Eight Sleep Vs. Everyone: Here’s Why This Cooling Mattress Cover is Our #1 Pick For Any Sleeper

There’s Actual Research Behind the Cool Side of the Pillow… 

And it’s not just that it feels nice. A National Sleep Foundation Study found that cool room temperature was one of the most important factors in getting a good night’s sleep. And getting a good night’s sleep is, in turn, one of the most crucial factors in your mental and physical health. So basically: cool sleep = good vibes.

Good rest can result in getting sick less often, sharper brain functions, and consistent mood boosts (as in, literally opening pathways in our brain to make better decisions and process emotions). So mom was right: sleep is the best medicine. But if you’re a hot sleeper who struggles with tosses and turns, you know taking that medicine is not as easy as cranking the AC.

Your bed itself could be contributing to your heat-induced restlessness at night and, if that’s the case, you might wanna look into these cooling mattresses and bed cooling systems to fix that. From Saatva’s dual-coil design for more airflow, to Eight Sleep’s revolutionary app-controlled, temperature-regulating technology… there are plenty of great options out there to help you sleep cooler, longer, and comfier. 

And we’re here to break them all down for you. 

The Lay of the Land: Eight Sleep, Saatva, DreamCloud, & Sleep Number

After sifting through the large suite of products out there, we narrowed it down to what we feel are the top 4 options. From a cooling mattress, to a bed cooling system, to a cooling mattress topper… it’s hard to go wrong with these choices. But we pitted them against one another anyway. (Because isn’t that more fun?)

First, here’s some background on the 4 products: 

• Eight Sleep’s Pod 3 Mattress Cover (Queen, $2,295): Eight Sleep has been making waves in the tech space since they launched their temperature-regulating, sleep-tracking technology in 2014. They’ve gotten a ton of high-level professional athletes, neuroscientists, and even some of the world’s top-level CEOs (Elon & Zuck among them) on board—all while stacking up some serious awards along the way.
• Saatva’s Classic Mattress (Queen: $1,995): Saatva is a luxury mattress company that’s been around since 2010. Their hybrid mattress uses an organic cotton cover and a dual layer of coils that keep the airflow going. It comes in three different firmness levels (plush soft, luxury firm, or firm). It gives you the responsiveness of an inner-spring mattress with the comfort of plush layers, but the only cooling happens in the breathability and cotton exterior. 
• The DreamCloud (Queen: $1,332): Similar to the Saatva, the DreamCloud uses a layer of coils and an exterior material designed to wick away heat (in this case, it’s a quilted cashmere-blend, and it’s significantly cheaper). A bit newer on the scene, these guys have been around since 2016. 
• Sleep Number Climate360® (Queen: $9,999): Maybe you’ve been familiar with Sleep Number since those old commercials in the ‘90s. These adjustable beds have been around since 1987, but they recently moved into the cooling world. Like the Eight Sleep, the Sleep Number actively cools and warms, and responds to your body’s movements.

Now for the fun stuff. We broke these products down into four categories: Best Overall, Most Affordable, Most Customization, and the “If You Wanna Drop a Bag” Award.

Best Overall: Eight Sleep Pod Cover

This is really what you came for, isn’t it? When you weigh all the variables—cost, functionality, versatility, degree of cooling, etc.—the Eight Sleep Pod Cover comes out as a clear winner, in our minds. The Pod Cover uses a smart-sensing feature to track your sleep and environment, then it heats or cools your bed dynamically and automatically throughout the night based on your sleep cycles, keeping you in the perfect sleep zone the whole time. The coolest part, though, is that you can see the proof of your improved sleep in the connected app.

It really takes the idea of a “bed cooling system” to the next level. On top of all that, there’s a study that showed Eight Sleep users experienced a 32% increase in deep sleep, 44% faster sleep onset, and 23% fewer sleep interruptions. Basically, there’s qualitative proof that Eight Sleep helps you fall asleep faster, and sleep deeper, longer, and more consistently.

And while $2,000+ is not necessarily cheap, Eight Sleep allows you to pay in installments with Affirm  for $0 and 0% APR. To us, a few dollars a day sounds like a great deal on upgrading how you spend 1/3 of your life.

The Most Affordable Cooling Mattress: DreamCloud

The DreamCloud comes in at $1,332 for a Queen mattress, which is the most affordable on this list. Like the Saatva, the only “cooling” comes from the airflow in the coils and the heat-wicking exterior material. The DreamCloud’s coils, however, are individually wrapped, so movement doesn’t transfer through the bed. (This would be great for those of you with sleeping partners who literally can’t stay in one place.)

The DreamCloud comes in a medium-firm firmness level and appears to be pretty comfortable as well, on top of the cooling. Its cooling function is pretty basic, but this could be a good option if you’re looking for the more budget-friendly option. 

Most Customization: Eight Sleep Pod Cover

The smart-sensing Eight Sleep technology tracks your environment, your movement, and your biometrics (like your heart rate and respiratory rate) and uses a water-filled Hub to adjust the Pod’s temperature accordingly to ensure you’re sleeping deep all night long. Eight Sleep does all of the hard work for you, but you can also adjust the temperature manually to suit your preferences.

You can even set two separate temperatures for either side of the bed. So if you sleep hotter than your partner, or vice versa, don’t worry. There’s an adjustment for that. But the thing that really hammers in the win for “Most Customization” is the fact that the Pod Cover fits right over the mattress you already have. So you can always take it with you, whether you’re moving within the neighborhood or halfway across the world. 

The “If You Wanna Drop a Bag” Award: Sleep Number Climate360®

There’s not too much to say here about our reasoning behind this. The Climate360® costs a full 5 figures. Plus, apart from Sleep Number’s staple feature—raising and lowering of the bed position—this option basically does the same thing as the Eight Sleep Pod Cover at nearly 5x the price. 

Undeniably, the Climate360® has some pretty incredible functionality. There’s under-bed lighting, the option to raise the head and foot of the bed, SleepIQ® technology… the bed can even adjust its firmness in response to your movements. If you’re a billionaire this might be your choice. (Then again, a lot of them favor Eight Sleep anyway…) 

Cooling Mattresses Clearly Point to Higher-Quality Sleep

And decades of scientific data has shown that high-quality sleep is at the core of improving basically every aspect of your life… from better physical recovery to mental performance to elevated mood. So if you’re looking to maximize your sleep potential (which you should be), these cooling sleep solutions are definitely worth the investment. 

If you’re in the market for a whole new mattress, the Saatva or DreamCloud could be the right move for you. If you’re looking for the option with all the bells and whistles and are willing to empty your savings account on it, go for the SleepNumber. But as we probably made clear with our Best Overall decision, the Eight Sleep Pod Cover addresses a multitude of aspects across sleep, recovery, and health, and it’s effortless to set up. You can’t go wrong there.

The Pod packs a powerful punch. Head to Eight Sleep’s website to see that with cooler, better, and deeper sleep… everybody wins.