The entire process of sleep—whether trying to fall asleep or staying asleep — is decidedly more complicated now than it was even just a few years ago. Between the stress of daily life, the way screens have infiltrated our bedrooms, and just other general distractions, the last thing you need is something waking you up in the middle of the night.
Recently, sleep headphones and earbuds have become increasingly popular thanks to brands like QuietOn, which just launched the newest version of their sleep earplugs, the QuietOn 3, and sent a pair to SPY for review.
We put these earbuds to the test to see if they really resulted in better, more restful sleep, and we won’t keep you in suspense — they absolutely did. Check out our full review below.
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QuietOn 3 ANC Sleep Earbuds: What We Liked
The QuietOn 3 ANC sleep earbuds look like any other traditional earbuds, but you may notice the buds themselves look decidedly smaller. The earbuds are much more similar in their appearance to a standard set of earplugs than they are earbuds you’d use for audio purposes. However, the QuietOn 3 function like a traditional pair of earbuds, only the signal they produce is done without connecting to any audio device. The active noise cancelation is engineered to block annoying, low-frequency sounds that may either keep you awake or wake you up in the middle of the night. The most common of those sounds? Your partner’s snoring, chirping birds, or traffic. The 3s still allow you to hear higher frequency noises, which means you won’t miss your alarm or your partner nudging you awake if you’ve overslept.
The earbuds fit into your ear and are meant to sit more flush inside than other earbuds. The foam eartips help seal and lock them into your ear so you’re getting the most out of the unit’s noise cancellation while also making it so sleeping on your side is more accessible than it might be with other units.
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In short, the QuietOn 3 do work. My partner has a sound machine that I sometimes find to be more harmful than helpful in terms of getting me to sleep, and the earbuds helped to mask a lot of that noise. Additionally, in testing the unit without the machine on, the earbuds helped to cut down on noise from the streets around our rental and the school behind us. Simply put, the QuietOn 3 absolutely delivers on its promise to provide a quieter, more relaxing sleeping experience. Plus, the battery life in the unit is really impressive, especially when paired with its dedicated charging case, bringing the total time up to about 28 hours worth of battery life off of a fully charged case.
QuietOn 3 ANC Sleep Earbuds: What We Didn’t Like
There is a little bit of a learning curve with the QuietOn 3s, as it took me a while to adjust to having earbuds in while I slept. I’m not typically someone that would sleep with earplugs in (if things are too loud, I usually go and get a set of over-the-ear headphones and hope for the best), so there may be a bit of an adjustment in that regard. Additionally, while the units are certainly more flush than other earbuds, I found sleeping on my sides a little uncomfortable if I put my arms underneath my ears. If I did that, the QuietOn 3s would start to irritate my ears a bit. Additionally, I found if I didn’t place the earbuds in my ears just right, they’d fall out in my bed while I slept. I tend to toss and turn a lot in my sleep, so this may not be an issue for some, but something worth mentioning nonetheless. It is, however, far more of a me issue than anything related to the actual product itself. The price of the units themselves may also cause a raised eyebrow or two, but they’re well worth it in the long run.
The Verdict: The QuietOn 3 ANC Sleep Earbuds Make A Huge Difference
I suspect those who regularly turn to earplugs to sleep will find a lot to love about the QuietOn 3 earbuds. As someone new to the space, I certainly found myself appreciating them more and more I used them. If you’re having trouble sleeping due to noises in and around your space, the QuietOn 3s will make your sleep process much easier. That level of comfort can make all the difference in the world.
