As much as I loved (and still love) the BedJet V2, the inimitable whole-bed climate-control system/giant hairdryer, the product has its share of quirks. To recap, those include oversize, dated hardware (particularly the clunky remote) and the need for a large, reticulating hose that snakes from under your bed to between your sheets. The BedJet 3 can’t do anything about the hose, but it does improve the design and function of both the blower unit and the remote.
For those who didn’t read my prior review, the concept of the BedJet is simple: A large blower sits under your bed, and you use a remote to blast hot or cool air onto your intemperate person. If you prefer, you can jet said air into a custom sheet ($89, sold separately) that balloons up, trapping the air inside for longer than if you just direct the jets into your own bedding. A special divided sheet is also available so you can cool or heat only half the bed—or use a second BedJet to give your partner their own individual control, permanently ending temperature-based disputes.
BedJet
The new BedJet 3—Kickstarted like its predecessors and widely available since June 20—continues to refine a product that’s been on the market for five years. Those with tight clearances beneath their bed will appreciate the new design of the blower unit, which sheds 30 percent of its overall size and shaves half an inch off the blower’s height, now allowing it to fit underneath a bed with just 6 inches of clearance to the bottom of the frame. The new design looks less like a Star Wars prop and more like, well, a white shoebox. It’s all business, which is fine, because it’s designed to be tucked out of sight. A few minor tweaks to the accessories have also been made, including some padding that’s been added to the base that slides under your mattress and holds the air nozzle and hose in place.
Much more visible and critical to this update is the whole new remote. While the BedJet 2’s remote looked more like a Zenith Space Command TV clicker, the BedJet 3’s is positively postmodern. First off, it’s got, like, way more buttons than the previous version, including quick-access buttons for each mode (cool, heat, and turbo heat, plus a new mode for drying you off and an extended heat mode), up/down toggles for fan speed, temperature, and the auto-off timer, and three custom memory buttons to which you can assign your favorite configurations. The entire remote is backlit, and it wakes when you move it, making it easy to control the BedJet even in the dead of night.
Most visible here, however, is the inclusion of a large color LCD screen at the top of the remote, giving it the appearance of a Logitech Harmony. The screen (not touch-sensitive) is laid out well and tells you just about everything you need to know: How fast the fan is running (in percent of max power), along with details about the temperature of both the room and the air that’s being blown. At the bottom of the screen, a timer counts down the minutes and seconds until the BedJet is set to automatically shut off. Making changes through the remote’s buttons immediately updates the screen with your new settings. All told, the new remote is an infinitely better way to interact with your BedJet, although it has now become—by far—the largest remote control in my bedside table drawer. Also worth noting: Support for Alexa and other smart home systems is slated for later this year.
The mobile app is also being upgraded but has not yet been released. For now, there’s an app of sorts, but it’s solely used to connect the BedJet to your Wi-Fi network (needed for firmware updates, which are otherwise applied through the remote control). I was surprised the otherwise capable remote can’t do this job on its own, though dealing with the app isn’t a massive hassle.
There’s no real change in power or airflow performance with the new BedJet, and my overall happiness with and commitment to the device remains unwavering. On the flip side, the price has crept up from $339 for the Bedjet 2 to $399 for the new version. That puts the BedJet into even more premium territory than it was in before … though still cheaper than marital counseling.
(The BedJet V3 is available direct from BedJet or from Amazon. You can also pick up a certified refurbished unit directly from the company.)
