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
If you want to keep using your own premium headphones with an airplane's seatback entertainment system, choose Saipomor WH1000XM5; if you need a soft, wireless headband you can actually sleep and fly in, choose Perytong Sleep Headphones.
• Saipomor WH1000XM5 — biggest strength: It converts a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack into the dual-prong airline jack, so your own Sony (or Bose, Beats, EarPods, etc.) headphones work with in-flight entertainment. Gold-plated connector, two ports, zero setup.
• Saipomor WH1000XM5 — biggest trade-off: It is a tiny passive adapter, not headphones. It makes no sound on its own, needs a wired headphone you already own, and only helps where a plane still offers a two-prong seatback port.
• Perytong Sleep Headphones — biggest strength: A wireless Bluetooth 5.4 headband with ultra-thin speakers, touch controls, 12+ hours of playback and a machine-washable fabric band — built for side sleepers and long flights.
• Perytong Sleep Headphones — biggest trade-off: No 3.5 mm jack at all, so it can't plug into a plane's wired entertainment system. It's an on-ear spandex headband, not a hi-fi headphone.
• Who each pick is for: Frequent flyers who already travel with good wired headphones → Saipomor. Side sleepers, white-noise listeners and anyone who wants hands-free comfort on a plane → Perytong.
The Saipomor WH1000XM5 is the smallest, most single-minded product in this comparison — and that's its whole appeal. It's an airplane adapter, roughly the weight of a coin at 0.01 kg, that turns the two-prong jack you find on many airline seatback screens into a normal 3.5 mm stereo socket. Plug the adapter into the plane's audio port, plug your headphones into the adapter, and you're watching the in-flight movie on your own gear. The gold-plated connector and sturdy build are there to survive being tossed in a pocket or backpack for years, and the stated one-year warranty backs that up.
What it does best is exactly one job: preserve your audio. According to the spec sheet it converts the airline's two mono signals into a single stereo feed with no loss of audio quality, and it needs no software install or setup. If you already own and love a pair of Sony WH-1000XM4, XM3, XM2, MDR-1000X or EX750NA headphones — or really any 3.5 mm headphone, including Bose, Beats or EarPods — this is the cheap, boring, reliable bridge between them and the seatback screen.
Who should buy it: the traveler who flies often and refuses to wear the flimsy complimentary earbuds, and who wants one tiny accessory that lives permanently in their carry-on. Who should skip it: anyone who doesn't own a wired 3.5 mm headphone, anyone flying on planes with a standard single jack (where you don't need it at all), and anyone hoping for wireless audio — this is a passive adapter with no plug, no battery and no sound of its own.
The Perytong Sleep Headphones take the opposite approach: instead of adapting your existing gear, they replace it with something designed around comfort. This is a Bluetooth 5.4 headband in a spandex shell, with ultra-thin speakers that sit flat against your ears and a control panel that rests on your forehead. The pitch is honest and specific — no hard plastic digging into your ear, no bulky buttons pressing into your pillow, so you can roll onto your side and stay there. Touch controls mean a tap on the forehead handles playback instead of you fumbling for a phone in the dark.
Battery life is the headline number: 12+ hours of continuous playback from a full charge, with USB-C recharging. That's enough for a full night's sleep or a long-haul flight, and it lines up neatly with what the product is marketed for — blocking out engine roar and crying babies on a plane, holding focus during meditation, or masking a snoring partner with white noise. Bluetooth range is listed at 50 feet, so you're not tethered to your phone on the nightstand. When it gets grimy, you remove the control module and wash the headband.
The trade-off is baked into the design. There's no headphone jack and no wired mode, so the Perytong headband cannot plug into an airplane's seatback entertainment system — it's for your own Bluetooth device, full stop. It's also an on-ear fabric headband rather than an audiophile headphone, so if you want deep bass and detailed sound, this isn't that product. The stated two-year warranty and 365-day money-back or replacement guarantee are worth noting for a wearable that gets washed and slept on.
Who should buy it: side sleepers, light sleepers sharing a bed, white-noise and audiobook listeners, gym-goers and frequent flyers who want hands-free comfort. Who should skip it: anyone who needs to use the plane's built-in screen audio, and anyone who wants wired reliability without charging.
• Best for airplane seatback entertainment → Saipomor WH1000XM5. It's the only one of the two that connects to a plane's dual-prong audio port.
• Best for sleeping and side-sleeping comfort → Perytong Sleep Headphones. Ultra-thin speakers and a forehead control panel mean nothing presses into your ear or pillow.
• Best for battery life → Perytong Sleep Headphones. 12+ hours of playback per charge versus a passive adapter that needs no power at all.
• Best for using headphones you already own → Saipomor WH1000XM5. It's compatible with any 3.5 mm headphone, including Sony WH-1000XM4, XM3, XM2, MDR-1000X and EX750NA.
• Best for wireless freedom → Perytong Sleep Headphones. Bluetooth 5.4 with a 50-foot range versus a strictly wired, plug-in adapter.
• Best for travel-light packing → Saipomor WH1000XM5. At 0.01 kg with a pocket-sized design, it disappears into a bag.
• Best for washing and long-term wear → Perytong Sleep Headphones. The spandex headband is machine-washable once the control module is removed, backed by a two-year warranty.
• Best for meditation, white noise and the gym → Perytong Sleep Headphones. A headband that doubles as a sleep mask covers use cases the adapter can't touch.
In my opinion, these two products barely compete — they solve different problems, and the right answer depends on what "headphones for a flight" means to you. If your priority is hearing the plane's movie through your own good headphones, I'd buy the Saipomor WH1000XM5; it's a tiny, no-setup adapter that does one job well and lives in your carry-on. If your priority is comfort — sleeping, side-sleeping, white noise, blocking out the cabin — I'd buy the Perytong Sleep Headphones, because 12+ hours of wireless playback in a washable fabric band is a genuinely different experience. For most people reading this, the Perytong is the more versatile pick; the Saipomor is the specialist.
what headphones for airplane
For airplane use, the answer splits two ways. If you want to hear the seatback entertainment system, you need a 3.5 mm headphone plus the Saipomor WH1000XM5 adapter, which converts the plane's dual-prong jack to a standard stereo socket. If you want wireless comfort for sleeping or white noise, the Perytong Sleep Headphones work with your own Bluetooth device instead.
what is the best headphones for airplanes
In my opinion, "best" depends on the job. For plugging into in-flight entertainment with headphones you already own, the Saipomor WH1000XM5 adapter is the practical choice — gold-plated, no setup, no audio loss. For side-sleeping, meditation and long-haul comfort, the Perytong Sleep Headphones' 12+ hours of Bluetooth 5.4 playback and ultra-thin speakers make them the more comfortable option.
what earphones for airplane
Any earphone or headphone with a 3.5 mm jack works with the Saipomor WH1000XM5 adapter, including Sony, Bose, Beats and Apple EarPods. The Perytong Sleep Headphones are different: they have no jack at all, so they can't plug into the plane's system — they connect wirelessly to your phone, tablet or laptop via Bluetooth.
what kind of headphones for airplane
Two kinds make sense. Wired 3.5 mm headphones paired with the Saipomor WH1000XM5 adapter suit travelers who want to use the plane's screen. Wireless Bluetooth headband headphones like the Perytong suit travelers who want to sleep, listen to white noise, or move around the cabin without a cable. Check the current price on Amazon before you decide, since both are inexpensive accessories.
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