What is the Chilipad and how does it differ from a heating and cooling mattress?
Struggling to get to sleep, and stay asleep, because you’re too hot? Not only does your body temperature need to drop to regulate the hormones that will help you sleep, but research has shown that heat at night keeps people awake and reduces deep and REM sleep.
It’s a issue for many — 57% of Americans said they sometimes struggle to sleep due to being too hot — that’s only likely to get worse over the warmer months. One option is shopping a top-rated cooling mattress but, if you’re looking for a high tech cooling upgrade for your existing mattress, consider the Chilipad Dock Pro bed cooling system at Sleepme
It’s a mattress pad that is cooled (or heated) by water that flows through it via a control unit, with a smartphone app that allows you to fine tune the climate of your bed. Here, we explore more about the tech, how it works and whether the Chilipad Dock Pro is the right cooling option for you.
What is the Sleepme Chilipad system?
The Sleepme Chilipad Dock Pro is a hydronic system (that means it uses water as the means of heating and cooling) comprising a EMF-free smart mattress pad, bedside control unit and Sleepme app.
In an upgrade from the Chilipad Cube, the Dock Pro uses a membrane (rather than tubing) to circulate temperature controlled water through the mattress pad — which fits over your existing mattress and under your fitted sheet — to cool or warm your sleep surface, and therefore your body, through the night.
The pad is designed to absorb heat, and as this warms the circulating water, it returns to the control unit to be cooled again (where the heat being released into the air to stop your bedroom getting too cool).
The mattress pad itself has no electrical connections or wires, which means no electromagnetic fields (EMFs) surrounding it, reducing potentially harmful radiation in your sleep space. Additionally, “Airplane mode reduces EMFs from the Dock Pro control unit,” according to Sleepme.
You can control the temperature of your bed and schedule temperature adjustments through the Sleepme App, or keep your sleep space phone-free by using buttons on the control unit.
Design and features
The Chilipad Dock Pro is available in a ‘Me’ size mattress pad with a hydrolayer membrane that covers half the bed and a ‘We’ size that covers the whole bed, with sizes from Queen to Cal King. Depending on which size you choose, the Dock Pro can cool one or both sides of the bed to temperatures as low as 55°F and as high as 115°F, offering a temperature solution no matter the time of year.
This dual temperature control is a key selling point for the Chilipad. Even with the ‘we’ option, which covers the full bed, you can adjust the temperature of each side independently, meaning you and your partner needn’t bicker over your nighttime temperature preferences.
You can control the temperature, schedule changes during the night and set your pad to wake you by gently warming as an alternative to an alarm, all with the free Sleepme app.
Or, for an extra fee ($299 $249), you can add Chilipad’s non-wearable sleep tracker which uses AI to identify when you’d benefit from a temperature adjustment during the night. In turn, the mattress pad will heat or cool to keep you at an optimal temperature for the best quality sleep (goodbye sweaty tossing and turning).
Like the Eight Sleep Pod 4, this sleep tracker will also produce a nightly sleep score and report, offering detailed analysis of your sleep metrics including time spent in each essential sleep stage, heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV).
How does the Chilipad differ from other cooling mattress toppers and beds?
The best mattress toppers for hot sleepers rely on cooling materials like gel-infused foam, copper and breathable fabrics to dissipate heat. While these offer good temperature regulation, they don’t actively cool or heat your bed. They simply help wick away excess heat and moisture for a cooler, comfier night’s sleep.
However, the Chilipad offers that active climate control, meaning it makes temperature adjustments based on your real-time metrics in order to increase deep and REM sleep — if you upgrade with the sleep tracker that is. Otherwise, temperature adjustments are in your hands, though you can schedule them through the night.
It essentially does what the best smart beds of the year do in terms of climate control, but at a slightly lower price and minus subscription fees.
For reference, a queen size Chilipad ‘We’ with the sleep tracking upgrade for both sides of the bed is currently a total of $2,367.15 (was $2,797) compared to a queen Eight Sleep Pod 4 at $2,649, which offers dual-sided sleep tracking and temperature regulation, but the subscription fees are a minimum of $199 a year on top.
You can also opt for the Chilipad Dock Pro Bundle, which for a queen-sized ‘We’ includes everything you’d get if you bought the queen ‘We’ on it’s own, plus two sleep trackers, 12 months of system cleaner and an extended protection plan. This is currently $2,528.00 (was $3,238).
Benefits of the Sleepme Chilipad
Specializing in active, dual climate control, the 4.1/5 star-rated (from over 400 reviews) Chilipad Dock Pro could benefit many sleepers, from couples with different temperature needs in bed to people sleeping poorly due to menopause. Many reviewers raved about its cooling abilities, claiming it had eliminated their nightsweats.
The Chilipad is a more affordable option offering similar water heating and cooling features to an Eight Sleep Pod for almost $300 less for a queen, and without any additional subscription fees.
As a tight-fitting mattress cover, the Eight Sleep Pod feels more like a part of your mattress, whereas the Chilipad is a topper. Chilipad claim that the Dock Pro only takes 20 minutes to install, compared to up to an hour for the Eight Sleep Pod.
As it’s compatible with any mattresses between 8 and 18 inches, you needn’t splash on a new mattress either. And, unlike the Eight Sleep Pod, it’s machine washable and dryable, making easy work of your mattress cleaning.
Finally, Chilipad say their water-based cooling system is, in general, more energy-efficient than air conditioning units, which is good news for both your wallet and the environment.
Drawbacks of the Sleepme Chilipad
While the cover is washable, the Chilipad Dock Pro does require regular maintenance too, like water filter refills, which you wouldn’t have to do with a standard cooling mattress or mattress topper.
While the majority of reviews on the Chilipad site are positive, those who had gave negative feedback noted issues connecting the Dock Pro with their WiFi (and maintaining that connection), and some said that they found it too noisy. While white noise can be helpful for some sleepers, it could keep light sleepers who dislike the noise awake at night.
Some customers reported leaking issues with the Chilipad, though the reviewers generally noted the brand had provided replacements or refunds. Anyone keen on decluttering their sleep space should also consider that you must make sure you have bedroom space for the control unit(s).
Conclusion
We’d particularly recommend the Chilipad Dock Pro by Sleepme to hot sleepers struggling to beat the heat at night, but who don’t want to change their current mattress. With personalized, customizable and automatic (if you upgrade) climate control, it will help you regulate your body temperature at night.
However, you must have the $1,000+ budget for this tech-enhanced sleep set, so we recommend you try more affordable methods first to ensure it is a worthy investment for you. Cheaper approaches to cooling your sleep space include keeping your blinds closed through the day, keeping windows open and sleeping with breathable nightwear and bedding.
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