I test mattresses for a living – these 3 smart mattresses improve your sleep and are actually worth the cash

Finding the best mattress for you can make a world of difference to your sleep. But a mattress isn’t ‘one size fits all’, as what is comfortable for you might not be comfortable for the person you share a bed with, nor could it fit your needs as you get older.

That’s why you should consider a smart mattress. A smart mattress is a bed base or a mattress itself that features sensors and tracking technology that monitor your sleep patterns and make improvements to help better your sleep. This typically comes in the form of adjusting firmness levels, bed height or temperature.

Alongside making adjustments throughout the night, a smart mattress also acts as a sleep tracker and provides reports on your sleep habits and suggests areas where you can improve. As you’d expect, a smart mattress doesn’t come cheap, but as a sleep expert who tests mattresses for a living, I’ve rounded up three smart mattresses that can improve your sleep and are worth the money.

1. Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra

Best smart sleep system overall

When it comes to smart mattresses, Eight Sleep will be a prominent name that pops up time and time again. Founded in 2014, Eight Sleep was one of the first brands to create a smart mattress, and since then, it’s debuted versions of its Pod sleep system, including the latest edition – the Pod 5.

The Eight Sleep Pod 5 comes in two versions – the Pod 5 which comes with a cover and hub, and the Pod 5 Ultra which has the cover, hub and base. The Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra is a full sleep system that offers multiple different features to your existing mattress, including temperature control, sleep tracking and music.

The Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra can make adjustments on either side of your bed. For example, if you run hot at night but your partner is always cold, the Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra can cool your side of the bed while keeping the other side toasty warm. If the hub of the Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra detects you snoring, it can lift your side of the bed to open your airways and relieve pressure on your body.

Another handy feature is its wake up alerts. Rather than using an alarm, the Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra can wake you with gentle vibrations. To help you relax, it can also play soundscapes, and it has plenty of sleep and health tracking features in the accompanying app where you can also make your own customisations. Read our Eight Sleep Pod 5 review for more details.

2. Sleep.8 iSense Hybrid Premier

Best hybrid smart mattress

Unlike the Eight Sleep Pod which adds smart technology to your existing mattress, the Sleep.8 iSense Hybrid Premier is a smart mattress which claims to be the ‘world’s first’ dual-adjustable foam mattress. While it is made of memory foam, it also has 580 pocket springs inside, making it a smart hybrid mattress which offers pressure relief, heat regulation and support.

Aside from its hybrid construction, the Sleep.8 iSense Hybrid Premier has ComfortControl technology which allows you to adjust the firmness and temperature on each side of the mattress using the iSense app or its remote control. The Sleep.8 iSense Hybrid Premier also has built-in sleep sensors that work to track your sleep patterns and collects health data through the night.

With the app and the mattress’ sensors, the Sleep.8 iSense Hybrid Premier offers real-time insights on your sleep and overall health. It shows analytics from each night and gives each person an overall sleep score – and you don’t need to sign up for a subscription. It even gives you a massage and anti-snore features, so it’s hard to beat!

3. Bryte Balance Pro

Best smart mattress for relaxation features

A smart mattress which is currently only available for the US market, the Bryte Balance Pro is one of three smart beds from Bryte Beds. The Bryte Balance Pro is the middle option, and is packed full of AI and smart features that work to help with your rest and recovery, and offers daily, weekly and monthly sleep insights.

The Bryte Balance Pro is powered by Restorative AI so it measures your sleep and uses real-time data to understand your sleep and needs before it makes adjustments. Like the other two models on this list, the Bryte Balance Pro will gently raise itself on either side if it detects someone snoring, and it can change its firmness levels while also responding to your nighttime movements.

The reason the Bryte Balance Pro is one of the best for relaxation is its use of BryteWaves technology. With access to over 15 audio soundscapes, the Bryte Balance Pro can sync to the music and gently move the bed to rock you to sleep from head to toe.