is available in Plush, Medium, and Firm versions, making it suitable for a wide range of sleepers. We reviewed the Medium model, which we wouldn’t recommend for heavyweight sleepers over 230 pounds. Shoppers in that weight category may want to check out the Firm option instead.
- Eco-conscious shoppers – While the materials used in this bed aren’t specifically planet-friendly, the brand does offer a Lifetime Renewal Exchange. This program allows you to refresh the mattress with a new comfort layer at any point in the mattress’ life. This could negate the need for buying a new bed, keeping your current mattress out of a landfill.
Who I’d Recommend the Nolah Signature For
- Side sleepers – The Nolah Signature was designed with side sleepers in mind, and we can attest to that. “This is a softer mattress, so it’s going to excel for side sleepers who want pressure relief in their shoulders and hips,” noted Emma, a Sleep Advisor mattress tester. However, we think most heavyweight side sleepers will need a more supportive mattress.
- People with joint pain – Sleep Advisor mattress tester, Liz, often finds sleeping difficult due to her chronic joint pain, but she loved the Nolah Signature. She noted its “perfect mix of plush to firm ratio.” Nolah claims their proprietary AirFoam™ offers four times more pressure relief on the hips, back, and shoulders than standard memory foam.
- Shoppers who want the best of both worlds – “If you’re interested in a hybrid feel but want an all-foam bed, you should love the bounce and cool nature of Nolah’s AirFoam™,” Emma said. Furthermore, the Nolah Signature should provide great motion isolation and pressure relief that memory foam is known for without being saddled with many of the material’s drawbacks.
Comparing Nest Bedding Sparrow vs. Nolah Signature: Top Similarities
- Cooling – We found both beds slept temperature-neutral thanks to their cooling technology. The Sparrow has phase-change material, a gel memory foam pillow top, and a coil unit. As for the Nolah, it has a moisture-wicking cotton cover, proprietary cooling foam, and breathable foam.
- Suitable for lightweight sleepers – Our team recommends both beds for lightweight sleepers because of the beds’ plush surfaces. However, lightweight side sleepers may prefer the slightly more plush Nolah for added pressure relief at the hips and shoulders.
- Bounce – We rated both beds as having moderate bounce, making them suitable for combination sleepers who want to reposition with ease, people with mobility issues, and couples looking for a mattress for sex.
Comparing Nest Bedding Sparrow vs. Nolah Signature: Key Differences
- Edge support – We found the Sparrow Signature Hybrid had better edge support than the all-foam Nolah. You may feel supported while lying near the edge of the Nolah, but we experienced buckling when sitting on the edge.
- Sinkage – With its quilted gel memory foam cover and memory foam alternative Energex™ comfort layer, the Sparrow offers the feel of a deep hug. Despite having a more plush feel, the Nolah’s top layer of AirFoam™ works with the lower layer of Active Response Foam to keep you more on top of the bed in a gentle cradle.
- Trial period – The Nolah Signature comes with a 120-night trial while the Sparrow has a longer 365-night trial. You’re also given the option to opt out of Nolah’s trial, which will save you some money, but it also makes your purchase non-returnable.
Comparing Firmness, Support & Feel
Firmness
We rank beds using a firmness scale that ranges from 1 to 10, with 1 being the softest. Sparrow’s Medium option comes in at a 5.5. Depending on your weight, this bed could feel like a true medium-firm or a true medium.
The Nolah Signature has one firmness option and is classified as a soft mattress, ranking at a 4 on our firmness scale. This firmness level may be an excellent choice for side sleepers or those seeking pressure relief.
Support
Despite its soft feel, our team found the Nolah had a great deal of support in the lower layers. “It’s completely supportive as well as plush,” our reviewer, Emma, stated. Lightweight sleepers, as well as average-weight side and back sleepers, may do well on this mattress.
The Sparrow also offers great support with its SmartFlow support foam and coil unit. We think lightweight sleepers and average-weight side and back sleepers should also like this mattress.
Feel
Our team noted that the Sparrow’s cover feels cool to the touch. The pillow top and comfort layer offer a slow response that envelops you in a deep hug. The Nolah’s cotton cover also feels soft and cool to the touch, and our review team noted that the comfort layer’s proprietary foam had more bounce and cooling in it than traditional memory foam.
Comparing Sinkage and Bounce
Our team found the Sparrow offered a deep hug with plenty of supportive contouring and pressure relief thanks to its gel memory foam cover and Energex™ foam comfort layer. The Nolah Signature’s AirFoam™ and Active Response Foam comfort layers provide more of a gentle cradle. Buyers who want to feel like they are sleeping “in” their bed will likely prefer the Sparrow, whereas people who prefer to “float on top” should consider the Nolah.
We expected the all-foam Nolah to have less springiness than the Sparrow hybrid, but we actually experienced similar levels of moderate bounce thanks to Nolah’s responsive second comfort layer that pushes back against the plusher top layer.
Comparing Motion Transfer
“Foam beds are wonderful when it comes to motion isolation, and this Nolah mattress is no exception,” reported our reviewer, Emma. “While this foam is certainly more responsive than memory foam might be, at the end of the day, it’s still foam; there’s virtually no motion transfer on this bed.”
Hybrid beds usually have more motion transfer than all-foam models due to their springs, but the Sparrow’s individually wrapped coils prevent movement cascading through the bed. Plus, it’s less bouncy than your typical hybrid thanks to the deep sinkage of its comfort layer, which aids in motion isolation.
Comparing Cooling
The Sparrow’s coil system allows for airflow. Additionally, its gel-infused memory foam and THERMIC® phase change pillow top do a great job of dissipating body heat.
We were also impressed by the Nolah’s ability to regulate temperature. “Many foam mattresses lack cooling capabilities but this bed uses Nolah AirFoam™, which is specifically designed to keep sleepers cool.,” said Emma. “They also say it’s 100 percent temperature-neutral and is made without viscoelastic chemicals, which can trap heat.”
We think most sleepers should stay comfortably cool on either bed, although particularly hot sleepers or those in warmer climates may want to check out a more advanced cooling mattress.
Comparing Construction (Materials & Quality)
Nest Bedding Sparrow Signature Hybrid Mattress
Product Details
Our Recommendation
Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Nest Bedding Sparrow Construction
This is a foam and coil hybrid product that’s compressed and boxed for shipping. The 1-inch pillow top on this 12-inch mattress features gel-infused memory foam combined with super soft THERMIC® phase change fabric to promote cooling.
- The top layer contains a 3-inch Energex™ temperature-responsive foam. This cutting-edge material is designed to provide immediate responsiveness as you change positions, offering a memory foam-like feel without leaving indents. This layer can be replaced in the future if you opt into the Lifetime Renewal Exchange (fees apply).
- The center features 1 inch of high-density SmartFlow support foam, which acts as a transitional layer to ease you into the coil unit below.
- The innerspring layer is constructed with 6-inch individually-pocketed 16-gauge coils. These provide stability to the softer materials and the individual wrapping helps to minimize motion transfer. Reinforced coils around the perimeter provide sturdy edge support.
- At the base is a 1-inch layer of dense foam to support the innerspring unit.
Nolah Signature 12″ Mattress
Product Details
Our Recommendation
Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Nolah Signature Construction
This 12-inch all-foam bed-in-a-box model has a premium organic cotton cover that’s soft, cooling, and moisture-wicking. The Nolah Signature is also available as a hybrid, but this construction breakdown is for the all-foam version.
- The comfort layer features 2.5 inches of the brand’s cooling AirFoam™, which provides added pressure relief and contouring. This foam contains billions of microscopic air bubbles, which evenly distribute body weight and help to regulate temperature. According to the company, their lab tests show that this foam dissipates heat 20 percent faster than high-end memory foam and is up to 300 percent more durable.
- The second comfort layer has 1.5 inches of ultra-breathable Active Response Foam, which is designed for bounce and airflow.
- The support layer is 1 inch of firmer AirFoam™, providing support and additional pressure relief.
- The base layer is crafted with 7 inches of breathable, high-density foam, offering stability and durability for the rest of the bed.
Comparing Company Policies & Price
- Warranty – A lifetime warranty is offered with both beds.
- Shipping – Each bed comes with free curbside shipping across the contiguous U.S., but the Sparrow also ships to Alaska and Hawaii for a fee. White-glove delivery is offered with both beds for an extra charge. This must be arranged over the phone with the Sparrow but can be added to your online order with the Nolah.
- Trial Period – The Nolah Signature has a 120-night trial period, and the Nest Bedding Sparrow has a longer trial period of 365 nights. You can opt out of the Nolah’s trial, which will save you 100 dollars on your purchase. However, be aware that this makes the bed non-returnable.
- Returns – Free returns are offered with both beds, with a full refund given when returned within the trial period. However, both brands require you to try the beds for at least 30 nights before initiating a return, and Nolah charges a 99-dollar return transportation fee.
- Price – The Nolah is more expensive for Twin and Twin XL sizes respectively, while the Nest Bedding Sparrow is pricier in larger sizes.
| Size | Nest Bedding Sparrow Price (w/o discount) | Nolah Signature Price (w/o discount) |
| Twin | $1,226 | $1,299 |
| Twin XL | $1,332 | $1,399 |
| Full | $1,759 | $1,649 |
| Queen | $2,132 | $1,799 |
| King | $2,452 | $2,049 |
| Cali King | $2,452 | $2,049 |
| Split King | N/A | $2,798 |
| Split Cali King | $2,664 | N/A |
Nest Bedding Sparrow vs. Nolah Signature Compared Side-by-Side
| Features | Nest Bedding Sparrow | Nolah Signature |
| Height | 12” | 12” |
| Cover | THERMIC® phase change fabric and gel-infused memory foam pillow top | Organic cotton |
| Materials | Energex™ foam, SmartFlow support foam, coil system, poly foam | AirFoam™, Active Response Foam, high-density foam |
| Cooling | THERMIC® phase change cover, gel-infused memory foam, aerated materials, pocketed coils | Moisture-wicking organic cotton cover, cooling AirFoam™, breathable foams |
| Firmness | 5.5/10 (Medium option) | 4/10 |
| Support | Great | Great |
| Motion Transfer | Minimal | Minimal |
| Edge Support | Exceptional | Good |
| Sinkage | Deep Hug | Gentle Cradle |
| Bounce | Moderate | Moderate |
| Warranty | Lifetime | Lifetime |
| Trial Period | 365 nights | 120 nights |
| Certifications | CertiPUR-US® | CertiPUR-US® |
| Adjustable Base Compatible | Yes | Yes |
| Shipping | Free delivery to contiguous U.S., White Glove Delivery available for an extra fee, ships to Alaska and Hawaii for an extra fee | Free delivery to contiguous U.S., White Glove Delivery available for an extra fee |
| Made in the USA | Yes | Designed and assembled in USA |
| Read Full Review | Nest Bedding Sparrow Mattress Review | Nolah Signature Mattress Review |
| Shop Now | Nest Bedding Sparrow Mattress | Nolah Signature Mattress |
Final Thoughts
Do we have a clear winner? With their similar bounce, temperature regulation, and motion isolation, it might be hard to make a decision.
We think those looking for a wider range of options will likely appreciate the Sparrow’s different comfort levels. However, this shouldn’t completely take the Nolah Signature out of the running, as its universal appeal should satisfy many shoppers. Be aware that we don’t think either bed will provide enough support for heavyweight sleepers, though, who may prefer a plus-size mattress.
Need a little more guidance? Then have a look at our full-length reviews which go into even more detail about the specifics of each product.
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More Nest Bedding Sparrow Comparisons:
Olivera Jancikin
Content Writer
About Author
Olivera is a content writer for Sleep Advisor and is enthusiastic about sleep. She firmly believes in the benefits of daytime naps on top of getting a full 8-hour sleep at night.
Combination Sleeper