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The Elegear Arc-Chill is not exactly a gadget or piece of consumer technology as such, but I have covered a lot of fitness and health technology. Sleep is essential for both fitness and general health, and I have a bit of an obsession with trying to improve the quality of my sleep.
I have had lifelong sleep problems and wake up a lot in the night. I seem to have a problem with heat regulation. I’m often too hot going to sleep, then my body cools down and I wake up cold, so I put a thicker blanket on, then wake up again too hot, and the cycle repeats.
During the warmer months, I am just too hot in general, though I think I sleep a bit better because I don’t have the cycle of being hot and cold.
Similarly, my partner struggles really badly with being too hot, and she is one of them people that always has to have a blanket on her.
The Elegear Arc-Chill aims to solve some of our problems. It claims to use a fabric that has a cooling technology that can absorb your body heat, reducing skin temperature by 2 to 5°C instantly. I was, and still am, sceptical of such claims, but I will try anything to improve my sleep!
Elegear Arc-Chill Cooling Blanket Discount
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Elegear Cooling Blanket for Night Sweats, Q-Max 0.5... | Buy on Amazon |
Elegear have supplied me a 10% discount code for this blanket which expires on the 31st of December 2023
Discount Code: 6IBCHQPY
Features
- Elegear summer cool blanket uses Japanese Arc-Chill cool technology fabric (Q-Max 0.43) can brilliantly absorb your body heat, reducing skin temperature by 2 to 5°C instantly (Others’ Q-Max cooling rating=0.2). It takes time for a blanket to dissipate heat, so opening air conditioners and fans can add cooling.
- The cool side is made of special 80% mica nylon and the top 20% PE cool fabric, suitable for summer use. The back is made of 100% cotton, which can be used in spring and autumn or all seasons.
- Summer cool bed blanket fabric features proprietary jade stone particles, making it softer to the touch. Meanwhile, the 100% cotton features excellent breathability, is hypoallergenic and safe for babies and toddlers.
- The cooling blanket is lightweight and easy to carry, you can use it for bed, sofa, chair, car, airplane even office or travel, so it is also a multi-purpose blanket. Multiple Size: 130X170cm blanket is for a single bed. Queen size (150X200cm) blanket is for a double bed. 200X220cm blanket is for a double/king size bed.
- These blankets are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified and can be machine washed lower 30°C. Cool materials cannot withstand high temperatures, so please dry them in a low-temperature place, not drying, not ironing, not dry cleaning, not bleaching.
The science behind the cooling blanket
Being sceptical about a lot of things companies claimed, I looked into the claims made and tried to see if I could find out if it was all marketing fluff or genuinely innovative tech. The answer isn’t clear.
Arc-Chill is the actual product brand, Elegear appears to be the company selling the product, with several other brands selling what appears to be the same or similar products.
Arc-Chill claim to be a company with a focus on s research and development of cooling fibres. Their website is even designed to give the appearance of an R&D company.
They have three product ranges, Arc-Chill Natural, Pro and Extreme, with this blanket being an Extreme. They produce a collection of pillowcases, blankets, and comforters in various sizes and claim their collection is one of the most popular items from Japan.
They claim the Arc-Chill Collection is cool to the touch through contact cooling. Mineral rock-infused fibres provide a cooling sensation when you first make contact with the cooling side.
For one of the most popular items, I can’t seem to find many references to them online. It is, however, an extremely popular product on Amazon with nearly 22k reviews and a rating of 4.4. I know Amazon reviews are not the most reliable, but you’d think that has to be a good indicator of quality and performance.
Jade Infused
The product packaging states that the nylon/polyester fibre incorporates jade nano-particles which wick away humidity from the skin. They say jade has long been used for health care and beauty treatments and that it can promote skin metabolism, maintain skin moisture, relieve muscle fatigue and relax the body.
As far as I can tell, there is no scientific evidence to support the use of jade for the treatment of any condition or any health benefits in general.
Q-max and Thermal Effusivity
They also use a measurement called Q-max. They claim that Q-max is used to assess the surface cool sensations of a garment fabric. Simulating initial touch when shopping or when donning the fabric in wear, the Q-max value largely depends on the contact area between skin and fabric surface. A higher value of Q-max denotes that there is more rapid movement of heat from the body to the fabric surface, resulting in a cooler feeling. The Q-max value of ordinary fabric is about 0.2, and the Q-max of Arc-Chill fabric is above 0.4, which belongs to the super cold series.
This seems to relate to Thermal Effusivity, but there are limited references for the measurement Q-max. Thermal effusivity seems to be measured in watts per meter-kelvin.
The company C-Therm appears to be reputable, stating they are a world leader in thermal conductivity instrumentation for test and measurement of polymers, ceramics, composites, insulation, textiles, and a wide range of other materials. They do reference Q-Max here.
While I can’t verify the claims of Arc-Chill, I have found some useful Q-Max comparisons.
The Q-Max value of the Arc-Chill blanket is higher than competing materials that are well known for their cooling. Interesting, the values I have found do not match the 0.2 value Arc-Chill reference.
Silk has always been famous for being a cooling material, and this is just 0.19. Similarly, you will find a lot of bamboo sheets on Amazon that claim to be cooling, and this is just 0.15.
Material & Appearance
The sheet itself looks nice enough. It’s just a sheet at the end of the day. I was sent it in grey, and there are two different texture patterns on each side.
The two sides feel a bit like how you’d expect based on the product description. One side has a soft cotton feel, while the other has that silky feel you get from nylon/polyester. You can tell it’s synthetic rather than silk or organic, but it feels nice on the skin (if you like the silk feel).
As you’d expect, the material is thin, and this is a very light blanket. My partner needed some weight, so she had to use a weighted blanket on top of it.
Sleep Quality – Did I feel cooler sleeping?
It is a bit hard to do an objective assessment of this. My bedroom temperature is still quite cool, so I don’t think I can appreciate the 2°C to 5°C instant cooling effect. I do feel cool when I get in bed and a bit too cool to start off with, so perhaps it is working.
As it has been cool in my room, I have also used this with a weighted blanket, and it seems to be a good combination, providing the comfort of some weight while I remain cool.
I don’t seem to be waking up hot or cold as much as I used to, so there does seem to be some subjective improvement in my sleep.
My partner has used this separately, and she has also had a similar positive experience.
Overall, I am happy enough with this blanket that it will be used permanently on the bed, and I will probably experiment a bit more with different blankets and materials as the weather warms up and update this review.
Price and Alternative Options
Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Elegear Cooling Blanket for Night Sweats, Q-Max 0.5... | Buy on Amazon |
The Elegear 200x220cm cooling blanket I was sent has been around £40 since January 2023. This is suitable for a double or king.
At the time of writing (29th of April), the 130x170cm size, which is suitable for single beds, is £29, and there is a 10% off voucher available. The double is £32 with a 15% off voucher available.
If you search Arc-Chill on Amazon, you will find many other brands offering similar products, and they are all well-reviewed.
Overall
It is hard to form an objective opinion of this product. There was no way I could accurately test the claims.
I can’t say that it feels like my skin temperature reduces by 2°C to 5°C instantly, but the blanket does feel cooler than the other blankets I have used. With it being April, the temperature in the bedroom hasn’t been that hot, so I may need to update this review in the summer months. That being said, I feel like my issues with temperature regulation have been as bad, and I have continued to use the blanket and will likely use this permanently.
I am still sceptical of the claims made, and I am particularly sceptical of the benefits of jade nanomaterials and if they even exist in this product.
However, I am happy to recommend this blanket, it does seem to help, and at £40, it is relatively affordable compared to a lot of other cooling solutions for sleeping.
I like it enough that I have also bought the pillowcases. I hate warm pillows, so this may be a better test for the cooling performance.
Originally posted on mightygadget.co.uk – Follow on Twitter – Instagram – Facebook – Mighty Gadget Latest Reviews
Elegear Arc-Chill Cooling Blanket Review Rating
Summary
I can’t confirm the accuracy of the cooling claims, and the jade nanoparticles are a suspicious marketing claim. However, I like the blanket, it is subjectively cooler than the other blankets I have used, and I plan to use this permanently.
Overall
75%-
Overall - 75%
75%
Pros
- Seems to be better for cooling than normal materials
Cons
- Some questionable scientific claims about the materials
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Last update on 2024-11-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API