Douglas Alpine Mattress Review

A Midline All-Foam Model with Outstanding Performance

The Douglas Alpine is one of the best-performing all-foam mattresses in Canada. This mattress uses all of the best features from the Douglas Original, pairing it with some upgrades that take it to the next level. As a bonus, this mattress doesn’t cost much more than the Original. That means you can get some of the great features present in the top-tier model without breaking the bank. 

This all-foam mattress uses three layers of foam, phase-changing materials, and a washable cooling cover to deliver outstanding pressure relief and motion isolation. Our testing team loved the way this mattress felt most of the time, and most sleeping positions found it comfortable and supportive.

Our Methodology

Here at Slumber, our exhaustive testing process looks at every part of the mattress. We examine the materials and construction of each mattress, looking at how the materials were layered to help us figure out how it might perform. After, we started our gauntlet of tests, which included practical tests with a team of testers and simulation tests with our specialized equipment. 

We focus on the features that Canadians find most important, including temperature control, edge support, and motion isolation. We take feedback from testers (both those who partake in our practical tests and those who take the mattress home for further long-term testing). These factors are combined to create the scores we show you, so we can ensure that you get the most comprehensive picture of how the mattress performs.

Mattress Details

The Douglas Alpine occupies a unique space in Douglas’s lineup. It’s a great upgrade from the Original, which already performs well in most of the areas we tested. The Alpine takes all of the Original’s features to the next level without increasing the price too much, putting it in a good spot for most Canadians. 

This mattress offers some of the best motion isolation on the Canadian market, even among other all-foam mattresses. It offers decent cooling and pressure relief, so most average Canadians who don’t sleep too hot will find it comfortable. 

There are only a few areas where we find it could improve, including bounce and support. It is supportive enough for most sleeping positions, with full-body contouring and alignment. However, these areas are relatively small considering performance throughout the rest of the mattress, and most all-foam mattresses face them to a much greater degree. 

The 365-night sleep trial and 20-year warranty offer some of the best policies on the Canadian market. If you aren’t sure if this mattress will work for you, you’ll have plenty of time to decide if it’s a mattress you want to keep. 

• Price: $799 to $1698
• Firmness: Medium Firm
• Type: All Foam 
• Shipping Cost: Free (Except in Some Remote Areas)
• Warranty: 20 Years
• Sleep Trial: 365 Nights

The Douglas Alpine Mattress is great for:

• Couples who need motion isolation
• Canadians who sleep near the edge of the mattress
• Combination and active sleepers
• Those who want to try their mattress for longer
• Canadians who sleep warm
• Those on a budget

Skip the Douglas Alpine Mattress if you:

• Like your mattress to have some bounce
• Need firmer support from the core of the mattress

Douglas Alpine Mattress Prices and Sizes

The Douglas Alpine is an upgraded mattress that runs the middle of the road when it comes to pricing. While it’s certainly less expensive than many other luxury all-foam and hybrid mattresses, it isn’t as inexpensive as a budget model might be. If you don’t want to spend too much but need an upgraded experience, this is the mattress to choose. Plus, its performance speaks for itself. During our testing phases, we found that the Douglas Alpine sometimes performed better than mattresses with a much heftier price tag. 

In addition to its outstanding performance, the Douglas Alpine is backed by some of the best company policies in the Canadian mattress market. You’ll find a 20-year warranty after your purchase, and a 365-night sleep trial to determine if it’s the right mattress for you.

Alpine is available in all six standard mattress sizes, as well as Split King. If you want an upgraded all-foam experience for every bedroom in your home, it’s a great choice.

Mattress Construction

The Douglas Alpine uses three layers of proprietary foams within a washable cooling cover to achieve its surprising performance.

• The Cover: The cover of the Douglas Alpine mattress is a comfortable CoolSense cover. This washable cover is woven with sustainable Infinitex fibres, which help reduce heat by wicking away heat and moisture throughout the night. It’s easy to zip off and wash when it’s time to refresh your bed, so you don’t have to worry about stains or odours.
  
• The 1st Layer: The top layer of foam within the Douglas Alpine is 2.25” of luxurious ecoLight. This cooling gel foam works to isolate heat on its own, but it is also coated with a layer of phase-changing material called Polar. This material works together with the cooling foam to maintain a consistent temperature at the top of the mattress, reducing heat build-up and removing excess heat faster.
  
• The 2nd Layer: The middle layer of foam is a transitional layer of Elastex. This 2.25” layer of Elastex is a great alternative to natural latex, but it mimics all of the properties that make latex so appealing. It is responsive, cushions your body, and helps relieve pressure without making you feel stuck in the mattress.
  
• The 3rd Layer: The final layer of the Douglas Alpine is the 6.5” layer of motion isolation support foam. This layer helps dampen motion as it happens, ensuring that you won’t feel anything from the other side of the bed. This layer also helps balance your body and align your spine properly.

Like the Douglas Original before it, the Douglas Alpine reduces heat and sinkage throughout the mattress. This helps it avoid many of the common pitfalls of all-foam mattresses, including heat build-up, pressure, and sinkage that feels suffocating. Instead, you’ll stay elevated out of the mattress. It’s allowed to breathe around you, too. If you have tried foam mattresses before and found them lacking, the Douglas Alpine may serve you better.

Mattress Performance Test Results

During our testing process, we looked at a few areas that Canadians find most important. These include temperature control, motion isolation, and edge support. These features can make or break a mattress, especially for those who find them important. Let’s see how the Douglas Alpine performed in these areas.

Temperature Control (9.1/10)

Temperature control is one of the most important factors for Canadians, so it’s one of the areas we test most thoroughly. Our use of heat mapping and tester feedback allows us to rank our mattresses based on how quickly they dissipate heat, whether they allow heat to build up in the first place, and whether our extremely hot testers still woke up with night sweats. A rating of 7 or 8 is essential for those who often wake with night sweats, though extremely hot sleepers may need a higher temperature control rating.

The Douglas Alpine’s layers of cooling materials impact how well it deals with heat. When heat was allowed to build up at all, it dissipated quickly. While it doesn’t offer one of the best scores we’ve seen, it performs extremely well for an all-foam mattress. The phase-changing material works to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the night, while the cooling gel foam reduces discomfort and isolates heat away from the sleeper. Our testers were impressed with the temperature control from this all-foam mattress.

Motion Isolation (9.8/10)

Motion isolation is a similarly important factor, particularly for those who share a bed with a restless sleeper. If you often find yourself waking up when your partner tosses and turns, you need good enough motion isolation to avoid any vibration and shaking. Those who are particularly light sleepers need a mattress rating of at least a 7, though a larger score is better here.

The Douglas Alpine has one of the most impressive motion isolation scores on the Canadian market. It’s near-perfect. During our testing, we could only feel small vibrations from the largest movements on the other side of the bed, such as deliberate impact or quickly getting in and out of bed. Our motion detection showed only minimal vibrations, and most testers hardly felt movements happening on the other side of the mattress.

Edge Support (9.6/10)

Edge support may be important to you if you sit or sleep near the edge of the bed. Better edge support means that the edges won’t sink or sag under you while you sleep, reducing discomfort and carrying the support of the mattress through to the edge. Sometimes, this can drop off. All-foam mattresses are especially notorious for having poor edge support. For those who need this feature to stay comfortable, a rating of around 7 is essential. 

While the Douglas Alpine lacks an edge support system, it does extremely well in this category. This was surprising to us considering its all-foam design. Usually, mattresses with this type of construction perform poorly here, but the Douglas Alpine was able to stand up to most of our testing. Even our testers who usually sleep near the edge of the bed had nothing but praise for this feature.

Firmness and Feel of the Douglas Alpine Mattress

To properly evaluate a mattress, we rank the firmness on a scale of 1 to 10. Our firmness ratings reflect not only the manufacturer’s ratings but also our findings during our testing period. A mattress rated at a 1 is too soft to be comfortable, while a mattress rated at a 10 would be too hard to sleep on. Sinkage, support, and pressure relief are all considered when we discuss firmness.

The Douglas Alpine is a medium-firm mattress that ranks at about 6.5 on our firmness scale. This firmness is average for an all-foam mattress. The support from the base of the mattress is powerful enough to reduce discomfort, while the softer layers on top help reduce pressure and contour to your body. The pressure relief is good, but may not be enough for some heavier Canadians. 

The lack of strong support also makes this option difficult for heavier sleepers, though most won’t have any issues with the support core. The sinkage on this mattress was minimal, too – you can move around easily, and it contours well to your body, but you will still be able to move around easily.

Performance for Different Weights and Sleeping Preferences

Mattresses can feel different for each Canadian. This is because the way a mattress feels leans heavily on factors like body type and sleeping position. This is why sleep trials are so important! Here’s how we found the Douglas Alpine when examining these considerations.

Weight Considerations

When discussing weight considerations, it’s important to look at how the Canadian mattress industry discusses body type. Canadians weighing above 230 pounds are ‘heavier’ sleepers, while sleepers under 130 pounds are ‘lighter’ sleepers. Those between these weights are considered ‘average’. 

Heavier Canadians need better support, but they also need better pressure relief. That said, most all-foam mattresses have a weight limit of 250 pounds per sleeper or 500 pounds total. The Douglas Alpine performs well regarding pressure relief, but heavier sleepers may need stronger support from the mattress’s core. The lack of pressure might be okay for most side sleepers, though.

Sleeping Positions

Your preferred sleeping position has an impact on how a mattress feels. Each sleeping position has different needs, so each reacts differently to the same mattress. Our testing team sleeps in various positions, which allowed us some insight into how the Douglas Alpine performed for each of them.

• Side Sleepers. Side sleepers need a mattress that contours to their body for better alignment. They also need support for their hips and back. The Alpine doesn’t have targeted lumbar support, but it doesn’t contour to your body to relieve pressure. Overall, it will work well for side sleepers who don’t need the strongest support.
  
• Back Sleepers. Back sleepers need deeper contouring, which is often found in mattresses with more sinkage. The Douglas Alpine keeps you lifted out of the mattress for the most part, and the minimal sinkage might not be enough for some back sleepers. Still, it’s worth trying, as its suitability for this sleeping position is largely personal.
  
• Stomach Sleepers. Stomach sleepers need a plush top and strong support from the core of the mattress to stay comfortable. The Douglas Alpine can provide these features, but some stomach sleepers may need a softer top or firmer support.
  
• Combination Sleepers. Combination sleepers move around a lot at night. They need a mattress that is easy to move around on, as they often have to change positions to get comfortable. The Douglas Alpine is easy to move around on and offers medium-firm support for most sleeping positions. We think that this mattress works great for combination sleepers.

Delivery, Sleep Trials, & Returns

Douglas is a Canadian company shipping out of Ontario and Alberta. They use Canadian materials where possible, with eco-conscious blends and proprietary materials making up the bulk of their mattresses. Shipping is free via FedEx to most locations in Canada. There may be some remote areas that require a delivery fee of $250. These include the Territories and other remote areas. Deliveries can take up to 9 days after shipping, but this is usually only in remote locations. 

A 365-night sleep trial gives you plenty of time to determine if the mattress is right for you. This full-year allows for time to break the mattress in, get used to how it feels, and determine if you want to continue using it. Douglas only asks that you keep the mattress for at least 21 days before attempting to start a return, as this is how long it takes most to adjust to the feel of a new mattress. The 20-year warranty covers materials and workmanship defects, so any problems are covered. 

If you need to return the mattress, the process is extremely simple. Douglas’s customer service team are great and we found them to be incredibly helpful. Keep in mind that to complete your return, you will have to be home at the scheduled pick-up time. After Douglas has your mattress, refunds usually happen in 10 and 14 business days.

• Shipping Cost: Free (Except in Some Remote Areas)
• Time to Delivery: 2 to 7 Business Days
• Courier: FedEx Ground
• Sleep Trial Length: 365 Nights
• Warranty: 20 Years
• Ease of Return: Free Pickup and Full Refund

Company Background

As a brand, Douglas is known for their environmental focus and incredibly popular products. They are under the umbrella of a larger company, Goodmorning.com, which offers a range of different mattress companies that address different needs. This company started in 2009 and has since expanded its collections to cover as many Canadian sleepers as possible, no matter their budget or sleeping preferences. 

Douglas has a reputation for making popular all-foam mattresses that address common issues with foam-based mattresses. Their mattresses are extremely high-quality but are offered at lower-than-average prices. They are also an online-only brand, meaning that they don’t have many of the same overhead costs as brick-and-mortar stores. This allows them to pass the savings to you. 

Douglas also keeps linens, bed frames, and pillows in stock. You can complete your bedroom set in one place, and often with massive discounts and promotions. In addition to the Douglas Alpine, they offer the Douglas Original (their base model) and the Douglas Summit (their top model). 

Commitment to the Environment

Douglas is an eco-conscious company that values their efforts to reduce the environmental impact of their mattresses. Goodmorning.com, its parent company, has a zero-waste policy across all of its mattress manufacturers. Mattresses ship in boxes made of 60% recycled cardboard, and all mattresses returned during sleep trials are donated to local charities.

The Douglas Alpine uses both ecoLight foam and Elastex. Elatex is a latex alternative that uses fewer chemicals than standard synthetic latex. Meanwhile, ecoLight uses 40% less carbon input than standard memory foam. The cover is woven with Infinitex fibres, which are also renewable and sustainably sourced.

Douglas Alpine vs Other Douglas Mattresses

The Alpine is the midline mattress in Douglas’s lineup, which means it’s significantly different from Douglas’s other mattresses. Here’s how it stacks up against the Douglas Original and the Douglas Summit.

Alpine vs Original Douglas Mattresses

The Douglas Original is the base model upon which the Alpine is built. It offers great performance for an all-foam mattress, but it also lacks features that the Alpine implements. Of course, the main draw here is the quality and lower price. You can purchase the Original for $200 less than the Douglas Alpine on average, which may be enough for some to forgo the upgrades.

When it comes to the upgrades, it’s important to realize that while most of the materials are the same, the layers are thicker in the Alpine. The Alpine also uses a layer of phase-changing material at the top of the mattress to better disperse heat. The first and second layers of foam are approximately half an inch thicker in total, while the base of the mattress is another half-inch thicker than the layers within the Douglas Original. This leads to better pressure relief and more intense support in some cases.

Alpine vs Summit Douglas Mattresses

If you have around $300 more to spend on average, the Summit might be a better choice than the Alpine. Like the transition between the Douglas Original and the Douglas Alpine, the transition from the Alpine to the Summit includes thicker layers and an additional cooling measure in the cover. The two layers of comfort foam are a total of half an inch thicker, while the motion isolation support foam is another half-inch thicker than the Alpine’s.

Summit uses the same phase-changing material as the Alpine but also includes CryoFusion cooling nanofibres woven throughout the cover. These fibres can help reduce heat at the surface of the mattress, which means less heat throughout the night. Due to the additional cooling feature and thicker layers, the Summit performs just slightly better in most performance categories. 

Competing Canadian Mattress Comparisons

There are a lot of all-foam mattresses on the Canadian market, but not all of them are created equally. Here, we’ll look at how the Douglas Alpine compares to two of its direct competitors, the Endy mattress and the Silk & Snow mattress.

Douglas Alpine vs Endy

The Endy mattress is a budget-conscious mattress made with proprietary materials, including open-cell foam and temperature-neutral-foams. One of the reasons that the Endy is popular is its stellar motion isolation, which helps couples sleep better when one is restless. This mattress is around the same price as the Douglas Alpine, though the Alpine is a bit more expensive. 

The Endy mattress does offer great motion isolation, but this is a feature that the Alpine shares. Some of their other performance experiences are a bit more decisive. The Endy edges the Alpine out when it comes to temperature control, but lacks the strong pressure relief that the Alpine offers. The Endy also has more bounce in its materials, though it uses less eco-conscious options than the Alpine does. With similar prices and varying degrees of performance difference, you should choose the mattress that best suits your sleeping style.

Douglas Alpine vs Silk & Snow

Silk & Snow’s original mattress is another inexpensive all-foam option that uses high-density and proprietary materials to create a feel that you won’t find elsewhere. This mattress is about $800 for a Queen, around $200 less than the Douglas Alpine. Its materials, while high-quality, are more on par with the Douglas Original and can’t quite stand up to the upgraded Alpine.

For example, the Silk & Snow’s temperature control, motion isolation, edge support, and response are all markedly worse than the Douglas Alpine’s. This mattress performs well enough on its own, but its faults start to appear when you compare it to an upgraded mattress. While the Silk & Snow is a fine option for those on a budget looking for great value, the Douglas Alpine wins across nearly every performance category.

Should You Buy the Douglas Alpine?

Ultimately, the choice to buy the Douglas Alpine is yours. The extended sleep trial and great customer service make it a bit of an easier decision for some, but the choice is all down to the features that you want. At this price point, it offers a few more comfortable features than the Original. However, it’s also less impressive than the Douglas Summit, which can be a problem for those who have a little more to spend. 

If you want an upgrade from the standard Douglas Original, this could be a great choice for you. However, if you have a bit more to spend and want even better performance in some of the areas where the Alpine lacks, the Summit is still a great choice. You should choose the one that works best for your budget and your sleep needs. Keep in mind that the year-long sleep trial and easy returns process make choosing the Alpine less of a risk.

Highlights of the Douglas Alpine Mattress

The Douglas Alpine Mattress features thicker layers than the Original but maintains some of its successor’s exceptional performance. It improves upon this construction in nearly every way, with the introduction of phase-changing materials to keep you cooler than most all-foam mattresses.

Highlights of its performance are its strong motion isolation, which is near-perfect when compared to other Canadian mattresses. Other important and impressive performance areas are edge support, response, and company policies. This mattress is also easier to move around on than most all-foam mattresses. The way it features eco-conscious materials rounds out our biggest takeaways from our testing period with the Douglas Alpine.

Areas for Improvement

If there are a few areas where the Alpine could improve, they are with bounce and pressure relief. Pressure relief from this mattress is great, but it could always be better. The thicker materials provide minimal pushback, but some heavier Canadians noticed the firmer support layers below the comfort layers. If you struggle with deep pressure points, this mattress can help but may not eliminate them. 

Bounce is also an area of concern. While some Canadians prefer the mattress stays still, especially when their partner is tossing and turning, some prefer more feedback. If you want your mattress to move with you, this one may not provide the best feedback for you.

Our Recommendations for the Douglas Alpine Mattress

We recommend the Douglas Alpine to those who aren’t on a strict budget but want a bit of an upgrade over some of the budget-conscious mattresses on the market. We liked it for back sleepers and some stomach sleepers. Most light and average side sleepers were comfortable here, too. This mattress outperformed most all-foam mattresses at this price point, with features that directly helped address some of the issues that all-foam mattresses typically have. 

The longer sleep trial and simple returns process make this mattress a risk-free investment. If you don’t like it, there’s no pressure to keep it. However, we think that this mattress has something to offer everyone.

FAQs

All foam-based mattresses will off-gas a bit. These odours are harmless, though they may irritate some sensitive users. It can take up to 5 days for the Douglas Alpine to fully off-gas, and during that time you should keep it in a well-ventilated area.

The Douglas Alpine has a weight limit of 500 pounds total, which includes both partners and all bedding and pillows used on the mattress. Exceeding this weight limit may void your warranty and lead to decreased support.

Most mattresses take about 48 hours to fully expand once unboxed. Using the mattress before then may not give you a great idea of how it is supposed to feel. The Douglas Alpine should be ready about 24 hours after you roll it out. However, we recommend waiting a full 48 hours to ensure that the mattress has reached its intended size. 

Multiple layers of cooling materials make this mattress fine for those who sleep hot. Those who usually wake up extremely hot should choose a mattress that scores a bit higher when it comes to temperature control. However, this mattress does a great job of cooling for an all-foam mattress.

The cover of the Douglas Alpine is removable and machine washable. There are no extreme or specific care instructions, so make sure to follow the label for the best results. The process is simple and can help keep your bed fresh.

Like most modern mattresses, the Douglas Alpine is constructed in a very specific way. Because of how it is made, it is not recommended to flip the Alpine. However, you should rotate it two to three times a year to avoid creating body indents that will affect the comfort of the mattress over time.

The Douglas Alpine requires a foundation and is compatible with most supportive bases. You can use the Douglas Alpine with a platform bed, a solid wood foundation, a slatted base, and adjustable bed frames. You should avoid using a box spring, as it may not provide enough support and will affect how the mattress works.