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If you want a pair of lightweight on-ear headphones for all-day music, calls and commuting, choose SONY WH-CH520; if you need lightweight headphones you can actually lie down and sleep in, choose Veeniitosr Sleep Headphones.
• SONY WH-CH520 — biggest strength: a genuinely light on-ear build (147 g) with swivel earcups, up to 50 hours of battery and multipoint pairing to two devices at once.
• SONY WH-CH520 — biggest trade-off: it's a rigid on-ear headphone with no noise cancelling and no headband-style fit, so it is not something you can wear lying on your side.
• Veeniitosr Sleep Headphones — biggest strength: a soft, stretchy fabric headband with flat, ultra-thin speakers and a built-in eye-mask function, made specifically for side sleepers and workouts.
• Veeniitosr Sleep Headphones — biggest trade-off: far shorter battery life (20 hours vs 50), a smaller 200mAh cell, no audio jack, and a fit limited to roughly 48–57 cm head circumferences.
• Who each pick is for: the Sony is for daytime listening, work calls and travel; the Veeniitosr is for sleep, naps, white noise and sweaty training sessions.
The WH-CH520 is Sony's lightweight on-ear Bluetooth headphone, and "lightweight" is doing real work here. At 147 g it's the kind of headphone you forget you're wearing, helped by a swivel design, an adjustable headband, a head cushion and soft ear pads. If you've ever taken off a heavy over-ear pair after two hours because your ears felt hot and pinched, the whole point of this model is that you don't have to.
The feature that stands out to me is the battery. Sony rates it at up to 50 hours of playback, with quick charging that gives you roughly 90 minutes from a 3-minute top-up over USB-C. That's the difference between a headphone you charge every night and one you charge once a week. Multipoint connection means you can be watching something on a laptop and still take a call on your phone without re-pairing. There's a built-in mic for hands-free calls, EQ Custom in the Sony Headphones Connect app for shaping the sound, DSEE to lift compressed files, and Bluetooth 5.2 with about 10 m of range. Voice assistants work too — "OK Google" or "Hey Siri" — and Google's Find My Device can ring them if you misplace them.
Who should skip it: side sleepers. The earcups are rigid, there's no noise cancelling (noise control: none), and nothing about this design is meant to be pressed against a pillow for eight hours. If you want to wear headphones in bed on your side, this is the wrong shape of product.
Veeniitosr Sleep Headphones: Who It's For
The Veeniitosr Sleep Headphones are a completely different category of object: a stretchy nylon-and-spandex headband with a detachable Bluetooth module and ultra-thin flat speakers inside. It's a 3-in-1 design — sleep headphones, sports headband, and eye mask — which is why it makes sense to people who want audio in bed without anything digging into their ears or skull.
The comfort story is the spec story. The speakers are flat and ultra-thin (5.4 mm thick in the removable version, with soft silicone padding), and the description notes this version trades a little comfort for better sound — a fair thing to know going in. It's built for side sleepers specifically, since flat drivers spread pressure instead of concentrating it. The band measures 10 cm vertically and 25.5 cm horizontally, and the high-stretch fabric is stated to fit head circumferences around 48–55 cm, with the product info listing optimal comfort at 52–57 cm, so it's worth measuring before you buy. One size fits most is the honest summary.
On audio and battery: Bluetooth 6.0 with a claimed 40 ms latency, 22 mm dynamic drivers, Hi-Fi stereo, and a mic for calls. A 200mAh cell gives up to 20 hours of playback, with a full charge in 2 hours or 3 hours of play from a 15-minute charge. The fabric is machine washable once you pull the electronics out, which matters if you're using it for sweaty workouts. Passive noise cancellation only — it blocks sound by covering your ears, not with electronics. The 6-month warranty is shorter than Sony's.
Who should buy it: side sleepers, people with a snoring partner, anyone who falls asleep to white noise or ASMR, daytime nappers, travellers, and gym-goers who want a headband that doubles as an eye mask.
Who should skip it: anyone who wants long battery life, app-based EQ, wired listening (there's no jack at all), or a headband that fits a larger head comfortably.
• Best for battery life → SONY WH-CH520. Up to 50 hours versus 20, plus 3-minute quick charging for about 90 minutes of playback.
• Best for side sleeping → Veeniitosr Sleep Headphones. Flat ultra-thin speakers and a soft stretch fabric are designed to be pressed against a pillow; the Sony's rigid earcups are not.
• Best for calls and multitasking → SONY WH-CH520. Built-in mic, multipoint pairing, Bluetooth 5.2, and voice-assistant support.
• Best for workouts and naps → Veeniitosr Sleep Headphones. The 3-in-1 headband doubles as a sports band and eye mask, and the fabric is machine washable.
• Best for sound tuning → SONY WH-CH520. EQ Custom in the Sony Headphones Connect app plus DSEE for compressed files.
• Best for travel and packing → SONY WH-CH520. Swivel earcups fold flatter and the 147 g weight is easy to live with on a long trip.
• Best for hygiene and washing → Veeniitosr Sleep Headphones. Removable electronics and a gentle-cycle washable band.
• Best fit flexibility → SONY WH-CH520. Adjustable headband and swivel joints suit a wider range of head sizes than a stretch band with a stated 48–57 cm range.
If I were buying for myself and I listen mostly during the day — commuting, working, walking, watching video — I'd take the SONY WH-CH520. In my opinion it's the better all-round lightweight headphone: lighter than most on-ear rivals at 147 g, absurdly long battery life, multipoint, and a 1-year warranty. If my goal were specifically to fall asleep with audio on and stay on my side, I'd buy the Veeniitosr Sleep Headphones instead, because no rigid on-ear headphone solves that problem no matter how light it is. Two different jobs, two different answers.
how to wear on ear headphones
Place the headband over the top of your head and let the earcups sit flat against your ears — on-ear means the pads rest on the outer ear rather than surrounding it. Adjust the headband sliders so the cups sit level and the pressure feels even. On the WH-CH520 the swivel joints and adjustable headband let you fine-tune that fit.
how to make on ear headphones more comfortable
Keep sessions shorter, adjust the headband so the clamping force is spread evenly, and take breaks if your ears get warm. The WH-CH520's soft ear pads, head cushion and 147 g weight are all aimed at all-day comfort, but no on-ear design is meant to be worn while lying on your side.
how to clean on ear headphones
Wipe the earpads and headband with a soft, slightly damp cloth and let them air dry — don't soak them. The Veeniitosr headband is different: you detach the Bluetooth module and ultra-thin speakers and machine wash the fabric on a gentle cycle, which is a real advantage if you sweat in it.
Yes — that's exactly what it's built for. The flat, ultra-thin speakers with silicone padding reduce pressure points, and the stretch fabric is designed to be worn against a pillow. Just check the fit range first: the band is stated for roughly 48–55 cm, with optimal comfort listed around 52–57 cm.
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