The ex-Bose employee-designed Ozlo Sleepbuds were instrumental to waking up the sleep earbuds market (pun very much intended).
Though the earbuds had an impressive pedigree and solid performance, they also fell into the traps of a first-generation product — some missing features and a price point that didn't quite match the performance. Ozlo took the feedback in stride and is back with an improved experience in the Ozlo Sleepbuds 2.
The new sleep earbuds are available at Ozlo's website as of July 28 for $279. They're cheaper than their predecessor, yet come with key improvements and more sleep features overall. I've been testing the Sleepbuds 2 over the past couple of weeks, and can confirm Ozlo has taken a step in the right direction.
Ozlo Sleepbuds 2: Key features and price
As mentioned above, the Ozlo Sleepbuds 2 are available for $279.99. It's an especially impressive price point compared to the first-generation buds for two reasons. One, the original Sleepbuds are $349 at full price. However, they launched at $299, but fell into the wave of tech products that received tariff-related price bumps last spring.
Then there's the fact that Soundcore's sleep earbuds with active noise cancellation (Mashable's top pick for sleep earbuds) cost $229.99. Ozlo's narrowing of the gap between the two price points feels essential and much more accurate to the discrepancy in the user experience between the two earbuds.
Key features
Battery life: 14 hours per charge, with case holding up to three nights of sleeps per charge
Alarm: Set and schedule multiple private alarms
Controls: Smart case button for phone-free controls, including Sleep Sound playback or alarm snoozing
Sleep tracking: Biometric and environmental tracking from the earbuds and smart case, with detailed reports available in app
Ear tips: Four sizes of silicone ear tips
Sleep modes: Customization between different kinds of audio playback and sleep timers customized to user experience
Phone-free features: Can use sleep sounds and alarm without a phone connection
Sleep Shield: Feature set that blocks incoming notifications, calls, and streaming while you sleep
Sleep sounds: Library of over 30 soundscapes and masking sleep sounds
What's new
While Ozlo retains some of the best parts of the original earbuds (the comfortable design and great sleep soundscapes), they've upped the ante with a much longer battery life (14 hours compared to 10 hours), the addition of sleep tracking analytics, sleep modes, and the smart case button.
Ozlo Sleepbuds 2: Overall impressions
You can find my detailed thoughts in my full review of the Sleepbuds 2, but as an overview, here's what worked and didn't work:
What I liked: Ultra comfortable wear, balanced and varied sleep sounds with great volume variety, longer battery life, lower price point than first generation, the incredibly detailed sleep analysis (which included graphs depicting phases of sleep, room temperature, room sounds, etc.), easy connectivity, and easily navigable app
What I didn't like: The smart case button, which replaces on-ear earbud touch controls, the case battery life compared to Soundcore's case battery life, and no active noise cancellation
The takeaway: Overall, I much prefer the Ozlo Sleepbuds 2 to the original Sleepbuds. Though the improvements weren't drastic, they were needed, and the brand implemented customer feedback where it mattered most. While I wouldn't say an upgrade is essential for folks who already own these Sleepbuds, it may be worth taking advantage of the launch promotions.
Ozlo Sleepbuds 2: Early deals and where to buy
The Ozlo Sleepbuds 2 are $279 on Ozlo's website. For a limited time after launch, orders will include a complimentary Ultra-Soft 3D Blackout Ozlo sleep mask and Ozlo Travel Case. Existing Sleepbuds customers will have access to a 30-day upgrade offer that brings the price of the Sleepbuds 2 down to $229.