Since entering the online mattress market nearly ten years ago, both Casper and GhostBed have grown to be among the most widely known mattress brands in North America. But recently, it’s been the newer Douglas that is taking command of the Canadian mattress market. 

Whatever Happened to the Casper Mattress?

Lots of people have heard of Casper. The American-based mattress company, which branded itself as a tech startup, was the first bed-in-a-box mattress brand to heavily leverage venture capital to rapidly grow its business, even at the expense of ever making a profit.

Though Casper was an early market leader – at least in terms of sales volume – its lack of profitability became an issue. The company soon required multiple rounds of venture capital from new investors to pay for all of its huge advertising costs, with promises of profitability continually deferred to a later date; low share prices disappointed investors, and the company quickly turned private again under new ownership. Meanwhile, as Casper kept raising prices on their mattresses, other competitors were able to outmaneuver Casper by selling increasingly better mattresses at consistently lower prices.

As an American company, Casper mattresses are primarily designed for the preferences of the large U.S. market. But American sleepers tend to prefer softer mattresses than their Canadian counterparts. The Canadian climate is also quite different from the warmer United States; and mattress import tariffs mean that Canadian shoppers need to spend more for American mattresses, even when that extra cost doesn’t necessarily mean better quality or more advanced features. Mattress brands like Douglas, which was designed exclusively for the needs of Canadian sleepers, grew an edge on the foreign Casper that has only continued to grow.

In April 2023, Casper sold the rights to their Canadian operations to Sleep Country, perhaps signaling that it had given up on trying to conquer the Canadian market.

GhostBed’s Advertising Practices Continue to Haunt Them

The American-based GhostBed has sold thousands of mattresses across the United States, and more recently began selling their mattresses in Canada. Shoppers might recognize this brand for its partnership with Costco.

But GhostBed continues to receive lots of backlash for its customer service, return policy, and undisclosed relationships with review companies. The company is listed among the “Brands to Avoid” by the moderators of the Reddit mattress community. A prominent defamation lawsuit and a potential class-action lawsuit have also drawn unfavourable attention to the company. And more recently in Canada, a CBC Go Public report documented multiple customers’ struggles with GhostBed’s advertised return policy.

Douglas Is Our Top-Rated Mattress for Good Reason

Among the three companies, Douglas has emerged as the dominant player in the Canadian online mattress market. This is due to a multitude of factors, including: winning numerous industry awards; receiving over 12,500 five-star reviews from satisfied customers; consistently achieving exceptional performance and comfort ratings in tests; and offering a competitive pricing and policy range that even overseas vendors find difficult to match.

Douglas Outperforms Casper and GhostBed in Test Ratings

Based on independent testing commissioned by this website, the Douglas Original mattress surpassed both the Casper Original and GhostBed Classic in terms of edge support and motion isolation. In fact, among the 120 popular mattress brands we tested, Douglas mattresses achieved the highest scores for motion isolation.

The Douglas mattress, which offers a “medium-firm” comfort level suitable for all sleep styles, provides exceptional comfort and support for side, back, and stomach sleepers. And as mentioned, Canadian sleepers tend to prefer firmer mattresses compared to their American counterparts. This may explain why the American Casper and GhostBed mattresses are softer compared to the Canadian Douglas mattress.

Get FREE Pillows and Bedding with Each Douglas Mattress Purchase

Currently, every Douglas mattress comes with a FREE bedding bundle which includes:

• Two memory foam pillows*
• One cotton sheet set
• One mattress protector
• Two pillow protectors*

*One pillow and protector for Twin, Twin XL & RV Bunk Small sizes.

Douglas Also Offers Customers a 365-night Home Trial

Douglas goes above and beyond by providing customers with one full year to test out the mattress at home, which is almost four times longer than what Casper or GhostBed offer. Unlike the shorter trial periods offered by the other companies, Douglas allows you to experience the mattress’s comfort throughout all four Canadian seasons; if you buy a mattress during the cold winter months, you’ll still be able to return it if you don’t find it comfortable during the warmest summer evenings. Casper and GhostBed shut down their sleep trials before you can make that same decision, so a bit more risk is involved purchasing either of those brands.

A Much Lower Price than Casper and GhostBed

Over the past year, Douglas has made significant improvements to its sleep trial and warranty, while also providing customers with over $500 worth of complimentary high-quality bedding for every mattress purchase. Furthermore, Douglas has introduced two new premium mattresses that offer enhanced features and performance for those willing to invest a little extra.

Despite these added benefits for Canadian mattress shoppers, Douglas maintains a lower price point than both Casper and GhostBed. Casper has repeatedly increased its mattress prices in recent years, with little to justify the higher costs relative to their competitors.

So, is it still worth considering either Casper or GhostBed for your next mattress?

* * * * *

For our complete comparison of the Casper, GhostBed, and Douglas mattresses, please continue reading.

Casper

Casper was one of the early bed-in-a-box brands to garner attention in North America. Headquartered in the United States, Casper now operates strictly within the U.S. and Canada after closing its European operations in order to focus on the North American market. Alongside their collection of mattresses, the company also sells an assortment of bedding, furniture, and home decor. Casper's Canadian operations are now owned and operated by Sleep Country.

GhostBed

GhostBed is a mattress brand owned by parent company Nature’s Sleep — which was founded by Marc Werner in 2001. Marc was originally inspired to create a mattress after experiencing discomfort in bed following three neck surgeries. GhostBed mattresses are sold online and are made in Canada for Canadian customers. In addition to a full range of mattresses, GhostBed also sells branded bed frames, bedding, pillows, and other accessories.

Douglas

Douglas was introduced in 2017 by Canadian bed-in-a-box company GoodMorning.com. Douglas was manufactured as a single-firmness mattress, designed using eight years' worth of engineering data and customer feedback. GoodMorning.com designed the Douglas to be a value-packed, Canadian-made mattress at an unheard-of low price. They offer the same level of customer service for the Douglas as they do across their growing catalogue, along with a 365-night sleep trial and a 20-year warranty.

With the rising popularity of the bed-in-a-box, memory foam mattresses are now shipped far more efficiently and conveniently than mattresses purchased from traditional retail stores. Customers no longer need to take a day off work to accept a delivery as boxed beds are now delivered with the same convenience as most Amazon orders. Some bed-in-a-box companies even offer same-day delivery to certain areas.

While Casper uses UPS to deliver their mattresses, GhostBed and Douglas use FedEx. All three mattresses are delivered directly to households throughout most parts of Canada. In some cases, the mattresses can even be left on a porch or deck while the customer is away from home.

Shipping times for GhostBed, Casper, and Douglas vary marginally. All three mattresses will be delivered within 10 business days, though often sooner in larger metropolitan centres.

As with any bed-in-a-box brand, each of these three brands heavily promotes its in-home sleep trials. Douglas has the longest sleep trial of all three brands at 365 nights. With their 100 and 101-night sleep trials, Casper and GhostBed offer an average-length sleep trial that covers one or two Canadian seasons.

If a customer wishes to return their mattress within the sleep trial period, Douglas and Casper will arrange to pick up their mattress. GhostBed has been the subject of a CBC News story regarding customers unable to return their mattresses for a refund, along with other customer service issues.

Each mattress was delivered to us within the expected time frames. All three were wrapped in heavy-duty plastic layers in their boxes for protection during shipping.

Some helpful advice at this stage is to place the rolled-up mattress onto the designated bed frame. Next, cut and remove the remaining layers of plastic. With the vacuum seal now broken, the new mattress will begin to decompress. A bed-in-a-box mattress should expand to its full height within a few minutes to a few days. All three mattresses we tested expanded to their full height within about five minutes.

The Casper, GhostBed, and Douglas mattresses are all combination foam mattresses and are all available only in one firmness option.

Each mattress contains comfort, transition, and support layers, which vary slightly in height and density.

Also, each mattress has a unique top cover that showcases the brand’s unique design aesthetic and personality. Top covers are sometimes washable, and out of the three mattresses tested, only the Douglas has a machine-washable top cover.

Casper vs GhostBed vs Douglas Mattress Layers

Casper Mattress Layers

The Casper mattress contains three layers of foam.

• First Layer: 2 inches of ‘open-cell’ polyurethane foam. This top layer provides comfort and moderate heat-regulation. The perforated foam allows for increased airflow throughout the top layer of the mattress. Foam density: unspecified.
• Second Layer: 2 inches of memory foam. Casper’s transition layer has zoned support, with additional firmness in the central third of the mattress. Foam density: unspecified.
• Third Layer: 7 inches of polyurethane support foam. This support layer gives the Casper mattress its structure and prevents sleepers from sinking in too deep. Foam density: unspecified.

Of note: Foam density information for Casper is not publicly available. Mattress-Reviews.com inquired about the density of foam used in its mattresses, but Casper Support stated that they could not disclose this information.

GhostBed Mattress Layers

The GhostBed mattress contains three layers of foam:

• First layer: 1.5 inches of aerated latex foam. This top layer provides immediate cushioning as you lie down. Small holes in the foam should help warm air escape the sleep surface, providing a cooler sleep. This layer also contains latex, which can feel bouncier compared to conventional foam. Foam density: Unspecified.

• Second layer: 2 inches of cooling gel foam. This bright-blue-coloured transition foam provides an overall balance between the top and bottom layers. Since it is made of cooling gel, this layer can also help transfer heat away from the body. Layer density: Unspecified.

• Third layer: 7.5 inches of high-density base foam. This support layer helps give the mattress its structure and prevents sleepers from sinking in too far. It also provides a final layer of firmness for proper spinal alignment. Layer density: Unspecified.

Of note: GhostBed does not provide density information for its foam layers.

Douglas Mattress Layers

Douglas uses three layers of foam in the construction of its Canadian-made mattress.

• First layer: 2 inches of ecoLight® cooling gel foam. This cooling gel encourages a restful sleep by ensuring that the mattress doesn’t trap heat. The ecoLight® foam has the durability, responsiveness, and comfort of memory foam, but it has a lower carbon footprint. Foam density: 2.5 lbs/ft³.
• Second layer: 2 inches of Elastex® foam. This transition layer is designed to provide spring and support. Many mattresses use latex for similar reasons. Elastex® is free of the allergy-causing chemicals found in latex.
• Third layer: 6 inches of motion isolation support foam. This thick bottom layer greatly reduces motion transfer between sleepers, and it also enhances edge support.

Casper vs GhostBed vs Douglas Mattress Cover

Casper Mattress Cover

The Casper mattress cover uses polyester made from recycled plastic bottles, as well as cotton, rayon, and spandex.

Casper does not have a removable and machine-washable top cover. In the case of a spill or stain, the cover can be spot-cleaned. Omitting this feature may be of concern to customers who value the ability to regularly clean and care for the surface of their mattress.

GhostBed Mattress Cover

The GhostBed mattress has a white-coloured cover with raised circular stitching for added texture. The fabric is a viscose and polyester blend, which feels soft and should offer good breathability.

The top cover on GhostBed is NOT machine washable and cannot be removed. To spot-clean spills or stains, GhostBed recommends scrubbing with a mild detergent and cold water only.

Douglas Mattress Cover

With its mountainscape stitching to its red and white colour profile, Douglas’ Canadian-centric cover shows the brand's homegrown roots. Cut from a single piece of fabric and woven together, the design is almost seamless. The red zipper running the entire length of the side wall and the red Douglas badge are the only elements that break up this impressive white canvas.

As for upkeep, the top half is machine washable, a bonus for anyone who can't stand the thought of spot cleaning their bed by hand. Douglas' cover is enhanced with moisture-wicking Infinitex™ fibres. This proprietary fabric is stretch-knit and very soft, but also extremely durable. The cover is great for staying cool and breathable through the night, so you won't wake up in a pool of sweat.

Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious when making purchases. Retailers both in and out of the mattress industry have been incorporating more eco-friendly and ethical policies when selling products and choosing suppliers.

GoodMorning.com Inc. carried out a survey in February 2017, discovering that almost 50% of Canadians are willing to spend more money for more environmentally friendly products. Therefore, in every review on Mattress-Reviews.com, we will highlight each mattress company’s green philosophy, as well as how prominent their policies are on their websites.

Feel & Firmness	Casper	GhostBed	Douglas
Feel:	Medium	Medium	Medium-firm
Firmness:	4.8 / 10	7.7 / 10	6.7 / 10
Edge Support:	5.0 / 10	9.0 / 10	7.8 / 10
Motion Isolation:	7.1 / 10	5.2 / 10	8.3 / 10
Bounciness:	4.8 / 10	4.6 / 10	3.1 / 10

Feel & Firmness

According to the testing conducted by third-party engineers (commissioned by us), the Casper, GhostBed, and Douglas mattresses vary in firmness as follows:

• Casper Original is a medium mattress. It is rated at 4.8 / 10 on the firmness scale. The Casper mattress has some ‘hug.’
• GhostBed Classic is also a medium mattress. It is rated at 7.7 / 10 on the firmness scale, making it relatively firm compared to Casper and Douglas.
• Douglas Original is a medium-firm mattress. It is rated at 6.7 / 10 on the firmness scale. The Douglas mattress does not have excessive ‘hug’; unlike the two American-based mattresses, Douglas is designed primarily for the sleep preferences of Canadian sleepers.

Edge Support

Foam mattresses are not known for their edge support; in fact, it is often one of the main issues customers bring up when moving from innerspring mattresses to foam mattresses. According to the testing conducted by third-party engineers (commissioned by us), the Casper, GhostBed, and Douglas mattress edge support ratings are very different:

• The Casper Original mattress has average edge support. It is rated at 5.0 / 10 on the edge support scale.
• The GhostBed Classic mattress has excellent edge support. It is rated at 9.0 / 10 on the edge support scale.
• The Douglas Original mattress has very good edge support. It is rated at 7.8 / 10 on the edge support scale.

Motion Isolation

Motion isolation in foam mattresses is usually very good. It’s one of the main reasons couples make the switch from innerspring to memory foam. According to the testing conducted by third-party engineers (commissioned by us), the three mattresses also vary widely in motion isolation:

• The Casper Original mattress has above-average motion isolation. It is rated at 7.1 / 10 on the motion isolation scale.
• The GhostBed Classic mattress has average motion isolation. It is rated at 5.2 / 10 on the motion isolation scale.
• The Douglas Original mattress has one of the top motion isolation scores on record. It is rated at 8.3 / 10 on the motion isolation scale.

Bounce

Because foam mattresses excel at motion isolation, their bounce ratings are generally lower than hybrid or innerspring mattresses. According to the testing conducted by third-party engineers (commissioned by us), the bounce ratings of all three mattresses vary as follows:

• The Casper Original mattress has average bounce. It is rated at 4.8 / 10 on the bounce scale.
• The GhostBed Classic mattress has below-average bounce. It is rated at 4.6 / 10 on the bounce scale despite its top layer of latex.
• The Douglas Original mattress has below-average bounce. It is rated at 3.1 / 10 on the bounce scale.

Overview	Casper	GhostBed	Douglas
Price (Queen):	$1,499 CAD	$1,695 CAD	$799 CAD
Available in:	USA, Canada	USA, Canada	Canada
Made in:	Undisclosed	USA or Canada	Canada
Trial length:	100 nights	101 nights	365 nights
Warranty:	10 years	20 years	20 years
Number of layers:	3	3	3
Cover materials:	Polyester, rayon, cotton, spandex	Polyester, viscose	Tencel®, polyester, spandex
Machine washable:	No	No	Yes
Green policies:	No mention on the website	Mattress recycling program (depending on location)	ecoLight® foam; Plant-based fabric; Optimized shipping; Recycled cardboard; Recycled ink
Feel:	Medium	Firm	Medium-firm
Firmness:	4.8 / 10	7.7 / 10	6.7 / 10
Edge support:	5.0 / 10	9.0 / 10	7.3 / 10
Motion isolation:	7.1 / 10	5.2 / 10	8.3 / 10
Bounce:	4.8 / 10	4.6 / 10	3.1 / 10
Year-Round Price Guarantee:	No	No	YES - LEARN MORE