Eight Sleep Pod 5 aims to improve your rest with new blanket and 'zero-gravity' base
I got to go hands-on with the new system, and it could be a game-changer if you want the best sleep experience
🛌 Eight Sleep has announced its new Pod 5 smart sleeping system
🌡️ The upgrade includes a new temperature-controlled blanket with dual zones
🔉 There’s also a new base that can play white noise and offers “zero-gravity” back support
👀 I got to go hands-on with the new system, and I left the demo very impressed
💰 The Pod 5 system is available starting today for $2,849
Eight Sleep is one of the leaders in smart sleeping technology. The company makes high-tech Pod sleeping systems that integrate with your existing mattress to improve your rest with features like temperature controls, automatic adjustments, intelligent alarms, sleep tracking, and more. With the new Pod 5 unveiled today, Eight Sleep hopes to take that experience to new levels - and I got to go hands-on.
Hands-on with the Eight Sleep Pod 5
At Eight Sleep’s offices in New York City, I was able to test-drive the Pod 5 for myself. While I couldn’t get a full night’s rest with the system (that’s saved for my full review coming soon), I was allowed to lay down in a test bed the company set up to experience the system for myself.
Turns out, the upgrades Eight Sleep made are pretty great. Pod 5 is very similar to Pod 4 in that it carries over many of the same features that users fell in love with. This includes snore detection, dual-zone temperature control, and sleep tracking, among others. Now, with Pod 5, Eight Sleep is adding a handful of upgrades that can take your sleeping game to the next level.
🛌 A new blanket for immersive temperature. The biggest new addition is the hydro-powered Blanket. It integrates directly with the Cover on your mattress to provide the same double thermal performance, giving you an immersive temperature-controlled environment. The Blanket can be cooled on one side and heated on the other in the same 55°F - 110°F range as the Cover. I got to try the Blanket for myself, and the difference was shocking: neither temperature crept into the other side, and as a person who tends to run hot, the cooling sensation of both the Blanket and Cover keeping me chill was fantastic.
🎈 Base gets an upgrade with “zero-gravity.” Eight Sleep upgraded the Base with the Pod 5 system with a new feature to relive back pressure. The company is calling it “zero-gravity,” which adds slight elevation to your upper body to relieve back pressure and improve circulation. When I laid down on the bed Eight Sleep set up, it felt as comfortable as any conventional mattress could be. However, when the company enabled zero-gravity, it felt like I was laying on a mattress in mid-air. It’s a bit hard to explain, but the difference was noticeable. In addition, the Base has also been outfitted with a a lower profile to help it fit in more bed frames. Eight Sleep is also selling a leg kit for the Base if you want to use it on its own.
🔉 Built-in white noise. If those upgrades weren’t enough, the Pod 5 Base also gets integrated surround-sound speakers. Through the companion app, you can play science-backed audio designed to help you relax and recover. You have traditional white noise, calming pink noise, and other frequencies, as well as other calming sounds to help slow down the nervous system. They’re part of a new Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) track collection by Dr. Andrew Huberman, who introduces the sounds and helps guide users into relaxing. The sound quality was superb during my demo; it sound like the surround sound systems you’d find in an IMAX theater with deep bass and crystal-clear mids. I’m looking forward to testing it more during my review.
❤️ Keep your Health in Check. There’s also a new feature called Health Check built into the Pod 5. It’s a set of AI algorithms that are designed to quietly monitor your cardiovascular and respiratory health while you sleep. If it detects anything abnormal like a changes in heart rate or breathing, it documents them and surfaces them in a report the next morning so you can take action. Eight Sleep says it’s the first to deliver this level of health monitoring without requiring you to wear something on your body. I’ve used plenty of health wearables in my 10 years of reviewing technology, so I’m curious to see how well this works.
✈️ Powered by Autopilot. As is the case with many gadgets in 2025, Eight Sleep’s Pod 5 is largely powered by Autopilot, a proprietary AI engine that’s been trained on nearly 10 million hours of sleep data to automatically adjust your bed throughout the night. It can learn your sleep biometrics during the night and make adjustments like cooling the temperature, raising your head, relieving back pressure, and more to promote relaxation all night long. This wasn’t something I was able to test in my hands-on, but I’ll be putting it through the paces during my full review.
🛏️ Designed to fit your bed. Eight Sleep is still promising that the Pod 5 will fit onto virtually any mattress. The Cover comes in multiple sizes, as do the Blanket and Base. The Hub, which is the huge system that sits alongside your bed to power the experience (and pump water through the Cover and Blanket to keep you cool/warm), is also a major component and doesn’t take up much room between your bed and nightstand.
Pricing and availability
Eight Sleep is launching the Pod 5 today in the United States, EU, Canada, the UK, Australia, the UAE, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Monaco, and Switzerland. The Pod 5 starts at $2,849 and comes with free shipping for all regions. If you already own a Pod 4, Eight Sleep says you can get a “priority upgrade.” The company is also still offering a 30-night trail and free returns in case you decide it isn’t for you.
I’m working on organizing a full Eight Sleep Pod 5 review, so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it.
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Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.