Assessment of a mattress with phase change materials using a thermal and perception test

Abstract

Mattresses composed by phase change materials (PCMs) may improve the thermoregulation of the human body. The aim of the study was to analyse the thermoregulatory efficiency of a PCMs and a conventional mattresses via the evaluation of the skin temperature, thermal comfort and thermal perception. Twenty participants lay on a PCMs and a conventional mattress for 20min in each mattress on the same day. Skin temperature of the back of the participants and temperature of the sheet of the mattresses were measured before and immediately after lying on each mattress. Thermal comfort and thermal perception were also reported during the last minute of the lying test. The PCMs mattress resulted in a lower increase in skin temperature (0.3–1.0°C, p=0.002 and ES=1.4) and a greater increase of the sheet temperature (0.2–1.6°C, p=0.02 and ES=0.8). No differences in thermal comfort and thermal perception were observed between mattresses (p>0.05 and ES<0.8). The analysis of the superficial temperature (skin, sheet) was an adequate tool to identify differences in the thermoregulatory efficiency of different mattresses. The use of PCMs in mattresses improved the heat dissipation of the human body during lying in a proportion between 2.7% and 25.6%. However, the thermoregulatory differences were not big enough to alter the thermal comfort and thermal perception of the participants after 20 min of test.