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Oct 15, 2024

2 Sleep Headphones We Like | Reviews by Wirecutter

By Lauren Dragan Lauren Dragan writes about audio tech and OTC hearing aids. She has tested nearly 2,000 headphones and earbuds in her decade at Wirecutter. After a new round of testing, we have a new

By Lauren Dragan

Lauren Dragan writes about audio tech and OTC hearing aids. She has tested nearly 2,000 headphones and earbuds in her decade at Wirecutter.

After a new round of testing, we have a new top pick coming for people who want to block and mask sounds: the Soundcore Sleep A20. Check out What to look forward to for more details.

Unless you are a motionless back-sleeper, most earbuds and headphones are far too bulky to wear comfortably overnight. Even the smallest pair of true wireless earbuds can fall out, become lost, or cause other problems.

Sleep headphones are supposed to be the solution for people who want to block out sounds, fall asleep to music, or mask issues such as tinnitus—but when we set out to find the best sleep headphones, our dreams were dashed. Every pair we tested let us down in some way.

We still have recommendations to address specific needs, but you should be prepared to accept a number of compromises.

The headband-style SleepPhones come in different sizes and fabrics, and you can stream any audio to them wirelessly via Bluetooth. But they cost more than many similarly styled competitors.

These wireless earbuds physically block out noises and can play preloaded sounds or stream audio from your phone. They’re smaller than other wireless earbuds, but people with sensitive ears may find that side-sleeping with them is uncomfortable.

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Sleep headphones come in three styles: wireless earbuds, earmuffs, and headbands with speaker drivers inside. We tested all three.

A good design should fit most ear shapes and head sizes securely, and should not interfere with a good night’s sleep.

All sleep headphones must play audio for a full night of sleep. We set 10 hours as a minimum.

We tested pairs that effectively block noise, as well as those that allow noise awareness (which is excellent for caregivers).

The headband-style SleepPhones come in different sizes and fabrics, and you can stream any audio to them wirelessly via Bluetooth. But they cost more than many similarly styled competitors.

If you like to listen to music, watch video, or use a meditation app to help you drift off to sleep, the AcousticSheep SleepPhones Wireless set delivers the most reliable experience available. They’re the only headband-style sleep headphones we’ve found that offer headbands in different sizes and fabrics, so there’s a better chance they’ll fit you comfortably.

The flat, felt-covered speakers aren’t painful to lie on, and they produce better bass than the cheap alternatives do. You can stream audio wirelessly from any Bluetooth source (be it a smartphone, tablet, or TV), and the 24 hours of battery life means you’ll get a few nights of rest before needing to charge again. The Bluetooth module and speaker drivers are easier to remove than the pieces in competing models, which makes washing the headband less arduous.

However, the headband-style design could interfere with hair bonnets, dental headgear, or nighttime skin treatments, and folks hoping to block external noise—such as the loud snoring of a partner—may find that the cloth isn’t isolating enough. Plus, the $100 price tag may seem steep for headphones that you use only in bed.

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These wireless earbuds physically block out noises and can play preloaded sounds or stream audio from your phone. They’re smaller than other wireless earbuds, but people with sensitive ears may find that side-sleeping with them is uncomfortable.

May be out of stock

If you’re trying to rest next to a loudly snoring bedmate, near clamorously celebrating neighbors, or close to a construction site, the Anker Soundcore Sleep A10 earbuds physically isolate your ears from noise, and they can further mask disturbances by playing white noise and other sounds.

These diminutive earbuds are far thinner than most true wireless earbuds and stay in place securely, so you can roll over and not worry about losing one. However, they’re still earbuds, so this set isn’t for people with sensitive ears or those who dislike the feel of something in their ears.

The A10 set allows you to stream your own audio via Bluetooth, or you can preload your choice of soothing sounds from the Soundcore app. However, streaming your own playlist severely reduces the earbuds’ battery life, cutting it down from around 10 hours to as low as six hours. But there is an auto-sleep mode, which senses when you drift off and transitions to playing preloaded sounds.

The A10 pair has a built-in alarm, too, but it sounds like an old-school alarm clock and has no snooze button.

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I hold a bachelor’s degree in both music performance and audio production from Ithaca College, and I've tested more than 1,200 pairs of headphones while working for Wirecutter. My articles have been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, the Los Angeles Times, and Time, as well as on Good Morning America, the BBC World Service, and NBC Nightly News.

Senior staff writer Brent Butterworth performed the technical headphone measurements for this guide. He has been reviewing audio gear professionally since 1990, and is one of the extremely small number of audio journalists (maybe two or three total) who own laboratory-grade headphone test equipment.

Sleep headphones are for people who have difficulty falling or staying asleep and find that audio—be it white noise, music, or meditations—can help. Traditional earbuds and headphones are usually uncomfortable to lie on, and earbuds can fall out once you sink into your pillow. Sleep headphones are supposed to be soft enough to lie on all night (though many we tested were not), and when they fit properly, they should stay in place until morning.

Of course, headphones aren’t the only sleep-assistance option. If you live alone, or if you and the person you share a bedroom with enjoy the same tastes in listening material, a small speaker or a white noise machine could serve you just as well. If your aim is simply to block disruptive noises, earplugs are a far more economical choice. But for folks who find that earplugs aren’t sufficient, or who bunk with someone who isn’t into the same audiobook, TV, or ASMR bedtime habits, sleep headphones provide a way to drift off to your favorite media without disturbing others.

We measured 25 different sets of earplugs and sleep-tested the top contenders to find that Mack's Slim Fit Soft Foam Earplugs are the best for most people.

A white noise machine can mask irritating noises that make it hard to sleep or difficult to focus. The LectroFan EVO is the most effective option for the price.

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What people need to sleep comfortably is very personal, and someone might want to wear headphones while they’re sleeping for a number of reasons. Some folks want to fall asleep while listening to audio without disturbing a roommate or partner. For others, the goal is to muffle and mask disturbances. People with tinnitus may need a distraction from the irritating ringing in their ears that can prevent sleep altogether.

None of the sleep headphones we tested met all of our criteria. Each of them had at least one major flaw that kept us from wholeheartedly recommending it.

So, when we approached the idea of reviewing sleep headphones, we knew that we’d likely end up with several recommendations to address different situations. We created an ambitious list of the most important features necessary in a good pair of sleep headphones:

With all of the above criteria in mind, we called in every brand-name set of sleep headphones we could find and a selection of affordable but lesser-known options on Amazon. (And what we received proved to be quite interesting—check out the Competition section for more details.)

I tested each set for Bluetooth-connection reliability, fit, comfort, and sound quality. Wearing each pair, I tried lying in bed in various positions. To note audio quality and to check for delays caused by Bluetooth-signal latency, I listened to music and watched streaming video. For the headband-style models, I took the drivers and Bluetooth modules out of the headbands and put them back in again to gauge the difficulty of the process. And of course I tried sleeping in every pair.

As a final step, we sent the most palatable pairs to a Wirecutter staffer who has tinnitus to gain feedback on how well they performed in that situation.

Unfortunately, none of the sleep headphones we tested met all of our criteria. Each model had at least one major flaw that kept us from wholeheartedly recommending it: The headphones were uncomfortable or didn’t fit properly, were overpriced, were difficult to reassemble after cleaning, or produced distractions that might interfere with sleep—or many of the above. So we shifted our focus to finding useful choices for people based on specific needs, even if the choices were imperfect.

The headband-style SleepPhones come in different sizes and fabrics, and you can stream any audio to them wirelessly via Bluetooth. But they cost more than many similarly styled competitors.

Who it’s for: AcousticSheep’s SleepPhones Wireless sleep headphones are for the person who enjoys drifting off to the sound of their favorite sleep tunes, ASMR videos, or meditations, and who doesn’t want to disturb a partner or roommate. They’re ideal for people who can’t fall asleep in quiet rooms, as well as for those who don’t like the feeling of wearing earbuds while they’re trying to sleep.

Why we like it: This headband-style pair of sleep headphones has the most flexible and comfortable speaker design of all the headphones we tested. No matter how you lie on the SleepPhones, they won’t dig into your ears like many other models we tried.

Available in fluffy fleece or a lighter-weight, more breathable “breeze” fabric, the SleepPhones can work as a headband or sit over the eyes. (Folks who want total light blocking may prefer to use a separate sleep mask instead.) The fabrics are stretchy, and the headbands are available in small, medium, and large sizes—so no matter the circumference of your noggin, you should be able to find a fit that’s snug enough to stay in place but not brain-squeezing tight.

The electronics are removable, so you can easily machine-wash your headband or swap it out when it gets worn. We laundered our headband several times following the instructions, and it washed up perfectly. You can buy additional headbands separately for $20. The headbands feel better made than those of cheaper competitors, with thicker fabric, better stitching, and a Velcro closure rather than a non-sealable opening.

The speakers are color-coded so that you can easily put them back into the headband properly: The right speaker has red stitching, the left has green stitching, and the softer gray side of the speaker should face toward the ear. With other sleep headphones we tested, we had to guess which way to put the drivers back. Plus, AcousticSheep backs the SleepPhones with a one-year warranty, whereas most of the lower-priced competitors don’t even have a company website for you to contact someone if your headphones break.

The Bluetooth module provides raised controls for volume, track skip, play/pause, and power. Although the module resides under the headband fabric, the controls are relatively easy to use by feel. With my phone placed on the bedside table, I never had connection issues and could even walk a few rooms away to the bathroom with no problem.

AcousticSheep claims that the battery life of the SleepPhones Wireless pair is 24 hours for the latest version. (The older version was 12 hours, so make sure you're buying the new one.) Our testing yielded over 24 hours of playtime, but this can vary depending on your volume level and whether you play media all night long or just as you fall asleep.

A full charge from a dead battery takes around four hours, so if you want audio to play all night long, it’s best to plug in your SleepPhones every few days.

Overall, the sound quality was quite good in our tests, with decent clarity on high notes and no harshness or other cheap-sounding aspects to the low and high frequencies. These headphones had more bass response than the cheaper options we tried. The drivers actually played some low bass notes on hip-hop tracks, whereas the budget pairs reproduced only overtones. However, the SleepPhones are by no means bass-heavy and can’t reproduce the deep booms in movies (such as the resonant aspects of the infamous Inception “braaaaam”)—but given the headphones’ intended use, at bedtime, we’re willing to let this slide.

We found that all of our top models helped to mask tinnitus equally, provided they fit well and offered enough sound options. Our tester who has tinnitus liked that they were able to use the same tracks with the SleepPhones that they usually play through a small speaker.

Flaws that may be dealbreakers: The fabric headband isn’t as isolating as earbuds or the earcups on over-ear headphones, so sounds can get in and out. If you’re listening at max volume, someone in bed with you in a very quiet room may hear a buzz or the tizzy outline of what you’re listening to.

You can still hear some surrounding noise while wearing the SleepPhones, too, though that ability may be a perk for people who are concerned about hearing a child or pet, or someone who prefers auditory awareness for safety.

The headband design isn’t ideal for everyone. People who wear hair bonnets to bed, who use nighttime skin treatments that can harm fabric, who wear certain CPAP masks or headgear at night, or who tend to feel hot when sleeping might find that the thick headband just doesn’t fit into their routine. People who shift about in their sleep may find that the headband eventually slips out of place or falls off.

But the biggest drawback is that the SleepPhones design isn’t one that transitions well to daytime use, which may make it a lot harder to accept the $100 price tag. Although AcousticSheep says you can use the breeze-fabric headband for working out, we’d be hesitant to do so since the electronics aren’t rated for any moisture resistance, and sweat damage could void your pair’s warranty. Additionally, the SleepPhones lack a microphone, so if you want to take a call, you need your phone.

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These wireless earbuds physically block out noises and can play preloaded sounds or stream audio from your phone. They’re smaller than other wireless earbuds, but people with sensitive ears may find that side-sleeping with them is uncomfortable.

May be out of stock

Who it’s for: If you are desperate to block disruptive sounds so that you can sleep, the Anker Soundcore Sleep A10 earbuds can help. The earbuds’ isolating design blocks noise more effectively than headband-style sleep headphones can. That isolation, in combination with played sounds, can muffle snoring partners, boisterous barking dogs, or construction next door well enough for you to get some shut-eye. But people with sensitive ears and those who sleep on firm pillows may find the earbud design to be uncomfortable.

Why we like it: Some sleep-disrupting noises require more than just earplugs to ignore. Masking—or playing a constant, lulling sound that is in the same frequency range as the nuisance noise—can help. The Sleep A10 pair is designed for that purpose.

The sealed ear tips are double-layered to block external noise much as earplugs do. The thin earbud design is more comfortable to lie on than that of standard earbuds, and the included stability wings hold the earbuds in place even if you toss and turn. Simple tap-based controls reduce the risk of accidental playback changes, and the set can give you up to 10 hours’ worth of consistent sound.

The Sleep A10 set is not an active-noise-cancelling device. Active noise cancellation, while effective on sustained low-pitched sounds such as airplane noise, isn’t adept at reducing intermittent sounds like hammering or higher-pitched sounds like voices.

For best results, you should listen to something with a pitch similar to that of the noise you’re covering. The Soundcore app provides a library with dozens of different sounds that you can upload directly to the earbuds. One of our testers with tinnitus found a track in the same frequency range as their ringing, which helped make it less noticeable. The preloaded sound files loop infinitely, so once your chosen track begins, you don’t need to worry about anything interrupting your audio.

If the built-in sounds aren’t for you, the A10 set also can stream your favorite music/ASMR/meditation tracks via Bluetooth from your phone—but this function reduces its battery life. Running preloaded sounds, the Sleep A10 played for around 10 hours in our tests. If you stream music instead, you’ll probably get about six hours.

Another option is to start out streaming and transition to preloaded sounds when the A10 senses you’ve fallen asleep—doing this will provide you with somewhere around eight hours of battery life. The battery in the case holds seven additional charges and can fully power up the earbuds in two hours.

Each earbud is tiny (smaller than a Mentos mint) and far thinner than most true wireless earbuds that are made for daytime use. The pair comes with four sizes of tips and three sizes of stabilizing wings. However, the body of the earbuds is made of hard plastic, so people who don’t like the feeling of earbuds in their ears or who sleep on firm pillows could still find the pressure uncomfortable. To reduce thickness, the Sleep A10 set lacks microphones, so you must take the earbuds out to answer a call.

Because this set blocks sound so well, you likely won’t be able to hear an alarm clock. Fortunately, the earbuds offer their own alarm, which you can set via the app. But when you put the earbuds back in the case to charge them, the alarm is automatically canceled—so you have to reset it each time you take the earbuds out of the case.

If you happen to splash these earbuds with water, they’ll survive, as they are water resistant, with an IPX4 rating. Soundcore, which is owned by Anker, covers the Sleep A10 with a two-year warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Flaws that may be dealbreakers: Wearing the Sleep A10 earbuds isn’t as comfortable as wearing the softer AcousticSheep headband. Its effectiveness is mixed when it’s amplifying the alarm on a phone. With a Google Pixel phone, for example, our alarm tone played in the earbuds reliably, but at the same volume as our listening material—which may not be loud enough to wake heavy sleepers.

The tested performance on an iPhone was worse: The alarm played only from our phone, which definitely isn’t sufficient to wake someone up. The Sleep A10 set has a built-in alarm function that is effective but jarring—it sounds like an ’80s digital alarm clock that increases in volume, lacks a snooze button, and can be stopped only when you place the earbuds back in the case.

So if you are accustomed to waking gently with a custom tone or hitting the snooze button a few times, you’ll be out of luck with the Sleep A10 pair. Even a wake-up call may not be useful, as in our tests the same volume and playback issues occurred with ringtones. Hopefully, Soundcore can fix these issues with a firmware update. But until then, you may want to have a backup option such as donning a haptic smartwatch or asking a loved one to make sure you’re out of bed when you plan to be.

Another concern is that this pair’s isolation and masking are so good that people who need to be alerted to an emergency may not hear the alert. The Soundcore app has the option to turn off audio tracks after a certain amount of time, but if you have a snoring partner, this feature is less than ideal.

At the original price of $180, this pair is quite expensive for an earbuds set that can’t be used during the day. But there literally isn’t any other model available that does what the Sleep A10 pair does. Earplugs can reduce the sounds around you, but they also cause you to experience the occlusion effect, which amplifies every sound your body makes. And earplugs don’t completely cover very loud sounds, such as from snoring or a jackhammer. We recognize that some people may be desperate enough for some sleep that they’re willing to do anything to find relief, and for them, the Soundcore Sleep A10 set is a reasonable option.

Soundcore has introduced a follow-up to the Sleep A10. We’ve tested the new Sleep A20 and will be making it our pick for people who want to block and mask sounds. This set addresses some of the issues we had with the A10, and we like it because it’s so customizable. The tiny earbuds nestle comfortably in your ears and are held in place by puffy wings that add cushioning for side-sleepers. Three sizes of wings and seven sets of ear tips are included; four of the tips are traditional sealed tips, and three are perforated “breathable” tips.

The set has a 10-hour battery life when you’re streaming from your mobile device and 14 hours when playing preloaded sounds. We love the app’s ability to mix and match masking sounds to create your own unique soundscapes that can be preloaded onto the earbuds. The charging case provides around five full charges, so you’ll only need to be near an outlet every few days. There’s a built-in alarm, and as a bonus, the earbuds can track your sleep, although the data may not be as accurate as that of other devices.

Stay tuned for the full writeup.

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Testing for this guide reminded us why we generally don’t test things from smaller, unknown brands available on Amazon. Opening each set of budget sleep headphones we purchased was a bizarre experience. Although the headbands matched the photos displayed on Amazon, the brand names printed on the headphones often didn’t match what was on the box or what was on the purchase listing. One pair didn’t have any company information on the box, simply the generic term “Bluetooth Headband” emblazoned on the package. This might not seem relevant—except it means that you don’t know who to contact if something goes wrong.

Also, since we first published this guide in 2021, many of the budget sleep headbands we tested have already disappeared from Amazon.

1More Sleeping Earbuds Z30: These earbuds are similar in size and shape to the Soundcore Sleep A10, and 1More claims up to 32 hours of battery life. However, the Z30’s built-in sounds only played for a maximum of 3 hours—so any sound you’re trying to masking may wake you up as soon as the audio stops playing. The battery life is longer when you’re streaming via Bluetooth, but if you run the battery out, the low battery alert may wake you up. A firmware update “reduced the alert volume by 50%” but regardless, we’d prefer the earbuds to simply power off without waking us up by announcing their departure.

AcousticSheep SleepPhones Effortless: This pair performs nearly identically to the standard Wireless version but offers wireless charging capabilities. Unfortunately, the way you have to lay the SleepPhones Effortless on the charging pod is awkward, so it’s hard to know for certain that you’ve aligned it correctly, and the battery life is 10 hours versus the 12 hours of the newest Wireless edition. As a result, we don’t recommend paying the extra money for this feature.

Bonamour Sleep System: We had planned to test this system, but after reading lukewarm reviews by people who purchased it, as well as accusations of paid positive reviews on TrustPilot, we decided to pass. Not only do there appear to be notable durability and battery-life issues, but customer-service concerns, as well. We have reached out to Bonamour to investigate further, but for now we don’t recommend purchasing this pair.

EverPlus Sleep Headphones: This budget pair had a small headband that we thought might squeeze larger heads. The speakers were foam-covered pucks that were too hard and uncomfortable to lie on all night, and a bright light blinked annoyingly. The headphones lacked bass notes, too. Worth considering: No brand name appeared on the packaging, and the name “Enjoying” was embroidered on the label, so we aren’t sure that there is any customer service to contact should you have issues.

HoomBand: This headband-style set is similar in design to the SleepPhones and generally costs a little less. Overall, this is one of the better options we tested, but there are a few aspects to consider. The sound quality has slightly less detail compared to the SleepPhones but far better clarity than the budget options we tested. Battery life is only 10 hours, and the Bluetooth module is a chunky, cuboid rectangle with only play/pause capabilities. HoomBand thoughtfully cushioned the module (and speakers) with a foam lining, but back-sleepers with firm pillows may still feel the lump.

The headband’s foam is surprisingly breathable, but it holds in heat more than the AcousticSheep headbands. The HoomBand headband is stretchy and hand-washable, but the fabric is rather wide—about an inch wider than that of the SleepPhones. This broad design is comfortable but may not appeal to folks who wear sleep masks.

The HoomBand also offers you less choice in material and sizes; currently the headbands are available in only one color and two sizes, and HoomBand replacement/additional headbands are not yet available for sale. So if you want to have one headband in use while another is the wash, you’ll want to look at the SleepPhones instead. Although the foam adds structure and cushioning, getting it in and out of the headband is a little tricky.

Included with the headband purchase is access to HoomBand’s HoomPlay app, which currently offers around 50 pieces of sleep content ranging from bedtime stories to sound baths. For someone without an existing playlist, the app’s offerings (which HoomBand says is updated regularly) are a nice perk. The tracks range from 25 to 60 minutes and can be looped to play all night. That isn’t to say you are stuck with their content: Should you choose not to use the app, HoomBand headphones also stream other audio via Bluetooth.

Philips by Kokoon Nightbuds: This pair of sleep earbuds is packed with features, including sleep tracking, built-in white noise and meditations, and automatic music fade-out when the sensors detect you’re asleep. This pair also streams music via Bluetooth and has a sealed-earbud design to help block external noises. The silicone tips have stability wings attached to hold the earbuds securely in place as you move at night.

The downside is comfort. This pair isn’t ideal for back-sleepers, as the Bluetooth and volume-control module rests behind your head and connects to the earbuds via a wavy cable. You can lie on it, but it may affect streaming connectivity, and people with sensitive noggins (or who wear their hair back or in caps) might find the module (which is the size of a curved Pepperidge Farm Milano cookie) annoying.

The cable also is problematic, as the Nightbuds ship with a clear warning to not stretch the cable—which could easily happen if you snag it in your sleep. For side- and tummy-sleepers, the part of the cable that attaches to the earbuds smashes into the ear all night, and can become irritating.

Manta Sleep Mask Sound: This eye mask/headphone combo is based on a design we discuss in our guide to sleep masks. In that guide, we describe Manta’s mask as good “[if] you know you want to wear a sleep mask only when you’re sitting up, and if you have trouble getting traditional sleep masks to fit.” If you’re looking for comfort when lying down, this model isn’t for you. Additionally, if you plan to sleep on a plane, we recommend headphones that have active noise cancellation so that you don’t need to listen at unsafe levels to drown out engine noise.

Musicozy Sleep Headphones: Though the packaging said “Musicozy,” the headband was labeled “Enjoying.” The internal parts were also similar to those of the EverPlus headphones, with uncomfortable drivers, a lack of bass, and a blinking light. The headband was on the snug side for us; folks with larger heads may not like the fit.

SnoozeBand Deluxe: The broad design of this pillowy sleep mask felt too wide and hot, especially for summer use. Side and belly sleepers will also find the volume on the pillow-side ear far louder than the other side, making music and white noise sound unbalanced. The call quality is muffled and almost unusable. As a result, we prefer our sleep mask pick with separate headphones.

SnoozeBand Pro: Although we appreciate the eye cups on this pair, the thick memory foam isn’t as comfortable for side and belly sleeping—since side pressure puckers the eye cover up and off the eyes. The Pro also suffered the same unequal pillow-side volume issues and abysmal call quality of the Deluxe. We found this pair to be tougher to clean than the SleepPhones, too. The eye pillow requires hand washing, and the external controls are challenging to line up when putting the electronics back in.

ToPoint Sleep Headphones: This pair, though sold by ToPoint, contained headphones and packaging that said “Musicozy.” And as with the other budget options we saw, which all seemed to be made with similar electronic parts, the speakers were uncomfortable to lie on for long periods, the headband had the annoying blinking light, and the low bass was lacking. This pair also beeped very loudly when the battery was low. The headband was one of the smaller models we tested; it would fit smaller noggins better than larger ones.

This article was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Grant Clauser.

Lauren Dragan

I review headphones, OTC hearing aids, and other audio gear. Since joining Wirecutter a decade ago, I’ve tested nearly 2,000 headphones and earbuds.

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