Eight Sleep delivers personalized temperature control in a bid to promote better sleep. In this review, we cover everything worth knowing about the Eight Sleep Pod.

A quick look at Eight Sleep Products

Eight Sleep Pod Covers

Eight Sleep accessories and upgrades

Eight Sleep isn’t just a mattress brand. From its 2015 entry into the bed-in-a-box market, the self-described “sleep fitness” company has evolved its intelligent sleep system, which automatically cools or warms your bed based on your body and environment, to promote better sleep. 

Good sleep, experts agree, is the key to good health. Eight Sleep incorporates unique technology to offer benefits designed to improve sleep: temperature regulation, personalized sleep metrics, and a vibrating alarm for quiet, gentle waking.

If you’ve heard about the Eight Sleep Pod and want to learn more about the intersection between technology and sleep, you’ve come to the right place. We have an in-depth look at the brand’s intelligent sleep system below. 

Pros and cons of the Eight Sleep system

Here’s a quick look at the key highlights of the Eight Sleep intelligent sleep system:

Pros

  • Compatibility with different mattress brands: The Pod 2 and Pod 3 Covers are compatible with mattresses measuring 10–11 inches thick, while the Pod 3 Cover with PerfectFit upgrade accommodates all mattresses. So you don’t have to replace a newer mattress to use the Pod.
  • Control over your sleep experience: The Eight Sleep app allows you to adjust mattress temperature (separately for each side) and your wake time from your smartphone.
  • Research-driven construction: Eight Sleep says they work with a team of sleep health experts and researchers to develop mattress technology aimed at improving sleep health.
  • Personalized sleep insights: The Eight Sleep app uses your sleep metrics, including sleep stages and heart rate variation, to generate a nightly performance score. It’s a noninvasive sleep tracker, so all you have to do is sleep on it.

Cons

  • Price: Besides the upfront cost of the cover, which starts at $1,745 for a Pod 2 at full size, the app is an additional expense. It’s also required for the first 12 months. The Pro plan is $15 per month, billed annually at $180, and the Plus plan (which includes an extended 5-year warranty) is $24 per month, billed annually at $288. Both plans cover two separate users per Pod.
  • Limited firmness options: The mattress you can buy through Eight Sleep has a medium firmness. If you need a softer or firmer bed, you may want to purchase a separate mattress before ordering an Eight Sleep Pod Cover.
  • Assembly required: Setting up the Pod and Hub takes roughly 2–3 hours, according to the Autopilot app, and you’ll need to find a spot for the Hub, which emits a low hum.
  • Limited trial window: The return window for the Pod is 30 days from delivery, but Eight Sleep will fully refund both the Pod and membership purchases during this timeframe.
  • Pets and children not recommended: The Pod features technology designed to track your sleep, and the company explains that sleeping with pets or children could skew this data.

What is Eight Sleep Pod?

Eight Sleep is a sleep fitness company using technology to improve sleep. The company originally entered the market with foam mattresses designed with a technology layer called the Active Grid and a Hub unit to regulate mattress temperature.

However, because all of the technology is contained in the cover and the hub unit, Eight Sleep shifted its focus to selling these pieces without a mattress.

Today, the Pod 2 and the Pod 3 (an upgraded model with improved comfort and more advanced technology, according to the company) offer temperature control technology and are compatible with all mattresses between 10 and 16 inches.

The company’s five-layer mattress is still available as an add-on purchase to the Pod 2 and Pod 3.

Who is Eight Sleep Pod for?

With their temperature-control features, both Pod 2 and Pod 3 are a good option for hot sleepers and people who can’t seem to get warm.

But anyone experiencing sleep disruptions may also benefit from the technology of this cover, which is designed to help you fall asleep faster, sleep more soundly, and even improve recovery times so that you wake up feeling refreshed.

Both Pod 2 and Pod 3 may also be a good fit for partners who share a bed but have different ideas of what’s comfortable. Each side of the mattress can be cooled or heated individually so that you both sleep better.

There may also be an economical reason to consider buying an Eight Sleep Pod. According to Eight Sleep, the Pod is more efficient than air conditioning, which could mean potential savings on your energy bill.

Healthline’s reviews of Eight Sleep products

Eight Sleep Pod Covers

Eight Sleep Pod 2 Cover

  • Price: $1,895 (queen)
  • Fit: only for 10- to 11-inch mattresses
  • Available sizes: full, queen, king, California King
  • Warranty: 5-year
  • Trial Period: 30-night
  • Shipping and Returns: free shipping and returns

The Pod 2 cover is essentially a tight mattress encasement with a thin foam layer that’s secured to your mattress with tension straps and attached via a hose to the Hub. Before assembly, you’ll need to download the Eight Sleep app, which will walk you through the onboarding process.

Once your Pod 2 is on the bed and the Hub has been properly primed (which takes about 2 hours), you’re ready to begin regulating your sleep temperature and tracking your sleep data.

You’ll use the app to set temperature preferences (cooling and warming can be adjusted from 55–100°F), and you’ll have the option of enabling the autopilot feature, which uses sensors to track your sleep, health, and bedroom conditions.

This allows the Pod 2 to automatically adjust to the ideal temperature throughout the night based on your personal preferences and factors like the humidity and temperature in your bedroom.

Calibrating autopilot generally takes some time, as some trial and error is warranted before you find temperature settings that allow you to fall and stay asleep comfortably.

You’ll also be able to use the app to view sleep metrics, like your sleep stages, time sleep, heart rate, and heart rate variability. The app generates personalized insights and recommendations based on these metrics.

Another feature of the Pod 2 is a silent vibration and thermal alarm. Customizable chest-level vibration and a slow thermal change in the Gentle Rise Alarm are designed to gently rouse you from sleep.

Pros

  • individualized heating and cooling on both sides
  • sleep and health tracking
  • silent vibration and thermal alarm

Cons

  • limited to mattresses between 10 and 11 inches in height
  • assembly required

Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover

  • Price: $2,195 (queen)
  • Fit: only for 10- to 11-inch mattresses
  • Available sizes: full, queen, king, California King
  • Warranty: 5-year
  • Trial Period: 30-night
  • Shipping and Returns: free shipping and returns

The Pod 3 improves on all of the features of the Pod 2 for more comfortable sleep, faster response times, and more accurate sleep metrics. The sensors and heating/cooling mechanisms in the Active Grid layer of the Pod 3 are virtually undetectable, but they offer greater sensitivity for more precise data tracking.

The Hub in the Pod 2 got an upgrade as well. The quad-core computer unit is not only quieter, but it enables real-time data from the sensors, which means a faster response time to changes in your sleep. This translates to automatic heating and cooling on both sides of the bed to help you fall and stay asleep, right when you need it.

Biometric data accuracy in Pod 3 has also improved, thanks to more complex data processing and algorithms, which can mean better sleep and health data.

The Pod 3 also offers upgraded compatibility for better Wi-Fi connection stability. According to the company, this upgraded intelligent sleep system delivers up to 32% better sleep.

Pros

  • updated Hub has a faster reaction time to sleep data
  • updated Active Grid layer with improved sensor technology for improved data tracking

Cons

  • $300 more than the Pod 2
  • assembly required

Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover with PerfectFit

  • Price: $2,295
  • Fit: fits on all mattresses
  • Available sizes: full, queen, king, California King
  • Warranty: 5-year
  • Trial Period: 30-night
  • Shipping and Returns: free shipping and free returns

This model includes the Pod 3, with all its bells and whistles, plus one important distinction. The PerfectFit cover is designed to accommodate all mattresses, not just those with a depth of 10–11 inches. That makes it the only option for people interested in using a Pod to upgrade their sleep situation without replacing an existing mattress that’s 12 inches or taller.

Pros

  • fits on all mattresses

Cons

  • $100 more than Pod 3
  • assembly required

Eight Sleep accessories and upgrades

Autopilot Standard plan

  • Price: $180 billed annually

Autopilot is the accompanying app through which you’ll set preferences and learn about your sleep habits. This tool delivers sleep metrics, as well as sleep insights and recommendations. Based on your metrics, Autopilot learns and adjusts your ideal sleep temperature. You can also set the vibration and thermal alarm. The plan includes a 2-year warranty.

Note that a plan (either standard or enhanced) is required for purchase and billed annually. The standard plan is $15 monthly, billed at $180 annually. This cost covers two separate users per Pod. It can be canceled at any time, but you won’t be able to manage sleep temperature on the Pod.

Autopilot Enhanced plan

  • Price: $288 billed annually

In addition to all of the features of the standard plan, the enhanced plan includes a 5-year extended warranty. Like the standard plan, this one is billed annually and covers two separate users. It’s billed at $288, which breaks down to $24 per month.

5-layer mattress

  • Price: $1,500–$1,900

Shoppers have the option of adding a mattress to their Pod purchase. The Eight Sleep mattress is made with five foam layers designed for boosted airflow and pressure relief. It has a medium firmness and measures 11 inches in height, making it compatible with both the Pod 2 and Pod 3.

Prices for the Eight Sleep mattress vary depending on size. Like the Pod, the mattress is only available in full, queen, king, and California king sizes.

Sleep Fit Bundle

  • Price: $384

The Sleep Fit Bundle is an optional accessory upgrade that includes the Pod Protector mattress cover and two Carbon Air pillows. The Pod Protector is made with a Tencel jersey blend and is designed to protect the Pod from dust, dander, allergens, and liquid spills. The Carbon Air pillows are made with graphite-infused foam to wick away heat for cooler sleep. Both items are available for purchase separately, but bundling them into your Pod purchase saves you $10.

Other Accessories

  • Price: $45–$899

Eight Sleep sells other sleep and health accessories as well. In addition to a soothing lavender spray designed to promote relaxation, the company has its own sheet set and comforter. There’s a foundation frame designed to fit any Pod, with a slatted design that eliminates the need for a box spring.

Health accessories from other retailers are also available.

These include a weighted blanket from Gravity, a digital wearable device called the Venom Back from Hyperice that combines heat and vibration to soothe sore muscles, and the Hypervolt 2 Pro, a percussion therapy tool. Normatech 2.0 compression recovery boots can also be purchased as an accessory at Eight Sleep.

Where can I buy an Eight Sleep Pod Cover?

Eight Sleep Pods are only available for purchase through the Eight Sleep website. Any Eight Sleep product purchase from another website or retailer has not been authorized, which means it’s not covered under their warranty.

According to the company, purchases are typically shipped within 7 business days. Tracking is available once an order has shipped. Note that shipping cannot be scheduled.

Eight Sleep offers financing for approved shoppers in the U.S. and Canada through Affirm. Financing options are available for up to 36 months with an interest APR that’s based on individual creditworthiness, which could mean payments as low as $68 per month.

Shopping tips: How to choose your Eight Sleep Pod cover

The three Pod covers are pretty similar in construction. If you’re trying to decide which version might work best for you, weighing these key differences can help.

Height

Both the Pod 2 and the Pod 3 covers only work on 10- to 11-inch mattresses. If you have a mattress taller than that, you’ll need the Pod 3 with PerfectFit.

Autopilot

Regardless of the Pod cover you buy, Autopilot is required, so it’s a consideration during budgeting. You can choose the standard for $180 annually or the enhanced for $288 annually.

Hub

The Hub is roughly the size of an old computer monitor, weighing 20 lbs and measuring 15 x 6 x 15 inches. It needs to be set up close to the head of the bed so that the hose can connect to the cover. You may need to do some finagling to fit the Hub between your bed and the nightstand or wall, for example.

The Pod 3 is an upgrade over the Pod 2, and a faster, more sophisticated Hub is partly why. It’s powered with a quad-core CPU that enables a faster response to real-time data from the sensors, which translates to more responsive temperature regulation. It’s also quieter than the Pod 2.

Firmness

Remember that while the all-foam mattresses available from Eight Sleep all have a medium firmness, body weight can play a big role in how a mattress feels for you.

People with higher body weights sink in more deeply, making firmer mattresses feel softer. People who carry less weight don’t sink in as much, making a mattress feel firmer. So, if you think a medium-firm mattress will feel too soft or firm for your liking, you may want to consider purchasing your own mattress.

How does the Eight Sleep Pod Cover perform?

Advanced temperature regulation is the biggest benefit of the Pod, which makes it a good choice for people who tend to get overly hot or too cold during sleep.

Fans of technology will enjoy the other bells and whistles that come from this smart approach to sleep. In addition to intuitive and automatic temperature regulation, the Pod and its accompanying app have noninvasive sleep-tracking features and smart home integration.

Anyone who isn’t interested in tech features and shoppers on a tight budget may want to keep looking. It’s also worth noting that there is some upkeep to the Hub, which requires routine priming every few months.

Eight Sleep company reputation and transparency

Eight Sleep has a good company reputation, according to the following criteria: 

  • The company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. 
  • They haven’t been involved in any lawsuits related to business practices. 
  • Their products have not been recalled. 

One thing worth noting is that Eight Sleep has a limited breakdown of all five layers in its mattress, but they don’t get into much detail on what the foam actually consists of.

They don’t state clearly where the mattresses are made. We reached out to customer support for more information and learned that the mattresses are made in the United States.

The foam used in Eight Sleep mattresses does meet federal flammability standards. It’s also certified by CertiPUR-US. This certification means the foam is free of toxic chemicals and meets emissions standards for indoor air quality. 

Health claims

The Eight Sleep app has been streamlined to make it simpler to use, with more targeted sleep data insights. In addition to updated temperature controls, the app is designed to help users maintain a healthy sleep schedule and offers personalized sleep and health recommendations.

Eight Sleep suggests that biometrics like your heart rate and breathing, captured from the Pod sensors, can offer information about the amount of sleep you need and how your sleep habits impact your health or ability to recover from illness.

Healthline can’t validate these claims, so we can’t endorse or recommend this technology.

Eight Sleep may work with a team of experts and design their mattresses with your optimal sleep health in mind, but there’s still no scientific evidence to prove what they suggest their technology can do (though the company says it has conducted its own research study into the Pod’s effect on sleep quality and cardiovascular recovery).

It’s always best to proceed cautiously when encountering products claiming to improve health. 

Eight Sleep reviews and customer service

In general, customers praise Eight Sleep’s customer service.

Some customers have raised concerns about the company failing to reply to return requests in a timely manner. Other customers, however, say Eight Sleep replied quickly and provided good support. 

Many reviewers mention some glitches with the bed technology and app interface, and some people had trouble connecting it to their home wireless network. Others say the technology stopped working after a few years. 

By and large, reviewers say Eight Sleep has great customer service, even when it takes time to get the technology working properly. People who reported leaks also say the company quickly replaced the mattress grid. 

While there are customers who praise the technology, there are others who say it comes at a premium price.

Eight Sleep return policy

Eight Sleep has one return policy for its mattress, Pod cover, and accessories. If these items don’t work out, you have 30 days to return them for a full refund.

Returns are free, and Eight Sleep will help you make arrangements to donate the mattress if that’s what you bought. To get started with a return, you’ll need to contact customer support through email with your order number, so keep that when you make your purchase. 

The 10-year limited warranty for the mattress covers body indentations deeper than an inch, along with any product flaws or defects.

Note that some mattress warranties require you to use a certain type of base with the mattress, so it’s important to double-check before purchasing. 

Frequently asked questions about Eight Sleep

The primary benefit of an Eight Sleep Pod cover is personalized and automatic temperature control on both sides of the bed. If you routinely wake up feeling too hot or too cold, the Eight Sleep Pod could help improve your nights.

The Eight Sleep Pod mattress is made of five layers of foam and has a medium firmness. Keep in mind that body weight and type impact how firm a mattress feels. Heavier sleepers may find the Eight Sleep Pod feels softer, while lightweight sleepers may find it feels firmer.

Eight Sleep Pod covers have an Active Grid layer loaded with discreet sensors designed to monitor metrics, including sleep stages, sleep disturbances, heart rate, heart rate variability, and respiratory rate. The Hub is powered by a quad-core CPU for faster response times to real-time data gathered from the Pod sensors.

Everything is controlled via the accompanying app.

If your goal is to regulate temperature in bed, Eight Sleep Pod may be worth exploring. The Pod 3 with PerfectFit is designed to accommodate all mattresses, so it lets you upgrade an existing mattress with intuitive temperature control.

Temperatures for these mattress covers can get as cold as 55°F (13°C). Temperatures in these mattresses are controlled by liquid, and they can get as warm as 110°F (43°C).

Takeaway

For consistently hot and sweaty sleepers — or those who can’t pile enough blankets on the bed — the Eight Sleep Pod may be worth the money. With personalized temperature control on both sides of the bed, it offers a unique sleep experience that may appeal to people who have trouble with temperature regulation at night and appreciate the latest technology.

Since the Eight Sleep Pod doesn’t come cheap, think carefully about whether you’ll find value in the tech. If not, you may want to consider these alternate options for cooling mattresses.