Originally published at: Getting Warmer with a HomeKit-Controlled Heated Mattress Pad - TidBITS
In “Reflections on a Year with HomeKit” (17 December 2021), I wrote about using an electric heated mattress pad with a Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini smart outlet as part of our Good Night scene, which sets appropriate nighttime lighting. The mattress pad warms the bed for about 20 minutes while Tonya and I brush our teeth and get ready for bed. We appreciate this small piece of home automation every night once the temperature drops outside.
Unfortunately, the Beautyrest Black Dual Zone Heated Mattress Pad that I purchased in 2021 became a Single Zone Heated Mattress Pad a month ago after one side failed. Swapping the controllers and plugs revealed that the break was inside the mattress pad itself, so no repair was possible. The problem only affected Tonya’s side, so I didn’t notice until she asked about it. Afterward, I flipped the mattress pad 180 degrees so she could get the warm side. (Who says chivalry is dead?) Plus, getting into a cold bed every night gave me incentive to replace the mattress pad.
Annoyingly, I wasn’t able to find the warranty information where I typically file such things, and since there was no guarantee of getting a replacement quickly that way anyway, I decided to look for a new one.
Even a few months later, the model I purchased in 2021 wasn’t readily available, and I was a little unenthused about Beautyrest due to what seemed like a premature failure. However, in my research, I couldn’t discern whether heated mattress pads from any other manufacturer would work with a smart outlet. The problem is that turning them on by supplying power—instead of using their built-in controls—may not work or could prevent them from functioning with stored temperature settings.
This time, I discovered that Beautyrest makes a range of heated mattress pads priced from about $60 to $130. The key is that all of Beautyrest’s mattress pads say they are “compatible with automatic timers and smart home outlets.” I ended up ordering the Beautyrest Cotton Deep Pocket Heated Mattress Pad on sale from Bed Bath & Beyond; Amazon also carries Beautyrest products, so you can see which has a better deal.
The new mattress pad looks and works nearly identically to our previous model, although the controllers offer a customizable shut-off timer that I promptly set for 1 hour. That was attractive because Siri occasionally misinterpreted a HomeKit command during the day as a direction to turn on the mattress pad, making the bed far too warm for comfort by bedtime. After that happened a few times, I rigged up a HomeKit automation that loudly plays Glenn Frey’s “The Heat Is On” on our HomePods whenever the mattress pad turns on during inappropriate times of the day. It’s a potentially useful way to alert yourself to a device activating unexpectedly.
In the end, we’re back to having our bed warm up automatically, which is a notable quality of life improvement. If you’re looking for a low-key way to experiment with HomeKit, a smart outlet and heated mattress pad could be a good entry point. Just make sure to keep your warranty information and proof of purchase—the new mattress pad has a 5-year warranty—in case Beautyrest’s build quality doesn’t match their warranty promises.
