My bedroom is an inferno, but this cooling sleep system makes my rest heavenly

When I first moved into my current apartment, I didn’t realize how hot it was. 

It was the tail end of winter, and as a person who generally runs cold, I didn’t initially mind the toastiness of the building. I loved not having to run space heaters as I did at other apartments or the fact I could open the window for fresh air and still feel comfortable. And then, summer came.

I don’t know how to describe it other than hell-like. 

My plants wilted. My cat looked miserable and I feared that both of us would suffer heat stroke. 

Nighttimes were spent tossing and pushing blankets off, a fan blasting directly at my face. I thought, Is this what menopause is going to be like?

When winter returned, I was almost giddy, but then it got even hotter.

I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Other tenants felt it too. 

One day, I returned from work to find a thermostat and note taped to my door with instructions to monitor how warm my apartment got throughout the day. I slapped it on my fridge and was consistently shocked at the numbers it gave: 88, 91, 94, 99 — no wonder my sleep had become so crappy.

Holly J Coley

“Most people like to sleep in the lower end of the room temperature range, something in the neighborhood of 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit,” shared Dr. Gillian Goddard, a renowned Manhattan-based endocrinologist and author of The Hormone Loop: An Empowering Guide to Restoring Hormonal Harmony, from Puberty to Menopause. “Some of that is because we’re lowering our core body temperature.”

When that happens, other body processes, such as metabolism and heart rate, slow down, so the body can focus on repair. We experience deep sleep (necessary for physical restoration) and REM (necessary for mental restoration and the sleep stage where dreaming takes place).

If it becomes too hot, our metabolism begins to rev back up, disrupting the sleep cycle. “You tend to get less REM,” Dr, Goddard says, something I found fascinating, as I had noticed I hadn’t been dreaming as frequently as I once did.

I needed to find a solution other than being blasted by my fan. And then, I got the opportunity to review Chilipad by Sleepme’s newest cooling system.

Holly J Coley

What is Chilipad?

If you’re not familiar with the wonder that is Chilipad, allow me to introduce you to it. From Sleepme, it’s a cooling sleeping system designed to regulate body temperature so it’s easier to get deep and REM sleep. “That’s when we really recharge our batteries, and that’s what helps us feel rested,” explains Dr. Goddard. When our sleep is constantly disrupted, it’s harder for us to enter this phase.

Before the Chilipad 2.0, there were two other sleeping systems, both of which have rave reviews and can still be *purchased.

Chilipad Cube

The first product from the brand was an entry-level cooling system called Chilipad Cube.  It came with a cool mesh pad that was chilled by water that entered the pad through a hose attached to the Chilipad Cube. Elegant in its simplicity, it didn’t have an app but used on-device buttons, as well as a remote, for operation.

Chilipad 1.0

Next up was the Chilipad 1.0, also known as the Dock Pro. It could cool, as well as heat, fit the entire bed (it originally was only for one side), and had an accompanying app where you could customize temperature changes for different points in the night. For example, if you wanted the bed to be chilled before you entered, and then heated an hour before your alarm, you could program it.

Chilipad 2.0

The Chilipad 2.0. (Chilipad) Chilipad

The Chilipad 2.0 is the redesign of the Chilipad 1.0 (formerly Chilipad Dock Pro). It uses the same four components, but features an upgraded Dock, Cover and Remote, all engineered based on real customer feedback.

The Dock, which can easily fit beneath most bedframes, has had its pump, fan, and firmware optimized, so it’s quieter during operation. While I can sleep through fireworks and summer shenanigans outside my apartment, I know many can’t, so this upgrade will be much appreciated for those who consider themselves light sleepers.

The dock’s internal water reservoir is also larger than the 1.0, reducing the need to frequently refill. The cover is now washable and has two openings, so adjusting and removing the hydrolayer is easier. 

My favorite part of the upgraded cooling system is the nightstand-style remote. It looks like a sleek, small clock and allows users to manually adjust the temperature of the cooling pad. It also gives insights into the room’s current temperature and can even auto-detect when you get into bed.

The Chilipad 2.0 can be purchased as a single side or double, which can be operated independently. Because I’m a single, I’ll be focusing my review from that perspective, but it goes without saying that the two-sleeper set is amazing for couples with different temperature preferences.

Regardless of what you choose, you’ll be able to adjust temperature and automate the Chilipad to cool or heat through different phases of the night. This means if you want to get into a crisp-feeling bed but wake to something slightly toasty, you can do that. If you can’t fall asleep without feeling snuggly and warm, but know you’ll start overheating in an hour or so, you can even adjust for that.

There is a companion app you’ll have to download to set up (available for iPhone and Android), but there’s no subscription and you can definitely get by just using the remote if that’s your preference. 

What’s included: Chilipad cover, Hydrolayer and 4 S-Hooks, Water Hose, Dock, Power Cord, Cleaning system, Drain key, Remote, USB-C Cable and USB-C Charger

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The Chilipad has been unboxed! Holly J Coley

My Chilipad Review

I never really thought about the importance of sleep until I hit my 30s. Suddenly, my ability to get by on four or five hours didn’t seem like the flex it once had been in my 20s. When I started prioritizing eight hours, I noticed I was mentally clearer, made better food choices and felt healthier overall. And as it turns out, there’s a reason for that.

“Sleep is really an electrical change in our brain that changes what’s going on in the world,” explains Dr. Goddard. “Basically, it’s like a reset for the brain to consolidate information. The brain takes a lot of metabolic prep. It takes a lot of fuel, so one of the things that happens when we sleep is that we get to dial down a lot of our other body processes…It’s sort of like when you defrag your hard drive.”

I don’t know if it was my life in general, my inferno of an apartment or a combo of both, but I was feeling the effects of having an un-fragged hard drive, if you follow the metaphor. And with me being older and more aware of how changing hormones can crank up one’s core temperature, I was eager to see if a single device could combat that.

Low-quality sleep can lead to irritability, weight gain, mental fog, as well as complicate other health conditions, so I was counting on the machine to help me fight the good fight.

Set up

The Chilipad 2.0 arrived at my apartment in a large box, comparable to a meal kit delivery, though slightly bigger. I had help bringing it up my walk-up, but would have likely struggled if no one was around.

Inside the box. Holly J Coley

The directions for the cooling system are part text, part visual, and all on an easy-to-read quick-start guide. I really liked this: It was less intimidating than a small booklet that I’d be tempted to skip sections of.

No tools are required, which I loved. Although I own a tool kit (and even a small drill!), I tend to get squishmish about taking it out — I’m a commerce editor, not Bob the Builder.

A Chilipad hydrolayer Holly J Coley

Every piece for the Chilipad 2.0 comes in its own box, so it arrives undamaged and easy to locate. Holly J Coley

Every piece for the Chilipad 2.0 comes in its own box, so it arrives undamaged and easy to locate.

Holly J Coley

Once you’ve unboxed the Chilipad 2.0, you’ll need to strip your mattress of everything. Other things you’ll need to do include:

• Have your wi-fi name and password ready (this is needed for setup and the sleep schedules, but you can switch to Airplane mode after, if you’re a no Wi-Fi in the bedroom household).
• A gallon of distilled* water per dock.

(*Editor’s Note: It’s crucial that distilled water is used and nothing else, or you risk damaging the machine. Please also remove pets from the area until setup is completed)

After you have everything to begin, pick the side your dock will be set up on. It will need to be near an outlet or surge protector. 

You’ll cover the mattress with the Chilipad Cover next. It comes with anchor bands that need to be secured beneath the four corners to keep it in place. It’s a fairly straightforward process, no more complicated than putting on a fitted sheet.

Once the sheet is set up, unzip one side and slide the hydrolayer inside, securing it with the included S-Hooks. Note: the hydrolayer’s connection for the hose should face the side you want your dock to be set up on. Afterward, attach the hose and zip up the cover. (If this all sounds complicated, trust me, I was slightly worried I’d mess things up and have to quit the review, but it’s actually quite intuitive.)

From this point, it’s about getting your tech set up. Plug the power cord into the dock and into the outlet, and then attach the hose. Power the machine on, insert the included liquid cleaner into the reservoir, and then add your distilled water. The dock has an LCD screen, which will indicate when the reservoir is full.

The Dock is just 6.25 inches, so it fits beneath beds with a low profile. Holly J Coley

Now the fun part — setting up the app and the remote. Truthfully, this is where I really started to panic — I’m a borderline luddite. But it’s actually simple. Once you download the app and register your Chilipad, you create a sleep schedule, but don’t worry — you can do that later.

Finally, it’s time to set up the remote. It will need to sync with your dock, and if you want it to automate with your bed, make sure it’s angled towards your mattress. I admit that I did get a little stuck at this part, but I think it was just a glitch. Once I unplugged the dock and then replugged it and powered it back on, my remote paired with it in a few seconds.

In total, the setup took me just under 30 minutes — minus me running to the store to buy distilled water.

(In case all of this still sounds like a lot of work, know it isn’t and that I did this alone. I may or may not have also watched this helpful tutorial video on YouTube for the brand, just to make sure I hadn’t misunderstood anything.)

First Impressions

My cat was also excited to test the Chilipad 2.0 Holly J Coley

I was a little worried that the Chilipad’s hydrolayer was going to be noticeable beneath my sheets. Although I did feel it, it was very thin and slightly reminded me of a mattress topper, only more fluid.

Because my apartment was so hot, I selected the very icy temperature of 61. While it goes as low as 55 degrees Fahrenheit, I don’t know if I’d recommend that to everyone. I sleep with a sheet, a comforter, plus an additional cover wrapped over me and a third one just at my feet, so…context. However, that did prove to be too chilly most nights, and I generally went with a temp between 63 to 65 degrees.

The re-engineered dock is so quiet; beyond the time I had to refill it, I never really heard it in operation. I’m not a light sleeper, so I don’t mind some mild noise, but if you absolutely require dead quiet to sleep, you’ll love it. Even my cat, who likes to hide beneath the bed some nights, didn’t seem to mind.

Feel

After all my research into Chilipad, as well as temperature and sleep, I was really eager to see how sleeping on the cooling pad felt. As I said, it was detectable but not in a way that hindered my comfort.

For the first month, I didn’t mess around with the sleep scheduling, instead opting to go into my room an hour before I planned to fall asleep and adjusting the remote or using my phone. When I slid into bed, I was immediately greeted with a cool, crisp feeling — sort of like when I go to hotels and let the A.C. run while the bed’s turned down so the sheets get that frosty feel.

Some nights, however, I didn’t do that, but opted for turning the Chilipad on once I was already under the covers.

I must say, I recommend that everyone try this at least once. While it’s fantastic getting into a chill bed, feeling the cooling pad get progressively colder was actually quite relaxing. At times, I thought I felt the water moving beneath me — but I don’t know if this was just in my head.

The cooling feeling would start at my feet, move up my calves and so forth. It was literally like lying on ice — without the pain or wetness, of course — and sort of tapping into the sensation of being cooled off actually helped me relax.

Remote

If you don’t want to mess with your phone, the stylish remote is a great alternative. Holly J Coley

I’m not a big fan of having a lot of things on my nightstand, but I loved the look of the remote. It has a touchscreen, but what really makes it cool is that you can turn its head to the right or left to control the temp. I really liked this, especially when I wanted to adjust it in the middle of the night. In the morning, I could just tap it, see its face light up and then hit ‘off’.

For people who really aren’t into apps or any of that type of thing, it’s definitely a highlight. Sometimes I just don’t want to be on my phone and the remote option offers a nice way to unplug. Its face goes dark after a few seconds, so you won’t have a little glowing light beaming at your face while you’re trying to sleep, though I sort of enjoyed the ambiance it gave when on.

Sleep Scheduling

Chilipad’s sleep schedule is easy to adjust as needed, which I do frequently as my bedtime is unpredictable most days. Holly J Coley

While I’m not a huge app girl, I did eventually set up Chilipad’s sleep scheduling and I was actually impressed by how minimalistic and quick it was to set up.

All I had to do was select sleep schedule and then follow the prompts, having my target starting temperature and bedtime, followed by what I wanted the temperature to go to later in the night and when I woke up.

I made a sleep schedule for the weekend, where the bed is 63 to start and then slightly warms a few hours before I wake. If you’re a set-and-forget-it person, this will definitely be a selling point.

The app also allows you to take a quiz, so you can better understand the type of sleeper you are. I, apparently, am a “Daylight”, a person who’s part bird and part night owl, but “tend to follow the sun,” per the brand’s description.

While I didn’t agree with its mapping of my “Perfect Day” (I’m actually very productive between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.), when I’m not beholden to an alarm, I do have a more intuitive approach to rest, going to bed when I feel physically tired (typically midnight or 1 a.m.), sleeping nine hours or until I feel the sunlight fill my room.

Obviously, you don’t have to take this quiz to enjoy the Chilipad 2.0, but I do like that it encourages users to think about their bodies’ natural rhythms and how to honor them.

Price

The Chilipad 2.0 starts at $1,599 for a half full-size and goes to $1,799 for a half king or half California King. If you’re looking to outfit both sides of your bed, the cost will be higher.

While it’s a slight investment, considering the technology it uses, it’s a reasonable asking price for a premium product and comparable to similar devices.

True, there are cheaper cooling pads, but they tend to be bulkier and use less sophisticated methods of cooling. While I love a bargain, when it comes to sleep, this is really a case of you get what you pay for. You’re not likely to find a device that delivers the cooling/heating options in such a quiet, aesthetically pleasing way.

I really appreciate that the dock can slide under the bed, saving me space and the eyesore of a machine in my room. I also love the user-friendliness of the remote and how easy it is to adjust even when I’m half asleep.

The other thing that makes the price fair? I’m really only paying for what I need.

Most sleep cooling systems are built for the entire mattress, so if you’re single, you’d be forced to pay twice as much for something you’re not going to use.

Final Thoughts

When I first started testing the Chilipad 2.0, my main hope was that one, I’d be able to set it up without paying a TaskRabbit and two, it would stop me from melting into a puddle while I slept. I didn’t anticipate what a change it would make in how I felt.

My first night with the cooling system was great — novel, relaxing and effective. But it was what happened during the weeks that followed that surprised me most.

One thing I learned is that there is such a thing as too cold, and that I actually slept better when I turned the thermostat from 61 to a bit higher. When I went lower, I noticed that I woke up a little more than usual. I wasn’t sweating and I wasn’t cold in the uncomfortable sense, but I was aware of the temperature, and as Dr. Goddard points out, part of what makes sleep important is that it’s the time the brain should be focused on resetting itself.

I began to dream again — a really big deal, because I used to dream all the time before my apartment became an inferno.

I didn’t realize the correlation between temperature, REM and dreams until I started working on this story, and the fact I was in this deeper state of rest made me really happy.

Most importantly, I felt more rested. Even the nights I didn’t get to sleep my preferred nine hours, I woke up feeling energized and dare I say, slightly excited to start my day. This, obviously, depended a bit on what I was doing, but I also didn’t spend an excessive amount of time sleeping in on the weekends, which had sort of become the norm in the last few months.

And while this is totally subjective, I think I look better because when you’re rested, you nearly always do. “With less sleep, we tend to produce more cortisol,” Dr. Goddard had explained during our interview, and I must say, I found myself less reliant on some of my depuffing beauty tools because I just felt back to normal.

From inferno to sanctuary. Holly J Coley

Is the Chilipad 2.0 worth it?

Yes, the Chilipad 2.0 is 100% worth it, and I’ve already been recommending it to several of my friends. Beyond the easy and intuitive setup, it really made a noticeable difference in my sleep quality.

Although I’m not in perimenopause or menopause, I can see this being a true lifesaver for women who are. Men with decreasing testosterone and estrogen are also prone to night sweats, according to Dr. Goddard, so this could be good for them too. In fact, even women postpartum or those with fluctuating hormones because of PMS can experience night sweats, so again — Chilipad is a good solution for lots of people in different stages of life.

Beyond hormones, if you share a bed with someone with completely different sleep needs or simply are living in a heatbox like I am, the Chilipad 2.0 all but guarantees you’ll be set up for sound sleep — the good kind, deep, hopefully with good dreams.

How I tested

My goal in testing the Chilipad 2.0 was to determine if it could improve the quality of my sleep by adequately bringing down my temperature to experience a deeper, more restorative sleep. I committed to testing it over the course of the summer. Along with judging its performance as a cooling device, I also took into consideration the ease of setup, its special features, such as customization and different control options, as well as price to determine if it was an ideal solution or a supportive tool for those struggling with temperature-based sleep issues. I took notes on changes in my mood, energy levels and sleep environment. After testing, I compared the results to my sleep experience before installing Chilipad 2.0 and decided I was sleeping noticeably better than before.

*Editor’s note: Per the brand, The Chilipad 1.0 will soon be discontinued. An official date has not been announced.

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