Posted By Laura in Featured, In the Home, Review | 2 comments

Have you seen the new Nora Mattress from Wayfair.co.uk? It’s the all new, affordable premium foam mattress-in-a-box. And I’ll be honest. When they asked if we’d like to review it I didn’t leap up and down and say yes immediately.
Even though our mattress is almost as old as our 11yr old daughter.
Even though my husband has a deep-seated enmity with our ancient memory foam mattress topper and the way it shifts down the bed.
Even though I wake every morning walking like a stiff old lady with a tight lower back, unable to stoop down to tie my running shoes or empty the dishwasher until I’ve been up for an hour.

Because it’s just one of those great big hunks of memory foam, isn’t it? And much as I liked the only-an-inch-thick memory topper on my mattress, I just wasn’t sure I’d like sleeping on a big fat wodge of it.

But really – we needed a new mattress. Really very much a lot. So we agreed to give a try.

And actually we couldn’t really lose; when you buy a Nora you can try it for up to 100 days. If you still don’t like it, then they’ll come collect it and return your money in full. It was a no brainer really – so of course we said yes (and quietly agreed not to throw our old mattress away immediately…).
Delivery day arrived, and the mattress was delivered in a big box. Easy to lug up the stairs (though it IS solidly heavy, if you’re feeling a bit feeble you’ll need an extra pair of arms), we simply hefted it onto the bedframe, pulled it out of the box, cut the plastic, unrolled and then left it to unfurl and inflate.
There was a strong chemical smell initially, but we left the windows open and it soon dissipated.

And so, we went to bed with Nora.

We oohed at the weirdness of it as we sat on it, but eventually I laid down… and sighed. Deeply. Oh, it felt goooo-o-o-d. A firm, wraparound hug of a mattress, it felt immediately soothing and comforting. I’ll admit it – it was love at first nestle.

And so much for my clever presumptions – the Nora is not, in fact, a wodge of memory foam, you silly goose. Oh no no.

Nora was engineered using sophisticated sleep technology to deliver an outstanding sleep. Those four layers of foam

‘provide an optimal balance of support and pressure relief, while the cooling cover regulates body heat better than other mattresses, providing a cooler surface for the best sleep possible’.

We’ve got the Nora on a slatted bedframe, which is fine; there’s no need for a solid base. You can also spot Arthur the lamp, Onion the cat (the closest I get to a real one thanks to husband allergies) and Beary who apparently demanded to be included. I didn’t argue.

That cover is just as soft as it looks, and though the mattress feels sinky-soft, there’s a surprisingly firm and supportive core. When I sleep on my side, my waist is in full contact with the mattress, despite having ‘good child-bearing hips’ as my Nan used to say (yeah, thanks Nan).

More importantly, lying flat on my back, I can feel that the full curve in the small of my back is fully supported. Not just in touch with the mattress, but cradled and looked after.

And I think that’s where the magic is. Because my old-lady stiff back has been an issue for a number of years. I presumed our saggy old sofa was a part of the issue, but mostly I know it’s down to bearing four children and then carrying them on one hip for years (*whispers* while also carrying a little too much extra padding myself, if you know what I mean); just usual wear and tear. I simply never considered the bed to be at fault.

But after a few days of sleeping on the Nora, I awoke late one morning and scooped last night’s jeans off the floor as I dashed off… and then realised I hadn’t needed to kick them up towards my hand, I had actually bent and scooped. I simply don’t bend and scoop in the mornings.
Another week on, and my early morning stiff hobble is a thing of the past. I can go for a run within 15minutes of getting up, simply because I can tie my shoes! It’s not a miracle cure, obviously, my spine is still old and knackered. But I have flexibility in my lower back where once there was none. It’s flippin’ brilliant.

Every night I lay down and I can feel my spine stretch out and sigh gently as it relaxes into the supportive cloud that’s surrounding it.

To be frank, Mr LittleStuff is not so in love with Nora as me (his actual words were “it’s like sleeping in a giant pad of playdough”); it takes effort to roll over as you’re almost ‘in’ it, not on the surface of it, and while you’re getting used to it there are times when you feel you may roll off the edge. It is a very firm mattress;  a weird contradiction because it’s very soft to the touch, and you do feel yourself physically sink into it, but it’s a very firm hold once you’re in. I’m sure Mr LittleStuff won’t be alone in not being instantly enchanted the way I am.
Which is why the 100 days return system is brilliant – because you do need to give it a chance and get used to it. Sleeping on the Nora is very different to sleeping on a normal sprung mattress, and you need to give yourself time to adjust. Mr L is coming around; no longer even mentioning the mattress, he’s simply getting in and falling asleep. Which is kind of what you’re looking for in a mattress, isn’t it?

Well, except for the other bedtime stuff. *cough* Rest assured, all’s good there, too.

If you’re on the hunt for a new mattress – and you probably should be – then give Nora a go. She’s bloody wonderful.

The Nora mattress is currently £360 for a double (that’s the introductory promotional price at 20% off, the regular price will be £449), and because it’s Wayfair’s own brand, the shipping is FAST and FREE. And don’t forget it’s a 100-night risk-free trial for your Nora mattress.

Wayfair.co.uk offers value across a range of price points (from budget friendly finds to high-end styles) allowing everyone to bring their own vision of a happy home to life