We Tested the Eight Sleep Cooling Sleep System—Here’s How It Went
Updated: Oct. 10, 2023
If you’ve tried everything to keep cool throughout the night, the Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover might just be the answer you’ve been searching for. I tried it for myself, so you know what it’s really like before you buy.
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In the Midwest, we are on a never-ending rollercoaster when it comes to weather. We experience a wide range of temperatures from hot, sticky summers to bone-chilling winters. And nothing feels worse (at least, in the moment) than sweating throughout the night when temperatures are boiling—or when your home’s heating gets the best of you as you’re trying to hibernate during colder months.
If you have a partner who’s also a hot sleeper, waking up to wet sheets and not knowing whose sweat has caused the dampness is a whole other nightmare. That’s where the Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover comes into play. When I heard about the Eight Sleep Pod Cover’s smart cooling (and heating) system designed for any bed and two different sleepers, I knew I had to test one out for myself—and my sweet, sweaty co-sleeper.
Here’s how my experience with the Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover went down.
What is the Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover?
The Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover is a smart mattress cover that adjusts your bed’s temperature throughout the night as you sleep. The cover cools and heats based on your local weather, sleep stages, personal preferences and more. The pod even tracks your sleep patterns and sleeping environment to promote a healthier night’s rest. This is perfect for anyone who doesn’t have a cooling mattress.
VIA MERCHANT
We Tried It
Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover
This cooling sleep system is a smart mattress cover that heats and cools your bed for a perfect night's sleep.
The Pod 3 Cover is compatible with existing bedding, and it’s thin enough that it’s virtually undetectable underneath your sheets. Its discreet tubing distributes cool or warm water (depending on your settings) across the surface of your mattress. The cover also has sensors that monitor your heart rate, sleep cycles, respiratory rate and more. The cover plugs into a hub that acts as a reservoir for the water in the Pod Cover and connects to Wi-Fi.
Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover features
The Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover comes with several features to improve your sleep and ensure you rest better. The Pod 3 Cover with PerfectFit is designed to fit any size bed or brand of mattress, and it has increased comfort from previous versions of the Eight Sleep Pod Cover (like the Pod 2 Cover).
The primary feature that makes the Pod 3 Cover so special is the individualized heating and cooling system. The smart mattress cover has temperature controls for each side of the bed, so you and your partner can have a personalized sleep experience with a single pod.
Smart Functions
The temperature of the cover (which ranges from 55 to 110 degrees) can be controlled manually through the app, and it can adjust its temperature based on you and your environment. With the Eight Sleep membership, the Pod 3 Cover saves your sleep stages and history, local weather, bedroom temperature and temperature preferences so that your bed is the exact temperature you need it to be to get the most rest.
The smart cover’s sensors track your sleep health by detecting your heart rate, time slept respiratory rate, HRV, sleep stages and any disturbances to your sleep that occur throughout the night. It also notifies you about any changes that occur to your sleep routine, delivers personalized insights, and gives you recommendations and adjustments to improve your sleep routine.
But that’s not all—the cover can vibrate and deliver a thermal alarm to wake you up. That’s right, you can customize a wake schedule with chest-level vibration and a gradual thermal change so that you’re woken up gently. If you’re someone who tends to hit the snooze button over and over in the morning, this could be a game changer.
With the Membership Plus plan, the Pod 3 Cover comes with a five-year extended warranty (if you purchased directly through Eight Sleep), so the company will replace or repair your pod if damage occurs. The Membership Pro plan includes a two-year warranty.
How we tested itÂ
I tested the Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover on my own bed for weeks to see how it really feels. Because Eight Sleep was experiencing a backlog in shipping during August, I did not have the cover for what is typically the hottest time of year here in the Midwest. However, I did have the Pod 3 Cover for the second half of September, which, this year, has been surprisingly hot.
Packaging
The first thing I noticed while opening the Pod 3 Cover was the quality of the packaging and materials. The cover, hub and cords were all packaged well and clearly labeled, which I appreciated as someone who likes to do things step by step.
The mattress cover itself was surprisingly thin and comfortable for the impressive technology it holds. It fit almost perfectly on my 12-inch, queen-size mattress and was virtually undetectable over my mattress protector. (Sleep Eight does advise not putting anything other than bedding over the Pod 3 Cover, but a mattress protector is fine underneath of it.) I expected to feel the tubing and coils underneath my sheets, but I didn’t. My mattress felt slightly firmer with the cover on it, but the water distribution provided an extra layer of cushion that felt like a thin foam topper.
Priming
Once the cover was on the bed and plugged into the hub, and the hub was plugged into the wall, it was time to prime the Pod 3 Cover. Now, this step took some time. A fresh-out-of-the-box Pod 3 Cover takes about three to four hours to prime before it’s ready for you to sleep on. So, I recommend starting this process in the afternoon or early evening to avoid frustration. I, naturally, learned the hard way and started priming my cover at about 9 p.m. Luckily, it only took my cover a little under three hours to prime, so I was asleep by midnight.
While setup did take some time, it was extremely easy! All I had to do was connect to Wi-Fi and fill the water tank a few times, and the app walked me through the entire priming process step by step with easy-to-follow instructions and pictures.
When the Pod 3 Cover is priming, it simply moves water from the hub into the active grid on the cover which enables temperature control. The app does recommend adding 16 ounces of hydrogen peroxide to the water tank. If you don’t have that on hand for priming, you can add it later.
Sleep Modes
After the Pod 3 Cover primes two to three times, it’s ready for sleep! I used the cooling mode on the first night and my (skeptical) partner—who’s typically a very hot sleeper—loved it. If you’re someone who doesn’t notice much difference with cooling sheets or bedding, I would definitely recommend trying a bed cooling system like the Sleep Eight Pod 3 Cover or the BedJet, as they guarantee an actual temperature change.
On the coolest settings, the Pod 3 Cover gets so chilly it almost feels damp. Like I said, my partner loved this because it kept them from waking up sweaty. However, I was surprised to find how much I liked the heat settings. After a long bath on a semi-chilly night, jumping into a warm bed is literally the best feeling that exists. The bed doesn’t feel hot to the touch when the cover is in heat mode, either. In fact, I barely notice the heat with my hand pressed to the cover. It’s when I’m lying down that my body notices the cozy temperature adjustment—and it’s dreamy.
My only complaint so far is that the hub attached to the Pod Cover is about the size of an old computer monitor, so it doesn’t fit under my bed. I’ll have to come up with a discreet way to keep it next to my bed—maybe tucked inside a nightstand? However, it doesn’t stand out when placed up against the far side of the bed.
Pros
- Temperature of bed adjusts based on you, your preferences and your environment
- Bedtime temperature can be pre-set and scheduled
- Comfortable to sleep on, feels like a foam mattress topper
- Tracks sleep history and sleep stages for a better night’s rest
- Monitors heart rate, HRV and respiratory rate for personalized insights and sleep recommendations
- Optional thermal alarm and vibration wake-up mode
- Each side can be adjusted to fit the needs of two sleepers
- Five-year extended warranty with Membership Plus plan (membership is required for the first 12 months)
Cons
- Expensive
- Hub and connecting cord are a little bulky and may require strategic placement to streamline with bedroom furniture and decor
FAQ
When did the Eight Sleep Pod 3 come out?
The Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover was initially launched in July 2022.
Do you put a sheet over Eight Sleep?
Yes. I would recommend putting a thin set of sheets over the Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover for comfort and cleanliness. However, if you use a mattress protector, you’ll want to put it underneath the Eight Sleep Cover. You’ll also want to refrain from putting any mattress toppers on top of the Eight Sleep Cover, as it will create a barrier between you and the temperature of the cover.
How do you clean an Eight Sleep Pod Cover?
Because of the technology embedded in the Eight Sleep Pod Cover, it is not machine washable. You can add a thin waterproof cover over the Pod Cover if you’re worried about stains and spills. Otherwise, the cover can be spot-treated with a damp cloth and mild detergent.
What other reviewers had to say
While it’s a bit on the pricey end, reviewers rave about the performance and versatility of this mattress cover. Eight Sleep even has a “Wall of Love” that pulls tweets from adoring fans of the cover.
Getting @eightsleep was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Worth the price. Their customer service team is both incredibly responsive but also receptive to feedback and improvement ideas. Low hassle and requires infrequent refills.
— epictetus (@tomfoolerycap) April 11, 2023
“Love mine. Sleep great at home and terribly in hotels now. Used to sleep terribly everywhere,” writes Twitter user Scott.
Similarly, Twitter user TheCryptoDog reports, “Now that I sleep every night in a bed that automatically liquid cools my body and draws my heat away as I’m asleep under my covers, I can’t ever imagine going back.”
Product comparison
The Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover is the newest edition to the Eight Sleep Pod Cover family. The previous Pod 2 Cover has the same features as the Pod 3 Cover (heating and cooling, sleep and health tracking, and thermal alarm with vibration). However, users note that the Pod 3 Cover is more comfortable than the Pod 2 Cover, saying that the Pod 2 Cover’s inner tubing is a bit uncomfortable, while the tubing on the Pod 3 Cover isn’t noticeable.
Final verdict
If you have a hard time getting comfortable in the middle of the night because you’re a hot sleeper or you’re perpetually freezing, then a cooling and heating system like the Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover is for you.
If you’re a sweaty sleeper or someone who experiences hot flashes, then you may find some relief (and a better night’s sleep) with the Eight Sleep cooling system. As I said, I love warming my bed after a nightly shower or bath—it takes bedtime coziness to a whole new level. I’ve tried cooling sheets and comforters in the past, and I’ve also tried heated blankets. The Eight Sleep system blows those types of products out of the water (pun intended).
Where to buy the Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover
VIA MERCHANT
We Tried It
Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover
This is an intelligent sleep system with increased comfort and smart tracking.
The best place to purchase an Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover is directly from Eight Sleep, where you can ensure you have the latest technology, all the necessary parts, a legitimate membership and a product warranty. The Pod 3 Cover retails for $2,195, while the Pod 3 Cover with PerfectFit (our favorite) retails for $2,295. Don’t spend night waking up from a hot flash and make the most of your nighttime routine with this easy-to-install smart cover.
