BedJet review: A climate control system for people who sleep hot

The BedJet is an ingenious invention designed to keep you comfortable in bed.

The BedJet's blower sends hot or cool air, depending on your preference, through a hose that is connected to the provided comforter. The comforter, which is more like a dual-layer flat sheet, fills with air that keeps you comfortable. The "smart" label comes into play because you can pair the BedJet with your phone using the app. This allows you to program different temperature settings throughout the night.

"My endurance-runner partner, who has dealt with night sweats his whole life, has never slept better than with this device. And best of all, we have a Dual Zone Cloud Sheet that keeps all the frigid air on his side so my sleep habits don't have to change. He absolutely swears by it, even claiming that his sleep has never been better" — Samantha Crozier, style editor, Insider Reviews.

Why consider the BedJet?

If you are a regular viewer of the hit entrepreneurial TV show "Shark Tank," the BedJet may sound familiar. In 2015, company founder Mark Aramli had an infamous presentation on the show. Lori Greiner refused to invest in Aramli's invention after he rudely ignored her questions. Since then, they appear to have buried the hatchet since the BedJet has appeared on QVC, where Greiner hosts a show.

Aramli founded BedJet after working at United Technologies as an engineer developing the heating and cooling systems of astronaut's spacesuits for NASA. Based in Newport, Rhode Island, BedJet is a tech company with the goal of "reimagining the bedroom and sleep experience." Currently, its only products are the BedJet V2 and the AirComforter.

What BedJet systems are there?

• BedJet 3 Climate Comfort Sleep System: This comes with the BedJet and a wireless remote control. However, it doesn't come with a sheet, which may be preferable if you'd like to use your own sheets.
• Cloud Sheet: The Cloud Sheet comes in twin XL, queen, and king. You can get a version that distributes air to the whole bed or get one with a divider between the two sides so the temperature on one side doesn't affect the temp on the other. The sheet with the divider is the most common configuration since couples usually have one person who is ok with the bedroom temperature, and the other needs it extra cool.
• BedJet Dual Zone Climate Comfort Sleep System: The bundle comes with two BedJets and remotes plus the AirComforter. So, people sharing a bed can control their separate sides regardless of the ambient temperature.

My first experiences with the BedJet

All of the pieces of my BedJet setup came in five boxes: two boxes for each of the blowers, two boxes for each of the stands, and one for the AirComforter. As with any technology that's new to me, I was overwhelmed, and the 60-page user manual (half of it is the French translation) added to the intimidation. However, with the "help" of my four-year-old, who likely slowed things down, I had it installed and ready to go in about 30 minutes. And, in five more minutes, I had the app downloaded and paired with my BedJet.

At the foot of the bed, the AirComforter has two holes on either side of each corner. You can choose to have the air blow directly from the foot of the bed or from the side. I initially chose to set up my AirComforter with the air blowing in from the foot because I figured the cool air would reach me more efficiently this way. This worked well, but since I like to sleep with my feet uncovered, my feet kept kicking the air nozzle. I easily remedied this by moving it to the side.

The BedJet definitely takes some getting used to. The air blowing over my body felt a little weird at first. And, it takes a little trial and error to figure out which settings are right for you. The base unit and hose also look pretty strange next to the bed. As I gave tours of our new home, the setup was always a conversation piece with visitors often wondering if it was a CPAP machine.

If you sleep with a fan running or are used to other sounds in your bedroom while sleeping, the BedJet shouldn't bother you. My fan is on year-round so the noise of the blower didn't bother me and was actually welcoming. I'd compare the noise level to somewhere between a box fan on high and your typical window AC unit.

How the BedJet performed

As we got situated in our new home, I was able to use the BedJet on a few beds. We started with a queen-size mattress on the floor. The biggest annoyance with this was that the vertical BedJet base unit was taller than the bed, which provided me with something to easily kick or knock over as I got into and out of bed.

Once we had a bed frame, the arrangement was much better. The base unit slid under the bed and was out of the way. Our current, permanent configuration is a king-size bed with a foundation that doesn't have any clearance. So, the base unit is mounted vertically to the side of the bed. This isn't a bad arrangement, but the BedJet still gets in the way as we walk around the bed. Positioning the BedJet under your bed is definitely the best option provided you have the clearance.

For me, the remote control was unnecessary. I controlled everything with the app, which has more functionality than the remote. The remote has buttons that mute the beeper, advance the timer, decrease and increase the airflow power, and turn turbo heat, normal heat, and cool mode on and off. The app is superior because it does everything the remote does while also telling you the air temperature in your room, the temperature of the air blowing into the comforter, the air flow power, and how much time is left on the timer.

The BedJet app is superior to the included remote.

My favorite app feature was the "biorhythm sleep sequence." Based on your gender, age, and whether you are usually cold in bed, hot in bed, or temperature neutral, it creates a heating/cooling program. For instance, as someone who is hot in bed, the biorhythm sleep sequence starts with six minutes of turbo heating, which sounds counterintuitive, but the initial heat induced drowsiness and made the subsequent cooling more pronounced. The majority of the sleep cycle is low air flow cooling. As morning approaches, the wake cycle switches things up by heating me back up again.

When programming the biorhythm sleep sequence, you have the ability to change each phases' timing, temperature, and airflow power. For instance, I liked to increase the total sleep cycle to eight hours because that's generally how much sleep I need. Each person is different, and it takes a little experimentation to find what works best for you.

There were frequently nights when my wife would crank the heat on her side of the bed, and I'd try to stay cool. Despite the dual zones, there was a little bleed over. Also, if I wanted to hold her while sleeping, it was difficult to do so without catching blasts of warm air. So, you may want to coordinate a common temperature or stay in separate zones.

I would be remiss if I didn't talk about how comfortable the AirComforter is. Despite its slightly confusing name, it's meant to replace your existing top sheet and go right underneath your regular comforter. It's made of 100% cotton and is quite soft. I was not able to find thread count information, though BedJet recommends using sheets that have a count of at least 250 so one would assume the sheet they provide is higher than that. Another perk of the comforter is that there is a tag sewn into it that tells you which side is the bottom.

Some concerns about the smart comforter

The BedJet is not a replacement for air conditioning. In fact, it doesn't have any special cooling agents in its design. For cooling, it simply takes the air in your room and pushes it into the comforter. So, when our air conditioner couldn't keep up with the heat wave that hit town, the BedJet was just circulating warm air in the comforter. The cooling abilities were severely hampered. BedJet warns that the ambient temperature in your room must be 79 degrees or lower for the unit to be effective.

The other pain point was the air nozzle. It would be nice if it attached more securely to the comforter. Using snaps, the comforter goes around the nozzle and clips to the hose mount. Many mornings I would wake up to find that the comforter came loose as I was kicking around in the night.

Lastly, I would like to see more high-tech future versions. I'm thinking a feedback loop where the BedJet can measure your skin's surface and adjust the temperature of the blowing air to help you achieve your ideal sleeping temp. Maybe, it could even determine your ideal sleeping temp by tracking how well you sleep at different temperatures. I might be getting a little too sci-fi and over-budget with this idea, but a good night's sleep is important, and this could help.

Positioning the BedJet under your bed is definitely the best option provided you have the clearance.

What others are saying about the smart comforter

The Sleep Judge recommends the BedJet V2 to people who need something warmer in cold climates or for individuals who sleep hot. The reviewer was impressed with how versatile it is and how easily you can personalize your comfort settings. However, they didn't like how the hose sticks out of the side of the bed, and the sheet clamps don't stay put.

Mattress Clarity also recommended this unit because it was easy to use and setup. The reviewer had a fever while testing this and found the BedJet was incredibly comforting. The only drawback she noted was that it took a bit of trial and error to figure out her personal airflow preferences. And, Tech Hive recommends the BedJet with reservations. The reviewer said it provides a better night's sleep, but the unit is expensive, bulky, and the fan produces a fair amount of noise.

Other alternatives you may consider

If you are a cold sleeper, the obvious alternative is an electric blanket. Compared to the BedJet, though, electric blankets have questionable safety, are harder to clean, and they don't heat as quickly. On the other hand, they are generally less expensive.

Of course, fans, AC units, and space heaters can be used to keep the ambient air temperature cooler or hotter, but they do not deliver the same efficiency and temperature extremes as the BedJet. Also, if you share a bed with someone with drastically different heating and cooling needs, changing the ambient air temperature would affect them.

Lastly, there is a newer product called the Chilipad Cube, which is a heating and cooling mattress pad that goes under you when you're sleeping. It works by circulating water through a network of small tubes. It also has dual zone capabilities. However, so far, it has received mixed reviews.

The BedJet V2 has a 4.4-star customer rating on Amazon based on more than 600 reviews.

Bottom line

Overall, I think the BedJet technology is still in its infancy.

There are plenty of reasons hot sleepers and cold sleepers might want to jump on the bandwagon, especially if they share a bed with someone who doesn't share their sleeping temperature. There are also several areas where the BedJet could be improved.

I enjoyed using the BedJet V2 and look forward to seeing how it performs during the frigid Midwest winter.