Eight Sleep Pod 4 review: tapping into the future of sleep tech

Eight Sleep devices really feel like something from the future. Every time I explain to someone how the system works they are amazed by the tech and instantly need one in their lives. Yes, the price can be prohibitive, but as with a good mattress, the expense is easy to justify. You spend around a third of your life asleep, so it’s worth investing in the time.

The latest model, the Eight Sleep Pod 4, was released early this year. It offers a few significant improvements over the previous model, but the biggest one is how it can be controlled. Small sensor packs on each side of the mattress cover allow you to tap to increase or decrease the temperature or stop the haptic alarm.

There’s also a new Pod 4 Ultra model, which comes with an adjustable base to raise the mattress into different positions and helps reduce snoring. I’ve been testing the standard Pod 4 model though which fits over any mattress. Having tested two of the three previous Eight Sleep Pods (including the Pod 3 and Pod Pro) I can confidently say this is the best yet.

How much is the Eight Sleep Pod 4?

The Eight Sleep Pod 4 system starts from £2598 / $2598 for a UK double or Full, £2698 / $2798 for a UK King / US Queen, £2898 / $2998 for a Super King / US King and £3098 / $2998 for an Emperor (200cmx200cm) / Cali King bed.

You can also buy the Pod 4 Ultra model, which includes a new adjustable base. This base can be elevated for reading, relaxing and sleeping. It can even automatically adjust your position to help reduce snoring. This model starts from £4,198 for the UK super king or $4798 for the US Queen, with an additional leg kit for £89 / $99 and a 5-layer mattress for $1899 (not available in the UK).

There are two subscription options: the standard is included in the initial cost for the first year and is £17 / $17 per month (£199 /$199 per year) thereafter, and the Enhanced costs and extra £100 for the first year and then £25 / $25 per month (£299 / $299 per year) thereafter. After the first 12 months, you can continue to use the Pod without the subscription, but you will lose access to the full sleep reports and automatic temperature adjustments.

What is the Eight Sleep system?

For those unaccustomed to the Eight Sleep system, it takes a little bit of explaining. The idea is that the system heats and cools your mattress to the perfect temperature for you to get the ultimate night’s sleep. Not only does it set this temperature for when you get into bed, but it also adjusts the temperature throughout the night to keep you asleep and then adjusts again to help you wake up naturally.

The way it does this is the clever bit, as Eight Sleep uses water that is either cooled or heated in the Pod. This is pumped over the mattress cover in tiny tubes warming or cooling your body. Each side of the bed can be controlled separately so that if you share a bed with a partner, you can have differing temperatures.

The system comprises a Pod system that sits by the side of the bed and the cover, which contains all of the tiny pipes that the water flows through. The cover is also covered in sensors so that it can detect how you’re sleeping. It provides you with health metrics such as heart rate, heart rate variance, breath rate and even how much you’ve snored. It’s like one giant sleep tracker, with the advantage that it can also adjust to improve that sleep quality, too.

New features in the Eight Sleep Pod 4

The Pod 4 is quite a big step up from the Pod 3. Both the cover and the pod itself have been completely redesigned. The previous cover used a combination of straps to secure it to your mattress. The Pod 4 cover, however, just sits on the mattress like a fitted sheet and feels just as secure.

The surface of the cover feels even smoother, so you can’t feel the tubes and sensors beneath the surface, and it feels even more comfortable to lie on. There are new sensors inside the cover, too. These provide more accurate heart rate, HRV, respiratory rate and sleep stage detection. This can not only give you better data on how you sleep but also work more effectively to keep you asleep for longer.

The Pod – the desktop PC-like device that sits by the side of the bed – has also been redesigned. It’s slightly taller and thinner with new vents and now has two fans instead of one. The result is a quieter operation and even greater cooling power, allowing it to drop as low as 55ºF (12.7ºC).

Installing the Eight Sleep Pod 4

Installing the Eight Sleep Pod 4 for the first time is really easy. First, you install the Eight Sleep app and sign in. Once you’re subscribed, the app will talk you through the process with handy videos to guide you through each part of the setup. You need to use distilled water to fill the chamber – ideally from a water filter jug – and you’ll need a couple of litres to fill the system. Whereas previously the system suggested adding a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide, it now features a removable filter that can be replaced for free as part of your Autopilot subscription.

Once the Pod is set up, you stretch the cover over your existing mattress and then put your sheets back on the bed. This goes on really easily and I was surprised how well it stays in place without the strap of the Pod three or the zip of the old Pod Pro.

The system then starts the priming process which can take about 90 minutes to finish. However, you can start to explore all the other features in this time. The app asks you to lay on the bed and turn, so it can get used to how you lay on the various sensors. It also shows you how to use the new tap sensors on the side of the bed to turn the temperature up or down and dismiss the haptic alarm.

The Eight Sleep app

Your Eight Sleep app is very much the hub of the system. This is where you set your temperatures and alarms and where you come to get your sleep data. The main dashboard screen gives you an overview of your system, with the current state, your upcoming schedule, your most decent sleep score and heart rate variation over the past seven days.

The main temperature screen lets you manually control the temperature settings on your Eight Sleep system. During the set-up, you can also allow your partner to access the system to allow them to control their side separately, or you can switch between the left and right sides of the bed at the top of the screen. The app also now lets you manage multiple Eight Sleep devices if needed.

Underneath the manual control, you’ll find your temperature settings for the different stages of the night. One setting for when you get into bed, a second for early in the night, then for late in the night and a final temperature for waking. You can easily adjust each of these values, which go between +10 and -10 to suit how you like to sleep. However, the Autopilot system (which comes as part of the subscription) will make smaller changes through the night to keep you asleep.

The routine tab allows you to set your bedtime and waking time so that the Eight Sleep Pod can preheat (or cool) the bed for you in advance. Setting the wake-up time will not only allow it to heat the bed to a waking temperature, but it can also deploy a vibration alarm to wake you gently.

The final tab is for the sleep report. This first presents you with an overall sleep fitness score out of 100, so you can quickly compare your night’s sleep with previous nights – or with your partner’s. It then breaks this down into a little more detail, with sleep quality, routine and time slept.

Scrolling down allows you to get even more granular, looking at your different sleep stages, including the amount of REM sleep and deep sleep you got, as well as health metrics such as heart rate HRV and breath rate. It now even detects how much you snore, letting you know how long you snored for each night. There’s further info on your sleep routine, sleep latency (time to fall asleep and get up), and your time slept compared to previous nights.

You can even get this as a summary sent to you each morning by text, saving you from going into the app to find out.

Using the Pod 4

I’ve been using the Eight Sleep Pod 4 since the summer now, so have had the chance to try it out in both warm and cold temperatures. Arguably it’s the colling abilities that make the Eight Sleep unique. Even in a stifling bedroom without aircon, this system cools the bed perfectly, so that not only do you get into a nice cold bed, but you stay cool throughout the night. I really loved that I didn’t need to kick the covers off in the night. In fact, I had it set so cold that I would often cover myself completely with the duvet – and sleep like a baby.

In the cooler weather though, is when I enjoy the Eight Sleep’s temperature control the most. There’s nothing like getting into a toasty warm bed. I like to sleep cold though, so I then drop my temperature right down for the early part of the night to get some deep sleep. Before warming up a little for the REM sleep in the early hours and then bringing me back up to temperature before my alarm goes off.

Compared to the Pod 3, I found both the heating and cooling more effective, especially when used with the Autopilot system. One of my favourite parts of the Autopilot control is that it also takes into account the ambient temperature of the room, so it can increase or decrease your initial temperature before you get into bed. Certainly a welcome addition on a chilly night.

The new tap controls on the sides of the cover are a genius addition. There have been times in the night when I’ve felt a little too warm or too cold but I didn’t want to reach for my phone to change the settings. Now, you simply double-tap to lower the temperature by one setting, or triple-tap to raise the temperature by one setting.

I also found the updated vibration alarm much more usable than previous versions. You now have much greater control over the strength of the vibration, along with the option to have it come on gradually, which is much more relaxing.

Should I buy the Eight Sleep Pod 4?

Eight Sleep is by far the cleverest bit of sleep tech I’ve ever experienced, and the Pod 4 is the most advanced to date. It elevates the experience of even the very best mattress and gives you an experience you’ll never want to sleep without.

The changes over the previous model at first felt subtle but the addition of the tap sensors on the side is extremely handy, and the whole Pod runs much quieter than before. Plus, I found the cover more comfortable and the heating and cooling even more effective.

It’s difficult to ignore the price of this unit, as spending nearly three grand on a mattress topper can seem a little excessive. However, there really is no tech quite like the Pod 4 on the market, so if you want the very best sleep, it’s worth every penny.

Also consider

If you really want to ultimate model, the Pod 4 Ultra provides you with an electric base, that can raise your head and feet to provide a relaxing position and also move you enough to stop snoring. Unfortunately, right now, UK models are limited to the larger Super King and Emperor mattress sizes, but in the US there are Queen, King and Cali King options.

If you want to save some cash, the Pod 3 model is still an incredible choice, with great heating and cooling options. If you subscribe to the Autopilot, you still get the automatic temperature adjustments on the Pod 3, as well as the snore detection.