Chilipad Dock Pro Bed Cooling System vs. Eight Sleep Pod 5

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Sleep Solutions HQ Team

We, the Sleep Solutions HQ Team, are a team of writers who loves good sleep. We understand that proper sleep is vital to your health. We got you covered from the best mattresses to sleeping techniques. We do detailed research to cover your sleeping needs. We want to provide every information you can get sleep-related. We love everyone to achieve the best self-love - a good sleep.

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Everyone has a sweet spot when it comes to their optimal sleep temperature, and perhaps now more than ever, it’s easy to achieve a bed climate that’s actually perfect for just about anyone.

(They say necessity is the mother of invention, and I have to believe that’s true, given the functionality of today’s bed climate systems.)

The Eight Sleep Pod 5 and Chilipad Dock Pro are two pretty well-known options for tech-assisted sleep and bed surface climate control, and if you’ve been researching options, whether you’re a hot sleeper or a cold one, you’ve likely heard of both.

There are some similarities between the Chilipad Dock Pro and the Eight Sleep Pod 5 on the surface, but they offer very different things (at very different price points).

Quick Comparison Guide

Although the Chilipad Dock Pro is less expensive compared to the Eight Sleep system, the latter offers a lot more in terms of overall functionality, automation, and smart features designed to improve sleep quality.

We’ll take a much closer look at each, including how they work and their pros and cons, along with how to choose between the Chilipad and Eight Sleep if you’re not sure which one is best for you.

What To Know About The Eight Sleep Pod 5

The Pod 5 from Eight Sleep is the latest iteration of the company’s innovative design: a complete bed climate system that fully automates the surface temperature of your mattress throughout the night, based on your body’s biometric data.

Using an “active grid” powered by water and an Autopilot subscription (app-based), this is arguably the most advanced bed climate system you’ll find anywhere.

The Pod 5 offers two distinct models:

• The Pod 5 Core comes with a mattress cover and a separate hub that powers and controls the entire system.
• The Pod 5 Ultra includes the mattress cover and hub, along with an adjustable bed base that works with just about any mattress (spring coil, hybrid, or memory foam) to provide not only comfort and back pain relief, but snoring mitigation.

While other bed climate control systems use a similar(ish) design—something that goes on the mattress and a hub or base unit to control the temp—the Eight Sleep is the only one that fully automates the bed temperature and provides insightful sleep and health data through the app.

The smart automation alone makes the Eight Sleep Pod 5 worth it, in my opinion, because it’s aware of your body temperature and sleep cycle throughout the night, and it makes adjustments based on that data. You’re never aware of it until morning, when you receive a report in the app telling you everything that happened overnight, including the number of adjustments it made, how long you slept, and the duration of each sleep cycle, your heart rate, breath rate, and even your snoring.

Speaking of snoring: If you (and/or your partner) snore, the Pod 5 Ultra has built-in snoring mitigation thanks to the adjustable base. When snoring is detected, the base elevates to stop it, which helps you to sleep more restfully.

What’s really cool about the Pod 5 are the optional accessories that enable you to create a fully immersive bed climate. Both models work with the Eight Sleep blanket, which syncs with the mattress cover so you can feel the temperature control everywhere, and a pillow cover that has its own hub.

I admit I have not tried these accessories myself, since my Pod 4 uses previous-generation tech that isn’t compatible, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about an upgrade.

Both the Pod 5 Core and Pod 5 Ultra use clinical-grade sensors and the newest generation tech to gather biometric data, so the automations are tuned perfectly to your body, and to your partner’s if you have a dual-zone setup. 

But the Pod 5 Ultra takes things several steps further, not only with the adjustable base for zero gravity back pressure relief and snoring mitigation, but surround sound. This includes a wake-up alarm that works alongside the thermal and vibration alarm in the Pod cover, but soundscapes that help to support relaxation and better, more restful sleep.

(Note: You can’t stream your own music or audiobooks. It only plays scientifically-developed content made available through the Eight Sleep app.)

New in 2025, any version of the Eight Sleep can access Hot Flash Mode, which provides rapid cooldown for 5 to 30 minutes if you’re dealing with hot flashes or night sweats.

That’s another incredibly smart feature you won’t find with any similar sleep climate control system.

Eight Sleep Pod 5 Pros

• The surface temperature ranges from 55ºF to 110ºF (-10 to +10 in the app).
• All models have dual-zone control built in, so each side of the bed can have its own independent climate. (If you sleep alone, however, single-zone control is available as well.)
• With the Autopilot subscription enabled, the Eight Sleep Pod cover makes automatic temperature adjustments throughout the night based on both sleepers’ individual biometric data.
• The Pod cover is thick enough to prevent feeling the water channels within, but it’s thin enough not to change the firmness or softness of your existing mattress.
• Every morning, the Eight Sleep app provides a complete report that shares data and insights about your previous night of sleep, which includes sleep (and sleep cycle) duration, a sleep quality score, snoring detection (if any), and other health-related information.
• The Eight Sleep system offers “Hot Flash Mode,” which provides on-demand rapid cooling for 5 to 30 minutes.
• Eight Sleep provides a 30-night trial, and warranty options range from two to five years.
• Rental is available for both the Pod 5 Core and Pod 5 Ultra, and the rental fee includes the Autopilot subscription and a warranty that lasts for the entire duration of your rental.

Eight Sleep Pod 5 Cons

• Has a higher price point compared to the Chilipad Dock Pro
• Eight Sleep automation and sleep data (through the app) relies on an Autopilot subscription, purchased separately and costing from $17 to $33 per month based on the option you choose.
• Regardless of the subscription, the Eight Sleep system only works if there is an internet (WiFi) connection
• The Pod mattress cover is spot-clean only, so it’s a good idea to put a very thin waterproof cover over the top to protect it over the long term.

What To Know About The Chilipad Dock Pro

The Chilipad Dock Pro from SleepMe is a much more streamlined version of what the Eight Sleep Pod 5 offers. Although it’s available at a considerably lower price point, it doesn’t provide nearly the amount of functionality and smart features as the Eight Sleep Pod 5.

The Chilipad Dock Pro is available in “Me” (half-bed size) or “We” (whole-bed size) versions, which is nice if you only need or want temperature control on one side of the bed. 

The biggest bummer of the “We” model, however, is that each side of the bed has its own base unit. So if both partners have a lamp, an alarm clock, or other things to plug in around their nightstands, they’re gonna need to plug in their base units, too.

And although the Dock Pro base unit can be hidden beneath the bed (as long as the clearance is at least 6.5”), if your bed is on a platform or even on the floor, or has a low-to-the-floor frame, you’ll have to think about the placement of two units, rather than one, if you need dual-zone temp control.

Beyond the logistics of setup, the Chilipad Dock Pro doesn’t offer temperature automations based on your body temperature, sleep cycle, or other data. You can automate temperature, but you have to set those automations yourself, ahead of time, by scheduling them manually.

Which can be a bit of a guessing game unless you know your body that well and can predict the temperature changes you might need during the night.

That said, the Chilipad Dock Pro doesn’t need any sort of additional subscription, the way the Eight Sleep Pod 5 does. Like I mentioned earlier, this is a much more streamlined climate control system.

The one thing that’s really different about the Chilipad Dock Pro, and I’m not sure if this is a good sign or not, is that individual replacement parts and repair kits are available for purchase. On one hand, it’s great that you can easily obtain parts to make repairs when you need to, but at the same time, the fact that they are available sort of hints that you likely will need to at some point.

No technology is infallible, no matter how brilliantly designed, but given that the Chilipad Dock Pro warranty is shorter compared to Eight Sleep, it stands to reason that repairs will be more frequent with the former.

Pros Of The Chilipad Dock Pro 

• The surface temperature ranges from 55ºF to 115ºF.
• The mattress topper is machine-washable and can even be put in the dryer.
• Offers a warming alarm, which warms the bed at a set time to wake you up naturally without a sound alarm.
• Works with Google Assistant so you can give voice commands to adjust the temperature settings.
• Depending on the height of your bed’s underside, the Dock may be able to slide beneath it for stealth storage; minimum underside height needs to be 6.5” for this.
• Is less expensive compared to the Eight Sleep system.
• The Chilipad has a 30-day trial and one-year limited warranty.
• Sells replacement parts individually (mattress cover, dock, reservoir, water tubing), along with repair kits for various mechanisms in the dock and pump for self-maintenance. 

Chilipad Dock Pro Cons

• Two separate docks enable the “We” (whole-bed) sizes to provide dual-zone control, which is considerably clunkier to set up (two docks mean two power outlets being used, but you’ll also have to figure out how and where to stash them out of sight, especially if your bed platform has no open underside or the frame is low to the ground).
• “Automatic” temperature adjustments must be scheduled manually ahead of time.
• Doesn’t offer add-ons like pillow covers, blankets, or adjustable bed frames.

How To Choose Between The Chillipad Dock Pro & Eight Sleep Pod 5

If you’re not sure how to choose between these two products, my best advice is to start with your “must-have” features and consider what you want, along with what you can spend.

• Do you want a (truly) smart bed with automatic climate adjustment?

Yes: The Pod 5 (Core or Ultra) delivers a complete climate control ecosystem that automates itself through the Autopilot subscription (accessed through the Eight Sleep app), thanks to sensors in the mattress cover that track your vitals throughout the night.

No: The Chilipad Dock Pro’s “automations” are self-set, meaning you schedule those yourself.

• Do you have space or power outlet limitations in your bedroom?

Yes: The Eight Sleep Pod 5 Core uses just one power outlet for the hub. (The Ultra model, which includes an adjustable bed base, uses a second outlet to power the base.) The hub is about the size of a vertical desktop computer, but can be tucked out of sight pretty easily (to the side of or behind a nightstand, for example) thanks to the 6’ water cable connecting it to the mattress cover.

No: The Dock Pro “We” model offers dual zone control, but that’s provided through two separate hubs (which requires one power outlet each). These can be tucked beneath your bed if there’s at least 6.5” clearance; however, if you don’t have an “open” underside, they’ll have to be placed somewhat out in the open.

• What are your budget limitations, including ongoing subscriptions?

None: The Eight Sleep Pod 5 has a higher price point (with a lot more functionality and automation), but also has an ongoing annual subscription for Autopilot automations, sleep tracking, and warranty (about 54¢ to $1.09 per day, based on the option you choose). 

Limited: The Dock Pro is less expensive, offering half-bed (“Me”) sizes starting at around $1,199, and there is no ongoing subscription since there’s no automation. An extended protection plan is available for an additional fee. 

Quick Pick Advice: Pod 5 vs. Dock Pro

Go with the Eight Sleep Pod 5 if you:

• Prefer automated climate control that caters to your body and sleep each night.
• Need dual-zone control that’s included automatically.
• Want to receive metrics each day that report on your health and rest overnight.
• Need an option that provides quick-cooling specifically for hot flashes (Hot Flash mode).
• Might consider future add-ons like the blanket, pillow cover, or base for a more immersive experience.
• Want a system that offers a long warranty (up to 5 years).

Choose the Chilipad Dock Pro if you:

• Prefer simple, basic temperature control.
• Don’t need smart automations or don’t mind self-scheduling temperature changes.
• Are working with a smaller budget.
• Don’t want something that uses a subscription model.
• Don’t need a long warranty.

Closing Thoughts

Sleep tech has come a long way in recent years, and we’re all reaping the benefits, but bed climate systems aren’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all solution. While I’m firmly in the Eight Sleep camp, it’s important to consider your needs and budget before investing in one.

If you’re the kind of person (like me) who wants adaptive automation that truly caters to your body on its own throughout the night, there’s no question: The Eight Sleep Pod 5 is absolutely the best at what it does.