1More ComfoBuds Z Review – Headphones for Bedtime?

1More are one of the hottest headphone brands around, and if I'm honest, I personally only use two brands for my audio, Creative and 1More, and for good reason, they're both great at what they do! For in-ear wireless headphones though, 1More has been putting out great products for years now and has been fiercely competitive on price, features, and performance. However, while I've tested audiophile headphones, sport headphones, and gaming headphones, I don't think I've ever had a set that is designed for bedtime. That's right, the 1More ComfoBuds Z, or should that be ZzzzZZzzz, are designed for relaxation and rest! 1More ComfoBuds Z 1More say they're a 2-in1 earbud design. They'll be your daily headphones for your walk, commute, phone calls, whatever really. However, they also double as a sleeping aid in bed. There are 30 built-in soothing sounds that can calm you down, sit back & relax while reading a book, trying to sleep, or whatever really. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I was so intrigued by a new product, but 1More has me hooked with this concept. ComfoBuds Z headphones are designed to provide the tightest seal possible without discomfort leading to a total noise reduction of up to 24dB without active noise cancellation. Effectively, they are earplugs with headphones built-in. The included four sets of hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial ear tips provide extra comfort and a more accurate fit. 1More's stock images are so much more pleasant than what I look like while sleeping; you're welcome. 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. Soothing Sounds With the 1MORE MUSIC App – a free download available on both Apple & Google platforms – users can pick from an array of 30 sounds to suit their preference or moods for each occasion; that deep sleep or long relaxation you've been longing for is now only a few taps away. What 1More Had to Say "The ComfoBuds Z are intelligent earbuds for everyday audio listening with superior external noise blocking capacity. Moreover, they include 5 auto-off timers for those times you want to wind down for the day or night when picking one of the 30 included soothing sounds – such as sea waves, waterfalls, forests, and fires to mimic pink noise, all proven to help relieve pressure and sleep. A range of 30 to 150-minute timers can be set as you pick your desired time window to fall into your dreams, that furthermore aids with battery conservation when no longer needed as you hit the land of nod. Thanks to their ergonomic design, they should mold to you as you sleep, even if you're one of many who like to toss & turn throughout the night." - 1More For more information on the 1MORE ComfoBuds Z, visit 1MORE.com and connect with 1MORE on Facebook, on Twitter and on Instagram. Packaging & Accessories The box uses the same design we see on all 1More products, with a stylish photo of the headphones, the dock, and a little bit of info in the corner. Around the back, they cover all the technical stuff, but otherwise, it's kept pretty neat and tidy. The box is nice and durable, with thick cardboard and extra layers to protect each component. Unboxed, you'll find the dock, an accessories box, all the usual documentation, and a window sticker. In the smaller box, you'll find the additional earbuds, a USB C charging cable, and a lovely little protective bag. A Closer Look & Performance After unboxing, you're left with this lovely little egg-like dock and charger. It's noticeably one of the smaller docks I've seen, with a nice slim and lightweight design that will make it very easy to carry around in your pocket. Of course, there's a little protective bag too, so if you're chucking it in your backpack, it'll keep it cleaner, and it's less likely to get scuffed up. It's a hard-wearing plastic design with a durable rubber or matte finish to it. . There's a small rubber grip case, and it's flat too, so it shouldn't roll around or scratch up the surface you place it on. Around the back, there's a standard USB C port. While you can use the included cable, you could use any USB C cable you have to hand. The case can be charged from flat to 100% in just over an hour. The headphones themselves will charge to full in 1hr 15mins inside the dock. Thanks to the 410mAh battery in the case, you'll get 3 or 4 full charges out of it. However, since you're unlikely to drain the dock, it'll likely just top up the headphones 6-10 times before needing to be charged its self. There's a small LED on the front to indicate charge, pairing, low battery, etc. The dock is pretty slim, and rather smooth too. There's just a subtle 1More logo on the top. Open it up, and you can see a green LED is on, telling me the charge is good. There are some little tabs to remove from the headphones, as these prevent them endlessly charging/draining while they were still in their retail box. The headphones snap in and out of the case easily enough, and some small magnets ensure they stay in place easily enough. Some small pins are here, which allow the headphones to charge as soon as they're docked. This button can be pressed to check the current status. However, with the headphones in the dock, hold it down and you can set them to pairing mode. They paired first time with my Samsung S20+, so no complaints there. What does surprise me is just how freaking small these earbuds are. They weigh just 2.7g each, which is nothing, given the rather slim Comfobuds 2 True Wireless are 4.3g each, and I thought they felt light! They look stunning too, despite being no bigger than a mint imperial. These will need looking after, they're so small, I could see myself losing one down the back of the couch. The white design looks great though, they're very stylish and minimalist and I really like that. The size and weight is astonishing, given the level of technology they house. At 50% volume, these will provide up to 3.5 hours of constant usage for calls and music. However, from my own experience of using them at higher volumes, a little over two hours was more realistic. However, that can easily be 30 mins more if you're not always at higher volumes. Compared to my usual in-ears, the Creative Outlier Gold, the Comfobuds look even smaller. However, despite the obvious size difference, the sound quality of the 1More headphones is astonishing. 1More has equipped them with their in-house developed full-range balanced armature, which sounds tremendous. No distortion, good volume levels, and because they make a good seal in your ear, the low-end bass is pretty banging too. Something this small making such a big sound genuinely took me by surprise. The drive is right at the tip, getting it right into your ear canal. I expected this to make it sound too direct, but strangely the opposite was true, resulting in a really wide stereo soundscape. The headphones are so small and light (bored of me saying that yet? I know I am!), I can't really feel that I'm wearing them, so it's almost like the sound is coming from beyond them... and it sounds fantastic! The whole thing sits inside my ear, which is a first for in-ear headphones that I've ever tested. That means I can lay down on my side, and the headphones are not being pressed into my head. Admittedly, I am aware it's there when I do this, but it's not uncomfortable for me. My partner tried it and she couldn't lay on her side with them in but admitted it was arguably better for it than any other headphones we've had. I feel like a spy wearing these, it's like some secret earpiece, as from the front or back, you can't actually see them! I can see that ear hair though, and it's since been trimmed #toomuchinfo. How Much Does it Cost? The 1More ComfoBuds Z are available now, with an MSRP of £99.99. However, it looks like they're on sale for just £89.99. Not exactly cheap, but these are a pretty unique and innovative set of headphones, and that's reflected in the price. Plus, their build quality and performance is on par with was I would expect in this price range, so I think the price is very fair overall. Overview 1More are one of the coolest brands out there, and they continue to impress me with every product they release. I've seen/heard a lot of fantastic headphones over the years, but they're all broadly trying to do the same thing. This is the first time in a while a product has surprised me. They're great headphones at their core, that's what really stands out. They sound excellent, with plenty of punch, and they handled me tinkering with the EQ without distorting. The headphones playback at 16 bit / 48 kHz and the full-range balanced armature handled everything from I threw at it. Mats Morgan Band, Akercocke, Ghost, and Jeremy Soule all rang through beautifully clear and certainly tested the drivers range. Plus, the passive noise isolation works well. It's basically like sticking your fingers in your ears loosely. It worked well enough to block ambient traffic and distant chatter well enough. However, on an evening, the general ambience of the kids iPads, discord chatter, and the tumble dryer on in the next room, all faded away too. By the time you put music on, you'll only hear loud noises and people talking loudly in front of you asking if you want a cuppa tea for the 5th time. Since they're so hard to see in my ears, I should have said I was putting my headphones in. The 1More app was nice too, allowing me to toggle the headphones from normal mode to Soothing Mode. This disabled the ability for the headphones to take calls and turned off the microphone. That means I can sit back, relax, and stay that way. Furthermore, I can set sleep timers for the headphones. There was supposed to be 30 ambient tracks in the app, and I could only see 4, but honestly, it was all I needed. Get cosy, put on the rain sounds, set a sleep time... and yup, I put the Zzzz's in Comfobuds Z. I should have done it at bedtime, though, as I couldn't sleep until 3 am after that nap, ha! Should I Buy Them? As headphones, they stand up great. They're super light, slim and comfortable making them very appealing for daily usage. They're also very discrete and easily hidden in your ear if that's something that matters to you. However, the ability to lie down on my side while wearing them, the Soothing Mode, sleep timers and the ambient sounds in the app, all take these to the next level. It's been a stressful period, and these headphones really take the edge off and deliver on their promises. Plus, when I do want to rock out, they have a punchy sound to get the job done.