GOOD GEAR RATING — 9/10 STARS

Summary: Between my husband’s chronic night sweats, my third-trimester pregnancy, and another relentlessly hot Southern California summer, getting a good night’s sleep has felt nearly impossible. We tested the Chilipad 2.0 with two independently controlled cooling systems to see whether it could make our nights more comfortable. After several weeks of use, we’re sleeping cooler, waking up less sweaty, and wondering how we managed without it. There are a few things to consider, especially the price and regular maintenance, but for us, it’s been a worthwhile investment.

PROS

  • Independent temperature controls: Each side of the bed has its own cooling system, so couples can customize their temperatures without compromising.
  • Customizable sleep schedules: We can program the mattress to cool before bedtime, gradually warm throughout the night, and shut off automatically.
  • Surprisingly discreet: Once the bed is made, you can’t tell there’s a cooling system underneath the sheets.
  • Intuitive controls: The app and bedside controls make it easy to adjust temperatures, even in the middle of the night.
  • Noticeably cooler sleep: Both of us experienced fewer issues with overheating, even during particularly hot nights.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

  • The initial setup takes some time, especially with two cooling units.
  • The water reservoirs need refilling, and the filters require regular cleaning.
  • You’ll need distilled water and enough clearance around each unit for proper ventilation.
  • Depending on your bedding, you may be able to feel the cooling pad underneath you.
  • It’s an expensive wellness investment ($1599+), particularly for couples purchasing two units.

It’s currently 95 degrees in Los Angeles as I write this, despite it being October. Southern California has had an exceptionally hot summer, and the heat has continued well into fall, with unpredictable weather making it impossible to know what to expect from one week to the next. As parents to a toddler, we’ve spent more afternoons indoors than we’d like, and our window AC has been working overtime (I’m constantly terrified of our electricity bill).

Sleeping has been another challenge altogether. My husband has struggled with night sweats for years, and now that I’m in my third trimester of pregnancy, I’m running much hotter than usual. Knowing that postpartum night sweats are in my near future, I’m guessing there’s a good chance this isn’t a temporary problem.

That said, I’ve tried just about everything to make our bedroom more comfortable, from cooling sheets and fans to blackout curtains and cold showers before bed. We’ve even resorted to running our window AC all night, which helps cool the room but doesn’t always keep us from waking up sweaty. With another baby on the way, and knowing how little sleep we’ll likely get in those early newborn months, we have become desperate and ready to try just about anything. Enter Chilipad—a temperature-controlled mattress system from Sleepme that uses circulating water to cool or warm your bed. We decided to test the dual-zone system on our king-sized bed, with two separate docks so we could each control our own temperature. Here’s how it went, including what surprised us, what I’d change, and whether I think the Chilipad is worth the investment.

Two black boxes stacked on a white table, both labeled “chilipad by sleepme.”
A Chillipad mattress cooling system in its black carrying bags, along with a box of system cleaner, sitting on a bed.

About Chilipad

Chilipad is a temperature-controlled mattress system made by Sleepme, a sleep-tech company that helps people regulate their sleeping temperature. Tara Youngblood and her husband, Todd, co-founded the brand after experiencing their own frustrations with uncomfortable sleeping temperatures and began developing cooling sleep products. Over the years, Sleepme has introduced several generations of its water-powered technology, including the original Chilipad Cube, OOLER, and Dock Pro systems.

Chilipad works by cooling or warming the surface you sleep on rather than changing the temperature of your entire bedroom. A thin mattress pad fits over your existing mattress and connects through flexible hoses to a small control unit, called a dock. The dock circulates temperature-controlled water through a network of channels in the pad, letting you adjust the temperature directly beneath you. Unlike cooling sheets, which rely on breathable fabrics to release heat, the Chilipad actively changes the sleep surface temperature.

And science shows why temperature matters for sleep. Our core body temperature naturally decreases as we prepare for bed, with heat loss through our skin helping signal that it’s time to rest. When our sleeping environment is too warm, that process can be harder. A 2024 systematic review published in Sleep Medicine Reviews examined 36 studies and found that higher indoor and outdoor temperatures were generally associated with poorer sleep quality and duration.

This doesn’t mean sleeping on the coldest possible mattress automatically leads to better sleep. Temperature preferences vary, and research on thermoregulation doesn’t necessarily translate into clinical evidence for any one consumer product. Still, the link between body temperature and sleep helps explain why an adjustable mattress might help people who regularly wake up feeling overheated.

The Chilipad 2.0 is Sleepme’s updated temperature-controlled system, with app-connected settings and programmable temperature adjustments throughout the night. It also offers configurations for individual sleepers and couples. In the dual-zone setup my husband and I tested, each person has a separate dock controlling their side of the mattress, so you don’t have to compromise on temperature. I also appreciate that the Chilipad works with the mattress you already own. We absolutely love our mattress, so replacing it simply to address temperature issues wasn’t something we were interested in doing.

A black Chillipad cooling unit with a power cord, a remote control box, and a printed quick start guide on a bed.
Black bed cover with a textured hexagonal pattern and blue trim, partially folded back on a wooden bed frame.

Our experience setting up the Chilipad 2.0

Our Chilipad arrived in two large boxes, neither too heavy for me to maneuver into the house, even while pregnant. We received a king-sized mattress cover and two docks with two cooling mats (one for each side of the bed), plus the hoses and cords needed to connect everything.

I’ll admit that seeing all the different parts was a little intimidating, but I was too excited to wait for my husband to get home from work, so I decided to tackle the installation myself. The whole process took about an hour, including a few mistakes I made. I especially appreciated the oversized cardboard instruction card, which was much easier to reference than constantly reaching for my phone to scroll through a digital manual.

My first mistake was putting the mattress pad on backward, which meant taking it off and starting again so the hoses could feed through the correct openings. I also got excited when I realized the docks fit perfectly inside our Thuma bed frame‘s storage drawers. Unfortunately, my husband reminded me that they need adequate ventilation to prevent overheating, so we moved them to the open space beneath our bed instead.

One of my biggest concerns was how the system would look in our bedroom. I’m hesitant to add too much technology to our sleeping space, but thankfully, we were able to conceal the cords, and once the sheets and comforter were back on, you couldn’t tell there was a cooling pad underneath. After filling the reservoirs with distilled water, I connected each dock to our phones. Pairing the right unit with each person took a little troubleshooting, but with Sleepme’s website and Reddit threads, I got everything running without much trouble.

A mattress topper with a black honeycomb pattern and blue trim, with its control unit stored in an open wooden drawer underneath the bed frame.
A black projector resting on a carpeted floor underneath a bed frame.
The docks in our Thuma drawers before my husband reminded me that the docks need adequate ventilation to prevent overheating. Now they just sit comfortably below the bed.

Sleeping with the Chilipad: Our first few weeks

During our first few nights, we experimented with different temperatures using the app and bedside controls.

My husband, who has struggled with night sweats for years, immediately set his side to 65 degrees. I was shocked the next morning when he told me he’d actually gotten too cold— a promising first impression.

I also loved climbing into an already cool bed at the end of a hot day, especially during pregnancy when getting comfortable is difficult (impossible?). Over the next couple of weeks, we experimented with the programmable settings, which let you adjust temperatures automatically throughout the night instead of running the system at one temperature.

We’ve found our sweet spot is turning the Chilipad on about 30 minutes before bedtime, setting both sides to around 68 degrees (sometimes he goes lower and I go higher), and gradually increasing the temperature to 72 degrees before shutting it off around 3 a.m.

Those first several hours of cooling seem to be enough to keep us comfortable without waking up cold. Having two independently controlled sides is especially useful, even though we’ve settled on similar temperatures for now.

A circular smart thermostat display showing 72 degrees, placed on a bedside table next to a lamp and a candle.

We can each make adjustments without affecting the other person—a welcome change after years of fighting over the AC temperature!

Are there any cons?

As much as we’ve enjoyed the Chilipad, a few things are worth considering, especially given the price. First, this isn’t a system you can set up and forget about. You’ll need to refill the water reservoirs about every two weeks, and the docks require regular cleaning.

You’ll also need distilled water, which means keeping plastic jugs on hand (not my favorite part of the experience). I’ve noticed dust accumulating fairly quickly around the filters, possibly because we have a wool rug in our bedroom.

My other complaint (if you can call it that because it’s so minimal) is the feel of the mattress cover. It’s thin enough to disappear beneath our bedding, but it’s not as cozy as a mattress pad or topper. Although Sleepme says an additional mattress protector isn’t necessary, I put ours back on top of the Chilipad pad, beneath our fitted sheet. This made the bed noticeably softer without affecting the cooling performance in any way I could detect. These issues aren’t dealbreakers, but they’re worth noting at this price point.

A gallon jug of distilled water resting on a black cooling device with a blue cup holder.

Did the Chilipad actually help us sleep better?

After several weeks of testing, I’d say absolutely. My husband doesn’t wake up sweaty, even with it still being 95 degrees out, and I’m spending less time tossing and turning. I wear an Oura Ring and track my sleep trends, but pregnancy adds so many variables that I wouldn’t attribute changes in my sleep scores to the Chilipad alone. I still wake up to use the bathroom and have frequent Charlie horses and restless leg syndrome (fun). But at least temperature is one less thing to worry about. I’ll be especially excited to see how my sleep score changes due to Chilipad when I’m not pregnant. For my husband though, he’s seen sleep scores as high as 95 since we’ve started using it.

Is the Chilipad 2.0 worth it?

I think it depends on how much your sleeping temperature affects your rest. The Chilipad is undeniably a luxury wellness purchase at $1599+, and I don’t think everyone needs it. I’d always prioritize investing in a supportive, organic mattress first, and if you’re sleeping comfortably with breathable bedding or a fan, you probably don’t need to spend this kind of money.

That said, if you’ve tried more affordable solutions and still struggle with night sweats or overheating, I can see why the Chilipad has such a loyal following. It works with your existing mattress, comes in single- and dual-zone configurations, and offers financing and potential HSA/FSA eligibility.

For us, since we live in a hot climate, it’s been worth it. The Chilipad hasn’t made our sleep perfect, but it’s made our bed significantly more comfortable, and after years of trying to cool my husband down, I still find it funny that our first problem was making his side too cold.

A bed with a dark, textured cooling topper, a wooden frame, and a bedside lamp in front of sheer curtains.
Instruction manual for a Chilipad sleep system placed on top of its black storage case.
Kayti Christian is a Senior Content Strategist at Good Gear. With an MFA in Nonfiction Creative Writing, her work has appeared in TODAY, Shondaland, and The New York Times. Since 2017, Kayti has been uncovering and reviewing the best sustainable home brands and wellness products. Her personal journey through four years of fertility treatments has inspired her to write extensively about women’s healthcare and reproductive access. Beyond her work at The Good Trade, she is the cohost of the FriedEggs Podcast, which delves into IVF and infertility.