Casper Dawn Review

In This Review
Performance Tests | Firmness | Support & Sleeping Positions | Design | Materials | Comparisons | FAQs

At NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.

We test 10 different factors that impact the performance, comfort, and value of the mattress. We then take the results of that test and compare to every mattress we’ve tested to date.

Check out the full performance table below to see how this mattress ranks:

Factor	Casper Dawn	Average
Overall Score	8.10	8.58
Price (Queen)	C$999	$1,063 (Foam only)
Cooling – Score	7.0	8.7
Sinkage – Depth	2.06″	2.13″
Sinkage – Feel	Moderate	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	9.2	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	6.71 m/s²	8.71 m/s²
Response Time – Score	9.7	9.0
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.2 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	0.6 sec.	0.9 sec.
Bounce – Height	8.42″	9.66″
Bounce – Feel	Moderate	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	9.1	8.6
Edge Support – Sitting	3.75″	4.04″
Edge Support – Lying	Excellent	Good
Sex – Score	8.0	8.5
Pressure Relief – Score	7.0	8.7
Comfort Layer Thickness	3.0″	4.1″
Mattress Thickness	9″	12.0″
Off-Gassing – Score	7.8	8.1
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	8 days	7 days
Company – Score	8.5	8.6
Trial	100 nights	173 nights
Warranty	10 years	24% have lifetime warranties, average of other 76% of mattresses is 13 years

How is Casper Dawn Different?

The Casper Dawn has lower performance than the average mattress, but also a price tag that is slightly below average as well—a savings of $64 for a queen mattress.

Advantages

Advantages of the Casper Dawn include lower levels of motion transfer and a faster material response time. Edge support is also above average with only 3.75″ of sinkage when seated at the edge (the average is 4.04″).

Neutral Factors

This mattress has a moderate level of sinkage and moderate levels of bounce. This mattress has a balanced feel that may appeal to a wide range of sleepers.

Disadvantages

Disadvantages of the Casper Dawn include lower cooling performance, a lower sex score, and worse pressure relief. This mattress is only 9″ thick, which created some pressure relief issues, especially for heavier sleepers and or those who sleep on their side.

The Casper Dawn has a fair level of cooling performance. During our tests, I felt a moderate level of heat retention around my body. Unfortunately, this mattress just doesn’t have much going for it with respect to cooling.

There are no significant cooling features, materials, or design elements on this mattress. The thin knit cover helps with breathability, but it’s just not enough to make a substantial impact.

The all-foam design and average foam quality are both having a negative impact on cooling performance.

• Baseline Temperature – the temperature of the mattress before anyone lies on it
• Maximum Temperature (0 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after lying on it for 15 minutes
• Ending Temperature (5 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after being lied upon and having no one on it for 5 minutes

In our objective temperature tests, we measured a max surface level temperature of 91.3° F, which is 1.6° warmer than the average of 89.7°.

Given the price point, this level of cooling performance isn’t unexpected. Even so, sleepers who describe themselves as “hot” or “warm” are likely to find it just isn’t cool enough.

Heat Dissipation Over Time

If you are a warmer sleeper the Casper Snow would be a much better option. Based on our objective data, my subjective experience, and an analysis of the materials I’m confident in my view that cooling performance is only fair.

The Casper Dawn has a moderate level of sinkage. During our tests, we measured a pressure point sinkage of 2.06”. This is 0.07” less sinkage than the average of 2.13”.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

The top 1.5” of foam is quite soft and gives way fairly easily to weight and pressure. However, the layers below are far more supportive and rigid.

I feel like my body immediately sinks through the 1.5” foam top layer and then hits something of a wall. That wall of sorts creates more of a floating feel, but there is still at least some body contouring hug from the top-most comfort layer.

The Casper Dawn has a very low level of motion transfer. During our tests, we measured a total acceleration range of 6.71 m/s². This is 23% less motion transfer than the average of 8.71 m/s².

The all-foam design of the Dawn is the greatest factor helping to reduce motion on the mattress. Foam does a fantastic job of keeping motion localized to a specific area and preventing it from spreading across the mattress.

The level of motion transfer is also documented in the video below.

In our motion transfer chart, which visualizes our accelerometer data, we can see the highest motion from 0 to 0.14 seconds. Motion begins to decline thereafter, but we do still have a modest secondary spike from 0.43 to 0.51 seconds.

By 0.86 seconds we’ve returned to near-zero levels of energy. While the motion intensity is kept in check, I’m not thrilled by how long motion persists on the mattress.

Even so, given the price point and reasonable motion peaks, it’s hard to complain too much. I don’t expect motion will be an issue for most sleepers.

The Casper Dawn has a very fast level of material response. In our mostly recovered test, we measured a mostly recovered speed of 0.2 seconds. This is 0.21 seconds faster than the average recovery speed of 0.41 seconds.

In our fully recovered test, we measured a full material recovery speed of 0.6 seconds. This is 0.30 seconds faster than the average of 0.90 seconds, based on all of our tests to date.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

While the full material responsiveness isn’t quite instant, it’s not far from it. The mattress rebounds back to shape incredibly quickly, won’t leave you feeling stuck, and remains easy to move around on. I don’t expect material responsiveness will be a problem for most sleepers.

The Casper Dawn has a moderate level of bounce. During our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 8.42”. This is 1.26” less bounce than the average of 9.68”.

The level of bounce is also documented in the video below.

Bounce is on the lower end of my ideal range (which is 8-12”), but still within. The bounce is enough to facilitate ease of movement and reasonably good sex performance, all while keeping motion transfer in check as well. I expect most sleepers will find this level of bounce to be satisfactory.

The Casper Dawn has excellent edge support. During our sitting edge support tests, we measured a sitting sinkage compression of 3.75”. This is 0.29” less sitting sinkage than the average of 4.04”.

While sitting directly on the edge of the mattress the Casper retained its shape and was fully supportive. There was no material collapse. Lying edge support was equally as impressive.

The level of edge support while seated is documented in the images below.

While lying directly on the edge of the mattress I felt well supported in all sleeping positions.  Notably, the Dawn lacks any type of reinforced perimeter edge support foam.

However, it doesn’t seem to need it. The combination of medium-firm feel, thin knit cover, moderate sinkage depth, and limited comfort layer are all helping to keep the mattress fully supportive, even along the edges.

The level of edge support while lying is documented in the images below.

The Casper Dawn has a good level of sex performance, though it just barely passed the scoring threshold between “fair” and “good”.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Rating
Bounce	65%	7.7	Moderate
Edge Support	20%	9.1	Excellent
Noise	5%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	7.0	Fair
Cooling	5%	7.0	Fair

On the positive side, the mattress creates minimal noise and has excellent edge support. On the negative side, we have only a fair level of cooling performance and fair pressure relief.

In the middle is bounce at 8.42”. This isn’t a low level of bounce, but it’s also far away from anything we would consider “high”. This relatively low bounce is the greatest contributing factor that negatively impacts the overall dance without pants.

The Casper Dawn has a fair level of pressure relief. During our tests, I felt a moderate level of pressure points building on my body, mostly isolated to my back, lower back, and shoulders. The Dawn is equipped with a 3.0” comfort layer.

This is notably thinner than the average comfort layer thickness of 4.1”, based on all of our tests to date. In some cases, 3.0” of comfort foam can be sufficient to provide a good level of pressure relief. However, I am just not impressed with the foam quality on the mattress.

The topmost 1.5” poly foam feels pretty good, but the second 1.5” poly foam comfort layer leaves much to be desired. This second 1.5” poly foam doesn’t feel tremendously different from the harder layer of support foam on the bottom of the mattress.

In effect, this means we only really have 1.5” of higher quality comfort material. Given the price point, it’s not an unsurprising level of pressure relief or material quality. Even so, I am not overly impressed with the pressure relief dynamic. 

Pressure Map – Side Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Side Sleepers	0.18	1.10

Pressure Map – Back Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Back Sleepers	0.13	0.99

Pressure Map – Stomach Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Stomach Sleepers	0.11	1.30

Off-gassing on the Casper Dawn was strong right out of the box. The odor lasted 8 days before fully dissipating.

After testing over 245+ mattresses to date, the average off-gassing duration is 7 days. So the Dawn takes slightly more time to off-gas, but not by much.

While this may be an issue if you’re super sensitive to strong odors, it shouldn’t be a big issue for most sleepers.

Casper mattresses, whether manufactured in the US or Canada, come with a 100-night trial period and a 10-year warranty. Shipping and returns are both free.

Company Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Data
Trial Period	15%	8.0	100 nights
Warranty	10%	8.0	10 years
Shipping	5%	10	$0
Returns	20%	10	$0
Trust	50%	8.0	Good
Country of Origin	0%		Canada

Compared to the average trial and warranty, Casper has a shorter trial (avg: 173 nights). The warranty is also notably shorter. Of the 245+ mattresses tested to date, 24% have lifetime warranties and the average of other 76% of mattresses is 13 years.

The Casper Dawn is available in a single firmness, 6 out of 10, with a medium-firm feel.

The Casper Dawn has a fair level of support. During our tests, I felt reasonably well supported, however, I also felt notable pressure points on my body. For a mattress to be supportive it needs to create a neutral spinal alignment for sleepers, while also remaining comfortable.

The limited 3.0” comfort layer and limited material quality of the Casper Dawn mean pressure relief just isn’t amazing. When you couple the pressure relief issues with only 6.0” of support foam it’s just not a great combination.

Based on all of our tests to date, mattresses have 7.9” of support material. As a result, the Dawn has a significantly thinner comfort layer than average.

Thinner mattresses like the Dawn can struggle with support, pressure relief, and comfort, as they just don’t have sufficient materials that most adults need.

When I consider the materials, design, and my subjective experience on the mattress, I am confident in my view that the support is fair at best.

Check out the table below to see the sleeper weights and sleeping positions that would be best suited for this mattress.

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleepers	Side Sleepers	Back Sleepers
Under 150 lbs.	Yes	Maybe	Yes
150-250 lbs.	Maybe	Maybe	Maybe
250-300 lbs.	No	No	No

Design

The Casper Dawn is a low-profile 9″ foam mattress with a medium-firm feel. It is designed as a budget pick for Canadian sleepers, priced under $1000.

Materials

There are three total layers that make up the total thickness of the Casper Dawn. From top to bottom, these layers include:

• 1.5” poly foam
• 1.5 poly foam
• 6.0” support foam

The Cover

The Casper Dawn has a thin knit cover with a good amount of stretch and a breathable finish. It is fully removable for easy spot cleaning and maintenance.

The top and sides of the cover are made of 99% polyester and 1% spandex. The bottom of the cover is 100% polypropylene.

The Comfort Layer

The comfort layer is a 1.5″ poly foam (green) followed by a second 1.5″ poly foam layer (white). The second poly foam layer is more of a transitional layer as it eases sleepers into the support layer below.

The Support Layer

The support layer is a simple 6.0″ high-density support foam. Usually we see a bit thicker support layer, but in this case where the total mattress thickness is only 9″, I’m not all that surprised by the 6.0″ support foam.

Product Evolution

The Casper Dawn was introduced in May 2024 as the newest foam mattress in the Casper Canada lineup. Since its release, there have been no major design or material changes to note.

Be aware that this mattress is only available in Canada.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure if the Casper Dawn is the right pick for you? Check out these three other top-rated Canadian foam mattresses for alternatives you may want to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Check out some of the top FAQs on the Casper Dawn mattress below and get the answers you’re looking for.