Beddit Smart Review

The Beddit Smart 2.0 is a product that was created in joint venture between 2 different entities: Misfit wearable’s and Vitelmed labs. They had the help of Dr. Markky Partinen, a pioneer in sleep research. The Beddit Smart 2.0 uses a reading system called ballisto-cadiogrpahy. Ballistocradiography or BCG is a technique that utilizes a sensor to read repetitive motions of the human body. Basically, the Beddit works by monitoring the sudden ejection of blood into the vessels of the heart. This allows for a more accurate sleep monitor than an accelerometer. Misift claims that over 2 years of sleep trials have gone into the making of the Beddit smart. Needless to say, the Beddit sleep monitor is a device backed by solid scientific research. Read on to see our Misfit Beddit review.

Looks & Functionality

The Beddit is a small plastic sensor strip that has double sided tape on the back of it. It lays flat under your sheet at chest level and you sleep on top of it. The end of the strip has a flat rectangular square that houses the main sensor. There is a power cord on it that ends in a USB interface, so it can be powered using a wall socket or a pc. This is ideal, since the Beddit has to be connected to iOS or android phone to ensure accurate feedback. There is no internal battery, the device is wall powered only. The idea is that the plug end hangs over the side of the mattress so it is out of the way during sleeping hours.

The device is very thin and when I slept on it was hardly noticeable. That said, I found the strip is a little on the short side – maybe about 25 inches or so. The manufacturer claims you do not have to be sleeping directly on the device for it to continue taking measurements but during my testing I noticed that sleeping half off of the sensor affected the accuracy somewhat. I feel that this is a device that is better suited to a twin or full size bed. If you have a large bed this may not be the most ideal device if you move around a lot.

Additionally, you should opt for thin sheets if you plan to use this device long term. I tried the device with thick flannel sheets and I noticed a dip in accuracy.

App

When the Beddit first launched, there was no standalone app, the device utilized Misfits activity tracker app. The downside to this was that the app only had iOS support, was more geared toward its fitness tracking features, and lacked detailed sleep tracking metrics. To remedy this, Misfit created a new program in July and now the Beddit has its own dedicated app which is a welcome change.

The Beddit app is much more streamlined – simply download it, fill out a few questions about your sleeping habits, sync you phone with the device and your good to go. The app and sensor will read your heart rate and pulse and will be able to determine when you fall asleep.

The app has a clean interface and is easy to navigate. There is a sleep button that you tap to start the monitoring. The initial screen shows week days at the top that are filled with a orange dots and beneath that your current sleep score for the most recent day. The larger the orange dot the better your sleep score was for that day. When you select a dot you will be taken to a separate screen that shows that days data.

The Beddit uses a number of factors to calculate your sleep score, such as: heart rate, total sleep time, “efficiency”, and breathing patterns. Underneath your sleep score the app will display positive or negative comments depending on how well you slept for the night. You will also get a daily tip that is supposed to be based off of the above factors. You can also see a detailed graph of your sleep activity throughout the night.

The graph is pretty in depth and will give you a color coded breakdown of your night’s sleep. You will be able to see sleep efficiency, awake time, total sleep time, the time it took to fall asleep, how many times you woke up or got out of bed, and snoring.

Smart Alarm

The Beddit also has smart alarm system that is supposed to wake you at a time when you’re at your “optimal rest”. Basically what this means is that when you set the alarm the device will wake you sometimes between 5-30 minutes before the set time. The idea behind this being that you are in a lighter state of sleep during certain periods, which is a more optimal time to wake up. In theory this sounds great, but in my tests I noticed no real difference if I woke up at 7:40 am instead of 8:00 am or vice versa.

Accuracy

The device will give you a read out of your sleep patterns. However, the Beddit does not differentiate between REM sleep or normal sleep. While more advanced sleep trackers can give you a 3-5 stage breakdown of your various sleep levels, the Beddit only gives a generalization. This is a simplification and actually works to the devices benefit, since most people are looking for such a level of detail when it comes to tracking sleep.

Versions

Beddit has released 2 versions of the device: Beddit classic and Beddit Smart. The Beddit Smart does all of the same things as the classic with the exception of “smart monitoring”, hence the name. Smart monitoring is Misfits term for device free measuring. What this means is that the Beddit Smart doesn’t need to be paired with a phone to measure sleep data. The differences are comparatively minor but you will pay about $50 more for the Beddit Smart.

Conclusion

The sleep tracking industry is still in its infancy, but it is growing rapidly each year. There are many devices that promise to improve your sleep efficiency, and I can say the Beddit sleep tracker is one of them. While it has a fairly basic device, the details it provides you will are adequate enough to at least set you on the right track to improving your sleep efficiency. Thanks to its included BCG sensor, the device is a step above a fitness tracker or smart watch, at least when it comes to accuracy.

For the most part, the Beddit delivers where it counts. It is small and unobtrusive, and he will give you the data necessary to see where your sleep needs improvement. As a dedicate sleep tracker, the device is fairly impressive and will help you improve your sleep.

​Want to learn more about sleep tracking? Click here for our detailed guide.