The future is here and it wants to share your bed. The best smart mattresses and beds use the latest in wellness technology to turn your room into a personalized sleep sanctuary. Think a feel that changes as you move, temperatures that adjust as the sun rises and AI coaches offering night-to-night feedback.
‘Smart beds’ is a broad term for a growing market, so in this guide you’ll find options from cooling covers to luxury mattresses, all tested and approved by our sleep experts. And watch this space for the latest in sleep technology — we’re always on the lookout for the next innovation, so we can test it and tell you if it’s worth your money.
The best smart beds and mattresses do come at a high price, so keep an eye on the mattress sales for a chance to save. Want something traditional? We've rounded up the best mattresses for every sleep style you can buy online.
12th October 2026: The Eight Sleep retains its place at the top of our guide as we prepare to test the new Eight Sleep Pod 6. However, the more affordable Orion Sleep System is our new favorite for cooling features.
Best smart mattress overall
Eight Sleep is one of the biggest names in smarter sleep, a temperature controlling mattress cover loved by elite athletes and tech millionaires alike. It's signature active cooling allow you to maintain the perfect feel throughout the night, to prevent waking up from night sweats and overheating. But that's not all it does...
✅ You sleep hot: With the Eight Sleep's active cooling you don't have to worry about sweaty nights and clammy mornings. Its fast response temperature changes can help reduce the impact of night sweats and hot flashes.
✅ You want detailed sleep tracking and coaching: A series of smart sensors in the cover deliver in-depth sleep data which can be accessed in the Autopilot app. Here you'll also find your own sleep coach, who can help you make improvements to your rest.
✅ You want a full smart sleep set up: While the cover is the signature piece in the Eight Sleep line-up, the brand is always developing complementary sleep accessories, from bed bases to pillow covers. It's ideal for the sleepmaxxing tech enthusiast.
❌ You're budget-conscious: The Eight Sleep cover itself will set you back $2,899 for a queen and you can't avoid the subscription plan, which adds a couple of hundred dollars to the price each year. If you want smart cooling without the subscription, try the Orion below.
The first thing you need to know about the Eight Sleep is that this clever system doesn't include a mattress. You'll need to buy that separately — our best mattress in a box guide is a good place to start — or add the smart cover to your existing bed. Luckily, Eight Sleep has recently expanded the line-up with twin and twin XL sizes, to ensure it fits more mattresses.
The Eight Sleep Pod system comes in two parts: a smart mattress cover fitted with imperceptible water pipes (for active cooling) and sensors (for sleep tracking), plus a control tower, which sits next to your nightstand. During the night the mattress cover heats up and cools down, with a temperature range of 54°F-110°F (12°C-43°C), to keep you at the exact right temperature.
Temperature plays an important role in sleep. Too hot (or too cold) and you leave yourself susceptible to 3 a.m. wake ups and uncomfortable mornings. However, the lead member of our Eight Sleep Pod 4 review team was "blown away" by the smart bed's active temperature controls. It ensured she slept well during a hot summer and enjoyed the cozy comfort of climbing into a warm bed in winter. Thanks to the dual temperature controls, both sides of the bed can enjoy a 'just right' temperature.
While temperature regulation is the main feature of the Eight Sleep system, this smart bed can match the best sleep trackers. The built-in sensors capture detailed metrics while the AI Autopilot offers advice on how to improve your rest. There's also a 'soundless' alarm in the cover, which uses vibration and heat to wake you up without the blaring — our testing team loved the "subtle" start to the day.
The biggest downside of the Eight Sleep system is the price. A queen is $2,999 and that's without the required subscription ($17.99/month at minimum.) And for the full Eight Sleep experience, you might want to invest in the extras, like the adjustable base, smart blanket and cooling pillow cover. With all the add ons, a queen starts at $7,195. (And don't forget you need a mattress as well — might I suggest our best cheap mattress guide?)
Best smart mattress for back pain
The Saatva Solaire doesn’t have the bells and whistles of other sleep-tracking, temperature-changing smart beds. But if you’re looking for a luxury mattress that takes a personalized approach, this is the one for you. Operated via a humble remote control rather than a smart phone app, it’s also a great choice for the less tech-savvy.
✅ You experience aching joints: The Solaire's adjustable firmness settings (with a little help from multiple layers of pressure relieving foam) ensure your mattress will always feel 'just right' at the joints.
✅ Back pain is impacting your sleep: Chiropractor-approved, the Solaire features several layers of targeted lumbar support alongside the personalized comfort of the adjustable design.
✅ You want smarter sleep made simpler: No app, no Bluetooth and no fuss. Simply use your remote to change the feel (and you can program your favorite settings for even easier adjustment.)
❌ You're looking for a sleep-tracking bed: The Solaire's main (read only) smart feature is customizable firmness. It does not come with in-bed sensors that curate sleep reports.
❌ You want to save money: Saatva is a luxury mattress retailer and the Solaire features high-tech integrations alongside a premium hotel-style design. If it's just an adjustable feel you want, brands like Personal Comfort and Sleep Number offer it for less.
As an adjustable bed, the Solaire swaps the steel springs used in most of the best Saatva mattresses for air chambers. These can be inflated or deflated as needed, changing the feel of the mattress. The Saatva Solaire can adjust to 50 mattress firmness levels, so the feel is always fine-tuned to suit you.
The big advantage of an adjustable bed, as our Solaire review team found out, is that you get targeted comfort night after night. It's ideal for those with reoccurring aches and pains, who might experience changing needs. And as a dual-sided bed, you can adjust the firmness on either side of the mattress, meaning you and your partner don't have to compromise. Our tester called it potentially the "ultimate mattress for couples," but be aware there's a "noticeable dip" if you and your partner have significantly different firmness levels.
With lumbar zone quilting in the cover, 1" of ergonomically targeted latex foam, plus 2" of gel-infused pressure relief foam, the Solaire has ample support for the spine to reduce back pain. However, our tester found when the bed was on softer settings, the edge support was reduced.
Finished with Saatva's signature luxury mattress style, the Solaire is an indulgent choice. A queen is $4,789 at full MSRP, although frequent Saatva mattress sales ensure you rarely have to pay that much. And with a 365-night trial, a lifetime warranty and free white glove delivery, the extras are generous.
Best cooling smart bed
We can talk a lot about the important role temperature plays in your sleep (and we have done). Long story short, high temperatures are bad for sleep. The best cooling mattresses use heat-wicking materials to prevent heat build-up. The Orion Sleep System, a smart mattress cover, instead uses water pipes to maintain an even temperature throughout the night.
✅ You sleep hot: Smart temperature controls adjust the feel of the bed automatically as you sleep. As your body warms, the Orion cover cools, so you don't wake up uncomfortably hot.
✅ Temperature is your biggest sleep issue: The Orion doesn't have the added features of the Eight Sleep but on the other hand, it's cheaper and can be used subscription free. If all your looking for is temperature control, this is a smart choice.
✅ You sleep hot, your partner sleeps cold: ...Or vice versa. The dual-sided controls allow both sides of the bed to sit at a different temperature, so you both sleep happy.
❌ You have a small bed: Orion's sizes are limited at the moment (queen to Cal king), so if you have a full or smaller check out the Eight Sleep. Or this could be a chance to upgrade, as the Orion doesn't come with a mattress.
❌ You need sleep tracking: It's an extra $250 for one year's access to Orion's sleep tracking service. For the all-in-one ease, it might be worth the expense. But you can get better tracking for less with the Withings Sleep Mat or Fitbit Air.
Sound familiar? Yep, the Orion Sleep System has a lot in common with the Eight Sleep Pod that tops this guide. Both offer dual temperature adjustment, a rapid response to night sweats and hot flashes, plus active heat controls that adapt and change as you need them. Both are also covers and control units, with no mattress included.
But there are a few reasons why the Orion takes the spot of our favorite cooling smart bed. First is the wider temperature range. The Orion can adjust from 50°F to 113°F (10°C-45°C), giving more options for those who live in extreme climates. And after a blisteringly hot summer, our Orion Sleep System lead tester found the concept of a 50°F bed to be surprisingly appealing. She was impressed at how quickly the Orion responded to her needs, never waking up sweating during the weeks long testing period.
The second is that you don't need a subscription to use the Orion. You can add one for an extra $250 a year if you want, gaining access to Orion's sleep tracking. But you don't have to subscribe if you don't want to — that's rare for sleep tech. Add on the overall lower price (it's $2,395 for a queen) and the Orion Sleep System is an affordable alternative to the Eight Sleep. Ideal if all you really want is a cooler place to sleep.
Best smart mattresses: Also tested
Smart beds we're currently testing
The world of smart sleep tech is rapidly evolving so we always have one eye on the latest release. Here are the smart mattresses and beds that we're currently testing, to see if they're good enough to make this guide...
- Sleep Number ComfortNext Lux: We previously tested Sleep Number's i8 mattress, which has since been discontinued. The ComfortNext Lux has the same adjustable feel and pressure relieving build. Early testing feedback is positive.
- Bryte Balance PRO: The Bryte Balance Pro promises "active pressure relief" to ensure your shoulders, hips, knees and lumbar never get achy. It's an expensive design but could be a game changer if your mornings are plagued by pains.
- Eight Sleep Pod 6: Taking all the functions of the previous Pod models and supercharging them — while making the Pod itself smaller — the 6 looks to continue Eight Sleep's reign as our favorite smart bed.
How we test smart beds and mattresses
We use a variety of tests to ensure accuracy in all our mattress and smart bed reviews. Using both hands-on feedback and objective testing (often conducted in our Sleep Lab), this thorough testing process helps limit subjectivity.
Following our mattress testing methodology, we test all mattresses in key areas including temperature regulation, edge support, motion isolation and comfort. We ask a diverse team to try out the bed and deliver feedback, to better understand how the mattress performs for different sleep needs and body types.
When it comes to smart beds and mattresses, we adapt this process to suit the unique design of each bed. For example, edge support is irrelevant for the Eight Sleep. We also factor in additional performance areas including set up, use and app controls. This helps ensure we're providing you with all the information you need to make an informed choice about your mattress.
Best smart beds and mattresses FAQs
What is a smart mattress?
Smart bed is a broad term that encompasses a variety of mattresses. Strictly, a smart bed is one that comes fitted with sensors to track and respond to your sleep. These are either app-controlled or use a mix of manually controlled features, plus further functions available via a companion app (iOS and Android are common platforms).
With this integrated tracking, smart beds do away with the need for a contactless or wearable sleep tracker. The baked in tracking systems should deliver all the info you need. These trackers do vary in quality and accuracy, however, as they often rely on movement to determine your sleep wellbeing.
While the best sleep trackers deliver a close up look at your sleep, smart beds and mattresses go further. They often intervene, in real time, to improve your sleep even as you're snoozing. For some, like Sleep Number beds, this means adjusting the firmness. For others, like the Orion, it's a temperature change. And smart bases, like the Eight Pod Ultra, can raise your head or feet to reduce pressure or stop snoring.
However, as mentioned, 'smart beds and mattresses' is a vague term and is often applied to any bed that comes fitted with tech. That's why the remote controlled Saatva Solaire has a place in this guide, or why the most affordable Sleep Number mattresses are considered in the 'smart' bracket.
What is the difference between a smart bed and an AI mattress?
Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.
The two terms — smart bed and AI mattress — are used interchangeably, making it difficult to distinguish between the two. Essentially, all AI mattresses are smart beds but not all smart beds boast artificial intelligence (AI). While they share many features, the key difference between the two is the way they are programmed.
AI mattresses work on an algorithm and self-learning to produce personalized sleep reports and adjust firmness, temperature and sleeping position throughout the night. Meanwhile, smart beds that do not use AI (some do) are pre-programmed and operated via a remote control or smart phone app. This means they cannot provide the same depth of sleep analysis and some smart beds’ features are limited to adjustable firmness or temperature control.
How to choose the best smart bed for your sleep needs
It’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole when it comes to smart beds, as many of them pack in as many features as possible. However, if you go for quantity you might end up overpaying for smart tech you never use. When choosing a smart bed, start by zeroing in on the one sleep problem you want to target.
For example, if you're a hot sleep, then a smart bed that offers active temperature regulation should be top of your list. You may also like to check out our best cooling mattress guide — they aren’t smart, but they are powerful allies in the fight against hot sleeping.
Dealing with back, neck and joint pain? Then the best smart mattress for you is one that offers adjustable firmness. Through the tap of an app or remote control, you can change the feel until it relieves whatever aches and pains you're feeling. (Alternatively, check out the best mattresses for back pain.)
And for those with sleep apnea, a smart bed base with Zero Gravity positioning can offer relief from snoring.
Once you've decided what sleep issue you're targeting, you can look for a bed that meets that need, and ignore the bells and whistles.
How to choose the right smart mattress for your sleep style
One of the most important things to consider when buying a smart mattress or bed is comfort. Cutting edge technology and features are excellent additional extras, but you need to ensure your basic sleep needs are catered for. This means choosing a mattress that compliments your sleep style, position, and comfort preferences.
If health and sleep tracking is what interests you most about buying a smart mattress, you might be better off buying a smart cover, such as the Eight Sleep. These go over your existing bed, so you don't have to compromise on comfort just to enjoy sleep tracking.
You should also consider how easy the smart mattress is to navigate — there’s little point in paying for features that you have trouble accessing. The Saatva Solitaire Adjustable Mattress comes with 50 different firmness levels on each size, all of which are accessible via a remote as opposed to an app.
While there are some smart beds that contain natural materials such as latex, you won’t find many with fully certified organic materials. So if natural, eco-friendly sleep is important to you, then consider an organic mattress instead. Out of the brands featured in our best smart mattress guide, Saatva is the closest you’ll get to your needs as it uses latex and botanical treatments.
If you have a favorite mattress topper that you’d like to use on your new smart mattress, make sure that it’s compatible and won’t interfere with the design of the smart bed, especially if it’s adjustable. As with standard mattresses, make sure you cover it in the best mattress protector for your budget to keep it safe from spills, stains and germs.
There’s no denying that a smart bed is expensive, so make sure the one you’re considering comes on a trial basis. If you get one on trial, you can test it thoroughly during that period and if it isn’t right for you, you can initiate a return and get a refund. Look for a good warranty too — our guide answering how do mattress warranties work will provide extra guidance.
Are smart beds worth it?
There's no way around it: smart beds and mattresses are expensive. Although we have seen prices on basic models drop in recent years, we're still a ways off from a truly budget smart bed. If you're looking for a queen size, expect to pay over $1,000 even for a bed with limited features.
However, if you want a bed that stands at the forefront of sleep comfort, then a smart mattress is the way to do it. No other mattress type is better at targeting and alleviating specific problems to help you sleep better. Active cooling, adjustable comfort and automatic zero gravity positioning are features you simply won't find in another mattress.
We'd recommend keeping an eye out for various big mattress sales throughout the year, as these will deliver some sizeable discounts on smart beds that will help you snag one of these high-tech sleep systems for less.
But if all you're looking for in a bed is a comfortable place to crash at the end of the day, you might not need the additional features of a smart mattress. If you have a much smaller budget or you're just looking to upgrade your guest bed, then take a look at our best budget mattress guide instead.
