With the rise in factory-to-the-home shipping and the online sales business models, luxury commodities that were once beyond the reach of the average consumer are now readily purchasable. The mattress industry has been one of the pioneers in this movement, and Loom & Leaf and Novosbed are two all-foam products that exemplify a lot of the positive changes in the sleep industry.
Both use high-quality materials (most prominent among them viscoelastic foam), have excellent customer service, are economically priced, and give off a luxurious air, which puts them directly in the path of far more venerable (and expensive) brands. But how do these two compare against one another? Modern consumers are now faced with the challenge of choosing the better option among several similarly affordable and functional luxury mattresses, and I feel that a Loom and Leaf vs Novosbed comparison will be an excellent primer into solving this dilemma.
Loom and Leaf Breakdown
Construction
The Loom and Leaf is available in two firmness levels, but both models share a common construction with the difference in firmness achieved by varying the ILD level of the foam intrinsically.
Cover and quilted top
The Loom and Leaf has a cover made from 100% organic cotton which is both soft and breathable. Underneath this lies a quilting layer that is around 5/8” thick – this ensures a light, plush initial feel. The cover is stretched tightly thanks to the quilting, creating a snug surface for you to sleep on without any slivers or bunches detracting you from the luxurious experience. The quilting material is lined underneath with natural thistle, which serves as a non-chemical, environmentally safe flame-retardant.
First Layer
The top layer of the mattress is made from two inches of 4 lbs dense gel-swirl memory foam that enables the mattress to adapt to your sleep style while also conducting heat away from the surface (and your body). It is helped in the latter endeavor by its inverted-tip, convoluted construction that sets up airflow between it and the succeeding layer. To further improve heat dissipation, a dedicated cooling gel panel is incorporated into the region that will be in contact with your lower back – as this part of your body retains the most heat.
Second Layer
The next layer is built from high density 5 lbs viscoelastic at a thickness of 2.5 inches. It works in conjunction with the upper layer to enhance the contouring, while also being a bit stiffer in its response to stop the sinking that is normally associated with memory foam mattresses.
Third Layer
The third layer is made out of 2” of transition foam intended to create a uniform change between the softer memory foam layers above and the firmer HD support foam layer below. It also increases the height of the mattress.
Fourth Layer
The final layer is a 5.5” deep HD polyurethane foam structure that keeps your body well supported in the correct position for your spine.
Firmness and Feel
Comfort and Support
Two firmness levels are offered for the Loom and Leaf mattress:
Relaxed Firm
The relaxed firm variant is the vastly more popular one among the two since it embodies a balanced combination of the viscoelastic foam’s plush conformity with ample deep support. The resulting mattress lets the average sleeper (normal weight with no particular sleep preference) enjoy everything that is good in a luxury memory foam bed without having to deal with the material’s ‘stickiness’. The manufacturer doesn’t give a precise ILD value for the mattress though, in order to keep competitors from imitating it. Instead, they describe it as lying in between 5 and 7, on a 1 (extremely soft / quicksand) to 10 (extremely hard / tabletop) scale.
Firm
This variant has been created for heavier individuals who normally find themselves sinking too deeply in normal memory foam mattresses. It yields a bit more resistance to the sleeper’s weight than the Luxury Firm model so that it feels more like you’re sleeping on your mattress than in it.
Edge Support
Despite it being a memory foam mattress that is inherently soft and yielding to pressure, the Loom and Leaf is able to support your weight on its edges reasonably well all things considered. Perhaps, this has something to do with the HD foam core of the mattress.
Cooling
As a consequence of the multiple heat dissipation features incorporated into the mattress (already discussed above), the Loom and Leaf is able to offer one of the coolest sleeping experiences in the memory foam market (indeed, it even beats some innerspring products to the punch!). It appears that Saatva (the makers of Loom and Leaf) have come up with a practical way to do away with one of the viscoelastic foam’s most troubling aspects.
Motion Transfer
The dull responsive, cushioning nature of the upper layers of the mattress enables it to muffle impacts locally, so motion transfer is minimized (in most cases, it is virtually non-existent).
Unique Features
Classic cover
The Loom and Leaf has a classic organic cotton cover, which has been given a luxurious padding to match the product’s overall high-end aura. The effect of the cover isn’t skin deep though- it is able to offer an ample soft yet tightly stretched surface that immediately lulls you to sleep.
Excellent thermal dissipation
The Loom and Leaf enjoys superb heat removal qualities, making it suitable for use in warmer climates where memory foam bedding is usually not recommended because of its inherent heat retention.
Novosbed Breakdown
Construction
The Novosbed is available in three different levels of firmness, and while the general construction of each variant is two layers of memory foam and one layer of support foam encased in a Tencel cover, they differ in the actual densities and ILD levels to yield varied firmness responses. Here, I’ve discussed the construction of their most popular medium offering.
Top Cover
The cover encasing the foam layers is made from the proprietary fiber known as Tencel®. Derived from raw wooden materials, it lends the cover inherent breathability and moisture-wicking capability. The surface of the cover also incorporates lyocell, modacrylic, silica, and polyester, and it is lined with cotton and rayon to improve its softness. The top cover is removable and washable, so you can get the feel of a new mattress year after year. The cover is the same for all firmness levels.
First Layer
The first layer consists of airflow gel memory foam, whose purpose is to yield a sleep surface that contours to the shape of your body, thereby preventing the development of pressure points that can cause pain. Furthermore, it incorporates vertical airflow channels in its design that enhance its heat dissipation capability. This is a sound decision on part of the manufacturer since it effectively eliminates one of the consumers’ pet peeves with viscoelastic bedding. The height of this layer is 2” for all firmness levels, while the density is 3.7 lbs for soft, 5 lbs for medium, and 4 lbs for firm.
InterLock Blue™ Core Cover
There is a second cover present between the outer Tencel cover and the foam layers, whose purpose is to stretch over the foam and protect it from moisture, while also allowing for additional breathability.
Second Layer
The second layer is also made of viscoelastic foam- it cushions the impact of your body further, while also setting up a transition into the underlying support layer. For the soft variant, this layer has a 3” height and 4 lbs density, whereas, for both the medium and firm variants, the values are 2” and 5 lbs.
Third Layer
The third layer is comprised of high-density (1.8 lbs) polyurethane foam which provides the necessary deep support for your entire structure to make sure that your spine stays optimally aligned as you sleep. In the manufacturer’s own words, the layer imitates the action of billions of microscopic pocketed coil springs to provide both compressive support and motion isolation. The generous density level is worthy of particular praise as it should enable the Novosbed to provide satisfactory support for many years. The support layer is 6” deep for the soft firmness level, whereas it is 7” deep for both the medium and firm options.
Durable Upholstery Siding
The siding that goes around the boundary of the mattress is made from the same kind of fabric that is present in an expensive furniture. It is designed to be durable and flexible, and it has a non-slip bottom for maximum stability. A complaint often associated with all-foam mattresses is that they start sagging after a few years of use as the layers start to break down, but the high density of the materials used in the case of Novosbed should prevent this particular problem. That said, the density of viscoelastic used in the soft variant is a bit less than the other two, so I would only recommend it if you’re lightweight to minimize excessive wear.
Firmness and Feel
Comfort and support
As I’ve said above, the exact response of the mattress will depend on the level of firmness you select:
Soft
The lower density composition of the first and second layers of this variant combined with the one-inch reduction in the height of the deep support layer compared to the other two variants ensures a plusher, more pliable response, quite akin to traditional viscoelastic products but still without yielding a ‘quicksand’ like feel.
Medium
The medium firmness option presents a harmonization of cushioning and support, which is ideally suited to the average sleeper or partners with different sleep preferences. The comfort layer adapts to your sleep style without making you feel like you’re sinking inside (a feeling often ascribed to memory foam bedding). The medium level yields slightly less sinkage, which should explain why it feels a bit firm (but not uncomfortably so) compared to the medium variants of other mainstream mattresses.
Firm
The firm model differs from the medium one in the composition of its top layer, whose stiffness is increased by reducing the density down to 4 lbs from 5 lbs and altering the internal structure of the foam itself. This creates a bed that provides resistance to your weight with minimal sinking.
Edge Support
Despite the fact that the Novosbed experiences some sinkage (the exact amount depends on the firmness level of course), it manages to support you reasonably well (obviously not on par with an innerspring) while sitting on the sides of the bed, considering that it is an all-foam mattress.
Motion Transfer
The memory foam upper layers of the mattress do a solid job of restricting the transfer of motion – this is by virtue of the high degree of cushioning that the material has.
Cooling
The Novosbed’s Airflow memory foam top layer has ‘thousands of vertical channels’ in its construction to promote adequate airflow. It is also worth noting that the Tencel fabric present in the cover is inherently breathable and moisture-wicking, so it also plays a role in taking heat away from the surface. Quantitatively speaking, the Novosbed is able to cool down to room temperature a little quicker than the overall average for the products we’ve tested, and that is saying something, considering that memory foam products are notorious for trapping heat.
Unique Features
Tencel® Cover
Referred to as the ‘new-age’ fiber by its makers, Tencel fiber has gained attention for its excellent breathability and moisture absorbent properties. The latter also makes it restrictive to bacterial and mold-growth and prevents the accumulation of static charge – so that you sleep restfully without the cover clinging to your body a la synthetic fabric. The best part is that it has natural origins, so it is also environmentally safe for your home. By including it in their mattress’ cover, Novosbed have drastically improved the breathability of its surface, and its overall ability to ward off microorganisms.
More firmness options
The Novosbed has three levels of firmness, compared to Loom and Leaf’s two. The extra ‘plush’ option offers a typical memory foam bed that ‘hugs’ you around, so it feels like you’re sleeping in your mattress, not on it!
Extreme durability
Not to say that the Loom and Leaf is not reliable or lasting, but if you’re looking for a product that you could truly bank on to continue performing year in and year out, it would be the Novosbed. The density of the materials they use is above and beyond (particularly for the medium firmness variant) what is needed in a foam mattress to withstand the trials of time and wear.
Flexible money back guarantee policy
Novosbed has one of the most flexible money back guarantee policies in the industry – besides the standard 120 nights policy that usually accompanies the products in its league that makes you eligible for a full refund if you’re not satisfied with the performance, there’s also the Comfort+ guarantee to consider. Available after the 30th night after your purchase to the end of the 120-night trial, the Comfort+ lets you fine-tune the firmness level of your Novosbed through supplementary foam layers that the manufacturer sends to you on request. If you’re still not satisfied, you can always get the full refund.
Keep in mind that the manufacturer asks for a 60-night break-in period for the mattress before you can claim a refund – this is longer than usual because of the high density of the foam they use, which prevents it from softening up quickly.
Environment Friendliness
Novosbed is extremely keen about the environmental footprint of their product and attempts to minimize it with concrete steps:
- They have a zero-waste policy so that the ingredients involved in manufacturing the mattress are not thrown out but are reused in one way or the other to create other products.
- They are moving to a closed-loop manufacturing process where the chemicals used to make their fabrics are recycled in their entirety after each run.
- They make the mattress from highly durable materials (as reflected in the foam densities they have specified) to ensure that it will last you for a long time instead of ending up in waste processing after a few years.
Which One to Get?
While both mattresses are decidedly high-quality, and you won’t go wrong either way in general, the uniqueness of some of their features means that there are certain situations where one or the other happens to be the better choice:
Loom and Leaf
Here are some reasons to get the Loom and Leaf:
You’re a traditionalist: The Loom and Leaf exudes an air of simplicity and elegance thanks to its no-frills organic cotton cover. It is both soft and breathable, but more importantly, this is the material that has traditionally been associated with high-end bedding.
You want a cool bed: The reasons for this have already been discussed at length in the preceding sections, but the fact remains that Loom and Leaf offers a level of cooling that is normally not possible with memory foam. It is, therefore, a good choice for people who have previously shunned the material just because of the fact that heat it retains.
Novosbed
You live in a humid environment: Normally, a moisture-laden setting spells doom for a memory foam product, but the Tencel® employing cover to the Novosbed is able to absorb and retain excess moisture, keeping the actual foam layers safe from its effects. This also prevents the damp from causing mildew/fungi to grow on your mattress. Thus, if you live in a climate where the prevalent conditions are damp, the Novosbed is a better choice compared to Loom and Leaf with its simple cotton cover.
You’re not certain about the firmness level you want: Firstly, the Novosbed has one more firmness level than the Loom and Leaf, giving you more flexibility in choosing. But more importantly, the Comfort+ guarantee that supplements their 120-nights trial allows you to finetune the firmness level even if you chose wrong at the time of purchase. The policy is risk-free in that you can still return the mattress and get your money back during the 120-day period if you’re unable to optimize the firmness even after you avail it.
You are environmentally conscious: Most of us care about the environment at some level, but if you’re especially concerned about the footprint you leave, Novosbed’s multiple eco-friendly manufacturing policies make it the objectively better option among the two candidates.
I hope this comparison of two similarly priced, similarly featured high-end memory foam products was useful and educational for you – please utilize the comments section to voice any queries/feedback that you may have. Also, do share it with anyone who’s looking to buy a decent viscoelastic mattress – we might save them some money together!
Loom and Leaf vs Novosbed Comparison
| Loom and Leaf (for medium-firm) | Novosbed (for medium) | |
|---|---|---|
| Layers Used |
|
|
| Height | 12 inches | 11 inches |
| Firmness | Medium-Firm, Firm | Soft, Medium, Firm |
| Motion Transfer | Small | Small |
| Breathability | Slightly above average (relatively greater than Novosbed) |
Slightly above average |
| Trial Period | 120-day | 120-nights and Comfort+ guarantee |
| Warranty | 15-years non-prorated | 15-years |
| Pricing (Queen) | $1,699 | $1,399 |
| Shipping | Free across the US | Free across the US |