Let’s get one thing straight: I’m extremely sensitive to sound.
Not in a “oh, that’s kind of loud” way. I’m talking about being the person who hears a tap dripping three rooms away, or who can’t fall asleep because someone two floors up is walking weird. I’ve always wished I could just switch off my ears at night. I’ve tried foam earplugs, white noise apps, headbands with built-in speakers, and even that thing where you stack pillows over your head like a human sandwich. Nothing ever worked for long.
And when I’m travelling? Forget it. Hotel hallway noise, unpredictable air conditioning units, the guy behind you in 18B who decides now is the time to clear his throat every 45 seconds — it all adds up to one thing: no sleep.
So when I heard about QuietOn 4, a pair of tiny active noise-cancelling earbuds made specifically for sleep, I was curious. The idea of earplugs that cancel sound without blasting white noise or needing to be connected to an app sounded like a dream. Literally.
First Impressions: Surprisingly Small, Shockingly Quiet
The first thing I noticed when I opened the case was how tiny they were. These earbuds are smaller than any other sleep-focused tech I’ve seen. I was halfway convinced they’d fall out or be too delicate to actually block sound.
But then I put them in.
I didn’t hear the fridge anymore. Or the neighbour’s laundry. Or the low-level hum of the city that usually seeps through even the best windows. The earbuds aren’t trying to distract you from noise; they just cancel it. It’s not fake quiet. It’s really quiet. The kind that makes your brain say, “Oh, so this is what resting is supposed to feel like.”
Comfort: Nothing to Adjust, Nothing to Fuss With
I’ve tried traditional earbuds in bed before, and they always end up hurting or falling out. But these fit snugly thanks to the oval design and soft Comply™ foam tips that mould to your ears. They were clearly made with side sleepers in mind. I didn’t feel any pressure when I rolled over and, more importantly, I didn’t wake up in the middle of the night trying to find where one of them went.
There are no buttons to press, no Bluetooth to pair, no weird beeping startup sounds. You just take them out of the case and put them in. That’s it. You get up to 28 hours of battery life per charge, so you’re not constantly plugging them in or babysitting a charging case.
Travel-Tested, Home-Approved
I recently took the QuietOn 4 earbuds with me on a work trip, and let me just say this: I now consider them essential travel gear. I used them on the plane, in the hotel, and in the rideshare to the airport while the driver was blasting late 90s dance hits at 7:15 a.m.
The best part was the hotel. You know those moments where you finally start drifting off, and then someone in the hallway starts loudly recapping their night out? Not this time. I woke up rested and genuinely surprised at how deeply I slept in a completely unfamiliar (and slightly noisy) space.
I also brought them back home and tested them on a Sunday afternoon, when the neighbourhood lawnmower brigade is usually in full swing. Same result. I fell asleep and didn’t hear a thing until my alarm went off.
Who Should Try These?
Honestly, if you:
- Sleep next to a snorer
- Are a light sleeper
- Live in a noisy apartment
- Travel often
- Have kids, roommates, or pets who treat 3 a.m. like their personal party hour
- Just need actual silence to relax
… then yes, these are absolutely worth trying. They don’t replace headphones, they’re not for music or podcasts, and that’s kind of the point. These are built for one job: giving your brain a break from the outside world.
Final Thoughts
There’s a difference between quiet and silence. One means “less noise.” The other means peace. The QuietOn 4 earbuds gave me that second one. And for someone who thought real rest was out of reach without moving to a cabin in the woods, that’s a pretty big deal.
I’ve already added them to my nightstand and my carry-on. If I could give them to Past Me — the version who spent way too many nights staring at the ceiling while the world buzzed around him — I would.
But for now, they’re helping Present Me actually sleep. And that’s a win I’ll take.
Written by James Smith, blogger, father and content creator.
