An increasingly popular cooling mechanism in mattresses is phase change material (PCM), a substance that absorbs and releases heat to regulate your body temperature. Hot flushes and night sweats are two of the biggest disruptors of sleep. In fact, research shows 43% of Americans report occasionally feeling too hot when sleeping and 14% say they're too hot most of the time.
We've slept on some seriously comfortable beds while pulling together our best mattress of the year guide. But no matter how cushioning or supportive a mattress is, if it doesn't have specialized cooling technology, its no good for hot sleepers. Which is why the cooling mattress market is expanding and brands are using more scientific methods and materials like PCM to bring people cooler, more comfortable sleep.
If you're in the market for a cooling solution in this year's President's Day mattress sales, here's what you need to know about PCM and how it can help you keep cool through the night.
What is phase change material?
Phase change material (PCM) is a substance that can adsorb and release heat as it changes state from a solid to a liquid state. When used in a mattress, the material is usually found in the top layers, either blended directly into the comfort foam or sewn into the fabric of the mattress cover to make sure it is in close contact with the body for the best temperature regulation.
It absorbs excess body heat when you get warm during the night, holds it, and then releases back to your body when you cool down. PCM has many versatile uses. Alongside mattresses, it is used in sweat-proof clothing, energy-efficient buildings and medical supplies.
Cooling mattresses with PCM
Many of this year's best cooling mattresses use PCM as part of their cooling mechanisms to help deliver a more comfortable sleep experience. Below are the top-performing mattresses utilizing PCM:
- Bear Elite Hybrid mattress
- Cocoon by Sealy Chill mattress
- Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe mattress
- GhostBed Luxe mattress
- Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Breeze mattress
How does PCM keep you cool?
When your body temperature rises during the night, the PCM in the mattress absorbs heat, drawing it away from your body as it changes from a solid to a liquid state. When your body cools down, the PCM releases this stored heat, solidifying again. Mattresses with PCM essentially act like a heat reservoir to maintain a consistent ideal sleep temperature.
While this sounds a lot to be going on in your bed while you sleep, you won't feel the material changing state. You simply sleep peacefully while your mattress does the work of regulating your body temperature, preventing you from getting too hot or too cold through the night.
Our core body temperature drops at night, which is a key signal to our bodies to fall asleep and stay asleep. If our temperature rises, we're more likely to wake up. This is why PCM can help you sleep through the night.
PCM alternatives in cooling mattresses
1. Celliant
While PCM changes state, Celliant is a synthetic fiber that converts body heat into infrared energy. This energy is then reflected back into the body to improve thermoregulation and, in turn, aid restful sleep and promote wellbeing.
Celliant also increases blood circulation and oxygen supply to cells, which enhances muscle recovery. Plus, it wicks away moisture and dries fabrics quickly, which equals a more comfortable sleep for hot sleepers. Our no #1 cooling mattress of the year, the Bear Elite Hybrid, is known for its use of Celliant in the optional mattress cover.
2. Smart cooling tech
With temperature being one of the most common sleep woes, when sleep tech brands started building smart beds, temperature control was unsurprisingly one of their main concerns and along came water and air based smart cooling systems.
Now, many of the best smart beds offer dual climate control and active temperature regulation, including the Eight Sleep Pods, Tempur-Pedic Tempur-ActiveBreeze, the Sleep Number ClimateCool and Bryte Balance smart bed. These smart mattresses and mattress covers are laced with sensors that track your body temperature through the night and adjust accordingly.
3. Copper-infused foam
Unlike breathable hybrid mattress models, memory foam mattresses typically hold on to heat, creating a stuffy sleep environment for hot sleepers. But these sleepers may still crave the hugging cloud-like comfort and pressure relief offered by all-foam mattresses. Therefore, the brands behind the best memory foam mattresses have found science-backed cooling solutions.
One of which is infusing foam with elements that have high thermal conductivity, like copper. When copper particles are embedded in mattresses, they can act as a conduit to draw heat away from your body. The Nectar Premier Copper is the leading mattress using this cooling method.
How much do mattresses with PCM cost?
Just because a mattress features clever materials like PCM, it does not mean that it will be extortionate. There are plenty of budget cooling mattresses with PCM, alongside more luxury options.
Our best budget cooling mattress, the Cocoon by Sealy Chill, features memory foam made with phase change material, providing a strong balance of heat dissipation and contouring. This mattress is almost always discounted in Cocoon by Sealy mattress sales. It is now 35% off, bringing a queen to a bargain $699 (was $1,079) and you get a free sleep bundle too.
If you're looking for more luxury, at the other end of the budget spectrum there's the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Breeze. This plush mattress features the brand's specialist NASA-developed Tempur-Material which uses PCM to absorb excessive heat and promote airflow. But this innovation comes at a cost. A queen size will set you back $4,599 at MSRP where it currently sits.
In the middle sits the Bear Elite Hybrid, the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe and the GhostBed Luxe costing $1,614, $1,398.75 and $1,498 respectively for a queen size in this month's mattress sales.
