Should You Get a Pair of Sleep Headphones?

If you want the ease of aneye maskand sleep headphones combined into one product, the Snoozeband Silk has speakers on either side of the band, which you can position over your ears. This took some finagling for me to get right; you can either scooch the speakers through the fabric from the exterior or unzip the top of the eye mask and stick your fingers into the mask to move them a bit. Both are a little awkward, but after a little trial and error, I got them situated.

The sleep mask itself is comfortable — it’s plush and the silk makes it soft and smooth against your skin. You can adjust the size with a Velcro strap in the back, which helps keep the speakers in place. Controlling it is extremely simple overall: The mask itself has an on/off/pairing button, and then two volume controls. It’s also rechargeable and comes with a USB-A to USB-C charger; according to the brand, it has a 20-hour battery life.

Because the audio is coming from small speakers over your ears, it’s not as high quality as a regular earbud or headphone would be. But for me, the sound was decent enough for sleeping. You also don’t get as much noise blocking with the Snoozeband as you do with some of the sleep earbuds I tried (more on those below). But since nothing is sticking into your ear, the Snoozeband is an extremely comfortable option for side sleeping, especially.

The main drawbacks are that it is a little finicky to get the speakers in the right position, that the mask itself is somewhat bulky, and that while it’s a two-for-one, I don’t have the option to usejustsleep headphones without also using an eye mask. But if you use both regularly, the Snoozeband is a nice combo without too many bells and whistles.

The Back Bay SilkSound sleep mask is the same idea as the Snoozeband Silk, but the mask is smaller and a bit less bulky. Because there is less material, I found it easier to get the speakers positioned correctly over my ears, as compared to the Snoozeband Silk. The audio quality is once again a bit tinny, but it’s clear enough for nighttime use. The controls on the mask are similarly simple, with one button serving as an on/off and pause/play button. Two additional buttons control volume.

The mask has an elastic strap on the back that you can adjust to get a secure fit. Compared to the Snoozeband Silk’s Velcro, I preferred the elastic strap because it has some stretch as well as a slimmer profile — the whole mask is less bulky than the Snoozeband, which I appreciated. I used this mask to listen to an audiobook when I was stuck in bed with a migraine earlier this year, and it was perfect for blocking light while enjoying my audio.

Like the Snoozeband Silk, this mask limits you to listeningonlywith a sleep mask over your eyes. But because I found the adjustment for size and speakers easier, and because it’s less expensive, I ultimately liked it better out of the two headphones-plus-a-sleep-mask combos I tried.

The Acoustic Sheep SleepPhones are similar to the products above, except that it’s a headband with no eye mask. It uses the same speakers-over-the-ears concept with a removable control panel at the back of the headband. I was worried initially that having a large, hard panel at the back of my neck would be uncomfortable, but I ended up not feeling it at all — even when lying on my back. Like the two sleep-mask styles above, the SleepPhones’s audio quality is lower than you’d expect from a pair of earbuds, but it’s not bad.

It was pretty easy to move the speakers into the right spot in the headband to rest over my ears, and the headband itself is pretty comfortable — it’s made from a stretchy polyester-spandex blend and it’s thin enough that it doesn’t feel very obtrusive (there is also a fleece option). The headband comes in three sizes: small, medium, or large. I tested the medium, which fit snugly. I’d be curious to try the large, as sometimes the medium felt a littletootight, but the secure fit also kept the SleepPhones in place while I was sleeping.

The SleepPhones have a 24-hour battery life, according to the brand, and come with a charger that plugs into the control panel in the back of the headband. You have to disconnect the control panel from the cord in the headband and plug it into the charger to charge. It feels a little rinky-dink but isn’t difficult.

All in all, I think the SleepPhones are a great option for people who don’t want an eye mask or who don’t want a true earbud — those who sleep on their side, have sensitive ears, or simply prefer not to sleep with something in their ears. While I wouldn’t pick the SleepPhones over my AirPods for daily listening, I could see using them for meditation, yoga, or other light workouts. They do seem expensive for what you get, though, especially considering there are dozens of knock-off versions on Amazon for $30 or less. (We’ve even recommended a few of these in the past, like theLC-dolida Sleep Headphonesand thePerytong Sleep Headphones.) However, the SleepPhones do promise a longer battery life, on average, than the less-expensive options. They are also made in the USA.

The Ozlo Sleepbuds are earbuds specifically designed for sleep (and beloved by celebrities likeSusan OrleanandLena Dunham). The brand just launched a new version, whichI reviewed in detailand liked overall. The top line is that they are extremely comfortable to sleep in and have some nifty features, but they’re also expensive and a little buggy.

The Ozlo Sleepbuds are primarily controlled by an app, where you can browse a library of sleep sounds, schedule in-ear alarms, and otherwise choose the exact settings for your nighttime listening. Being able to listen from both Ozlo’s sound library and my own streaming audio is one of the top selling points of these earbuds for me — particularly because with the Sensing setting I was able to listen to a podcast while falling asleep and the Sleepbuds would switch over to a calming sleep sound when they detected that I fell asleep. You can also set a timer in the app so that all audio cuts out after a certain period of time.

However, not every setting worked as expected — I was unable to play anything from Spotify when using the Simple setting, for example — and there are some slightly awkward aspects of the user experience, like having to wait for the earbuds to connect to the app before being able to do anything in it. There is also a sleep-tracking function, which didn’t seem entirely reliable based on the all-over-the-place estimates it gave for how long I slept each night (ranging from just an hour to over 13 in one night).

Still, I ultimately liked the Ozlo Sleepbuds quite a bit. They sound good, stay in my ears, and are comfortable to sleep in, even on my side. Compared to the original model, the battery life in the new version is longer (about 14 hours) and I think the audio quality has improved too. While not quite as good as my AirPods, it’s definitely better than any of the three options above. They are definitely expensive, but while they are mainly intended for use while sleeping, you can also use the Sleepbuds like regular earbuds if you don’t want to buy two separate pairs of headphones.

The NextSense Smartbuds are pretty similar to the Ozlo Sleepbuds. They are primarily controlled by an app with lots of setting options. The main difference is that the NextSense Smartbuds are advertised as using EEG sensors to detect your brainwaves to create personalized sounds while you sleep (or focus, if you use them during the day use). Like the Ozlo Sleepbuds, you can also use the Smartbuds to listen to audio from streaming apps like Spotify or Apple Music, as you would with any other earbuds.

In the app, you can choose from four types of sessions: Sleep, Focus, Meditate, and Nap. When you start a Sleep session, you have the option to start with a guided meditation that plays over your preferred sleep sound or external audio (you can also turn off the meditation but keep the sleep sound). You can also set an in-ear wake-up alarm within your sleep session. The Nap mode is similar, but instead of an alarm, you can set a timer for when the audio ends. The Meditate mode takes you through a guided meditation. You can also set a timer or play external audio during Meditate mode. And in the Focus mode, you can set a timer for how long you want to focus, choosing from a range of audio intended to help you concentrate, and even block select websites and apps through the NextSense app to help prevent you from getting distracted. At the end of each type of session, you get some data about how you slept, meditated, or focused.

The earbuds themselves are outfitted with silicone tips and wings that NextSense says help conduct your brain signals to the earbuds’ electrodes. Your Smartbuds come with three sizes of wings and tips so that you can get a secure but comfortable fit. One difference between the NextSense Smartbuds and the other sleep earbuds that I tried is that you apparently have to periodically replace the wings and tips to ensure the Smartbuds are accurately sensing your brain waves. The app will let you know when you need to replace them, which is handy. But all in all, it’s an extra cost on top of already-expensive earbuds. Additionally, even with the multiple wing- and tip-size options, the SmartBuds were the least-comfortable earbuds I tried. I felt noticeable pressure in my ears while sleeping with these, and relief when I took them out. I have pretty small ears, so that may not be an issue for everyone, but I wouldn’t rank the Smartbuds as a top pick for side sleepers.

Overall, these earbuds work well and have lots of fancy features and data tracking that may appeal to some people. For me, it’s more than I really need from a sleep earbud. But if you are interested in the personalized sound options, as well as the Focus and Meditate modes, they are worth a look.

I included the Soundcore A30 Sleep earbuds in my guide to theBest Earplugs for Sleeping, naming them the best sleep earbud, and after testing so many other options, they are still my favorite. The Soundcore A30 earbuds have much in common with the Ozlo Sleepbuds and the NextSense Smartbuds, but what really makes them stand out is the lower price and the comfortable fit of the earbuds themselves. The A30s are $70 to $100 cheaper than the Ozlo and NextSense earbuds, respectively. And the earbuds have the smallest, least obtrusive design of all three. I particularly like the wing tips on the Soundcore earbuds; they are so soft and squishy, adding a pleasant cushion between the already-small earbuds and my ears. Soundcore provides three sizes of wing tips, as well as multiple sizes of memory foam and silicone ear tips, so you can customize your fit.

Like the other two earbuds, the A30s are largely controlled through an app. You can also change some settings (like volume or switching modes) by tapping the earbuds themselves. Thanks to a partnership with meditation app Calm, the Soundcore app has an extensive audio library for sleep sounds, stories, and guided meditations. In the app, you can create a sleep routine of sounds to play as you go to bed and while you’re asleep and set an in-ear alarm to wake up. Other settings include active noise cancellation, snore masking, an auto-stop timer, and an option to auto switch from external audio to sleep sounds stored locally on the earbuds (so you don’t have to worry about losing your connection in the middle of the night).

The Soundcore A30s share some similar quirks to the Ozlos — such as having to connect the earbuds before you can use the app. Another potential annoyance is that you have to go into the app to switch from “local” mode to “Bluetooth” mode if you want to listen to external content, instead of audio locally downloaded to the earbuds. But it’s not the biggest hurdle if you’re primarily using these for sleep. And considering how much cheaper they are, I think they’re the best bet overall.