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 5, and it’s spreading like wildfire, even quicker than the previous. The Pod 5 starts at $2,949 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 5 from every day people like myself. (Unlike Elon Musk, I can’t be shelling out $2,900+ 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 5 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:
- Immersive temperature control with temp-regulating blanket
- Detects and stops snoring with zero-gravity elevation
- Built-in surround sound
- Clinical-grade sleep and health tracking
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 5 – 1 Week Later: It’ll Change Your Life”
Overview: This guy Andrew talks about how he’s been using Eight Sleep’s products for years to improve his sleep quality… and how he’s incredibly excited to test out the latest generation of the Pod. He claims that, with even more insane upgrades like a temperature-controlled blanket, physical buttons, and an integrated speaker into the frame… it’s clear that Pod 5 is another step in the direction of a full end-to-end sleeping assistant and solution. He admits it’s a significant investment, but claims “it doesn’t get much better than Eight Sleep’s Pod 5 at the moment.“
Pros:
- Upgrades light sleep to deep sleep: With a dual-zone, active grid cover that slips over your existing mattress, the Pod 5 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.”
- Full immersion: With the all-new temperature-regulating blanket, the Pod 5 creates a “sandwich effect” where you’re getting twice the cooling and heating coverage.
- Huge upgrade in comfort: the Pod 5 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.
Cons:
- It’s pricey and there’s a membership fee on top of the initial cost. Andrew justifies it by claiming that Pod 5 has had an enormous impact on his sleep quality, sleep habits, and overall energy levels during the day.
“Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra – Scientific Review”
Overview: In his review, The Quantified Scientist tested the Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra for sleep stage accuracy and its Autopilot temperature feature. His data showed it tracked sleep stages with 78% accuracy (close to lab results) and improved deep sleep by 16% while reducing wake-ups by 9%. He claims he himself uses the Pod 5 for two main reasons: the health tracking capabilities are insanely accurate, and being able to stay cool at night has been “a godsend.”
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.
- Full temperature immersion with the hydro-powered blanket.
- 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.
Cons:
- Price: like most people, he admits the price is not cheap. But, he says if you have the money available and you struggle with body temperature at night, Eight Sleep’s Pod 5 is the ultimate, clear #1 solution.
“Eight Sleep Pod 5 Review (Cooling Blanket Temp Tested)”
Overview: Shervin Shares goes into his experience with the Pod 5 and talks about the three major updates: buttons to control the elevation, temperature, and sound, a Pod blanket for 2x the temperature coverage, and a speaker for soundscapes. He compares the difference between the Pod 5 with an immersive blanket and the old generation Pod 4 and finds that Pod 5 is a significant improvement.
Pros:
- Pod 5 is the ‘Final Boss’ of all Eight Sleep generations… the quietest, most comfortable, and most immersive mattress cover.
- “Fall asleep so much faster… can be cool on the top as well with the new blanket.”
- Comfort Level is 10/10. Doesn’t affect how you like your mattress at all.
- Helps create better sleep routines and consistent sleep times.
Cons:
- Subscription model pricing.
- Very expensive… but he’s “found so much value… the effort-to-value ratio is so good that this is the one product I absolutely recommend to everyone if you have the money.”
It Seems Like the People Agree: Pod 5 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 5 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.