Eight Sleep has launched the new Pod 4 and Pod 4 Ultra smart mattress covers, which offer temperature regulation, snoring detection, heart rate tracking, and other features designed to help you sleep.
Like its predecessor, the Pod 3, the cover can be used on any existing mattress, so if you think you already have one of the best mattresses, you won't have to worry about upgrading.
The Pod 4 and Pod 4 Ultra include all the basic tracking features, from heart rate variability and breathing rate to sleep stage tracking, the kind of features you can find in the best fitness trackers , with a total of 36 advanced biometric and environmental sensors.
There are a number of interesting new features that set it apart from its previous models. Eight Sleep claims that the Pod 4 has been “clinically validated” to improve your sleep experience, adding an extra hour to your sleep time and reducing your awake time. to three hours per month.
Its significant algorithm improvement over the Pod 3 helps improve snoring detection by up to 45%, detecting the snoring of up to two people in a bed, without the added hassle of relying on wearable devices.
The new mattress base, exclusive to the Pod 4 Ultra, adjusts to provide “reading” and “sleeping” body positions. If the Pod 4 Ultra detects snoring, the Base can respond by elevating the head, reducing and even stopping the snoring, all without user intervention. Smart, huh? The Pod 4 also includes a new heat engine that Eight Sleep says will be able to reach temperatures as low as 55 degrees Fahrenheit in hot weather conditions.
The Pod 4 is available now for $2,549 / £2,699 / AU$3,999, and the Pod 4 Ultra for $4,049 / £3,849 / AU$6,249.
Analysis: The Internet of Things
Smart mattress covers fall into that category of technology that makes you ask “why?”, just like wearable exoskeletons or AI-powered shoes. However, a mattress cover that can automatically regulate temperature, act to prevent snoring when it occurs, and track your health like one of the best sleep trackers certainly sounds appealing.
According to Matteo Franceschetti, CEO of Eight Sleep, “most people spend a third of their lives sleeping on foam mattresses that do nothing to improve their sleep.” So with the launch of the new Pod 4 and Pod 4 Ultra, the mission is simple; to “continue to demonstrate that technology can be used to understand what each person needs for optimal sleep.”
It turns out that the best smart rings, billed as the sleep tracking form factor to watch in 2024, aren't the only game in town. Who needs a ring to improve your bed rest, if your bed does the job by itself?
