Summer is fast approaching, which often heralds the return of long, restless nights for hot sleepers.
If you're looking to sweat-proof your sleep set up, you may be tossing between a specialized cooling mattress and smart bed with digital climate control.
You'll be glad to hear I've done the digging (or rather, the sleeping), on both these bed types to help you decide which is the right choice for you (yes, sleeping for a living is hard work.)
The best mattress for you will depend on the extent of your nighttime hot flushes, your budget and your other sleep needs. For example, are you interested in tracking your sleep? Or, are you looking for a supportive mattress that'll ease back pain too?
Before you go full wallet ahead in the Memorial Day mattress sales, here's what I want you to know about swapping a smart bed for a cooling mattress...
The smart mattress I was sleeping on
Until recently, I was sleeping on the Eight Sleep Pod 4 mattress cover to test how smart technology could elevate my sleep.
The Pod 4 is the middle model in Eight Sleep's three-piece suite. At MSRP, it sets queen-size shoppers back $2,649. For this you get a mattress cover lined with sleep tracking sensors and water tubes, and a bedside hub that controls the water-based thermoregulation system.
There are many reasons why I rate the Pod 4 as the best smart bed of the year. On this bed, I was sleeping better than I ever have before, achieving sleep scores of 100 and sticking to a consistent sleep routine (which, admittedly, I'd expect for the small fortune it costs).
In short, this smart bed did wonders for my sleep quality and I was worried about how swapping it out for a non-digital cooling mattress would impact my rest.
The cooling mattress I swapped it for
Out with the tech; in with the copper. The cooling mattress in question is the Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Pro Hybrid mattress — the new budget model in Brooklyn Bedding's mattress catalogue, designed to bring sleepers a taste of luxury at an affordable price point ($999 for a queen in Brooklyn Bedding's evergreen sale.)
This 14" mattress is complete with a contouring, honeycomb-stitch cover, supportive coils and cushioning memory foam infused with copper. What business does a metal have in a mattress? Being a high thermal conductor, copper ribbons in mattress foams are said to improve temperature control by drawing heat away from sleeping bodies — clever, huh?
From unboxing to snoozing on this mattress, I have not been disappointed. It keeps me cool all night long and is ten times more comfortable than the budget spring mattresses I've slept on previously. But how does a cooling mattress compare to a smart bed? Let's dive in...
The pros of a smart bed over a cooling mattress
Temperature control I can rely on
Hot summers and flushes stand no chance against Eight Sleep's climate control technology. With an Eight Sleep pod I can manually adjust the temperature of my bed between 13 °C and 44 °C via an app.
This means I can turn down the temperature when I'm feeling particularly flustered, making the mattress surface cool to touch and rank it up when I'm feeling shivery, making the bed feel like a warm hug.
Hot-sleeper-cold-sleeper couples need not worry either as these temperature adjustments are made independently on each side of the bed.
Other temperature-focussed smart beds like the Sleep Number Climate360 and Tempur-Pedic Tempur-ActiveBreeze sport similar, sophisticated climate control systems.
Sophisticated sleep tracking technology
Sleep reports and sleep coaching tips without any wearables? Yes please.
One of the things I loved about the Eight Sleep Pod was the fact I could measure how well I was sleeping and keep myself accountable when it came to maintaining a consistent sleep schedule without having to wear a wrist-worn tracker to bed (I often find these irritating to sleep in).
With sensors in touch with the whole body, smart bed also prove to be more reliable than wearable sleep trackers that connect with just one body part.
Fluctuating temperatures help cement my circadian rhythm
Eight Sleep's Autopilot system is in tune with our natural circadian rhythm. As humans, our body temperature drops as we prepare to sleep and warms up when it is time to wake up. Therefore, the Pod is programmed to cool down around a pre-set bedtime and warm up at your desired wake time.
It also collects biological data (age, sex) and biometric stats (heart rate, respiration rate, body temperature), along with environmental data like ambient temperature and humidity level, to automatically make micro-adjustments to the temperature of the mattress, keeping you at the best temperature for sleeping all night long.
The pros of a cooling mattress over a smart bed
Good-enough temperature regulation
I’m not a particularly hot sleeper, nor do I hail from a particularly warm climate. Therefore, a non-digital cooling mattress provides enough temperature regulation for my personal needs. And, I've been particularly impressed by the cool-to-touch surface of the Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex.
The best cooling mattresses my team and I have tested this year all employ different kinds of cooling materials, from high thermal conductivity metals to phase change materials, Celliant and open cell structures, to help you regulate your temperature through the night.
Providing you aren't waking up in pools of sweat (potentially due to menopause, anxiety or medication) these mattresses should provide ample cooling relief. They know what they are doing when it comes to wicking away moisture and conducting heat away from your body, after all.
It suits my smaller budget
There are exceptions, especially when you look at the best luxury mattresses on the market, but generally a cooling mattress costs less than a smart mattress laden with technology.
In some instances, smart bed systems require you to buy an actual mattress separately as they tend to be mattress covers or bed bases. Plus, some brands (ahem, Eight Sleep) demand you folk out on a subscription to access all features — not to mention the electricity fees smart beds incur, which can really hike up the cost. Whereas a cooling mattress is a one-and-done purchase without any financial ties.
It suits my clutter free sleep aesthetic
When testing the Eight Sleep pod, I found having to connect my bed to an electrical socket and find room for a bedside control hub a nuisance. Plus, there was a thick pipe running down the back of my bed, which cluttered up my sleep space.
We often recommend decluttering your bedroom for more peaceful sleep. And, layering your bed with wires goes against this sleep hack.
I'm someone who feels irritated and overwhelmed by a messy bedroom. Therefore, I've enjoyed the clutter-free aesthetic of a simple cooling mattress since parting with my smart mattress cover. My small attic bedroom now feels more organized and spacious without a clunky unit at my bedside.
This does mean, however, I've had to forego cutting edge sleep tracking and temperature control at the click of a button.
Smart bed or cooling mattress, which would I recommend?
Considering we spend one third of our lives in bed, there's lots to consider when buying a mattress. After sleeping on both, some questions I recommend you ask yourself when choosing between a smart bed or cooling mattress are:
- Do I want to track and learn more about my sleep?
- Am I sleeping hot or waking up with uncontrollable hot flushes?
- Do I have the cash to splash on a smart bed system, good quality mattress and extra fees?
- Do I have space in my bedroom for smart extensions?
- How do mine and my partner's temperature preferences differ?
If you're getting serious about your sleep health, have severe nighttime hot flushes, or you and your partner want to find a temperature compromise before you reach a sleep divorce, I recommend you invest in a smart bed.
Otherwise, if you're on a tighter budget and want a mattress with plush materials, excellent spinal support and ample pressure relief, a cooling mattress will do the trick.
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