You’re Hot, I’m Cold

Where Should You Set the Office Thermostat?

As the weather warms up, offices are cranking up the air conditioning. But with such varying temperature preferences, where should you set the thermostat?

Women tend to prefer a slightly warmer office

While there are always more similarities than differences between the sexes, women tend to feel the cold more than men.

A 2021 study of more than 38,000 participants found 38% of respondents were dissatisfied with the temperature of their office. Of those dissatisfied, women accounted for nearly two-thirds.

When asked, in other studies, the less satisfied women said they preferred warmer temperatures, while the less satisfied men would prefer a cooler office environment.

Although specifics vary, the optimal office temperature for women is often around 1°C higher than for men. One study reported the optimal temperature was 24.0°C for women and 23.2°C for men.

Can temperature affect your ability to work?

The room’s temperature can impact productivity. In warmer environments (above 25°C), men have been found to perform worse on maths and verbal tasks, while women performed worse on these tasks at cooler temperatures (below 25°C).

But on other tasks, temperature doesn’t appear to have an influence. Researchers found no difference to either gender’s performance on a number of cognitive tasks, such as cognitive reflection tests (where the questions are such that the intuitive answer is the wrong answer), or cognitive load tasks (where working memory is overloaded).

What’s behind gender temperature differences?

Hormones play a key role in our temperature preferences.

Testosterone causes more muscle development around the shoulders. Muscle generates heat, making men more likely to have warmer necks than women. This area is particularly sensitive to cool temperatures.

Oestrogen promotes and maintains different fat distributions in women, who tend to carry slightly more fat between the skin and muscles in a number of areas. This makes the skin feel cooler and drives a preference for slightly warmer temperatures.

Women also tend to have a lower metabolic rate (or slower metabolism) than men. This means women produce less heat and their bodies are more prone to feeling cold in cooler temperatures.

Women’s preferences can change from week to week

The menstrual cycle has a considerable influence on temperature preferences. After ovulation, the ovaries release more progesterone. This causes the body’s core temperature to warm by around 0.3–0.6°C. This means women will perceive the outside temperature as cooler than men, due to the larger thermal drop compared to their core temperatures.

Progesterone also helps conserve heatdiverting blood from the skin and into the organs. This means women’s hands, ears and feet may be up to 1-2°C colder than men’s. It’s harder to feel warm in a cool environment when your hands and feet are very cold.

What else impacts temperature preferences?

Overall, body size and composition has a strong influence on temperature preferences. As muscle generates heat, the more muscle mass we have the more heat we tend to generate, keeping us warmer.

The perception of temperature can also be impacted by many individual factors such as age, height and weight. Overweight body sizes are associated with a higher preference for a cooler environment.

Age can also affect thermoregulatory mechanisms, such as our body’s ability to sweat as well as noticing changes in the temperature. Children are also less likely to notice the cold than adults.

Of course, the sort of job a person does has an impact as well. The more you move around, the more heat you generate.

The dress code for the office also has an impact. If heavy business suits or formal attire is expected, a cooler environment may be more appropriate.

Ethnicity may also have an impact. When directly compared in one study, Asian participants reported being more comfortable in environments that were 5°C warmer than participants with European origins.

And lastly, we can’t overlook individual preference. Some people may have grown up in cool environments and simply be more used to the cold, and vice versa.

What about the environmental impact?

Heating and cooling can account for 20–50% of energy use in households and 40–70% of energy use in office buildings.

In summer, warmer office temperatures don’t use as much energy. In fact, energy use increases by 5–10% for each 1°C the temperature is lowered.

You don’t want to shut them down too much, though. Air conditioning systems also reduce humidity by removing moisture from the air, an important measure to prevent indoor mould growth.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to setting the office thermostat. Women tend to prefer slightly warmer temperatures than men, and individual factors such as body composition, age, and job type can also impact temperature preferences. Employers should consider comfort, health, and the environment when setting the office temperature, and encourage open conversations with staff to find a temperature that suits everyone.

FAQs

Q: What is the optimal office temperature?
A: The optimal office temperature varies between individuals, but on average, women prefer a temperature around 1°C higher than men.

Q: Can temperature affect productivity?
A: Yes, temperature can impact productivity. In warmer environments, men have been found to perform worse on certain tasks, while women perform worse in cooler environments.

Q: How does the menstrual cycle impact temperature preferences?
A: The menstrual cycle has a significant impact on temperature preferences. After ovulation, the ovaries release more progesterone, causing the body’s core temperature to warm and the skin to feel cooler.