Ozlo Sleepbuds overview: Can earbuds actually enhance your sleep?

Desk of Contents

Who amongst us hasn’t used earbuds to assist them quiet a very lively mind (or a loud night breathing accomplice) when going to mattress at night time?

Personally, bedtime is once I’m most more likely to be utilizing earbuds in the midst of my day. Previous to this overview, I used my first-gen AirPods Professional for listening to podcasts and video essays as I drifted off to sleep — on my extra aware nights, I opted for Loop earplugs. Whereas I knew sleep earbuds existed, I by no means acquired on board with the concept they’d provide something that totally different from my present system (regardless that my present system usually meant I might solely put on one AirPod comfortably as a aspect sleeper and that I usually woke as much as that AirPod dying).

Fortunately, the universe knew I deserved higher, so when the possibility to check out the Ozlo Sleepbuds got here up, I took it.

As somebody who’s examined many (and owned a pair of) Bose headphones, my curiosity was piqued by Ozlo being based by former Bose engineers — particularly contemplating Bose discontinued its Sleepbuds line. After a number of weeks of testing them almost each night time beneath my belt, I’ve ended up extra of a sleep earbuds convert than I anticipated — let’s get into why.

The sleep earbud market

In case you’ve Googled “finest sleep earbuds” anytime lately, you may possible see a rotation of the next: sleep headbands from Amazon, the Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds, Loop earplugs, and naturally, the Ozlo Sleepbuds.

In case you do not like the concept of a scarf and should you’re sticking to extra recognizable manufacturers (not Amazon keyboard smash manufacturers), you may quickly notice that sleep earbuds are one of many much less saturated product markets on the market. Additionally they are usually a market the place if you need under-triple-digit costs, you may be making some sacrifices: in my analysis, I could not discover a funds pair that promised not less than eight hours of battery life.

That market house for sleep earbuds that would ship a extra premium expertise (and battery life that truly lasts the size of a full night time of sleep) is the explanation the Bose Sleepbuds got here up within the first place. With the Bose earbuds discontinued, the Ozlo Sleepbuds tried to take the passive noise cancellation and cozy design that made them nice and add within the capacity to stream your individual audio and observe knowledge round your sleep.

On the time of writing, the one different sleep earbuds that declare to carry out equally are the Soundcore A20 earbuds — apparently, the Soundcore earbuds are additionally about $120 cheaper, retailing at $150. I have not examined them (but), so I will not be evaluating them face to face on this overview, however it’s value understanding that whereas the Ozlo Sleepbuds do not have a ton of opponents, they are not completely distinctive.

Here is why you would possibly need to put money into the Ozlo Sleepbuds.

Consolation: Arguably crucial issue

At the beginning, the Ozlo Sleepbuds are extremely snug. Their wingtips saved the earbuds in my ears with out ever making me really feel sore, and so they sat at simply the best level in my ears in order that I might sleep on either side with out difficulty.

As soon as I discovered the best tip and wing dimension out of the 4 sizes included within the field, I by no means skilled any points with them falling out. In different phrases, they completely blew my expertise with my AirPods out of the water, making a robust beginning case for why somebody would possibly need to swap to sleep earbuds.

A streaming expertise catered to truly sleeping

I additionally appreciated that the expertise of utilizing these earbuds really felt tailor-made for falling and staying asleep. Ozlo might’ve relied on the aspect sleeper-friendly design for doing the heavy lifting, however it went a step additional with how the earbuds stream audio and sleep sounds.

With the app, you may choose your most popular “Sleep Sound,” with choices like Fireglow, Misty Rain, and Into the Woods that masks sounds in your surroundings to help with the earbuds’ passive noise cancellation. (I used to be a fan of the default “Crimson Cloak” sound).

Along with these sounds, you could possibly stream your individual audio and toggle whenever you’d like your sleep sound to kick in. You’ll be able to delay it for any time between quarter-hour to 2 hours (inside 15-minute increments) or select a Beta characteristic that switches to your sleep sound as soon as the earbuds acknowledge you have fallen asleep. I chosen the Beta choice for a few week of my testing interval, and solely woke as much as a YouTube video as soon as. (As a aspect word, streaming with Bluetooth does require that you just preserve your telephone not less than inside 10 toes of the sensible case for it to work, however that by no means introduced any points for me).

The app additionally has a characteristic that stops any sound out of your audio — streaming and white noise alike — at 15-minute increments all the way in which as much as seven hours and 45 minutes.

Alarm characteristic

Although not probably the most distinctive characteristic amongst sleep earbuds, I nonetheless have to present the alarm on the Ozlo Sleepbuds a shoutout. Working with an East Coast-based staff whereas residing on the West Coast has made me intimately aware of the guilt of setting an alarm that my accomplice in all probability needs was a tiny bit later. This easy characteristic mainly solved that drawback, assuaging my guilt and giving him one other hour of sleep again. The snooze characteristic was additionally helpful and dependable.

No Bluetooth crucial

In my coronary heart of hearts, I do know I get higher sleep once I do not go to sleep to movies. That is a part of the explanation I initially invested in Loop earplugs — I wished the noise cancellation offered by an earbud with out the temptation of YouTube’s autoplay characteristic conserving me up.

Whereas a part of the Ozlo Sleepbuds’ enchantment is of their capacity to stream no matter you need, I additionally actually appreciated that the earbuds are fully purposeful with out the app, giving them the flexibleness of being extra like a very fancy earplug. All you want is to attach them to the app throughout preliminary setup, however after that, the earbuds will be set to play white noise as quickly as you are taking them out of the case. For anybody making an attempt to sleep with their telephone exterior of their bed room, this can be a very helpful choice.

And whereas there have been lots of positives concerning the Sleepbuds, there have been additionally a number of shortcomings.

No sleep knowledge (but)

At present, the Ozlo Sleepbuds provide no sleep metrics. Possibly you’ve gotten a health tracker or Oura Ring (or perhaps a mattress) that takes care of that for you, so the shortage of this characteristic is not an enormous deal. Nonetheless, for $299, I might’ve anticipated some form of sleep evaluation options. In any case, the less expensive Soundcore earbuds provide them.

With that stated, the app does point out that some form of replace for sleep knowledge is within the pipeline. I reached out to Ozlo’s staff to see if they’d a extra particular estimate as to when and I’ll replace this overview as soon as I hear again.

Battery life might be higher

The earbuds themselves have precisely the battery life most individuals will want for a nightly foundation. The case, however, might use an improve. I discovered that after two nights, I would wish to recharge the case to juice the earbuds again up.

The workaround for that is leaving the case plugged in 24/7, but when that is not an choice, I did discover it a bit of too straightforward to neglect to plug the case again in after it felt like I would charged it up lately.

Connecting the earbuds wasn’t a flawless expertise

Within the roughly three weeks I used these earbuds, there have been solely a few instances that I had hassle connecting them, however these nights do stick out to me.

Usually, you join the earbuds by opening up the case and ready for the blinking lights beneath every earbud to look stable, indicating that they are prepared for playback. It takes a bit of longer than an ordinary pair of earbuds, however not more than 10 seconds. As soon as they’re prepared, you pop them in, and your app switches from the connection display screen to the principle web page the place the settings dwell.

On the 2 nights I had hassle connecting the earbuds, I struggled getting the stable mild to look after which getting the app to speak to the earbuds. One night time, after closing and opening the case a number of instances, it labored, whereas the opposite night time, I couldn’t make it occur. As I used to be going to mattress a bit of late and already drained, I made a decision to sleep earbuds-less that night time.

To provide the advantage of the doubt, that night time, I additionally wanted to replace the earbuds for round half-hour, however I did not see that till proper earlier than mattress, so I made a decision to make use of them as is. My concept is that ignoring the replace may need interfered with the connection.

Whereas it was annoying, there’s a silver lining: the replace modified it so the Sleepbuds keep in a connectable state within the case, if the case is linked to energy. Whereas I’ve solely used them for a few nights since updating them, they do join a lot sooner and with out difficulty, so Ozlo does appear to be excited by bettering its present product.

On the costly aspect

On the finish of the day, these are expensive sleep earbuds. Instantly from Ozlo’s website and from Amazon, they will run you $299. For comparability, the unique Bose Sleepbuds and their second technology value $250. Certain, the Ozlo buds have a pair extra options, however a major critique of the Bose earbuds was that they have been mild on options you’d anticipate at $250, like audio streaming and sleep knowledge.

Whereas the Ozlo Sleepbuds are undoubtedly an enchancment, their lack of sleep knowledge options does really feel a bit like following an identical sample. Ozlo additionally sells a journey case you should buy individually for $30, which once more, appears like one thing it is best to simply get with the core product should you’re shelling out almost twice the worth of a competitor that has related options.

All of that stated, you should buy these earbuds with an HSA or FSA, or hire a pair for $22 a month by Ozlo if you wish to attempt them out earlier than committing.

Are the Ozlo Sleepbuds value it?

The Ozlo Sleepbuds have been a robust introduction to the world of sleep earbuds, and I can undoubtedly see a world the place I would make the leap and put money into them. Their streaming capabilities really assist me fall and keep asleep, and so they efficiently block out every thing from my heating unit to vehicles on the road exterior. Ninety-nine % of the time, they carried out precisely as promised.

If the Soundcore A20 earbuds did not exist, it would be very straightforward to say the Ozlo earbuds are completely value it. Once more, whereas I can not personally communicate to the A20s’ efficiency, it’s arduous to fully low cost what number of options these two earbuds have in widespread for vastly totally different worth factors, particularly with the commonly favorable critiques I’ve seen across the Soundcore buds’ efficiency.

In the interim, I am going to say that Ozlo looks like an organization dedicated to bettering its product over time and is ranging from a very stable baseline. The inclusion of sleep options might do rather a lot for his or her worth, and the expertise they provide does really feel premium. Most significantly, on the finish of the day (actually), these at the moment are what I attain for many when I will sleep. You probably have the $299 (or the $22 to test them out), you possible will not be disillusioned with how they carry out.

Nonetheless, if streaming audio or white noise is not as essential to you, one thing just like the Loop Quiet 2 or Dream earbuds will greater than do the job. Whether it is, and you may’t fairly swing the worth, the Soundcore earbuds may be the place to look as an alternative.

UPDATE: Apr. 1, 2025, 2:35 p.m. EDT This overview previously said that the Ozlo Sleepbuds value $279 from Ozlo’s web site, however that was solely a limited-time sale worth. The earbuds value $299, at Ozlo and different licensed retailers. We have corrected the pricing and remorse the error.