Eight Sleep Pod Review
The 8 Sleep Pod Mattress is one of the most high-tech beds on the market. Not only does it function as a comfortable sleeping surface, but it also doubles as a fitness tracker and temperature regulator. In this review, we’ll discuss all the major highlights of Eight Bed, and reveal who we think would love (or not love) this mattress.
If you want to skip around our Eight Sleep Pod review, you can use these links:
Below find our short review video that outlines what you need to know about the smart Pod mattress from Eight Sleep.
Eight Sleep Pod Mattress Construction And Design
In short, The Pod is an all-foam bed that consists of four layers. Here’s a quick breakdown of the layers from bottom to top:
- Support layer — This layer is 6″ of dense polyfoam. It serves as the foundation for the bed.
- Transition layer — As its title implies, this 2″ layer of polyfoam functions as a soft transition from the firm support foam below.
- Comfort layer — This 2″ layer of responsive polyfoam is the true comfort layer for the mattress.
Eight Sleep Mattress Cover Review
Wrapping the layers of foam and special technology is a removable knit cover. It gives the Eight bed a modern look, however, you should refrain from machine washing it. If the cover gets dirty, spot clean the dirty area with some mild detergent and water. If you’re a clean freak and the thought of a stain on your mattress sends you into a tizzy, you might want to check out the Eight Sleep Mattress Protector. Just keep in mind that mattress protectors can hurt breathability.
Sizes And Dimensions
- Full — 52.5 x 74.5 x 12 inches
- Queen — 58.5 x 79.5 x 12 inches
- King — 74.5 x 79.5 x 12 inches
- Cali King — 70.5 x 83.5 x 12 inches
Eight Sleep Pod Special Features
There are three main features that set the Pod apart from other beds, including other “smart” mattresses:
- Fluid-based thermoelectric system — This is a fancy way of saying it provides heating and cooling (which it does well).
- Sleep tracking — Just like a fitness tracker, the Pod will track the quality of your sleep.
- Smart features — It has a smart alarm and integrates with IFTTT and other smart home products.
Heating/Cooling System
This is truly the standout feature for the 8 Sleep Pod. You can manually set the temperature of the mattress (per side) and also allow the bed to change temperature based on your sleep stage. So, if you want to heat/cool the mattress while you watch TV, you can do that. If you like to sleep cool/hot at night, you can make sure that the bed reaches your desired temperature. Here’s a look inside the companion mobile app.
As you can see in our screenshot above, the app allows you to set a different temperature for bedtime, deep sleep, and the morning. You can also set particular days and times to have the Pod regulate temperature. We think couples will find this particularly appealing because someone who sleeps hot can rest comfortably with the setting at a lower temperature while their significant other who sleeps cool can adjust their side of the bed to be warmer.
This system works well. When you heat the mattress you can feel the surface warming up to a cozy temperature. When you switch on cooling, you can likewise feel the bed cooling down.
The Pod bed comes with a Hub that looks like a desktop computer (shown above). Attached to the mattress is a spine that runs from the Hub to the Active Grid cover. This feeds hot, cold or neutral-temperature water into the cover. You won’t feel the water—and it feels nothing like a water bed—but the water is the cooling and heating agent. The cover has little veins that pull through the water. You can feel the veins in the cover, but you can’t feel the water
Sleeping Tracking & Smart Home Integration
Similar to the standard Eight Sleep Smart Mattress, the Pod will track your sleep, among other things. By default, the system will provide you information about your prior night’s sleep, including an overall sleep quality score as well as more targeted metrics such as awake time, sleep time, sleep stages (i.e. light, deep, REM sleep) and respiratory rate.
In addition to tracking your sleep, the Pod also integrates with IFTTT (shown above), which in turn provides you access to all sorts of other smart home products and companies. For example, the Pod bed can be set up to work with Philips Hue lights, Amazon Alexa device, smart switches and many other smart home products.
Eight Sleep Pod Feel And Firmness
When we tested out the Pod mattress, we found it had a firm neutral foam feel to it due to the multiple layers of polyurethane foam in its construction. It’s comfortable, but you don’t sink down into its layers like you would on a memory foam mattress.
You do feel the “veins” running through the top cover of the mattress. Some people may get used to the feeling after a short while, but others might lose sleep over it. eight sleep pod mattress reviews won’t tell you how you’ll feel about it, so if you like everything else about the bed, you could still try it and return it during the trial period if you can’t stand the veins.
After laying on it, we think the mattress feels like a medium-firm. It’s firm, but not to the point where it was lacking all pressure relieving qualities.
Will Eight Sleep Pod Work For Couples?
Edge Support
We thought the edge support on the Pod was pretty decent so overall, it’s a pretty good mattress for couples to sleep on.
Motion Isolation
When it comes to the Pod, it’s ok at limiting motion transfer, meaning couples won’t disturb their partner as much when they get out of bed at night.
However, we did notice that the cover pulls a little when you move around. Let’s put it this way: if you need a bed that’s absolutely superb at motion isolation, that’s not the Eight Sleep Pod. If you’re not all that concerned with motion transfer, we think you’ll be fine.
Eight Sleep Mattress Sleeper Analysis
Similar to the way car shoppers look for a vehicle that’ll accommodate them and their lifestyle the best, folks should look for a mattress that suits their sleeper type the best. Also, the heavier you are, the softer a bed will feel to you, so your weight changes how a mattress feels to you. Here’s how this Eight bed stacks up for each sleeper type and body type
Body Type Analysis
Eight Pod Pricing
The retail price of the Pod is more than your average bed-in-a-box mattress. But then again, it’s not your average bed-in-a-box, so a premium price is to be expected. If all you’re looking for, however, is a comfy foam bed, there are plenty of alternative mattresses that cost under $1,000. Here’s a look at the current selling price of the Pod:
| Size | Price (MSRP) |
|---|---|
| Full | $2,295 |
| Queen | $2,595 |
| King / Cal King | $2,995 |
Is it worth it? That’s up to you, of course. At ~$2,200 for a queen size bed, that puts the Pod on the level of the Casper Wave and New Purple 2/3/4. The Pod is certainly an interesting concept, but you have to be invested in the heating/cooling feature to want to give it a go.
Eight Sleep Pod Review Verdict
Here’s the bottom line of our Eight Sleep Pod review: the Pod by Eight Sleep is undeniably unique, and one of, if not, the smartest mattress we’ve ever slept on. But just because it’s high tech doesn’t mean it’s the best mattress for everybody.
We recommend the Pod to folks who really want to take advantage of its smart features, specifically the temperature control settings. However, if you’re on a budget, a petite side sleeper, an individual over 250 lbs, or somebody who sleeps completely temperature neutral, we wouldn’t recommend you jump at the chance to purchase this bed.
We suggest you take a look at one of our other many full-length mattress reviews, or browse through our comparisons where we discuss which beds are better for whom.
Other Beds From Eight Sleep
The company recently launched an upgraded mattress with even more smart features.
The Pod Pro is a little softer and thicker than the Pod. Specifically, we rate the Pod at around a medium-firm, while the Pod Pro is about a true medium. That means you’ll get a little extra pressure relief and contouring with the Pod Pro. As such, if you’re a strict side sleeper or you prefer a softer feel, you will likely gravitate more towards the Pod Pro. Having said that, we expect stomach and/or back sleepers will prefer the original Pod’s firmness level.
There are also several new features with the Pod Pro. It goes without saying that they are not necessary to get a good night’s sleep, but we would consider them “neat.” Here are the added features:
- Ambient sensors — These measure room temperature and humidity, allowing Eight Sleep to adjust the bed temperature accordingly.
- New health metrics — The bed can now sense your respiratory rate, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability.
- GentleRise technology — Not only will the bed start warming/cooling to get to your desired morning temperature, but your alarm is a subtle vibration at the chest level to wake you up, not your partner.
Of course, with the added features, the price of the Pod Pro has gone up quite substantially. The MSRP for the original Pod is about $2,900 (give or take) for the queen size, while the Pod Pro has an MSRP of about $3,400.
Other Eight Sleep Products
- Eight Sleep Pillow
- Eight Pod Thermo Cover
- Eight Pod Sheet Set
- Eight Sleep Pod Foundation
- Eight Sleep Gravity Blanket
Eight Sleep Pod Reviews
- BBB Rating: Eight Sleep has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
- Amazon Reviews: Currently, there are no Eight Sleep reviews or products available on Amazon.
Why Trust Us
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The Review Team
Eight Sleep Company Polices
Like most online mattress companies, Eight Sleep offers very friendly customer policies. Here’s a quick look at them.
- Risk-free trial period: 100 nights
- Warranty policy: 10 years for the mattress; two years for the technology component
- Shipping: Free
- Returns: Free
Eight Sleep Pod Vs.
Our editors rate it at about a “medium-firm” and think it’s best for stomach, back, and combination sleepers.
The core mattress is made of foam, but the most interesting part is the cover and the cooling/heating system, which uses hot/cold water to manipulate your sleeping temperature. It works pretty darn well.
The Pod is compatible with Amazon Echo, Google Home, Nest and Philips Hue.
According to the company’s website, The Pod typically ships within 2-4 weeks after placing your order.
Yes, you can finance your purchase of The Pod using Affirm. The company states payments are as low as $84 per month.
If you want a bed that offers active cooling/heating, it’s definitely worth considering more. The other “smart” features are neat as well, but we’re most intrigued by the temperature regulating elements.
We were sent The Pod by Eight Sleep so that we could review it. However, it’s important to note that we review mattresses independently. This means the opinions and statements in this review belong to The Slumber Yard.
It does! Eight Sleep offers totally free shipping and returns. You get a 100-night risk-free trial with the bed.