The Mattress Showroom Trick: Why Your "Cooling Mattress" Is Making You Sweat

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]You step into the mattress store and you start feeling the mattresses and the top of them are so cool and you're thinking this must be the one. This is the one that's going to help me stay cool all winter long. And then you get it home and all of a sudden you're cooking in that mattress again. So, what's the deal? How do you know if it's a real cooling mattress? How do you know if it's just hype? Well, I want you to look for three words, phase change material, PCM. So, what that is and I'll show you this on this pillow. This is a phase change material. It's a collection of minerals that cause a heat reaction that pulls the heat away from your skin.

[00:00:39]Now, it doesn't pull the heat away all like it doesn't make it cold forever. What it does is it pulls the heat away from you and allows for air to come through and take that heat away. So, it's all about airflow and it's about reducing the heat contact on your skin to the materials.

[00:01:00]That is what phase change material is.

[00:01:02]If you end up with a memory foam mattress that says it's a cooling mattress cuz it's got gel on it, that's not phase change material. Basically, what you're feeling is you're feeling the air conditioner of the store on the bed and that's what's keeping it cool. Need any more info? Come see us at Live Well.