Product of the Week: Is Eight Sleep’s Pod 3 the Best Sleep Cooling System?
The Pod system from Eight Sleep is touted as the best way to cure night sweats and personalize temperature regulation for better sleep. ATN put the high-tech mattress topper to the test
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Eight Sleep was founded in 2014 in San Francisco and financed its first products through a crowdfunding campaign. Since then, the company has become known for being the sleep solution of choice for larger-than-life figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Bryan Johnson.
The Eight Sleep Pod acts as a smart mattress cover that heats or cools your bed to improve sleep quality; it can adjust temperature manually or automatically, and also provides in-depth sleep tracking.
Athletech News tested the Eight Sleep Pod 3 for two months to see if the high-tech mattress topper can deliver on its promise to provide better sleep.
Pros
Setting up the Pod was an easy experience despite its large size. Hydrogen peroxide is necessary to prevent molding within the water tubes. However, the system allows users to add the chemicals into the Hub up to a week after setting up the machine, so setup initially requires no additional tools. The Pod 3 cover also fits snugly over mattresses. It took a few hours to get the Pod filled with water and ready for sleep, so setting up the device before evening is best.
As a warm sleeper, the Eight Sleep Pod was something I never knew I needed. Instead of cranking up the air conditioning or fan, my bed can provide the cooling required on even the warmest summer nights. For those who have trouble with overheating during sleep, the Pod is one of the best products to cure night sweats. It can also keep electricity bills lower for the cost-conscious. Similarly, on cold nights, the warm setting provides comfort reminiscent of turndown service in a luxury hotel. The Pod can cool to 55 degrees or heat up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Pod can also likely save relationships: it can customize different temperature preferences for each side of the bed. Unlike competitors such as BedJet or the Ooler, the Eight Sleep Pod requires only one unit to power both sides of the bed, taking up less space. Different users sharing a bed can create profiles through the app to manage individual preferences, like their side of the bed and temperature settings.
Users can opt for manual temperature adjustments or its “AutoPilot” system. After seven days of use, the system begins understanding your body and sleep routines, so the Pod automatically adjusts the temperature to provide optimized sleep.
One of the Eight Sleep Pod’s best features is the ability to set a sleep routine. Based on your customized sleep routine, the mattress topper begins heating or cooling at set times of the night. For example, if my set bedtime were 10:45 pm, the Pod would begin heating up at around 10:15 pm in preparation for my wind-down time. This creates built-in relaxation time perfect for reading or television before bed. Since its powered by WiFi, users can also turn on the Eight Sleep from anywhere to warm up or cool down a bed before arriving home.
I liked that the app provided an overall sleep fitness score out of 100, which was informed by sleep stages (heart rate, breathing rate, and heart rate variability), routine (bedtime and wake time, including sleep latency), and sleep quantity, measured in hours and minutes. Getting a score out of 100 allowed me to more quickly get a sense of my sleep quality compared to wearables with other score systems. Users can also add tags to each day, marking when they consumed alcohol or watched TV late at night to improve healthy habits.
The accompanying Hub is also a manageable size and sleek design, easily blending into the surrounding environment. It only requires new water and hydrogen peroxide every two to three months, which makes for easy maintenance.
I also compared Eight Sleep’s tracking to my other wearables. While the tracking was generally aligned, I noticed Eight Sleep often estimated better sleep quality. Although it was unclear which was correct, I found that Eight Sleep was more often similar to my own impressions of a night of sleep than other wearables.
Cons
For those with limited space around their bed, the Pod’s Hub might not fit. The cords are not long enough to reach anywhere besides next to a nightstand (or in lieu of one).
Instead of a sound alarm, the Pod allows for a vibration alarm. The feature is convenient, particularly for those with sleeping little ones around. However, I found myself unable to get used to the feeling of the entire mattress vibrating as my wake-up call and turned off the functionality fairly quickly. In addition, I found that if my partner had the alarm turned on, the vibration is often felt on the other side of the bed, as well, even if yours is turned off.
For those who want complete silence when going to bed, the Pod 3 Hub also makes some noise. It did not bother me as it blends in well with other background noise or sleep sound machines; however, it might bother those who want complete silence.
The Eight Sleep Pod 3 also requires a membership (starting from $15/month) which might irk some users after spending over $2.000 for the device. Although the membership is optional, it is required to unlock the AutoPilot and sleep tracking features.
Pod 4
Eight Sleep recently came out with the Pod 4, which boasts even more impressive technology than the Pod 3. It’s even less perceptible than the Pod 3, for those with specific mattress preferences. It also boasts 2x more cooling power and an even quieter Hub.
The Pod 4 can be used without a phone; users can tap the zones on each side of the pod to control temperature. Pod 4 Ultra also comes with an additional base that can provide elevation for sleeping, reading, and snoring mitigation. Pod 4 Ultra can automatically detect snores and instantly elevate the user to stop the noise.
Overall
Overall, the Eight Sleep Pod 3 is one of the best gadgets for improving sleep quality through temperature regulation and comprehensive tracking. The device is great both for elevating your general sleep performance and solving specific body temperature regulation needs.
Although the price of the device and membership is high, Eight Sleep really can change your sleep (and life) for the better.
Read more ATN Product Reviews here.