We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-25 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want earbuds you can actually fall asleep in — soft silicone that stays put on your side and plays your sleep audio through a wire — choose Poihiom Sleep Earbuds in-Ear; if you need reusable silicone earplugs that keep water out of your ears during swimming, showering and water sports, choose ANANJY Waterproof Swimming Ear.
They look like cousins on a shelf. Both are silicone, both go in your ear, both promise comfort. But they solve completely different problems, and mixing them up is the fastest way to waste money. One is a wired headphone built around a soft silicone body. The other is a set of reusable swim plugs that also happen to dampen noise. Here's how I'd separate them.
• Poihiom's biggest strength: a one-piece, all-silicone, hook-and-in-ear body with three sizes of eartips, built specifically so side sleepers can wear it all night without pressure pain — plus a 3.5 mm wired connection with a built-in mic and media controls.
• Poihiom's biggest trade-off: it's wired, so you're tethered to your phone or player, and there's no active noise cancellation — it's sound isolation only.
• ANANJY's biggest strength: three pairs of reusable silicone swim plugs in one box, sized for kids roughly 4–12 (M 14 mm–20 mm), with left/right markings, a tight water-blocking seal and a storage box.
• ANANJY's biggest trade-off: it's an earplug, not a headphone. No cable, no microphone, no music. It reduces noise, it doesn't play anything.
• Choose Poihiom if your problem is falling asleep with audio on, snoring, an office or a plane seat.
• Choose ANANJY if your problem is water getting into your ears in the pool, the sea or the shower.
Start with what this thing actually is: a wired in-ear headphone whose entire housing is soft silicone, shaped as a hook plus in-ear bud. That shape matters more than any spec sheet number. A hook-and-in-ear silicone body spreads contact pressure instead of jamming a hard plastic nozzle against your ear canal, which is exactly the complaint people have with normal earbuds when they roll onto their side at 2 a.m.
The Poihiom set ships with three sizes of eartips, and the design intent is clear from the listing: push them in to a depth that suits your ear, and the soft silicone plus the shark-fin hook holds them there so they don't pop out. Medical-grade silicone, light and high-elastic, is the stated material — the goal being reduced ear-canal pressure and no soreness after a full night. Weight is listed at 0.02 kg, which is close to nothing.
Buy it if: you're a side sleeper, an insomniac, a snorer's roommate, a frequent flyer, or someone who wants ASMR, meditation or white noise piped in while lying down.
Skip it if: you want wireless freedom, true active noise cancelling, or you need to be in water. The 3.5 mm jack means no Bluetooth, and silicone earbuds with a cable are not swim gear.
One practical note straight from the maker: if you get no sound, slide the volume control key — the volume may simply be turned down.
ANANJY Waterproof Swimming Ear: Who It's For
The ANANJY pack is a different category of product entirely, and it's worth saying plainly: this is not a headphone. It's a three-pair set of soft silicone earplugs sized for kids aged roughly 4 to 12, with a stated size range of M 14 mm–20 mm. The whole point is keeping water out of the ear canal during swimming and water activities, and the listing frames that as protecting the eardrum and helping prevent the ear infections that come from trapped pool or sea water.
The ergonomic claim here is a tight seal that won't easily come off — shaped to sit in the ear and stay there while you move. Left and right markings make them easy to orient, which is a small detail that matters when you're standing at the pool edge with wet hands. Material is silicone, reusable, lightweight, and the instructions are simple: wash and dry after each use, then store them in the included box. Dimensions are listed at 4.59 x 2.3 x 0.73 inches for the package, and the set comes in blue, orange and sky-blue kids' colors.
There's a secondary function worth flagging: noise reduction. The plugs let some sound through while lowering the overall level, and the listing explicitly mentions learning, sleeping and other everyday scenes as extra uses beyond swimming, diving and surfing.
Skip it if: you're an adult with a larger ear canal and no kids in the house — the sizing is stated for ages 4–12, and that's the fit this product is built around. Also skip it if you want to listen to anything. There's no speaker, no cable and no mic here.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for side sleeping with audio → Poihiom Sleep Earbuds in-Ear. The hook-and-in-ear soft silicone shape and three eartip sizes are designed around lying on your side all night.
• Best for keeping water out of ears → ANANJY Waterproof Swimming Ear. Water blocking is the entire design brief; there's no audio hardware at all.
• Best for noise blocking while you sleep → Poihiom, via physical sound isolation, not electronic cancellation.
• Best for kids 4–12 at the pool → ANANJY. The stated sizing is built for that age range, with left/right marks and a storage box.
• Best for calls and controls → Poihiom. Built-in mic, multi-function media button, 3.5 mm wired connection.
• Best for shared use across a family → ANANJY. Three pairs, washable, reusable, so one purchase covers more than one swimmer.
• Best for travel and flights → Poihiom. Wired, light at 0.02 kg, and it seals out cabin noise while you watch or listen.
• Best if you want both jobs done → buy both. They don't compete; they cover the dry half and the wet half of your life.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the Poihiom Sleep Earbuds in-Ear. In my opinion it's the more versatile of the two: it's a real headphone that also happens to be a soft silicone earplug, so it handles sleep, flights, the office and ASMR, and the silicone body with three eartip sizes is the smartest answer to side-sleeping pressure I see in this comparison. The ANANJY is excellent at exactly one job — keeping water out of a child's ears — and it does that job well, but it can't play a single note. Buy the Poihiom for your ears at night. Buy the ANANJY if there's a swimmer in the house.
FAQ
what are the best earbuds to sleep in
are there earbuds for sleeping
Yes. The Poihiom is explicitly built for that use — the listing names side sleepers, insomnia, snoring, air travel, relaxation and ASMR, and describes 24-hour wear with sound isolation to block snoring, TV and office noise. Note that its noise control is isolation, not active cancellation. The ANANJY plugs can also be used for sleeping per their listing, but they play no audio.
how to put on silicone earbuds
For the Poihiom, pick the eartip size that seals your canal, insert to a comfortable depth, and let the shark-fin hook settle into the ridge of your ear so it stays put. For the ANANJY plugs, check the left/right marks, press in gently for a tight seal, then wash and dry them and return them to the box after each swim.
Both are affordable accessories, but I can't quote figures here — pricing moves around, so check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page before you decide. What I'd weigh instead is value per job: the ANANJY gives you three pairs of reusable plugs for a family, while the Poihiom is one wired headphone you'll use every night.
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