by Orion Sleep
Eight Sleep alternatives: 5 bed cooling systems compared
Eight Sleep requires a 12-month membership. How Orion, Chilipad, BedJet, Perfectly Snug, and Sleep Number compare on subscription, cooling, and cost.
The key takeaways
- Five Eight Sleep alternatives are covered here: the Orion Sleep System, Chilipad 2.0, BedJet 3, the Perfectly Snug Smart Topper, and Sleep Number Climate360.
- Every Eight Sleep Pod 6 is sold with a 12-month commitment to its Autopilot membership, which starts at $199 a year.
- The Orion Sleep System uses water cooling like Eight Sleep, and its heating and cooling don't require a subscription. Sleep tracking through Orion Intelligence is optional.
- Chilipad 2.0 is the other water-based cover, with a separate system for each side. BedJet and Perfectly Snug use air, and Sleep Number builds climate control into a new mattress.
- They're all active systems: unlike gel toppers or cooling sheets, they keep moving heat out of the bed all night at a temperature you set.
What an active bed cooling system does
An active bed cooling system uses power to keep moving heat out of the bed, or into it, at a temperature you choose. Most pair a thin layer on the mattress with a unit that chills or warms water or air and sends it through that layer.
A bed holds heat for a reason. Your body gives off warmth all night, and the mattress and covers keep it close. In a lab test with a heated, sweating manikin lying on mattress and bedding setups, the air next to the skin grew warmer as the test went on, and a latex mattress setup ran warmer than an innerspring one (Troynikov and colleagues, 2015). Passive products, like gel memory foam, cooling sheets, and phase-change fabrics, pull some of that heat away when you first lie down. Once the material warms to the temperature of the bed, it doesn't pull much more heat away, and none of them can be set to a number.
An active system provides more consistent cooling throughout the night. It keeps sending chilled or warmed water or air through the bed, so the heat it collects is carried away instead of building up. You pick the temperature, you can change it on a schedule, and every system in this guide can also warm the bed on cold nights.
The biggest difference between these systems is how they move heat. Water carries heat far better than air, and because the water in these systems is chilled, a water-based cover can bring the surface you lie on below room temperature. Air systems push room air through the bed, so they can't get cooler than the bedroom unless the air is chilled first.
The five that follow are all active systems, and each entry covers how it cools, its temperature range, what needs a subscription, and whether you keep your mattress. Specs come from each brand's own site, checked on October 27, 2026.
1. Orion Sleep System: water cooling like Eight Sleep, for less and with no required membership
Like Eight Sleep, the Orion Sleep System is a water-based cover that heats and cools each side of the mattress you already own, anywhere from 50°F to 113°F. Unlike Eight Sleep, it doesn't need a membership. Heating, cooling, and schedules come with the system, and sleep tracking through Orion Intelligence is optional.
The Smart Cover goes over your mattress and under your fitted sheet, about as thick as a sheet. A Control Tower beside the bed moves temperature-controlled water through the cover. You can schedule the cool-down before bed, change the temperature at set times during the night, and warm your side before you wake.
Orion fits Queen, King, and California King beds, on a standard frame or a single adjustable base kept nearly flat.
Who it suits: Hot sleepers, and couples who want each side of their own mattress at its own temperature, without a required membership.
What comes with Orion, and what's optional
Heating and cooling don't require a subscription. Sleep tracking is a separate, optional layer called Orion Intelligence.
| Included with the system | Optional: Orion Intelligence | |
|---|---|---|
| Heating and cooling, 50°F to 113°F | Yes | - |
| A separate temperature for each side | Yes | - |
| Schedules, the app, and partner and guest access | Yes | - |
| Human support and the 2-year warranty | Yes | - |
| Sleep stages, heart rate, HRV, and movement | No | Yes |
| AI Driven temperature adjustments suggested nightly | No | Yes |
| Cost | Included | $250 a year |
Cancel Orion Intelligence and the bed keeps heating and cooling.
2. Chilipad 2.0 by Sleepme: a water-based cover, one system per side
Chilipad 2.0, Sleepme's newest model, pairs a water-filled layer with a machine-washable cover that unzips from it. A bedside Dock circulates the water, with a range of 55°F to 115°F. It goes on the mattress you have. For two zones, you need to order a two-sleeper setup with 2 separate systems, or start with one side and add a Companion system later. Upkeep is distilled water plus Sleepme's System Cleaner packets.
Who it suits: People who want a water-based cover in a size Orion doesn't make, such as a Full or a split king.
3. BedJet 3: forced air under the sheet
BedJet moves air instead of water. A blower at the side or foot of the bed sends air through a hose and under your top sheet, ideally into BedJet's own Cloud Sheet, from 66°F to 109°F. It cools by moving room air rather than chilling it, and BedJet's guidance says it isn't a substitute for air conditioning in bedrooms above 79°F.
A two-sided setup uses two units, one per side, and the Cloud Sheet comes in Twin XL, Full/Queen, and King sizes.
Who it suits: People who like the feel of air moving under the covers, in a bedroom that stays below about 79°F.
4. Perfectly Snug Smart Topper: fans built into a topper
Perfectly Snug's Smart Topper is a 2-inch topper with fans at the foot, two per side, that draw room air through it, plus electric elements for warming. Its settings are 20 levels of cooling and warming.
Queen, King, and California King toppers are dual-zone, with controls on each side, and it also comes in Twin, Twin XL, Full, and split king.
Who it suits: People who prefer the feel of room air moving through a topper.
5. Sleep Number Climate360: a new mattress with climate control built in
Sleep Number builds temperature control into the bed itself. The Climate360 is a smart mattress with adjustable firmness and cooling and warming on each side, sold with a smart adjustable base. You'd be replacing your mattress to get it.
Who it suits: People shopping for a new mattress who want to adjust the firmness of each side.
Eight Sleep alternatives side by side
Here's how the five line up against the Eight Sleep Pod 6, with specs as each brand lists them on October 27, 2026.
| How it cools | Range | Two sides | Subscription | Keeps your mattress | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orion Sleep System | Water | 50°F to 113°F | One tower runs both sides | Not required; tracking is optional | Yes |
| Eight Sleep Pod 6 | Water | 55°F to 110°F | One hub runs both sides | 12-month Autopilot commitment | Yes |
| Chilipad 2.0 | Water | 55°F to 115°F | Separate systems needed | None | Yes |
| BedJet 3 | Air | 66°F to 109°F | Two units | None listed | Yes |
| Perfectly Snug Smart Topper | Air, from fans in the topper | 20 levels; no °F range listed | One topper, both sides | None | Yes |
| Sleep Number Climate360 | Built into the mattress | No °F range listed | Built in | None listed | No, it's a new mattress |
How much does the Orion Sleep System cost compared to Eight Sleep?
The membership is where the first-year cost splits. Eight Sleep's 12-month Autopilot commitment is part of what you pay in year one. With Orion, the system price covers heating and cooling, and Orion Intelligence is an option you can add. The first year for a Queen:
| System price | Required in year one | Optional | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orion Sleep System | $2,395 for a Queen | Nothing beyond the system | Orion Intelligence, $250 a year |
| Eight Sleep Pod 6 | $2,899 for a Queen | 12 months of Autopilot, from $199 a year | Higher Autopilot plans |
Orion is also HSA/FSA eligible, so qualified buyers can pay with pre-tax funds.
Which Eight Sleep alternative fits your bed
Past the subscription and the price, three things decide which system suits your bed.
Water or air
Water-based covers (Orion, Eight Sleep, and Chilipad) chill or warm the surface you lie on, so the bed can sit below room temperature. Air systems (BedJet and Perfectly Snug) move room air through the bed, which is why their cooling depends more on how warm the bedroom is. More on how water and air bed cooling work.
Your mattress, or a new one
Orion, Eight Sleep, Chilipad, BedJet, and Perfectly Snug all go on the bed you have. Sleep Number is the exception: the climate control comes inside a new mattress and base.
Two people, two temperatures
Every system here can run each side at its own setting, but they get there differently. Orion runs both sides from one Control Tower and Eight Sleep from one hub, Chilipad and BedJet use a second system for the other side, and Perfectly Snug and Sleep Number build both zones into the topper or mattress. For couples who disagree about temperature, here's how two people can share a bed at two temperatures.
Where Orion fits
If you want water cooling like Eight Sleep on the mattress you already own, Orion is built for exactly that. Each side is set separately from 50°F to 113°F, and the bed heats, cools, and runs its schedules the same whether or not you add tracking. It comes with a 30-night trial that starts the day it arrives.
If you need a Full, a Twin, or a split king, or you'd rather replace the mattress altogether, one of the other systems above will fit your setup more closely.
Eight Sleep alternatives: common questions
Does Eight Sleep require a subscription?
Yes. Eight Sleep sells every Pod 6 with a 12-month commitment to its Autopilot membership, which starts at $199 a year.
Is there an Eight Sleep alternative that doesn't require a subscription?
Yes. The Orion Sleep System includes heating, cooling, a separate temperature for each side, and schedules with no subscription. Sleep tracking is optional, through Orion Intelligence, and the bed keeps heating and cooling if you cancel it.
Do Eight Sleep alternatives warm the bed too?
Yes, and that's true of all five in this guide. The Orion Sleep System heats and cools each side separately, anywhere from 50°F to 113°F.
Which Eight Sleep alternatives use water?
The Orion Sleep System and Chilipad 2.0 both run water through a cover on your mattress, like Eight Sleep. BedJet and Perfectly Snug use air, and Sleep Number builds climate control into the mattress itself.
Can two people set different temperatures with these systems?
Yes. Every system here offers two zones, though the hardware differs. With Orion, one Control Tower serves both sides, so you won't need a second unit, and you and your partner each pick a setting between 50°F and 113°F.
Want water cooling for each side of your bed, with no subscription required? See how the Orion Sleep System works.
