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Douglas Summit Review

Thashmi Nadeeshani
Editor of Best Sleep Society
Last Update: March 20, 2025
Methodology
Methodology

Product Research: Our Process

At Best Sleep Society, we carefully analyze mattress features to understand how they affect sleep quality. Our research process helps us evaluate comfort, support, and durability. This guide provides insight into how we assess the sleep experience.
Evaluating Comfort and Support
Our marking matrix is a detailed scoring system that evaluates each mattress based on critical aspects like comfort, support, durability, and temperature regulation. Expert sleep testers conduct an extensive analysis that considers various body types and sleep positions, ensuring comprehensive and relevant ratings for a wide audience.
Long-Term Performance Assessment
As mattresses age, they may undergo wear and tear, potentially affecting their initial comfort and support. To address this, our long-term analysis includes feedback from users who have slept on the mattresses for extended periods. This allows us to evaluate how well the products perform in real-world use and whether they maintain their shape, support, and overall quality over time.
Why We Look at Additional Services
In addition to our in-house tests and analysis, we thoroughly evaluate customer service, warranty policies, and setup and delivery ease. These factors play a crucial role in overall consumer satisfaction. A positive experience from purchase to longevity reflects a brand's commitment to quality and customer care, completing our comprehensive product research approach.

Douglas Summit: Is It As Premium As They Claim?

Our Verdict

Douglas Summit is advertised as the “premium choice” out of the brand’s mattress range, but I was quite underwhelmed with its performance to confirm this claim. For $500 more for a queen size compared to the Douglas Original, the only significant difference we observed was the 2” of additional foam. Looking at the mattress construction, it is evident that Douglas has used the same memory foam layers as their base model, so customers may be better off saving $500 by purchasing the base model.

While the 365-night trial and the 20-year warranty may entice you to invest in this mattress, this mattress did not outperform similar mattresses from its competitors. Even with 2” more foam, the enveloping feel I experienced in Douglas Original and Alpine was still present. Common customer complaints include diminishing support, foul odour, lack of cooling, and lack of motion isolation, as seen in the reviews below. If you are looking for better alternatives, I would suggest The Casper Mattress, or The Endy Plush as they performed better on all our tests and are in a similar price range.
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Best Memory Foam Mattress 2025
9.40
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The Casper Douglas
Price (Queen) $1499 $999
Rating 9.40 6.51
Cooling
Motion Isolation 8.5/10 6/10
Pressure Relief 8.5/10 5/10

Douglas Summit: Is It As Premium As They Claim?

Douglas Summit: Is It As Premium As They Claim?

Overall Rating
6.51 /10
Things to Love
365-night trial
Things to Consider
The enveloping feeling of memory foam may cause discomfort for some sleepers
Mattress cover pills with time
Lack of motion isolation during our tests
Weak edge support
Strong odour from off-gassing that may last weeks (for us, it lasted 45 days)
Trial Period
365 Nights
Warranty
20 Years
Price Range
$999
Mattress Type
Memory Foam
Firmness
4/10
Cooling
6/10
Motion Isolation
6/10
Pressure Relief
5/10
Support
6/10
Things to Love
365-night trial
Things to Consider
The enveloping feeling of memory foam may cause discomfort for some sleepers
Mattress cover pills with time
Lack of motion isolation during our tests
Weak edge support
Strong odour from off-gassing that may last weeks (for us, it lasted 45 days)

Mattress Sizes & Prices

Size Price Dimensions
Twin $999 38″ x 75″ x 12”
Twin XL $1049 38″ x 80″ x 12”
Full / Double $1149 53″ x 75″ x 12”
Queen $1299 60″ x 80″ x 12”
King $1399 76″ x 80″ x 12″
California King $1399 72″ x 84″ x 12”
Split King $2098 76″ x 80″ x 12″

Purchasing and Returns

You can purchase the Douglas Original from the Douglas website. Unfortunately, you cannot try to mattress out before purchasing, as Douglas is not sold at any retail locations. The mattress takes a few days to get delivered, and you get a 365-night trial period within which you can return the mattress if you are not satisfied with it.

Unboxing and First Impressions

The Douglas Summit arrived in a compact box, and judging by the condition of the box, I felt the delivery was not handled well. Upon unboxing, the mattress took about 15-20 minutes to expand to its full form, but as it did not feel sturdy enough, I decided to give it a full 48 hours before I tried it out. One thing I observed in customer complaints and experienced myself was the strong odour and off-gassing smell of this mattress that took more than a week to dissipate.  Compared to other mattresses we’ve tested from brands like Endy, Casper, and Silk & Snow, the Douglas mattress was underwhelming.

Construction

1. Douglas CoolSense® Cover
The machine-washable cover is made with cooling-infused nanofibers meant for temperature regulation. 

 

2. 2.5” ecoLight® Cooling Gel Foam + Polar® Temperature Balancing
A layer of cooling-gel-infused memory foam meant to regulate temperature.

 

3. 2.5” Premium Elastex® Foam
Body-contouring memory foam. 

 

4. 7” Motion Isolation Support Foam

Foundational support foam.

Comfort

Douglas Summit may have a 2” additional height of memory foam, but it did not provide any significant improvement in comfort for me compared to the other Douglas mattresses. My hips and shoulders sunk further into the mattress than my stomach, leading to discomfort in my lower back after sleeping.  Further, the lack of ergonomic pressure relief kept the tension I held in my shoulders, so I suffered from sore muscles for the entire time I was testing this mattress. While it is difficult to say the mattress caused this pain, it did dissipate as soon as I switched from the Douglas to the Casper.

Firmness

The Douglas Summit scores 4 out of 10 on our firmness scale, leaning towards medium-soft. Due to the lack of firmness, I was sinking in 4-6 inches deep every time I got in the bed, and had trouble getting in and out of bed. If you’re a back or stomach sleeper, or heavier-bodied, I would not recommend this firmness for you, as it may not provide adequate support.

Motion Transfer

During our sleep tests for Douglas Summit, we noticed significant movement in the water vessel on the mattress as the sleep tester got in and out of bed. The vibration took X seconds to stop, suggesting that motion on the mattress’s surface is not well isolated. If you share your bed with someone, or have a pet who climbs on the bed, my advice would be to look for alternatives that offer better motion isolation, such as The Casper mattress. 

Cooling

Although the mattress felt cool to the touch at first, after 3 hours of lying on it while I was reading, the mattress’s surface temperature raised as it captured my body heat. My partner, who is a hot sleeper had trouble falling asleep as the mattress retained heat, even when we paired it with cooling sheets. 

Edge Support

The Douglas Summit does not feature improved or reinforced edges in comparison to the other Douglas models. When testing the mattress by sitting on the perimeter, I sank about 5 inches deep and slid off the mattress easily. When lying down closer to the edge, I observed a similar imbalance. Due to the medium-soft nature of the mattress that extends to the edge of the mattress, if you’re someone who often sits on the edge of your bed, or are larger-bodied, the Douglas Summit may not provide the support you seek.

Sinkage and Responsiveness

One common disadvantage of the Douglas Summit is the enveloping feeling you get when you get in and out of bed, creating a sensation of feeling “stuck”. As we observed less bounce, the sinkage is not offset and may be frustrating to sleepers who seek a responsive sleep surface. 

How does it suit different sleeping positions?

Side Sleepers

The Douglas Summit is soft enough to provide comfort for side sleepers who prefer their mattress to be more cushiony. However, heavier side sleepers may feel the sinkage to be too deep for their liking. 

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers may find this mattress to lack the firmness they desire, and may be concerned with the sinkage in their lumbar region. However, for lightweight back sleepers, the Douglas Summit can be comfortable enough. 

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleepers will find this mattress to be too soft for them, causing their hips to sink too deep and not supportive enough to maintain spinal alignment.

Combination Sleepers

Combination sleepers may find the Douglas Summit difficult to sleep, due to the enveloping feel. Lightweight combination sleepers may find they can move easily, but bigger bodies may feel stuck when they try to move throughout the night. 

Lightweight Sleepers

For lightweight sleepers, the Douglas Summit can provide adequate support and comfort, as they do not require more support or firmness. 

Heavy People

Heavier individuals should consider better alternatives that provide ample firmness and support for them. Casper Dawn Firm mattress is a durable, budget-friendly option to look into. 

Should You Buy the Douglas Summit?

Although the Douglas Summit is more expensive than the Douglas Original and Alpine, we did not observe a significant performance improvement that justified its price point. During our tests, we found the mattress lacks support, comfort, motion isolation, cooling, and edge support. 

Unless you purchase this mattress for short-term use such as a vacation home, or for a growing child, this mattress may not be the investment you were looking for. However, if you are looking for a mattress in a similar price range, there are plenty of suitable options. The Casper mattress for a medium-firm feel, the Casper Dawn Firm for a firmer feel, or The Endy Plush for a more cushiony feel will address most of your sleeping concerns more effectively. 

Please note: All prices referenced in this article reflect MSRPs and are accurate to the best of our knowledge as of February 1, 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Douglas Summit a good mattress?
If you’re a side sleeper who prefers a softer mattress, or a lightweight individual who does not require more support, Douglas Summit can be good enough for you.
Can I sleep on my Douglas Summit mattress right away?
It is best to wait 48-72 hours before sleeping on the Douglas Summit to dissipate the off-gassing smell and to ensure the mattress is expanded well enough.
Is the Douglas Summit upgrade worth it?
I would say no, as there is a significant price difference, but there is no substantial improvement in the areas of performance we evaluated.
Is the Douglas mattress firm or soft?
The Douglas Summit has a medium-soft feel that scores 4 out of 10 on our firmness scale.
Is the Douglas mattress good for back pain?
Prolonged use of the Douglas Summit caused some back pain for me. The softer sleep surface envelops to body, which contributes to difficulty in adjusting my sleeping position and thus can exacerbate pain.

How Douglas Summit Compares to Similar Mattresses

Douglas Summit

The Casper

Endy Canada Logo

The Endy Plush

Douglas Alpine

Rating

6.51/10

9.40/10

9.20/10

6.78/10

Firmness

Medium-soft: 4/10

Medium-firm: 6.5/10

Medium-plush: 5/10

Medium-soft: 4/10

Material

Memory Foam

Memory Foam

Memory Foam

Memory Foam

Cooling

Best For

Side Sleepers, Lightweight Sleepers, Short term use

Suits a wide range of sleepers

Suits a wide range of sleepers

Side Sleepers, Lightweight Sleepers, Short term use

Read Review

Read Review

Read Review

About Our Author

Thashmi Nadeeshani
Editor of Best Sleep Society
Thashmi Nadeeshani
Editor of Best Sleep Society

Thashmi Nadeeshani is a sleep enthusiast and brings her extensive knowledge of the sleep industry to provide insights and educate consumers on their sleep journey. With a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a postgraduate in International Business Management, she pours her creative energy into engaging the readers with all things sleep. She has dedicated her role to elevating every person's sleep journey with well-informed decisions. As an individual who understands the importance of good sleep, she tests a range of sleep essentials and brings her authentic takes on reviews, comparisons, and guides for Best Sleep Society.

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