Eight Sleep is at the forefront of smart bed innovation, employing world-first technology to beat your sleep woes, be they night sweats, snoring or back pain.
While the Eight Sleep Pod 4 has reigned as the best smart bed on the market for the last year, the new Pod 5 Ultra+ comes with an adjustable bed base, advanced sleep tracking, temperature control and in-bed surround sound. Yes, we're blown away too.
The Pod 5 Ultra+ may be discounted in current mattress sales but it's still thousands of dollars above the Pod 4. Ahead, we'll explore whether the Pod 5 Ultra+ is worth the extra expense, or if the Pod 4 is enough for your sleep needs.
Eight Sleep Pod 4 vs Pod 5 Ultra+ smart mattress cover: specs
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Eight Sleep Pod 4 | Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra+ |
|---|---|---|
Type: | Smart mattress cover | Smart mattress cover, adjustable base |
Trial: | 30 days | 30 days |
Warranty: | 2 years (Standard), 5 years (Enhanced) | 2 years (Standard), 5 years (Enhanced) |
Queen price: | $2,649 (MSRP) | $5,049 (MSRP) |
Eight Sleep Pod 4 vs Pod 5 Ultra+ smart mattress cover: price & trials
- Both are premium purchases, Pod 5 Ultra+ is more expensive
- Both have a 30-night trial and a two year standard warranty
- Both require an Autopilot app monthly subscription
Packed with game-changing technology, the Eight Sleep Pod 4 and Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra+ are both premium buys, costing at least $1,000 more than even the best mattresses you can buy online right now.
As the simpler system, the Pod 4 is the most affordable of the two, with prices starting at $2,449 for a full and $2,649 for a queen. The Pod 4 is available in full, queen, king and California king sizes, none of which are currently discounted.
The Pod 5 Ultra+ overhauls smart features offered by the Pod 4 and adds a whole new dimension to the Eight Sleep system – an adjustable bed base. This upgrade inevitably brings a bigger price tag, with prices starting at $5,049 for a queen at MSRP. King and California king sizes are also available.
The good news is current Eight Sleep mattress sales knock $200 off all sizes of the Pod 5 Ultra+. This brings a queen size to $4,849, a rare discount from the sleep tech brand.
As well as the initial expense, you do have to pay a subscription to use the Eight Sleep Autopilot app. A Standard subscription costs $17 a month, while the Enhanced subscription is $25 a month and Elite (needed for Eight Sleep's new health check feature) is $33 a month. A subscription covers two users.
For such a pricey purchase, the benefits are disappointing. There's only a 30-night sleep trial, which is significantly less than we see from most sleep brands (some beds even come with a 365-night mattress trial). The warranty period is also short: two years with the Standard subscription plan, five years if you upgrade to Enhanced or Elite.
Eight Sleep Pod 4 vs Pod 5 Ultra+ smart mattress cover: materials & design
- Pod 4 includes a smart mattress cover and connected Hub
- Pod 5 Ultra+ features the smart cover, Hub, and a 3" adjustable bed base
- There's the option to add a hydro-powered blanket to the Pod 5 Ultra+
The Eight Sleep Pod 4 is a water-based smart cooling system consisting of a mattress cover and a control Hub. The pipe-lined mattress cover fits over your existing mattress like a fitted sheet while the control hub sits next to your bed.
The bedside hub contains a water tank that controls your in-bed temperature and sleep tracking, vibrating sensors are laced throughout the black fabric mattress cover. Data is recorded during the night, which you can access via the connected Autopilot app in the morning, and here's a tap control panel on the side of the mattress to operate the vibration alarm.
The Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra+ comes with the same cover and Hub as the Pod 4, with the addition of a smart adjustable bed base.
This isn't a bed base in the traditional sense. It's only three inches tall and sits between your mattress and your current bed frame, allowing you to adjust the position of your sleep surface. (Although you can add a leg extension kit, to transform the Ultra into a full bed base.)
There's also the option to double up on temperature regulation with a hydro-powered blanket on the Pod 5 Ultra+. This means you can sleep in a cocoon with finely-tuned thermal controls.
On the other hand, primarily a smart mattress cover, the Pod 4 simply adds a temperature-regulating, sleep-tracking layer to your existing mattress.
While a mattress isn't included as standard with the Pod 4 or Pod 5 Ultra+, you can add one to your order. But both pods are compatible with any mattress of the same size. You can simply fit it over your existing mattress or shop our best memory foam mattress and best hybrid mattress guides if you're after an all-new sleep set up.
Eight Sleep Pod 4 vs Pod 5 Ultra+ smart mattress cover: Smart features
- Both offer active climate control, but you can only add a heating/cooling blanket to the Pod 5 Ultra+
- Both track your personal sleep metrics
- The Pod 5 Ultra+ comes with built-in speakers
Temperature regulation
Temperature regulation is at the core of the Eight Sleep system. The Pod 4 offers dual-side climate control, enabling you to heat up or cool down (between 13°C and 44°C) your side of the bed regardless of your partner's sleep temperature preferences and external climes.
Meanwhile, sensors will track your body temperature through the night and adjust to keep you at the best temperature for sleeping. This personalized, active temperature control earns the Pod 4 a spot in our best cooling mattress guide.
Both pods offer this temperature regulation on the back while you sleep. However, there is the option to add a hydro-powered blanket (for an extra $1,000 now) to the Pod 5 Ultra+.
This blanket syncs with the mattress cover's temperature on each side of the bed to create a fully immersive temperature experience.
Sleep tracking
Both smart mattress systems feature the reliable sleep tracking built by Eight Sleep's AI-powered algorithm. This means sensors in the mattress cover will track your sleep biometrics — including your over night heart rate, HRV, sleep stages and sleep latency — and produce nightly sleep reports.
It also produces a sleep scores to help you measure how well you sleep, and identify how lifestyle choices (like drinking alcohol or exercising late at night) impact your sleep quality.
While these sleep tracking sensors are uniform in each pod, of course, the Pod 5 Ultra+ includes new innovations too. An additional AI algorithm in the Pod 5 Ultra+ is capable of detecting fever. Picking up anomalies in your overnight heart rate and respiration, the Pod 5 Ultra+ will alert you via the Eight Sleep app if you are likely to fall sick.
Do note, you need Eight Sleep's Elite subscription to access this clinical-grade health check feature, costing $33/month.
Alarm
Both the Pod 4 and Pod 5 Ultra+ have a gentle thermal, vibration alarm feature that replaces a blaring audio alarm. Thanks to the automatic climate control system in each pod, they gradually heat up in the morning to suppress your body's melatonin production.
The bed will then vibrate at your desired wake up time, gradually pulling you from sleep at the end of a sleep cycle rather than jolting you awake with a loud sound. This more natural wake up call reduces sleep inertia, helping you wake up with more energy.
Adjustable positioning
As a humble mattress cover, the Pod 4 cannot adjust the position of your bed. However the Pod 5 Ultra+ includes an adjustable smart bed base, enabling you to raise the head and foot position of your bed.
This addition means you can customize your sleep set up and sit up comfortably in bed while reading or relaxing. Plus you can snooze in a zero gravity position, which is recommended for taking pressure off the back and joints. When paired with a top-rated mattress for back pain, the Pod 5 Ultra+ is sure to help you eliminate aches and pains to sleep comfortably.
This bed base also responds to your movements through the night to keep you fully supported. Meanwhile, sensors pick up snoring and the head position adjusts to open airways for easier, quieter breathing.
Surround sound
Ever thought we'd see the day your bed sung you a lullaby? Well, we're here. A new feature in the Pod 5 Ultra+ is surround sound. Yes, that means your bed plays sleep sounds while you drift off — great news for the 38% of Americans who struggle to sleep in silence, according to Talker Research.
Eight Sleep have a library of soundscapes to help you sleep, alongside non-sleep deep rest sounds delivered by Stanford University neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman.
Eight Sleep Pod 4 vs Pod 5 Ultra+ smart mattress cover: which should you buy?
Buy the Eight Sleep Pod 4 if...
✅ You want a smart bed primarily for sleep tracking: The Pod 4 is laced with reliable sleep tracking sensors so you can track your ZZZs without wearables. Though you must forego the illness prediction feature with the Pod 4.
✅ You're on a tighter budget: The Pod 4 is still an investment smart bed but a queen size is $2,050 cheaper than the Pod 5 Ultra+ right now.
✅ You're happy with the feel of your mattress: The Pod 4 makes minimal difference to the comfort and support of your existing mattress without elevating any part of your bed.
Buy the Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra+ if...
✅ You have aches and pains: The Eight Sleep adjustable base included with the Pod 5 Ultra+ allows you to raise your head and feet. This curved 'neutral' position reduces pressure placed on the lumbar region for fewer aches and pains. And it's customizable, so you can adjust the angle to suit your personal sleep style.
✅ Snoring keeps you awake: The Pod 5 Ultra+ has specialist sensors to detect snoring. If it does detect noisy ZZZs, the bed base raises the head position to open airways. This helps you breath and minimizes noise.
✅ You can't fall asleep in silence: A key innovation with the Pod 5 Ultra+ is its built-in speakers offering in-bed surround sound. With a library of sleep sounds at your fingertips, you're sure to find a track to lull you to sleep.
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