Highest Rated Cooling Beds for Hot Sleeper – Our 2021 Unbiased Guide

Quality sleep is fundamental to our everyday living. It’s estimated that we spend almost a ¹/₃ of our lives sleeping and as such, it affects our overall wellbeing. When we don’t receive sufficient rest, our performance during the day is affected. It also affects mental and body health.

To avoid experiencing the detrimental side effects of not getting enough quality sleep, you could start by investing in quality bedding.

So how do you get to select the right mattress for you?

You do so by acknowledging your sleep preferences and finding a bed that complements those needs. Because we are different, we have varied tastes. In this guide, for example, our focus is on hot sleepers.

There are specific mattresses suitable for every need. There are beds top-rated for back, side or stomach sleepers, athletes or individuals with an active lifestyle. A person with a spinal or back injury will find more comfort in specific bedding.

We have identified and given a review of our top cold and cool mattresses. There’s a guide on which material layers enhance thermoregulation. Also included is a list of bed accessories and fabrics that stay cool.

There’s also the dilemma that most people experience, selecting between quilted and non–quilted covers for staying fresh. We’ve addressed the issue, and you can find it in the guide.

What Type of Layers & Materials Will Keep You Cool?

The types of construction material used in making a mattress play a significant role in its ability to stay cool. Every material behaves differently when exposed to heat. We’ve discussed a couple of materials that do an excellent job of staying at a lower temperature.

Our conclusion is from the reviews we have done on different beds.

Latex

Latex, like spring, does an excellent of staying cold. This is because latex isn’t affected by the temperature in its surrounding. That means as you sleep on latex, you’re guaranteed that it will have the same feel all night long.

However, as you go shopping, you must be keen on the type of latex a mattress uses. Not all latex behaves this way. There are 2 categories, natural and synthetic latex. 100% natural latex is top-rated when it comes to cooling efficiency. Other than its ability to stay unaffected by room temperature, it has pin holes that encourage air flow.

Synthetic latex is also aerated, though not all of them behave that way. In fact, some will behave like foam which tends to sleep warm. So, as you go shopping, be keen on the type of latex used, selecting the ideal one.

If you’ve never slept on latex and are doing it for the first time, ensure that the mattress has a trial period. Not everyone finds its unique feel comfortable.

Get more info here: Top Quality Latex Beds Reviews & Ratings

Spring

Spring is one of the best performing materials. For close to a century, it has been the primary construction material in the majority of mattresses. It’s the oldest material, and the one most people are fond of, although this is quickly changing.

Innerspring type offers excellent spinal and back support. It’s the reason why you’ll find it used in many brands. The other advantage of using spring is that it has sufficient ventilation, perfect for keeping the mattress core cool. The ventilation allows for air flow, enhancing the level of thermoregulation.

Today, you’ll find that many spring beds have a foam layer or encasing. It’s because when combined, they give perfect support and superior comfort. While foam lacks the firm support, it offers enhanced comfort. Spring, on the other hand, lacks comfort but has support. Foam also tends to get hot, but spring counters the effect of letting the mattress stay fresh.

The disadvantage with spring is that it lacks durability, and therefore, over time, as a result of wear and tear, it starts to sag.

Gel

There’s a continued increase in the number of beds entering the market with some infusion. Currently, we have gel, graphite and copper, among others. The rise in the use of gels is because of their ability to enhance the cooling properties of a mattress.

The assumption that the majority of individuals hold is that every gel mattress will stay cold all night long which is in fact not true. Prolonged use increases temperature, and the gel eventually gives in.

Like water, the gel will absorb the heat from your body keeping you dry. However, when it reaches a certain level and can’t hold the temperature anymore, it behaves like foam. That’s how water, too, behaves.

When applied correctly to the mattress, gel will do an excellent job of remaining at a low temperature. From reviewing different brands, we have discovered that although some mattresses have gel, it is the other features included in the design that help you stay cool.

Memory Foam

This is memory foams weakest point. The reviews done on several memory beds have revealed that although they give deep comfort, sufficient support and excellent pressure relief, they tend to get very hot as you sleep.

The use of this viscoelastic material that contours to the body has been on the rise since its introduction to the market in the early 1990s. It’s almost surpassing spring in popularity.

It was first used by NASA because of the viscoelastic nature, slow to respond to pressure both when applied and removed. It makes it perfect for conforming to the body shape and providing pressure relief as it creates even weight distribution.

The problem with the contour effect is that it gives a hug feel. Sleepers will find that feel uncomfortable. The close contact increases the temperature, which also causes sagging.

Thanks to scientific advancements in the industry, a couple of companies have dedicated to enhancing the quality of memory foam that they use such as Puffy. The foam stays fresh as you rest.

Bamboo

Some of the materials we use in bed do more than keep us cool, cozy and supported. Bamboo is one such example. It’s not quite as popular as the other materials but it is among the top-rated ones. Hot sleepers will find it very accommodating.

Over the years, many people have grown familiar with the numerous benefits experienced sleeping on bamboo which include:

• It has sufficient breathability, and there will be air flow.
• Cloud-like comfort feel.
• It doesn’t conduct as much heat compared to foam or the other materials.
• It’s a natural and gentle material, quite soft to the touch.
• Adds durability to the mattress structure. That means that the level of coziness and support it gives will stay the same for a long time.
• Has a hypoallergic property, making it ideal for persons with allergies or respiratory issues.

Cooling Bed Accessories for Hot Sleepers

There are times when the mattress isn’t enough. If that’s your situation, you shouldn’t be worried because there are bed accessories which you can use. They improve the mattress’ cooling ability.

Pillows

The pillow that you use can be a great accessory to help you stay cool, especially if it’s constructed using the right materials. They are described as cooling pillows. Most people tend to ignore the pillow, what they don’t realize is that the best ones will enhance heat regulation.

You’ll find that the majority of sleepers keep on turning their pillow throughout the night because of temperature rises. With a cooling pillow, this won’t be the case, as it conducts the heat away from the body.

We’ve identified latex pillows as the go-to option for most warm sleepers. Natural latex, in particular, has excellent breathability and no heat retention. It’s also quite responsive.

Sleeping hot contributes to acne. Therefore, ensure that the pillow you get will prevent heat buildup. Many reviews recommend latex made pillows as among the top sleeping accessory for warm sleepers.

Bamboo Sheets

As mentioned earlier, there’s an increase in the use of bamboo material in the sleep industry for bedding including bed sheets. Bamboo offers multiple advantages and has attracted a vast following. It provides a unique cloud-like feel that you’ll rarely experience with other materials.

Bamboo sheets are high-end quality products blended with polyester to give a pleasant sleeping experience. The sheets are comparable to the fabric used in making sportswear as they use a similar principle.

It doesn’t conduct heat but instead, helps you stay fresh. The sheets also have a pleasant feel that keeps you cozy. The sheets’ fabric is highly elastic, similar to sportswear.

Apart from being cool and cozy, it’s great for individuals who have an allergic reaction. The polyester bamboo blend has no harmful products and is quite healthy to use. It is hypoallergic.

Electric Powered Cooling Pads

The electrically powered cooling pads are a convenient solution to manipulating the temperature to the desired level. That means it won’t just keep you cool but also warm.

The cooling pad uses electricity to lower and raise the temperature whenever necessary. All you have to do is plug it, an easy step which most people find tiring.

They are quite appealing because they are thin – something which many people consider attractive.

They are a technological solution to improving the quality of sleep that you get. They have a control panel which will help you raise the temperature when you’re feeling cold or lower it to stay fresh.

Sleepers will find it particularly ideal as it has a fast response compared to other accessories. It takes a very short time to adjust the temperature to your preferred level. Plus, it will maintain the temperature at the set level.

Cooling Mattress Pads

Cooling mattress pads are similar to the electrically powered cooling pads, with the only difference being that the latter uses electricity for temperature regulation. The cooling mattress pad is designed and constructed with unique materials the enhance heat regulation.

Cooling mattress pads are a great alternative when you’re on a budget, or not in a position to buy a new mattress. They are quite affordable and easy to use. However, there are different types available, and depending on the material, the pricing varies. So, you may find some to be costly.

The pads are your everyday mattress toppers, constructed using either latex or gel. There are some memory foam built toppers with cooling gel infusion and other phase change material. These materials perform well in thermoregulation and therefore best for sleeping fresh.

Warm sleepers can benefit a lot from using a cooling pad; it improves the bed’s comfort feel.

Want to learn more about cooling mattress pad options? Read our full buyer’s guide.

Non-Quilted Vs. Quilted Cover – Which Is Better for Sleeping Cool

In almost every mattress review that you come across, there’s always a mention of the cover. However, this is something that most sleepers tend to overlook when mattress shopping.

The design and type of material used play a significant role in determining whether you sleep cool or not. The different brands each have their own cover design, which also factors to the overall price of the bed.

There are two types of covers:

• Quilted
• Non-quilted

They vary in cost, feel, design, and cooling effect. From reviewing many mattresses, these are our findings on the two categories.

Quilted Covers

They offer a more traditional look and feel, but are not as prevalent in the marketplace. It’s because they are quite pricey when compared to non-quilted covers.

Despite adding to the level of comfort and being expensive, they are not the best for hot sleepers, well, unless they have cooling material. The quilted covers have more material which retains more heat thus keeping you warm.

However, the type of material used also plays a hand in temperature regulation. Some materials are excellent at heat retention and therefore improve cooling while others don’t have that ability. As you go shopping, be keen on the type of materials used.

Non-Quilted Covers

Non-quilted covers are the perfect solution to warm sleepers. Plus, they are cheaper making them more affordable and readily available in the online marketplace.

A non-quilted cover is often thin and therefore has excellent breathability allowing air flow. It improves the flow of air from the mattress core keeping the sleeping surface cool. Non-quilted covers don’t have much material and are therefore highest-rated for warm sleepers.

Other Cooling Fabrics

Celliant

Celliant is a combination of materials that include aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide, among others. The different materials are made into a resin which is then woven into the fabric. Since they are woven, they don’t come out over time even after several washes. Celliant is patented and with growing use in the sleep industry.

How does it work?

The fibers are breathable which prevents heat accumulation. They also use the body’s’ heat to keep you cool. This heat is absorbed and converted into infrared light which has numerous benefits other than keeping you fresh as you sleep.

The infrared light goes back to the body, and offers the following advantages:

• Improved blood circulation
• Enhanced cell oxygenation

Improved blood circulation speeds up the healing process. You’ll find that injuries heal faster when sleeping on celliant fabric. Importantly, it’s recommended for hot sleepers because it offers better heat regulation.

Lycra

Lycra, which is also known as spandex, is a unique fabric that has a wide array of uses. In particular, it is best for lowering the temperature when the body is generating a lot of heat. Depending the time of day and the activity that you’re engaging in, there’s a perfect fabric for every situation.

Lycra or spandex is immaculate for making sportswear. That’s because it has features suitable for such clothing – it’s elastic allowing for free movement, has a cozy feel and absorbs moisture from the body to reduce the temperature.

Mattress covers using this fabric work using a similar principle. The cover is elastic, therefore, perfectly fits the mattress preventing any bunching up. As you sleep, it wicks the moisture away from the body.

Sleepers will enjoy sleeping on Lycra-made cover fabric for its elasticity, cozy feel, and temperature regulation properties.

Performance Polyester

It’s similar to Lycra in so many ways and is also used in making sports clothing. Performance polyester is a product of science and a combination of various chemicals. It’s an innovation thanks to fiber design and science.

It’s top-grade for sports clothing, and bedding because it has micropores, which enhance breathability and moisture absorption. These features make performance polyester perfect for sleeping dry as it will wick the moisture away from the body.

The other advantage of performance polyester like Lycra is that it is soft and makes the sleeping surface cozy.

If you frequently experience night sweats, it will be best as it will wick the moisture away, keeping you both cool and dry all night long. Not all performance polyester have the cooling effect, and some tend to trap moisture and instead increase the temperature.

The other advantage of this fabric is that it’s designed to be durable.

Overall, ensure that you get performance polyester indicating that it’s moisture-wicking. Such covers keep you dry and cool.

How to Stay Cool When You Sleep

Before you can rush to change your mattress, there are steps that you can take to stay cool. In fact, you can combine a cool mattress with cooling bed accessories and sleep tips. We’ve identified a couple of ways that you can beat the heat at night and enjoy quality sleep;

• Wear loose fitting
• Use a fan to reduce room temperature.
• Open windows if necessary.
• Cotton clothing is best at wicking moisture away from the body when sleeping.
• Lower the bed height, and if necessary, you can use the floor.
• Avoid big fluffy pillows; instead, go for small and firm pillows, as they lower the sleeping temperature.
• Go to bed with damp hair.
• The same way we use hot water bottles to raise the temperature, you can use it to lower temperature Put water into the bottle and place it on the bed. It will keep you at the right temperature.
• Placing a damp cloth on your forehead.
• When you’re sleepless, you can set your legs inside a bucket of cold water, and it lowers your body temperature.
• The food you take before going to bed also has a hand on how warm or cold you sleep. Reviews have shown that eating small meals before bed lowers the metabolism rate. Increased metabolism raises the temperature.
• There’s the Egyptian technique where you use a damp sheet. However, be careful not to wet the mattress.

Our Top 3 Cold & Cool Mattress Reviews

After reviewing many bed brands available on the market, these are the mattresses that we found to have a top-grade cooling effect.

Puffy bed is among the best-rated mattress in the industry today. It has a simple design but is handcrafted to perfection to offer the sleeper a comfortable, relaxed and supportive sleeping surface. It comes at the top of our list.

The Puffy mattress has a height of 10-inches, with two layers of CertiPUR-US Certified Foam. That means they are eco-friendly and free of VOCs, heavy metals and other toxic chemical elements. The bed is wrapped in a thin and breathable cover with a zip for easy removal and return. It’s also washable.

The bed has a combination of factors that enhance the cooling effect. Other than the cover, the top memory foam layer is a breathable patent-pending cooling cloud, with exceptional heat regulation. It wicks heat away from your body, in the process helping you stay fresh and provides pressure relief.

The bottom layer is high-density foam that we found to give some excellent spinal and back support.

So you are thinking about this model? For a complete Puffy overview go here.

The Purple mattress couldn’t miss out on our list, and not just because of the hype that it gets. It is quality bedding that combines several layers to offer the best-quality sleeping experience for every sleeper. It comes in four variations;

• Original Purple
• New Purple 2 bed (The New-School Classic)
• New Purple 3 bed (The Sweet Spot)
• New Purple 4 bed (The Radical Magical)

Except for the Original Purple bed, the other models have a layer of responsive spring which, other than providing support, gives ventilation with enhances airflow to keep the mattress fresh.

Purple beds are scientifically designed and have advanced features that improve the cooling effect;

• The stretchy cover is breathable
• The smart comfort grid layer has a neutral temperature with an open grid design that promotes airflow

Unlike other foam beds, the hyper-elastic smart comfort grid layer together with the highly breathable cover and the coil layers make it among the most sought after by warm sleepers.

It comes with a 10-year guarantee period, ships for free and directly to your doorstep. You also get free removal service for old mattresses.

Want a much in-depth explanation? Check our full Purple analysis here.

When you’re talking about using science to improve the quality of sleep, it’s impossible not to mention Layla. Although it has a simple design, it combines four layers of foam to give quality rest.

From doing various reviews, we identified the Layla mattress as among the handful of brands in the market with a copper infusion. The copper provides a clean and hypoallergic sleeping surface as it’s also antimicrobial. The copper also enhances thermoregulation as it’s an excellent conductor.

The copper is also responsible for comfort and support, healing and rejuvenating properties.

Layla bed has a flippable comfort option, giving you the freedom to select your ideal firmness level. If you’re looking to sleep fresh, it’s an excellent choice and offers other benefits too.

It comes with a lifetime warranty and a 120 nights sleep trial period. They offer refunds if you find Layla not suitable for you. They are made in the USA.

We have reviewed this type and you can see our complete Layla evaluation here.

Our Final Thoughts

We’ve identified our top choices for mattresses that sleep cool. There are specific bedding construction materials which are known for their cooling properties, ensuring that you sleep fresh. Latex, spring, gel and innerspring are good examples.

The cover design which most people tend to ignore is also essential as quilted and non-quilted covers behave differently. There are other fabrics such as Lycra, Performance Polyester and Celliant which help you stay cool.

Hot sleepers can get to enjoy quality sleep as long as they sleep on a mattress with the best cooling features.