We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a pair of touch-control earbuds that can survive rain, sweat and even a dunk in the pool, choose TREBLAB WX8; if you need touch-control earbuds built specifically for sleeping on your side, choose MEE audio SleepTones Compact.
• TREBLAB WX8 — biggest strength: an IPX8 waterproof rating plus up to 28 hours of playtime with a wireless charging case. Its biggest trade-off: touch controls stay active all the time, and the buds are sized for sport, not for lying on your ear all night.
• MEE audio SleepTones Compact — biggest strength: earpieces under 2 grams each that reduce pressure points, plus a Sleeping Mode that disables the lights and touch controls. Its biggest trade-off: 4.5 hours per charge (15 hours with the case) and no water-resistance rating in the specs.
• Buy the TREBLAB WX8 if you want one pair of touch-control earbuds for running, commuting, showers and workouts.
• Buy the MEE audio SleepTones Compact if you want touch-control earbuds whose touch controls can be turned off at night and whose shape is made for side sleepers.
• Quick framing: TREBLAB WX8 = sport and water; MEE audio SleepTones Compact = sleep and comfort.
The WX8 is a true wireless in-ear bud with a 6 mm dynamic driver, a 16 ohm impedance rating and a frequency range up to 20,000 Hz. Translation: it's tuned for a lively, bass-forward listen rather than a flat studio reference. There's a built-in microphone for calls and voice assistant access, and the whole thing runs on Bluetooth 5.1 with a stated range of about 10 meters — enough to leave your phone on a bench or kitchen counter and keep walking.
The headline spec here is durability. The IPX8 rating means the earbuds are designed to handle rain, snow and sweat, and the listed use cases include the shower, the pool and being submerged up to 3 feet. If your workouts are sweaty, your commute is rainy, or you like listening in the shower, that's a real differentiator and not a marketing footnote. Battery is the other big one: up to 28 hours total with the case, a 1-hour charge time, and a case that stores up to four charges (rated around 30 hours on its own, 300 mAh capacity). Wireless charging and USB-C are both supported.
Controls are touch-based. A multi-functional touch panel handles volume, track skipping and voice assistant activation, so you never dig for your phone mid-run. Just know what that means in practice: the panel is always live. During a workout that's convenient. While you're adjusting the bud or lying down, accidental taps are a thing.
Who should skip it: side sleepers. Nothing in the spec sheet suggests the WX8's shape was designed to sit flush against a pillow, and its touch panel can't be switched off. If you mainly want earbuds for bed, that's the wrong tool.
MEE audio SleepTones Compact: Who It's For
The SleepTones Compact is a purpose-built sleep bud. The earpieces weigh less than 2 grams each and are described as ultra-compact and low-profile — engineered to reduce pressure points for side sleepers and people with smaller ears. That's the entire design brief, and it shows: this is not a fitness product that happens to work in bed, it's a bed product.
The most interesting feature for a touch-control shopper is Sleeping Mode. It disables the earbud lights, notifications and touch controls so you don't accidentally trigger playback or volume changes when you roll over. There's also an optional Sleep Timer that powers the buds down automatically after an hour — useful if you fall asleep to a podcast or white noise. When you do want touch control, it's there: volume, playback, calls and voice assistant, all hands-free. Two-tone ear sleeves make it easier to tell left from right in dim light, a small detail that matters at 2 a.m.
Sound is described as smooth, clear MEE signature audio, tuned for non-fatiguing listening — white noise apps, audiobooks, meditation, podcasts, music. Nobody buys these for thumping bass, and the design doesn't pretend otherwise.
Battery is the obvious limitation. Up to 4.5 hours per charge, up to 15 hours with the miniature charging case, and a 2-hour charge time. For a night of sleep that's plenty; for a long flight plus a layover, it's tight. There's also no water-resistance rating listed, so treat them as dry-use earbuds — no showers, no rain runs.
Who should buy it: side sleepers, small-eared listeners, people who fall asleep to audio and want the option to kill the touch controls. The beige color and compact case suit travel and nightstands.
Who should skip it: anyone who wants one pair for the gym, the pool and the trail. The battery and the missing water rating rule it out for that job.
• Best for workouts and water → TREBLAB WX8. IPX8, shower/pool/submersion up to 3 feet.
• Best for side sleeping → MEE audio SleepTones Compact. Sub-2-gram earpieces designed to cut pressure points.
• Best battery life → TREBLAB WX8. Up to 28 hours total versus up to 15 hours with the SleepTones case.
• Best for controlling accidental touches → MEE audio SleepTones Compact. Sleeping Mode disables the touch controls; the WX8's touch panel stays active.
• Best for small ears → MEE audio SleepTones Compact. Explicitly designed for smaller ears, with two-tone sleeves for left/right identification in the dark.
• Best for calls and voice assistant on the move → either, but TREBLAB WX8 pairs that with Bluetooth 5.1 and a 10-meter range for gym and commute use.
• Best for falling asleep to white noise or audiobooks → MEE audio SleepTones Compact. Sleep Timer plus a non-fatiguing tuning.
• Best for one pair that does everything outdoors → TREBLAB WX8. The SleepTones Compact isn't rated for water at all.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the TREBLAB WX8. In my opinion it's the more versatile pair: IPX8 protection, up to 28 hours of total playtime and a wireless charging case cover far more of daily life, and its touch controls are genuinely useful when your hands are busy or wet. The MEE audio SleepTones Compact is the better product for exactly one job — sleeping — and if that's your job, its Sleeping Mode and featherweight earpieces make it the smarter buy. But as a single pair of touch-control earbuds to own, I'd take the WX8.
Touch control means the earbud's outer surface is a touch-sensitive panel instead of a physical button. On the TREBLAB WX8, that panel handles volume, track skipping and voice assistant activation. On the MEE audio SleepTones Compact, touch controls handle volume, media playback, calls and voice assistant — but they can be disabled in Sleeping Mode.
It depends on the model. The MEE audio SleepTones Compact has a dedicated Sleeping Mode that switches off the earbud lights, notifications and touch controls in one step, which is exactly what you want at night. The TREBLAB WX8 does not list a way to disable its touch panel, so there the controls stay live.
Because Bluetooth earbuds with touch panels send commands to whatever device they're paired with — play, pause, skip, volume, or waking the voice assistant. A stray tap on the panel registers as a command. That's the main reason sleep-focused buds like the SleepTones Compact include a mode that turns the touch surface off.
Not strictly — you're sleeping, not swimming. The MEE audio SleepTones Compact lists no water-resistance rating, which is fine for dry bedside use. If you also want to wear the same buds in the shower or pool, that's where the TREBLAB WX8's IPX8 rating earns its place, and the SleepTones Compact simply isn't the right pick.
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.
See also: MEE audio Professional MX2 vs Audio-Technica ATH-M40x, Questyle M15C vs MEE audio M6, MEE audio M6 vs Skullcandy Dime 3