2021 Sleep Tech Products of the Year Awards

The Motion Pillow is an anti-snoring device that adapts to your needs while you sleep. The Motion Pillow comes with a pillow, a solution box, and an adapter that connects the pillow to the box. The solution box sits on your nightstand and listens for snoring. When it detects snoring, the pillow moves in response to realign your head into a better position and interrupt your snoring.

The pillow itself includes four inflatable airbags at the bottom of the pillow. These will slowly inflate and deflate within 2 to 3 inches, repositioning your head as they do so. After your snoring stops, the pillow inflates (or deflates) to let your head fall back into its original position. The whole process is designed to be very subtle and quiet, so it doesn’t wake you or a nearby sleep partner.

While the pillow was created with snore detection in mind, 10minds, the makers of the Motion Pillow, didn’t skimp on comfort. The memory foam pillow is made from CertiPUR-US foams, and both the inner and outer covers can be washed as needed.

Three layers of noise cancellation are also built in to the pillow, helping you stay fast asleep and undisturbed throughout the night. The Motion Pillow sends data to the smartphone app in real time, so you can analyze your sleep patterns and see how frequently you’re snoring.

Smart Nora anti-snore pillow listens for sounds of snoring while you sleep. Whenever it detects snoring, it gently inflates a pad beneath the pillow to stop snoring in its tracks. The movement of the pillow interrupts snoring by engaging the throat muscles.

This gentle movement may improve sleep in two ways. First, it’s designed to shorten and stop instances of snoring, resulting in less noise, and thereby reducing the chances of your snoring waking you or your bed partner up. Secondly, the inflatable pad moves quietly enough that it shouldn’t wake you up, either.

Smart Nora earned its spot on our Sleep Tech of The Year list because of its flexibility. Each box includes a pillow insert and air tube (to inflate the insert). You can slide the insert under your existing pillow, preventing the need to get used to a whole new pillow experience. The egg-shaped Pebble listening device includes an overhead mount for you to place it over your bed, saving precious nightstand space. Finally, Smart Nora includes multiple plugs so it’s compatible with different outlets.

Smart Nora offers free shipping and a risk-free sleep trial, so users can return it within 30 days for a full refund. The anti-snore pillow is backed by a 1-year warranty.

The Hüpnos Sleep Mask 2.0 is a clever device that doubles as an anti-snoring device and a comfortable sleep mask. The mask helps block out light, making it easier for you to sleep. Another notable feature of the Hüpnos Sleep Mask is its excellent battery life. It lasts up to four nights on a single charge. But what’s really impressive is its multi-step approach to stopping snoring.

Whenever you begin snoring, the Hüpnos Sleep Mask sends gentle vibrations through the mask. While the movements are gentle enough to allow you to keep sleeping, they’re strong enough to encourage your body to react by shifting positions. The change in position will hopefully relieve pressure on your airways, resulting in less snoring.

If that doesn’t work, the Hüpnos Sleep Mask uses Exhalation Positive Airway Pressure (EPAP) therapy. A valve inside the mask starts to close. This increases pressure while dilating your airways, interrupting your snoring.

The Hüpnos Sleep Mask syncs with a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone app, where you can view nightly results about your sleep data, including how often you snored, how loudly, and how long you slept.

chiliPAD Sleep System is one of the first successful temperature control sleep systems for mattresses. Chili Technology claims over 100,000 sleepers have tried it.

Each chiliPAD Sleep System includes a control unit, hydronic pad, and remote control. The control unit has a 13-ounce water reservoir tank, and resembles a small box (9.5 x 10.5 x 7.5 inches). You can place this by the side of your bed, where you’ll plug it into the wall.

Then, when it’s time for you to sleep, the control unit pumps water through silicone tubing in the hydronic pad. The water is heated or cooled according to your desired temperature, which you’ll set using the remote control. The hydronic pad is machine washable, with a poly cotton cover and poly fill. It’s designed to fit under any mattress size or shape. It’s even compatible with adjustable bed frames.

Half Queen, King, California King, and Full sizes are available for solo sleepers, while couples can choose from Queen, King, and California King sizes. The “made for two” option includes two control units, so each sleeper can adjust the temperature for their side of the bed.

The risk-free sleep trial allows shoppers to try the chiliPAD Sleep System for up to 90 nights. chiliPAD ships free to the U.S., and is backed by a 2-year warranty.

The OOLER Sleep System is another offering from Chili Technology, the makers of the chiliPAD. Each OOLER Sleep System includes a control unit, hydronic pad, and smartphone app (a future-forward upgrade from the chiliPAD’s remote control).

The control unit is small enough to fit on the floor by the side of your bed, but with a large enough reservoir to last throughout the night.

The hydronic pad is made from stretchable jacquard fabric on top, waterproof polyester on the bottom, and a polyester fill and 1/8-inch tubing. As you sleep, water flows through these hydronic tubes, keeping your mattress at a consistently comfortable temperature.

In the OOLER app, you’ll choose what that “comfortable temperature” is, anywhere between 55 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Other neat features of the app include the ability to program in your sleep schedules, so the bed can wake you up with a warmer temperature (removing the need for a noisy alarm clock), and automatically pre-cool or pre-heat before bed. The control unit also notifies you whenever water gets low.

The hydronic pad has a low profile, so it should fit comfortably under most mattresses. However, you can get a better fit by purchasing one that’s compatible with Queen, King, or California King size mattresses. Both full and half sizes are available, so both couples and individuals can enjoy a cooler (or hotter) night’s sleep.

It’s worth noting that the Ooler Sleep System is rated as one of our favorite heated mattress pads.

The popular BedJet is now in its third iteration, with the BedJet 3 Climate Comfort System. Upgrades include a smaller control unit design, a larger temperature range, improved remote control function, and smart home compatibility.

Unlike other mattress temperature control systems, which rely on water, the BedJet uses air to air condition your existing mattress, via a unit you’ll attach to the bed. You can program in different heating or cooling settings for every hour of the night. The BedJet also includes a wake-up setting, where it gradually warms your mattress in the morning to gently wake you up.

Sleepers have three options to choose from with the BedJet. Solo sleepers can buy a single BedJet, which adjusts the full surface temperature of the bed. Couples have two options. They can either buy a single BedJet, with a Dual Zone Cloud Sheet (sold separately) to adjust the temperature for just one side of the bed. This option is made for couples where only one partner wants to change the surface temperature.

If both couples disagree on the ideal sleep temperature, as many do, and both want to condition their side of the bed, they can sleep comfortably with the BedJet’s Dual Zone model. This version includes two BedJets and a Dual Zone Cloud sheet.

The BedJet is backed with a 60-night sleep trial and 2-year warranty. The BedJet ships free to continental U.S.

With the O2 Vibe Sleep & Fitness Monitor, by BodiMetrics, we finally have a fitness wearable that puts sleep first, rather than treating it like an afterthought. Getting good sleep is essential to overall health and fitness, and your daily exercise routine can affect how well you sleep. This sleep tracker recognizes that.

The O2 Vibe is the smallest SpO2 sleep monitor. It monitors the amount of oxygen in your blood — a key cardiovascular health indicator — while you sleep, all through an unassuming, comfortable thumb sensor. If SpO2 levels fall below your desired threshold levels, the O2 Vibe wakes you up with a gentle vibration.

This SpO2 tracking is also useful for fitness enthusiasts interested in testing their limits, especially climbers who need to be aware of oxygen levels while they ascend.

Like other fitness trackers, the O2 Vibe also tracks your daily steps and fitness, gives you reminders to keep moving through the day, and syncs securely via the cloud to your iOS or Android device. There, you can view your O2 Score to see daily and hourly reports of your O2 saturation, heart rate, and fitness metrics, giving users valuable data to share with their health providers.

A common complaint with fitness wearables is their design. While some options are sleeker than others, they all stand out like a sore thumb, making it clear that what you’re wearing is a fitness trackable. Withings ScanWatch is different.

Fresh off winning the CES 2020 Innovation Award for being the first watch with ECG and Sleep Apnea Detection, this looks like a high-end fashion watch. Instead of a touchscreen, you scroll through the health metrics using the crown, or the accompanying Withings Health Mate app, available on the App Store and Google Play. It comes in black and white and can be swapped with any wristbands that fits standard horns.

Another complaint of fitness wearables is their poor battery life. That’s not a problem with Withings ScanWatch, whose rechargeable battery lasts up to 30 days. Other impressive features of ScanWatch include its automatic activity detection (including sleep, swimming, running, and walking), water resistance to 50 meters, and heart health monitoring.

ScanWatch monitors your heart rate throughout the day and notifies you whenever it’s too low or high. You can also get an on-the-spot cardiogram in just 30 seconds, based on technology Withings developed with cardiologists.

As useful as that tracking is during the day, Withings ScanWatch keeps tracking throughout the night, keeping a watchful eye for any indication of potential sleep apnea, a sleep-related breathing disorder that increases your risk factor for heart failure and stroke, yet often goes undetected.

The disorder is characterized by temporary lapses in breathing. When these episodes occur, air flow may decrease into the lungs, creating a resulting drop in blood oxygen levels. ScanWatch performs SpO2 tests in the Overnight Scan mode, monitoring oxygen in the blood to determine if an apnneic episode occurred. ScanWatch also analyzes oxygen saturation levels by using light sensors to monitor your blood vessels for changes in color.

Billed as a “sleep lab that fits in the palm of your hand,” Beddr SleepTuner is a tiny little device that tracks key sleep health metrics while you sleep, via a built-in optical sensor and accelerometer.

To use Beddr, you’ll apply medical-grade adhesive to the device and place it on your head before you go to bed. Then you start the assessment in the smartphone app and fall asleep. While you sleep, the device syncs with the app over Bluetooth. In the morning, you can view metrics to see how long you slept, including your sleep and wake times.

You’ll also be able to see if there were any moments when you stopped breathing, which may be indications of snoring or potential sleep apnea (although the Beddr SleepTuner is not a substitute for diagnosis). The device also monitors your oxygen saturation levels and heart rate through the night. Finally, the device tracks your sleep position and analyzes whether any stopped breathing events are related.

The Beddr SleepTuner charges via USB-C and includes up to 20 hours of test time on a single charge. Beddr backs the SleepTuner with a 15-day trial and free shipping.

Unlike most sleep tracking devices, the SleepScore Max tracks everything without ever touching your body. This no-contact sleep tracker sits on your bedside table, monitoring and recording your sleep to provide key sleep insights and recommendations to improve your sleep. Since it stays plugged in, you also never have to worry about running out of battery life, which can be an issue with some sleep trackers.

Through the use of bio-motion sensor technology, the SleepScore Max monitors your breathing and movement to track when you’re asleep, and what stage of sleep you’re in. SleepScore Max’s tracking capabilities even extend beyond your person, providing additional insights into your sleep environment and how it may be impacting the quality of your sleep.

In the smartphone app, you can view a detailed sleep report. This is based on metrics like your total time spent asleep, how long it took you to fall asleep, and whether you woke up during the night. Your data is then analyzed against other SleepScore Max users in your age group to provide you with a personalized sleep score.

For best results, the SleepScore Max should be placed within 3.9 feet of your body and angled toward your chest. It also needs to be placed near your phone, since it uses your phone’s mic to collect additional data, such as any changes in breathing.

The Eight Sleep Pod is the latest offering from Eight Sleep, the makers of the sleep-tracking Smart Bed. This cooling mattress includes the same sleep-tracking technology of the Smart Bed, and combines it with dynamic thermoregulation for a cooler (or warmer) night’s sleep.

The Eight Sleep Pod features an all-foam construction, with 5 inches of high-density polyfoam in the support layer. Above that lies comfort layers of polyfoam, medium-density memory foam, and a 2-inch layer of Luracor foam. This synthetic latex alternative offers more bounce and less conforming than memory foam, which helps the bed better thermoregulate and be more conducive for sex.

On top, an unassuming dark grey cover contains all the technology that makes the magic happen. Inside this cotton-polyester blend are active sensors and water tubes. Using the Eight Sleep app, users set a desired temperature range. Throughout the night, a connected water pump heats or cools the tubes in the cover to maintain that ideal temperature.

Meanwhile, the cover’s sensors track key sleep data, allowing owners to view sleep insights and sync the Eight Sleep Pod with other compatible smart home devices. The app can also play white noise to help you sleep, or gently warm the bed to wake you up with the “Thermo Alarm” feature.

Eight Sleep backs the Pod with a 100-night sleep trial and 10-year warranty.

The ReST Bed is a smart airbed. You can completely customize the feel of the bed, by adjusting the firmness in five zones of the bed via the ReST smartphone app, available on the App Store and Google Play. The five support zones target the head, shoulders, lumbar, hips, and legs—all areas which require different levels of support throughout the night.

What makes this a smart mattress, however, is that it keeps on adjusting while you sleep. That’s right: with the Automatic mode, the ReST Bed continuously adjusts to your desired firmness level, accounting for changes in sleep position and movement during the night.

However, sleepers can also choose from the Auto Position and Manual options. With Auto Position, owners share their desired firmness level for each sleep position (back, side, and stomach), and the bed adjusts throughout the night whenever they change positions. With the Manual mode, sleepers dictate the firmness for each zone and adjust it using the smartphone app.

Beyond its smart technology, the ReST Bed features a luxury airbed construction that offers an excellent balance of support and comfort for various sleep positions and body types. Above a base layer of polyfoam and the air chambers sit three inches of gel memory foam. These comfort layers provide cooling pressure relief and significantly more conforming than typically found with an airbed mattress.

ReST Bed is backed by a 90-day sleep trial and 10-year warranty.

A winner of the CES 2020 Best of Innovation Award, the Climate360 Smart Bed from Sleep Number is scheduled to be released in 2021. This mattress features the same smart technology used in other Sleep Number 360 Smart Beds, and updates it with automatic temperature adjustments for enhanced comfort and a customized sleep experience.

Through the Sleep Number smartphone app, sleepers can set their desired temperature settings. Then the Climate360 Smart Bed makes automatic micro adjustments to the mattress temperature throughout the night, with the goal of doing so in sync with your natural sleep cycles.

For example, when you first get into bed, the mattress will be slightly warmer. Then, as you fall asleep, it uses ambient air to cool your body, mimicking the body’s own natural thermoregulation process during sleep.

The Climate360 mattress is able to do this because it also includes sleep tracking technology. You can view your SleepIQ score anytime in the smartphone app, where you’ll find metrics like your heart rate, breathing, and movement during sleep.

Like other Sleep Number beds, either side of the mattress can be adjusted to your ideal firmness setting. Thanks to the Climate360 smart technology, the bed automatically adjusts the temperature as you change positions during the night as well.

When you go to a sleep clinic to have a polysomnogram performed, sleep scientists measure your brainwaves as they analyze your sleep. URGONight takes that same technology and makes it available via a sleek headband you can wear in your own home.

To use the URGONight headband, you “train” your brain three times a week, for twenty minutes each, for a period of three months. During each training, URGONight recommends doing an activity that stimulates the brainwaves you experience during sleep, like performing a mindfulness meditation, letting your thoughts wander freely, or focusing on one single point.

The point of these exercises is for the app to analyze your brainwave activity and help you better understand what mental activities correspond to better “sleep-positive brainwaves” for you. It’s called EEG-feedback therapy. To be clear, URGONight does not emit sounds or radio waves; it only measures your brain activity in a non-invasive way.

Unlike other sleep tracking devices that require you to wear the device overnight, you only need to wear the URGONight for a period of 20 minutes, sometime during the day. Then, in the connected smartphone app, you can see a visual representation of your brainwave activity and receive recommendations for how to improve the quality of your sleep. As you start working through the recommendations, you can also track your progress in the app.

Currently, URGONight is available by waitlist only.

Muse S is the latest offering from Muse, the makers of the Original Muse and Muse 2 biofeedback headbands. The Muse S is an improvement on the Muse 2 headband, with double the battery life (10 hours vs. 5 hours), multiple sleep-focused features and soundscapes, and a 1-year subscription for Muse’s guided meditation content, which includes over 300 meditations.

The cloth-covered headband is comfortable and can be worn anytime during the day or night. Inside, a built-in EEG, PPG, accelerometer, and gyroscope monitor your brainwaves, heart rate, and more.

Whenever you wear the device, Muse S provides biofeedback in real time based on your brain activity, heart rate, breathing, and movements to offer ways to adjust your posture, focus, and thoughts for less stress, better performance, and more restful sleep. Because the Muse S sensors are always on, it can help you return to your meditation in real-time, bringing you back from your distractions.

The pre-sleep training, for example, offers guided meditations that walk you through breathing exercises and relaxation techniques, all while playing ambient sounds that help induce sleep. Voice guidance reminds you to refocus if the headband senses you’re feeling stressed or distracted.

The headband is made from a soft, washable fabric, and the device can be folded up to fit into a small bag or purse for travel. The Muse S is also configured to work with multiple users.

The Dreem 2 is a wearable sleep tracking headband that uses six EEG sensors, a pulse oximeter, accelerometer, and sonometer to measure the quality of your sleep.

Many fitness wearables rely only on an accelerometer to track your sleep. Because the Dreem 2 also has multiple EEG sensors, it’s able to measure your brainwaves and provide significantly more accurate information regarding the quality and duration of each sleep stage.

With the Smart Alarm feature, Dreem 2 uses the data provided by the accelerometer and EEG sensors to determine your sleep stage and wake you up during light sleep, so you can wake up more well-rested.

The headband itself is made from soft fabrics and foam, so it’s lightweight and comfortable enough to wear while you sleep. The Dreem 2 also includes access to their 24/7 customer service support and live sleep experts, along with personalized coaching programs and weekly sleep analytics. You can view all of this through the connected smartphone app, available on App Store and Google Play.

Each Dreem 2 includes the headband and a charging dock. The headband fits best on heads with a circumference between 20 and 24 inches, and comes with small, medium, and large adjusters. Dreem 2 is registered as an FDA Class II Medical Device and is both FSA- and HSA-eligible. Free shipping and financing are available.

Kokoon Headphones have both EEG and motion sensors. As a result, these smart headphones can monitor how quickly different audio helps you fall asleep, and how effectively it helps you stay asleep.

To start, you simply put on the headphones and select an audio option. Built-in sensors monitor you to observe when you fall asleep, and adjust the audio accordingly so you don’t wake up. Over time, Kokoon observes what audio helps you fall asleep best and customizes your sleep experience to provide more of it.

In the Kokoon Relax mobile app, you can see which soundscapes were most helpful for you, along with detailed metrics for your sleep, including duration and how much time you spent in REM, light, and deep sleep.

The Kokoon Headphones are both stylish and comfortable. Available in black and grey, the earcups are made from soft silicone to mold to your head for maximum comfort. They’re also ventilated to ensure good airflow. The fabric coverings can be removed and machine washed.

Each box of Kokoon Headphones includes a pair of the headphones and an eye mask in a premium carry case. You can also purchase two pairs of Kokoon Headphones through the “couple’s package” for 20% off.

The SmartSleep Deep Sleep Headband, by Philips, was specifically designed to help people who sleep fewer than 6 hours per night improve their sleep and energy. Considering that sleep deprivation affects at least a third of Americans, according to the CDC, that’s a lot of people who could benefit from this technology.

The Deep Sleep Headband is meant to be worn while you sleep. It’s made from soft fabric with a flexible fit, so it should feel comfortable. You place an additional sensor sticker behind your right ear to enable the sleep monitoring.

While you sleep, sensors on the headband monitor your sleep cycles to detect when you are in deep sleep. Then, the headband produces quiet audio tones engineered to improve deep sleep. The Deep Sleep Headband relies on an algorithm to tailor the timing and volume of the audio to your personal sleep pattern.

In the SleepMapper mobile app, available on App Store and Google Play, you can view detailed metrics for your previous night’s sleep, along with trends to see how your sleep is improving over time.

The recently announced Hatch Restore is currently available by waitlist only. Made by Hatch, the makers of the Rest+ and Rest combination sound machines/sleep lights for babies and children, Hatch Restore brings the same technology to life for adults.

Hatch Restore is a smart light and ambient sound machine designed to help you enjoy better sleep. With Hatch Restore, owners can create personal sleep routines. The light then adjusts its light levels according to your daily routine, using more blue light during times of wakefulness and introducing more reds as you wind down for sleep. The connected smartphone app will also notify you when it’s time for bed, and check in with you in the morning to see how well you slept.

Hatch Restore has several different light modes to assist with various bedtime activities, such as reading, yoga, or meditation. It also has different exercises built-in to the sound machine, like a guided sleep meditation and breathing routine.

Owners can also use the “sunrise alarm” feature, which slowly fills your bedroom with light to wake you up gradually. Hatch Restore also includes several sleep sounds, like forest or rain, for those who sleep better with white noise.

Like all Hatch products, Hatch Restore ships free. It comes with a 60-night sleep trial and 1-year warranty.

Dodow is a surprisingly simple sleep aid device that guides owners through a deep breathing exercise, designed to slow down their heart rate and help them fall asleep.

When you turn it on, a calming circle of blue light is projected onto your ceiling. As it expands and shrinks, owners are instructed to breathe in sync with its movements. Over the course of eight minutes, their breathing slows down to six breaths per minute, until their exhalations are longer than inhalations.

Deep breathing exercises like these are one recommended technique for people with insomnia. The brilliance of Dodow is that it makes this process easy. It can be challenging to focus on your breathing and inhale and exhale to the exact right rhythm, but with a light to guide you, all you have to do is follow along.

Dodow includes two modes, and shuts off once the exercise is complete. You tap it once to start the 8-minute mode, and twice to begin the 20-minute mode. The device itself has a thin profile and 3.5-inch diameter, so it fits easily on your nightstand. Three AAA batteries are included. Dodow is backed by a 100-night sleep trial.

The Somnox Sleep Robot is the world’s first sleep robot, designed to help you fall asleep faster and sleep longer. This small robot can either be held like a pillow or simply lie next to you in bed. It has a small enough shape and ergonomic design that makes it feel like sleeping with a stuffed animal.

Setting up Somnox is easy. You set your preferences in the smartphone app and choose your preferred audio and sleep timer setting. Then Somnox takes care of the rest.

First, Somnox adapts to your breathing. Then, it gradually slows down, encouraging your own breathing to do the same. Meanwhile, the Somnox plays bedtime audio to help you further relax, with options like lullabies, guided meditation, white noise, and even audio books (an unique offering among sleep audio tech).

Because the Somnox Sleep Robot is Bluetooth-enabled, there’s no wires or anything taking up space in your bed. Somnox can also be used during the day to help you unwind and relax, whether you are taking a nap or meditating. It can also play white noise to help you focus while reading.

The robot itself is made from soft foam with a plush cotton cover that’s machine washable. Somnox backs the robot with a 30-day trial and 2-year warranty.

Any parent knows they can only sleep as well as their baby can. The mamaRoo sleep bassinet by 4moms offers parents a way to help their baby fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, so parents can get better sleep, too.

The mamaRoo sleep bassinet mimics five common motions that help babies fall asleep, including car ride, wave, kangaroo, tree swing, and rock-a-bye. Additionally, parents can choose among a vibration setting, five speed options, and four white noise sounds (rain, ocean, fan, and shushing) to create the optimal sleep-inducing movement for their baby.

The mamaRoo sleep bassinet is Bluetooth enabled, so all features can be controlled via the 4moms smartphone app, where parents can also use timers to establish bedtime routines for their baby. There is a basket on the bottom, which makes for convenient storage of diapers and baby wipes.

The mamaRoo sleep bassinet is designed for use with babies from birth until they reach 25 pounds, or can push up on their hands or knees. The bassinet has mesh sides and an adjustable height setting, so parents can easily see their baby. It also has a firm, flat sleep surface as per the AAP’s Safe Sleep Guidelines. The sheets are machine washable, and everything else can be spot cleaned.

Modern baby monitors have advanced in technology, and many now include wearables to help monitor a baby’s breathing. However, some parents are concerned about the discomfort their baby may experience, as well as the safety, of having them wear some sort of tracking device while they sleep.

The Nanit Sleeping Bag addresses these concerns. Designed to work with the Nanit Plus nursery camera, this “sleeping bag” monitors your baby’s breathing without the need for any sensors in their crib or on their body. The bag resembles a dress or tunic but without an opening at the bottom (but still ample room for their legs and hips to move). This innovative design both soothes your baby to sleep, while also helping transition them away from swaddling.

The Nanit Sleeping Bag has a banded area on top that has a patterned design. The Nanit Plus camera reads this pattern in order to monitor your baby’s breathing motion and provide you with alerts through the smartphone app.

The Nanit Sleeping Bag is designed to be worn over your baby’s regular sleepwear. It is available in three sizes: Small (3-6 months), Medium (6-12 months), and Large (12-24 months). Made from 100% cotton, the Sleeping Bag can be machine washed and dried. It also has two-way zippers so you can change your baby’s diaper without removing the bag entirely.