Sleep better. Cover unwanted noise with soothing sounds. Bose noise-masking sleepbudsTM are uniquely designed for sleep. They don’t stream music or have acoustic noise cancellation. Instead, these tiny, wireless earbuds use pre-loaded, soothing sounds to cover up unwanted noises, so you can get to sleep — and stay asleep. Plus, unlike traditional earplugs, they’re super comfortable and made to stay in place all night long, even if you sleep on your side. 1. Choose your sound, 2. Set an alarm, 3. Fall asleep without unwanted noise.
Sleep better. Cover unwanted noise with soothing sounds. Bose noise-masking sleepbudsTM are uniquely designed for sleep. They don’t stream music or have acoustic noise cancellation. Instead, these tiny, wireless earbuds use pre-loaded, soothing sounds to cover up unwanted noises, so you can get to sleep — and stay asleep. Plus, unlike traditional earplugs, they’re super comfortable and made to stay in place all night long, even if you sleep on your side. 1. Choose your sound, 2. Set an alarm, 3. Fall asleep without unwanted noise.
in 1 offers
The lowest price for Bose Noise Masking Sleepbuds right now is $111.67 at eBay.com.au.
The all-time low was $85.71 on 1 June 2026 — today's price is 30% above the lowest ever. It has been notably cheaper before — worth setting a price alert.
Prices last updated 30 June 2026.
Bose Noise Masking Sleepbuds
Sleep better. Cover unwanted noise with soothing sounds. Bose noise-masking sleepbudsTM are uniquely designed for sleep. They don’t stream music or have acoustic noise cancellation. Instead, these tiny, wireless earbuds use pre-loaded, soothing sounds to cover up unwanted noises, so you can get to sleep — and stay asleep. Plus, unlike traditional earplugs, they’re super comfortable and made to stay in place all night long, even if you sleep on your side. 1. Choose your sound, 2. Set an alarm, 3. Fall asleep without unwanted noise.
Sleep better. Cover unwanted noise with soothing sounds. Bose noise-masking sleepbudsTM are uniquely designed for sleep. They don’t stream music or have acoustic noise cancellation. Instead, these tiny, wireless earbuds use pre-loaded, soothing sounds to cover up unwanted noises, so you can get to sleep — and stay asleep. Plus, unlike traditional earplugs, they’re super comfortable and made to stay in place all night long, even if you sleep on your side. 1. Choose your sound, 2. Set an alarm, 3. Fall asleep without unwanted noise.
Last updated at 30/06/2026 14:48:53
Bose Sleepbuds Noise Masking Earbuds Wireless 1st Generation White
Delivery $25.53
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
originally posted on myer.com.au
I was a bit worried about opting for a Myer 30% sale and giving up the 90 day risk free trial offered by Bose as I have had lots of failures, and wasted money, with this type of product before and didn't want to get stuck with something that also did not work for sleep and could not be used for anything else - I am glad I did and saved $100 as I def wont be returning these.I have spent a huge amount of money on different types of noise cancelling tech (sleepphone headband, flare isolate plugs, every type of ear plug material) to drown out loud impact noise from the neighbour (the free option of her repaying favour of keeping hard soled shoes in house to a minimum, and just being slightly considerate, was a step too far for her). Everything I have tried were ... MoreI was a bit worried about opting for a Myer 30% sale and giving up the 90 day risk free trial offered by Bose as I have had lots of failures, and wasted money, with this type of product before and didn't want to get stuck with something that also did not work for sleep and could not be used for anything else - I am glad I did and saved $100 as I def wont be returning these.I have spent a huge amount of money on different types of noise cancelling tech (sleepphone headband, flare isolate plugs, every type of ear plug material) to drown out loud impact noise from the neighbour (the free option of her repaying favour of keeping hard soled shoes in house to a minimum, and just being slightly considerate, was a step too far for her). Everything I have tried were between slightly to very uncomfortable for side/stomach sleepers and did nothing for impact noise.The Bose ones are really comfortable and i cant feel them in my ear when sleeping on stomach (and they dont need to be pushed into ear to get them to stay - unlike the cheap foam ear plugs, the only other option that were somewhat usable, which need to be in so tight you can hear and feel your heartbeat in your ear...and they always fall out by morning, when I need them most, and then end up a choking hazard for the pets). The Bose are excellent and I believe my eternal hunt for noise cancelling tech that are comfortable for stomach sleepers is finally over. It has the right sounds for me pre-built (a good pink noise type sound is best for sleep and they do have the standard nature sounds one would expect - seems there are about 30 sounds to choose from).I am really glad they chose to prioritise the smallest, most comfortable design over adding tech so I could listen to my own music (even with regard to volume...I find I always want it same volume, for sleeping, so have no issue that I need to control this in app, instead of it being easier accessed via phone volume buttons or on device). I think it is so much more important these can be comfortably slept in than to have the product be more versatile - I have plenty of music players that I can use but only one product that actually work for stomach sleepers who need to bock out loud noise.I am very happy with this purchase and would consider this money well spent - nothing is worth more than a good night's sleep. I am just ecstatic that they work and are comfortable after all my failed attempts.
originally posted on bose.com
The new Bose Noise-Masking Sleepbuds is just like its name said- MASKING, it does nothing on "canceling" the noise.How do I like these new devices from Bose?Well, for starter the earbud is a very well made and it does fit comfortably in your ears, but it does not provide the complete isolation like a simple earplug do. This means you still going to hear some of the noise around you, especially on a quiet night.To reduce these noise the earbuds does not block out, Bose came up with the idea of playing a tranquility sound through the earbuds, it is similar to what you find in some of the Soundscape apps you can download to your mobile devices, and then while the sound is playing you can adjust the volume to mask out the noise coming from your surroundings.The ... MoreThe new Bose Noise-Masking Sleepbuds is just like its name said- MASKING, it does nothing on "canceling" the noise.How do I like these new devices from Bose?Well, for starter the earbud is a very well made and it does fit comfortably in your ears, but it does not provide the complete isolation like a simple earplug do. This means you still going to hear some of the noise around you, especially on a quiet night.To reduce these noise the earbuds does not block out, Bose came up with the idea of playing a tranquility sound through the earbuds, it is similar to what you find in some of the Soundscape apps you can download to your mobile devices, and then while the sound is playing you can adjust the volume to mask out the noise coming from your surroundings.The way these Bose Earbuds works has a few shortcomings in the design itself.First, unable to adjust volume from the earbuds, it needs you "wake" up and uses the mobile device to lower the volume when you feel it is getting too loud, then you need to try to fall back to sleep again.Second, sometime I do use the Bose QC Noise Canceling headphones while I sleep, and it works amazingly well when comes to isolate the noise and help you go to sleep, but you are restricted on the sleep posture due to it size and design, by comparison, these earbuds definitely do not have the issues of wearing it while you are trying to sleep, but it is lack of noise canceling function, as result the actual "masking" noise by way of using another sound does not help you go to sleep at all, the volume just getting too loud as you are trying to go to sleep.The last thing I don't like about these earbuds is the sound selections from the apps are limited, and the repeated pattern is just too easy to notice, after a while it is very ignoring and unpleasant.Beside the earbud not very helpful to my sleep problem, the Bluetooth connection also drops out on one of the earbuds several times a night, and it interrupted my sleep more than ever before, for several times a night I had to get up and fix the pairing issues.After a week-long of using this item, I am returning it to Bose and not going to recommend anyone getting it.Suggestion to Bose:At its current design, one simple improvement can be added through a software update, and it can dramatically improve the ability to help people fall asleep. The solution is as simple as adding a time volume control setting, with this setting the apps can gradually lower its volume for a preset amount of time period, this allows the person naturally falls into sleep without noticing the audio he is listing to.
originally posted on bose.com
I used to be able to fall asleep anywhere, much to the chagrin of my wife. As a passenger in the car, waiting rooms, even the airplane before it had even taken off.Then as I started getting older, I lost that ability. Now I’m an extremely light sleeper, all made worse by having a need to check my phone for messages once my sleep was disturbed and then having difficulty in getting back to sleep.We live on a main road where the trundle of night buses, lorries making their deliveries and drunken people staggering back from the bar are commonplace. We have a parade of shops opposite the house where, inevitably, a security alarm will go off, or drunk customers to the late-night kebab shop shout and make a lot of noise. You get the picture, there’s a lot of noise that ... MoreI used to be able to fall asleep anywhere, much to the chagrin of my wife. As a passenger in the car, waiting rooms, even the airplane before it had even taken off.Then as I started getting older, I lost that ability. Now I’m an extremely light sleeper, all made worse by having a need to check my phone for messages once my sleep was disturbed and then having difficulty in getting back to sleep.We live on a main road where the trundle of night buses, lorries making their deliveries and drunken people staggering back from the bar are commonplace. We have a parade of shops opposite the house where, inevitably, a security alarm will go off, or drunk customers to the late-night kebab shop shout and make a lot of noise. You get the picture, there’s a lot of noise that disturbs me from getting a restful night’s sleep. And that’s on the outside!My wife watches TV till quite late (sometimes gone 1am) and then when she does fall asleep she snores (I mean who doesn’t?) so as you can see it’s a battle for me to sleep.I was really looking forward to trying these sleep buds out to see if there was finally something I could use to help block out the sounds and try to get some sleep.I’ve previously used: wired earphones, Bose Quiet Comfort 35s, wireless earbuds all playing either relaxing music, white noise or psychoacoustic music and storytelling using iPhone apps. I’ve tries Flare Titanium ear plugs and soft foam earplugs.For me, the biggest issue with the above (failed) solutions was the comfort. In all cases, barring the earplugs, it was impossible to get comfortable and fall asleep. Even the wireless earbuds would push in deeper into my ear canal becoming annoying and having to constantly adjust them. The earplugs (both the Flares and the foam ones) would be uncomfortable after about 30 mins, and I could feel a discomfort in my ear canal which would bring a nice relief when I removed them.The Bose SleepBuds arrive in a nice black presentation box. Opening the box reveals a manual bundle in a sleeve, and under this is a sleek metal round “tin” that doubles over as the charging solution and the ear pods themselves. What strikes you first is how extremely small these are and how so much time and research has gone into making them durable and sleek. Under the tin, in the box is also bundled a USB Bose Power Plug, a micro USB cable to charge the buds tin and a variety of different sized sleeves for the earbuds to ensure a good fit (small, medium and large). Also included is a nice soft travel pouch for the charging tin.To use the SleepBuds, you need to download the Bose Sleep app from the appropriate Appstore and then with the app running, simply open the charging tin and remove the buds and the app detects and pairs them with your device, very similar to how Apple does with the AirPods.They appear in the Bluetooth settings as both a left and right device, but I noticed that you couldn’t stream music to them by using airplay or Bluetooth streaming, which surprised me.The buds themselves are an engineering marvel, they are extremely small, low profile white glossy plastic with super soft silicone eartips/hooks to hold them in your ear. These are extremely comfortable and are definitely the most low-profile earbuds I have ever used. The don’t protrude from your ear meaning you can rest the side of your head on a pillow (or even when you lean on your hand) without it being pushed further into your ear canal.The other thing that I was expecting with this product, being a Bose product was the lack of noise cancelling technology (something that Bose are renowned for) and these are simply “noise masking” using the soundscapes with some white noise that streams from the app.They SleepPods do a great job, given the limitations of no noise cancellation and inability of streaming your own content to the buds. It’s obvious that given the extremely small form factor, there is a limitation to how much functionality they can pack into these tiny units. With the volume at about midway, they did an excellent job of masking any outside noise, and my wife’s snoring melded with the soundtrack being played from the app, and for the first time in a while, I did fall asleep with little difficulty.
Bose Sleepbuds Noise Masking Earbuds Wireless 1st Generation White
Delivery $25.53
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
I was a bit worried about opting for a Myer 30% sale and giving up the 90 day risk free trial offered by Bose as I have had lots of failures, and wasted money, with this type of product before and didn't want to get stuck with something that also did not work for sleep and could not be used for anything else - I am glad I did and saved $100 as I def wont be returning these.I have spent a huge amount of money on different types of noise cancelling tech (sleepphone headband, flare isolate plugs, every type of ear plug material) to drown out loud impact noise from the neighbour (the free option of her repaying favour of keeping hard soled shoes in house to a minimum, and just being slightly considerate, was a step too far for her). Everything I have tried were ... MoreI was a bit worried about opting for a Myer 30% sale and giving up the 90 day risk free trial offered by Bose as I have had lots of failures, and wasted money, with this type of product before and didn't want to get stuck with something that also did not work for sleep and could not be used for anything else - I am glad I did and saved $100 as I def wont be returning these.I have spent a huge amount of money on different types of noise cancelling tech (sleepphone headband, flare isolate plugs, every type of ear plug material) to drown out loud impact noise from the neighbour (the free option of her repaying favour of keeping hard soled shoes in house to a minimum, and just being slightly considerate, was a step too far for her). Everything I have tried were between slightly to very uncomfortable for side/stomach sleepers and did nothing for impact noise.The Bose ones are really comfortable and i cant feel them in my ear when sleeping on stomach (and they dont need to be pushed into ear to get them to stay - unlike the cheap foam ear plugs, the only other option that were somewhat usable, which need to be in so tight you can hear and feel your heartbeat in your ear...and they always fall out by morning, when I need them most, and then end up a choking hazard for the pets). The Bose are excellent and I believe my eternal hunt for noise cancelling tech that are comfortable for stomach sleepers is finally over. It has the right sounds for me pre-built (a good pink noise type sound is best for sleep and they do have the standard nature sounds one would expect - seems there are about 30 sounds to choose from).I am really glad they chose to prioritise the smallest, most comfortable design over adding tech so I could listen to my own music (even with regard to volume...I find I always want it same volume, for sleeping, so have no issue that I need to control this in app, instead of it being easier accessed via phone volume buttons or on device). I think it is so much more important these can be comfortably slept in than to have the product be more versatile - I have plenty of music players that I can use but only one product that actually work for stomach sleepers who need to bock out loud noise.I am very happy with this purchase and would consider this money well spent - nothing is worth more than a good night's sleep. I am just ecstatic that they work and are comfortable after all my failed attempts.
The new Bose Noise-Masking Sleepbuds is just like its name said- MASKING, it does nothing on "canceling" the noise.How do I like these new devices from Bose?Well, for starter the earbud is a very well made and it does fit comfortably in your ears, but it does not provide the complete isolation like a simple earplug do. This means you still going to hear some of the noise around you, especially on a quiet night.To reduce these noise the earbuds does not block out, Bose came up with the idea of playing a tranquility sound through the earbuds, it is similar to what you find in some of the Soundscape apps you can download to your mobile devices, and then while the sound is playing you can adjust the volume to mask out the noise coming from your surroundings.The ... MoreThe new Bose Noise-Masking Sleepbuds is just like its name said- MASKING, it does nothing on "canceling" the noise.How do I like these new devices from Bose?Well, for starter the earbud is a very well made and it does fit comfortably in your ears, but it does not provide the complete isolation like a simple earplug do. This means you still going to hear some of the noise around you, especially on a quiet night.To reduce these noise the earbuds does not block out, Bose came up with the idea of playing a tranquility sound through the earbuds, it is similar to what you find in some of the Soundscape apps you can download to your mobile devices, and then while the sound is playing you can adjust the volume to mask out the noise coming from your surroundings.The way these Bose Earbuds works has a few shortcomings in the design itself.First, unable to adjust volume from the earbuds, it needs you "wake" up and uses the mobile device to lower the volume when you feel it is getting too loud, then you need to try to fall back to sleep again.Second, sometime I do use the Bose QC Noise Canceling headphones while I sleep, and it works amazingly well when comes to isolate the noise and help you go to sleep, but you are restricted on the sleep posture due to it size and design, by comparison, these earbuds definitely do not have the issues of wearing it while you are trying to sleep, but it is lack of noise canceling function, as result the actual "masking" noise by way of using another sound does not help you go to sleep at all, the volume just getting too loud as you are trying to go to sleep.The last thing I don't like about these earbuds is the sound selections from the apps are limited, and the repeated pattern is just too easy to notice, after a while it is very ignoring and unpleasant.Beside the earbud not very helpful to my sleep problem, the Bluetooth connection also drops out on one of the earbuds several times a night, and it interrupted my sleep more than ever before, for several times a night I had to get up and fix the pairing issues.After a week-long of using this item, I am returning it to Bose and not going to recommend anyone getting it.Suggestion to Bose:At its current design, one simple improvement can be added through a software update, and it can dramatically improve the ability to help people fall asleep. The solution is as simple as adding a time volume control setting, with this setting the apps can gradually lower its volume for a preset amount of time period, this allows the person naturally falls into sleep without noticing the audio he is listing to.
I used to be able to fall asleep anywhere, much to the chagrin of my wife. As a passenger in the car, waiting rooms, even the airplane before it had even taken off.Then as I started getting older, I lost that ability. Now I’m an extremely light sleeper, all made worse by having a need to check my phone for messages once my sleep was disturbed and then having difficulty in getting back to sleep.We live on a main road where the trundle of night buses, lorries making their deliveries and drunken people staggering back from the bar are commonplace. We have a parade of shops opposite the house where, inevitably, a security alarm will go off, or drunk customers to the late-night kebab shop shout and make a lot of noise. You get the picture, there’s a lot of noise that ... MoreI used to be able to fall asleep anywhere, much to the chagrin of my wife. As a passenger in the car, waiting rooms, even the airplane before it had even taken off.Then as I started getting older, I lost that ability. Now I’m an extremely light sleeper, all made worse by having a need to check my phone for messages once my sleep was disturbed and then having difficulty in getting back to sleep.We live on a main road where the trundle of night buses, lorries making their deliveries and drunken people staggering back from the bar are commonplace. We have a parade of shops opposite the house where, inevitably, a security alarm will go off, or drunk customers to the late-night kebab shop shout and make a lot of noise. You get the picture, there’s a lot of noise that disturbs me from getting a restful night’s sleep. And that’s on the outside!My wife watches TV till quite late (sometimes gone 1am) and then when she does fall asleep she snores (I mean who doesn’t?) so as you can see it’s a battle for me to sleep.I was really looking forward to trying these sleep buds out to see if there was finally something I could use to help block out the sounds and try to get some sleep.I’ve previously used: wired earphones, Bose Quiet Comfort 35s, wireless earbuds all playing either relaxing music, white noise or psychoacoustic music and storytelling using iPhone apps. I’ve tries Flare Titanium ear plugs and soft foam earplugs.For me, the biggest issue with the above (failed) solutions was the comfort. In all cases, barring the earplugs, it was impossible to get comfortable and fall asleep. Even the wireless earbuds would push in deeper into my ear canal becoming annoying and having to constantly adjust them. The earplugs (both the Flares and the foam ones) would be uncomfortable after about 30 mins, and I could feel a discomfort in my ear canal which would bring a nice relief when I removed them.The Bose SleepBuds arrive in a nice black presentation box. Opening the box reveals a manual bundle in a sleeve, and under this is a sleek metal round “tin” that doubles over as the charging solution and the ear pods themselves. What strikes you first is how extremely small these are and how so much time and research has gone into making them durable and sleek. Under the tin, in the box is also bundled a USB Bose Power Plug, a micro USB cable to charge the buds tin and a variety of different sized sleeves for the earbuds to ensure a good fit (small, medium and large). Also included is a nice soft travel pouch for the charging tin.To use the SleepBuds, you need to download the Bose Sleep app from the appropriate Appstore and then with the app running, simply open the charging tin and remove the buds and the app detects and pairs them with your device, very similar to how Apple does with the AirPods.They appear in the Bluetooth settings as both a left and right device, but I noticed that you couldn’t stream music to them by using airplay or Bluetooth streaming, which surprised me.The buds themselves are an engineering marvel, they are extremely small, low profile white glossy plastic with super soft silicone eartips/hooks to hold them in your ear. These are extremely comfortable and are definitely the most low-profile earbuds I have ever used. The don’t protrude from your ear meaning you can rest the side of your head on a pillow (or even when you lean on your hand) without it being pushed further into your ear canal.The other thing that I was expecting with this product, being a Bose product was the lack of noise cancelling technology (something that Bose are renowned for) and these are simply “noise masking” using the soundscapes with some white noise that streams from the app.They SleepPods do a great job, given the limitations of no noise cancellation and inability of streaming your own content to the buds. It’s obvious that given the extremely small form factor, there is a limitation to how much functionality they can pack into these tiny units. With the volume at about midway, they did an excellent job of masking any outside noise, and my wife’s snoring melded with the soundtrack being played from the app, and for the first time in a while, I did fall asleep with little difficulty.
I was a bit apprehensive about purchasing these as they are pricey and there are a lot of mixed reviews out there. However, I'm happy to say they work brilliantly for me. They are easy to set up and use, comfortable enough to sleep with, and the available sounds, while limited, are fine for what I need, which is something to mask the noises around me at night so I can fall asleep and stay asleep. And they do that surprisingly well, even on a pretty low volume setting.I would say though, that they are not for everyone. Firstly, for the reasons stated throughout the reviews such as you can't listen to your phone, you're limited to the sounds from Bose, and you have to use the app to control the buds. None of which bothers me, but I get why others aren't impressed by ... MoreI was a bit apprehensive about purchasing these as they are pricey and there are a lot of mixed reviews out there. However, I'm happy to say they work brilliantly for me. They are easy to set up and use, comfortable enough to sleep with, and the available sounds, while limited, are fine for what I need, which is something to mask the noises around me at night so I can fall asleep and stay asleep. And they do that surprisingly well, even on a pretty low volume setting.I would say though, that they are not for everyone. Firstly, for the reasons stated throughout the reviews such as you can't listen to your phone, you're limited to the sounds from Bose, and you have to use the app to control the buds. None of which bothers me, but I get why others aren't impressed by those limitations, especially if they like to fall asleep to podcasts or white noise on YouTube. Also, for people not used to sleeping with ear plugs or in ear headphones, I think these would take a lot of getting used to and are maybe not a good first choice to get you started. The Sleepbuds are a big step up from other things I have used over the years and are absolutely superior to them all in my opinion. But I can see others finding them uncomfortable and bulky if they are used to having nothing in their ears normally. I would advise people to be patient and get used to something else first before trying these. That said, for me they do exactly what they promise to do and I'm very glad I took the plunge.
Ended up returning this. I expected more for something of this price. These won't work/start without connecting to the app which it frequently had trouble doing even when holding them 2inch from my phone. Sometimes only one would connect then I would a have to put it back in the charging case which seemed to reset something and try again.When they were connected sometimes there would be a lag and one ear would change sounds and the other wouldn't, again this would be close to my phone. Sound wise I actually liked this better and found it relaxing most of the time (waves + one of the tranquil felt almost more natural to listen to) but I would prefer it to be an intentional option I have control over versus poor functioning.I knew you could only use they're ... MoreEnded up returning this. I expected more for something of this price. These won't work/start without connecting to the app which it frequently had trouble doing even when holding them 2inch from my phone. Sometimes only one would connect then I would a have to put it back in the charging case which seemed to reset something and try again.When they were connected sometimes there would be a lag and one ear would change sounds and the other wouldn't, again this would be close to my phone. Sound wise I actually liked this better and found it relaxing most of the time (waves + one of the tranquil felt almost more natural to listen to) but I would prefer it to be an intentional option I have control over versus poor functioning.I knew you could only use they're programmed sounds what I didn't realise was how very quickly it repeated itself, within just a few minutes. I liked several of the sounds until I actually tried using them and found their quick repetition annoying and distracting enough to disrupt falling asleep and needing to change it.The charging case is nice but a little finicky. I would place the earbuds in the case hear a little click like it'd set into place and sound like it was good and being charged. I learned quickly when I had dead earbuds in the evening that it's very sensitive in its placement so I would usually have to nudged it a little until I'd see the charging light go on. This means I had to remember every morning to double check which is not my strong point first thing in the morning. I expected them to be a quick and easy placement which clicked into place that takes no thought like my other earbuds.As for the noise masking and blocking it is actually very good at this and does what it's marketed for. The alarm function was great and definitely needed. It was just all the other little issues that made it feel like a high price tag for something that while did mask/ block noise, was lacking the level of quality I'd expect for this price and from Bose.I would only get these again if I had a new night noise disturbance and was getting desperate to block it out because despite everything else they were very good at that.
AFTER update to latest firmware version via laptop to correct right pod connection problem: Excellent fit, comfort and function. With first set, the right pod would never connect; I tried all suggestions from guide, could not find Bose support phone number until used the chat and asked for it (8OO.9O5.1273). Rep said I had tried everything so set needed to be replaced, I chose to exchange at Best Buy vs awaiting a shipment Bose rep offered. I verified 2nd set connected to phone app before leaving store (after charging at the service desk as pod and case batteries were completely dead...ridiculous).Second set worked fine when I went to bed, but in middle of night one pod lost connection and had to be put back in case to reconnect (inconvenient and cumbersome half ... MoreAFTER update to latest firmware version via laptop to correct right pod connection problem: Excellent fit, comfort and function. With first set, the right pod would never connect; I tried all suggestions from guide, could not find Bose support phone number until used the chat and asked for it (8OO.9O5.1273). Rep said I had tried everything so set needed to be replaced, I chose to exchange at Best Buy vs awaiting a shipment Bose rep offered. I verified 2nd set connected to phone app before leaving store (after charging at the service desk as pod and case batteries were completely dead...ridiculous).Second set worked fine when I went to bed, but in middle of night one pod lost connection and had to be put back in case to reconnect (inconvenient and cumbersome half asleep and in dark in middle of night). When I awoke regular am, found that one pod had lost connection again, but now would not reconnect...ridiculous. I called support again and was guided to download latest firmware (which required laptop connection and 20 minutes). The set has now worked properly for 2 nights, but I expected (and would have preferred) they sent me a replacement from the latest batch (as I was offered the first time I called in). I am a light sleeper and side sleeper, but do find these to be extremely comfortable with no pressure from pillow or inner or outer ear discomfort. Very good sound quality, The actual device (out of sized adapters) is tiny and light, so I can see why no space for song storage (I don’t need, but would prefer more sleep sound choices). Although the sound level does seem very low when trying out, the first night I went to sleep at about 70% volume, but awoke around 4am and had to reduce volume to 30-40% as in dead quite of night was too loud and keeping me awake. My wife snores in varying volumes and consistencies, so is a challenge to find volume that will “drown out” most external sounds, yet not be too loud itself. I like “Cascade” best now.Regardless, I have tried all in-ear sound control methods and these are the most comfortable and work the best. The most effective (and cheapest) sound/noise blockage is Mack’s silicone/wax ear plugs, but I find uncomfortable and awkward. Although these sleepbuds will not completely cover loud snoring, they work Much better than the highest rated foam plugs or anything else I’ve tried, plus are more comfortable and don’t lose their seal or fall out. They do help tremendously to “cover” and camouflage enough that I can get very much needed continuous sleep, therefore I plan to keep them. I gave 4 star back because of 2 bad experiences (were less than 1 Star), difficultly getting a live rep, and am not confident of quality and longevity after the initial quality problems, which was ridiculous for $250 Bose product, especially after finding from others reviews and reps comments that is a known issue.
I was super excited to see that Bose had announced a new version of its Sleepbuds after abruptly discontinuing the original version last year. I never had a chance to try the first iteration, but as a light sleeper living in the downtown area of a major city, I've long been looking for a way to drown out noise at night. After 2 weeks of use, I can say that the Sleepbuds II have absolutely led to a better night's sleep -- but only after a clunky setup experience and adjusting for proper volume and comfort.=== SETUP (2 Stars) ===It seems like the setup experience should be easy enough, and it is for the most part. Just download the Bose Sleep app, connect the buds via Bluetooth, and you should be good to go. Unfortunately, there's more to it than that, and Bose ... MoreI was super excited to see that Bose had announced a new version of its Sleepbuds after abruptly discontinuing the original version last year. I never had a chance to try the first iteration, but as a light sleeper living in the downtown area of a major city, I've long been looking for a way to drown out noise at night. After 2 weeks of use, I can say that the Sleepbuds II have absolutely led to a better night's sleep -- but only after a clunky setup experience and adjusting for proper volume and comfort.=== SETUP (2 Stars) ===It seems like the setup experience should be easy enough, and it is for the most part. Just download the Bose Sleep app, connect the buds via Bluetooth, and you should be good to go. Unfortunately, there's more to it than that, and Bose isn't very transparent about this. The quick start guide says to connect the charging case to power before pairing with the Bose Sleep app. But what Bose doesn't tell you is that you should fully charge the case and Sleepbuds for at least 6 hours before attempting to pair. This recommendation is hidden on the full owner's manual which is only available on the Bose website and not included in the box. Even after letting the case and Sleepbuds charge for more than 6 hours, my Sleepbuds would not report a charge above 26% - no matter how long I let them charge. After consulting with Bose support, the solution was to press the reset button on the back of the charging case with a paper clip, since apparently the batteries in both the case and Sleepbuds were not properly calibrated. After that, the case and Sleepbuds now charge properly and report the correct batter level via the app. None of this is immediately obvious and several other users have reported this problem on Bose's own online forums. So I suspect it will also be a problem for average users, as well - so hopefully this review will help someone.=== COMFORT (5 Stars) ===I was actually shocked when I first saw the Sleepbuds -- they are amazingly small and do not protrude out of my ears at all. The default medium tip size fits my ears perfectly. The first night I wore them, I realized I had not fully twisted one of the Sleepbuds to get the wing to snap under my ear ridge -- so it ended up falling out halfway through the night. Now, I make a conscious effort to fully twist and secure the buds into place before going to sleep each night. No problems at at all since then.I am exclusively a side-sleeper so I was worried that the Sleepbuds would cause a lot of pressure or discomfort while laying my ears directly on the pillow. I will admit, the first night, I could certainly tell that something was in my ear as I laid on my side, but it never caused any pain or discomfort. Since the buds don't protrude at all, the pressure from my pillow does not force the Sleepbuds deeper into my ears -- they just sit flush with my pillow. If you are a very heavy sleeper and put a lot of pressure on your head or pillow, you might have a different experience. But for me, the comfort of the Sleepbuds far exceeded my expectations, and after two weeks of wearing them, I can't even tell I'm wearing them.=== SOUNDS AND CUSTOMIZATIONS (5 Stars) ===Bose has an excellent selection of sounds available through the Bose Sleep app, and some of the default sounds are my favorites. "Swell" makes my feel like I'm right near the ocean with gentle waves breaking. "Warm Static" is a very gentle white noise. "Rinse" mimics the gentle sound of rain falling on a roof or window. There are a lot of other sounds available via the Sound Library section of the app. The app also lets you set an alarm or enable alerts for incoming phone calls. Sounds can be set to play all night or only for a specific amount of time (anywhere from 30 minutes to 8 hours). What's nice is that the sounds are stored on the earbuds themselves, so even if you lose your Bluetooth connection, the sound keeps playing.What I've learned with these Sleepbuds is that "less is more" -- You really don't need to keep the volume very high. The app actually warns you against doing so if you set the volume at higher levels. I've found that keeping the volume at about 33% is the sweet spot, but this will obviously vary from person to person. It's important to keep in mind that these are noise-masking earbuds, NOT noise-cancelling. So there will still be some ambient noise that can be heard with the Sleepbuds worn. But the sounds in the Bose app are so perfectly tuned that I have not heard any external sounds while sleeping since I began wearing them.=== IMPROVEMENT TO SLEEP QUALITY (5 Stars) ===So this is obviously the main reason anyone would consider the Sleepbuds -- and I'm so happy to say that they have made a massive improvement to my sleep. It took some trial and error to find the right sounds and volume levels. I will admit that I woke up the first night I wore them because the volume was too high and I realized I didn't particularly like whatever sound I had chosen. My advice is to not give up -- keep trying various sounds and volume levels until you find what works for you.I live in an apartment complex in the downtown area of a major city, so noise is just a fact of life. Upstairs neighbors, police sirens, dogs barking -- you name it, I've heard it. With the Sleepbuds, I no longer have to worry about the noisy neighbor who wakes up at 4:00am, or the dog who barks all night. The calming sounds from the Sleepbuds brilliantly mask all of this noise, allowing me to get a full night of uninterrupted sleep. After nearly 2 full weeks of wearing them nightly, I can safely say that I am waking up more rested than I have in long time.=== OVERALL ===I really love the Sleepbuds. I don't know of any other mainstream product on the market in this category, but I'm so glad that Bose chose to bring back the Sleepbuds with the comfort and quality that they're known for. I had to knock off a star for the sub-par setup experience, but I'm hopeful that Bose will improve that with future firmware updates. To new buyers who may be questioning the comfort or effectiveness of the Sleepbuds, my advice is to stick with it and try different combinations of sounds, volume levels, and ear tip sizes. You may be rewarded with some of the best sleep you've had in a while.
I’m A big fan of Bose and I wanted to love these. They are super comfy and the perfect size for sleep. I was excited to get these. The disappointment comes from the fact that the noise masking is not as good as noise canceling, and the preloaded sounds are terrible and not comforting or sleep inducing. Bose needs to make sleep buds that allow the wearer to stream their own sounds—I have meditations, music and sleep stories that I love and being forced to give those up because sleep bud manufacturers think they know what their clients want is a terrible idea. I love the size and fit and battery life gets you through the night, but the sounds are not what relaxing me so I had to Return them. The first company that makes a well fitting, small comfortable sleep bud ... MoreI’m A big fan of Bose and I wanted to love these. They are super comfy and the perfect size for sleep. I was excited to get these. The disappointment comes from the fact that the noise masking is not as good as noise canceling, and the preloaded sounds are terrible and not comforting or sleep inducing. Bose needs to make sleep buds that allow the wearer to stream their own sounds—I have meditations, music and sleep stories that I love and being forced to give those up because sleep bud manufacturers think they know what their clients want is a terrible idea. I love the size and fit and battery life gets you through the night, but the sounds are not what relaxing me so I had to Return them. The first company that makes a well fitting, small comfortable sleep bud where I can listen to my own content will get my business. Meanwhile I bought the Jabra elite 75 because they are softer and smaller than any others I could find where I can acres my own content, but there are not made for sleep, and the left earbud goes out a lot. Sadly I thought I had thritybfays to return them but I only had 15 so I missed that chance to get my money back on another product that does not meet my needs. Don’t the get the Bosevsleepbuds unless you want half life of active noise canceling—noise “masking” is NOT the same-and only if you can live with cracking fires and other white noise that is more jarring than relaxing and you know you can live without ever accessing your own content. So very disappointed
First off, let me say that I like to sleep. I know that is not a controversial statement, but I LOVE to sleep and I always have. My mom said that straight from the hospital I slept like it was my job. Over the years I moved up the rungs of the sleeping company until I was president and CEO of the company. I slept through an F5 tornado in Oklahoma back in the day! Unfortunately, old age, stress, COVID, politics, and a cat that likes to do 0400 zoomies, have ruined my sleeping career. My sleep has been so bad for the last year or so that I was on the verge of asking my doc for sleeping pills, which I really don't want to use, but I was getting to the point that it was seriously affecting my life.I've tried a ton of different things from earplugs, to meditation, to ... MoreFirst off, let me say that I like to sleep. I know that is not a controversial statement, but I LOVE to sleep and I always have. My mom said that straight from the hospital I slept like it was my job. Over the years I moved up the rungs of the sleeping company until I was president and CEO of the company. I slept through an F5 tornado in Oklahoma back in the day! Unfortunately, old age, stress, COVID, politics, and a cat that likes to do 0400 zoomies, have ruined my sleeping career. My sleep has been so bad for the last year or so that I was on the verge of asking my doc for sleeping pills, which I really don't want to use, but I was getting to the point that it was seriously affecting my life.I've tried a ton of different things from earplugs, to meditation, to naps, and there was always something that kept it from working as well as I would like or need. I HATE wearing earplugs, not only because I have trouble keeping them, but also I'm a side sleeper and the pillow pushing the earplug into my ear is more of a problem than noise. Meditation has helped with the stress a bit, but that hasn't really carried over to helping my sleep. Naps during the day haven't gone so well because the neighborhood I'm in is bustling during the day and it's impossible to sleep for any length of time with the cars going by, the workers doing whatever work they have to do, and just people who aren't as tired as me getting on with their lives.The Bose Sleepbuds II were are hail-Mary shot at trying to finally get some decent quality of sleep again. Fortunately that hail-Mary has come through for me. It has only been a week since I got them but I'm already doing better than I have in months. So what has been so great about the Sleepbuds II? Here are the pros:1. Incredibly comfortable: These things are tiny and the silicone earpieces that wrap around them are nicely pliable and do an excellent job giving you a decent amount of passive noise canceling without hurting at all. They are so small that they don't sit outside of your ears at all unlike many earplugs. I can sleep on my side with them in my ears better than I ever have before. The first couple of nights, I woke up with my ears hurting a bit but I think that was because I darn near passed out and I'm not sure I moved my head for most of the night.2. Great Selection of Sounds: Between the three categories of sounds (Noise Masking, Naturescapes, and Tranquilities), there are 40 different sounds to choose from and you can have any combination of 10 of them loaded into your Sleepbuds. The Noise Masking sounds are there to help drown out the sounds of cars, people talking, yard work, snoring, or whatever might be keeping you awake. It, combined with the passive noise cancelling of the eartips does a very good job of covering up those external sounds. Is it absolutely quiet, no, but it is pretty darn good. I'm a pretty big fan of the water based sounds (rain, stream, surf). The Naturescapes build on the noise masking in that they are a more complex sound with additional depth to them. They add things like birds, or rain on leaves, and such to further help mask outside noise. Finally, the Tranquilities are musical sounds that are ethereal and such that I would never probably use for sleeping but perhaps others might like it.3. Easy Portability: The Sleepbuds II case is slightly smaller than a hockey puck, so it is super easy to pack into a bag. The top lid slides back to reveal the Sleepbuds in their docking stations and you can also see the battery life and charging indicators. You just drop the buds in and the magnets in the case draw the buds to their perfect charging position and you are good to go.4. Nice App: The Bose Sleep App is incredibly easy to use and makes it a breeze to connect to your Sleepbuds. It is simple to connect to your earbuds once you put them in your ears and to swipe between sounds that are loaded up or to select new sounds to add.5. Alarm: Super easy to set an alarm in app that only you will hear and you don't have to worry about waking anyone else.There are a few quibbles I have with the Sleepbuds that I think Bose could easily address with an App update:1. Make it easier to add/remove sounds from the earbuds: Right now, when you are looking on the app at the Sound Library, the ones that are on the Sleepbuds are down at the bottom of the screen and you have to scroll down to see them. And that is the same for each of the three sound categories. I think these should be at the top. You can also see all of them by just swiping left and right on My Sounds tab but if you are trying to manage the sounds, you have to do that from the Library. Also, you can't just pick sounds to delete from your Sleepbuds. What will happen is that once you try to put on more than 10 sounds, it will prompt you to remove sounds to make room. It will then present you with a list of the sounds on your Sleepbuds and you can select which ones you would like to delete. This should just be a tab as it is. You should also be able to switch the order of sounds as they appear when you swipe left/right in the My Sounds tab.2. Make it easier to select sounds to download with your Sleepbuds in your ears: When previewing the sounds in the Sound Library prior to downloading them to the Sleepbuds, you will have to listen to it through your phone speaker and not the Sleepbuds if they are already in your ears. It's kinda weird that the Sleep App can't stream the samples of the sounds to your Sleepbuds. By the way, you will only be listening to sounds that you load onto your Sleepbuds from the Sound Library. You will not be streaming the sounds from the app nor can you stream any music or anything else from your phone.So, to wrap things up, I have been very happy with the Bose Sleepbuds II. I am already seeing better sleep in just the week since I have had them. I also think that these have a lot more use to them than just helping you get sleep at night. These things are not cheap and you might balk at the price just for something to help you go to sleep at night, no matter how well it does that. I have already put them to use in other ways as well. The Sleepbuds have also improved my naps and meditation!Naps: I'm still trying to catch up with my sleep and I've always been a fan of naps anyway. The sound masking tech in the Sleepbuds is great at night but it's just as good, if not better during the day when there is an even greater amount of sound preventing you from getting a good nap. Also, I tend to take my naps in my easy chair (I have become my father), and without sleeping on my side, I have absolutely no discomfort in my ears at all!Meditation: The Tranquilities that you can load onto the Sleepbuds are perfect for meditation. Like I said above, they are a little too musical for my taste when trying to sleep but they are absolutely perfect for taking the time to de-stress and focus through meditation. I would really love it if Bose would even add some guided meditation options to the Sleepbuds Sound Library. That may be harder to do since that would be a much larger sound file, but perhaps they can try it for a future version.All-in-all, I couldn't be much happier than I am with the Bose Sleepbuds II. They do just what Bose promises and they do it extremely well. Thank you Bose for helping me get some much needed rest again!
My sleep is absolute garbage. This is an ongoing struggle of mine, and of many adults, and has been for the last several years of my life. Anxiety, depression, a questionable childhood, a lack of routine exercise, a lack of a balanced and healthy diet…an unfathomable things are often blamed (credited) for poor sleep, and when you're the one with the problem, there are oftentimes just too many things to contemplate, and to test, to try and get through it.I don't doubt that a healthier lifestyle--diet and exercise--would make a big difference on my sleep habits. But, I'm also lazy; I'm plagued by resolution to poor sleep in the same way I'm plagued by resolution to being overweight: I, like so many others, just want a magic bullet to take care of it all.But in ... MoreMy sleep is absolute garbage. This is an ongoing struggle of mine, and of many adults, and has been for the last several years of my life. Anxiety, depression, a questionable childhood, a lack of routine exercise, a lack of a balanced and healthy diet…an unfathomable things are often blamed (credited) for poor sleep, and when you're the one with the problem, there are oftentimes just too many things to contemplate, and to test, to try and get through it.I don't doubt that a healthier lifestyle--diet and exercise--would make a big difference on my sleep habits. But, I'm also lazy; I'm plagued by resolution to poor sleep in the same way I'm plagued by resolution to being overweight: I, like so many others, just want a magic bullet to take care of it all.But in reality, magic bullets don't exist…hence, sleep aids in the form of pills are sought out, addictions are created…it's a generally unhealthy solution. And, as I get older, I find myself not so much in favor of these less-than-natural fixes.Last summer when Bose announced their new product--the Noise Masking Sleepbuds--my love for Bose products and desire for a decent night of sleep piqued my interest…but at the price of $249, it was a bit of a luxury that I wasn't willing to invest in.Over a year later, the Sleepbuds have seen no second generation (yet), and the price seems to be pretty static. However, just before Labor Day this year I found them priced at Best Buy for $199, and I had just discovered an old gift card and some extra certificates that could get the out-of-pocket investment just under $150…and I decided it was time to pull the trigger.The first thing I noticed about the Sleepbuds packaging was how delightfully Bose it was presented. It had been some time since I unboxed a new Bose product, so I was eager to get started. The outer sleeve gives way to a completely matte black box, and upon opening the box you are greeted with the silver hockey-puck-like case the Buds are stored in. Below that, a panel lifts to expose the instructions, ear tips and charging components. And, as this is a product from mid-2018, no one should be surprised to find a micro-USB charge connection.The puck itself feels almost metallic; it's a very lightweight material with a lid that slides back and reveals the buds inside. 5 LED lights along the center of the inside rim indicate level of charge, and longer LED lights by each bud indicate connection to the case. The buds are held in place by magnets. The bottom of the puck has a rubberized pad which prevents the unit from being easily slid on a table or nightstand. It is wonderfully simple, and elegant, and pleasing.The buds themselves have two components: the electronic component, approximately the size of a small kidney bean, and the ear tip which holds it. The tips are easily interchangeable.Without downloading the Bose Sleep app, the puck comes a very expensive paperweight. Setup is simple; the app walks you through changing the ear tips, proper fit, and how to charge the buds…it takes no more than a minute, and it doesn't require the creation of any account online. The app is otherwise a simple interface--showing the percentage of the charge the buds currently have, what sound is playing, and any set alarms on its home screen.The pre-installed library of sounds have two categories: relaxation and noise-masking; out of the box, all but one of the sounds are noise-masking sounds, intended to be used for sleeping. When turned on, the volume can be increased or decreased via the app (not your phone's volume control), but it doesn't get very loud at its highest volume--although I'm sure most would not sleep comfortably with them up all the way; during my testing, I left the volume around 30% on most nights.The sounds are exactly what you'd expect from any electronics bin "white noise" machine you can buy from most big box retailers and very easily online: the hum of an airplane, the rush of a waterfall, the gentle sound of a stream, rustling leaves, waves washing ashore, generic white noise, and a campfire at night with crickets in the background. Ironically, my go-to sound was the last of those, even though (even as I write this review) the sound of crickets in the woods surrounding my house is really quite loud coming in through an open window. There is also one pre-installed relaxation sound "Tranquility" that plays a calming tonal progression that if I were into meditating, I might actually quite enjoy.From a features perspective, I love the idea of the Sleepbuds…a small, truly wireless set of earbuds that don't fall out of your ears and aren't uncomfortable to wear all night; they are light and accommodating regardless of whether or not you sleep on your side. Previously, I would wear a pear of Apple Earpods nearly every night and listen to music on a timer while falling asleep…so having something in my ears at night is not an obstacle for me. That said, because these fit so well, sometimes removing them can be quite tricky, and at times when trying to do it quickly I found myself panicking a bit to get them out. Regardless, they are very comfortable. They aren't noise-canceling, mind you, but because they utilize a very familiar eartip design to other Bose products, they do a phenomenal job at noise isolation without playing any sounds.The library of sounds is small, and doesn't seem to be developing (there are currently 9 masking sounds and 11 relaxation sounds available via the app, although you'll have to download 10 of those 11 relaxation tones to the buds after purchase. And no, you can't listen to your own audio files on these; Bose says that transferring even from among the limited library of sounds to your buds can take up to several hours per sound, although I was able to download a relaxation sound called "Boardwalk" in about 40 minutes. As a bonus, transferring can be done during the night while they are in use, and can also be paused and picked up at a later time.You can also utilize the alarm feature to have the buds wake you in the morning. There are 7 alarm sounds available, and snooze, fade in, and alarm scheduling are all available options. Although you can set a seemingly high number of alarms, only the next occurring alarm is saved to the buds themselves. Side note, I found snoozing to be a bit of a joke, and the only way to disable the alarm is to put the buds back in their case, which is VERY difficult to do in the dark if you've just woken up--and in that sense, it serves as a great alarm clock.Bottom line though--do they work? Well, they seem to, although even I can admit they are a very unique and niche product…it's no wonder why we haven't seen a second generation or an expanding library of sounds. The buds easily get through a night of use, and with the charge case I found myself recharging these every 2-3 days. But my sleep did get substantially better, noticeably so--such that I found that I was sleeping longer and more consistently throughout the night, and waking up feeling more refreshed than usual.I don't think they're going to be a silver bullet for everyone. I always listen to something when I sleep--a fan, the outdoors, and most often music (at least for a part of the night)--and I've found the sleepbuds keep a consistent stream of [effectively] nothingness and blocking out other anomalous sounds that otherwise jostle me awake during the night. And, at a discounted price of $199 (and even less considering the gift cards and certificates I stumbled across), I think this is a purchase I'm going to be pleased with.That said, I would love to see some more sounds available in the library, or even a similar low-weight and high-comfort product be released by Bose that does allow custom sounds, even music, for this purpose--because the comfort level on these, provided you don't mind things in your ears at night, to be the most successful and compelling part of the product. At the full price of $249, it's a big commitment--but one worth trying if good sleep alludes you on a regular basis.
