How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want soft silicone sleep earbuds that play audio, take calls and isolate noise, choose MAXROCK Unique Total Soft; if you need reusable earplugs that simply keep water out of your ears while you swim, choose FNGXX Swimming Ear Plugs. Those are two completely different jobs, and the fastest way to waste money is to buy one when you actually needed the other.
• MAXROCK Unique Total Soft — biggest strength: a full soft-silicone housing with a 5mm dynamic driver, a built-in microphone and a multifunctional remote, so it does sound, calls and noise isolation in one piece.
• MAXROCK Unique Total Soft — biggest trade-off: it is a wired 3.5mm headphone, so it needs a jack, and it is not designed to be dunked in water.
• FNGXX Swimming Ear Plugs — biggest strength: three pairs of reusable soft silicone plugs with three storage cases, shaped with an anti-slip design to stay put in water.
• FNGXX Swimming Ear Plugs — biggest trade-off: they are plugs, not headphones — no driver, no cable, no microphone, no music.
• Pick MAXROCK Unique Total Soft if you want to fall asleep, travel or run with sound in your ears.
• Pick FNGXX Swimming Ear Plugs if you want to keep pool, sea or shower water out of your ear canals.
The MAXROCK Unique Total Soft is built around one idea: an earbud soft enough to forget you're wearing it. The entire housing is silicone, the earpiece shape is rounded, and the design is described as an ultra-soft ErgoFit in-ear fit that conforms to your ear and avoids falling out. That matters most in the situations where normal plastic earbuds start to ache — lying on your side at night, a long flight, a commute, a run. This is the product people mean when they search for soft silicone sleep earbuds.
Under the silicone, the spec sheet is modest but sensible. A 5mm dynamic driver, 103dB sensitivity, 16 ohm impedance and a 20Hz–20kHz frequency range. In practice, low impedance and high sensitivity mean this is easy to drive — a phone, tablet, laptop, MP3 player or game console with a 3.5mm jack will push it to a usable volume without a separate amp. The 120mm cord is short enough to stay out of the way when you're lying down.
The other half of the story is the inline remote and microphone. There's a multifunctional button for answering, rejecting and ending calls, plus play/pause and track skipping, and the mic is described as universal across iPhone, Samsung and most smartphones. Combined with the in-ear noise isolating design, that makes this a genuine everyday headset rather than a one-trick sleep gadget.
Who should skip it? Anyone with a phone that has no headphone jack and no adapter, anyone who wants true wireless freedom, and anyone shopping for swimming. Silicone comfort and water resistance are not the same thing, and the MAXROCK is not sold as a swim product.
The FNGXX Swimming Ear Plugs do exactly one thing and do it in a way that's easy to live with. You get three pairs of super-soft silicone plugs plus three storage cases, in a multicolored set, sized for adults and teens 14 and up. That "three pairs" detail is the practical heart of the product — one pair for your swim bag, one for the shower, one spare, or one each for different family members.
The fit is the part worth understanding. The plugs are contoured to the structure of the human cochlea and use a special anti-slip design, so the stated goal is a snug seal that minimizes leakage and doesn't shift while you're moving through water. Soft silicone also means they don't feel hard in the ear, which is the usual complaint about rigid plugs. They're reusable: rinse them after use, let them dry, drop them back in the case.
Use cases are clearly spelled out — swimming, showering, surfing, water skiing and other water sports, plus pools, beaches and the ocean. If your problem is water getting into your ears and leaving you uncomfortable or muffled for hours afterward, this is the category of product that solves it.
Who should skip it? Anyone expecting to hear anything through them. There is no driver, no cable and no microphone here — these are plugs, full stop. They're also not for young children: the brand explicitly says to keep them away from kids under 3, since they may put them in their mouths. And if your ear canals are unusually shaped or you've had ear surgery, plugs of any kind are a conversation to have with a doctor, not a product page.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for sleep and side-sleeping → MAXROCK Unique Total Soft. The all-silicone housing and rounded earpiece are designed for exactly that.
• Best for calls and remote control → MAXROCK Unique Total Soft. Built-in mic plus a multifunctional button for answer, reject, end, play/pause and track skip.
• Best for blocking water rather than sound → FNGXX Swimming Ear Plugs. Their whole purpose is a snug seal that minimizes leakage.
• Best for older phones, tablets, laptops and game consoles → MAXROCK Unique Total Soft. Wired 3.5mm, 16 ohm, 103dB, so it's easy to drive from almost anything with a jack.
• Best for sharing or keeping spares → FNGXX Swimming Ear Plugs. Three pairs and three cases in one set.
• Best for a household with both needs → buy both. They don't overlap at all; one lives by the bed, the other lives in the swim bag.
• Best for kids → neither as stated. FNGXX is aimed at ages 14+ and warns against under-3 use; MAXROCK is a wired headset for general listening.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the MAXROCK Unique Total Soft. In my opinion it earns its place because it covers more of daily life: soft silicone for sleeping and long wear, noise isolation for noisy spaces, a mic and remote for calls and music, and a low-impedance 5mm driver that plays nicely with any 3.5mm device you already own. The FNGXX set is genuinely good at what it does — three reusable pairs with cases is a sensible package — but it only matters if your actual problem is water in your ears. Buy the MAXROCK for sound and comfort; buy the FNGXX for the pool.
how to put on silicone earbuds
Gently pull the top of your ear up and back to straighten the canal, then ease the soft silicone tip in and let it settle — don't jam it. With the MAXROCK Unique Total Soft, the full silicone housing is designed to conform to the ear on its own, so a light push is usually enough for the seal to form.
what are the best earbuds to sleep in
are there earbuds for sleeping
Yes, and the MAXROCK Unique Total Soft is one of them — it's a wired in-ear headphone with soft silicone housing, a 5mm driver, a built-in mic and an inline remote for calls and track control. Just remember it's a 3.5mm wired model, so it needs a headphone jack or an adapter.
do swimming earplugs work as sleep earplugs?
Not really. The FNGXX Swimming Ear Plugs are designed to seal water out, not to play audio — there's no driver, cable or microphone. They'll muffle sound, but if you want music or calls in bed, that's the MAXROCK's job, and if you want to keep water out of your ears, that's the FNGXX's job.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: YINYOO KZ ZSN Pro vs Perytong 2, JLab Go Air Pop+ vs TOZO NC20, TUINYO Headphones vs HomeSpot Neckband Headphones, DECHOYECHO Open Ear Headphones vs Mudtun