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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-29 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs — biggest strength: passive sound blocking with a stated 28 dB SNR rating, four tip sizes (XS/S/M/L) and zero batteries, apps or pairing to worry about.
• AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs — biggest trade-off: they block sound, they don't play it. No music, no white noise, no alarm, no calls.
• PAXA Sleep Headphones — biggest strength: real Bluetooth 6.0 audio in a tiny in-ear body built for side sleepers, with passive noise isolation from soft silicone tips.
• PAXA Sleep Headphones — biggest trade-off: they rely on passive isolation only (no active noise cancelling), so they won't silence a snorer the way a dedicated plug can — and they need charging.
• Choose AUDREE if your goal is silence on demand, cheaply and permanently.
• Choose PAXA if your goal is falling asleep to something, and you want to do it lying on your side.
The Audree Soft is a pure hearing-protection product, and it's honest about that. The core number here is a 28 dB SNR — a European-style noise reduction rating that tells you these are designed to take the edge off loud environments rather than erase them. That's the sweet spot for sleep: you still hear a smoke alarm, a crying child or your own alarm clock, but the neighbour's dog, the traffic outside and the fridge compressor fade into the background.
What makes them interesting for sleepers is the shape. Instead of the usual round bulb, Audree uses a square ring that can be angled to sit tight against the ear. The brand's own pitch is that this keeps them in place even if you sleep on your side or move around, and that the connection between the tip and the ring is deliberately tight so the tip can't work its way deep into your ear canal. That second point matters more than it sounds — with cheap foam or flanged plugs, the "it migrated too far in" moment is a real annoyance. The material is food-grade silicone, which the brand describes as soft enough for overnight wear, and you get four tip sizes: XS, S, M and L, with medium pre-fitted. If they hurt, you size down; if they don't cut enough noise, you size up.
They're also reusable, washable and come with a small square carry case that clips to a keychain or carabiner, plus the brand donates a serving to someone with hearing difficulties with each purchase. If you're the kind of person who wants earplugs for sleep, study, meditation, flights and loud gigs from one small object, this is a clean, low-maintenance pick.
Buy them if: you want silence on demand, you hate charging things, you travel a lot, or you need earplugs for focus and loud environments as well as sleep.
Skip them if: you need audio. There's no Bluetooth, no speaker, no microphone — they will not play you rain sounds, and they won't let you take a call.
The PAXA S13 is a different animal entirely: it's a pair of genuinely tiny true-wireless earbuds designed around the specific problem of wearing earbuds while lying down. The pitch is aimed squarely at side sleepers and at people sharing a bed with a snoring partner. The earbuds are described as ultra-light and ergonomic enough to sit snugly without pressing into your ear, which is the whole ballgame if you sleep on your side — most normal earbuds become unbearable after twenty minutes against a pillow.
The noise strategy is passive isolation via soft silicone tips, not active noise cancelling. PAXA is explicit about this, and it's a sensible design choice: ANC needs a seal and electronics, adds bulk and can introduce a faint hiss, none of which helps you sleep. So the S13 blocks snoring, traffic and night-time noise by sealing your ear canal, and then plays whatever you want on top of it.
The audio side is more serious than you'd expect from a sleep bud. There's a 16 mm balanced armature driver with a 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz frequency range and 32 ohm impedance — a full-range spec, not the muffled single-tone output some sleep buds settle for. Bluetooth 6.0 handles the connection, with the brand claiming faster pairing and lower power consumption, and a stated range of around 50 feet. Controls are touch-based, and the earbuds are wireless in-ear with a black plastic-and-silicone build.
The oddest and most distinctive feature is the charging case, which uses a gentle micro-vibration when you open it. PAXA frames this as a sensory, wind-down ritual — a soft tactile cue that helps you relax before sleep rather than a functional necessity. It's a gimmick if you're cynical and a nice ritual if you're not; either way, it's the kind of detail that tells you who this product was built for.
Buy them if: you fall asleep to audio, you sleep on your side, your partner snores, or you want white noise without a speaker in the room.
Skip them if: you want maximum noise blocking with zero charging, or you dislike touch controls you can't see in the dark.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for total silence → AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs. A stated 28 dB SNR and a deep silicone seal will out-block a passive-isolation earbud every time.
• Best for side sleepers → PAXA Sleep Headphones, by design. The Audree plugs also claim to stay put when you roll onto your side, but the S13 is engineered around pillow contact.
• Best for zero maintenance → AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs. Wash them, reuse them, done. No battery, no case to charge, no pairing.
• Best for fit tuning → AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs. Four tip sizes (XS/S/M/L) let you dial in the seal; the PAXA relies on one soft silicone tip profile.
• Best for snoring partners → PAXA Sleep Headphones. Isolation plus masking audio is the more effective combination than isolation alone.
• Best for travel and loud environments → AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs. Flights, trains, open-plan offices, concerts — the keychain case makes them a grab-and-go item.
• Best for a gift → PAXA Sleep Headphones. The brand positions the S13 as a thoughtful present for light sleepers, and the vibration case makes it feel like one.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs. My reasoning is simple: they do one job — block noise — with a stated 28 dB rating, four tip sizes for a real seal, food-grade silicone and no charging, pairing or firmware to think about. For the majority of people who just want to sleep through noise, that's the higher-value, lower-friction purchase. I'd only switch to the PAXA Sleep Headphones if audio is non-negotiable for you — if you genuinely need white noise or a podcast to drift off, and especially if you sleep on your side. That's the one scenario where the S13 clearly wins.
how to put on silicone earbuds
With the Audree Soft, the trick is the tip size, not the technique — start with the pre-fitted medium, then go smaller if it hurts or larger if it isn't quiet enough. Angle the square ring so it sits tight against your ear and roll the tip gently into the canal rather than jamming it straight in. Because the tip-to-ring connection is deliberately tight, you don't need to push deep for a seal.
what are the best earbuds to sleep in
It depends on whether you want silence or sound. For pure noise blocking, the Audree Soft's 28 dB SNR, four tip sizes and soft silicone make it the more effective sleeper. For audio while you sleep, the PAXA S13's ultra-light in-ear design, passive isolation and side-sleeper focus make it the more practical choice. Neither is objectively "best" — they solve different problems.
are there earbuds for sleeping
Yes, and the PAXA S13 is exactly that category: true-wireless Bluetooth 6.0 earbuds built for sleep, with soft silicone tips, a 16 mm balanced armature driver and a charging case with a micro-vibration wind-down feature. If what you actually want is to block noise rather than play it, the Audree Soft plugs are the simpler answer.
do sleep earbuds block snoring completely
No — and you should be sceptical of anything that claims to. The PAXA S13 uses passive noise isolation, not active noise cancelling, so it reduces snoring and traffic rather than eliminating them; PAXA says as much. The Audree Soft plugs cut more noise with a 28 dB SNR, but they don't play masking audio, which is often what actually gets you to sleep next to a snorer. If you want the full spec picture before deciding, check the current price on Amazon and compare the details side by side.
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