Everyone is looking for the best way to get a good night’s rest. Many people find that sleeping in a cooler temperature can improve their sleep quality, so searches for the best cooling mattress are on the rise. We took a look at two popular cooling mattress options to investigate which mattress gives you the best return on your sleep investment.
The Pod Pro by Eight Sleep and Sleep Number m7 SmartBed are popular mattress options that have key differences in terms of cooling and smart technology.
Key Similarities:
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Both are premium mattresses at a similar price point.
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Both have a free app to track sleep.
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Both have a 100-night trial.
Key Differences:
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The Pod Pro has active cooling technology that can cool to 55°F and also warm up to 110°F. The m7 Smart Bed does not have active cooling technology and cannot drop below body temperature.
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The Pod Pro has GentleRise Wake Up Technology to wake you up without jarring sound alarms.
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The Pod Pro has adjustable temperature control on each side of the bed.
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The m7 Smart Bed has adjustable firmness on each side of the bed.
| Eight Sleep Pod Pro | Sleep Number m7 SmartBed | |
| Price (Queen) | $3,095 | $3,099 |
| Active Cooling + Heating | ✅ | ❌ |
| Personalized Temperature Settings | ✅ | ❌ |
| Mattress Layers | 5 layers | 5 layers |
| Sleep Duration Tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| HRV Trends Tracking | ✅ | ❌ |
| Smart Alarm | ✅ | ❌ |
| Sleep Stages Tracking | ✅ | ❌ |
| Room and Climate Response | ✅ | ❌ |
Cooling Technology
Both the Pod Pro and m7 SmartBed claim to be cool mattresses. However, the ways in which they cool are dramatically different.
The m7 SmartBed uses a layer of gel to reduce the temperature of the bed by absorbing body heat. While this gel layer does keep the bed slightly cooler than a traditional mattress, it does not have active cooling technology to drop the temperature of the mattress below anything other than body temperature. In addition, you may have to be wary of adding any mattress toppers or sheets onto the m7 SmartBed, as this will lessen the bed’s ability to cool you down.
In comparison, the Pod Pro’s Active Grid™ technology cools each side of the bed down to as low as 55°F and is also able to heat the bed to as high as 110°F, all controlled through the Eight Sleep app. This is a huge advantage if you’re sleeping with your partner who prefers to sleep a little bit cooler or warmer than you; there’s no need to adjust the AC or fight over the covers. In addition, the Pod Pro automatically adjusts temperature throughout the night by responding to your biofeedback to ensure you stay in the deepest sleep possible.
If you’re a hot sleeper, the Pod Pro is much cooler compared to the m7 SmartBed.
Smart Technology
Both the Pod Pro and m7 SmartBed have Apps that track your sleep. However, the depth of tracking capabilities differ across the two apps.
The Pod Pro is able to track health metrics and trends, such as respiratory rate, sleep stages, sleep time, resting heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), tosses and turns, and more. Using multiple sensors like piezo films, ballistrocardiographs, and temperature sensors, the Pod Pro is able to give you powerful insights into your health, all while you sleep. It is able to track the quality of your sleep and how long you were in each of the four sleep stages to give you an overall “Sleep Fitness Score” every morning. These scores help you understand what might be affecting your sleep so that you can adjust your sleep habits accordingly and track any changes.
The m7 SmartBed offers users sleep insights through their app by assigning a “Sleep IQ” score. Their app tracks sleep duration, heart rate, and breathing rate. It will track overall trends in sleep, but does not offer as many insights comparatively to the Pod Pro. It does not have insights into your specific sleep stages, like the Pod Pro does. Also, you cannot control and set the temperature for your bed, while the Pod Pro has this capability. Moreover, it does not track HRV overall trends and does not notify you if your HRV has dropped below your normal baseline, so you will still need to rely on wearable devices if that’s something that you’d like to monitor.
Final Thoughts
After reviewing the benefits of both the Eight Sleep Pod Pro and the Sleep Number m7 SmartBed, the Pod Pro undoubtedly comes in first place. While both mattresses claim to have cooling technology, the Pod Pro outperforms in terms of its dual-zone cooling and heating. The Pod Pro more dramatically drops the temperature of the bed in order to ensure a good night’s sleep with active hydro-powered cooling, versus relying on gels alone. If you’re a hot sleeper, the Pod Pro is your better bet. Not only does it’s cooling outperform, but the Pod Pro’s app offers more health insights, tracking and notifications over time, compared to the m7 Smart Bed’s app, which provides more basic sleep metrics. In every regard, the Pod Pro is the clear winner.
Disclaimer: This is based off of information found on sleepnumber.com and eightsleep.com as of October 2020.
