Ozlo Sleepbuds review: Can earbuds really improve your sleep?

Desk of Contents

UPDATE: Apr. 24, 2025, 4:30 p.m. EDT Following President Trump’s tariffs, the Ozlo Sleepbuds elevated in worth from $299 to $349 on Ozlo’s web site and Amazon in america. We’ll be evaluating whether or not or not this adjustments our ranking, and might be updating this overview as soon as we do. Beneath is our overview because it was written when the earbuds price $299.

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

Personally, bedtime is after I’m most probably 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 conscious nights, I opted for Loop earplugs. Whereas I knew sleep earbuds existed, I by no means acquired on board with the concept they’d supply something that totally different from my present system (though my present system typically meant I may solely put on one AirPod comfortably as a facet sleeper and that I typically 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 below 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 the event you’ve Googled “greatest sleep earbuds” anytime lately, you may probably see a rotation of the next: sleep headbands from Amazon, the Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds, Loop earplugs, and naturally, the Ozlo Sleepbuds.

In the event 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. In addition they are usually a market the place in order for you under-triple-digit costs, you may be making some sacrifices: in my analysis, I could not discover a finances pair that promised a minimum of eight hours of battery life.

The Ozlo Sleepbuds…
Credit score: Ozlo

In comparison with the Bose Sleepbuds II.
Credit score: Bose

That market house for sleep earbuds that would ship a extra premium expertise (and battery life that really 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 comfy design that made them nice and add within the capacity to stream your individual audio and observe information 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 figuring out that whereas the Ozlo Sleepbuds haven’t got a ton of rivals, they are not completely distinctive.

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

Consolation: Arguably a very powerful 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, they usually sat at simply the best level in my ears in order that I may sleep on each side with out subject.

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 powerful beginning case for why somebody would possibly need to change to sleep earbuds.

The selection of 4 totally different wingtip sizes made it simple to seek out the best match.
Credit score: Bethany Allard / Mashable

A streaming expertise catered to really sleeping

I additionally appreciated that the expertise of utilizing these earbuds actually felt tailor-made for falling and staying asleep. Ozlo may’ve relied on the facet 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 possibly can choose your most popular “Sleep Sound,” with choices like Fireglow, Misty Rain, and Into the Woods that masks sounds in your atmosphere to help with the earbuds’ passive noise cancellation. (I used to be keen on the default “Crimson Cloak” sound).

Along with these sounds, you can stream your individual audio and toggle if 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 function that switches to your sleep sound as soon as the earbuds acknowledge you’ve got fallen asleep. I chosen the Beta possibility for a couple of week of my testing interval, and solely woke as much as a YouTube video as soon as. (As a facet be aware, streaming with Bluetooth does require that you simply hold your cellphone a minimum of inside 10 ft of the good case for it to work, however that by no means introduced any points for me).

Loads of alarm sounds can be found.
Credit score: Screenshot: Ozlo

Customers even have an honest quantity of selection for sleep sounds.
Credit score: Screenshot: Ozlo

The app additionally has a function 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.

The sleep timer within the app affords flexibility on how (and when) you need any audio to cease.
Credit score: Screenshot: Ozlo

Alarm function

Although not probably the most distinctive function amongst sleep earbuds, I nonetheless have to offer the alarm on the Ozlo Sleepbuds a shoutout. Working with an East Coast-based crew whereas dwelling on the West Coast has made me intimately acquainted with the guilt of setting an alarm that my accomplice in all probability needs was a tiny bit later. This straightforward function principally solved that downside, assuaging my guilt and giving him one other hour of sleep again. The snooze function was additionally helpful and dependable.

The Ozlo alarms perform virtually precisely the identical as your cellphone’s built-in alarm.
Credit score: Screenshot: Ozlo

No Bluetooth mandatory

In my coronary heart of hearts, I do know I get higher sleep after 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 function retaining 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 utterly useful with out the app, giving them the pliability of being extra like a extremely 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 cellphone outdoors of their bed room, this can be a very helpful possibility.

And whereas there have been a variety of positives in regards to the Sleepbuds, there have been additionally a number of shortcomings.

No sleep information (but)

Presently, the Ozlo Sleepbuds supply no sleep metrics. Perhaps you might have a health tracker or Oura Ring (or perhaps a mattress) that takes care of that for you, so the shortage of this function is not an enormous deal. Nevertheless, for $299, I might’ve anticipated some type of sleep evaluation options. In spite of everything, the less expensive Soundcore earbuds supply them.

The Ozlo app has a “My Sleep” tab, which says an replace will unlock sleep information sooner or later.
Credit score: Screenshot: Ozlo

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

Battery life may very well be higher

The earbuds themselves have precisely the battery life most individuals will want for a nightly foundation. The case, then again, may use an improve. I discovered that after two nights, I would want 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 possibility, I did discover it just a little too simple to overlook to plug the case again in after it felt like I might charged it up lately.

Leaving the case plugged in helped me get round its shorter battery life.
Credit score: Bethany Allard / Mashable

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 seem stable, indicating that they are prepared for playback. It takes just a little longer than a regular 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 to the principle web page the place the settings stay.

Earlier than…
Credit score: Screenshot: Ozlo

…and after efficiently connecting the sleepbuds to the Ozlo app.
Credit score: Screenshot: Ozlo

On the 2 nights I had hassle connecting the earbuds, I struggled getting the stable gentle to seem 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 just a little late and already drained, I made a decision to sleep earbuds-less that night time.

Solely as soon as did I see these screens whereas making an attempt to attach my earbuds.

Credit score: Screenshot: Ozlo

Credit score: Screenshot: Ozlo

To present 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 idea 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 related to energy. Whereas I’ve solely used them for a few nights since updating them, they do join a lot sooner and with out subject, so Ozlo does appear to be excited about enhancing its present product.

On the costly facet

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 price $250. Certain, the Ozlo buds have a pair extra options, however a foremost critique of the Bose earbuds was that they had been gentle on options you’d count on at $250, like audio streaming and sleep information.

Whereas the Ozlo Sleepbuds are positively an enchancment, their lack of sleep information options does really feel a bit like following the same sample. Ozlo additionally sells a journey case you should buy individually for $30, which once more, seems like one thing you must simply get with the core product should you’re shelling out almost twice the value 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 means of Ozlo if you wish to strive them out earlier than committing.

Are the Ozlo Sleepbuds value it?

The Ozlo Sleepbuds had been a powerful introduction to the world of sleep earbuds, and I can positively see a world the place I might make the leap and put money into them. Their streaming capabilities really assist me fall and keep asleep, they usually efficiently block out every part from my heating unit to vehicles on the road outdoors. Ninety-nine p.c of the time, they carried out precisely as promised.

If the Soundcore A20 earbuds did not exist, it might be very simple to say the Ozlo earbuds are completely value it. Once more, whereas I am unable to personally converse to the A20s’ efficiency, it’s exhausting to utterly low cost what number of options these two earbuds have in widespread for vastly totally different worth factors, particularly with the widely favorable opinions I’ve seen across the Soundcore buds’ efficiency.

In the interim, I will say that Ozlo looks as if an organization dedicated to enhancing its product over time and is ranging from a extremely stable baseline. The inclusion of sleep options may do so much 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’ll sleep. When you have the $299 (or the $22 to verify them out), you probably will not be disillusioned with how they carry out.

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

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