Forget expensive sleepbuds. Buy this pillow instead

Tech companies often sell expensive gadgets to solve minor problems. Sleepbuds from Anker and Ozlo cost over $200, require charging, can lose Bluetooth connection, and batteries degrade in a few years. The author suggests a piercing pillow as a cheaper alternative. Originally designed for people with fresh ear piercings, these pillows have cutouts that cradle the ear, making them perfect for side-sleepers who use any earbuds like AirPods, Galaxy Buds, or Pixel Buds.

The author bought the Blissbury Ear Pillow for $55, a fraction of the cost of sleepbuds. It features two ear cutouts for flexibility in different sleeping positions. The memory foam pillow is adjustable in thickness from 4 to 5 inches via a removable insert, and the cover is washable. Dimensions are 26 inches (66 cm) long by 15 inches (38 cm) wide, slightly narrower than a standard US pillow, so a standard pillowcase may sag, but the extra fabric can be stuffed into the ear holes. The pillow also comes with foam fillers for the cutouts in case it becomes a guest pillow.

Sleepbuds still have merit for blocking snoring; the author found Anker's A30 sleepbuds effective with their masking algorithms. However, even the latest sleepbuds often require side-sleepers to adjust their pillow to avoid pressure and muffled audio. After a week with the Blissbury pillow, the author felt silly for spending four times as much on sleepbuds that are inferior to the AirPods Pro he already owned. He concludes that sometimes all you need is an oddly shaped piece of foam.