What is an adjustable smart bed and should you buy one in the Labor Day sales?

Standard adjustable beds provide multiple sleep positions to reduce snoring and ease aches and pains. Adjustable smart beds take it one step further, monitoring your sleep overnight and responding to any changes in positioning to ensure you’re comfortable and supported all night long.

To ensure you get all the comfort, pressure relief, and support you need, adjustable smart beds can typically be used with standard mattresses — including many of the picks in this year’s best mattress guide.

The Labor Day mattress sales are a chance to save on your entire sleep setup, and that includes adjustable smart beds. In this guide, we’ll take a close look at just what an adjustable smart base is, how it can benefit your sleep, and the deals to shop this Labor Day.

Today’s top deals on popular mattresses

3 adjustable smart beds to shop this Labor Day

What is an adjustable smart bed?

• Adjustable beds feature movable sections that can be raised and lowered
• Additional features include massage mode and feet warming
• Smart beds also contain sleep tracking and automatic adjustments

While a standard bed base has a flat surface, adjustable bed bases can be raised or lowered in certain areas. Simple adjustable bed bases feature either head or foot elevation, while more complex bases have both leg and head adjustments. Some, such as the Tempur-Ergo, also feature changeable lumbar support. And premium models can also include massage modes — and even temperature control.

An adjustable smart bed takes things one step further. Smart bases feature integrated sleep tracking, allowing the bed to respond to your sleep style to maintain comfort all night. Many smart bases track movement and make adjustments based on your positioning and whether or not you’re snoring. For example, if you move from your side to your back, the bed might increase elevation to keep the spine at a neutral angle.

What are the benefits of an adjustable smart bed?

• Head elevation can help reduce snoring and indigestion
• Zero gravity positioning can soothe back and joint pain
• Integrated sleep tracking can make adjustments as you sleep

Lying completely flat isn’t always ideal for your spine, which is why adjustable bed bases are often benefit those with back pain. Raising the head and shoulders can help reduce pressure on the spine, but for the best comfort, consider a bed with zero gravity positioning. This neutral position holds the lumbar region in alignment to ease back pain and joint pain.

Adjustable beds can also help stop snoring, as raising the head opens the airways for easier breathing. This elevation is also helpful for those who suffer from heartburn and reflux, helping food digest if you finished your evening meal just before heading to bed. 

With a smart bed, a lot of these adjustments happen automatically. So if you’re a restless sleeper, the bed can change throughout the night to ensure you never lose the necessary support. And if you start snoring around 3am, the base will gently raise to ease your breathing and cut down the noise.

As integrated sleep trackers are monitoring your rest, smart bases also act as sleep trackers. This can help those struggling with sleep deprivation figure out just what’s going on with their rest. 

How much does an adjustable smart bed cost?

• Adjustable bed bases are often more expensive than standard bases
• Adjustable smart beds are typically a premium buy
• Some smart beds also require a subscription

Adjustable bed bases are, in general, mid-range to premium buys. For a non-smart adjustable base, you can expect to pay around $700 for a queen. There are cheaper options available, but these might lack the range of smooth movements you’d expect from a pricier model.

The best smart beds and mattresses are at the cutting-edge of sleep technology, and you typically have to pay a high price for this innovation. For a queen size adjustable smart bed you can expect to pay around $1,200, with the price increasing depending on the number of features included. The most advanced smart beds can cost upwards of $2,200. 

Some adjustable smart beds also require a subscription service. This will typically cost a few dollars a month and will give you access to the overnight sleep tracking. The subscription is often a fraction of the overall cost, but worth factoring into your budget.

Is Labor Day a good time to buy an adjustable smart bed base?

• Labor Day is one of the biggest mattress sales of the year
• Bundle deals often have the largest discount
• Saving can range from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand

Labor Day is one of the biggest bed sales of the year. The discounts are often comparable to Memorial Day, and in some cases you can also enjoy a Black Friday level saving. These discounts are often focused on mattresses, but it is possible to save on a bed base as well.

Sitewide discounts are a good way to save on an adjustable smart bed, as they offer money off everything in the store. Look for bundle deals as well — these combine a mattress with a bed frame and can save money on your entire bed setup.

Many smart bed brands don’t offer the evergreen discounts you might see from other sleep specialists, so Labor Day can be a rare chance for a deal. For example, the Eight Sleep Labor Day sale is a significantly bigger discount than the standard deal.

Should you buy an adjustable smart bed?

Buy an adjustable smart bed if…

✅ You’re a restless sleeper who wakes up with pains: Enhance your coziness and reduce aches and pains with the elevation of an adjustable bed. And if you add smart capability, you can maintain your comfort all night long without disruption.

✅ Your snoring is disturbing your partner: (Or vice versa). Adjustable smart beds can reduce snoring by raising the head as you sleep, opening the airways for easier and quieter breathing.

✅ You want to learn more about your sleep: Waking up tired and not sure why? An adjustable smart bed with integrated tracking can help you find out what’s happening overnight — and offer ways to fix any sleep problems.

Don’t buy an adjustable smart bed if…

❌ You have an incompatible mattress: Not all mattresses are compatible with adjustable beds, unfortunately (although most are). That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest in an adjustable smart base, just make sure you buy a mattress to match.

❌ You want a choice of designs: Adjustable smart bed bases typically aren’t available in the variety of aesthetic finishes you can expect to find from a none adjustable bed. This is gradually changing, but be aware you might not find a base to match your style preferences.

❌ You’re on a tight budget: Innovative adjustable smart beds are typically high priced. If you’re looking to save, consider a non-smart adjustable bed. it won’t respond to your sleep, but it’s still a good way to target common sleep issues.