All the Best Cooling Sleep Gear (That We’ve Written About on the Strategist)

Coolingsheets

According to Strategist bedding expert Lauren Ro,cooling sheetstypically fall into two categories: sheets that promote air circulation and sheets that wick away moisture from sweaty sleepers. This set from Quince is best if you’re looking for some breathability, which can help with overheating, and lead to more restful nights. Ro says the sheets are “the crispest and most lightweight of all the bedding I have tried over the years.” She even felt cool sleeping in them during a summer heat wave with just the ceiling fan on, no AC.

If you prefer soft and silky sheets over crisp sheets, you’re better off with thesesateen sheetsfrom Silk & Snow. They’re made from 100 percent certified long-staple Egyptian cotton, which is known for its breathability, durability, and softness. The sheetsfelt a little more lightweight than other sateen sheets made from Egyptian cotton, according to Ro.

Ro says linen is “a great choice for hot sleepers if you prefer a bit more heft in your bedding, as opposed to the cloudlike quality of cotton.” We recommend these sheets from Brooklinen, which are theStrategist’s favorite starter sheets, for their relative affordability and how light they feel.

Lyocell, otherwise known as eucalyptus, is an eco-friendly option for cooling sheets. Strategist contributor Lori Keong says the plant fibers soak up ten times less water than cotton, and the fabric itself is extra breathable. Sheets & Giggles specializes in lyocell sheets, andDr. Margarita Oks, a pulmonologist at Lenox Hill Hospital, is a big fan of the brand’s sheets, which feel “so nice on somebody’s skin when they’re sweating at night,” she says.

If you’re looking for something that promises breathabilityandmoisture wicking, a set of Tencel is your best bet. Ben Trapskin, the founder of bedding-review siteYawnder, says the fabric is “better at absorbing moisture than most other fibers, making it great for sweaty sleepers,” and recommends this set because it’s made from a Tencel-cotton blend, which will give the sheets a more familiar feel for Tencel newbies. Plus, Tencel is naturally wrinkle-resistant and sustainable, so the sheets will look good and be good for the environment.

Itispossible to sleep insupersoft sheetswithout drowning in sweat overnight. The solution is bamboo sheets, which get high marks from sleep doctors for being soft, hypoallergenic, eco-friendly, and cool to the touch. These sheets in particular come recommended by Anishka Clarke, a co-owner ofIshka Designs, who says they’re “softer than you’d imagine. Supersoft. Like, baby soft on your skin” and extremely durable, generally lasting twice as long as cotton. The set comes in a variety of classic colors, including a shimmery sky blue and subtle stone gray.

You can still achieve that supersoft-cooling dichotomy with this highly affordable set of bamboo sheets that Ro says felt as silky as real silk. “They’re incredibly soft to the touch, drape well, and still look great after several washes,” she says. “And sleeping in them feels incredibly luxurious.”

For the non-organic conscious, these sheets are even more affordable. Airbnb hostBrandon Leesays these 100 percent bamboo-rayon sheets “outperform almost every other bedsheet fabric I’ve tried including linen, cotton, and Egyptian silk.” He adds, this set is “not only softer and more lightweight” than other fabrics but moisture wicking too.

Coolingpillows

Similar to cooling sheets,cooling pillowsalso fall into two categories: breathable pillows and physically cold pillows. Our favorite cooling pillow overall falls into the former because it’s filled with a mix of shredded latex and a natural fiber called kapok that allow for optimized airflow, lightness, and breathability. You can even adjust the filling yourself by unzipping the pillow’s inner case and removing some filling or adding more filling from the extra bag of fill that’s included with the pillow. “This adjustability, combined with high-quality breathable materials and a fair price of just over $100 per pillow, make the Avocado Green pillow my top pick for a cooling pillow,”explains our sleep writer Amelia Jerden.

You should consider buying amemory-foam cooling pillowif you’re looking for a balance of support and comfort. This option from Tempur-Pedic “has large gel pads on both sides that span nearly the whole surface and genuinely feel cool to the touch,” Jerden writes. “And because there is a gel pad on each side, you can always flip the pillow over if you still start to feel too warm.” And since this pillow has a fairly high loft, it’s agreat pick for side sleepers, according to Jerden.

Jerden happily sleeps on thislatex pillowyear-round, but it’s particularly effective at keeping you cool during summer months because of its perforated-latex core and Purple’s signature gel grid. She named it ourbest pillow for back sleepersbecause she’s primarily a back sleeper. I’m a stomach sleeper, though, and sleep on it every night with pleasure. Past comfort, Jerden writes, “One of its greatest qualities is how cool it stays.” She adds, “I often get a nice initial blast of coolness when I lie down for the night, after the pillow has gone untouched all day, and even as that initial coolness dissipates, I do not overheat.”

PlushBeds took the benefits of an all-down pillow (namely, its cushy, fluffy, and moldable feel) and replaced the cotton cover you’ll typically see on similar pillows with one that’s cooling, thermoregulating, and moisture wicking. When Jerden tested it, the cover “didn’t feel as strikingly cool to the touch as the covers on other cooling pillows I’ve tried, but it was noticeably cooler than a standard cotton cover,” she says. Still, it’s her favorite down option for hot sleepers — especially those who sleep on their back or stomach. (She recommends a pillow with more support — like the adjustable pillow from Avocado above — for side sleepers.)

If you’d prefer a down-alternative pillow, we recommend this one which is extra ecofriendly because it uses a synthetic fill made from recycled plastic bottles and a Tencel pillow cover that’s derived from wood pulp. Jerden found the pillow to have a pleasantly cool feel, and since it comes in three firmness levels, it caters to every sleeping position. While Jerden says the soft model is ideal for stomach sleepers, she recommends the medium and firm models for back and side sleepers.

“Silk is one of the most luxurious — and cooling — materials out there,” writes Jerden, and this pillow is filled with mulberry silk, “so it is not only incredibly plush and soft, but also stays quite cool.” Plus, the cover is made of bamboo viscose, a great fabric for temperature regulation and wicking away moisture, so you can enjoy a soft pillow without suffering from night sweats.

As Jerden sees it, Casper’s snow pillow is something of a foam sandwich: “With two slabs of polyurethane foam as the bread and synthetic fiber fill in between,” the pillow is “supportive, without being overly firm, and plush, without being too solid or dense.” It gets its cooling power from a “phase-change material” cover to give the pillow a cool-to-the-touch feel and Casper’s HeatDelete bands of gel on the outer foam layers. This translates to it being a solid pillow for back sleepers and side sleepers looking for neck support and a pillow that never overheats.

Coolingmattresses

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past year that I’ve been sleeping on Leesa’s Legend Chill mattress, it’s that it can sometimes gettoocold. Especially on winter days when I’ve kept the heat off in my bedroom to lower my electricity bill, getting into bed at the end of the night feels akin to hopping in an ice bath. After a few minutes of absorbing my body heat, the mattress warms up a bit, but I still never overheat throughout the night. As a true “medium” mattress, the mattress is soft enough that I can sink into it while still getting enough back and hip support to prevent morning aches. To put it simply, Jerden says, it’s “an effective cooling mattress with a medium feel that works for every sleeping position.”

The makers of Jerden’s favorite pillow also offer a cooling gel mattress, which is our favorite affordable cooling mattress. The Purple mattress is made in part from a proprietary polymer material that’s known for being moldable and has been used in medical beds, Dr. Scholl’s soles, and toy balls. As such, it’s best for those who sleep hot and “want contouring without the ‘swallowing’ feel of memory foam,” according to Jerden, who tested it herself. Unlike foam mattresses, which typically trap heat, this one is airy and cool enough that Jerden frequently felt cold in bed, even when the weather was fairly warm. “I could feel air flowing through the gridded top layer when I moved around — almost like little puffs coming through the surface,” she reports.

Thanks to interior cooling foam and a cooling cover, this all-foam mattress from Tempur-Pedic is one of the most effective cooling mattresses Jerden has ever tried. “Every time I lay down on the mattress, I felt the cover’s coolness — even through my sheets and mattress protector,” she writes. “My partner, Sam, even noted that on chillier nights, he occasionally felttoocold on this mattress.” Of course cooling is important, but the mattress is comfortable, too, especially for back and side sleepers who need extra pressure relief. Unlike other foam mattresses, this one conforms to the body so slowly that it’s almost imperceptible and made Jerden feel as if she were floating.

Strategist writer Arielle Avila says, “I didn’t really understand what the phrasesoft yet supportivemeant until I slept on the Mint, but that’s exactly how I’d describe it.” We named it thebest affordable cooling foam mattressbecause it features extra cooling layers and a medium firmness that works for multiple sleep styles. As for the mattress’s cooling abilities, she adds, “There were a couple nights I forgot to turn my fan on and didn’t wake up drenched. My boyfriend, who runs hot like I do, remarked he didn’t get as hot sleeping on this mattress.”

Compared to many of our other favorite mattresses, which are made from polyurethane foams, Birch’s mattress is constructed with all-natural materials like organic cotton and wool. There’s also some latex in there to prevent heat from getting trapped within the mattress, but Jerden says the “layer of wool — known for its thermoregulating properties — and the cotton cover should allow for more airflow than synthetics would.” Our tester, senior writer Liza Corsillo, never overheated while sleeping on the mattress. She found it isolated motion well, too: “My husband tosses and turns, but I never feel it unless he actually bumps into me,” Corsillo says.

Should money be no object, we suggest Purple’s RestorePremier mattress as a luxe option “that works for all sleeping positions — and stays cool.” When Strategist senior editor Crystal Martin tested it, she found the mattress felt slightly cool to the touch and stayed noticeably cooler than foam mattresses she slept on previously. As a combination back, stomach, and side sleeper who needed a more supportive mattress, she appreciated the GelFlex Grid that flexes under pressure but gave the mattress what she describes as a “slightly suspended feel.” It’s like “wearing an excellent running shoe compared to a just-okay running shoe,” she says.

Coolingmattresstoppers

If you’re not game to buy anentirenew mattress, Jerden says anew toppercanchange the feel and cooling abilities of the one you already own. Our favorite contains phase-change material, which adjusts your bed’s temperature depending on your body: When you’re hot, the material liquifies” to absorb heat to keep you cool, and when you’re cool, “the material solidifies, trapping in the heat,” explains Joshua Tal, a psychologist specializing in sleep disorders. This one is one of the thicker options on this list, which allows you to achieve the trifecta of cooling, cushioning, and comfort. And unlike many memory-foam toppers that are spot-clean only, this one has a machine-washable cover.

ViscoSoft also makes a more affordable topper with gel-infused foam (rather than the copper-infused foam in our top pick) that gives that “classic memory-foam feel with minimal heat retention,” according to Jerden. The brand brought down the cost further by trading the Active Cooling topper’s phase-change material cover for a bamboo rayon cover that’s temperature regulating and moisture wicking. “If you don’t want to spend $400 on a mattress topper, if you want thinner options, or if you want a slightly softer feel than the Active Cooling topper provides, this is your best best,” Jerden says.

This option from Saatva combines graphite and memory foam to create a topper that’s plushandcooling. “It contoured around my body with a nice balance of cushioning and support,” Jerden writes. As for its cooling capabilities, she says, “This one doesn’t feel cool to the touch, but it also didn’t feel noticeably hot. I like that on top of the graphite infusions, this topper has a breathable organic-cotton cover with straps to secure it in place on your mattress.”

We recommend the Layla topper if you find yourself preferring afirmer mattress. It’s on the thinner side compared to others on this list but has fairly dense foam, so Jerden says when she tested it, “I sank into the foam quite slowly — it molded around my body the longer I lay on it, ultimately providing excellent pressure relief.” Like the other infused toppers, this one will prevent you from overheating without actually feeling cool to the touch.

It’s a bit of a splurge, but this topper, which is latex, is ideal if you like a bouncier, more responsive feel and want something made from natural materials, according to Jerden. It’s available in two thicknesses (two inches and three inches) and two firmnesses (medium and plush), meaning you can customize it according to your sleeping preferences. After sleeping on it for four months, Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio has found it provides great pressure relief on her joints and lower back, like memory foam would, but doesn’t overheat.

Perhaps you’re looking for a topper that provides a little extra support or maybe your mattress is sagging — either way, a micro-coil topper will give your mattress the extra structure and bounce it needs. The topper has a cooling cover made from Helix’s cool-to-the-touch GlacioTex fabric that, paired with the airflow derived from the springs, makes it ideal for hot sleepers. Not to mention, “the topper is really quite comfortable: It has enough foam to sink into to feel pressure relief, but the coils add enough extra oomph that it doesn’t become a total sinky-foam fest,” Jerden writes.

This cover isn’t exactly a mattress topper, but it goes on top of your mattress and allows you to completely control the temperature of your mattress, so I’ve included it here. You can control the device through an app, which directs water through internal tubing in the cover and allows you to cool or heat the bed to a temperature of your choosing between 55 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit. (You can even control each side of the bed independently if you share a bed with someone or just want more flexibility.) “In addition to cooling and heating, the Pod Cover can track sleep-health metrics like your heart rate and sleep stages. It also has vibration and thermal alarms, and you can enable automatic temperature adjustments to keep your body temperature stable throughout the night,” Jerden writes. Though you’ll have to pay at least $17 a month to access some of the features.

Though effective, the Eight Pod cover is definitely not a budget-friendly option. This affordable alternative has earned the stamp of approval from Pariso who has tried everything to combat her night sweats, and you can read more of her praise of the devicehere. Similar to the Eight Pod above, this system can be set to an exact temperature anywhere from 55 to 115 degrees by using the provided remote control. “The biggest difference between thiscooling sleep systemand the Eight Sleep definitely seems to lie in all the extra features Eight Sleep offers (sleep tracking, automatic adjustments, vibration alarms, app controls, and so on,” Jerden writes. So if you’re willing to sacrifice those extra features, you should go with this option. Plus, the Chilipad system comes in two versions: Me or We, with Me covering half the bed and We covering the whole bed.

Unlike the water-powered cooling systems above, this one is powered by “warm or cool air that is pushed through the topper by mini-fans in the corners or at the foot of the topper depending on which size you get,” according to Jerden. You won’t be able to control its temperature to the exact degree, but it benefits from a burst button that triggers five extra minutes of cooling air for those extra toasty nights. You’ll also be able to control the temperature of each side of the topper, making it ideal for couples with different temperature preferences.

Coolingcomforters

“Just because you sleep hot doesn’t mean you have to forgo the cozy feeling of acomforterat night,” writes Ro. For anyone in that predicament, she recommends Brooklinen’s all-season down comforter, which has a smooth, cool-to-the-touch sateen shell and evenly distributed feathers and down. If you sleep extra-hot, she says, “Going down a fill level to thelightweightoption would make it feel even more cooling and breathable.”

If you’d rather opt for a down-alternative comforter — whether that be for environmental or budgeting reasons — this one from Slumber Cloud has a similar cool-to-the-touch cover. It’s filled with Outlast ClimaDry polyester, “a NASA-engineered fiber that keeps you cool by absorbing and storing heat and regulating moisture as you sleep,” Ro says.

Linespa’s comforter may forgo the fancy technology of the Slumber Cloud, but it’s hard to find a comforter that’s more budget-friendly. Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen, who sleeps with it year-round, says, “It’s definitely on the thin, less fluffy side compared to other comforters I’ve owned, but I think that’s what helps with the airflow.”

While the above options from Brooklinen and Slumber Cloud have cool-to-the-touch covers, this one from Pottery Barn saves hot sleepers with its actively cooling fill made from proprietary37.5 technology. Focusing on night sweats, “the special 37.5 fiber is designed to absorb moisture from your body and speed evaporation, keeping you cool and dry throughout the night,” writes Ro.

More like a quilt than a fluffy comforter, this organic cotton comforter from Coyuchi comes recommended by Lauren Williams, founder ofLauren Jayne Design. “I love it for its versatility, as it can be used as a lightweight duvet insert or a stand-alone comforter,” she adds.

Wool is another option for anyone who’d rather not have a comforter made of down or polyester. This comforter is handcrafted from wool that’s encased in an organic cotton shell. Williams is also a fan of this one and says, “Everything is sustainably sourced and of the highest quality.”

This maytechnicallybe a quilt, but it functions the same as the lightweight Coyuchi comforter above, making it “ideal for sleepers who prefer a coverlet over something lofty and bulky,” Ro says. It’s a favorite of Strategist deputy editor Simone Kitchens and Williams, who calls it “luxurious and durable.”

Coolingweightedblankets

Aweighted blanketcan be soothing, but in hot weather its heaviness can be unpleasant. Luckily, we like this cooling weighted option from Bearaby. It’s our favorite because it’s crafted with large yarn loops, which help circulate air, making it exceptionally breathable and cooling, despite its 15-pound weight. “The yarn’s organic Tencel Lyocell fiber further contributes to the blanket’s cooling properties, as it’s a material that’s known to be silky, smooth, and moisture-wicking,” Ro adds.

Like the cooling sheets above, you can also consider a weighted blanket made with bamboo. This one is smooth, silky, cool to the touch, and comes at one of the more affordable prices in this list.

Coolingpajamas

This pair of PJs is made of a breathable, moisture-wicking bamboo viscose that never causes Strategist associate editor Jenna Milliner-Waddell to wake up in a sweat, unlike with otherpajamasshe owns. Milliner-Waddell tries to stay in them for as long as she can in the morning and says, “I just feel important in them,” perhaps because they’re alsobelovedby Oprah.

These cooling PJs are an affordable alternative to the Cozy Earth pair above and are my pajamas of choice as soon as temperatures rise above 45 degrees thanks to their buttery, breathable fabric. Pariso agrees: She found that the lightweight pima cotton that the set is made of was not only “so, so soft” but kept her cool through the night. One thing to note: The set shrinks slightly the first time you put it through a washer, so we recommend sizing up if you prefer a looser fit. No matter the fit, you should air-dry the set to prolong its lifetime.

Coolingsleepmasks

Sleep masks are one of the most commonly recommended items in the Strategist’s celebrity interview column “What I Can’t Live Without.” This bundle includes DJ Steve Aoki’s favorite sleep mask and a pair of interchangeable eye cups that you can pop in the freezer for ice-cold relief. I previously recommended the bundle for headaches, but they also cooled me down on days when my AC unit wasn’t cutting it. On days when the weather is more frigid, you can swap out the cooling eye cups for the standard foam pair and sleep nice and cozy.

Weighted sleep masks offer the same stress-relieving benefits as their blanket counterpart and you can throw this one in the freezer to turn it into a cooling sleep mask that also blocks light. The nine-ounceNodpod sleep maskgets its weight from little beads inside it that retain the cold temperature that will keep you cool on warm summer nights.

Coolingsleepgadgetsandsystems

If you’ve never heard of aclimate control sleep systembefore, it’s best described as a central-air unit for under your covers. The device is expensive, but Strategist contributor Claire Zulkey says it was worth every penny (before buying the gadget, she’d have to change her pajamas in the middle of the night and deal with a pile of sweat in the morning). You’ll have to get used to a whirring white noise similar to an AC unit and a gentle air-current feeling, but Zulkey says it was easy to set up and transformed her sleep quality and by proxy, her life: “I finally got my sleep back consistently (I can even warm the sheets before I get in bed on cold nights.) I do a lot less laundry. I wake up feeling like a person and not a slime monster,” she writes.

In reality, most floor fans will serve you well while you’re sleeping, but this one landed in ourStrategist Sleep 100because it’s both good-looking and effective. Strategist writer Tembe Denton-Hurst owns two of them and has been aHoneywell evangelistsince 2016. Don’t expect it to cool the whole room (we have an entireBest in Class article dedicated to fans of that caliber). Instead, it provides a concentrated blast of air that Denton-Hurst describes fondly as “person-size.” As such, she takes it around the house with her: “I often sit it by the bed for a little extra cooling while I sleep or point it toward me while I work.”