Skip to Site Header Skip to Main Content Skip to Footer

Water-Based Cooling: The New Frontier in Sleep Technology

Tara Youngblood Sep 01, 2022

Which is the best bed cooling system?

For centuries humans have strived for better sleep. Technological advancements during the 21st century helped us make groundbreaking advancements in sleep science, with temperature-regulated sleep at the forefront.

Cooler sleep leads to better sleep, and better sleep can be transformative, affecting your overall quality of life. With so many temperature-regulated sleep systems, water-cooled beds, cooling mattresses, bed fans, and other options available.

How do we choose the best bed cooling system that best suits our individual needs?

We’ll look at the different heating and cooling bed systems available, including the Chilipad Dock Pro sleep system and Chilipad Cube Sleep System against the highly recognized BedJet® and Eight Sleep™ system.

Sleep Deprivation in America

A recent study found that 35% of Americans get less than the recommended seven hours of sleep each night. [1]

For those unfamiliar with thermal sleep systems, here’s a quick primer:

Chilipad Dock Pro, Cube, & Eight Sleep

They are water-cooled mattress pads, which means water flows through channels in the polyester-fill pad and is heated or cooled to your settings.\

BedJet®

It's an air-based cooling and warming sleep system. The system uses air to regulate the temperature under the covers. It’s well known that air holds less thermal conductivity than water, which makes a difference in this arena.

Compare Bed Cooling System

All two-person sleep systems come equipped with “dual-zone” settings for each side of the bed, meaning you and your significant other have the ability to control the level of warmth or coolness you feel on your side of the bed throughout the night.

Additionally, all bed systems are simple to set up, requiring no tools or complicated instructions to follow. All claim to save electricity, negating the need for extra heat or air conditioning.

Happy and healthy sleeper

Ideal Temperature:

One study found that bedroom temperature is one of the most critical factors in achieving quality sleep. The study suggests the optimal sleep temperature should be between 60 - 67ºF, resulting in a good night's sleep. [2]

All sleep systems have control units that effectively regulate the bed's temperature. The Chilipad Dock Pro, Cube, and Eight Sleep™ units pump water through attached hoses into the pad channels from water reservoirs within the control units.

The BedJet® delivers air from your room throughout your bed through a nozzle. Then, using smartphone apps (excluding the Cube), you have the ability to program sleep schedules, pre-cool/preheat your bed, and more.

Read More: sleepme Chilipad Dock Pro vs. Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover

Advantages of sleepme Sleep Systems

With over a decade of clinical research under our belts, the team at sleepme has worked tirelessly to deliver thermal sleep systems that truly make a difference in the lives of thousands of people with all different professional, athletic, and health backgrounds.

To this end, we’ve developed sleep systems that fit the needs of all, with designs and functionality that work across the board to make a welcome addition to any sleep routine.

Cost of the Sleep Systems

We will be comparing the price for Queen sized dual-zone sleep systems for each brand. Without factoring in any promo codes, the Chilipad Cube costs $1099. The Eight Sleep™ Pod Pro Mattress (the most popular option) weighs $2,995, and the Pod Pro Cover is priced at $1,995.

The Chilipad Cube represent significant cost savings, especially for those who want to try temperature-regulated sleep.

Getting Started

When you first set up a thermal sleep system, a priming phase must first occur. The Chilipad Cube require just a few minutes for the hydronic pad to fill with water before it can be turned on, compared to the over 90-minutes for the Eight Sleep™ Pod Pro sleep systems.

Bed Compatibility

Although its setup is easy, the design of the BedJet® leaves your bed with a big, noticeable lump where the blower portion of the system sits on the top of your mattress and under your top sheet. To effectively utilize the dual zones, you must buy the BedJet® air comforter to separate the air being pushed through the air nozzles.

Buying an Eight Sleep™ Pod Pro means you’re basically buying an entirely new bed; their kit comes with a full mattress, plus the cooling pad and the control unit. Most people already have a bed they love out of a desire to get the best night’s sleep possible.

If that’s the case, then the Chilipad Dock Pro fit seamlessly since their design allows you to strap the cooling mattress pad firmly to your existing mattress, no matter the size. The Eight Sleep™ Pod does not sell its pad separately.

Control Unit Design

While the Eight Sleep™ system comes in one unit for two, its taller height makes it more difficult to tuck away in your bedroom. The system is only six inches tall, allowing it to hide inconspicuously beneath your bed or bedside table while BedJet® will fit under most beds, depending on the model purchased.

The Chilipad Dock Pro system also offers manual controls for those who don’t want to fuss with the sleep app.

If you want both people to use the Eight Sleep™ (each person controls the side), the account sharing functionality is not intuitive. It also means one person effectively owns the unit and the other person is allowed to use it.

Let’s say you don’t want to use your phone to control your bed. With the Chilipad Dock Pro, and Chilipad Cube, you can control the temperature directly on the control unit. With both Eight Sleep™ and BedJet®, the system requires the use of a wireless remote or Bluetooth app to change temperatures.

Sleep Systems Temperature Adjustments

Do you sleep hot or cold? Do you need to quickly adjust your temperature?

Temperature Range:

  • sleepme: 55 - 115ºF
  • Eight Sleep Pod Pro: 55 - 110ºF
  • BedJet 3: 66 - 104ºF

Temperature Range

  • Chilipad Cube

    55 - 115ºF
  • Eight Sleep Pod Pro

    55 - 110ºF
  • BedJet 3

    66 - 104ºF

White Noise Control

Unlike the Eight Sleep™ Pod Pro and BedJet®, our sleep system comes with three white noise settings for personalized noise control. Choose from silent, regular, or boost mode, depending on how much noise you like to sleep with.

Read More: How White Noise May Help You Sleep

Key Takeaways

Like most products, finding the best temperature-regulating sleep solution will depend on your personal circumstances and needs. Hopefully, this quick rundown of the sleepme systems’ advantages will help you make a sound decision.

If you’re cost-conscious, don’t want to part with your existing bed, want an effective heating and cooling mattress pad that works quickly, and don’t mind a few extra bells and whistles on your control unit, we think a sleepme system will get the job done (and well).

In the end, what matters most to us is that you’re aware of how these are game-changing products for your overall health. By taking the leap into the latest sleep technology, you can ensure that you and your partner wake up each morning ready to seize the day after a truly refreshing night’s sleep.

Citations

[1] Liu Y, Wheaton AG, Chapman DP, Cunningham TJ, Lu H, Croft JB. Prevalence of Healthy Sleep Duration among Adults — United States, 2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:137–141. DOI: View Study

[2] Okamoto-Mizuno, K., & Mizuno, K. (2012). Effects of thermal environment on sleep and circadian rhythm. Journal of physiological anthropology, 31(1), 14. View Study

Sign up for our newsletter

SHARE