Sex- and age-related differences in thermal sensitivity to radiant cooling in sleeping pods

Sleeping pods are used for short-term rest or affordable accommodation. While their market is expanding rapidly, research on their thermal comfort conditions is scarce. This study explores thermal comfort and cooling performance in such pods when integrated with radiant cooling panels at different temperature levels while focusing on occupants’ sex and age. A computational model is developed and validated, then used to assess global and local thermal comfort, cooling capacity, and condensation risks. The results show that panel temperatures of 23–25 °C are sufficient to maintain thermal comfort for all occupants when no internal devices are active. Males experience higher operative temperatures than females due to their greater metabolic heat dissipation, with temperature differences up to 1.3 °C. Thermal comfort declines marginally with age, especially at lower panel temperatures. Radiant cooling is more effective in achieving thermal comfort for females at panel temperatures as high as 25 °C, with males requiring up to 25 % more cooling than females due to their larger body area and metabolic rate. Heat dissipation from small appliances shifts the preferred panel temperature from 23–25 °C to 19 °C for females, whereas, for males, a supplementary cold air stream is required to achieve thermal comfort. These remarks emphasize the importance of occupant-specific settings in such compact enclosures. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.