Great noise-blocker but uncomfortable and falls out easily during sleep
I'm not sure why Ebay isn't publishing my detailed review on these Bose SleepBuds. I wish I'd read others' reviews about what to expect before I'd bought mine. I think there are some serious considerations you have to make before you invest in them.
The SleepBuds are light-weight so they don't hurt the ears as much as typical earbuds or a headset. The "wings" help keep them in the ear. And because the sound is directed into your ear canal with a protective semi-seal, there's good sound isolation. Surprisingly, you can still hear ambient alarms (even though, somehow, the high pitched screams of emergency vehicle sirens and the god-awful constant assault of railroad train horns are diminished).
However, there are some major caveats. Since buying these and using them every day (about two weeks now), I've developed small sores in my ear canals from sleeping with these in. And within hours, my ears become hot and sweaty and itchy. As you'd expect from a piece of non-porous film over your skin, your ears can't breathe with the earplugs in. Very uncomfortable. I just don't know what to do. The discomfort has become so bad that over the past few nights I've been taking the earplugs out and staying up due to the noise. :(
Another caveat is that as I toss and turn during the night, the earpieces fall out. But since these earplugs are so small and delicate, you have to worry about crushing them and damaging them. They're not cheap to replace. The wing tips keep them in stably while I'm up and about, but not at night when I'm lying down but moving around. I find I'm constantly checking their position according to the included Bose instructions (in slightly, twist back to "lock"). I've never made it through a night with them still in by morning.
Sadly, I can't sleep with these anymore--which is when I need the most protection from noise. The Bose SleepBuds do, however, work well to block out ambient noise DURING THE DAY when you can take them out often so your ears can breathe. But so would much more affordable in-the-ear headphones.
I desperately wanted these earplugs to work and would gladly pay much more for a comfortable, reliable noise-blocking solution ESPECIALLY at night. Until the discomfort issue is addressed, though, I can't recommend the SleepBuds.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: New