Eight Sleep Pod 4 vs. Pod 3: Should Pod 2 Owners Upgrade?

Eight Sleep claims there are four main differences between the Pod 3 and Pod 4. In this post, I’ll break down all four claims and compare them to reality. For context, I’ve slept on the Pod 2, Pod 3, Pod 4 for more than seven months each, so I know these products well.

Beyond Eight Sleep’s marketing, I’ll also highlight a few quirks and details that don’t make the spec sheet but are worth considering. By the end, I’ll help you decide whether to buy the Pod 4 as a first-time buyer, upgrade from your older Pod, or stick with what you have.

If you’ve never owned a Pod and you’re debating whether to spend the extra $154 for the Pod 4, just do it—it’s a no-brainer. For a small price bump, you get better comfort, tappable zones, and a quieter hub. But for Pod 2 or Pod 3 owners, upgrading requires more consideration, depending on how old your Pod is and what matters most to you.

1 - Comfort

What Eight Sleep says: “A new design with contouring materials makes the Cover 20% thinner, more dynamic, and more comfortable.” Plus, “no impact to the current feeling of your mattress.”

You can still feel the Pod 4 cover is there, but it’s getting close to feeling like a regular mattress. That said, the jump from Pod 3 to Pod 4 in comfort isn’t as dramatic as the leap from Pod 2 to Pod 3, which was a game-changer. For me, the Pod 2 was a 6/10 for comfort, the Pod 3 was an 8.5/10, and the Pod 4 is about a 9/10. It’s better, but more incremental—think yearly iPhone camera improvements.

2 - More Cooling Power

What Eight Sleep says: "A redesign of the Hub and Cover enables double the cooling power of the Pod."

This claim is a little misleading and mostly marketing speak. What they really mean is that the Pod 4 can reach its target temperature up to twice as fast. The max coolness is still the same 58°F as the Pod 3.

For most buyers, you probably won’t notice much of a difference. My Pod starts cooling at 8:30 PM for my 9:30 bedtime, and it’s always at the right temp by the time I get in bed—even with my older Pod 2. If you’re using the scheduled temperature feature, the faster cooling won’t be a game-changer. However, if you frequently adjust temps manually, the faster response will be more noticeable.

One thing to note: I keep my bedroom at 71–72°F at night during the summer, so my Pod doesn’t have to work hard to hit my preferred -4 setting. If your bedroom is hotter (like 80°F), the extra cooling power might be useful. That said, I don’t recommend Eight Sleep for people whose bedrooms aren’t reasonably cool. Get your room temp under control first before buying a Pod.

3 - Quieter Hub

What Eight Sleep says: “Powerful thermal performance, yet silent. Stable at 30 decibels, which is 40% quieter than Pod 3.”

When the Pod 4 is maintaining a steady temperature, it’s definitely quieter than the Pod 3—I’d say it’s barely noticeable. To be fair, I didn’t think the Pod 3 was particularly loud during maintenance mode either, but quieter is always better.

The real issue is when the Pod 4 is actively heating or cooling. During those times, it’s about as loud as the Pod 3, sounding like a fan on high blast. The difference is efficiency: the Pod 4 adjusts temperatures faster, so the noise doesn’t last as long. If you change settings often, you’ll appreciate the shorter periods of noisiness.

4 - Tappable Zones

What Eight Sleep says: “Tap the zones on each side of the Pod to control temperature and elevation.”

This feature is a slam dunk. It’s easily the biggest improvement from Pod 3 to Pod 4. A physical remote would’ve been nice, but tappable zones are even better. Each partner can tap their side of the bed twice to cool it or three times to warm it.

I avoided adjusting my Pod hundreds of times over the years because it wasn’t worth getting blinded by my phone. Now, I can double-tap half-asleep without opening my eyes. It’s awesome!

The Big Thing Not on the Spec Sheet: Longevity

Longevity is one of the most important concerns for Pod buyers, and Eight Sleep doesn’t address it directly in their marketing. However they touch on durability in a blog post, where they claim the Pod 4 is "significantly more averse to puncture force — and more elastic — meaning you don’t have to worry about wear on the Cover" and that they simulated "people rolling in and out of bed more than 100,000 times."

Based on my experience and what I’ve seen online, here’s what you need to know about the longevity and durability:

• Pod 2: Many users (myself included) reported leaks after a couple of years, likely due to the water mat design. While it wasn’t a universal issue, it was common enough to raise concerns. My Pod 2 eventually leaked after just eight months, and it was a weak point of the design.
• Pod 3: The Pod 3 switched to a slightly improved water mat, and while leaks became less frequent, they didn’t disappear entirely. Reddit and Twitter show a noticeable drop in complaints compared to the Pod 2, but it was still something to be wary of.
• Pod 4: Eight Sleep redesigned the system entirely, replacing the water mat with tubing. This change should theoretically make leaks far less likely. After seven months with the Pod 4, I haven’t experienced any leaks, and while it’s early, I still haven’t seen reports of issues online either.

Eight Sleep doesn’t directly market the Pod 4’s durability improvements on the product page—likely because it would highlight past leak issues—but this could be the most significant upgrade if they’ve truly solved the problem for good. Unfortunately, it’s still too early in the product cycle to say for sure because we won’t know for a few more years. If you’re worried about potential leaks, it might be worth spending the extra $100/year on the Enhanced subscription plan, which includes a five-year warranty for added peace of mind.

Small Things Not on the Spec Sheet

There are a few smaller changes worth noting:

Encasement Cover: The Pod 4 ditches the encasement cover that came with older models like the Pod 2 and most Pod 3 units. The encasement cover was strapped to your mattress, with the active grid cover zipping to it. While it added 5–10 minutes to the setup process and made the mattress feel stiffer, it did have one advantage: it potentially preserved your mattress better over time. Without the encasement, the Pod 4 feels closer to a "naked" mattress, which improves comfort.

Water Requirements: Previous Pods required distilled water mixed with a bit of hydrogen peroxide for the hub. This was inconvenient because you’d need to buy distilled water regularly and keep hydrogen peroxide handy. The Pod 4 eliminates this requirement. Now, Eight Sleep recommends using plain tap water, which is way easier.

However, the Pod 4 introduces a new maintenance requirement: a water filter in the hub needs replacing every six months. If you’re subscribed to Eight Sleep’s membership plan, they’ll send the filters automatically, but if you aren’t, filters currently aren’t available for purchase. According to an Eight Sleep rep, filters will eventually be added to the Member Shop, but as of now, non-subscribers can’t get them.

You can still use distilled water and hydrogen peroxide if you want, but Eight Sleep warns this might cause complications over time since the system is designed with filters in mind.

Fitted Sheets: The tappable zones add some bulk, so fitted sheets don’t fit as snug as they did with the Pod 3–sometimes my sheets ride up a bit higher than they used to.

Should You Upgrade?

For first-time buyers, spending a bit more on the Pod 4 is a no-brainer. It’s just better. If you’re upgrading, here’s how to think about it:

• Pod 2 Owners: If your Pod is a few years old, the Pod 4 will feel like a huge leap. You’ll get better comfort, durability, a quieter hub, and tappable zones. I doubt Pods weren’t designed to last more than 4–5 years, so if you’re nearing that mark, you’ll love this upgrade.
• Pod 3 Owners: Hold off unless your Pod 3 is aging or you’re really excited about the tappable zones. The upgrades are nice but incremental.

Lastly, if you’re a current Pod owner, you can get $500 off the Pod 4 by ordering through the Member Store in the Eight Sleep app. For first-time buyers, my referral link gets you $200 off. I bought all three Pods with my own money and didn’t join Eight Sleep’s affiliate program until after my reviews. If you use my link, I’ll get a commission, which helps me buy more products to review—but no pressure. I appreciate everyone who supports my work!