These 5 Smart Bed-Cooling Systems Are at the Cutting Edge of Sleep Tech
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There are so many reasons to lose sleep in this world. Being uncomfortable at night shouldn't be one of them. Nor should waking up drenched in sweat because you run hot, like I frequently do. Here at Esquire, we've already done reporting into the brands leading the charge on optimizing sleep . Chief among them is Eight Sleep's mattress ai-enabled mattress cover , meant to sit on top of your (I assume) already luxe mattress . When my colleagues first started wading into this world, I'll be honest, it seemed a bit ridiculous, but the results are there. When it comes to bed cooling systems like the Eight Sleep Pod and the ChiliPad, the tech and the results speak for themselves.
The most advanced systems use water (not air) to keep your bed comfort regulated down to the exact temperature you want. All the tech lives in the cover you put over your mattress, and in the pod you place on the ground next to your bed. After a quick setup, you can control the temperature of your side of the bed (and your partner for theirs) from an app. Better yet, these systems use AI technology to adjust the settings to be tuned to your body.
You can also opt for a cooling mattress or mattress topper for a more traditional approach. But when it comes to cooling—and heating—it's hard to beat the combination of water-based cooling and accurate sleep tracking that these full systems provide. These are the five best options you can buy now.
1) Eight Sleep Pod 5
The Eight Sleep Pod was one of the first water-based bed cooling systems brought to market. Now on its fifth iteration, it is the most advanced full bed system, with personalized heating and cooling on each side and an AI-powered app that gives full insights and feedback every morning. With the Eight Sleep Pod, there's no need to sleep in a smartwatch or Oura ring anymore. Esquire's commerce and partnerships director Krista Jones has been using the Pod 4 for nearly two years and it's completely changed the way she sleeps .
"I'm definitely getting more REM sleep," she wrote. "Those with sleep issues often have a hard time achieving it. Before, I wasn't a complicated sleeper by any means, but I definitely wasn't sleeping as deep as I do now."
The only real downside is that Eight Sleep requires you to sign up for one of three annual subscriptions to even purchase the thing. There's a lot of fun (read: expensive) bedding add-ons too so the cost can pretty quickly add up. But honestly, if it sounds worth it to you for cooler, deeper sleep, well it probably is.
- Water-based cooling plus heating for the full bed
- Pays attention to your temperature and adjusts accordingly
- Personalize each side of the bed
- An extremely accurate sleep tracker too
- Requires a subscription
2) Orion Sleep System
This is a newer water-based system that's been brought to our attention lately. On paper, it has a lot in common with the Eight Sleep. Whether you run hot or cold, you can personalize the temperature on each side. If you use the app and sign up for Orion Intelligence, you can get detailed nightly insights and data on your sleep.
I'm calling it the "best without subscription" for two reasons, then. First, because it's an option, unlike Eight Sleep where you're required to choose one of three subscriptions to even make the purchase. Secondly, because it's just not quite as advanced and fine-tuned as the competitor. If you're all in on AI-driven sleep like my boss, Eight Sleep is still the biggest name in the game. If you just want next-level cooling for a slightly lower price, go with Orion.
- Full bed heating and cooling
- Customizable for two sleepers
- No subscription required, but...
- ... it doesn't quite rival Eight Sleep in terms of sleep monitoring without the sub
3) Sleep.me Chilipad
Both the Orion and Eight Sleep systems were designed with couples in mind. If you're sleeping solo most nights, this is an option for under $2,000 that works for a single person. Using the same water cooling technology, the Chilipad can cool your side of the bed down to 67 degrees or heat it up to 85. It comes with it's own bespoke temperature dial, so you don't have to fuss with a phone app every night when you should be focusing on resting your eyes.
If you're a fan of the "no phones before bed" rule, you may appreciate Chilipad's approach more than its competitors. It doesn't come with a subscription and the phone app is very basic and very optional. This also means a lack of sleep data and insights, since its not doing any sleep tracking.
There's an option for two sleepers, but at the price you're not saving any money and getting fewer features. If you're a couple who doesn't care about stats and just wants cooling, it's still probably cheaper to go with the Orion and ignore the optional subscription.
- Temp dial helps control your bed temp between 55 and 115 degrees
- No need to use your phone
- No subscription, what you see is what you pay
- No subscription option also means no sleep insights
4) Sleep Number Dual Temp
Okay, here's the deal. Sleep Number used to manufacture this Dual Temp cooling mattress cover. It doesn't anymore. Lucky for you that means clearance, where you can still snag one for $550 or $650 if you are going king-size. Just know it isn't as revolutionary as the three options above.
Note that this doesn't use the same water-based system as the others, meaning the cooling is not nearly as effective or efficient. It's an air-based cooling system, which is generally less precise, has less range, and is limited by how cool the air in your bedroom can get in the first place. Still, as a quick, affordable solution it's going to make a difference. It even comes with a remote control so you can adjust the temp at any time of night without having to look at your phone.
- A cooling mattress topper
- Clearance pricing
- Includes remote control
- Air-based cooling is not as cold as water-based systems
5) Sleep Number ClimateCool Mattress
Finally, if all that simply sounds like too much to go through, you can opt for a cooling mattress. This is the one that best approximates the customizable sleep of an Eight Sleep Pod without making you go full AI psychosis about your sleep number. It's a more expensive option because you are getting a full-on mattress . But also, it is a full-on Sleep Number mattress, with all that entails. Both sides of the bed don't just do their own cooling, but they can go as soft or as firm as you need (within reason). Like the mattress topper, it uses air cooling so it can't give nearly as much range as the ChiliPad, Orion, or Eight Sleep systems.
- Can lower the temp up to 15 degrees on each side
- Adjustable firmness and softness on each side
- App control
- Expensive
- Air cooling
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