The Moona Pillow Review: Cool Pillow For Hot Nights
By Oktay Ozadam
Although the Moona pillow system isn't officially for sale, its Kickstarter alone shows that it has already taken the market by storm—and it was featured in the CES 2019.
Its design is based on scientific evidence that proves body temperature and sleep quality are directly related.
It also uses water to deliver temperature regulation that you will help you get a better night's sleep and offers different temperature options to choose from.
Keep in mind, however, that the Moona hasn't been sold yet, so we don't have any first-hand accounts on how everything holds up. If you want to be one of the first to try it out, you have the option to pre-order—it will be available later this year! Soon enough we will know if it lives up to the hype, but for now, it seems like it is going to be a major player on the market.
Moona Pillow Review
How Moona Came to Be
While the Moona smart pillow system has not officially been released yet, you do have the option to preorder it in advance. It was designed by a French startup company who officially launched their Kickstarter project in the summer of 2018.
Their mission is to deliver a "smart" pillow system that improves your sleep thanks to its temperature regulation abilities—specifically around your head and neck.
If you are tired of flipping your pillow over during the night to cool off so you can get back to sleep, then the Moona electric cooling pillow system is designed to address just that.
Although the Moona cooling pillow pad is currently patent-pending, the company has undergone extensive processes to produce a product that should help you get a better night's sleep using water-based temperature regulation to keep you comfortable throughout the night.
So, How does It Work?
Now that you know a little bit about the company, you may be wondering just how a temperature regulating pillow works—after all many of us have spent years flipping our pillow and over throughout the night so that we can cool off and get back to sleep.
The Moona pillow system comes with a quiet water pump that you place on your nightstand next to your bed and uses to control the pillow's temperature setting. It offers three different temperatures settings—all ranging between 71 to 97 degrees Fahrenheit.
The water pump is connected to the pillow via a tube, which leads to the pillow's pad and delivers the temperature you choose directly to your head and neck.
The temperature-controlled pillow system is straightforward to set up and use—so it comes as no surprise to learn that the Moona pillow system's Kickstarter was fully funded in less than a day!
So, do cooling pillows work? Well, that is something you will have to find out for yourself, but there is plenty of evidence that backs up the science behind how temperature affects your sleep—and we will go over this in just a bit.
Comfort and Design
If you have a favorite pillow that you just cannot part with, then you will be happy to hear that the Moona pillow cooling system is compatible with any pillow—no matter what the type or size of the pillow.
Although this system provides you with a pillow that stays cold, it is important to go over the factors that may cause discomfort or may make you think twice about whether or not it is a good fit for you.
This system does have a water pump, tube, and pad that you have to place on top of your favorite pillow. However, it is made of memory foam, so it is designed to be comfortable and prevent any of its units from disturbing your sleep during the night.
The pillow's water channels sturdy but thin, and the system is infused with copper so that it keeps you cool throughout the night. It has been tested on several different materials, so it is safe to say that it is truly compatible with any pillow.
Overall, the Moona pillow system is designed to be really comfortable, and the water pump is compact and discreet—it actually just looks like your run of the mill smart speaker.
So, while it might sound like it isn't comfortable, it seems like the company has addressed all of the kinks to ensure that it won't disturb your sleep.
Everything It Has to Offer
Now that we have discussed how the pillow temperature regulating system work, you may be wondering what other features it has to offer—and let me tell you, there are several, so if you are looking for something that will help you sleep comfortably and improve your sleep then this is the way to go.
Aside from temperature regulation, the Moona also has built-in sensors that are designed to track the ambient lighting, temperature, and overall humidity in your room while you sleep.
The best feature the Moona offers, however, is the Moona app and the temperature profile you can develop to get a better night's sleep.
Since the pillow is Bluetooth enabled, it can send information directly to your app—just like the motion sensors in the app, which will also monitor your sleep during the night.
You can even use the app to set your temperature preferences!
To develop your tailored temperature profile, Moona has you fill out a questionnaire regarding your current sleep habits and uses that information to help it begin to deliver a tailored temperature profile.
Once you fill out the questionnaire, you will have the pad track your sleep habits during the night for a period of ten consecutive days.
Once it has taken it all that information, the app should be able to show you the temperature regulation you need as well as allow you to use the natural wake up feature—which enables the system to use its warming setting to gently wake you up when it is time for you to get up.
Overall, this system is easy to adjust and provides both heating and cooling options for you to choose from.
The water pump is designed to be quiet, so it shouldn't disturb your sleep and all of the sensors that send information to your app should be comfortable and won't disturb your sleep during the night.
Temperature and How It Affects Sleep
Although many of us may not be aware of the role temperature plays in how well we sleep, there are several studies that show the correlation between the two.
These studies show that to effectively and efficiently sleep during your REM stage, your body needs to cool down—which is why when we overheat, we wake up and don't get a great night's sleep.
Moona is actually partnered with a hospital in France where they are currently participating in their second clinical trial to help distinguish how temperature and sleep work together. They used information learned in their first trial to help them develop a system that is designed to effectively help you sleep better.
These studies have shown that skin temperature during sleep can effectively improve the sleep of people who suffer from insomnia as well as other sleep disorders.
Thermoregulation can be used to effectively wake you up as well, so you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go—instead of groggy.
How Well does the Moona Handle Hot Flashes?
One crucial thing we want to highlight about the Moona is that, since it works with a pillow, it only cools your head and your neck.
If you suffer from hot flashes, or if you move around a lot while you sleep, using the Moona system may not work for you since it won't cool more than the area a pillow covers.
The thing about hot flashes is that they are often unpredictable and—while the Moona does track your movement and temperature while you sleep—it may not be able to register the temperature variation that comes with a hot flash.
So, while the sensors on the pillow are designed to work, they may not function properly with a hot flash.
Since it is essential that you keep your body at the ideal temperature while you sleep, it is important that you keep this in mind when going with a pillow system rather than a whole bed temperature regulating system.
How does it Compare to Similar Products?
The Moona pillow system isn't the only temperature regulating system out there, but how does it compare to other similar products? If you would like to see how Bedjet, CUBE and Ooler Sleep Systems compete with each other, I recommend checking out our detailed comparison of these 3 bed climate systems.
Moona vs Bedjet
Unlike the Moona, the Bedjet uses air to provide you with a bed temperature regulating system that will help you improve your sleep. It cools or heats your body and its system is larger than that of the Moona pillow system. The Bedjet also uses Biorhythm technology—which means that it considers your sex, age and body type to tailor a temperature profile that is designed specifically for your needs!
Moona vs Chilipad
The CUBE Cube, on the other hand, also uses water to regulate your bed's temperature during the night. Unlike the Moona, it's actually a mattress pad that covers your entire bed. It offers the option to provide different settings for each side of the bed and can provide temperature regulation options between 55-100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is It Worth the Cost?
One of the biggest setbacks users may find as a major deterrent is the price of the product.
However, it is important to remember that the Moona has put in a lot of effort to develop a system that is designed to work—leaning on clinical trials that prove the relationship between temperature and our quality of sleep.
So, while the price is steep, it is definitely worth a look if you are looking for a system that is easy to use and designed to be effective.
Final Verdict
Overall, the Moona pillow system will provide you with the perfect cool pillow for hot nights and is designed to deliver you with the best temperature to sleep well at night.
If you want something that is easy to use and that offers lots of beneficial features, then this is a great product to consider when it is released later this year—but remember that you do have the option to preorder!
Since it is compatible with any pillow type or size, you won't have to worry about buying anything more than the system itself, and you will be able to switch out your pillows at your convenience, so you don't have to worry about buying a special pillow every time.
The app makes it easy to track your sleep and ensures that you can easily regulate your temperature for your own personal needs. While it sounds like the perfect system, time will only tell how it holds up to the hype—but for now, it is definitely a system that we should look out for.