When Mark Aramli appeared on Shark Tank to pitch his BedJet, it did not go well. Mark Cuban said he didn’t hear enough about the technology of the climate-control machine designed specifically for beds, while investor Barbara Corcoran was concerned it wouldn’t fit under her luxury, quilted mattress — the same market Aramli was planning to target. Later on Twitter, Lori Greiner called him “rude” for ignoring her question, which caused her drop out. In the end, no one bought in.
Since the show aired in February, BedJet has paired with retailer Mattress Firm, and Aramli is bringing a new version, BedJet V2, to Kickstarter. The first iteration was successfully crowdfunded on the site in 2013.
The system isn’t meant to replace your existing HVAC but merely warm up or cool down your sheets in three minutes or 10 seconds, respectively. It sort of looks like a vacuum cleaner but it actually blows air into your bed. It puffs up the sheets and blanket, so the air can flow to the whole mattress. The system is also smart, controlled by an iPhone or Android app, and will make a temperature profile for you based on sex, age, and body type. Sensors track your sleep and the ambient temperature and the system kicks on and off accordingly.
The dual-zone works with an AirComforter, a washable top-sheet replacement with two separated cavities. The nozzle fills the chambers with either warm or cold air, depending on how hot or cold you and your partner sleep. Similar to lamps that slowly brighten to simulate the sun rise, the BedJet can change temperature to help wake you up.
The Sharks may not have jumped on Armali’s idea, but Kickstarter is eating it up. It’s raised nearly $60,000, well beyond its $24,000 goal. There are still some early bird units available for $199; the BedJet will eventually retail for $499. The first version does get almost suspiciously good reviews on Amazon, so if you can get passed having a big hose sticking out of the end of your bed, BedJet aims to have V2 to backers by December.
