Ozlo Sleepbuds review: Block noise with stunning sound for better sleep

I've never really been one for sleep sounds, nor have I ever needed complete silence to nod off — growing up as one of five siblings certainly teaches you to sleep in a busy house. But I've become somewhat of a more sensitive sleeper in my mid-twenties and my neighbors have a new puppy that just does not shut up through the night, so I've been in the market for a noise-blocking sleep solution.

Enter the Ozlo Sleepbuds. Launched just over a year ago, these earbuds were created by three former Bose engineers and designed to sit comfortably in your ears overnight, no matter what your sleep position (hint: they do exactly that). They're preloaded with 32 sleep soundscapes and block out sleep-stealing noise.

After testing them at home and on a long haul transatlantic flight under our sleep earbud review methodology, I can see why the Ozlo Sleepbuds are rated as some of the best sleep headphones you can buy online.

We rarely see discounts on the Ozlo Sleepbuds but there's $75/£65 off in current Black Friday sleep sales, dropping them to the lowest price we've seen since they were released in October 2024. So, I'm here to give you my honest review of the Ozlo Sleepbuds before you add them to your cart...

Ozlo Sleepbuds Review: Cheat Sheet

What is it? A sleek pair of earbuds you can comfortably wear overnight
Who is it for? Side sleepers looking to block out noise and replace it with soothing sound, alongside gaining sleep tracking insights
What does it cost? From $349 / £299 at full price but there's a sale on now
What do we like? Super light, comfortable fit, solid active noise cancellation (ANC), enjoyable sound, a chic case and four sizes
What don’t we like? Battery life is average, they're pricey for earbuds solely designed for sleep

Ozlo Sleepbuds Review: Specs

Ozlo Sleepbuds Review: Price & availability

• High quality = high price tag
• There's a rare $75/£65 discount running now
• You can get a free subscription to the new Calm Sleep app included, too

At full price you can expect to pay $349/£299 for the Ozlo Sleepbuds. But current Black Friday sales are slashing 20% off. In the US there's $75 off, cutting the cost to $274. Across the pond, you can bag the Ozlo Sleepbuds for £234.

Granted, it's still a rather premium price, but these earbuds are reliable and offer top sound quality. We think they are a particularly worthy investment if noise pollution is stealing your ZZZs.

What's more, Ozlo just announced a partnership with the new Calm Sleep app and is celebrating with a great offer. You can now get a free one-year subscription to the brand new Calm Sleep app (worth $69.99) with your Ozlo purchase. This app holds even more curated sleep audio, guided mediations and a personalized sleep plan.

What about shipping? That's free, too. You can return the Ozlo Sleepbuds within 30 days if they don't meet your needs, and you're covered by a two-year warranty should there be a manufacturing defect.

Ozlo Sleepbuds: $349/£299 $274/£234 at Ozlo
This Black Friday the Ozlo Sleepbuds are down to their lowest price yet. This means if you act fast, you can check them out for $274 in the US and £234 in the UK. There's also bundle deals available with more money off when you buy two or three pairs.

User score: ★★★★½ (2,500+ reviews)

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Ozlo Sleepbuds Review: Design & comfort

• Lightweight and sit flush in the ears
• Designed with all sleep positions in mind
• Most comfortable earbuds I've ever tried, but don't stay in all night

The three ex-Bose employees who co-founded Ozlo acquired patents for Bose's discontinued Sleepbuds line to create the new Ozlo Sleep company.

The Ozlo Sleepbuds are designed specifically for sleeping, with comfort for side sleepers being a key feature. This means they are lightweight (just 0.06oz / 1.6g per bud) and sit flush in your earlobe.

The buds are low-profile and come with four sets of silicone tips in different sizes so you can find a comfortable fit and secure seal for ANC.

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I'm not sure if I have an especially small ear, but I have a hard time finding earbuds that sit comfortably. Even the best wireless earbuds from Bose and Apple irritate my ears. But I was pleasantly surprised when I slotted the Ozlo Sleepbuds in for the first time and wasn't irritated beyond measure. In fact, I could hardly feel them in my ear lobe even when I laid on my side.

It was going so well, but the Ozlo Sleepbuds didn't manage to stay in my ears for the full first night. By the time I woke up in the morning, they were somewhere among my bedsheets. However, I sized down to the smallest tip after that and they've stayed put — impressive considering I'm a wriggly combination sleeper.

Ozlo Sleepbuds Review: Features & ANC

• Great ANC
• Plenty of built-in sleep sounds
• Basic sleep tracking also included

The Ozlo Sleepbuds are designed to block out sleep-disrupting noise and replace it with sleep-inducing sounds.

There's plenty of sleep sounds to chose from in the Ozlo app, from Ocean Tide (my favorite) to Rolling Thunder, Fireglow and Pink Haze, or you can stream sleep tracks of your choice via Bluetooth.

Meanwhile noise masking technology blocks out any noise around you. I found the earbuds successfully blocked out the main street outside my window, my neighbor's barking dogs and even the click of my iPhone locking.

I also wore them on a flight and they replaced the babbling cabin noise with soft nature sounds, which I found incredibly calming when flying.

Benefits aren't all audio-related. The Ozlo Sleepbuds also come with biometric and environmental sensors, offering basic sleep tracking. Accelerometers in the buds themselves are able to detect sleep stages and timing, painting a picture of overall sleep quality.

In the case, there's ambient noise detection, temperature and light sensors. The data these sensors gather tells you how many noise events the Sleepbuds managed to mask through the night and how stable your sleep temperature was.

Ozlo Sleepbuds Review: Audio quality

• Smooth, calming sound
• Best suited to sleep sounds rather than music streaming
• Audiophiles may not approve of lack of bass

As far as specialized sleep headphones go, the Ozlo Sleepbuds have solid audio quality. It's a clear, pleasant sound that, in my opinion, is far smoother (and enjoyable) than the tinny sound offered by some budget earbuds I've tried over the years.

You can technically wear the Ozlo Sleepbuds by day as they can stream audio from your phone, but they are primarily intended for sleep purposes.

The earbuds lack the rich bass offered by audiophile-approved headphones, so they're not ideal for music listening. But this isn't their purpose, anyway. Their remit is sleep sounds, and at that they excel, bringing clear, calming sounds that soothe you to sleep.

Ozlo Sleepbuds Review: App & controls

• Connects to the app within seconds
• Connection to app is crucial for set up and sound alteration
• App interface is well-designed and easy to navigate

Unlike standard earbuds that connect to your phone via Bluetooth, you must open the Ozlo app and flick to case open and closed for the buds to connect. It's slightly tedious, but the buds connect within a matter of seconds and I haven't had any issues with my phone finding them.

The app is the control centre for the Sleepbuds. Here, you can select your soundscape, adjust volume and set your morning alarm.

There's also a toggle for sleep tracking where you can find data the earbuds collect about your sleep cycles, sleep times, sleep efficiency and wake periods. But for devices that can provide more detailed sleep data head to our best sleep trackers guide.

A phone and an active Bluetooth connection are necessary to initially set up the Ozlo Sleepbuds and to stream audio. But your Sleepbuds can be configured to automatically play your chosen built-in sleep sound as soon as you take them out of the case, if you wish to ditch your phone at bedtime (which sleep experts recommend you do).

Ozlo Sleepbuds Review: Battery life

• Last up to 10 hours with constant audio playing
• Must be charged daily in case
• Case holds 32 hours battery life

The Sleepbuds pack a long-life, lithium-ion battery that holds up to 10 hours of battery even when audio is constantly playing. The smart case then holds an additional 32 hours of charge for the Sleepbuds.

After a full eight-hour night's sleep they tend to drop down to 17%, which at first I thought seemed low (I'm used to Garmin battery life). But they fully recharged after a couple of hours in the case where they sit through the day anyway.

If you're using them every single night, you'd need to plug in the case to charge roughly every three days. It charges via a USB-C cable.

Ozlo Sleepbuds Review: Should you buy?

The Ozlo Sleepbuds have exceptional audio quality for dedicated sleep earbuds. You certainly get the quality you pay for.

Comfort is also top drawer. I'm squeamish when it comes to things touching me, especially around my head, neck and ears (reviewing the neck-worn Pulsetto vagus nerve stimulator was not fun for me), so I wasn't sold on the idea of wearing earbuds to bed at first. Yet I can honestly say the Ozlo Sleepbuds were no bother.

If budget was no question, I'd have no qualms recommending the Ozlo Sleepbuds to anyone looking for a reliable pair of noise-blocking sleep earbuds. However, I understand $250+ is out of budget for many sleepers, especially considering you're only meant to wear them at night.

Perhaps if you could wear them by day too, for exercise and general music listening, the price would be more justifiable. But they are otherwise a luxury purchase, especially considering there are budget-friendly options like the Musicozy headphones/sleep mask available for $20 now.

Ultimately, if you can handle the hefty price tag, these Sleepbuds are a serious upgrade over using normal wireless earbuds to bed and have real potential to improve your sleep comfort and overall sleep quality. No earache or noise complaints here.