Bose Sleepbuds II

If you’re a light sleeper, or have trouble sleeping at home or on your travels because of noisy neighbours or snoring, you’ll love these new and improved sleep buds from Bose. Here’s why.

• What Is It: Specialty ear buds to help you sleep and to block noise.

• Why buy: They’re comfortable to wear, they have a long battery life, they come with a special library of sounds.

• The Details: Bose Sleepbuds II cost rrp $379.95, available from www.bose.com.au and various stockists nationally including Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi.  

Road Test

A good night’s sleep is vital for your health and wellbeing, both physically and mentally. After all, who hasn’t noticed the difference between feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after a great sleep, and feeling tired and cranky after too little. There are many reasons while you may experience poor sleep, but if localised noise is one of them, Bose is tackling the problem with the relaunch of Sleepbuds II. The company’s first Sleepbuds concept hit the market in 2018, but while they were undoubtedly innovative, they also had problems from inconsistent battery life and odd sounds, to buds that wouldn't fully charge. As a result, Bose recalled all those buds for full refunds, and went back to the drawing board. Thankfully, in the back half of 2020, they launched the new, “reimagined” Sleepbuds II, along with a promise that all those pesky old problems had been addressed. 

I’ve been a longtime fan of Bose, with one of my more coveted purchases in recent years being a pair of its QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones about five years ago. I bought them specifically for my travels, but ended up being used at home just as much, even wearing them while sleeping to block out noise at times. I’d also read all about the issues with the original Sleepbuds, but back then I was a good sleeper, even when I travelled. These days I have to take a specific medication which has changed all that; I not only have mild tinnitus in my left ear, but problems getting to, and staying, asleep. I can literally wake up to the sound of a feather falling from the sky. After many sleep challenged nights I started wearing my QC35s to bed, switched on noise cancelling. They worked in terms of blocking any peripheral noise, but made side sleeping almost impossible. Then I heard that Sleepbuds II were relaunching, and as soon as they became available in Australia I treated myself to a pair. The offer of a 90-day money back guarantee was a nice cushion given the earlier problems, but as things worked out there was no reason to worry about their performance, or to even think of returning them.

While my beloved QC35 headphones have a focus on active-noise-cancelling technology, for which Bose is famous, Sleepbuds II have more of a focus on noise-masking; they believe it’s a better solution for sleeping. You also can’t stream music or any other type of audio from an iPhone to these ear buds, as they will only connect to the Bose Sleep app. This is where you can download noise-masking sounds from flowing water to rainforest sounds, change settings such as the volume of sounds and whether or not to take calls while using the buds, and set alarms to wake you up. Bose Sleepbuds II are quite a bit smaller than typical true-wireless buds, as they are specifically designed to be comfortable when lying on a pillow. Bose also includes three sets of silicone tips for a good fit, and with a hook to secure the buds in your ears. As for the oh-so cool buds case, it has a slide-open cover and magnets which pull the buds into their individual docks, along with a light which illuminates and flashes as they charge. The case doubles up as a battery case packing an extra three hours of charge, and it recharges by way of a USB-C to USB-A cable (included). For now, my buds are secure in their case and plugged in on my nightstand, but it’s nice to know there’s additional battery life if I was on the road somewhere.

As for other features, Sleepbuds II are incredibly comfortable to wear, especially if you are a side sleeper like me. You hardly know they are there, and never feel like you have a protruding piece of tech in your ear canal while snuggling into your pillow. The audio is also terrific; clear, crisp and customisable with a decent library of sounds to suit your likes and dislikes, and to mask different types of noises. The battery life is also top notch, with Bose promising and easily exceeding 10 hours per charge, the earbud battery charge time is six hours, the charging case battery charge time is an extra three hours, and there’s an automatic on/off feature to preserve battery life.

I have used ear buds before, mostly with my iPhone, and I have experienced Bose noise cancelling headphones, but the new Sleepbuds II have a definite “wow” factor which can’t be matched. From the ear buds and case design, to the customisable app features including the terrific sounds, I only fall asleep easier but more importantly I stay asleep. The sounds mask my tinnitus, and I don’t hear anything once there in place; from the cat snoring to my hubby getting up in the night to use the bathroom. Sleepbuds II aren’t cheap and they aren’t as flexible as other ear buds on the market, but if you’re looking for a product designed and dedicated to improve your sleep then this is it! 

UltimateTravelMagazine.com Loves 

• The buds are super comfortable to wear, even if you are a side sleeper.
• The storage case also doubles up as a charger.
• The app has a decent range of sounds to choose from for noise masking.
• The battery life is easily a generous 10 hours.