Best Cooling Mattresses For Hot Sleepers

There are a number of factors that can interrupt a good night’s rest, and one of the most prevalent is sleeping too hot. What many don’t realize is that it’s recommended you sleep in a room with a temperature between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. While you may have your thermometer set low, your body is 98.6 degrees, and this heat can often penetrate and basically marinate in the various layers of your mattress. When this happens, you can easily find yourself awakened in a hot sweat.

The good news is that there’s so much innovative technology that has been implemented in the mattress industry to facilitate proper airflow. When you take the time to understand what’s out there, you can find a product that will help you sleep cool and comfortable. Below are just some of the most top-rated, highly reviewed mattresses that are great for hot sleepers, so keep reading to see if one of our picks will be ideal for you.

Why You Should Trust Our Review Of Cooling Mattresses

At The Sleep Judge, we bring you comprehensive reviews of mattresses so you can decide which one is right for you. Our staff thoroughly test every mattress we review. We unbox them, sleep on them, jump on them, and see if they live up to what the manufacturers claim. We have personal experience with each mattress, and Cooling Mattresses are no exception. Our reviewers log sleep time on each mattress. If the manufacturer says the mattress will do something, or won’t do something, we try it out and give you our honest opinion.

Every mattress we review undergoes the same rigorous process. That way we can compare and contrast them and give you an honest review of what we think. You can learn more about how we evaluate each mattress in our Our Mattress Evaluation Process article.

Best Cooling Mattresses

The Sleep Judge Heat Test

As I review sleep products, I always take the time to actually take a look at heat dispersion using thermal imaging technology. I test each product in a temperature-controlled setting of 64 degrees and lay on the product for a period of 30 minutes. This is because it takes a bit of time for my body heat to penetrate the various layers of any particular product. I then use my thermal camera to see how long it takes the product to return to room temperature. My thermal camera is able to pinpoint the hottest and coldest points within it’s scope, and I focus on the crosshairs on the area of the mattress I lay down on. You can watch on its temperature setting as the heat escapes the product.

Why Does the Body Temperature Lower During Sleep?

To understand why your body temperature lowers during sleep, it’s important to take a look at the various stages that take place during the process. First, you enter a stage of light sleep, and this is the transitional period. During this time, you may find yourself suddenly jolted when someone taps your shoulder or whispers in your ear.

Eventually, you slip into stage two of sleep, and, at this time, you begin to become disengaged with your surroundings. It’s at this point that the body temperature begins to lower, and it does so due to your circadian rhythm. Stages three and four occur when the rate of temperature change and body heat loss is at its maximum.

Stages three and four represent the most restorative sleep. Since this requires a slight decrease in body temperature, it’s impossible to get the quality of sleep you need when you have a mattress that sleeps hot. Just a few of the beneficial processes that occur in your body during these sleep stages include:

• Tissue repair
• Increased blood supply to muscles
• Restoration of energy
• Hormone release such as the growth hormones, crucial for growth and development

As you can see, achieving the ideal body temperature is crucial to be able to make the most of your sleep.

Things to Look for in a Cool Mattress

The great news is that there are a number of features that certain products offer that will help you sleep cool. These features are typically clearly delineated on the company website. In fact, if they make it a point to highlight these features, so there’s a good chance the company has taken specific measures to increase heat transfer capabilities.

• If you’re considering a memory foam product, take a close look at any particular manufacturing practice utilized, as traditional memory foam is not known for heat dispersion properties.
• One such measure is the implementation of copper, as this metal is known for its high heat conductivity. Copper is known to be utilized within the cover of certain products in order to help disperse heat more efficiently.
• Placement of cooling technology within the layers is closer to the sleeper.

If you’re stuck with a mattress that makes you too hot at night, you can also consider a cooling mattress pad.

Springs and Coils

These are typically the most traditional mattress types on the market, and they’re produced using springs or coils that are either individually wrapped or combined together. To find the best innerspring mattress for hot sleepers, I’d recommend you look for those which are wrapped individually. In most cases, the coils will be found at the support layer with various types of foam placed on top. Either way, springs and coils typically offer a high degree of heat transfer capability.

Latex

I’m a big fan of latex, and this is because it offers a number of great qualities. Aside from the fact that it’s generally very durable, it’s also not known to conduct heat. This means that regardless of the temperature of the room, you can generally expect this material to feel the same. Since they often contain holes and other forms of aeration, they’re known to be breathable.

It’s worth noting that the cooling properties of latex are more pronounced in natural products. Therefore, these are typically the best mattresses for hot sleepers. Be sure to check the type you’re considering investing in, as some synthetic products on the market don’t include the use of aeration properties that promote air flow.

Gel Foams

There are many different types of gel foams on the market, and it’s important to understand how this technology works. It can help put things into perspective when you consider how gel conducts heat by comparing it to water. Water is able to absorb large amounts of heat energy before the temperature increases, and gel can work in the same way. It’s important to note that there’s a limit to how much heat can be stored. Once the gel beads have reached their capacity, the bed will start to heat up.

Some types of gel work better than others, and I’ve had the opportunity to try out some of these products. While gel beads sometimes don’t provide the level of heat transfer to make much of a difference, just a few technologies you can generally rely on in this capacity include:

• Graphite
• Copper
• Gel materials more heavily infused into the mattress

Memory Foam

Of all the foam types, traditional memory foam products are typically the least capable of properly dispersing heat. This is because they’re viscoelastic. This means just what the name implies… they feature higher viscous and elastic properties.

Many consumers enjoy these features, as they’re typically slow to respond and give you the feeling that the mattress is hugging you as you apply pressure. However, keep in mind that they also respond to heat, and heat can easily become trapped.

Not all memory foam should be avoided, however. As you shop, take a close look at the type of memory foam you’re considering. Some include technology such as gel that can make them among the best cooling memory foam mattresses.

Conclusion

When it comes to facilitating hot sleepers, the Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress is our pick for the best cooling mattress on the market. If you can afford spending a little more for a cool, restful sleep, each of our recommendations above are definitely worth the investment. The Helix Midnight Luxe is extremely comfortable, and it’s easy to find that perfect position to fall and stay asleep in. Even if you don’t tend to sleep hot, this is an excellent product that many reviewers certainly recommend.

Recent Updates

August 26, 2022: The Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress has been included in our roundup due to popularity, along with original photography and links to our hands-on review.

September 23, 2021: The Dromma Bed Mattress and GhostBed have each been removed due to the rising popularity of other brands and products currently on the market. The following recommendations have now been added: Helix Midnight Luxe, GhostBed Luxe, Saatva Classic and the Layla Memory Foam Mattress to round out our list. Additional Resources and popular FAQs have also been included.

Additional Resources

• Bedding and Mattress Guide for Hot Flashes
• Is Sleeping With a Fan on Bad For You?
• What is the Best Material For Sheets to Keep You Cool?
• What is the Best Mattress Topper to Keep You Cool?
• Why Memory Foam is Hot and How to Fix it