Eight Sleep Ratings
Store Name: Eight Sleep
Store Description: Eight Sleep is a premium smart sleep technology brand known for its high-end temperature-controlled mattresses and mattress covers. Its products combine active heating and cooling on each side of the bed, integrated biometric sleep tracking, and smart app controls aimed at improving sleep quality and personalization. The system can help regulate temperature through the night and provide detailed sleep insights.
Price range: High-End
Summary
After using the Eight Sleep Pod 4, I found that it significantly improved sleep quality, especially by keeping the bed cool at night. The liquid-based temperature control works extremely well, helping prevent overheating and making it easier to fall and stay asleep. Features like sleep tracking, vibration alarms, and Autopilot temperature adjustments add convenience, though the biggest benefit is simply the cooling performance itself.
User Review
( votes)Pros
- Advanced Temperature Regulation
- Dual-Zone Comfort for Couples
- Enhanced Sleep Quality & Deep Sleep
- Intelligent Sleep Tracking & Insights
- Smart Alarm & Recovery Tools
- Smart Home / Health Integration
Cons
- High Cost / Ongoing Fees
- Feature Removal Without Subscription
Editorial Rating
TOTAL SCORE: 4.85
We recommend/not recommend you if
- You overheat at night
- You want faster sleep onset
- You care about sleep data
- You like automation and personalization
- You want a more natural wake-up experience
- You strongly dislike subscription fees
- You’re on a strict budget
My sleep has noticeably improved.
Especially in the warmer months.
But do the real benefits of a smart, temperature-controlled, liquid-based mattress cover justify the high price, subscription model, and several significant drawbacks?
Here’s my honest review of the Eight Sleep product.
Temperature Control
First, let’s start with the highlights. The main one I found with the Pod 4 from Eight Sleep is that it allows you to sleep cool. Depending on your ambient room temperature, the Pod 4 can cool your bed to as low as 55°F (about 13°C) and heat it up to 110°F (about 43°C). However, keep in mind that the bed can only heat or cool about 20 degrees warmer or colder than your room temperature.
It works using two main components: the Hub and the cover. The Hub looks like a small tower PC and acts as both a computer and a solid-state heat pump.
You fill it with water during setup to prime the cover, which has tubes laced throughout it.
These tubes circulate water through what Eight Sleep calls the Active Grid and then bring it back to the Hub. The Hub acts as a solid-state heat exchanger, similar to a Peltier device or thermoelectric cooler
How Well Does The Cooling And Heating Actually Work?
Before I got the Eight Sleep, I would take showers at night and avoid getting into bed right away because I was still hot and didn’t want to radiate heat into the mattress. With the Eight Sleep, I can take a shower, get ready for bed, and get in immediately.
You can actually feel the mattress cover pulling heat away from your body. It starts at your legs and moves up your torso. As it does, I often start to feel sleepy and fall asleep faster.
This system works so well because liquid is a much more efficient way to transfer heat than air. There is a bit of an adjustment period at first. I initially set mine too cold. Thankfully, the Pod 4 has sensor areas on both sides of the cover where you can triple tap to turn the temperature up or double tap to turn it down. This makes it easy to adjust the temperature without grabbing your phone.
How Eight Sleep Helps You Wake Up In The Morning
Waking up to the bed getting warmer in the morning took some getting used to. Instead of an alarm sound, the idea is that your body naturally wakes up as the temperature changes. There’s also an optional vibration alarm, which I really like. In winter, I actually reversed the feature and had the bed cool down in the morning so I’d want to get out of bed and into a warm shower.
Sleep Stage Tracking
The Pod 4 also tracks sleep stages, heart rate, HRV, respiratory rate, and movement through sensors in the Active Grid. I found the tracking fairly accurate—more accurate than my smartwatch in many cases—though it sometimes missed periods when I was awake but lying still.
Eight Sleep tracks this data to help you build better sleep habits and to power Autopilot. Autopilot automatically adjusts the bed’s temperature throughout the night based on your sleep stages, history, preferences, and even local weather. If you buy the Pod 4 Ultra with an adjustable base, it can also raise the bed slightly to reduce snoring.
Subscription and Ongoing Fees
The biggest downside is the subscription model. Features like temperature scheduling, thermal alarms, sleep data storage, and Autopilot adjustments require a yearly subscription. The warranty is also limited—one year for the cover and two years for the Hub, unless you pay for a higher-tier subscription that extends it.
From a consumer standpoint, I strongly dislike the subscription model. Paying to unlock features already built into the hardware feels frustrating. I’d rather pay more upfront and own all the functionality permanently, along with a longer warranty.
The product itself works extremely well, and after six months, it’s hard to imagine going back.
FAQ
1Does Eight Sleep come with a mattress?
No. The standard Eight Sleep Pod is a smart cooling and heating cover that fits over your existing mattress like a fitted sheet.
2Does Eight Sleep work without subscription?
Yes, but with major limitations. Eight Sleep currently requires a subscription for the first 12 months of ownership. Without an active subscription, the system functions as a manual cooling and heating pad, but loses its intelligent automation and advanced tracking features.
3Does Eight Sleep sell mattresses?
Yes, You can purchase a mattress from Eight Sleep separately. Eight Sleep offers a 5-layer premium foam mattress designed specifically to work with the Pod Cover.
4How to drain Eight Sleep pod?
- Unplug the Hub and empty any remaining water from the tank.
- Locate the white plastic drain tool included in the Tech Box.
- Attach it to the water hose connectors (the “umbilical” cord).
- Hold the hose over a sink or bucket.
- Roll the mattress cover tightly from the opposite end to push water toward the drain tool.
- Use the drain tool on the back of the Hub to release any internal water.
5How to reset Eight Sleep pod?
If your Pod is unresponsive or has connectivity issues:
Soft Reset
Unplug the Hub from power, wait 60 seconds, then plug it back in.
App Reset
In the Eight Sleep app:
Settings → My Pod → Re-pair or Reset Wi-Fi
Factory Reset
Locate the reset button (usually a small pinhole on the back or bottom of the Hub).
Press and hold for 10–15 seconds until the light flashes, indicating it’s ready for setup again.
6Where does Eight Sleep ship from??
Eight Sleep typically ships its products from multiple regional warehouses, with most U.S. orders originating from distribution centers in California, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
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