Best headphones and earbuds for sleeping that have noise blocking features
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City living isn’t always as glamorous as it appears. Though the concept of a city that never sleeps may seem appealing to young adults moving into the capital for the first time, listening to the roar of traffic and disturbingly loud conversations outside your ground-floor window in the early hours of the morning is not exactly relaxing.
With the option of retiring 40 years early and convalescing in the English countryside a pipe dream, those of us who can only function on a full eight hours of shut-eye must improvise, adapt and overcome these noisy, sleep-preventing obstacles. Plus, moving further afield won’t stop your partner from snoring. In fact, the increased pollen levels might actually make their unconscious habit even worse.
The most popular accessory used by those who can’t fall asleep in noisy environments is earplugs. Often made from foam and wax materials, disposable earplugs are not a very environmentally friendly means of gaining noise-free slumber. Though multipacks are wallet-friendly, investing in a reusable pair of hi-tech sleep headphones might just deliver your best night’s sleep yet.
Likewise, old-school wired headphones just don’t take the biscuit anymore. Saving up for a decent pair of noise-cancelling earmuffs, whether used to improve your sleep conditions or to dull the deafening screech of the underground, can be life-changing. They may also be used to aid those with sensory issues or particular sensitivity to loud noises, whether the user is asleep or awake.
We spoke to Hannah Shore, Head of Sleep science at Mattress Online for some insight into the benefits and potential drawbacks of sleep headphones.
What are the different types of sleep headphones, and how do they work?
“There are many different types of sleep headphones, the main ones are adapted normal headphones which sit flatter in your ear, making it more comfortable to lay on your side. The other popular type come in a head band meaning there is minimal intrusion on your sleep and often can be used as an eye mask too,” says the sleep expert.
Are headphones/earbuds safe to sleep with?
“Yes. Wireless headphones are fine to sleep with. Ones that do not cause you any discomfort will allow you to sleep perfectly fine,” assures Shore.
Can sleep headphones help with snoring?
“They cannot help the user stop snoring,” heeds Shore. “They can, however, help drown out the sound of a snoring partner which may help you fall asleep easier and stay asleep for longer.”
Can prolonged use of noise cancellation damage hearing?
According to the expert, “When listened to at a low level there should be no damage to hearing at all. Loud noises and consistently loud music can affect the ears over a prolonged time, however low-level noises are perfectly safe.”
Are there any other risks associated with wearing sleep headphones, or even earplugs?
“When used in the correct way there are no risks whatsoever with earplugs or headphones,” says Shore.
“They could be a great investment if you need to block out any background noise in order to fall asleep. There are even studies that have shown listening to music can help you fall asleep quicker and stay asleep for longer. The type of music should be low base and low volume for optimising this. If you are listening to a podcast, the voice similarly should be a low voice. To optimise your sleep try getting them to automatically switch off 30 minutes after you fall asleep.”
How we tested
Sharing a selection of buds, headphones and earplugs across the team, the Standard Shopping writers and editors tested each set in naturally different environments. One of us has a rather loud snorer for a partner, another lives on a relatively busy road with horrendously early and remarkably noisy rubbish collection. As shopping writers, it’s only natural that we also have smart watches and health tracking devices strapped to our respective wrists. This helped us to track just how deep of a sleep we were getting with each product, and whether there was a significant improvement.
We’ve rounded up a selection of the best headphones and earbuds for sleeping to block out the sounds of the city. Keep scrolling for sweet dreams.
Best headphones and earbuds for sleeping at a glance
- Best for deep slumber: Loop Dream - £44.95, Loop
- Best for alarm capabilities: Ozlo Sleepbuds - £294.99, Healf
- Best for hi-tech deep sleeping: Philips Kokoon Nightbuds - £212.49, Healf
- Best for noise-masking that ensures you hear your alarm: Soundcore Sleep A20 - £123.95, Amazon
- Best for day-to-night noise reduction: Loop earplugs - £24.95, Amazon
- Best for two-in-one comfort: Ink-topoint wireless sleep headband - £15.98, Amazon
- Best for a simple yet savvy sleep solution: LOBKIN Sleep Earbuds - £15, Amazon
- Best for wireless and compressive relief: Sleephones - £99.95, Amazon
- Best for day to night: Sony LinkBuds - £109, Amazon
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Loop Dream
Best for: deep slumber
Loop has designed its Dream earplugs specifically to encourage sound uninterrupted sleep. No need to stock up on less than planet-friendly one-use foam varieties as these will see you through night after night with a compact carry case that makes them easy for travelling (and so they don’t get lost!).
The earplugs themselves are made from foam and silicone so there’s no friction sound on the pillow for side sleepers. The loop shape also reduces pressure on the ear. They don’t provide total sound cancellation and instead muffle up to 27dB so you’re not going to miss your alarm - phewf! The Dream comes with various tip sizes for a customised fit.
Ozlo Sleepbuds
Best for: alarm capabilities
I am a painfully light sleeper. The honk of a car, the speeding past of a motorbike and especially the sound of snoring can wake me up and send me into a frustrated (and honestly, incredibly unpleasant) state. That’s where the invention of the Ozlo Sleepbuds has won me over.
The buds are made up of tiny, in-ear inserts that sit flush and remain comfortable for all-night wear, even for a side sleeper like myself. But these are not your typical earplugs. Connect them with the companion app and you can stream an array of its Sleep Sounds that mimic a babbling brook, fireglow or the soar of a plane with soothing effects. These can be played all night long or set on a timer, effectively blocking out any disruptive noise - even and especially a snoring person beside you.
There is also the option to set a personal alarm - audio that will only wake you up through the earbuds. No chance of snoozing through this.
You can also use them like traditional Bluetooth headphones and play Netflix, YouTube and the like - but you cannot make or take calls as there is no microphone.
The brand is committed to improving its offering and more advancements are coming such as insights into our sleep data.
Philips Kokoon Nightbuds Sleep Headphones
Best for: hi-tech deep sleeping
On one end of the technological spectrum comes the Nightbuds from Kokoon. Designed to deliver intelligent noise-masking, Kokoon earbuds are capable of monitoring your sleep and adapting the level of audio accordingly. What’s more, the audio levels automatically fade like the end of a 90s hit song as you drift off into your deepest sleep yet.
Choose from a series of curated sleep audios via Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube, and drift off to sleep before the Nightbuds automatically introduce coloured noise to mask disturbances all night long.
Soundcore Sleep A20
Best for: noise-masking that ensures you hear your alarm
Renowned for the ability to provide night-long comfort for side-sleepers, the Soundcore Sleep A20s will sit snugly in your ears no matter how much you wriggle around in your sleep. Equipped with smart volume control which automatically adjusts the volume of sleep sounds to mask pesky external noises, simply download the Soundcore app and browse a selection of unlimited relaxing sounds.
Was: £119.99
Loop earplugs
Best for: day-to-night noise reduction
A low-tech, low-maintenance option for both sleeping and waking states, Loop earplugs are a subtle noise-reducing product made from flexible soft-touch silicone for an ultra-comfortable and barely-there feeling. Capable of up to 26dB of noise reduction, these earplugs are a budget-friendly reusable option for light sleepers and those with sensory sensitivities.
Loop’s fantastic technicolour noise blockers come with four interchangeable ear tip sizes so you can find your perfect fit. Easy to clean and wonderfully hygienic, these earplugs are a value-for-money all-rounder that can be used over and over without any loss of quality.
Ink-topoint wireless sleep headband
Best for: two-in-one comfort
Designed to function as a two-in-one, blackout eye mask and over-ear sleep headphone set, the Ink-topoint sleep headband is a Bluetooth-operated device which can be used for everything from yogic meditation to achieving a restful eight hours of sleep.
LOBKIN Sleep Earbuds
Best for: a simple yet savvy sleep solution
A wallet-friendly wireless option for those looking to purchase hi-tech sleep earbuds on a budget, this nifty set from LOBKIN has been designed to fit comfortably in the ear canal without shifting or causing pain.
Compatible with a range of smart devices including your phone, watch, tablet or even gaming console, the only gripe we have with these earbuds is their battery life. Though they’ll last you a full night’s sleep, you’ll have to make sure they’re fully charged before each use.
Sleephones
Best for: wireless and compressive relief
Machine washable thanks to the removable wireless Bluetooth speakers, this ultra-soft and even more hygienic headband provides compressive relief while lulling you into your deepest sleep yet.
The soft, stretchy and moisture-wicking fabric won’t leave you with sweat-induced breakouts in the morning, while the fantastically flat speakers ensure you’ll be comfortable and pain-free all night long.
Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
Best for: day to night
Whilst Sony's LinkBuds aren't specifically designed for sleeping, the ultra-comfortable fit and flat exterior lend themselves to catching Z's. Even better, they work like normal earphones, too, so you can use them throughout the day for music and calls. Just make sure you charge them up before bed so the active noise cancelling sees you through the night.