NightBuds — smart earbuds for better sleep and relaxation
Kokoon NightBuds. Pic: Kokoon.
I’ve used a lot of earbuds over the years and with the right size ear tip, I’ve found the majority of them comfortable. However, I also like to wear buds while lying on a pillow in bed and most buds are not comfortable when you lay on them. There are a few that are small enough to just about work but none are as comfortable as the Kokoon NightBuds.
Kokoon says they’ve been developing headphones that are comfortable for use in bed for the last seven years. NightBuds were designed to be worn through the night in all positions including side sleeping. The soft, ergonomic buds are incredibly thin; just 5.4mm thick, which is over 391% thinner than the average Bluetooth earbud. This thin size has been enabled by Kokoon’s patent-pending five-point anchor system which locates electronics behind the head.
The NightBuds are uniquely designed for a specific purpose in mind and as the name suggests, that purpose is to be comfortable while wearing them to sleep. This might seem like an easy thing to do but there’s a lot of technology that has to fit into each earbud so making them small enough to lie on is a serious challenge. While Kokoon's approach works, it does mean you’re less likely to use them outside the house, although you can if you wish.
The NightBuds are tiny, or at least the buds that fit into your ears are. To keep them small, all of the electronics, including the battery, are contained within a flat plastic housing that connects to each bud with a stiff cable. The cable is not straight but laid out like a concertina to allow it to expand — a note in the NightBuds packaging warns you not to stretch the cable too far for fear it may not spring back into its original position.
The NightBuds come with a hard case that is big enough to keep them in their shape while protecting them for travel. You also get five sets of different sized silicone ear tips that feature wings for extra security.
Comfort is king when it comes to earbuds that you’re going to sleep on and the NightBuds are supremely comfortable — as long as you find the best fitting ear tip. I don’t always rest my head sideways and even when I lie on my back I never found the unit in the middle uncomfortable.
There are no touch controls on the buds but you will find the power, volume down and volume up buttons on the back. Here you’ll also find the USB-C port for charging and the buds should last up to 10 hours on a single charge.
You can use NightBuds like regular earphones for watching movies to listening to your favourite tunes. The NightBuds contain a sleep sensor in the right bud that can detect your sleep and sleep quality, unlike regular earphones.
The sensor automatically works to fade out the audio and capture data such as efficiency, quality, and length which is then transmitted to the MyKokoon app, where the data is processed and utilised to create a sleep summary.
The MyKokoon companion app works in conjunction with the NightBuds to help you get to sleep and even get back to sleep.
NightBuds uses Kokoon's Sleep Coaching Technology to track sleep (through PPG and accelerometers) and deliver individualised insights and recommendations to help users sleep better. Applying Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), widely regarded as the most effective treatment for sleep disorders, users now have access to AI coaching that is tailored to their own sleep patterns.
I found the coaching great to help me get into a more relaxed state. However, there are only so many times you can listen to the same voice and coaching sessions. Hopefully, further sessions will be added to the app over time. There’s also meditation, storyscape and music that is as short as 20 minutes but some last as long as 120 minutes. You can also add brown noise to the audio and you can control the volume control separately.
There’s also a smart schedule and alarm — tailoring automatically to a wearers chronotype and sleep cycles with configurable wake ups to favourite music or podcasts
NightBuds can be used like regular earbuds to take calls and listen to music but I wouldn’t be inclined to wear them outside the house or use them for workouts. They really are designed to help you sleep and in this regard, they help me relax and get to sleep but your mileage may vary.
NightBuds €224 from Kokoon
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