Reviewed: QuietOn 3 Sleep Earbuds
Looking for a great gift for a traveling triathlete who needs those zzzs? Our reviewer checks out new high-tech ear buds that take silence to 11.
Review Rating
Basics
QuietOn 3 earbuds are the luxury way to get a good night’s sleep whether you’re traveling to a race on a plane, staying in a louder-than-expected pre-race hotel, or if your significant other’s snoring prevents you from getting that key rest and recovery between sessions.
Pros
Effective when used as-advertised
Ergonomic
Small and transportable
Cons
Expensive
A bit of a learning curve for how to insert the earplugs
Only noise cancels low-frequency sounds
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QuietOn 3: The Basics
QuietOn 3 sleep earbuds are for those who are serious about getting a good night’s sleep. After all, dropping $270 for what are essentially ear plugs is no small bite out of anyone’s budget.
However, QuietOn 3 earbuds most definitely do their job. They are excellent at muting low-frequency sounds such as snoring, thumping bass, or general ambient noise such as conversations in the next room or low-volume TV.
The reason the QuietOn 3 may be worth the price for some is because these high-tech earbuds combine traditional earplug features (a foam piece you insert into the beginning of your ear canal) with updated technology: The part of the QuietOn 3 that nests in your outer ear actively noise cancels by sending out anti-noise waves into your ears to lessen the Hz (Hertz, the method of measuring sound) of any nearby low-frequency noises.
Related: 15 Yoga Poses to Help You Sleep Better
QuietOn 3: The Good
The QuietOn 3 earbuds definitely do what they claim: decrease the presence of low-frequency sounds as you sleep. For those who are especially sensitive to the nighttime rumblings of pets, snoring partners, or the next-door neighbor who won’t turn down their music, these earbuds are much more effective than drugstore-bought foam ones. What could be sleep disturbances fade into the background and become hardly-noticeable blips of noise here and there. You can still hear some white noise, like a floor fan whirring, if that is something that helps you sleep, as well.
The QuietOn 3 team also clearly put a lot of care into the ergonomics of the earplugs. The product comes with four different sizes of foam ear pieces (sizes extra small through large) to ensure that you get a snug fit regardless of your ear’s dimensions.
Plus, the noise-cancelling piece of the earbuds (the part that sits in your outer ear) sits comfortably and snugly when inserted correctly. For folks with small ears, this is a gamechanger from the generic, oversized foam earpieces that tend to push on both the inner and outer ear, causing pain and irritation while sleeping.
QuietOn 3 is also very portable. Its case is about the size of most bluetooth earbud headphones and would take up hardly any space at all when compared to all the other gear a triathlete needs to bring with them to a race or camp. It uses a micro USB cable as well, making it easy to charge or replace should you lose the charging cord.
QuietOn 3: The Ok
It’s hard to ignore the price tag on these puppies: $270. If you’re a true insomniac or a very light sleeper, that cost could be worth it as the earbuds are very effective at what they’re advertised to do. However, if you’re looking for only a smidge of noise reduction and aren’t too picky about sleep hygiene habits, you may be better off saving those precious dollars for another tri-related purchase.
The QuietOn 3 earbuds are also a bit finicky to fit to your ears the first couple times you wear them. While the instructions provide a simple yet helpful diagram depicting how to insert the earplugs, it still takes a few tries to get it right. In order to experience the full noise-cancelling experience, you need to ensure you have inserted the foam part correctly and have the ANC (active noise cancelling) hard plastic piece properly situated in the outer ear.
These earbuds cancel low-frequency sounds only (snoring, music, ambient TV on a low volume). This means that when your cats meow in falsetto at 3 a.m., the QuietOn 3 earplugs can only do so much to mute that sound. High-pitched sounds are still muffled by way of the foam ear piece, but loud laughter, cats meowing, or babies crying will unfortunately seep past the ANC capabilities of the QuietOn 3.
Conclusions
For athletes who struggle to get a sound night’s sleep without noise interruptions, the QuietOn 3 could be a worthy investment for the sake of enjoying some quietude at night.
The price tag is a barrier to making this product accessible to all, and is likely something you’ll shell out for only if your sleep is really in the throes of chaos.
If you’re a triathlete who travels consistently for work, races, or both, these small, portable earplugs could be a great addition to your recovery repertoire, ensuring you get as quiet and peaceful of a night’s rest as possible when we all know how unpredictable hotels and lodging can be in terms of noise level.
QuietOn does offer a 14-day return policy. Should you order the earbuds and not be satisfied with them, you have 14 days from the date of delivery to contact the company to begin the return and refund process.
*QuietOn is having a Black Friday sale beginning 11/22 through Cyber Monday, 11/29, where the QuietOn 3 earbuds will be available for $219, a $50 price reduction.