If you’re looking for a better night’s sleep, the best sleep headphones could be the answer. But wearing in-ear earbuds for several hours – even while asleep – can be extremely uncomfortable, but I think I’ve found the perfect pair. Enter: the Ozlo Sleepbuds.
Ozlo is a new name on the sleep headphones market, having only been founded in 2022. The Ozlo Sleepbuds are the first (and only, so far) earbuds from the brand, but as they’re made by Bose engineers, they’re already packed with clever features, a stylish design and an accompanying app. So, have the brains behind Bose perfected sleep headphones? Let’s find out…
Ozlo Sleepbuds review: price and availability
The Ozlo Sleepbuds are available to buy for £299 / $299 on the Ozlo website. Pricing wise, the Ozlo Sleepbuds are more expensive than other sleep headphones I’ve tried and as of writing, they don’t have any sleep tracking features just yet. As Ozlo continues to grow, I hope that changes when the next generation of the Sleepbuds is developed.
Ozlo Sleepbuds review: unboxing and setup
The Ozlo Sleepbuds arrived in a metallic circular travel case with the earbuds already nestled inside. Aside from the case and earbuds, the Ozlo Sleepbuds came with a charging cable and four different tip options from XS to L, although I found that the tips already attached were a good fit for my eyes.
Setting up the Ozlo Sleepbuds was relatively easy. I charged them up before downloading the Ozlo app. From there, I had to pair the Ozlo Sleepbuds and the case to the app via Bluetooth, before I customised my earbuds by setting the wake-up alarm and selecting a sleep sound and its duration – more on the app later.
Ozlo Sleepbuds review: design and features
The Ozlo Sleepbuds are designed to create a comfortable sleep environment by masking external noise and playing noise-masking sleep tracks to ‘block and replace’ noise. They’re not completely noise cancelling but they still admirably eliminate distraction and block out unwanted sounds.
Made from ultra-soft silicone, the Ozlo Sleepbuds are very small and they sit easily and comfortably in the ears all night. The Ozlo Sleepbuds are ideal for all types of sleepers, particularly side sleepers, but they can also be used like regular headphones.
They offer up to 10 hours of audio and battery life, and you can use them to stream music, podcasts and audiobooks. With the Ozlo app, the Ozlo Sleepbuds have access to Ozlo’s sleep sound library which has a good selection of natural tracks, and you can set a private alarm so they wake you up gently into your ears. They can detect when you’ve fallen asleep, and when they do, they automatically adjust by pausing what you’re listening to and switching over to a sleep sound or masking level.
Ozlo Sleepbuds review: app
The Ozlo app has a clear layout which is easy to use and customise. To start using the Ozlo Sleepbuds, you need to connect them to the app before use, and you can’t view the sounds or your details while the earbuds aren’t connected or are offline.
The Ozlo Sleepbuds has a main homepage that shows the charge of each earbud and the case. The homepage also has the current sleep sound, volume bar, morning alarm and a countdown on the duration of the sleep sound, so you can customise the earbuds to turn off after a certain amount of time, which goes up to several hours.
The sleep sounds page has a selection of natural noises to choose from – I enjoyed using the rain and ocean waves the most. There’s also a My Sleep section which isn’t currently available as the Ozlo Sleepbuds don’t track your sleep yet but the brand is working on it. Speaking of, the Ozlo app is very admirable although it’s definitely still a work in progress, which is something that Ozlo is working on.
Ozlo Sleepbuds review: performance
I don’t massively enjoy wearing earbuds to sleep in, as I sleep on my side and most of the sleep headphones I’ve tried make my ears ache after I’ve worn them for too long. But I didn’t have this issue at all with the Ozlo Sleepbuds. Their petite size and silicone material makes them sit very comfortably in the ear, especially for side sleepers, and they didn’t dislodge or fall out in the night, either.
The Ozlo Sleepbuds come in the charging case, which makes them easy to travel with. I did find that the charging was a little inconsistent, as the charging case and both earbuds are often at different levels of charge. But the charging process is quick and they stay fully charged for up to 10 hours at a time.
The noise masking of the Ozlo Sleepbuds was really impressive. I tried these during a storm and could still vaguely hear what was going on outside, but not overwhelmingly. This was good for me as I still want to be able to hear a little of what’s happening around me while I sleep, but it might not be for those who like full noise cancellation – I’d suggest the best noise cancelling headphones for that.
The sleep sounds of the Ozlo Sleepbuds were incredibly soothing and I found myself falling asleep very quickly with them. I didn’t notice them switching off either so they didn’t disrupt my sleep. The audio quality was impressive too, and not just for the sleep sounds – I also used them to listen to music and the sound was immersive, crisp and clear.
Ozlo Sleepbuds review: verdict
While they’re definitely still a work in progress, the Ozlo Sleepbuds are an admirable pair of sleep earbuds. The design definitely makes them stand out, and it’s exciting to finally have a great option for side sleepers. The audio is impressive, the sleep sounds are relaxing and the app is good for what it can currently do which makes the Ozlo Sleepbuds an attractive package. The price is a bit steep but if the next edition of them has sleep tracking features, I think it’ll make the cost slightly more appealing.
Ozlo Sleepbuds review: alternatives to consider
A good alternative to the Ozlo Sleepbuds is the Kokoon NightBuds, another in-ear option that’s good for side sleepers. The design is slightly more elaborate as they have a control panel that sits at the back of the head, but they’re relatively comfortable and they come with helpful sleep insights.
