Cooling vs Gel

Different Cooling Mechanisms

CoolTouch® phase-change fabric and gel-infused memory foam use fundamentally different cooling mechanisms:

CoolTouch® Phase-Change Fabric (Q-Max 0.38): • Active heat absorption: PCM micro-capsules absorb and store body heat when skin temperature rises above 35°C. • Instant cooling: Q-Max 0.38 provides a strong cool-to-touch sensation on skin contact. • Sustained cooling: The PCM continuously absorbs heat across the 8-hour sleep cycle. • Applied at the surface: CoolTouch® is in the fabric cover; the layer in direct contact with skin.

Gel-Infused Memory Foam: • Passive heat distribution: Gel particles dispersed in memory foam have higher thermal conductivity than the surrounding foam, distributing heat more evenly through the foam volume. • No instant cooling: Gel foam does not provide a strong cool-to-touch sensation (Q-Max typically 0.15–0.20). • Reduces heat retention: Gel foam is approximately 50% better at heat distribution than standard memory foam, but it still retains more heat than breathable fibre fills. • Applied in the core: Gel is inside the foam; not at the skin surface.

The key difference: CoolTouch® actively absorbs heat at the skin surface. Gel passively distributes heat within the foam core. CoolTouch® is significantly more effective at providing a cooling sensation.

AATCC Test Method 195. | Journal of Cellular Plastics (2020).

Q-Max and Effectiveness

The Q-Max ratings tell the story clearly:

• CoolTouch® phase-change fabric: Q-Max 0.38 W/cm²; strong active cooling • Gel-infused memory foam surface: Q-Max ~0.15–0.20 W/cm²; minimal cooling sensation • Standard memory foam: Q-Max ~0.10–0.15 W/cm²; no cooling

Gel foam is better than standard memory foam (it reduces heat retention by 50%), but it does not provide the strong cooling sensation of phase-change fabric. The Q-Max difference (0.38 vs 0.15–0.20) means CoolTouch® provides approximately 2–2.5× the instant cooling of gel foam.

Additionally, gel foam's cooling is limited by the foam itself: • Memory foam is dense and low-conductivity; even with gel, it still traps more heat than breathable fibre fills. • Gel distributes heat within the foam but does not remove it from the foam; heat still accumulates over the sleep cycle. • CoolTouch®'s PCM absorbs heat and stores it in the micro-capsules, preventing it from returning to the skin surface.

For maximum cooling, CoolTouch® is clearly superior to gel. For improved memory foam (if you need the pressure relief), gel is better than standard memory foam, but still inferior to CoolTouch®.

AATCC Test Method 195. | University of Vermont Textile Science Lab (2021).

The Best Approach: Combine Both

Rather than choosing between CoolTouch® and gel, the best approach combines both technologies for multi-layer cooling. This is exactly what The Sleep Lab™ GLACIO® CoolGel® Memory + Cell Pillow does:

Layer 1 (surface): GLACIO® mineral-infused fibres (Q-Max 0.31); active surface cooling through mineral thermal conductivity Layer 2 (cover): TENCEL™ Lyocell; 50% more breathable than cotton, 50% faster moisture management Layer 3 (core): CoolGel® memory foam; 50% better heat distribution than standard memory foam, provides pressure relief

This multi-layer system provides: • Active surface cooling (GLACIO® Q-Max 0.31) • Superior moisture management (TENCEL™) • Improved heat distribution in the core (CoolGel®) • Pressure relief and spinal alignment (memory foam)

For the CoolTouch® Memory Contour Pillow, the approach is different but complementary: CoolTouch® phase-change fabric (Q-Max 0.38) wrapping ventilated contour memory foam. This provides the strongest active cooling (CoolTouch®) combined with the spinal alignment of ventilated memory foam (which allows airflow through the foam, unlike solid memory foam).

Both approaches provide cooling that gel alone cannot match; by combining active surface cooling with improved core heat management.

AATCC Test Method 195. | Sleep Lab™ Product Data.