Type: Latex hybrid
Firmness: Medium firm
Height: 11"
Sizes: 8
Sleep trial: 120 nights
Warranty: Limited lifetime
Price: from $1,124 at Nolah
Shipping: Free delivery
Type: All-natural latex
Firmness: Medium firm
Height options: 8" or 11"
Sizes: 5
Sleep trial: 120 nights
Warranty: 20 years
Price: from $2,915 at Essentia
Shipping: Free delivery
If you’re looking for a mattress that will not only deliver superior support and comfort, but is also made without any harsh, toxic chemicals, then both the Nolah Natural 11 and the Essentia Stratami are great options.
We’ve selected each of them for this year’s best organic mattress round up, thanks to their reduced impact on the environment, durable and high quality materials and clever design to support all kinds of sleepers.
But if you’re looking for the best mattress for your sleep needs, then you need to know the ins and outs of these beds. Because, while they both use natural latex and offer a medium firm feel, there are some key differences between the mattresses which make them more suited to different people.
We’ve slept on and reviewed both the Nolah Natural 11 and the Essentia Stratami, so in today’s face off, we’re comparing them on everything from design, comfort and support to temperature regulation. If one in particular stands out for you, then the current mattress sales make it a great time to buy. Let’s take a closer look…
Nolah Natural 11 vs Essentia Stratami: Price & Trial
- The Nolah Natural 11 is usually on sale with a queen costing $1,364
- Essentia Stratami is a premium mattress with a queen MSRP of $3,850
- Both have a 120-night sleep trial and free shipping, Nolah offers a limited lifetime warranty and Essentia, 20 years
Nolah offers 35% off discounts throughout the year, often including two free pillows with your purchase. During major sale events, like Black Friday or Memorial Day, you may see that discount increase slightly. So, while the MSRP of a queen Nolah Natural 11 is $2,099, it’s rarely sold for that. Currently, the sale only offers 25% off, so a queen is down to $1,574.
This is more expensive than usual, so we’d recommend waiting until the discount increases from 25% to 35% again. This makes the Nolah Natural 11 a premium mattress, but you do get a limited lifetime warranty to cover you for your investment.
You’ll also get a 120-night sleep trial, and while you’ll probably know by then whether you like the bed or not, this does seem a little short compared to industry leading brands like Saatva, which offer a full 365-nights to decide.
The Essentia Stratami is a lot more expensive than the Nolah Natural, sitting at the high end of ultra luxury, premium mattresses. Essentia rarely offers significant discounts during the year, so the $3,850 MSRP of a queen is the price it's usually sold for.
During big sale events, you’re likely to get 25% off, bringing the price of a queen down to $2,887.50. That’s still a huge investment, and keep in mind that if you want to return the mattress, you have to pay 9% of the price you paid, whereas Nolah accepts returns for a $99 flat fee.
Like Nolah, you’ll get a 120-night sleep trial. For such a luxury mattress, we’d expect a slightly better offer here. You’ll also get a 20-year warranty, which should be enough to cover your mattress’ lifespan.
We’re in very different price brackets here, so, let’s take a deeper look at the difference between these beds and what justifies Essentia’s high price point.
Nolah Natural 11 vs Essentia Stratami: Materials and Design
- Nolah Natural 11 is an 11” natural latex and innerspring hybrid
- Essentia Stratami comes in 8” and 11” options and has an all-latex design
- Nolah Natural 11 has six layers and the Essentia Stratami has four
Rivalling the best hybrid mattresses, the Nolah Natural 11 combines layers of responsive, supportive latex with 8” HD Max Tri-Zone support coils. This creates targeted support that means no matter your sleeping position, your spine will stay aligned.
The 6 layers this mattress is made up of start with an organic cotton cover, which is great for improving breathability and temperature regulation. Next up is a fire retardant fiber blend layer, as a natural alternative to fiberglass. Then, there’s a 2” layer of organic latex, which will cushion your joints and adapt to your movements.
Beneath this is another 1” layer of latex that serves as a transition layer above the coils. These coils are individually wrapped to help motion isolation, and work with the latex above to respond to your body, while offering maximum support. To finish, is one more layer of the fire retardant blend.
Not only are the materials certified GOLS, but the mattress also has a GREENGUARD Gold certification, which means it’s been tested and cleared for toxic and harmful materials, both for your health and the environment.
The Essentia on the other hand has a much more simple design. Like the best memory foam mattresses, the Stratami doesn’t incorporate springs and coils. Instead, it combines layers of different latex materials.
Like the Nolah, it starts with a breathable, GOTS-certified cotton cover. This can be removed for cleaning, too, which is a bonus for easy maintenance. Next up is the non-toxic flame barrier. Where Nolah use a blend of fibers, Essentia opts for Kevlar, which is the only nontoxic, allergy free fire resistant option.
Then comes the latex. First, a GOLS-certified organic latex support core that’s designed to ensure your back and joints are supported and aligned properly. Beneath this is a layer of dome shaped organic latex foam, which is exclusive to Essentia.
This dome shape allows for airflow throughout the layer, and prevents heat from getting trapped between your body and the mattress. It also helps to prevent any pressure build up in your joints, as your weight will spread evenly across it.
You can choose the 8” option, which is a little under the thickness we’d expect from a luxury mattress, with most averaging at around 12-14”, or you can choose an 11” option for no extra cost. There’s also an optional EMF protection layer that acts as a barrier to radiation from 3G, 4G and 5G signals, but this will cost an extra $660.
Nolah Natural 11 vs Essentia Stratami: Comfort and Support
- We rated the Nolah Natural 11 at a 7-7.5 out of 10 for firmness
- We rated the Essentia Stratami at a 6.5 out of 10 for firmness
- Both excel for back sleepers, but Nolah doesn’t offer enough pressure relief for side sleepers
While Nolah rate the Nolah Natural 11 as a 6/10 for firmness, which makes it a medium-firm feel, our expert testing team for the Nolah Natural 11 mattress review felt it deserved a firmer rating at around 7-7.5 out of 10.
While the latex and spring combination creates a very responsive surface, with a little ‘bounce’, it’s certainly not a mattress you sink into. So, if you like to sleep on top of your mattress surface, this could be a good option for you, specifically back sleepers and stomach sleepers.
Our lead tester was a light weight side sleeper, and even after months of sleeping on the Nolah Natural 11 and expecting to ‘break it in’, she still didn’t feel comfortable sleeping on her side. The lack of ‘give’ around the hips, shoulders and knees meant that there wasn’t enough pressure relief to sleep comfortably on her side.
Aside from this, motion isolation was fantastic, making it a great option for couples, and edge support is also impressive. This means you can use the full surface of the bed without feeling like you’ll fall off. However, our tester did experience sinkage when sitting at the foot of the bed, which might be an issue for some.
While the Essentia Stratami is rated as slightly more plush, with our testers for the Essentia Stratami mattress review giving it a 6.5/10, it still might be too firm for some side sleepers. Our lead tester described it as a ‘buoyant’ surface, stating that when she pressed her hand into the mattress, the surface bounced back to shape almost immediately when she lifted it.
This makes it particularly suitable for combination sleepers who like to toss and turn throughout the night. Like the Nolah, you’ll sleep on top of this bed, rather that in it, but you can expect more pressure relief from the Stratami, which will mean if you do sleep on your side, you’ll feel more cushioning around your joints.
We found the layers of latex meant the mattress subtly contoured to the body, rather than sinking beneath it. And, one of our testers reported that this actually alleviated some shoulder and neck pain.
So, while you can expect a similar feel from these mattresses, the Essentia will deliver a more higher-quality, plush feel compared to the Nolah’s firmness, which is to be expected from the price difference.
Nolah Natural 11 vs Essentia Stratami: Temperature control
- Both mattresses use natural latex which improves airflow and breathability
- The Nolah Natural 11 combines latex with springs for an open structure with maximum airflow
- The Essentia Stratami uses dome-shaped latex to improve airflow through the layers
Latex beds are some of the best cooling mattresses. Natural latex has an open structure, which allows plenty of air to flow through it, compared to memory foam which is very dense and can therefore trap heat. This means that both the Nolah Natural 11 and Essentia Stratami excel in temperature regulation.
We awarded the Nolah Natural 11 a near perfect score for its cooling abilities, at a 4.5/5. The combination of latex with the open coil structure and breathable cotton cover means that there’s almost no heat build up.
During the testing period, our lead reviewer slept wearing multiple layers of sweatshirts, next to an oil-filled radiator, with a hot water bottle and still felt the mattress stayed cool.
The Essentia Stratami scored full marks for temperature regulation, with our lead reviewer rating it 5/5 for sleeping temperature neutral. The domed latex is therefore particularly effective in preventing any heat from getting trapped and allowing the bed to be breathable.
If you naturally sleep hot, either bed will help you sleep comfortably. However, if you experience night sweats or hot flushes, you might want to opt for one of the best smart mattresses that incorporate advanced cooling technology.
Nolah Natural 11 vs Essentia Stratami: Which should you buy?
Buy the Nolah Natural 11 if…
✅You’re working with a smaller budget: The Nolah Natural 11 is by no means a budget or affordable bed, but if you’re looking to invest a decent amount in your mattress but not break the bank, the Nolah is a better option than the Stratami.
✅You like the feel of a hybrid bed: The robust support of a hybrid bed, along with the responsive feel makes them a popular choice, and Nolah delivers well.
✅You want your bed to last: With a limited lifetime warranty, you can rest assured knowing your mattress is covered for any faults and damages, meaning it’s set to last a while.
Buy the Essentia Stratami if…
✅You’re looking for luxury: There’s no doubt that this is a premium, indulgent purchase. But if you’re looking to invest in one of the best luxury mattresses, the Essentia Stratami will fit the bill.
✅You’re a side sleeper: If you sleep on your side and you’re choosing between these two mattresses, the Essentia Stratami will offer more pressure relief. However, consider shopping the best mattresses for side sleepers if you’re unsure.
✅You’re looking for all organic and natural: Where the Nolah contains steel coils, the Essentia Stratami is completely organic, with only natural materials used.
