Editors Update - 11/22/22: Since this review was published, this model has proven to have reliability issues. I have personally gone through two pairs with repeated issues with the right earbud failing to pair, having exceptionally poor battery life, and with my replacement pair, failing to work after only two weeks of use. These experiences are echoed in many Amazon reviews. As a result, we can no long recommended these earbuds. Unfortunately, these are the types of issues that often are impossible to spot during a normal review cycle, which is why we are placing this notice at the top of the article.
1MORE has been one of the most exciting brands in mainstream audio for several years, balancing value with sound quality in a way few other brands have been able to manage. But the ComfoBuds Z are a departure, even for a company that routinely pushes the envelope. These earphones can play music and stream movies from your phone, but they’re not made to be worn throughout the day (though you may want to). Instead, these buds are made for bedtime and to be worn all night long while you sleep.
Do you drift off to bed watching Netflix on your phone? Need earbuds to block out the noise of your dorm or your night owl neighbor? These may just be the answer you’ve been looking for.
Specifications
- Current Price: $99.99 ($84.99 on Amazon now)
- Key Features:
- 2-IN-1 SLEEP EARBUDS - Groundbreaking 2-in-1 design enables you to mellow out with 30 built-in soothing sounds for a deep sleep or stream music and podcasts from your Bluetooth device.
- SNUG AND SECURE FIT - Tiny, lightweight earbuds ensure pressure-free wear even as a side sleeper and the 4 pairs of anti-bacterial eartips help you find the right fit.
- NOISE ISOLATION - 1MORE ComfoBuds Z with an in-ear design align naturally with your ear canals to create a tight seal for a noise reduction of up to 24dB.
- 5 AUTO-OFF TIMERS - Easily set up an auto-off timer for the soothing sounds playback between 30 / 60 / 90 / 120 / 150 minutes.
- PREMIUM SOUND QUALITY - A full-range balanced armature reproduces a balanced and authentic sound with fine details.
- Battery
- Single Earbud Battery Capacity: 30 mAh
- Case Battery Capacity: 410 mAh
- Earbuds Charging Time: 75 Minutes
- Case Charging Time: 65 Minutes
- Playtime
- BLE Playtime: approx. 3.5 Hours*
- Bluetooth Playtime: approx. 2.5 Hours*
- BLE Playtime: 14 Hours*
- Bluetooth Playtime: approx. 10 Hours
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth Range: 10 m (Open Space)
- Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth ® 5.0
- Bluetooth Protocols: A2DP / AVRCP / BLE
- Dimensions
- Single Earbud Weight: 2.7 g
- Charging Case Weight: 34 g
- Gross Weight: 39.4 g
- Earbud Dimensions: 24 x 9.2 x 14.2 mm
- Case Dimensions: 60 x 30 x 38.5 mm
1MORE ComfoBuds Z - Not Your Average Earphone
The thing you need to know about the 1MORE ComfoBuds Z is that these earbuds aren’t made to be worn through the day. In fact, they are so clearly not made to be worn around during the day that they really don’t make much sense to buy for that purpose. You can, of course, but if you’re looking for an all-day earbud, there are better options out there, even among 1MORE’s line-up (in fact, the 1MORE Colorbuds 2 are $5 cheaper right now if that’s what you’re looking for).
Instead, these earbuds are made to be slept in and their entire design revolves around that. They’re absolutely tiny, but don’t sit flush with your ear. No, they sit inside your ear — well, the outer ear anyways. The reason is simple: even a bud that sits flush with your ear can be uncomfortable for side sleepers. With your head pressing on the pillow, that pillow pushes the bud into your ear. Not so with the ComfoBuds Z. They’re made to disappear into your ear and do it well.
Their sleep-centric design is also enhanced by the 1MORE Music app. The earbuds can be set to play soothing sounds, like a crackling fire or a gentle rain. You can also set a sleep timer so the buds automatically turn off after a certain amount of time. If you’d rather listen to music or go to sleep watching a show, you can play your own audio through the usual bluetooth connection.
This sleep-centric design is also very simplified compared to 1MORE’s other earbuds. There are no touch controls — or controls of any kind — on the earbuds. Volume and track control is explicitly controlled by your device; you don’t want to start playing music in your sleep because you happened to touch your ear. There’s also no microphone, so you can’t take calls with the buds or use a virtual assistant.
1MORE ComfoBuds Z (bottom) compared to the already-small Jabra Elite 7 Pro
That fractional form factor also means a smaller battery and tiny sound driver. Battery life is only half that of other leading earbuds at roughly three hours before it needs to be charged again (the case can provide 14 hours of listening total). The balanced armature sounds good for music but is really more about detail. It lacks the bass punch of 1MORE’s ColorBuds or really most other mainstream headphones. It’s great for spoken word (movies, audiobooks, podcasts, etc) and the built-in soothing sounds, but isn’t going to rock your socks if you like a little thump in your music.
All of this reinforces that if you’re looking for music headphones to wear throughout the day, these aren’t it. You can use them for it and get by, but that’s a side benefit to their prowess as a sleep aid. Thankfully, for that, they’re pretty great.
1MORE ComfoBuds Z - Performance
Why would anyone need earbuds for sleeping? I admit to being perplexed the first time I heard of sleep earbuds. I was being naive and in fact ignoring my own use case for a device such as this. If you live in a dorm room or an apartment complex, or even just have a partner who likes to stay up later than you, being able to block out noise can be a necessity for some sleepers. For me, I often fall asleep watching a show on my phone with an earbud in one ear to not wake up my wife. For the last few years, I’ve routinely woken up in the middle of the night to take an earbud out, pull it out from under my back after it had fallen out, or had to search the blankets for it in the morning.
If you need it quiet, 1MORE claims these buds block up to 24dB of ambient noise. It’s important to note that this is passively as there is no active noise cancelling on these earbuds. I personally didn’t find the noise isolation to be that great on the ComfoBuds due to the unusually small ear tips. All of them run small (the largest is closer to a medium the other buds I own). I was able to find a snug fit on my left ear, but my right ear never felt completely blocked in the same way. This will obviously vary based on your own anatomy, but I actually found it to be a positive to make sure I could hear my alarm in the morning.
Even without perfect isolation, once something begins playing, they do a good job of blocking out your environment. When I wasn’t watching a show, I swapped to the soothing sound mode and turned on rain sounds. They were genuinely soothing and helped me to relax before falling asleep. If you decide to give these buds a try, definitely give the sounds a shot. There are plenty to choose from and the loops are quite good.
The sound performance of the buds was great. The sound profile is very relaxed. There are no booming lows and no sharp highs. They’re an easy listen, which is a great fit for a sleep earbud. I also didn’t see any noticeable video lag when watching shows on Netflix or catching up on my YouTube watch list.
Most importantly, they worked perfectly for sleeping. All other points aside, the real selling point of these buds is their miniscule size. I’ve been sleeping with one in my ear every night for the last two weeks and they live up to their promise. I’m a side sleeper and haven’t woken up with the uncomfortable feeling of a bud being pressed into my ear even once. That’s not something I can say about any other earbud.
Among the dozens I’ve tried, the ComfoBuds Z are the hands-down best for sleeping.
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to be a tech addict to want a pair of sleep earbuds. You can have a noisy environment. You might crave the soothing sounds of rain or waves or wind running through the fields to lull you to sleep. Or, like me, you might find that those precious minutes before bed are they few you get to catch up with your favorite show or content creator. No matter your reason, if you need sound before you sleep and want a bud that will deliver it without also interrupting your rest, the 1MORE ComfoBuds Z are it.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.