Temperature control during the night is important for a good night’s rest, especially for hot sleepers. Many mattresses now offer cooling materials to help you sleep comfortably during the night. However, what is the most comfortable mattress with the best cooling solution? We’re here to help. We looked into two of the top cooling mattresses on the market to help inform your search.
The Eight Sleep Pod Pro and Purple Hybrid both claim to be high quality cooling mattresses, but they have key differences in terms of cooling capabilities, smart technology, and comfort.
Key Similarities:
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Both beds claim to be cooler than a traditional mattress.
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Both have pressure relieving materials.
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Both have a 100-night trial.
Key Differences:
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The Pod Pro uses Active Grid™ cooling technology which can cool down to as low as 55°. Temperature can be controlled within the Eight Sleep app and is optimized throughout the night by responding to your biofeedback. The Purple Hybrid has no active cooling technology.
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The Pod Pro is able to track health metrics and trends, such as respiratory rate, resting heart rate, and HRV, while the Purple Hybrid has no tracking technology or companion app.
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The Pod Pro has Gentle Rise Wake Up Technology that uses a gentle vibration at chest level to wake up each individual without any sound alarms. The Pod Pro also cools or warms the bed minutes before your set wake-up time to ease you into lighter sleep so you can start the day feeling refreshed. The Purple Hybrid has no Gentle Rise Wake Up Technology.
| Eight Sleep Pod Pro | Purple Hybrid | |
| Price (Queen) | $3,095 | $1,699 |
| Active Cooling + Heating | ✅ | ❌ |
| Personalized Temperature Settings | ✅ | ❌ |
| Mattress Layers | 5 layers | 4 layers |
| Sleep Duration Tracking | ✅ | ❌ |
| HRV Trends Tracking | ✅ | ❌ |
| Smart Alarm | ✅ | ❌ |
| Sleep Stages Tracking | ✅ | ❌ |
| Room and Climate Response | ✅ | ❌ |
Cooling Technology
The Purple Hybrid and Eight Sleep Pod Pro both claim to be cooler than a traditional mattress, however, only the Eight Sleep Pod has active cooling technology that can drop below body and room temperature.
The Purple Hybrid is made up of a gel-like grid of a proprietary material, support coils and cushioning transition foam. The coils help keep the mattress fresh by allowing greater airflow. The gel material and built-in air channels also make it so heat does not get as easily trapped inside the mattress as it commonly happens with other mattresses. However, the Purple Hybrid has no active cooling technology. It only is more breathable than a traditional mattress.
On the other hand, with the Pod Pro, the 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. Plus, each side of the bed can be set to different temperatures. 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 is able to automatically adjust temperature throughout the night to ensure you stay in a deep sleep. The Pod Pro’s 5 layers are also designed to dissipate heat away from the body, but what takes its cooling ability to the next level is the active hydro-powered cooling and heating technology.
Smart Technology
A great advantage to the Pod Pro is that you get more optimal cooling along with insightful health analytics. The Pod Pro is able to track health metrics and trends, such as respiratory rate, sleep stages, sleep time, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability (HRV), while the Wave has no tracking technology or companion app.
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” everyday. These scores help you understand what might be affecting your sleep so that you can adjust your sleep habits accordingly.
When comparing the Pod Pro and Purple Hybrid, the Purple Hybrid does not offer any technology, so it’s truly a standard mattress and cannot be seen as a full health monitoring solution like the Pod Pro. If you are looking to track key health statistics and trends, you would have to use wearables during the night to track your sleep with Wave (and don’t forget to charge them!).
Comfort
The Pod Pro not only has medium firmness that provides the perfect spinal support, but it’s cooling technology aids in your comfort while you sleep so you do not wake up from overheating. The Pod Pro also has 5 layers that include contouring and pressure relieving materials that adjust to your body’s position while you sleep. The cool and breathable cover is designed for minimal temperature interference and maximum durability. Underneath the cover, the Active Grid with Comfort Blend™ includes an extra layer of foam for enhanced comfort. Water flows through imperceptible channels to cool and heat while embedded sensors track your sleep. Under that, there is 1″ Max Chill™ Layer of infused foam that improves heat dissipation and adds antimicrobial properties to your mattress with also a 1″ Tranquility Transition Foam layer of strong and durable foam that adds a touch of bounce to your mattress.
Finally, the 4″ FlexSpring technology core has an advanced foam construction that provides a spring-like bounce while maintaining firmness and spinal support. All of the 5 layers ensure you have the most comfortable sleeping experience.
The Purple Hybrid is composed of a gel grid with support coils and transition foam. The topmost layer of the Purple Hybrid is a soft cover that is also breathable. Directly under the cover is the 2” Purple Grid that is made from hyper-elastic polymer. This grid is made to flex under your pressure points and also support the rest of your body. Below the Purple Grid is the responsive support coils and also the transition foam that offers pressure relief. These 4 layers offer medium firmness to the bed and are pressure relieving.
Both the Pod Pro and Purple Hybrid offer a medium firmness that relieves pressure while you sleep, however, the Purple Hybrid does not offer any active heating or cooling that aids in your comfort as you sleep. Since sleeping at the right temperature for your body is a key part of a comfortable sleep experience, the Purple Hybrid falls short in the comfort category due to its lack of ability to regulate temperature.
Final Thoughts
After reviewing both the Eight Sleep Pod Pro and the Purple Hybrid, it is clear that the Pod Pro provides all the comfort and support that the Purple Hybrid offers, but also has superior cooling performance and insightful health monitoring to improve your sleep and overall wellness. While the Purple Hybrid is a comfortable mattress, the Pod Pro similarly boasts a medium firmness that is just as comfortable. The Pod Pro is ideal for anyone who is looking for the gold standard cooling mattress that also provides comfort and smart technology.
Disclaimer: This is based off of information found on tempurpedic.com and eightsleep.com as of October 2020.
