How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a wireless, in-ear headset for calls, music and long talk time, choose SLuB 5.3; if you need reusable silicone ear plugs to block snoring, traffic or chatter and sleep through the night, choose Haveself Ear Plugs. These two products share almost nothing except the fact that both go in your ears — one is an electronic Bluetooth headset, the other is a passive noise-blocking plug. So the real question isn't which is "better" in the abstract. It's which job you're actually trying to get done.
• SLuB 5.3 — biggest strength: Bluetooth 5.3 with a noise-cancelling microphone and up to 33 hours of talk time, so you can take calls and listen to audio wirelessly, hands-free, all day.
• SLuB 5.3 — biggest trade-off: It's a mono-style headset, not a sealed earplug. It's built for communication, not for shutting the world out, and it depends on charging.
• Haveself Ear Plugs — biggest strength: Up to 48dB of passive noise reduction via AIRFeeling Tech, food-grade silicone, reusable and waterproof, with three ear-cap sizes (XS/S/L) in the box.
• Haveself Ear Plugs — biggest trade-off: No electronics, no calls, no music. It blocks sound and enhances white noise — that's the whole job.
• Pick SLuB 5.3 if you want a wireless headset for calls, commuting, studying and travel audio.
• Pick Haveself Ear Plugs if you want to sleep, focus or travel in silence without batteries or pairing.
The SLuB 5.3 is a Bluetooth 5.3 wireless headset in a mono, in-ear style. Read that spec list and the intent is obvious: this is a talk-and-listen device, not a silence device. The Bluetooth 5.3 standard gives you a stable connection within roughly 10 metres, plus easy pairing, so you can leave your phone on a desk or in a bag and still take a call across a room.
The feature I'd focus on if I were buying it is the microphone with noise-cancelling technology. That's aimed squarely at the person on the other end of your call — the idea being that in a subway, on a train, or in a shop, your voice still comes through clearly instead of getting buried in background noise. Combined with the active noise cancellation listed under its noise-control specs, the SLuB 5.3 is clearly designed for people who take calls in imperfect places.
Comfort matters here too, and the numbers are reasonable: about 13.2 grams, an ergonomic in-ear shape with soft silicone cushions, and a 360° rotating design so the same headset works on either ear. The battery figure — up to 33 hours of talk time on a full charge — is the standout for anyone who lives on calls or takes long train and plane journeys. Controls are simple button presses: volume and multifunction buttons handle track switching, play/pause, answer/end/reject calls, and even waking Siri, all without touching your phone.
Who should buy it? Anyone who wants a lightweight wireless headset for calls, podcasts, music and study sessions, and who values long battery life over deep isolation. Who should skip it? If your goal is to mute a snoring partner or sleep in total quiet, this isn't that product. It's an audio device, and it needs charging.
The Haveself Ear Plugs are a completely different animal. These are reusable silicone earplugs built around AIRFeeling Technology, which the spec sheet says reduces up to 48dB of noise — aimed at snoring, traffic and office chatter. That's a big number, and it's the headline reason someone buys these: not to listen to anything, but to stop listening to everything.
The design details are where Haveself has clearly thought about real sleepers. The plugs use ultra-soft, food-grade silicone that conforms to your ear without pressure, and the slim shape is meant to stay put even when you roll over — a direct nod to side sleepers. You get three pairs of ear caps in XS, S and L, so you can match the fit to your ear rather than hoping one size works.
Durability and hygiene are handled sensibly. The silicone is waterproof and sweatproof, so cleaning is easy and daily wear doesn't wreck them — Haveself frames one pair as replacing 60+ disposable earplugs, which is the eco angle. There's a hygiene case and a compact travel case included, so they stay clean in a bag or on a nightstand.
One genuinely interesting feature is white-noise enhancement. The structure is designed to let natural white noise — a fan, rain — through while blocking harsher sounds. That's a smart touch for light sleepers who find total silence unnerving but can't handle a barking dog at 2 a.m. The package also mentions a 2-year warranty and 24-hour customer support, plus a safety note to keep the plugs away from children.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for taking calls → SLuB 5.3. The noise-cancelling microphone is built exactly for that.
• Best for blocking snoring and traffic → Haveself Ear Plugs. Up to 48dB of passive reduction, which no headset aims to match.
• Best for long battery life → SLuB 5.3. Up to 33 hours of talk time per charge.
• Best for side sleepers → Haveself Ear Plugs. Slim, pressure-free silicone that stays secure when you roll over.
• Best for commuting and travel audio → SLuB 5.3. Bluetooth 5.3, roughly 10 metres of range, simple button controls.
• Best for hygiene and reuse → Haveself Ear Plugs. Waterproof, washable silicone plus a hygiene and travel case.
• Best for fit options → Haveself Ear Plugs. Three ear-cap sizes (XS/S/L) versus a one-size in-ear design.
• Best for zero-maintenance silence → Haveself Ear Plugs. No pairing, no charging, no app.
• Best for hands-free control → SLuB 5.3. Play/pause, track skip, call handling and voice-assistant wake-up from the buttons.
In my opinion, the honest answer is that these aren't competitors — they're two different tools, and the "better" one is simply the one that matches your problem. If I had to take calls on a train, study with music, or wanted one headset to handle audio all day, I'd buy the SLuB 5.3 for its Bluetooth 5.3 connection, noise-cancelling mic and up to 33 hours of talk time. If my problem were a snoring partner or a noisy street outside my bedroom, I'd buy the Haveself Ear Plugs without hesitation — 48dB of blocking, reusable silicone and three sizes is exactly what a sleeper needs. Buy the SLuB for sound you want in. Buy the Haveself for sound you want out.
No. The SLuB 5.3 is a Bluetooth 5.3 wireless headset with a microphone and active noise cancellation — it's for calls and audio. It doesn't seal your ear canal the way a silicone plug does, so it isn't a substitute for blocking snoring.
No. They're passive silicone earplugs with no electronics, so there's nothing to pair or charge. Their job is noise reduction up to 48dB and enhancing natural white noise.
Based on the design specs, the Haveself Ear Plugs are the ones built for sleep: ultra-soft food-grade silicone, a slim shape for side sleepers, and three ear-cap sizes. The SLuB 5.3 is comfortable at about 13.2 grams, but it's a headset meant for waking hours.
Ask what you're trying to do. Want to hear and be heard — calls, music, podcasts — pick the SLuB 5.3. Want to hear nothing — sleep, focus, travel — pick the Haveself Ear Plugs. If price matters to your decision, check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page before you commit.
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.