Money can apparently buy a good night's rest, just ask Musk and Zuckerberg
Sleep fitness company Eight Sleep expands to Asia with Singapore debut
As affluent folks would attest with deep sincerity, money can’t buy you happiness. But it can apparently buy you a good night’s rest. Don’t take my word for it, just ask the richest man in the world, Elon Musk. Mr Musk and fellow billionaire Mark Zuckerberg are among the “extraordinary people” (like you) that use the high-tech, intelligent sleep system — dubbed the Pod — created by sleep fitness startup Eight Sleep.
Eight Sleep is now officially available in Singapore. It is the startup’s first foray in Asia, adding to a list of other well-off countries, including most Western countries (EU and UK), the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. It doesn’t take a scientist to see why Singapore is the ideal market (GDP per capita of over US$90,000 in 2024) to launch a smart mattress cover that costs S$3,349 after a S$400 discount. And no, I don’t think they accept climate vouchers.
So what exactly does the Pod — Eight Sleep’s core product — do for sleepers? Well, place its temperature-controlled mattress cover over your bed, and it will regulate temperatures in the bed, cooling or heating it for each individual (up to two sleepers for a queen, king or super king bed). Apparently, you want skin temperatures to be between 33.5 and 35.5 degrees Celsius for the best sleep quality.
The Pod can also monitor your health metrics while you sleep, such as heart rate variability. Sort of like wearing a smartwatch to bed without actually wearing one. This mattress cover is connected to a small PC-like appliance (the Hub) that’s presumably the brains of the operation which is constantly monitoring your sleep and health metrics, and making tweaks to the temperature. Besides the hardware, you’ll also need to subscribe to Eight Sleep’s Autopilot software (S$25 a month for at least 12 months) that’s actually doing the heavy-lifting behind the scenes.
If you’re prone to snoring, an additional accessory (the Base) can quietly elevate the bed while you’re sleeping to reduce snoring. This accessory, along with several other add-ons like the Blanket (cools your body) and the Pillow Cover (cools your head), aren’t available yet in Singapore.
As for the science behind this smart sleep system, a peer-reviewed paper from last year funded by Eight Sleep claims that users see cardiovascular benefits “comparable to 12 weeks of exercise training, with an average 2% decrease in resting heart rate and a 7% increase in heart rate variability.” Imagine getting that benefit just from your sleep. It’s no wonder that professional athletes like F1 driver Charles Leclerc are using it to aid their recovery.
Well, unless Amazon Web Services goes down again, which led to some funny Pod incidents. But Eight Sleep says it’s fine now, and given their roster of “world class talent from top brands including Apple, Sonos, Verily, Meta, Nike, etc”, there shouldn’t be any problems going forward, right?
This week’s reviews include a solid mid-range camera phone from Vivo, Google’s latest and best smartwatch yet, and a Logitech keyboard that can be powered entirely via light.
Looking for a mid-range phone that can take great photos? Consider the Vivo V60 (S$699), which packs a 50MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and a 50MP primary camera with OIS, all of which are designed in collaboration with Zeiss. Besides the impressive cameras, the phone also has excellent battery life, and lasted 14 hours in our battery test. However, the V60’s performance is merely adequate when compared with a flagship phone.
The Google Pixel Watch 4 stands out from the competition with an elegant domed display that’s now brighter than the previous version. There’s a new raise-to-talk feature to summon Google’s Gemini Live assistant that feels natural, and a new charging dock that has the smartwatch lying sideways. Battery life also gets a slight upgrade, and you can easily get over a day’s use without charging. And it’s still the same price as last year’s version.
You won’t ever need to worry about charging the Logitech Signature Slim Solar+ K980 because this keyboard comes with a solar panel that can work with both natural sunlight and indoor lighting. It’s quiet, which is great for the office, and there are useful buttons for quick access to things like the calculator. The keys are nice and bouncy, but you may need to adjust to its low-profile design.