Earbuds for sleeping: what are the most comfortable earphones for sleeping, and can they block noise?
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Whether you sleep next to a snorer, you live on a noisy road or you simply can’t switch off after a busy day, many of us need a little extra help to drift off to sleep these days.
One of the best ways to get forty winks without being disturbed is to invest in a pair of earbuds to block out all the pesky noises of the outside world and revel in the joy of noise-cancelling technology.
Best of all, you can buy earbuds with noise cancelling technology to press pause on the world outside your bed. The portability of earbuds are an added bonus: wear them on a plane to drown out the engine, take them on the train for a morning snooze or use them when sleeping in an unfamiliar place to make you feel at home.
When wearing earbuds to sleep, make sure you’ve got the volume at a safe level to avoid damaging your ears, and we’d recommend going for wireless ones to avoid tangled wires. You should also spend some time going through the ear tips that will come with your product to make sure you have the perfect size for you: the wrong size could feel uncomfortable and won’t be as effective at blocking out sound.
Which ones you go for will be down to you, your needs and your sleep position: side sleepers and back sleepers, for example, would find different pairs comfy.
As earbuds are pricy, you’ll probably want a pair that function just as well during the daytime, whether to listen to music on during your commute, or to take calls on while on a walk outside. If you’re not really a music lover and just want to block out all noise to sleep, you can save some cash and invest in a simple ear plug.
Whatever you need to catch forty winks, you’ll find a variety of options to suit you in our round up.
We were really impressed by the Melomania 1+ Earbuds, from British audio manufacturer Cambridge Audio.
When you take into account their sound quality, battery life and premium appearance, these earbuds offer considerable value for money.
The sleek smartphone app pairs with your earbuds and allow you to tailor the sound depending on what you’re listening to. They sit comfortably in the ear and are compatible with various sleeping positions, though we found them best when sleeping on our back.
A nice touch was the the app’s “Find My Earbuds” feature - perfect for those who are prone to losing things - and we also liked the fact you could turn off the controls on your earbuds, great if you’re a wriggly sleeper and are worried about accidentally pressing buttons or picking up calls while you snooze.
If you’re after premium noise cancellation and great sound quality for a very fair price, the Panasonic RZ-S500W True Wireless Earbuds are an ideal choice.
The earbuds’ noise cancellation technology offer excellent value for money, and we found them comfortable to wear to sleep on our back, though they might be a tad bulky for side sleepers.
If you like listening to music as you drift off, this pair will bring your favourite tracks to life, with its sound powerful, clear and crisp.
We also found the battery life impressive, and liked that you can customise your listening experience through the accompanying app, which allows you to do everything from changing the level of noise cancellation to enhancing the sound of the bass.
It’s harder to find comfortable earbuds for side sleepers, but these will do the trick nicely. The JBL Live Pro + wireless earbuds don’t just look great: they’re also seriously comfortable in a variety of sleeping positions.
The adaptive noise cancelling technology effectively blurs out the outside world and lets you zero in on whatever you’re listening to.
They’re also compatible with voice assistants, so when you’re too lazy to reach for your phone to call someone or set your alarm, your earbuds can do the work for you.
When you’re listening to music with them, we recommend the app, which helps you do everything from choosing the best ear tip for your ear shape to adjusting the sound depending on what genre you’re listening to.
The Klipsch Lifestyle T5 II True Wireless In-ear Headphones look amazing from the moment you open the box, and their audio performance is just as impressive.
If you’re looking for a pair of earbuds that are comfortable to sleep in and that will offer amazing audio quality whether you’re listening to rock music during the day or relaxing tunes at night, this is the pair for you.
The fit is so snug that the buds stay put in your ear, whether you’re running for the bus or tossing from side to side before bed.
While they don’t offer noise cancellation technology, we found the sound quality of these earbuds so immersive that it really helped block out the outside world and allowed us to drift off quicker than ever.
If you’re after a wallet-friendly solution and you’re craving a quiet night’s sleep, do your ears - and budget - a favour by snapping up these Custom Fit Ear Plugs from travel accessory brand Go Travel.
They come with four size adjusters so you can find the best fit for your ears, and the moulds are made of silicon for a cosy, accurate fit.
They also come with a carry case so you can take them on holiday with you.
We found them to be comfortable to wear to sleep, efficient at blocking out noise, and best of all, a bargain.