The Saatva Solaire has 50 levels of adjustable firmness but the Eight Sleep is a dream for hot sleepers — here's how to pick between them

The Saatva Solaire and Eight Sleep Pod allow you to customize your bed to suit your sleep needs — but they tackle very different problems via very different builds. If you're looking to give your bedroom a tech-makeover in the Memorial Day Mattress sales, there's a lot to learn about the Saatva Solaire Adjustable Firmness Mattress vs the Eight Sleep Pod 5.

The Pod 5 is the latest temperature-controlling, sleep-tracking smart mattress cover from Eight Sleep, using water tubes to heat or cool the bed on demand. The Saatva Solaire, on the other hand, uses dual air chambers to adjust the feel of the mattress. And it does so via a luxury build similar to this year's best mattresses.

So, one prioritizes temperature, the other firmness. But that's just the start and below we'll dig into how these smart beds vary in terms of price, comfort, support, and temperature control, to help you decide whether the Saatva Solaire or Eight Sleep Pod is the smartest investment for you and your sleep...

Saatva Solaire vs Eight Sleep Pod: Price & Trial

• You'll pay around $4,000-$4,500 for a Solaire in the Saatva sales
• A queen Eight Sleep Pod 5 is cheaper at $2,999 MSRP but you must buy a mattress separately
• Saatva has better benefits: a 365-night trial and lifetime warranty

The Tom's Guide team of sleep and mattress gurus rate the Saatva Solaire and Eight Sleep Pod as two of the best smart beds you can buy. With this prestige, and loaded with world-first tech, you must expect to splurge if you're eyeing up either of these smart bed systems.

When you shop at the right time, you can score a great price on the Solaire smart bed in Saatva mattress sales — a queen has an MSRP of $4,599 but look out for $400 off and 15% off sales to bring that down.

Frankly, Eight Sleep mattress sales are rarely as generous. But you can frequently save $100 on the Pod 5, cutting a queen to $2,899 from $2,999. Signing up to the mailing list can sometimes score you an extra discount.

But although the standalone price of the Solaire is more expensive than the Pod, remember you must budget for the extras at Eight Sleep, too.

Because the Eight Sleep Pod is just a mattress cover — you need to buy a mattress as well. For the best cooling comfort, we recommend pairing it with a top-rated hybrid mattress. Depending on how luxe you're going, this might set you back between $649 (the price of a queen DreamCloud Classic) and $1,879 (the usual sale price of a queen Saatva Classic).

Plus, to access all smart features like automatic temperature adjustments and sleep tracking, you must pay a subscription fee for Eight Sleep's Autopilot software. This has a three tier pricing system starting at $17 per month, going up to $25 and $33 per month.

When it comes to perks, Saatva is more generous. You can't get much better than a lifetime warranty, one-year sleep trial, and free White Glove delivery. As standard, the Pod comes with a 30-night trial and a two-year warranty, although that bumps up to five years if you fork out for the Enhanced Autopilot plan.

Save $400

Saatva Solaire Adjustable Firmness Mattress (twin XL): was $3,499 now $3,099 at Saatva

The only smart bed from America's luxury mattress brand, the Saatva Solaire packs customizable tech with premium materials for elite comfort. Look out for 15% off and $400 off sales to score the biggest discounts on smaller sizes, while Saatva's 'spend more to save more sale' can sometimes net you an impressive price drop on larger sizes.

View Deal

Save $100

Eight Sleep Pod 5 (full): was $2,799 now $2,699 at Eight Sleep US

The newest, smartest model from the sleep performance brand, the Pod 5 offers personalised climate control, sleep analytics, and a gentle vibration alarm. Save $100 and get a queen for $2,899 now. And add an adjustable bed base, thermo blanket, or pillow cover for a complete smart set up. Don't forget, you'll need to sign up for the Autopilot plan as well: prices start at $17 per month.

View Deal

Saatva Solaire vs Eight Sleep Pod: Materials & Design

• Solaire is a luxury mattress, Eight Sleep Pod is a mattress cover
• The Eight Sleep Pod features a hydro climate control system controlled by a bedside hub
• The Solaire pairs a layer of air chambers with latex, foam, and cotton

When it comes to design, the Saatva Solaire and Eight Sleep Pod 5 have some major differences. For a start, the Solaire is a complete mattress. The Pod, on the other hand, is a smart cover that fits over an existing mattress like a fitted sheet.

The Saatva Solaire has six internal layers. The tech, including the air inflator and hoses, sits at the base, followed by the air chambers and a moisture barrier. Next is a later of gel memory foam followed by natural latex foam, finished with a Euro pillow top. Like the best Saatva mattresses, it's all wrapped in an organic cotton cover.

The Eight Sleep Pod 5 pairs a mattress cover with a bedside control hub (at 16 inches long and 17 inches tall, it's bulky but still slips by your nightstand.) Water pipes run through the mattress cover, cooling and heating as required, while integrated sensors track your sleep metrics. There's also a touch panel to operate the thermal alarm, for a gentler wake up..

The Pod 5 is compatible with Eight Sleep's catalogue of smart accessories including a hydro-powered thermal blanket ($999), cooling pillow cover ($999), and adjustable bed base ($1,899 for a queen). The base offers zero-gravity positioning and upper-body elevation for snoring reduction.

Saatva Solaire vs Eight Sleep Pod: Support & Comfort

• With 50 firmness levels, the Solaire accommodates a variety of sleep needs
• The Eight Sleep Pod offers thermal comfort, between 55°F-110°F
• Both offer dual control, to adjust comfort independent of co-sleepers

The Saatva Solaire and Eight Sleep Pod offer comfort and support in different ways. The Solaire excels in customizable firmness (providing 50 comfort levels for you to pick from), while Eight Sleep wins for advanced, automated temperature control (take note, hot sleepers).

The inflatable air chambers in the Solaire allow you to adjust the mattress firmness to suit your needs. This is particularly useful for those with reoccurring pain, who might have different comfort preferences nightly. The lead in our Saatva Solaire mattress review says that; "Living with chronic back pain, I appreciated being able to tweak firmness on a day-to-day basis."

You can also store your ideal firmness level in a 'memory' setting to return to night after night. And with layers of latex and foam completing the build, the Solaire still boasts the hotel-quality feel of Saatva's other models.

The dual air chambers in the Solaire also helps couples avoid compromise (you don't have to suffer through a too-firm mattress so they feel comfortable.) But our Saatva Solaire reviewer noted a "hill and valley" effect when one side is set significantly softer than the other. This might cause some unwanted rolling or sinking.

Honestly, it's difficult to compare the Eight Sleep Pod in this aspect, considering it's a mattress cover. While temperature is an important factor in sleep comfort, when it comes to support, the Eight Sleep mattress cover has little impact — that's down to the mattress beneath it.

But what we can say is that, thanks to the cover's dynamic contouring surface, it adds cushioning to any mattress. While we haven't tested the 5, in our Eight Sleep Pod 4 review the tester noted it gave a pretty worn out IKEA mattress a welcome plusher feel.

Saatva Solaire vs Eight Sleep Pod: Temperature control

• Our hot-sleeping reviewers slept comfortably cool on both beds
• The Solaire has ample airflow for good cooling, but lacks active temperature controls
• Manual and automatic temperature regulation is the Eight Sleep Pod's main selling point

The Saatva Solaire may not feature any active cooling technology, but it is built with air chambers, a breathable cotton cover, and gel foams to support airflow and disperse heat. Our reviewer tends to sleep hot but neither her nor her husband overheated on the Solaire. It maintained a neutral temperature, making it ideal for average sleepers.

However, if you or your partner overheat at night — be that due to menopause, medication, or natural body composition —the Eight Sleep Pod is what you should be buying.

Temperature control is the primary function of the Eight Sleep and the dual control hydro climate system allows you adjust the temperature on each side of the bed between 55 and 110°F (13 and 43°C.)

Working with natural circadian cues, the pod cools down at your pre-set bedtime (signaling that it's time to sleep) and heats up at your alarm time to gently stir you awake and fight off morning grogginess.

And it takes control while you sleep. During the night the thermal sensors lining the mattress cover keep track of your body temperature. This data is fed into an algorithm which makes adjustments accordingly to keep you at an ideal sleep temperature (between 65 to 70 F / 18 to 21 °C.)

This feature seriously impressed our reviewer who slept on the Pod through British heatwaves last summer. That's what makes it one of the best cooling mattresses on the market.

Saatva Solaire vs Eight Sleep Pod: Which should you buy?

Buy the Saatva Solaire if...

✅ Aches and pains are keeping you awake: With 50 different firmness levels you can find your ideal balance between contouring and support so your joints are cushioned and body is aligned through the night.

✅ You and your partner can't agree on firmness: If you and your partner have significantly different body weights, or even just different sleep positions, you'll likely disagree on mattress firmness. With dual control, the Solaire settles the debate.

✅ You don't want too much tech in the bedroom: Controlled via a humble remote control rather than a smart phone app, the Solaire is better for less tech-savvy sleepers.

Buy the Eight Sleep Pod 5 if...

✅ You struggle with night sweats: Climate control is the standout feature of the Eight Sleep Pod. You can manually cool down the surface of your bed and it'll make adjustments through the night to keep you comfortably sweat-free.

✅ You've got a little more to spend: Although the Solaire has a higher price tag, the extras that come with the Eight Sleep Pod (remember it's just a mattress cover and requires a subscription fee) bulk up the overall investment.

✅ You want to learn more about your sleep habits: The Eight Sleep Pod comes complete with sleep tracking sensors and algorithms that provide nightly sleep reports and scores. It's a fitness fanatic's dream.