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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-01 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Bang & Olufsen Beoplay — biggest strength: a full audio product. Active Noise Cancellation, a 9.2mm dynamic driver, Bluetooth 5.2 multipoint, touch controls and an IP57 build make it a do-everything pair of in-ear headphones.
• Bang & Olufsen Beoplay — biggest trade-off: its battery story is built around the case. Up to 6 hours with ANC in the buds, up to 20 hours total with the charging case — fine for a commute, but not a single continuous overnight session.
• Ozlo Sleepbuds® 2 — biggest strength: comfort and endurance for sleepers. Each bud weighs just 1.6g, sits flush for side sleepers, and runs up to 14 hours continuously with precision noise masking rather than active cancellation.
• Ozlo Sleepbuds® 2 — biggest trade-off: it isn't a music-first headphone. There's no active noise cancellation and no multipoint, and the sound library is geared to sleep, meditation and masking rather than critical listening.
• Who each pick is for: Beoplay for commuters, travellers, gym-goers and anyone who wants one pair of in-ear headphones for everything awake; Ozlo Sleepbuds® 2 for side sleepers, light sleepers and anyone sharing a bed with a snorer.
The Beoplay Eleven is what most people picture when they say "in ear headphones." It's a proper wireless earbud with a 9.2mm dynamic driver per side and a frequency range of 20Hz to 20,000Hz, so the tuning is aimed at full-spectrum music rather than a single masking tone. The materials are part of the pitch here: aluminium, polymer, silicone and a hardened-glass touch surface, with a matching aluminium charging case. In my opinion that's the kind of build that makes a pair feel like an object you want to carry, not just a tool.
The feature list is the real argument for it. Active Noise Cancellation is the headline, and B&O describes it as its best noise cancellation in an earbud to date. There's an improved Transparency Mode you toggle with a tap, so you can go from blocking the train to hearing the platform announcement without pulling a bud out. Bluetooth 5.2 with multipoint means it can hold two devices at once — laptop and phone, say — and switch between them. The microphone inlet is larger and padded with a wind-filtering mesh, which is a concrete design choice aimed at clearer calls outdoors.
Then there's durability and power. IP57 means dust, sweat and water resistance, so workouts, rain and beach days are inside the design brief. Battery is quoted at up to 6 hours with ANC in the buds, or up to 20 hours with ANC once you count the charging case, and the case itself charges in about 2.5 hours. The buds ship with COMPLY medium foam tips plus silicone tips in four sizes, and a 0.5m USB-C to USB-C cable.
Buy it if you want one pair of in-ear headphones that handles music, calls, travel and training, and you value design and materials as much as sound. Skip it if your main problem is staying asleep — the ANC approach and the case-dependent battery life aren't built for an eight-hour night in your ears.
Ozlo Sleepbuds® 2 solves a different problem entirely, and it's honest about it. These are sleep earbuds first. Each bud weighs 1.6g and sits flush in the ear, which is the design decision that matters most for side sleepers: nothing jabs you when you roll over, and the four soft silicone tip sizes (XS, S, M, L) exist to dial in a fit that stays put all night. If you've ever woken up because an earbud popped out at 3am, that's the exact scenario this shape is designed around.
The second half of the pitch is noise masking rather than noise cancelling. Ozlo's point is that masking holds a steady sound shield tuned for partner snoring, traffic and city noise, instead of cutting in and out the way ANC can. That's a meaningful distinction for sleep: a consistent sound floor is easier to stay asleep under than a system that reacts to changing noise. You can also stream music and podcasts over Bluetooth, or use the 50+ sleep sounds and soundscapes — white noise, nature, calm tones — with 10 preloaded on the buds and a sleep timer that fades audio out as you drift off before switching to masking automatically.
Battery is the other standout: up to 14 hours of continuous play, which is designed to cover a full night so you don't wake to a dead bud. There's a private in-ear alarm that wakes only you at a volume you set, which is genuinely useful if you share a bed with someone on a different schedule. The Smart Case measures bedroom noise, light and temperature while you sleep, and the Ozlo app (iOS and Android) turns that into sleep insights that get more personalised the longer you use them.
Buy it if you're a side sleeper, a light sleeper, or you share a bed with a snorer, and you want audio that lasts the whole night. Skip it if you want one pair of headphones for music quality, calls and commuting — it has no ANC, no multipoint, and a 1-year warranty versus Beoplay's 2-year coverage.
• Best for sleep and snoring → Ozlo Sleepbuds® 2. Precision masking, a 1.6g flush fit and up to 14 hours continuous.
• Best for music and sound quality → Bang & Olufsen Beoplay. 9.2mm dynamic drivers, 20Hz–20,000Hz range, 32 ohm impedance.
• Best for blocking awake-world noise → Bang & Olufsen Beoplay. Active Noise Cancellation plus a tap-on Transparency Mode.
• Best for side sleepers → Ozlo Sleepbuds® 2. Flush, tiny buds with four soft tip sizes so nothing digs in.
• Best for calls and multitasking → Bang & Olufsen Beoplay. The larger, wind-filtered mic inlet and Bluetooth 5.2 multipoint.
• Best for workouts and weather → Bang & Olufsen Beoplay. IP57 dust, sweat and water resistance.
• Best for an all-night session on one charge → Ozlo Sleepbuds® 2. Up to 14 hours continuous beats up to 6 hours with ANC.
• Best for sharing a bed → Ozlo Sleepbuds® 2. The private in-ear alarm wakes only you.
If I had to pick one for myself, it would be the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven. In my opinion it's the better single purchase for most people, because it covers music, calls, travel and workouts in one pair, and the ANC, multipoint, IP57 build and 20-hour case total make it the more versatile object day to day. I'd only point you to the Ozlo Sleepbuds® 2 if sleep is the actual job — side sleeping, a snoring partner, or noise that wakes you at 3am. Those are different problems, and Ozlo solves its one better than Beoplay solves it.
If price is the deciding factor for you, check the current price on Amazon before you commit — the button on this page takes you straight there.
how to fit in ear headphones
Start with the tip size, not the bud. The Beoplay ships with COMPLY medium foam tips plus silicone tips in four sizes; the Ozlo Sleepbuds® 2 includes soft silicone tips in XS, S, M and L. A correct fit should seal without pressure — if it aches after ten minutes, go a size down.
how to clean in ear headphones
Wipe the buds and tips after each use, and keep them dry before they go back in the case. Both models use silicone or foam tips you can remove for cleaning, and the Beoplay's IP57 rating means sweat and water won't damage it during normal use — but neither is designed to be submerged or washed.
how to open in ear headphones
Neither of these is a wired bud you pry open — they're sealed wireless units that come to life from the charging case. Take them out, and they pair over Bluetooth; the Beoplay's touch surface handles playback and Transparency Mode, while the Ozlo Sleepbuds® 2 are controlled through the Ozlo app and their preloaded sounds.
how to ear headphones
If you mean which way they sit, both are in-ear designs that point into the canal. The Beoplay is the conventional earbud shape for all-day wear; the Ozlo Sleepbuds® 2 is built to sit flush so it doesn't press into your ear when you lie on your side.
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