We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-19 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a washable, ultra-thin headband you can wear lying on your side in bed or through a sweaty workout, choose YY KATTY Sports Headband Headphones; if you need true wireless earbuds with a fun licensed design, touch controls and a charging case that stretches playtime to about 30 hours, choose iJoy Squishmallows.
• YY KATTY's biggest strength: a 0.25-inch-thin flat speaker module built into a soft fabric headband, so nothing presses into your ear when you sleep on your side — plus it doubles as a sweat-and-hair band.
• YY KATTY's biggest trade-off: it's a single fabric band with one size and a Black-only finish, and you have to pull the electronics module out before you wash it.
• iJoy Squishmallows' biggest strength: up to 30 hours of playtime with the charging case, touch controls for tracks and calls, and an officially licensed Squishmallows look built around Cam the Cat, Patty the Cow and friends.
• iJoy Squishmallows' biggest trade-off: they're in-ear buds, so they sit inside your ear canal and don't solve side-sleeping or ear-pressure comfort the way a flat headband speaker does.
• Pick YY KATTY if you want sleep, meditation, yoga and side-sleeping audio in one wearable band.
• Pick iJoy Squishmallows if you want portable earbuds with long battery life and a playful Squish Squad design you're happy to show off.
The YY KATTY headband is a two-in-one idea: a fabric sports band and a pair of Bluetooth speakers rolled into one. The speaker module is only 0.25 inches thick, and it sits at the center of the band rather than inside your ear. That single design choice is what everything else hangs on. Because the sound comes from a flat panel resting against your head instead of an earbud jammed into your canal, there's no ear pressure and no earbud to fall out mid-roll. For side sleepers, that's the whole point — the specs list "optimal headphones for side sleeping" as a headline use case, and the thinness backs it up.
On the audio side, YY KATTY uses Bluetooth 5.0 with True HD HIFI sound and pairs with phones and tablets. The wireless range is listed at 45 feet, which is generous for a home setup — you can leave your phone on the nightstand and walk to the kitchen without the signal dropping. Battery is quoted as up to 10 hours of music playback, 12 hours of call time, and 100 hours of standby, with a 2-hour charge. There's a built-in microphone, so you can take a call without pulling anything out of your ears. The fabric is described as compressive but breathable, which is the right combination for keeping sweat and stray hair off your face during yoga, running or gym sessions.
Who should buy it: side sleepers, people dealing with a snoring partner or noisy roommates, dorm and apartment dwellers, frequent flyers, meditators, and anyone who wants music during a workout without earbuds shifting around. It's also listed for adults, though the specs mention kids and college students among the intended users. Who should skip it: if you want punchy, isolating sound or a sealed in-ear fit, this isn't that product. It's a comfort-first band, and the fabric has to be hand-washed with the module removed, which is a small chore you should be honest with yourself about.
The iJoy Squishmallows earbuds go the opposite direction. These are true wireless in-ear buds in a charging case, decorated with officially licensed Squishmallows artwork featuring Cam the Cat, Patty the Cow, Carl the Cheeseburger and other characters from the Squish Squad. If you or someone in your house already owns Squishmallows plush, the appeal here is obvious — it's a matching accessory rather than a generic black earbud.
Functionally, the numbers are solid for everyday listening. Bluetooth 5.0, a 33-foot range, a 32-ohm impedance and a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz frequency range — that's the standard full audible spectrum, so nothing is artificially clipped at either end. Battery life is quoted at up to 30 hours using the included charging case, with a 2-hour charge time for the buds. Controls are touch-based: play/pause, skip forward and back, volume up and down, and answer, reject or end calls. Noise control is listed as sound isolation, which is the passive kind — the in-ear seal does the blocking rather than active noise cancellation.
Compatibility is broad: phones, tablets, smart watches, laptops and computers, anything with Bluetooth. There's no headphone jack, so this is wireless-only. In the box you get the buds, extra ear gels in case the pre-fitted tips don't seal well, a USB charging cable, the wireless charging case and a manual. The housing is ABS plastic, and the color is described as Squishmallows Multi. It carries a 90-day manufacturer warranty.
Who should buy it: Squishmallows fans of any age, gift shoppers looking for something a kid, teen or adult collector will actually use, commuters who want compact buds that disappear into a pocket, and anyone who wants long playtime without recharging constantly. Who should skip it: side sleepers, people who hate things inside their ears, and anyone who needs a headband-style wearable that also manages sweat and hair.
• Best for side sleeping and lying down → YY KATTY Sports Headband Headphones. The 0.25-inch flat speaker avoids ear-canal pressure entirely.
• Best for battery life → iJoy Squishmallows. Up to 30 hours with the charging case versus up to 10 hours of music playback on the headband.
• Best for workouts and sweat → YY KATTY Sports Headband Headphones. It's designed to hold hair and sweat back while you run, lift or do yoga.
• Best for portability → iJoy Squishmallows. Compact buds plus a charging case slip into a pocket; a fabric headband does not.
• Best for calls on the move → iJoy Squishmallows. Touch controls let you answer, reject and hang up without touching your phone.
• Best for gifting and licensed design → iJoy Squishmallows. Officially licensed Squishmallows artwork is the entire reason to pick these over plain buds.
• Best for shared living spaces and noisy rooms → YY KATTY Sports Headband Headphones. It's aimed at snoring partners, roommates and dorm life, and it reduces background noise without earplugs.
• Best for wireless range → YY KATTY Sports Headband Headphones. 45 feet beats the 33 feet quoted for the iJoy buds.
• Best for cleanliness over time → iJoy Squishmallows. Wipe the buds; the headband requires removing the module before a full wash.
In my opinion, these two barely compete — they solve different problems, and you should buy the one that matches your body and your routine. If you sleep on your side, share a room with a snorer, or want music during yoga without earbuds falling out, I'd buy the YY KATTY Sports Headband Headphones. The 0.25-inch flat speaker and the 45-foot range are the details that make it genuinely useful in bed. If instead you want pocket-sized buds, touch controls, up to 30 hours with the case, and a licensed Squishmallows design that doubles as a gift, I'd buy the iJoy Squishmallows. If you're torn on cost, check the current price on Amazon before deciding — that's the one variable I can't weigh for you.
Yes — that's their main design goal. The speaker module is only 0.25 inches thick and sits at the center of the band, so it doesn't press into your ear the way an earbud would when you lie on your side.
No. The specs list sound isolation, which is passive blocking from the in-ear seal, not active noise cancellation. You'll get some reduction in background noise, but not the electronic kind.
The iJoy Squishmallows are quoted at up to 30 hours of playtime using the charging case. The YY KATTY headband is quoted at up to 10 hours of music playback, 12 hours of call time, and 100 hours of standby, with a 2-hour charge.
Yes, but you must remove the electronics module first and then wash the fabric. The iJoy buds don't work that way — you'd wipe the ABS housing instead of washing it.
For a Squishmallows fan, the iJoy buds are the more obvious gift because they're officially licensed merchandise with recognizable characters. The YY KATTY headband is the better gift for a side sleeper, a frequent flyer or someone in a noisy dorm.
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