If you want a lightweight on-ear option with a microphone for calls, choose JBL Tune 510BT; if you need over-ear headphones with hybrid noise cancellation, choose Soundcore Anker Q20i. For side sleepers, neither design is an obvious pillow-friendly choice: both have earcups that sit against the head, and the Q20i’s over-ear form is especially worth considering carefully.
• JBL Tune 510BT: On-ear design, microphone on the ear cup, foldable build, and up to 40 hours of battery life; the trade-off is that it has no noise control.
• Soundcore Anker Q20i: Over-ear design with hybrid active noise cancellation and up to 60 hours of battery life; the trade-off is its larger earcup style, which may be less appealing if you want headphones that sit lightly on your ears.
• Choose JBL if you want a straightforward wireless headset for music and calls, with physical ear-cup controls and quick charging.
• Choose Soundcore if blocking some surrounding noise and choosing between Bluetooth and a 3.5 mm connection matter more to you.
• For side sleepers: neither is specifically described as a sleep headphone, so comfort against a pillow is a real consideration rather than a guaranteed strength.
The JBL Tune 510BT is an on-ear Bluetooth headphone built around a compact, practical set of features. Its earcups rest on the ears rather than surrounding them, and the headphones fold for carrying. An adjustable headband and soft ear cushions are part of the design.
The practical case for JBL is strongest when calls and simple controls matter. A microphone on the ear cup supports hands-free calls, while buttons there let you manage calls and sound. You can also activate Siri or Hey Google using the multifunction button. The headphones can switch between two Bluetooth devices, which is handy when moving from a video on a tablet to a call on a phone. Their Bluetooth 5.0 connection has a listed range of 10 meters.
Battery life is listed as up to 40 hours, and a full recharge takes about two hours using USB-C. A five-minute charge can provide two additional hours of listening, which is a meaningful fallback when you realize the battery is low shortly before heading out. JBL describes the sound as Pure Bass, and the listed frequency range is 20 Hz–20 kHz. The main trade-off is clear: the Tune 510BT has no noise control, so it does not offer the Q20i’s hybrid noise-cancellation feature.
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-17 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
For someone searching for lightweight headphones for side sleepers, the JBL’s lower listed weight and on-ear design may look more manageable than a larger over-ear headset. But the earcups still press against the ears, so lying on your side could make that contact uncomfortable. The product details do not describe a sleep-specific shape or pillow-friendly construction.
Who should skip it: Skip the Tune 510BT if active noise cancellation or a wired 3.5 mm connection is essential to your choice.
The Soundcore Anker Q20i takes the over-ear route. Its rounded earcups sit around the ears, and its defining feature is hybrid noise cancellation. That makes it the more relevant option for someone who wants headphones designed to reduce surrounding noise rather than simply play audio over Bluetooth. It is still a Bluetooth headphone, with a listed range of 10 meters, and it also has a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
The Q20i’s listed battery life is up to 60 hours, compared with up to 40 hours for the JBL. That longer stated runtime may appeal if you would rather charge less often during regular listening. The product information also identifies app-based control, giving the Q20i a different control approach from JBL’s ear-cup buttons. Its dynamic drivers cover a listed frequency range of 20 Hz–20,000 Hz. The product description highlights Hi-Res Audio and customizable sound through an app, but the available specifications do not provide further detail about particular sound settings.
The trade-offs follow from that design. Over-ear headphones take up more space around the ears than on-ear headphones, and the Q20i is described as including a headphones case. That may suit a buyer who wants a more enclosed listening style, but it is not the most compact-looking choice here. The battery information lists a five-minute charge time, but does not state how much listening that short charge provides. I would not treat that figure as equivalent to JBL’s stated two-hour playback from a five-minute charge.
For calls, the supplied Q20i information does not list a microphone feature, so a shopper looking for the best with microphone on ear headphones for side sleepers should not assume it offers the same clearly specified call setup as the JBL. Likewise, neither product sheet identifies either headphone as a gaming headset or specifies gaming-focused features. The Q20i’s noise cancellation may be useful in a noisy room, but that alone does not make it the best gaming headset for side sleepers.
Who should skip it: Skip the Q20i if you specifically want an on-ear fit, a clearly listed ear-cup microphone, or physical button controls.
• Best for a listed microphone on the headphones → JBL Tune 510BT. Its ear-cup microphone is explicitly intended for hands-free calls, while the Q20i information does not specify a microphone.
• Best for hybrid noise cancellation → Soundcore Anker Q20i. JBL lists no noise control; the Q20i lists hybrid noise cancellation.
• Best for longer stated battery life → Soundcore Anker Q20i. Its battery life is listed at up to 60 hours, compared with up to 40 hours for JBL.
• Best for a quick, clearly quantified top-up → JBL Tune 510BT. Five minutes of charging is listed as providing two extra hours of music.
• Best for on-ear fit and folding → JBL Tune 510BT. It has an on-ear design and folds for carrying; the Q20i is over-ear.
• Best if a wired connection matters → Soundcore Anker Q20i. It includes a 3.5 mm jack, while the JBL has no headphone jack.
• Best for switching between two Bluetooth devices → JBL Tune 510BT. That device-switching feature is specifically listed for JBL.
• Better starting point for side sleepers → JBL Tune 510BT, with a caveat. Its on-ear form and 160 g listed weight may be easier to manage, but the earcups still sit against the ears. Neither option is specified as sleep-oriented.
In my opinion, I would choose the JBL Tune 510BT for a simple everyday headset, especially if calls, folding, lighter listed weight, and a useful quick-charge detail are priorities. I would choose the Soundcore Anker Q20i instead when hybrid noise cancellation, a 3.5 mm jack, or its longer stated battery life matters more. For side sleepers, I would lean toward the JBL on design grounds, but I would not call either one a dedicated sleep solution: both have earcups that may press against a pillow.
Before choosing, decide which feature would actually change your daily routine. If you mainly listen at home or during a commute and regularly take calls, the JBL’s specified microphone, ear-cup buttons, and two-device switching make its role easy to understand. If your priority is reducing surrounding noise, the Q20i is the only one of these two that lists hybrid noise cancellation.
Fit is just as important as feature count. JBL’s on-ear cups rest directly against the ears, while Soundcore’s over-ear cups surround them. Those differences can affect how each feels during long listening sessions, but the product details do not establish which will fit your head more comfortably. For side sleeping in particular, consider the pressure a headphone cup may create against a pillow. Neither product is described as having a sleep-focused low-profile design.
Also check how you plan to connect and recharge. The Q20i provides a 3.5 mm jack; the JBL does not. JBL gives a specific quick-charge playback figure, while the Q20i lists a short charging time without stating the playback gained from it. If price is part of your decision, check the current price on Amazon using the page’s button rather than assuming one model is always the better value.
Neither is described as a headphone made for sleeping. JBL’s on-ear design may seem less bulky than Soundcore’s over-ear design, but its cups still rest against the ears. Pillow pressure could make either uncomfortable.
The Q20i lists hybrid noise cancellation. The Tune 510BT lists no noise control, so it does not offer that feature. The supplied information does not provide a direct noise-reduction measurement.
Yes. The Q20i lists a 3.5 mm headphone jack as well as wireless Bluetooth connectivity. The JBL Tune 510BT has no headphone jack.
JBL is the clearer choice based on the listed features: its microphone is on the ear cup, with buttons for managing calls and sound. The Q20i product information supplied here does not specify a microphone.
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