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Eight Sleep vs Perfectly Snug: Water/Air Cooling Systems Compared
See how a water-cooled Pod stacks up against an air-cooled Smart Topper before you decide.
→ Same goal: cooler, deeper sleep.
→ Different tech: water circulation vs active airflow.
→ Big difference: maintenance, cost of ownership, and comfort.
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Zero-maintenance, easy setup.
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Looking for an Eight Sleep alternative? Start with the side-by-side comparison.
Compare Eight Sleep’s water-cooled Pod to Perfectly Snug’s air-cooled Smart Topper on tech, setup, maintenance, and long-term cost.
How it cools
Ongoing subscription fees
Works with your existing mattress
No bulky bedside unit
No chance of leaks or condensation
Removes moisture from your bed
Cools under AND around you
Easy Set Up
Foot Warmer
Built-In Manual Controls
Burst Cooling and Heating Modes
Can Use With or Without Phone App
Price
Air
Learn More
Eight Sleep Pod/
Pod 3 Cover
Water
*up to $33/month
*requires special cover + hub
Learn More
Ready for an Eight Sleep alternative that doesn’t need water, hubs, or subscriptions?
Shop Smart Topper
Tried a water-cooled system like Eight Sleep?
If you liked the cooling but not the setup, noise, or maintenance, Smart Topper gives you the temperature control without the hassle.
Want an Eight Sleep alternative without a subscription?
Perfectly Snug has no ongoing app fees or paywalls for basic features. You buy it once; it works every night.
Prefer simple plug-in instead of hubs, hoses and water?
Lay the Smart Topper on your existing mattress, plug it in, and you’re done—no hubs, refills, or cleaning solutions.
Thousands of sleepers tried water-cooled systems first, then switched to air-cooled Smart Topper.
Eight Sleep problems: leaks, noise, maintenance & returns...solved by Perfectly Snug
If you’re searching for Eight Sleep leaking, too loud, or not working, you’re probably trying to fix water, noise, or maintenance issues. Here’s how an air-cooled topper avoids those problems by design.
01. Leaks / Mold / Condensation
Eight Sleep: leak & mold issues
→ Water in the bed, condensation risk, fear of leaks over time.
Perfectly Snug: no water, no leaks
→ Airflow only; nothing circulates through your mattress. No leak risk, no mold risk.
02. Noise / ‘Too Loud’
Eight Sleep: too loud / pump noise
→ Users report hub & pump sound near the bed.
Perfectly Snug: quiet fans at the foot of the bed
→ Fans are placed away from your head with optional quiet mode.
03. Too Hot / Too Cold / Not Working
Eight Sleep: not cooling or heating right
→ Water systems can feel uneven or take time to catch up.
Perfectly Snug: instant airflow & smart sensors
→ Sensors adjust airflow hundreds of times per night to keep you at your set temperature.
04. Maintenance & Ongoing Tasks
Eight Sleep: maintenance burden
→ Refilling distilled water, adding cleaning solutions, flushing the system.
Perfectly Snug: maintenance-free
→ No tanks, no chemicals. Plug in once and use nightly.
05. Total Cost of Ownership / Returns
Eight Sleep: returns & long-term cost
→ Hardware cost + potential subscription + electricity for a water chiller.
Perfectly Snug: simple, low-power, no subscription
→ Low wattage fans, no membership. 30-day trial and easy returns.
06. Customer service
Eight Sleep: mixed customer service reviews.
Perfectly Snug: Known for outstanding customer service.
These customers tried Eight Sleep–style water systems and switched to Perfectly Snug
Why Perfectly Snug?
Sleep cool and dry all night
The controlled cooling airflow will keep you at the right temperature.
Sleep better together
The dual zone feature lets each sleeper control their side of the bed.
No more tossing and turning
Sensors measure and automatically adjust the cooling and heating.
Personalize your experience
Flexible controls let you customize your sleep temperature.
Active Airflow
The Smart Topper uses active airflow underneath your body to keep you and your bed cool and dry. This cool air flow under your body, prevents heat build up where you lay and carries away excess humidity reducing night sweating.
Dual Zone Temperature Control
Dual zone controls allow for you and your partner to set personalized temperature settings on each side of the bed. No more fighting over the thermostat!
Moisture Removal
The gentle cooling airflow underneath and around your body ensues that you'll stay cool and dry throughout the night.
Burst Mode
A burst of cooling or warming is perfect for rapid relief. Simply hold down the up or down button for an instant burst of warming or cooling.
Schedule Your Sleep
Your sleep temperature changes throughout the night. Schedule your sleep temperature preferences so you can fall asleep quickly, sleep soundly, and wake up naturally.
Smart Sensors
The sensors in the Smart Topper monitor your body temperature to detect when your body temperature has risen or fallen below your set temperature. When it detects the temperature change, it will automatically adjust cooling and heating throughout the night.
Foot Warming
Hate getting into bed with icy cold feet? Turn on the foot heater and say goodbye to icy cold feet. Climb into a cozy warm bed with heating concentrated at the bottom of your bed.
Performance and Specs
Cools You More in an Average Room
[122 Watts of body heat removed, 72F room] Removes 52% more heat from your body than our top water-based competitor.
Cools You More in a Hot Room
[89 Watts of body heat removed]
- 102% more cooling power than our top water-based competitor (only one side on) in 80°F room.
- 256% more cooling power than our top water-based competitor with one side set to cooling mode, other side set to heating mode
High Performance Cooling
[Active Cooling System, Full-Body Sleep Microclimate Displacement]
Instant controlled airflow distributed through patented performance 3D structure pushing heat and humidity out from below and around you.
Temperature Range
The Smart Topper cools you down and warms you up a minimum of -10 or +10 degrees of skin temperature. (Based on average human skin temperature.)
- Default thermostat functionality based on chosen set point
- Optional “non-responsive cooling” to operate active air at constant fan speeds
Comfort Heating Mechanism
[Full Body, Electric Heat, up to 100 Watts heat energy added to body per night.]
- Energy efficient.
- Third-party safety certified.
- Foot heater included.
- Preheating functionality.
Autonomous (Algorithmic) Thermoregulation
[Accurate within 0.2°F]
- Choose set point up to 10 degrees cooler or warmer than average skin temperature.
- Temperature sensors adjust heating and cooling to keep you at your chosen set point. -Outperforms competitors, including top water-based competitor.
- Tens of thousands of automated temperature adjustments per night
Data Validated Sleep Study Results
[SleepSpace Study - Dr. Daniel Gartenberg, 2025;] Participants 45% Male, 55% Female]
- 100% of Sleep Study participants reported improved sleep with Perfectly Snug
- 80% of Sleep Study participants reported improved sleep for their partner (due to less snoring, tossing & turning) with Perfectly Snug
- 90% of Sleep Study participants reported less tossing & turning with Perfectly Snug
- 75% of Sleep Study participants reported better dreams with Perfectly Snug (indicative of more REM sleep)
Low Rollover Rate Per Night - Hot Sleeper
- 5 rollovers per night (once every 1.5 hrs during 8hr Sleep) on Perfectly Snug versus 16 Rollovers Per Night (once every 30 minutes during 8hr Sleep) on regular mattress
- Data-validated deeper, more peaceful sleep
Setting Response Rate: Cooling
[Time to respond to temp change of 1C, Sensor under body]
- 20 seconds to cool sleeper post-setting adjustment; active air cooling under body virtually instantaneous
Safest & Healthiest Active Cooling Topper
[Zero condensation, 0°F Temperature Increase]
- 100% Ambient neutral.
- No risk of condensation.
- No drying of the air/sinuses.
- No increased temperature of your sleep environment. (Top water-based competitor increases room temperature an additional 10°F while cooling; can cause condensation in bed)
Low Operating Cost
[7.4 Watts, avg. $4.32/yr] 25x less expensive to operate compared to top water-based competitor.
High Performance Quiet Fans
[Two per zone, located at foot] Tested and rated to 40k hours at full speed (equivalent of 14 year lifetime at full speed, 55 year lifespan of normal use)
Phone & Wifi Compatible
- Free App for Android or Apple.
- WiFi can be completely disabled for customers with EMF concerns
Manual Controls
Temperature adjustments can be made manually with buttons on the side. (App optional.)
Making Waves in the Media
Frequently Asked Questions
Size guide?
What size should I order?
View our size guide here.
Does it work on an articulated bed?
The Smart Topper does work on an articulated bed. We recommend using the included bed-corner straps to keep your Smart Topper in place.
Product Care
How is it powered?
The Smart Topper is powered by low voltage DC power from a power brick that plugs into any standard wall outlet. The power supply will work in any country.
Can I wash the Smart Topper?
The cover of the Smart Topper can be washed. Learn more about washing details here.
Will it turn off automatically?
Yes, the Smart Topper will automatically turn off. You can also set the on and off times with scheduled preferences in the app.
What happens if it gets wet?
There are no safety issues if the Smart Topper gets wet. If it does get wet, it should be aired-out to dry to avoid developing mildew or mold.
Comfort
How quiet is it?
The Smart Topper is nearly silent when cooling is at a low level. At 50% level of cooling it’s equivalent to a forced air household heating noise. At full cooling, it sounds similar to a stand-alone fan running in the room. The level of cooling selected will determine how loud the fans will run. If you're sensitive to sound, there is a quiet mode setting in the app that constrains the fans to run at a maximum of 50%.
Is it comfortable?
We designed the Smart Topper to be thin enough to retain the comfort characteristics of your existing bed, however, those with a particularly soft bed will notice that the Smart Topper makes their bed somewhat firmer.
Shipping and Returns
Shipping
We currently offer free shipping within North America on all Smart Topper orders.
Return Policy
Sleep on it for 30 nights risk free! If you don't love the Smart Topper within 30 nights, we'll take it back and refund you the purchase price.
Do I have to pay for return shipping?
When returned in original packaging, Perfectly Snug offers free return shipping.
Does it work in a hot room?
Yes! Perfectly Snug is the best and fastest cooling mattress topper at all room temperatures.
All cooling systems (including subcooling & water systems) are impacted by heat. At room temperatures of 80F, Perfectly Snug had 102% more cooling power than our water-based competitor with only one side on; and 256% more cooling power than our water-based competitor while one side of the bed was set to cooling and the other set to heating mode. (Our full Performance & Specs can be found above) We're the best for couples!
Water based & subcooling systems can create condensation in warm environments, and their machines can increase the temperature of your room as the night progresses.
The Smart Topper's cooling technology ensures your bed will be the coolest place in your room. Please note that the Smart Topper does not replace air conditioning or heating as it does not change the temperature of the room overall.
Price
Why does the Smart Topper cost as much as my mattress?
The Smart Topper is much more than a mattress! A mattress can't actively cool or regulate your temperature. Unique features like adaptive cooling and heating, smart sensors to monitor your temperature, and scheduled sleep settings requires specially developed technology and materials.
The Smart Topper is a high quality, North American made product that comes with a high level of service and care.
About
Warranty
We offer a 1 year "bumper to bumper" warranty. This means that if you run into any issues with your Smart Topper during normal wear and tear, we'll cover it. This includes any material or workmanship defect in your Smart Topper in the cover, foam, mesh material, or electronic defects in the sensors, wiring heaters, or fans. Your satisfaction with our product is our top priority. Learn more about our warranty here.
Where is it made?
The Smart Topper is designed and made by Perfectly Snug in our facility in British Columbia, Canada.
Quality
Every Smart Topper is produced to Perfectly Snug's high quality standards and is fully tested before shipping.
Safety + Compliance
The Smart Topper complies with all North American safety standards and has been 3rd party tested and approved.
Your Nights Deserve Comfort Again
When your body is already working hard, your sleep shouldn’t have to. The Smart Topper helps you cool down or warm up, rest deeply, and wake up ready to take on the day. Relief is instant. Recovery is natural. And your best nights - the ones that restore, not exhaust you - can start tonight!