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The smart device era has delivered us many wonders, but even among them, in-bed climate control systems stand out as an especially brilliant innovation. There is now an entire slate of emerging tech that works to keep your body temperature regulated at night: No more waking up to freezing feet, suffering through hot flashes, or tossing and turning to find the cool spot on the bed
These smart devices work like dual air conditioners and heaters, depending on what you need in the moment. But they don't all work the same way: The BedJet 3 and the Chilipad Dock Pro, two of the most popular products in the space, employ somewhat different mechanisms to chill you down or heat you up.
I've tested both devices, and while nothing feels as indulgent as the BedJet giving your feet a blast of warm air on a chilly night, the Chilipad provided me the deepest sleep I've ever enjoyed. Which one should you choose? That will depend on a number of factors.
How they work
On the most basic level, most climate control systems for your bed work the same. There's a box that will live under your bed, and that box connects to either an air hose or water hose that transports its contents up to your bed. You change the temperature of the air or water moving through the tubes using an app on your phone. But that's where the similarities end.
BedJet 3 blows air
The BedJet 3 blows cold or hot air through those tubes into your bed, creating an effect not unlike having a hair dryer or a fan (for warm and cool air, respectively) blowing under your covers. It's not an unpleasant sensation, but if you want something a little more subtle, you can purchase an accompanying "top sheet"—really more of a duvet cover, but without a duvet—for $159.
When using this accessory, the air moving through the tubes is mostly trapped in the sheet, inflating it slightly. This pillowy cloud of air settles over you. Since the cover is made of cotton, it slowly leaks air, either cooling or warming you. Because the air is diffused by the top sheet, it doesn't feel like a hair dryer or fan blowing at you at all; instead, I'd liken the effect to a soft breeze.
Chilipad Dock Pro moves water around
Conversely, the Chilipad is a mattress pad you lie on, with hoses running through it. Water circulates from the base and is continually circulated through the mattress pad, cooling or warming it to the temperature you set on the app. Although the pad lies beneath your sheet, your body weight creates enough contact with the pad that you will be able to notice the temperature of the water running through the pad at any time.
Installation
The BedJet 3 is simpler
Without a doubt, the BedJet is easier to install. Once you unbox the kit, you place the box under the bed, connect an air hose about the size and shape of the hose that's probably attached to your dryer vent, and bring that hose up to the side of the bed where you want to place it (you can use either side or the foot of the bed). A plastic L bracket is all that's required to secure the hose to the bed. There are no screws or pins—you shove one side of the "L" under the mattress, and the weight of the mattress keeps the bracket in place. Clamps on the bracket keep the hose in place. The hose itself attaches to the top sheet (if you're using one) via a hole ringed by elastic and snaps. You then download the BedJet app to your phone and pair it to the BedJet via Bluetooth. (There's a remote that can serve as a backup, although I almost never use it.)
Ease of installation aside, I've found that tossing and turning while using the topsheet will routinely dislodge the hose. I've also accidentally kicked the hose free a number of times. It's not hard to fix either problem, but you will have to get out of bed to do so. Also, every time you lose power, you'll need to re-pair the BedJet to the remote and the app, which requires retrieving the box from under the bed, as you need to push a button on the box to pair it. It's not hard, but it is annoying.
Chilipad Dock Pro is harder to install, but offers some advantages
On the other hand, installing the Chilipad is a process. It begins the same way: you unpack the box and connect the hoses to it. Installing the mattress pad, however, is a bit difficult: First, you fold it in half inside out, then move the straps into place and readjust them, then open the pad and readjust it again. Even after I successfully got it on the mattress, the pad was still wrinkled, which is a problem if you're a finicky sleeper. Once you have the pad smoothed out, you attach the water hose to it either at the top or bottom of the bed, and then pour almost a gallon of distilled water into the base and wait for it to circulate through the pad.
I was nervous about the pad leaking, but the connections of the hose are solid. The pad will not inflate in the way you might imagine, but you will begin to feel it get heavier. The temperature is controlled via the Sleepme app, and pairing it via wifi is fast. The Chilipad's wifi connection has the advantage here over the BedJet's Bluetooth one, since you could can use it to start heating or cooling the Chilipad on your way home, rather than waiting until you're in Bluetooth range.
How they work
Both systems are quite simple. You choose a temperature in the app and either cool/hot air (BedJet) or water (Chilipad) is directed at you. A notable difference is how fast the systems respond to a request.
The BedJet 3 works more quickly
The BedJet is instantaneous: Ask it for cold air and you get it within a few seconds—going from chilly 60ºF air to quite warm 110ºF air takes less than 15 seconds. The Chilipad, meanwhile, requires a bit of time to change the temperature of the water and circulate it through the pad; the same 50 degree temperature swing could take 10 minutes or so.
While the intention of both systems is the same, the effect they have is very different. There is just nothing quite so satisfying as getting into bed on a cold night, blasting the "turbo" setting on the BedJet, and bathing your frigid feet in 110ºF air. Conversely, if you're suffering from a hot flash, the immediacy of the chill air feels like a life saver. The speed at which the temperature change occurs is remarkable.
The Chilipad Dock Pro provides longer-lasting comfort
That said, I find the comfort provided by the Chilipad to be longer lasting. Your entire body will feel the same temperature beneath it as the water circulates through the mattress pad, and the way it brings your body to temperature slowly seems to cool you down or heat you up more naturally. While you don't experience the same immediate relief, the Chilipad will warm your body enough you won't necessarily miss having your feet blasted with hot air.
Using either device, you can set up programs to your body on a bit of a journey, temperature wise, over the course of the night. You might need a chillier bed to get to sleep, but will wake up freezing in the middle of the night if you don't adjust the temperature—and either device can solve for this.
Which devices is better for couples?
Couples who have spent years fighting over bed temperature (even resorting to using separate blankets) are obvious customers for these smart climate control devices. However, the kind of couple you are can help determine which system is better for you.
The BedJet is best for solo sleepers
If you sleep alone, the BedJet might make more sense for you, as the air it pumps out covers the entire bed, so you can move around as much as you like and enjoy the same benefits. Meanwhile, the Chilipad's standard size ("Me") is only about thirty inches across, so it won't cover your whole bed, whether you have a full, queen, or king.
This made me wonder about what would happen if you rolled off the Chilipad in the night. I asked the company about it, and a spokesperson responded with the insistence that the reason a person tossed and turns at night is because their body is seeking cooler or warmer spots on the bed, and the Chilipad solves that problem. I was suspicious, but I have to admit, I slept like the dead while cradled by the Chilipad, waking up far fewer times than I normally do, and I did not roll off of the pad once, despite being a notorious toss and turner.
Though a BedJet can work for couples, the Chilipad makes more sense
If you're part of a couple and you each enjoy the same temperature bed, a BedJet can work. If not, things get more complicated: BedJet also offers a "split" version, intended for larger beds, that includes two units, with each person controling the temperature on their side. This method will really only work with the optional top sheet, however, and even then, I have my doubts: The shared top sheet has a simple seam down the middle, and I can only imagine the different air temperatures competing with one another. This means couples might benefit more from having two top sheets but that's an extra expense, and temperature-controlling smart tech should really help you get away from the need for separate bedding.
For these reasons, I think the Chilipad's larger "We" size makes more sense for couples with different temperature preferences. Each partner will be able to independently control their own mattress pad, and they shouldn't interfere with one another—although they might not be great for cuddling.
Price: The BedJet is significantly cheaper
When it comes to price, it's not even close: The BedJet is dramatically less expensive than the Chilipad. The BedJet starts at $489 for the "any size bed" single zone version, with an additional $159 for the optional top sheet. (Dual-zone versions of the BedJet are available for queen and king beds starting at $969.)
By comparison, the Chilipad "Me" size starts at $1,099 for a queen, and the "We" version starts at $1,799 for a queen. While I tested the Chilipad Dock Pro, there is a less expensive version, called the Cube, that is half the price of the Dock Pro. It lacks some features, including the connectivity via smart app.
Should you buy the BedJet 3 or the Chilipad Dock Pro?
So now that you have all the details, which device should you buy? In the most indulgent of worlds, you'd install both, and enjoy the instant satisfaction of the BedJet and the long lasting comfort of the Chilipad.
But you aren't going to do that.
The Chilipad for is best for couples; the BedJet is the choice for single sleepers
As noted above, if you're part of a couple, I'd go with the Chilipad, which will make it easier to create a separate sleeping environment for each of you (it seems the couple in which each partner likes to sleep at exactly the same temperature doesn't exist). Meanwhile, if you're a single who enjoys using the full space of your bed, the BedJet 3 is a more economical option by far.
Amanda Blum is a freelancer who writes about smart home technology, gardening, and food preservation.
