Mattress Cooling Testing
We occasionally receive free products for testing and take part in affiliate programs, which means we may earn a commission if you purchase items through links on our site. For full details, please refer to our disclosure page.
Sleeping too hot is definitely a quick way to mess with your sleep. If you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night with your pillow soaked in sweat or struggled to fall asleep when the temperature’s through the roof, you know how important temperature control is when it comes to getting a good night’s rest.
That’s why we pay close attention to cooling and temperature control when we test mattresses. Keep reading to learn more about how we test and what to look for when shopping for the best cooling mattress.
Why Cooling Matters
Your body naturally starts cooling down a few hours before bedtime. Cooling is a part of your body’s sleep cycle, and as your body gets ready to wake up, your temperature goes back up. But a bunch of things can mess with that natural process, like a room that’s too warm or a partner who’s giving off extra heat.
Even the materials in your mattress, bedding, or sleepwear could be making you sleep hot. And let’s not forget, some people just sleep hotter than others, even if they’ve set the thermostat to the recommended sleep temperature of 60-67°F.
Whether you’re naturally a hot sleeper or just trying to beat the heat from your partner or the room, a cooling mattress could be the key to better sleep. There’s no shortage of cooling mattresses on the market, so here’s how we figure out which ones really keep you cool.
How We Test Mattresses for Cooling
When testing a mattress’s cooling ability, we run three main tests. Since cooling can be a pretty personal experience, we gather as many opinions from different testers as possible.
1. Cover Assessment
First, we look at the cover. Is it thin, stretchy, and breathable? If it is, it’s likely to promote airflow and help release body heat. Does it feel cool to the touch? That’s a good sign that the mattress won’t make you overheat as the night goes on.
2. Rest Test
Next, one of our testers will lie on the mattress for seven minutes. During this time, they focus on how warm or cool they feel and whether they notice any temperature changes around them. They’ll also make notes about any spots where they feel heat building up or a refreshing breeze.
3. Temperature Readings
We use a heat-sensitive temperature gun to record the mattress’s surface temperature at the start of the test, and then again when the tester gets up.
Mattresses with good cooling materials and airflow usually don’t see a big spike in temperature. If the surface temperature only rises by less than 8 degrees, we consider it a solid cooling mattress.
We take all three tests into account when giving a mattress a cooling score between 1 and 5. Mattresses that score 4 or 5 are likely to feel pretty cool and have a temperature increase of less than 8 degrees.
Which Mattress Types Sleep the Coolest?
Some mattress materials naturally stay cooler than others, thanks to their unique properties and how they’re built. Here’s how some of the most popular mattress types handle cooling when it’s time to sleep.
Memory Foam Mattresses
Memory foam is great for relieving pressure and supporting your joints. But the same feature that helps memory foam mold to your body also makes it trap heat.
One of the biggest issues people have with memory foam mattresses is sleeping too hot. If you love that sinking feeling memory foam gives you, but hate waking up sweaty, you’ll want to find a model designed to keep you cool. Some brands add cooling gel, copper, or graphite to their foam to pull heat away from the body. You can also look for memory foam mattresses with cooling covers. Phase change material is one of the best cooling fabrics—it actually feels cool to the touch.
Latex Hybrid Mattresses
Latex hybrid mattresses combine innerspring coils for support, which helps with airflow. On top of that, they have a layer of latex foam, which naturally stays cool and breathable. If staying cool is a big deal for you, this kind of mattress can help keep your body temperature down throughout the night. Since latex is natural, some brands go for organic certifications, so if you’re after an organic mattress that’s also cool, this could be your perfect fit.
Hybrid Mattresses
Hybrids give you the perks of memory foam but with fewer downsides. They have a supportive layer of innerspring coils that help with airflow, so they usually sleep cooler than full foam mattresses.
But, even with the coils, the memory foam layer can still trap heat as it molds to your body. If you’re someone who runs hot at night, look for a memory foam hybrid that includes a cooling gel layer in the comfort section.
Innerspring Mattresses
Innerspring mattresses feature metal coils at the bottom and a thinner layer of padding on top. These mattresses don’t trap much heat and typically stay pretty cool. The coil layer, along with the thinner padding, promotes airflow.
Innerspring mattresses are usually firmer than other types, making them a solid choice for back and stomach sleepers.
Best Cooling Materials to Look For
Mattress makers often use cooling materials to help you get a better night’s sleep. Some of these materials are made with high-tech science and cutting-edge tech, while others work naturally to cool you down using Mother Nature’s tech.
Gel-Infused Memory Foam
Gel-infused memory foam takes regular memory foam and adds gel microbeads to help keep you cool by counteracting the heat-trapping effect of the foam. Depending on the type of gel, it can either be cool to the touch or even have phase-changing properties that adapt to your body’s temperature.
Latex
Latex is a breathable, natural material with its own cooling benefits. Unlike memory foam, latex doesn’t trap heat near your body. The breathability of latex lets your body heat escape more easily than it would on memory foam, offering a low-tech but effective solution to staying cool while you sleep.
Copper-Infused Foam
Copper-infused memory foam takes advantage of copper's high thermal conductivity, which helps dissipate heat. Copper also has natural antimicrobial properties and can absorb moisture, helping wick sweat away from your skin. Combining copper with memory foam helps keep you cool and dry throughout the night.
Ventilated Memory Foam
Ventilated memory foam is a breathable twist on traditional memory foam. Its design allows for better airflow, helping reduce the amount of body heat that gets trapped in your bed.
Pocketed Coils
Pocketed coils are individually wrapped in fabric and do an excellent job of getting rid of body heat. They help with breathability and isolate motion, so if your partner moves, it stays limited to just a small part of the mattress.
Phase Change Material (PCM)
Phase change materials (PCMs) are substances that adjust between solid, liquid, or gas states depending on their temperature. You’ve seen this in action before — when water cools, it turns to ice, and when it heats up, it turns into steam.
In a mattress, PCMs absorb heat from your body to cool you down and then release that heat back to warm you up later in the night. Pretty neat, right?