Mattress-in-a-box services started as a way to take confusion and complexity out of buying a bed. Sites like Leesa and Casper sell a single type of mattress they say is universally comfortable. There are currently lots of places that will sell you a foam mattress for about $1,000, and Sleep Number took notice.
The It Bed goes on sale September 19, and for $1,099 you get a queen-sized bed. Sleep Number is hoping to differentiate the It Bed from the competition by fousing on its air chambers that adjust its firmness level and the embedded sensors that keep track of your sleep.
Like many mattresses that get delivered to your doorstep, the It Bed is rolled up and compressed when it arrives. Leave it to puff up for about 15 minutes, and then you’ll need to plug it in. You set up the SleepIQ app, and hop into bed (provided it’s nighttime). The mattress’s biometric sensor will keep tabs on your heart and breathing rates, as well as your motion.
“The algorithm takes into account your specific data, so your total time in bed and your biometric data, and compiles the SleepIQ for you,” Kelley Parker, senior brand product manager at Sleep Number, told Digital Trends. “As we get to know you and your habits over time — so, for example, what time you go to bed each day, what time you get up each morning, what your average heart rate is, your average breath rate — we start to compile that information against your trend and optimize what your SleepIQ score is.”
That information can allow the app to suggest what time it’s best for you to hit the sack each night. The app also integrates with Fitbit, Withings Health Mate, MapMyRun, and Nest. If longer runs help you sleep better, that information will become part of your SleepIQ. Having the room set to 70 degrees Fahrenheit might give you a more restful night than when it’s 72, so Sleep Number’s app could suggest you turn your Nest thermostat down.
Sleep Number hints that it wants to forge more partnerships, so don’t be surprised if you one day get a notice that consuming large quantities of pizza right before bed doesn’t exactly give you the best rest.