Sleepbuds II - Ear tip fit

[Wayne_M]

We are dedicated to making sure that everyone can have the best possible experience with their Bose products. We have heard your feedback regarding comfort and fit for the Sleepbuds II, but would love more of it. We have set up a survey here to help gather more information.

We want to ensure we fully understand your concerns, so the more detailed information you can provide us about your experience the better.  

In the meantime, we have some resources that may be helpful for some people experiencing trouble with fit or comfort.

• Please see our article on fitting the Sleepbuds in your ear here.
• You can read how to change the ear tips here.
• Also please watch this video:

Thanks!

[Epcotman]

I was really looking forward to receiving my Sleepbuds II this week.  I never tried the first generation but love my QC 35's and have been looking for a solution to drowning out a low frequency "Pulse" that can be heard from my bed, and results in many a lost night's sleep.

I have tried earplugs but they have always been painful to wear, especially as a side sleeper.  I rejoiced but was also slightly skeptical when I read Sleepbuds are comfortable even when they are resting against the pillow in side sleeping position.

To my disappointment, I had a rough first night with my Sleepbuds II.  

When I place my head to the side, against the pillow I get instant discomfort, pain and my ear feels like it's throbbing.  I persevered and tried it with a medium firm and then a soft pillow, which made no difference.  I also ended up trying all three sizes of the Sleepbud eartips and all were painful.  

The feeling of discomfort became so great that I had to concede defeat, take them out, never to awake to the Sleepbuds alarm.  

Does anyone else have any tips to make them more comfortable as a side sleeper? I can't seem to find anyone else saying that they are uncomfortable in this position.

I would like to persist with them, but my ears still hurt, even now.

[pule92]

My first night was similar in the sense that I was wearing two different sizes on purpose and woke up to the larger size one hurting a bit when I woke up. Then, after changing it back to a smaller size, today I had no issues. I'm also a side sleeper and in my short experience with the buds, I've noticed that it can get more annoying if I place my head right in the centre of the pillow. On the other hand, if I place my head sort of in an angle or so to say 1/3rd of the pillow, then I don't experience any issue at all. Placing the head right in the centre will inevitably put all the pressure right from the bud to your ear canal and I don't see a way of preventing that with any type of product that goes into your ear. Not sure if I explained my case correctly but for me, it was a matter of playing with the part of the pillow in which I place my head and the size of the bud. 

[Epcotman]

Thanks. Yeah, I guess I was hoping they'd be comfortable wherever my head lay on the pillow.  The size seems to make a difference.  Been playing around with them this morning, and seems to be most comfortable with the Large size in the Right and Small in the Left.  Even though my ears appear evenly sized.

Will persist for another night and see if I can stand the pain!  My ears are still throbbing from last night and I feel as if I'm wearing a phantom Sleepbud.

[pule92]

The size for me was the key. Although I also think my ears are the same size, what changes a bit is the shape of the inside where the top of the bud that secures the fit lands. Keep on playing with them, don't give up just yet 😉

[Epcotman]

Well, the second night with the Sleepbuds was a little better.  I actually slept!  I still find them painful and irritating.  I can never lay my head in the exact position I want, it always has to be led by getting the Sleepbud to rest in my ear in the most acceptable position. 

It's shocking to me, that so many people describe them as "comfortable" or "undetectable".  I'm envious if that's truly the case for those people.

[jwbyrne]

I don’t find them painfully uncomfortable, but they are not as comfortable as the first iteration. 

They may have stiffened the silicone in the eartips to combat the eartip tunnel collapsing issue with the Sleepbuds 1 design.

I haven’t had any issues with the eartips collapsing on the new buds, and; I have gone out of my way to get them to do that. 

[nyersike]

Hi,

I have the same experience after my first night. I woke up several times with pain in both my ears as I am a side-sleeper, too. The sounds are fantastic. I chose Cobblestone which had a soothing sound but the pain is awful. Is there any solution maybe? I will try to sleep on my back but I don't think I will stay all night on my back. 

I slept 1 hour less as usual unfortunately. I have a Fitbit analysing my sleeps so I can have exact figures about my sleeps.

[aprayiii]

I mentioned this in the thread about the sound disappearing but it is also applicable here. Another option is a specialty pillow. I bought this one

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0778ZJ76B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It works well for this issue - but unfortunately I don't find it very comfortable. But others do like it.

[Sleepexpert]

It is important to use the the correct ear piece size. You must experiment.