Sleep Number 360 i8 vs Air-Pedic 800 Beds

Comparing the Pros and Cons

Both Air-Pedic 800 and Sleep Number i8 beds offer customization for sleepers and couples, along with their own temperature balancing technologies.

The 360 i8 offers sleep tracking and temperature balancing technology, and is one of the softest in the collection. Sleepers of all kinds looking for a luxury bed get a bonus with the i8, which features SleepIQ technology that gets to know you and supports your sleep habits, evolving and changing with you as you need it to.

The Air-Pedic 800 is a great choice for couples and seniors alike in search of a Sleep Number alternative. Multi-zoned air chambers that allow separate lumbar support control is a luxurious feature that is sure to impress friends and family. Not only is their customer service fabulous, the optional AirFlow cooling system really works!

Sleep Number 360 i8 Adjustable Air Bed

Best Mattress For

If you’re a couple just getting into the concept of dual-air technology, Sleep Number is a well known brand offering just that. They can benefit those who suffer from chronic pain or even snoring, since the bed tracks your movements and adjusts accordingly. Their comprehensive app can prove useful for those interested in tracking and improving their sleep habits at any given time.

Not Recommended For

If you’re a couple that likes to snuggle, you might not like the i8, as it’s said to have a rather obvious seam that can often lead to trenching in the middle. Since the air chambers are connected, this can lead to poor motion isolation, so if you or your spouse move around a lot in the night, this could lead to some interrupted sleep. Finally, if you’re a heavier weight sleeper, you may experience poor support in your middle section on the 360 i8.

Air-Pedic 800 Adjustable Air Bed

Best Mattress For

Couples looking to treat themselves to individually targeted comfort while sharing the same bed should love the Air-Pedic 800. It’s not only great for couples of all ages, but particularly older couples and those who suffer from chronic pain. If you sleep hot, you’ll be especially pleased with the optional airflow system, a well reviewed option on Select-a-Beds testimonial page. Lastly, if you’re concerned with off-gassing and material safety, Air-Pedic goes the extra mile to guarantee a safe product.

Not Recommended For

If you’re on a budget, then the Air-Pedic 800 likely isn’t for you, but that’s obvious. Despite being just slightly cheaper than the Sleep Number i8, depending on your options the 800 can cost you around the same price. Bed hogs who can’t help but take up most of the bed need not apply, as it turns the settings into a moot point. Ultimately, if you prefer a more traditional bed, definitely skip this future forward mattress that has its own app.

Side by Side Mattress Comparison

By now, you’re up to speed on both mattresses, but let’s go into depth about how each one feels. Always keep in mind that the firmness experience of a mattress is often subjective, and dependent on weight and body type.

The firmness of the Sleep Number 360 i8 arrives at a medium, around a 6 on a scale of 10, 10 being the most firm. Sleep Number uses a comfort scale from 1-100, the latter being the most firm, but the average Sleep Number owner ranges from 30-60 in firmness. The higher the number, the more the air chambers fill, increasing the firmness of the bed. With gel infused foam on the top comfort layer, it’s a nice option for those who prefer a medium-firm mattress with slight possible adjustments.

The Air-Pedic 800 has the same concept as the i8, and is also typically experienced as a medium-firm, featuring 89 settings that can be adjusted using the handheld remote or smartphone app. What makes the Air-Pedic 800 special is the ability to change the overall comfort settings in three different zones for the best spinal alignment possible. Its dense construction and zoned air chambers create a firmness that most should experience as the Goldilocks of beds: just right.

While both mattresses do approximately the same thing, the Air-Pedic 800 offers individual adjustments in the neck, hips and legs section, making it more suitable for heavier weight sleepers. If you sleep hot, the gel-infused foam on the Sleep Number 360 i8 might not cool you off enough, but the airflow system offered by Air-Pedic has an excellent reputation among hot sleepers.

The Best Mattress Reviews

At their best, the Sleep Number 360 i8 and Air-Pedic 800 are both described as cloud-like, with the perfect amount of support and room for adjustment. The innovative technology has the power to reduce and relieve pain exactly where you need it, especially on the Air-Pedic 800. Owners of the 360 i8 particularly enjoy tracking their sleep habits on the app, and owners of the Air-Pedic 800 love to brag about the cooling airflow system.

The Worst Mattress Reviews

While complaints about the Air-Pedic 800 are hard to find, complaints about the sleep number i8 smart bed include: poor motion isolation, poor temperature control, faulty firmware, poor edge support, molding in the hose, and trenching in the middle. At their worst, beds like these are described as glorified air mattresses. Depending on your wifi strength, you may have some trouble with the app connection. Owners of the Sleep Number 360 i8 have had to shell out extra cash to deal with faulty parts not covered by the warranty, though it doesn’t look like the Air-Pedic 800 has the same problems by any means. It seems the worst problem Select-a-Bed customers had was waiting for their Air-Pedic during the pandemic.

Comparing Trial Period & Mattress Warranty

Finally, you might be wondering how long you can try these mattresses out for, and what to do if you need to return them. The Sleep Number 360 i8 and Air-Pedic 800 have several major differences in their trial period and warranty terms you should be aware of prior to purchase.

Sleep Number Warranty

Sleep Number offers a 1 year full warranty with a 100 night trial period followed by a 15 year limited warranty, and covers defects in material or craftsmanship despite normal use.

The warranty is available exclusively in the United States, and covers an ownership transfer within the 1 year period. The full warranty only applies to the original owner, and you’ll be asked for verification details upon making a claim. There is a law label attached to all Smart Beds that you should not remove, as this may void your warranty altogether.

If you’re planning on making a claim with Sleep Number, keep in mind they don’t cover return shipping/delivery fees, and must authorize the return to begin with. The smart bed remote control, if purchased, is covered by a separate warranty, and the warranty doesn’t apply to the app technology at all. Lastly, if you’re caught using an inappropriate base or foundation, Sleep Number reserves the right to void your warranty completely.

Air-Pedic Warranty

Select-A-Bed offers a 30 year limited warranty for their Air-Pedic mattresses, with the first 3 years from date of purchase covered, and the rest prorated at an increasing percentage as the years go on.

Air-Pedic will cover the cost of shipping up to two years after the purchase date for orders within the United States, but the customer is responsible for shipping costs beyond that period.

Their warranty is valid through Air-Pedic only and applies to the original purchaser from the original purchase date, and cannot be transferred. The warranted product or component must be returned in sanitary condition to Air-Pedic, and they reserve the right to substitute products of equal or better quality in the repair or replacement. The mattress, foundation (if purchased from Select-a-Bed) and/or pump processor and hand control are warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for 30 years from the original purchase date.

As with most mattress manufactures, neither warranties cover physical abuse or damage such as burns, cuts, stains, tears or liquid damage. Since the owner is responsible for the use and maintenance, it’s important to take excellent care of your mattress to get the most out of it. Always go over your warranty before making a claim with customer service. Be sure to read the terms and conditions before the purchase of any mattress, and keep any receipts and records of purchase in a safe place at home.

Sleep Examiner’s Review Process

Here at Sleep Examiner, we consider ourselves expert reviewers of all things sleep. However, we believe that ten opinions are better than one, so we take on the task of opening twenty different browser tabs and digging deep so you don’t have to. We painstakingly comb through reviews on multiple sites for every mattress, pillow, and sleep accessory we can find – so you don’t get fooled by fake, biased, or limited points of view.

Using a combination of verified customer reviews, we put together in-depth research on the exact composition and materials used, as well as comparisons and ratings from expert sites. Once our research is concluded, our system automatically generates an overall performance score for each mattress based on the collected data in the following categories: Comfort, Back Support, Edge Support, Affordability, Cooling, Trial Period, Warranty and Customer Service. Learn more about our review process here.