Are the Bose Sleepbuds II worth it?

At first I was really excited when my husband surprised me with these sleep ear buds. I’m a very light sleeper and it has only gotten worse since I had a baby. I really needed a sleep aid to help me doze off but the regular options weren’t working…

There are basically two paths you can take if you are looking for a sleep aid:

1. External speakers (standalone or connected to an app) – Hatch is one of the most popular in the space and makes a dedicated external sound machine, speaker, alarm and light. Or, you could instead just buy a Sonos One (our preference) and connect it to the Calm App or a Spotify playlist
2. Headphones – If you sleep with a partner who doesn’t want a speaker playing at night, this is basically your only choice. We are huge fans of this $20 headphone headband as it works amazingly well for side and back sleepers. But when I saw Bose offering a fully integrated solution in an earbud (not a headband) intrigued me enough to give them a try

I thought these in ear buds would solve all the problems – a fair expectation given the hefty price tag. But here are my main gripes:

1. Connectivity/pairing is an issue with EVERY single use so far – Even though I have them fully charged & ready to go each night I go to use them it takes me 20 minutes to trouble shoot which has the opposite of a relaxing effect before bed
2. Placement of the buds inside the ear – These things sit not on the inner ear portion but the outer ear part – which makes me irritated & itchy when I wake up after a night of using them. I can’t tell if it’s just my sensitive skin or if this is for everyone but I’ve never had an issue with other ear buds, so…
3. Side sleepers cannot use – The buds will jab into your ear drum if you try to roll to your side. This headband is infinitely more comfortable for side sleepers
4. Reliance on your phone – It’s not even a standalone device. The Bose app has a small selection of nature sounds/noises. So you are better off just buying your own earbuds and connecting it to your favorite sleeping app

Are there any redeeming factors, especially given the steep price? Yes. I’d be remiss to say otherwise. Because I do get a better night’s rest when I use them – I wake up only once, if that, as opposed to tossing & turning. And there is an alarm option which is great.

But overall, just buy this headband and hook it up to the Calm app. You’ll get a much better overall experience for a fraction of the price.