From Elon Musk’s Twitter Feed, to the World’s Most Famous Podcast, to My YouTube Suggestions… Eight Sleep is Everywhere.
I first heard about this temperature-regulating mattress cover about a year ago when the tech bros were going nuts over it on Twitter because the most famous podcaster in the world called it a “f***ing game changer.” At the time I remember thinking, who would actually pay $2,000+ for a mattress cover?
But since then, Eight Sleep has continued to rack up praise not just from billionaires like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, but from everyday people just looking to improve their sleep and, as a result, their daily output. So, apparently, a lot of people would pay that much. But Eight Sleep recently rolled out their latest generation of the sleep system, the Pod 4, and it’s spreading like wildfire, even quicker than the previous. The Pod 4 starts at $2,599 for a Queen size, and I wanted to find out if it was really worth that much.
I decided to do some recon on the customer reviews for the Pod 4 from every day people like myself. (Unlike Elon Musk, I can’t be shelling out $2,599 on a whim.) To save you time, I compiled the most informative reviews and broke them down into pros and cons. Let’s dive in.
First, a Brief Background on Eight Sleep
Eight Sleep is famous for its intelligent sleep system that gives you up to one more hour of sleep each night. Since they launched their start-up idea in 2014, they’ve been racking up the press, the accolades, and the famous (and non-famous) user base.
Eight Sleep’s original mattress cover won the 2021 Men’s Health Sleep Award, was named one of TIME’s Best Inventions in 2019, and was called the “mattress of the future” by Newsweek. The new Pod 4 keeps the same ground-breaking Eight Sleep features like automatic temperature regulation from 55°F to 110°F, dual zones for partners, and a gentle-rise alarm. It also adds some big-time upgrades:
- Detects and stops snoring
- Has 2x the cooling power
- Clinical-grade sleep and health tracking
- Adjustable sleeping positions
And that’s to name just a few. At its core, this intelligent sleep system is meant to make it easier to fall asleep, stay asleep, sleep deeper, and wake up without an alarm. Here’s what the people have to say about it.
“Eight Sleep Pod 4 Cover Review: Unfiltered Thoughts After 2.5 Years of Sleeping w/ a Pod”
Overview: This guy Cam talks about how, in 2022, there wasn’t a single independent review of Eight Sleep online, so he decided to spend his own money and make one himself. He ended up liking it so much that he ordered the Pod 4 and decided to make another review with what he calls a “boring” conclusion: “Sleeping on a cooled mattress that automatically tracks my sleep… is amazing.”
Pros:
- Upgrades light sleep to deep sleep: With a dual-zone, active grid cover that slips over your existing mattress, the Pod 4 heats and cools from 110°F to 55°F in response to your body’s natural sleep cycle to optimize your recovery. Eight Sleep calls this “Autopilot.”
- Huge upgrade in comfort: the Pod 4 masks the coils and tubes that do the temperature regulation with sleek padding, resulting in a 20% thinner contouring surface that feels like you’re sleeping on a bed, not a machine.
- Hassle-free Sleep Fitness Score: the Pod 4 will tell you how well you’re sleeping each night and help you make optimizations… without requiring a wearable.
- App Updates: Every so often Eight Sleep will add features to the app, upgrade the app’s speed and connectivity, etc. The product levels up alongside your sleeping habits.
Cons:
- It’s pricey and there’s a membership fee on top of the initial cost. Cam justifies it by considering that, if you use Affirm at checkout, you’re paying around $2 a night to fall asleep faster, stay asleep, and get a better night’s sleep overall.
“30 DAY 8 SLEEP REVIEW | New Pod 4”
Overview: Jack Perez tries the Pod 4 out with his partner for 30 days and details out their experience. He starts with their first thoughts, then goes into the 30-day review, and finally breaks it down into the pros and cons (similar to what I’m doing here). Ultimately, he says that “it’s like the cool side of the pillow but for your entire bed… which is amazing.”
Pros:
- Automatically adjusts temperature throughout the night to match the ideal temperatures during the various sleep stages. (Autopilot)
- Manual control zones on the side of the bed for temperature and alarm control. (Before the Pod 4, you had to pull out your phone every time.)
- Can actually use their comforter in the summer (without waking up in a hot sweat.)
- Dual-temperature zones: you can control the temperature for each side of the bed, which is a game-changing feature if you sleep with a partner.
- You can save money on the power bill by not having to run the AC so hard.
- Low maintenance & very quiet.
- “At the end of the day, Pod 4 just gives you better sleep and more of it.”
Cons:
- Makes sleeping in a “normal” bed impossible: of course, this is really a pro in disguise. Jack and his partner talk about how the Pod 4 made their sleep so fantastic that going without it became difficult.
- Monthly recurring fee for the app: like most people, he doesn’t love the idea of paying for his sleep experience, but he does say that you’re spending 7-9 hours every single night on your bed so he considers it worth it to make it the best experience possible.
- Sleep Fitness Score can be skewed if you’re hanging out in bed and not sleeping.
“I Tested EVERY Eight Sleep Pod… This is Best!”
Overview: Shervin Shares goes into his experience with each generation of Eight Sleep: the Pod 2, Pod 3, and Pod 4 Ultra (the version with the adjustable base). He breaks it down by power consumption, heating and cooling speed, noise levels, comfort, and more… and ultimately decides that, if you have the money, the Pod 4 is definitely the best choice of the three. (He says the Pod 3 is still great, though.)
Pros:
- Pod 4 is the ‘Final Boss’ of all Eight Sleep generations… the quietest, most comfortable, and most powerful mattress cover.
- Pod 4 is considerably more leak-proof than previous generations.
- Comfort Level is 10/10. Doesn’t affect how you like your mattress at all.
- Pod 4 is much quicker at heating and cooling the bed.
- Pod 4 comes with a built-in cleaning device so you don’t have to worry about using hydrogen peroxide when refilling the Hub.
- Helps create better sleep routines and consistent sleep times.
Cons:
- Power/energy usage is higher on the Pod 4 than on previous generations.
- Subscription model pricing.
It Seems Like the People Agree: Pod 4 Is Expensive But Can Be a Lifechanging Investment
If you’re in the market for drastically improved sleep, then this science-backed, temperature-regulating mattress cover might be your answer (especially with Eight Sleep’s latest upgrades). I guess there are more than a few valid reasons that everybody loves this thing, from the world’s top CEOs to average joes like me.
The main con I came across in these reviews was the overall price and the subscription price. But, based on the vibe I got from these reviews and my own perspective, I think it’s helpful to consider the monthly payment as subscribing to a new way of life (sleeping), rather than just having to break through a paywall. It also makes sense to me that Eight Sleep needs a way to offset what must be an enormous amount of money in R&D for a product this advanced.
It’s worth mentioning you can get the Pod 4 for $0 down followed by interest-free installments with Affirm—and they also offer free shipping and a 30-night, risk-free trial. So there’s no risk in trying it out for yourself.