The Best Bed Cooling Systems: Eight Sleep vs. Chilipad, BedFan

Temperature is one of the most overlooked sleep quality factors. A hot bed can lead to night sweats and other sleep disruptions, and while adjusting your thermostat can help, it’s often not enough to solve the problem, because traditional mattresses and bedding trap heat. That’s where bed cooling systems come into play.

I consider sleep one of the key pillars of overall health, so over the years, I’ve taken steps to create an optimal sleep environment for my wife and I — including testing numerous temperature regulation solutions. This article will give you an overview of my experience, including a breakdown of which ones work best and which fall short.

I’ll also explain the science behind why temperature affects sleep, and what to look for when choosing a bed cooling system. 

If you’re just looking for recommendations, these are my picks for various use cases (click to jump to my review of each):

• Best overall: Eight Sleep Pod 4. Offers the best performance, automated temperature control, and sleep tracking.
• Best low-EMF option: Chilipad Dock Pro. Good cooling performance with a low-noise setting.
• Best budget-friendly option: Chilipad Cube. More affordable than the Dock Pro, but lacks advanced features.
• Best for minimalists: Bed fans. Minimal setup and maintenance is required, but they only provide mild relief and can have side effects (like drying out your skin).

And here’s a quick overview of their various attributes (these links go to each product’s website):

Why Bed Temperature Affects Rest and Recovery

If you’re too hot or cold, or sleep in an environment that inhibits your body from adjusting its core temperature, your sleep will suffer and you’ll wake up less rested.

Your body follows a natural temperature cycle throughout the day, peaking in the afternoon and cooling down at night. This cooling process — triggered by melatonin release — is essential for deep, restorative sleep.

But here’s the problem: If your body can’t cool down enough, your sleep suffers. Overheating leads to fragmented deep sleep, poor recovery, and even lower testosterone levels.

During non-REM (NREM) sleep, which includes both phases of light and deep sleep, your body maintains the ability to regulate temperature (e.g., through sweating). In other words, if your sleep environment is slightly too warm, you might still be OK. However, if you pass that threshold (which is different for everyone), the heat stress will make it harder to fall asleep and lead to disrupted or fragmented deep sleep cycles. As a result, you’ll wake up less (physically) recovered, negatively impacting the production of certain hormones, including testosterone.

REM sleep (which occurs predominantly during the second half of the night) is even more sensitive to less-than-ideal temperatures under the covers because thermoregulation mechanisms are suppressed during that sleep phase. In other words, your body can’t respond with sweating or shivering to maintain an optimal core temperature.

That means if your sleep environment is too hot or cold during the second half of the night, you’ll likely wake up frequently, which can impair cognitive recovery and cause grogginess the next day. 

That’s a major problem, because sleep is the foundation for optimal health. 

During sleep, your body repairs and recovers from the day’s stressors. If you don’t sleep well, it doesn’t matter how well you eat or how much you exercise. 

Almost everything we do after we wake up is catabolic. For example, we don’t build muscles in the gym; instead, we break them down; it’s through recovery that we actually get stronger. A similar concept applies to the brain. While we form and strengthen neural connections throughout the day as we learn and adapt to our environment, sleep is critical for consolidating and refining those connections. 

Plus, during deep and REM sleep, the brain prunes weaker or unnecessary synaptic links. And it fortifies the connections essential for memory, learning and overall cognitive function.

While several factors can negatively impact sleep quality (e.g., alcohol, caffeine and blue light), the temperature under the covers is often overlooked. So, if you’re having trouble sleeping well despite doing “everything” right, continue reading.

Are Bed Cooling Systems Worth It?

I’m not a fan of using gadgets or technology to solve problems that can be addressed by making the appropriate lifestyle choices. For example, instead of supplementing with high-dose melatonin every night to fall asleep, I’d expose myself to natural sunlight during the day, avoid stimulants and blue light before bedtime, and maintain a consistent sleep schedule.

But if you’ve optimized your lifestyle and are still waking up hot, a mattress cooling system can make a huge difference — especially if you’re dealing with any of the following:

• Night sweats.
• Hormonal changes (like menopause).
• Naturally high body temperature.
• Sleep disturbances from a partner who sleeps hot or cold.

The problem is that most people live in well-insulated and often airtight homes with central HVAC units that regulate the temperature throughout the house or floor. Combine several layers of air and heat-trapping bedding material — such as sheets, comforters, duvets and mattresses — these environments are less than ideal for optimal temperature control and sleep.

From that perspective, bed cooling systems provide a minimally invasive way to help the body better regulate its temperature throughout the night.

Of course, advanced bed cooling systems like the one from Eight Sleep can be a significant investment, costing thousands of dollars. So to judge whether you could benefit from one, you need to honestly assess the quality of your sleep and lifestyle choices that may influence it.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m convinced everyone can benefit from a bed cooling system. But if you maintain an irregular sleep schedule, consume coffee or alcohol before bedtime, or scroll on your phone in bed while trying to fall asleep, there are likely lower-hanging fruits you can address before spending thousands on a bed cooling system.

However, if you’ve already adopted the appropriate lifestyle choices to support your sleep and are still having issues with falling asleep, waking up several times a night, feeling too hot or too cold or waking up groggy every morning, there is a good chance that the temperature under your sheets negatively impacts the quality of your sleep. I’ve also heard from women dealing with the hormonal side effects of menopause (e.g., hot flashes and night sweats) who have found relief in a bed cooling system.

Depending on how attuned you are to your body, you may be able to tell whether or not you sleep well most nights. But if you’re unsure, you might consider investing in a sleep tracker to get a better understanding of how much time you spend in the various stages of sleep. Check out my article covering the best sleep trackers I’ve tested for recommendations.

What to Look For

Like the options I cover in this article, bed cooling systems come in various shapes and forms. 

My goal with the following sections is to help you understand the crucial differences between the most popular sleep systems so that you can make an informed decision and get the best product for your budget.

Cooling Method

My favorite method of influencing the temperature under the sheets is water-based cooling. It’s an active cooling method that can drastically reduce the surface temperature of your mattress or, if you prefer, increase it.

We’re talking about a temperature range of about 55-115 degrees Fahrenheit with water cooling systems.

On the other hand, air-based or fan-based cooling systems, such as BedJet, blow air under the sheets to push hot air away from your body. 

Both systems provide relief to varying degrees. But if you’re a hot sleeper, water-based cooling is usually much more effective. 

Imagine sitting in an office without air conditioning on a hot and humid summer day. While a fan can certainly make the ambient temperature more bearable, it can’t replace an air conditioning unit that actively cools the air.

Of course, that comparison is not 100% fair because neither of these bed cooling technologies changes the humidity of your bedroom, and humidity is a factor that directly influences how you perceive temperature. However, there is still a significant difference in comfort between water-based and fan-based cooling systems.

Plus, some people (including my wife) don’t like the sensation of air blowing right on their skin, which is unavoidable with the BedJet and other bed fans.

Last but not least, there are also cooling gels that you can place on top of your mattress. I haven’t tested them, but research suggests they’re not as effective as the solutions covered in this article, so I omitted them.

Temperature Control and Range

Water-based cooling systems usually offer a fairly broad temperature range. This means you have direct control over how cool or warm your mattress’s surface is at night.

It’s worth noting that the two water-based bed cooling systems mentioned below take different approaches to temperature control. With Eight Sleep, you can change the temperature on a scale from -10 to +10, whereas the Chilipad system allows you to set a temperature directly (in Celsius or Fahrenheit). 

Additionally, some of the more advanced cooling solutions, such as Eight Sleep, can automatically adjust the mattress surface temperature for the various stages of sleep, based on your body’s natural changes in core temperature.

They can also consider the room temperature and other factors that may be influencing how warm or cold you feel.

Noise Level

Water-based cooling solutions usually have a motor that pumps water through small tubes in a mattress cover or mattress pad. As a result, you might hear the pump and the sound of water rushing through the tubes.

Bed fans, like ceiling fans, have a motor that turns the blades, which you might hear in addition to the sound the air makes as it passes under your sheets.

I consider the noise from both technologies to be white noise, which studies have shown can improve sleep because it masks environmental noises. (Some people believe that white noise mimics the sounds babies hear while in the womb.)

My wife and I, as well as our kids, use white noise almost every night to improve our sleep and mask environmental noises. As a result, I personally don’t consider the noise of either technology to be disturbing. 

Maintenance and Setup

All of the bed cooling solutions presented below are relatively easy to set up and maintain, but some require ongoing maintenance, such as cleaning or refilling the water tank every couple of weeks (or every couple of months, in the case of Eight Sleep).

All the products that I cover in this article take up some amount of floor space and require a power outlet at the foot of (or beside) your bed. Additionally, a water-based cooling solution requires sufficient clearance around it so that air can circulate freely.

To prevent mold from growing on the inside of the water tubes or the pump, you might have to periodically run a cleaning program or use an antiseptic additive (such as hydrogen peroxide) when refilling the water tank.

Bed Compatibility and Pricing

One of the most important considerations when choosing a new cooling system for your bedroom is whether or not you want to keep your old mattress. That’s because you can choose between complete sets that include a mattress or an add-on mattress pad that allows you to retrofit your existing mattress.

For example, Eight Sleep offers both a complete system (including a comfortable memory foam mattress) and a topper only. Chilipad offers only toppers (without a mattress), and BedFan is just what the name implies — a fan.

As a result, the comparison table below shows vastly different price points, making direct comparison challenging.

Sleep Technology

In addition to the main components (mattress, topper, control unit), some of the products covered in this review include sleep and biometric tracking technology, which contributes to a higher price tag.

For example, Eight Sleep features advanced sleep tracking, the ability to adjust the temperature automatically, vibration-based smart alarms, sleep fitness scores and much more. Other solutions, including the ones from Sleepme, offer only basic features (such as manual temperature changes), while bed fans offer nothing of the sort.

Consequently, you have to decide how much technology you want and need, as well as how much you’re willing to pay for it.

What I will say is that Improving sleep quality is easier when you can measure it. Knowing how long it takes me to fall asleep and how much time I spend in the various stages of sleep (light, deep, and REM) allows me to take targeted actions and then measure their effectiveness. That’s why I’m a huge fan of sleep tracking.

Additionally, I appreciate that the technology I use monitors my heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate and more so that I can better judge how my body is doing and how well it’s recovered from daily stressors.

You can learn more about that in my reviews of the Eight Pod 4 Ultra and the WHOOP strap.

The good news is that if you’re already using a reliable fitness tracker — such as Ultrahuman Ring, Oura Ring or WHOOP — you might not need that technology as part of your sleep system. I currently track my sleep and biometrics using Eight Sleep and Ultrahuman Ring to see how they compare each night.

Mattress Coverage

Depending on the size of your bed and whether you sleep with a partner, you might need a solution that covers the entire mattress and allows you to use separate temperature settings for each side. On the other hand, if you’re single, you might only need to cover half of the mattress.

Some of the solutions mentioned in this article cover the entire mattress, whereas others can be used only for individual sides of the bed. 

Note: Air quality plays a vital role in sleep, in addition to temperature. We recently installed the HypoAir Bi-Polar whole-house air purifier and have definitely noticed a difference. Check out my HypoAir review to learn more about why indoor air can cause a range of problems.

Water-Based Systems

The most effective bed cooling solutions circulate water through silicone tubes hidden inside a mattress cover. Water-based cooling is relatively quiet and incredibly effective at maintaining a consistent mattress surface temperature, preventing the body from getting too cold or hot during sleep.

Some of the more advanced solutions, like the Eight Sleep Pod 4 and the Chilisleep DockPro, even support different temperature settings for the various stages of sleep to better mimic how your core temperature changes throughout the night. 

Eight Sleep

The Eight Sleep Pod 4 is the most technologically advanced bed cooling system on the market. We’ve been using It for over four years and have noticed a dramatic improvement in sleep quality. Importantly, you don’t have to buy Eight Sleep’s memory foam mattress to use the system; you can purchase just the bed cooling technology and attach it to your existing mattress.

As I noted in my dedicated Eight Sleep review, the features I like best about the Pod 4 are its incredible cooling (or heating) performance, its incredibly quiet operation (you can barely hear it), the low maintenance (I refill the water tank every couple of months), and the integrated sleep and biometric tracking capabilities. The latter provides insights allowing us to correlate lifestyle choices (e.g., late meals or alcohol consumption) with changes in sleep quality.

I also like Eight Sleep’s Autopilot feature, which automatically adjusts the temperature set for each of the sleep phases based on environmental factors (e.g., the ambient temperature) and changes in biometrics. We get a few minutes more deep or REM sleep each night thanks to Autopilot, which helps us feel more rested and perform better during the day.

You can also control each side of Eight Sleep’s mattress cover individually. In other words, you don’t have to share the same temperature settings with your partner. 

While Eight Sleep comes with a mobile app for changing the temperature or analyzing sleep metrics, you can also use the integrated tap sensor to quickly adjust the mattress temperature or snooze the vibration alarm even if your phone isn’t nearby.

However, I absolutely hate Eight Sleep’s reliance on an active Wi-Fi and Internet connection, which contributes to unnecessary EMF exposure. In other words, you can’t turn off your Wi-Fi router or internet modem overnight without also disabling Eight Sleep. Since EMF exposure poses potential health risks, we’re considering other options — even though the system has objectively improved our sleep. 

Eight Sleep offers different versions, including the previous-generation Pod 3 and the latest-generation Pod 4. Depending on which version you choose and what size mattress you have, the entire system costs between $2,195 and $4,899. 

Shop With My Eight Sleep Promo Code

If you’d like to try Eight Sleep, use the link above to save $100 on the purchase price of the complete Pod 4 system (or $200 off the Pod 4 Ultra). The discount code should be auto-applied when you click the link, but you can also enter coupon code KUMMER at checkout.

Chilipad Cube

I purchased the original Sleepme Chilipad (now called the Chilipad Cube) in November of 2020, so that I could compare it side-by-side with the Eight Sleep Pod Pro I got around the same time.

The Chilipad Cube is a relatively inexpensive system consisting of a chiller (the Cube) connected via silicone tubes with a flat mattress pad that attaches to your bed using elastic straps. The Chilipad Cube works only for one person and you can only set one temperature setting. To change the temperature, you can use the buttons on the Cube or via the included remote control. 

I consider the Chilipad Cube a reasonable choice for very hot or very cold sleepers. For example, if you frequently wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat (maybe because of hormonal issues or because you don’t have AC), the Chilipad Cube can offer quick relief for a reasonable price point. 

The downsides of the system are that it works for one person only (if you want to cover both sides of the bed, you have to purchase two separate units), it doesn’t support various temperature settings for the different stages of sleep, and its fan is relatively loud. Additionally, the Chilipad Cube doesn’t support sleep or biometrics tracking.

After a few weeks of testing, we decided to sell our Chilipad Cube to a friend who is a very hot sleeper. He loved the Cube but had to get it replaced twice due to water leaking from the tube connection on the back of the unit. 

The Cube starts at $649 for the “half queen” version that covers half of a queen-size mattress. For $100 more, you can get the “half king” or “half Cal king” version. Depending on the size, you will need to spend between $1,249 and $1,499 to cover the entire surface of your mattress. That pricing makes it among the most affordable water-based cooling systems on the market.

Shop Chilipad Cube

If you want to give the Chilipad Cube a try, make sure to use the link above and get 15% off your purchase.

Chilipad Dock Pro

Sleepme launched the Dock Pro in 2022, and I wanted to compare their new bed cooling system to Eight Sleep. So, I decided to purchase two systems for the queen bed in our guest bedroom. 

The Dock Pro is a more advanced version of the Chilipad Cube. It offers various temperature settings for the different sleep stages, WiFi connectivity (with airplane mode available) and a mobile app for controlling the system. 

What I like about the Dock Pro is its cooling performance and the ability to switch the system into airplane mode to reduce EMF exposure. I also appreciate the ability to configure individual temperature settings for the various sleep stages, similar to what Eight Sleep offers.

Unfortunately, the Dock Pro’s airplane mode feature was more trouble than I anticipated. Specifically, after turning off airplane mode, the system would regularly remain disconnected from Wi-Fi and require a complete power cycle to reconnect. 

Additionally, the unit’s temperature-changing button (which can be used while the system is in airplane mode and disconnected from the mobile app) doesn’t offer any tactile feedback. In other words, you don’t need to press the button to change the temperature — merely touching it changes the temperature. What’s worse, the temperature keeps going up or down (depending on what button you touch) for as long as you remain in contact with it. 

That’s a nightmare if you want to change the temperature in the dark by running your fingers along the control unit. As soon as your finger comes in contact with the button (even without pushing down or pressing it), the temperature starts changing uncontrollably. Plus, if you accidentally touch the wrong button, you disable airplane mode without noticing. 

The bottom line is you don’t want to touch the Dock Pro without clearly seeing what buttons you’re pressing.

The second issue with the Dock Pro is its undersized water tank, which requires refilling every one to two weeks. Considering that you have to use distilled or RO water (instead of plain tap water), that becomes a major pain in the butt. 

It’s also worth mentioning that the Dock Pro is louder than Eight Sleep. I don’t consider that an issue because we sleep with white noise anyway and don’t notice it. But if you’re used to sleeping in absolute silence, the Dock Pro’s noise might bother you.

The reason why I decided to include the Dock Pro in this roundup is because we’re seriously considering switching to it (from Eight Sleep) when we move to our new homestead next year. 

At the end of the day, I’d rather avoid touching the Dock Pro at night and keeping a gallon of distilled water in our bedroom (to refill the tank) in exchange for being able to turn off our WiFi router at night – something Eight Sleep doesn’t support.

I’m also OK with losing the sleep and biometric tracking capabilities, which I get from the Ultrahuman ring I wear.

Shop Chilipad Dock Pro

If you want to try the Dock Pro, use the link above to get 15% off your purchase.

Bed Fans

I stumbled across the original BedFan a few years ago and wanted to try it. At the time, it was the only bed cooling solution I knew of, and the idea of having a fan blow air under my sheets sounded exciting. Unfortunately, I never got around to trying it. So, everything I say below is based on second-hand experience and what I’ve read about the product. 

Technologically, bed fans are comparable to ceiling fans in that they move air. While doing so doesn’t change the temperature of the air, it can make you feel cooler because moving air can reduce the amount of body heat that gets trapped underneath the sheets. 

If you’re wondering how effective that is, consider the difference between air conditioning and a ceiling fan. Both can provide relief, but AC is significantly more effective because it actually changes the temperature of the air (while also removing moisture).

Cooling mattress toppers like Eight Sleep and Chilipad don’t influence humidity, but they do actively cool the mattress’s surface, thus providing better and more sustained relief for hot sleepers.

Bed fans are easy to set up, and they’re compatible with almost any type of bed and mattress. There’s also not much maintenance involved with them, and if you run them at lower speeds, they’ll last for a long time and won’t make a lot of noise.

The downside to bed fans is that you can feel the air blowing on your skin. Some people enjoy that sensation, while others don’t. For example, my wife doesn’t want me to turn up the ceiling fan too high because she doesn’t like air blowing on her face. So, I doubt she’d like to sleep with a bed fan blowing air all over her body. 

It’s also worth noting that the moving air can dry out your skin, which isn’t ideal from a skin health perspective.

The clear advantage of bed fans is their price compared to more advanced mattress cooling solutions. For example, the bFan costs only $194.95, which is significantly less than any hydro-powered solution I’ve seen.

Passive Cooling Systems

Passive cooling systems are technologies and materials that help regulate body temperature without requiring electricity or active cooling mechanisms like fans, air conditioning or the systems mentioned above. 

If implemented correctly, these systems can enhance comfort and sleep quality by dissipating heat, improving airflow, and reducing moisture buildup. 

The problem is that you’ll have to approach passive bed cooling from a holistic perspective that includes your bedroom, bed frame, foundation, mattress, pillows and every layer of bedding, because each one can trap heat and moisture, thus negatively impacting the quality of your sleep. 

In other words, it doesn’t help if you use the most breathable and moisture-wicking sheets if you’re sandwiched between a mattress and duvet or blanket that traps the heat or moisture the sheets are trying to move away from your body.

The bottom line is that you can successfully leverage passive cooling systems, but this requires mimicking the cold but moss-padded cave floor on which early humans and our ancestors slept. That’s not particularly practical. 

As such, I recommend combining active cooling with elements of passive cooling systems. For example, we leverage breathable bedding materials (linen, bamboo or cotton percale) and carbon-infused pillows to help dissipate heat and wick away moisture. 

Several synthetic materials, including Tencel and Outlast, have heat-dissipating properties. NASA developed the latter to help astronauts regulate their body temperature by absorbing and releasing excess heat. However, I’m not a fan of synthetic performance materials because most include chemicals such as PFAS, microplastics or xenoestrogens that are detrimental to long-term health.

Final Thoughts

Sleep is the foundation of your health, and temperature regulation is often the missing piece. If you’re struggling with night sweats or overheating, a bed cooling system could be the best investment you can make in your sleep quality.

There are many different bed cooling solutions available, ranging from high-end water-based systems like the Eight Sleep Pod 4 and Chilipad Dock Pro to simpler, budget-friendly options like bed fans and passive cooling materials. 

Water-based cooling systems typically deliver the best temperature control, often featuring sleep tracking and automatic adjustments, but they come with a higher price tag and require some maintenance. 

On the other hand, bed fans and passive cooling materials offer a more affordable, low-maintenance alternative, though they may not be as effective at maintaining consistent cooling throughout the night.

Ultimately, choosing the best bed cooling system depends on your personal sleep needs, budget, and lifestyle habits. If you’ve optimized other sleep factors — like limiting screen time before bed, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, and controlling light exposure — but still struggle with temperature-related sleep disturbances, investing in a bed cooling system could be a game-changer.

Now, I’d love to hear from you! Have you tried any of these bed cooling solutions, or do you have other strategies for keeping cool at night? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

Michael Kummer

Michael Kummer is a healthy living enthusiast and CrossFit athlete whose goal is to help people achieve optimal health by bridging the gap between ancestral living and the demands of modern society.