Sleep Headphones - Bluetooth Eye Mask with Built In Speakers and Mic

Description

These sleep headphones are flat Bluetooth speakers built into a soft velvet eye mask, so you can listen to music, audiobooks or podcasts lying down without anything pressing into your ear. The mask weighs 106g, runs 3 to 4 hours on its 180mAh battery, and is $29.99 in black at Lets Party. It has a built-in microphone for hands-free calls and connects to phones and tablets over Bluetooth.

The reason this product exists is that ordinary earbuds and side sleeping are fundamentally incompatible. A hard earbud between your ear and the pillow either falls out or hurts, and over-ear headphones are worse. The alternative most people fall back on is playing audio out loud from a phone on the bedside table, which does not work if anyone else is in the room. Flat drivers sewn into a fabric band solve the mechanical problem: there is nothing rigid to press against, and the mask blocks light at the same time, which is useful for shift workers, long-haul flights and anyone whose bedroom faces a streetlight.

Specifications

What's in the Box

Why Choose Sleep Headphones Over Earbuds

• Nothing rigid in your ear - the speakers are flat and sit against the side of the head, so lying on your side does not push anything into the ear canal.
• Blocks light as well as delivering sound - it is doing the job of an eye mask at the same time, which is the whole point of combining the two.
• Nothing to lose in the bedding - a single band cannot fall out and disappear under the doona the way a loose earbud can.
• Hands-free calls - the built-in microphone means you can take a call without sitting up and finding the phone.
• Light at 106g - light enough that most people stop noticing it, which is the difference between wearing it and abandoning it after a week.

Can You Sleep on Your Side Wearing These?

Side sleeping is the specific problem this design exists to solve, so yes - that is the use case it is built for. The speakers are flat panels rather than the cylindrical drivers in earbuds, and they sit inside the fabric band rather than protruding from it. Two honest caveats. The speaker panels are still objects, so if you sleep on a very firm pillow you may feel where they sit and want to shift the band slightly so the panels rest forward of your ear rather than directly on it. And on a soft pillow the fabric can bunch. Most people find the position that works within the first couple of nights.

Will the Battery Last All Night?

No, and it is worth being upfront about that because a lot of listings for this kind of product are not. Three to four hours of playback will not cover an eight hour night. For the way most people actually use sleep headphones that is not a problem - the common pattern is listening to something while falling asleep and letting it run out, or using a sleep timer in your podcast or music app so it stops on its own. If what you want is continuous audio from lights-out to morning, this is not the product for that, and you would need something with a much larger battery. If you want half an hour of an audiobook while you drift off, four hours is more than enough and you charge it every few nights.

Are Sleep Headphones Better Than Earbuds in Bed?

For sleeping, generally yes, for two reasons beyond comfort. The first is that earbuds seal the ear canal for hours at a time, which traps moisture and is a known contributor to ear irritation - flat speakers sitting outside the ear do not. The second is that a hard earbud pressed between skull and pillow puts sustained pressure on the ear cartilage, which is what causes the ache people wake up with. Where earbuds win is sound quality and isolation. A sealed earbud will always sound fuller and block more noise than a flat panel a centimetre from your ear. If you need to block a snoring partner or traffic, earplugs or proper noise-cancelling gear will do it better; if you want something pleasant to listen to while falling asleep, this is the more comfortable option.

Buyers are typically side sleepers who have given up on earbuds in bed, shift workers who need to sleep during daylight, frequent flyers who want one item instead of a mask plus headphones, people who listen to audiobooks or sleep podcasts at night, and partners of light sleepers who cannot play audio out loud.

For more of the same kind of thing, see our Tech and Mobile Accessories range, and Essentials for everyday items worth having a spare of.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the battery last?
Approximately three to four hours of playback from a 180mAh battery. It is designed for listening while falling asleep rather than all night.

Can I wash it?
The supplier has not given us washing instructions, and this is a fabric mask with electronics sewn in, so we are not going to guess at whether the module removes. Message us before ordering if washability is important and we will ask them.

Does it block sound as well as light?
No. It covers the eyes and it plays audio, but it is not a noise-blocking product. If noise is the problem, earplugs are the right tool.

Will it work with an iPhone and an Android?
Yes, it pairs as an ordinary Bluetooth audio device, so it works with any phone, tablet or laptop with Bluetooth.

What Bluetooth version is it?
The supplier's specification sheet does not state a version, so we have not put one in the specifications table even though the previous title claimed one. We have asked them to confirm it.

Can I use it for calls?
Yes. There is a microphone built into the mask for hands-free calls.

Is it adjustable?
It is a headband style mask, so it stretches to fit. No specific size range has been supplied.

Fast Australian Shipping

We dispatch from within Australia, so orders reach Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra and Darwin quickly rather than waiting on overseas transit. Regional and remote addresses go through the standard Australia Post network.

Specifications including battery capacity, playback time and weight are supplied by the manufacturer. This is a comfort and entertainment product. It is not a medical device and we make no claim that it treats insomnia or any other sleep disorder - if you have persistent trouble sleeping, that is worth raising with your GP.