Finding true comfort as we drift off to sleep is not always the easiest of tasks. Sometimes we can’t find the right sleeping position, the right temperature, or simply the mattress isn’t quite as comfortable as it once was. These are some of the most critical factors in finding comfort and getting the better, more restorative rest we need for a productive day. When finding that the mattress does not deliver the same kind of comfort we need, there are a few options one has: to buy a new mattress or to adapt their current mattress to meet certain sleeping needs. Replacing the mattress is no small expense, as some mattresses can be highly costly and still might not provide the comfort we’re seeking. Many sleepers who opt for the memory foam mattresses find that they trap body heat and make sleeping all the more difficult for those who tend to sleep hot.

As such, hot sleepers may even invest more in mattresses infused with cooling technologies. These are advertised as being effective mechanisms for keeping sleepers from waking up hot at night, yet many have found the cooling gels in these mattresses to gradually warm up as they do, providing only temporary cooling to these hot sleepers. A popular alternative sleepers have turned to rather than purchasing a new mattress are temperature-controlled mattress pads. The addition of these temperature-controlled mattress pads is said to provide the ideal temperature for sleeping, but are they truly effective in providing lasting comfort?

There are a wide variety of mattress toppers designed to control your bed’s climate—each making use of a different kind of heating or cooling technology. Some of the most popular mattress pads on the market make use of cooling gel, Outlast, or water technology to provide sleepers with the sleeping environment that they desire. Let’s take a look at each one of these technologies to see how they perform to try and help sleepers to achieve a better night’s sleep.

Cool Gel Technologies:
A number of temperature-regulating mattress toppers include cool gel technology. This layer has been added to memory foam mattresses as a way to combat memory foam’s notorious heat-trapping properties. These specially designed layers are intended to separate the body from the memory foam itself, thus keeping body heat from being trapped in the actual mattress. However, gel is somewhere between a solid and a liquid, and many understand that liquids are effective at cooling as they can draw heat away from the body. The true cooling actually takes place when the water is able to evaporate. For example, when we run hot, our body produces sweat that, when it evaporates on our skin, cools us down. In the case of gel’s semi-liquid form, it can effectively draw heat away from the body and into the gel layer, but it’s semi-solid nature does not allow for it to evaporate. As such, the gel layer is simply taking in heat, but is unable to release it. Liquids that cannot evaporate will then retain the same temperature as the source of heat it draws from, making the gel layer just as warm as the person in the bed. With many who then shuffle to find the colder spots in the bed, the temperature within the bed only increases and is further trapped by the memory foam in the mattress itself.

Outlast Technology:
Outlast technology that has been implemented into several temperature controlled mattress layers as it is intended to draw heat away from the source. This technology is not intended to keep hot sleepers dry if they are prone to suffering from night sweats, but rather is interned to act as a preventative measure for night sweats. However, because Outlast technology can only absorb heat to keep the sleeper cooler and cannot release it, there tends to be only an initial feeling of cool relief for sleepers. As the night progresses, the pad absorbs more and more body heat and becomes somewhat temperature neutral or even warm in the case of hot sleepers. Hot sleepers would then have to move to another part of the bed to experience the same initial cooling, though this can be problematic when running out of “cold spots.” These mattress pads can also be quite heavy and thick at times, meaning they ultimately end up trapping more heat inside of them.

Water-Infused Mattress Pads
These particular mattress pads are comprised of a series of tubes that run water throughout the mattress pad itself. The base unit is responsible for taking in ambient air and either heating or cooling the water flowing through the mattress based on sleeper preferences. These particular units require more installation and maintenance effort on the part of the sleeper, as the unit must be filled with water in order to operate. It is also recommended that distilled water be used to prevent the build up of bacteria in the mattress pad. Additionally, these pads take much longer to deliver their heating/cooling effect when the user is in the bed itself. Some can take up to 45 minutes to cool the bed before even getting into it, which can make temperature adjustments during the night more difficult. Furthermore, it is recommended that users invest in a waterproof mattress or a waterproof mattress pad in order to protect their bed from any potential leakage. If any of the tubes were to be damaged, a hot sleeper could wake up even more wet than they would from night sweats! Learn more about how BedJet stacks up against water-based competitors: BedJet vs. Similar Products.

The BedJet
Perhaps the best way to cool the bed has nothing to do with the mattress itself, but has to do with the temperature within the bed. One of the main reasons that sleepers find themselves hot and stuffy in bed is because of trapped hot air and moisture (our engineers have measured up to a 20% humidity rise trapped under the sheets!). To combat this, BedJet uses a forced air system to deliver heating or cooling air directly into the bed, creating the sleeper’s ideal sleeping environment within the bed itself. The BedJet installs toward the foot of the bed, and the nozzle is placed in between the fitted and top sheets, which allows temperature controlled air to blow over the sleeper and create the ideal sleeping environment based on a sleeper’s preferences.

The BedJet convective air circulation quickly gets body heat and body moisture out of your bed. This method has turned out to be the most effective of staying cool in bed with bedrooms under 78°F. The cooling is felt nearly instantly in bed. Typical BedJet owners find they can raise their AC thermostat by anywhere from 2–4 degrees and still stay just as comfortable, which saves money on home cooling costs.

With BedJet, there is no concern of overpaying for technology that won’t keep you cool at night. By eliminating excess heat and moisture from the bed, the air is no longer trapped under the sheets of by the mattress and creates a cool, dry environment to sleep. Further, for those who sleep on the colder side, BedJet can heat the bed up to a toasty 104°F in just seconds in its Turbo Heat mode while still wicking away moisture. BedJet offers low maintenance, high performance climate control for your bed to help sleepers with a wide variety of temperature preferences get the sleep they deserve.

Got questions about BedJet? We’re happy to help. Call us at (401) 404–5250 to speak to a real human being or email us at info@bedjet.com. Sign up for our VIP list and follow us elsewhere on the web to get the latest BedJet deals, promos and news!