How Good Are the Ozlo Sleepbuds? A First Take

The Ozlo Sleepbuds caught my attention (and maybe yours too) for two major reasons.

1. They are the spitting image of the Bose Sleepbuds II, and;
2. They are from Ozlo — a new player in sleep tech, specifically audio.

So, this begs the questions — how good are they? And are they worth considering?

Well, I‘ve had the Ozlo Sleepbuds stuffed in my ears for the past few nights and I can address those inquiries.

It’d be interesting to also see how they stack up against their doppelganger.

Moreover, being new to the game and on the pricier end, the Ozlo Sleepbuds need to earn their place. So, let’s see how well they perform.

Release and Options

Some Backstory: Bose discontinued the Bose Sleepbuds back in March 2023, on its second generation.

Three former engineers acquired the tech and started their own company. Ozlo — their startup, launched the Ozlo Sleepbuds in October 2024.

Let’s check out the options.

• Colors:
  • White (earbuds) and Silver (case), that’s it. There’s a Calm x Ozlo version (Blue case) but it was unavailable at the time of this post.
• Price: $399 CAD ($349 USD)

It’s available for $399 313 CAD on their website and Amazon at the time of this post.

We don’t get a choice of colors, but I’ll take the discount. I guess I can’t have it both ways, especially in this Case.

Tech Specs

Size (Case)	78mm (3.1”) L x 78mm (3.1”) W x 27mm (1.1”) Thick
Size (Sleepbuds)	17mm (0.7”) L x 12mm (0.5”) W x 11mm (0.5”) Thick
Weight (Case)	100 grams (0.2 lbs.)
Weight (Sleepbuds)	1.6 grams (<0.01 lbs.) each
Sensors (Case)	Tap detection, Ambient noise detection, Ambient temperature sensor, Ambient light sensor.
Sensors (Sleepbuds)	Sleep-detecting accelerometer
Audio Tech	Custom audio amplifier, on-board noise-masking content, Audio EQ tailored for sleep, Volume-dependent spectral balancing.
IP Rating (Sleepbuds only)	IPX4 (protected against splashing water)
Battery (Case)	Unspecified size, lithium-ion. Holds up to 32 hours of charge.
Battery (Sleepbuds)	Unspecified size, lithium-ion. Provides up to 10 hours of playback each.
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.3. Supports A2DP (Advanced audio profile for stereo signals) and LEA (Low Energy Audio).
System Requirements	Android 12 or later, iOS 17 or later, iPadOS 17 or later.

What’s in the Box?

Not a lot. But it’s a nice box, I ‘ll give them that. Plus, in testing the Ozlo Sleepbuds right out of the box, I got an instant fit.

Perhaps you won’t need as many accessories as you initially thought.

The miss? — No power adapter. That’s the trend, especially with wearables and accessories. A nice-to-have, nonetheless.

Alright then, let’s check out the box.

• Pair of Ozlo Sleepbuds x 1 (Medium silicone eartips pre-installed)
• Charging Case x 1
• USB Type-C Cable x 1 (Type A to Type C)
• Pair of Extra Silicone Eartips x 3 (Extra-Small, Small, Large)
• Quick Start Guide x 1

First Impressions

It’s très petit! and that’s instantly appealing to side sleepers. As a side sleeper, I was impressed picking up the Ozlo Sleepbuds for the first time.

Some of that excitement was dampened by the lengthy updates and downloads at initial setup.

The absence of in-ear chimes to notify you of a successfully established Bluetooth connection was also a downer.

Getting past initial dismays, they were comfortable. I also found them to be practical despite their miniature size and light weight.

They are smooth to touch. Though the white silicone skin is thin, it’s also soft and wraps around the earbuds adequately.

The case of the Ozlo Sleepbuds on the other hand, is fairly large (for sleep buds) and more difficult to grip in one hand.

Rubber tabs on the sides and the bottom of the case certainly help to enhance grip and sturdiness.

The circular shape is also a plus, but the top corners aren’t rounded, taking away from its portability.

Although it’s on the larger side, it feels relatively lightweight. Thanks to what seems like a plastic build finished with a satin silver coating.

Ozlo also retained the sliding lid from the Bose Sleepbuds II, but it could use some tweaking to feel sturdier and more reliable.

The overall design of the Ozlo Sleepbuds is modern and industrial, majorly taking after the form and features of its predecessor.

Efficient In-Ear Fitment

Thanks to its size, the Ozlo Sleepbuds are quite comfortable.

I tend to navigate towards larger eartips and wings. However, the pre-installed medium eartips fit my ears well and worked perfectly.

The Earwing-Eartip combo on the Ozlo Sleepbuds seem to work pretty well in ensuring a secure fit and a good seal.

Eliminating the need for multiple layers of silicone or separate earwings and eartips.

As a result, you get a more direct fitment process, with less steps and components.

We are unfortunately stuck with white silicone as the only color option. And that rubs me the wrong way.

Either way, I will keep an eye on it to see how it performs over an extended time.

Audio Definition

Ozlo errs on the side of caution when it comes to sound levels. This is evident by the video clip you encounter during setup, discouraging using the sleep buds at high volumes.

Some of that risk-aversion might have been translated into lower overall threshold volumes on the Ozlo Sleepbuds.

The result? — A thinner sound signature better suited for podcasts and TV shows. And a set of earbuds that don’t get very loud.

Want to enjoy some light gaming in bed? Or perhaps experience full-bodied sound from a movie or some music? These might not be ideal.

To be fair, that’s not what they were made for, they are majorly noise-masking sleepbuds.

However, not being able to take calls is a miss in my opinion. There should be an option in the app, in case there’s an emergency.

All in all, the ability of the Ozlo Sleepbuds to stream content is an added bonus. A feature that still aligns with content designed to help you relax or sleep.

Noise Control

The noise cancellation on the Ozlo Sleepbuds is mainly passive. A bit surprising since the case and earbuds both have sensing technology.

Ozlo didn’t break down the tech in the case or earbuds, but there are some highlights to how it’s all engineered.

1. Sensing: This happens on 2 levels — Environmental (the case) and Biometric (the earbuds).
   • The case of the Ozlo Sleepbuds uses an environmental sensor to detect light, temperature, and noise changes.
   • The sleepbuds track movement and breath.
2. Noise-Masking: The sleepbuds block disruptions and dispense “soothing soundscapes” in their stead.

This technology seems to be reserved for reporting purposes on their planned Sleep Patterns app.

Though basic, the Ozlo Sleepbuds sticks with a tried and true recipe — a comfortable fit, a good seal, topped off by adequate noise-masking.

Battery Life

Battery life seemed to be a major drawback for the Bose Sleepbuds II. Unfortunately, that weak link is also tethered to the Ozlo Sleepbuds.

The earbuds themselves performed well during my tests, getting a full night’s use (about 9.5 hours in my case — mixed Bluetooth and sleep sounds) on a single charge.

Waking up to an average of 14% battery life left on the earbuds meant that they would have easily hit their 10-hour projection.

The case, however, is projected to provide an additional 32 hours of charge.

But that estimate is knocked down by the case’s Environmental Sensing power consumption.

In my testing, I lost 10% of charge to Sensing (no earbuds inside the case) and another 25% on average to charging my earbuds — nightly.

Over the test period, I got only 2 full additional charges from the case. And by the 3rd day, the case was at 20% power.

Since I needed about 25% to fully charge the earbuds, I ended up with a fully depleted case before the 3rd charge session was up.

Here’s the kicker — I could no longer connect to the earbuds with a dead case.

So, in an odd fashion, the earbuds were instantly useless even though they weren’t completely depleted.

Overall, my use case translated to 10 hours on the earbuds (meets projection). And 2 full additional charges, or 20 hours from the case (missed projection by 12 hours).

Sadly, if you are a heavy Bluetooth user, you will likely get worse results from the Ozlo Sleepbuds.

In addition, there’s no battery indicators on the case enclosure.

As a result, you can’t see charge progress at a glance, you will have to open the case to find out.

Seamless Sleep Features

It all starts on the Ozlo App, with 2 main modes (Sleep Sounds and Streaming).

As a companion app, it has a straightforward design with a good UI. Menus, and the volume rocker are well laid out, making it easy to use.

The best part? — an auto-switch feature that can seamlessly transition between sleep sounds and streamed content.

While your choice of sleep sounds is playing, the Ozlo Sleepbuds can automatically detect Bluetooth content and cut off the sleep sounds.

On the other hand, say you fall asleep to streaming audio, the earbuds can switch back to sleep sounds.

Ozlo says this helps to save the state of your streaming content while ensuring your sleep is uninterrupted.

I think an added bonus to that could be slightly longer battery life as Bluetooth is more power-intensive.

Sleep tracking is not yet available on the Ozlo App. It might come in an OTA or on an entirely different app called Sleep Patterns (currently in beta).

Bose Sleepbuds II Comparison

As you now know (or may already have known), the Ozlo Sleepbuds have the underpinnings of the Bose Sleepbuds II.

Since the Bose Sleepbuds are discontinued, you won’t be able to get your hands on a fresh pair. This comparison will help answer 2 questions.

1. Is the Ozlo Sleepbuds worth the upgrade or switch?
2. What did Ozlo really do differently from Bose?

Feature	Ozlo Sleepbuds	Bose Sleepbuds II
Bluetooth Streaming	Supported — you can stream music, audiobooks, podcasts, etc., via Bluetooth.	Not supported — only pre-installed sleep sounds.
Auto-Switch Content	Supported — earbuds detect Bluetooth streaming and switches from sleep sounds. Built-in biometric sensors detect sleep and switch from streaming to noise-masking sounds automatically.	Not supported — no Bluetooth streaming available.
Sleep Tracking	Planned — to come over OTA or in a separate app.	Not offered — app and case do not track sleep.
Battery Life	Per charge — up to 10 hours each earbud, up to 42 hours total with the case.	Per charge — up to 10 hours each earbud, up to 40 hours total with the case (3 additional full charges).
Comfort & Fitment	Soft silicone Earwing-Eartip combo makes it comfortable and ideal for side sleepers. 4 sizes are available.	Same Eartip-Earwing form factor, also comfortable and ideal for side sleepers. 3 sizes available (vs. 4).
Smart Features	Enhanced noise control tech via environmental sensing (case) and biometric sensing (earbuds).	Not supported — no environmental or biometric sensors embedded.
Price	$399 CAD (Currently $313 CAD, $86 off on Ozlo’s website and Amazon).	Discontinued — released at $344.52 CAD ($249.95 USD). Open box option offered on Amazon for $799.98 CAD.

Takeaway — compared to the Bose Sleepbuds II, we get Bluetooth streaming, content auto-switching, sleep tracking (future release), more fitment options, and enhanced noise control.

All at a premium of $54.48. If we consider the sale, that turns into a discount of $31.52.

Early Thoughts

Let’s recap — Ozlo obtained an abandoned Bose formula, added a few new features, built a better product, and offered it at a 16% premium.

It is a commendable effort, but the Ozlo Sleepbuds misses the mark on being a great product due to one major caveat — battery life.

Sleep tracking is also promised, which an alternative like the Soundcore Sleep A30 offers at a discount, out of the box.

So, are the Ozlo Sleepbuds actually good? Let’s highlight the findings.

Strengths

• Same best-in-class side-sleeping form factor from Bose
• Same great noise cancellation formula from Bose
• Added Bluetooth streaming support
• Content Auto-switch feature is a big win
• Added smart features to the earbuds and case
• Intuitive companion app

Drawbacks

• Battery life of the case leaves a lot to be desired
• Battery indication could be better
• No sleep tracking out of the box
• Offered at a premium despite misses

They are good; if you don’t need sleep tracking and are okay with charging your case at least twice a week (might be more for heavy streamers).

If these misses are deal breakers, then the Ozlo Sleepbuds aren’t good; for you.

Let me know what you think in the comments. Looking forward to hearing from you.