As a dedicated seeker of improved sleep quality, I found myself in a quest to compare two prominent sleep systems: the Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover and the Ooler Sleep System (from Chilisleep, acquired by Sleepme). Both promise to deliver a more personalized sleep experience, but the question remains: which one is the better investment for a good night’s rest?
Eight Sleep Pod 3 Quick Take
Starting with the Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover, there are several reasons that make it an appealing choice. The temperature control is superb, offering individually controlled zones for each sleeper. This means no more compromising on room temperature with your partner, and as a result, I experienced significantly better sleep. Additionally, the Eight Sleep Pod tracks your movements, sleep cycles, and time slept without the need for wearable devices, providing valuable insights for monitoring sleep habits. I particularly enjoyed the GentleRise alarm feature that vibrates the bed gently to wake you up.
In my experience, the Eight Sleep can get so cold that it hurts my skin. It has no issue overpowering hot weather.
However, the Eight Sleep Pod is not without its drawbacks. It’s quite expensive, with a price tag between $2,000-$2,500 depending on the size of your mattress. The features are also locked behind a subscription paywall. You’ll essentially have to pay $180 per year for the rest of your life if you want to get the most out of your mattress.
Furthermore, there are concerns about the product’s longevity, and although the Pod 3 has likely addressed these issues, it’s something to consider. With a quick Google search, you can see that a noticeable amount of people had leaks with the Pod 2. Lastly, while the Pod 3 is an nice improvement in terms of comfort compared to the previous generation, it still doesn’t match the comfort of a bare mattress.
Ooler Sleep System Quick Take
On the other hand, the Ooler Sleep System offers a slightly less expensive option, primarily due to its lack of a yearly subscription. All of the features that are advertising come with the initial purchase, which is great!
Ooler features a compact design with smaller hubs that fit neatly under the bed. Due to the Eight Sleep’s hub’s height of 16″ it’s almost impossible to fit under the bed in most cases. If you want to do that I recommend a 18″ high platform bed frame from Amazon.
Another interesting aspect to Ooler’s hub is that each side of the bed is controlled by a separate hub. This makes it a more budget-friendly option for single users because a single hub with the cover is just $600. And the cool part is that you can buy an additional hub at a later point to be able to control both sides of the bed.
The Ooler Sleep System has some shortcomings too. The Ooler setup process is straightforward, and the cooling effect is solid, but the hubs are a bit noisier (because there’s two) than the Eight Sleep’s and the maximum cooling effect was insufficient during hot summer months. While I haven’t experience an issue (just a month of testing), two hubs is likely to cause more issues down the line because there are more parts that could malfunction.
The tubing in the mattress pad doesn’t cause anymore discomfort than the Eight Sleep.
The app functionality (it uses the sleepme app) and compatibility is another issue. The Ooler is controlled using the Sleepme app, which has received mixed reviews. I experience some bugs and missing features. In comparison, the Eight Sleep app is more polished and complete.
Additionally, there are several areas where the Ooler could improve, such as clearer instructions, longer power cords, and detachable hoses.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both the Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover and the Ooler Sleep System have their merits and drawbacks.
The Eight Sleep offers better sleep tracking, a more polished app, and it can get way cooler during the summer. I’d also rate the Pod 3 as slightly more comfortable. Due to the amount of technology and moving parts, both of these are going to have the significant longevity concerns. Considering that, the only thing holding back Eight Sleep is the price. If you own this for just four years, it’s going to cost your more than $3,000 (assuming you want scheduled heating and cooling and sleep tracking).
The Ooler has all the same features as the Eight Sleep system in terms of temperature range, vibration alarm, sleep tracking. Eight Sleep just does everything a bit smoother.
I don’t think Ooler is terrible, but I’d only recommend it to those who are single (only need one side of the bed cooled) and desperate to try a cooled mattress. $600 to experiment with one of these products probably isn’t a bad idea. If you like the experience, maybe you could upgrade to Eight Sleep after a year. But it’s also no guarantee that Ooler won’t require a yearly subscription fee, just like Eight Sleep (Eight Sleep operated for free for years until 2023).
Ooler’s hubs fitting under the bed easily is definitely a pro, but it’s kind of negated by the extra noise produced.