NapLab scales data-heavy review site to 150K+ monthly users with Kinsta

When it comes to mattress reviews, NapLab doesn’t just lie down and guess. They run every mattress through a lab-like testing process using thermal cameras, accelerometers, high-speed video, and pixel-level photography. It’s how they create some of the most thorough and trustworthy reviews online.

And clearly, it works. With 100K to 150K people visiting NapLab each month, the demand for fast, reliable hosting grew quickly. But their original hosting setup couldn’t keep up. Platforms like HostGator, BlueHost, and SiteGround started to crack under the pressure. Pages loaded slowly, spikes in traffic caused downtime, and performance issues made it harder to deliver the seamless experience readers expected (and that Google rewards).

So in 2016, NapLab made a big move: switching to Kinsta’s Managed Hosting for WordPress.

The impact was immediate: load times improved, site issues disappeared, and hosting—once a time-consuming task—became something NapLab no longer had to worry about.

Since then, Kinsta has helped NapLab scale effortlessly, stay fast under pressure, and reclaim countless hours once lost to troubleshooting.

So how exactly did Kinsta solve NapLab’s hosting headaches? And why are they still with Kinsta more than eight years later?

Let’s dive in.

The problem

Before switching to Kinsta, NapLab’s founder, Derek Hales, hosted websites on various platforms, including HostGator, HostMonster, BlueHost, and SiteGround. While these platforms initially met NapLab’s needs, they soon became a bottleneck as the site grew.

• Performance bottlenecks and scalability limitations: Shared and dedicated servers struggled to handle increasing traffic and data-heavy content. The available server resources became insufficient.

“When my website was small, a shared hosting platform was fine, but as we grew, we quickly needed a dedicated server. But even then, the dedicated servers offered just weren’t powerful enough.

In 2016, cloud-based hosting was still relatively new and very new to me, but it sounded like it had the potential to give us the resources and scalability we needed to grow.”

• Unreliable page speed: “When pages don’t load fast, it’s like the entire house is on fire. Step one for me was to just put that fire out by solving the speed and performance issues on site.”
• Lack of proactive support: “If something went wrong, I’d have to wait hours—sometimes days—for a response from support, only to be given generic answers that didn’t solve my problem.“

Derek realized he needed a high-performance, scalable solution and decided to transition to cloud-based hosting in 2016, ultimately choosing Kinsta.

The turning point: Discovering Kinsta and seeing instant results

In 2016, cloud-based hosting was still relatively new, but NapLab saw its potential. That’s when they discovered Kinsta’s managed WordPress hosting, which stood out because:

• Kinsta was built specifically for WordPress and optimized for performance
• It also offered scalable hosting solutions, boasting no limitations like on traditional hosts
• It provides 24/7/365 customer support, which was a crucial factor missing from past experiences

“I liked the idea that it was primarily focused on WordPress hosting. I had seen other dedicated WordPress hosts in the past, but none of those seemed as sophisticated.”

The biggest difference NapLab noticed immediately after switching?

The biggest difference between Kinsta and other hosts was customer support. My first interaction with Kinsta support was migrating my site from my old host to Kinsta. That migration experience was simple, quick, and without any issues.

And as they continued to grow, they realized Kinsta offered far more than just performance improvements.

1. Speed improvements

“Previously, I encountered an absurd level of page speed issues even with a dedicated server on my old host. Those issues were immediately gone.“

Google cloud-powered premium hosting

NapLab moved to Kinsta, which is built on Google Cloud Platform’s (GCP) premium-tier network. Specifically, Kinsta uses C2 virtual machines, which are optimized for high performance and speed.

• These machines offer better CPU and memory allocation, meaning the server processes website requests much faster.
• This significantly reduces Time to First Byte (TTFB), one of the key factors in website loading speed and SEO performance.
• Because NapLab’s site is packed with high-resolution images, videos, and large amounts of test data, these improvements were crucial for keeping load times low.

Fast, reliable content delivery for a data-heavy site

Edge caching is one of Kinsta’s standout speed features that dramatically improves load times.

• It stores cached copies of website pages on servers in multiple locations around the world.
• When a visitor comes to NapLab’s website, instead of pulling data from a single origin server (which takes time), Kinsta serves the cached page from the closest data center.
• This reduces latency (the time it takes for data to travel between the server and the user’s browser).
• Unlike traditional caching plugins (which can be tricky to configure), Kinsta’s edge caching is built-in and automatically managed.

Real benefit for NapLab:
Before Kinsta, slow load times were frustrating readers and likely hurting SEO rankings. With edge caching and high-performance servers, mattress review pages now load instantly, improving both user experience and search rankings.

With [speed issues] out of the way, I could then focus my attention elsewhere.

2. A hosting partner that grows with you

With auto-scaling resources and a network of 35+ data centers, NapLab no longer has to worry about whether their host can keep up with their growth. No matter how much their audience expands, Kinsta’s infrastructure scales with them effortlessly.

• Unlike shared hosting (where sites compete for resources), Kinsta uses isolated containers for each site.
• If NapLab’s traffic spikes, Kinsta automatically allocates more resources (CPU, RAM, bandwidth) to prevent slowdowns.
• NapLab doesn’t have to manually upgrade or migrate servers—Kinsta handles everything automatically behind the scenes.

Real benefit for NapLab:
They no longer have to worry about hitting storage or bandwidth limits when adding new reviews. If traffic increases (especially after posting a viral review), Kinsta adjusts resources automatically, keeping performance smooth.

3. Hands-off website protection that saves time

As NapLab grew, so did their need for top-tier security. They needed a host that would protect their data, readers, and SEO rankings without requiring constant manual oversight. Kinsta fully automates these processes, giving NapLab’s team peace of mind.

While customer support and security weren’t at the forefront of my mind when I initially migrated, both of those have become more critical in recent years, and Kinsta has been fantastic in both respects.

Automatic SSL certificates & HTTPS support

SSL certificates are essential for security, SEO, and user trust.

• Kinsta provides free SSL certificates with one-click installation—no need for manual setup.
• NapLab’s entire website is now encrypted and automatically renews its SSL, reducing the risk of security warnings in browsers.

Daily automatic backups & easy restore

NapLab used to manually manage backups, which was time-consuming and risky.

• Kinsta automatically backs up their site daily and stores the backups for at least 14 days.
• If something goes wrong (like a plugin error or accidental content deletion), they can restore their site with one click.
• NapLab can also create manual backups anytime before making big updates.

DDoS protection, malware scanning & server-level security

Kinsta proactively protects websites from hacking attempts and security threats.

• DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) protection prevents cyberattacks that try to overwhelm NapLab’s site with fake traffic.
• Firewall rules and malware scanning keep malicious traffic out.
• If a security issue ever happens, Kinsta’s support team handles malware removal for free.

Real benefit for NapLab:
Before, they spent time managing security and troubleshooting SSL issues. Now, Kinsta automates security, backups, and maintenance—freeing up their team to focus on content.

4. Site management: smoother workflows with staging and migrations

Managing a complex, content-heavy website requires frequent updates and testing. Kinsta makes this process safer and easier with staging environments and seamless site migrations.

One-click staging for safe testing

Before Kinsta, making updates directly on NapLab’s live site was risky—one bad plugin update or code change could break the site.

• Kinsta’s staging environment allows them to test updates, new features, or design changes in a duplicate version of the site before going live.
• Once they’re happy with the changes, they can push them live in one click.

Real benefit for NapLab:
Now, they can safely experiment with new features (like a comparison tool or redesigned review pages) without risking downtime.

Hassle-free site migrations

NapLab had a large website with tons of content, making site migration a daunting process.

• With Kinsta’s free expert migration service, their team didn’t have to do anything—Kinsta’s experts handled the entire transfer.
• No downtime, no broken links, no performance issues.

Real benefit for NapLab:
Switching hosts used to be a complicated, stressful process. With Kinsta, it was effortless, and everything worked perfectly from day one.

The result

Reliable, immediate support that saves thousands of dollars

While performance initially drove NapLab’s switch to Kinsta, it’s the exceptional support that has delivered the most long-term value.

Founder Derek Hales had experienced the frustration of waiting hours—or even days—for help from previous hosts, often receiving unhelpful, generic responses.

“The biggest reason I’d recommend Kinsta is the customer support. On other hosts, I am stuck waiting hours or days for a solution (if one comes at all). With Kinsta, I can jump on the chat and be talking to a person within just a few minutes.” 

This level of support has saved NapLab thousands of dollars. And, it’s not just by reducing time spent on troubleshooting. It’s by providing immediate, actionable solutions.

Kinsta’s support has saved my company thousands of dollars by allowing me to spend less time dealing with technical issues and by helping to provide actionable solutions.

When Kinsta’s team can’t implement a fix directly, they at least provide a clear analysis that NapLab’s developers can act on.

The biggest proof?

“One time, we needed a full-site URL structure update—something that would have taken over 80 hours manually. A Kinsta tech created and executed a PHP MyAdmin regex fix in seconds. That level of expertise is rare.

Knowing I can rely on customer support to fill those technical gaps means I can spend more time and resources doing what I do best.”

If your business depends on your website but you don’t have the time or expertise to troubleshoot technical issues. With Kinsta, you are saving valuable time and money.

Faster load times that boosts revenue

Before Kinsta, NapLab’s performance was a major concern—even on a dedicated server. Load times were slow, frustrating users and risking SEO rankings.

The switch to Kinsta solved those performance issues. Our site now loads quickly and reliably every time, a complete turnaround from before.

Thanks to Kinsta’s infrastructure, NapLab delivers a smoother experience that keeps readers engaged and supports higher conversion rates. 

Effortless scalability that grows with NapLab

With high-resolution images, video data, and constant content updates, NapLab needed a hosting solution that could scale with them without limits.

Kinsta eliminated that friction.

With features like the PHP Performance add-on, NapLab can scale resources on demand without upgrading to a new plan.

“With our old host, we were constantly running into storage and bandwidth issues. Kinsta scales effortlessly, so we don’t have to worry about outgrowing our hosting plan.

The PHP Performance add-on has been incredibly helpful. The combination of site features and users on NapLab means we eat up a lot of PHP Threads. Being able to quickly increase our PHP Threads and PHP Memory Limit with an add-on (instead of having to switch to a new plan) saved a ton of time and eliminated thousands of daily 503 errors.”

✔ No hosting limitations
✔ No manual upgrades
✔ No stress during growth surges

For businesses expecting to grow, Kinsta removes hosting as a bottleneck so you can scale without constantly upgrading plans or worrying about downtime.

A hosting partner that’s actually reliable

Perhaps the strongest testament to Kinsta’s value? Longevity.

We’ve been on Kinsta so long that we don’t have a great before or after. I first moved to Kinsta in 2016 and we’ve been here since.

That long-term reliability is what sets Kinsta apart from other hosts.

“The biggest reason I’d recommend Kinsta is the customer support. On other hosts, I am stuck waiting hours or days for a solution (if one comes at all). With Kinsta, I can jump on the chat and be talking to a person within just a few minutes.”

The final verdict

✔ If your site is slow and losing visitors, Kinsta makes pages load instantly
✔ If you struggle with hosting limits, Kinsta scales seamlessly as your business grows
✔ If technical issues eat up your time, Kinsta’s support team solves them for you—fast
✔ If you don’t want to worry about your website, Kinsta handles security, backups, and maintenance automatically

With Kinsta, we finally have a host that scales effortlessly, performs better, and lets us focus on what we do best.

If you’re growing a business and can’t afford to waste time on hosting issues, NapLab’s journey proves that Kinsta is a hosting partner you can trust.