QuietOn 4 sleep earbuds review: simple quiet in a noisy world
QuietOn 4
Pros
- Excellent at blocking low-frequency noise
- Comfortable enough for side sleepers
- No Bluetooth or radiation concerns
- Simple to use, no app or pairing needed
- Built-in wax guard improves hygiene
Cons
- Expensive compared to regular earplugs
- Does not block high-pitched sounds
- Tip wear over time adds to cost
Sleep is still a battle in my household. While the neighbour’s midnight routine hasn’t changed, my gear has. After relying on QuietOn 3.1 for the past couple of years, I was curious to see if the new model could do better.
QuietOn 4 brings a fresh design, some subtle improvements in comfort, along with tweaks to its ANC performance. It still doesn’t play music or pair with an app. That’s intentional. This is a sleep tool, not an entertainment gadget.
So how does it compare to the previous version? And more importantly, does it actually help you sleep?
QuietOn 4 review: One minute review
QuietOn 4 is built for one job and mostly delivers. It lowers the kind of background noise that keeps you up at night. Snoring, traffic, humming appliances, all get pushed into the background once the ANC settles in.
The updated shape fits better, the foam tips are easier to work with, and the added wax guard helps keep things cleaner for longer. These are small upgrades but they add up.
At close to 300 dollars, it is not cheap. But if you have already gone through the usual foam plugs and nothing has worked, this might be the step up you need. You will still hear voices and alarms, but the constant low sounds that wear you down will be much less noticeable. For the right person, that can be the difference between a full night of sleep and staring at the ceiling.
View on QuietOn.
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How QuietOn 4 deals with noise in practice
While QuietOn 4 might look like a pair of wireless earbuds, they don’t play music, stream audio or generate white noise. You won’t find Bluetooth and there’s no app to connect. This isn’t a device for relaxing soundscapes or podcast sessions before bed.
Instead, it’s fully focused on cutting noise. Whether it’s snoring, street traffic, a humming fridge or loud plumbing, the goal is to reduce background sound so your brain can switch off.
The active noise cancelling tech relies on a small microphone inside each earbud. It picks up ambient sounds and the speaker creates an opposite signal to cancel it out. According to QuietOn, the ANC works most effectively below 3 kHz. That range covers the type of noise that tends to disrupt sleep the most, and performance in that band is stronger than what you’d get with foam plugs alone.
In real life, QuietOn 4 is good at handling low rumbles. Snoring, street hum, fridge buzz, and engines are where it shines. But it won’t kill everything. Sudden clanks, high-pitched voices, or someone speaking next to you will still come through. It doesn’t mask sound, it subtracts certain frequencies. That’s the trade-off.
Two separate modes
QuietOn 4 still uses the same straightforward mode system as its predecessor. As soon as you take the earbuds out of the case, they default to noise cancelling. It takes around 20 seconds for the ANC to fully kick in. That slow fade is part of how the system works.
Make sure to put the right earbud in your right ear and the left on in the left ear. They are labeled.
You’ll notice it as a kind of soft drop in the ambient sound around you. Like turning the volume down on the world. Low-frequency noise starts to melt away. Think fridge hum, distant traffic, ventilation systems, or someone snoring in the next room.
It’s not total silence, but it is a noticeable shift. You start to realise how much background sound you’ve been tolerating.
Switching to hearing mode is simple. Bring the charging case close to each earbud and it will toggle over. You’ll need to do this one ear at a time. This mode lets in more of your surroundings, which can be useful if someone needs your attention or you want to stay aware of what’s going on. In practice, the switch doesn’t always trigger on the first try, so you might need to repeat the gesture.
As mentioned, even in full ANC mode, not everything gets blocked. QuietOn 4 is tuned to reduce lower frequencies, not voices or alarms. So if someone talks to you, you’ll still hear them. And your morning alarm should still be audible, especially if it’s set loud enough.
Fit and comfort over a full night
QuietOn 4 sticks with the same tiny form as before, just a bit more refined. The new shape follows the ear canal more naturally, which helps with both comfort and fit. It takes less fiddling to get them in properly, and once they’re in, they stay put. Side sleepers will probably notice this the most.
They still look like minimal earbuds. No Bluetooth, no sound or app. You just put them in and they block noise. They don’t look like hearing aids and once they’re in, they’re barely noticeable.
The foam tips have been updated too. They’re softer and easier to compress. You still need to pinch the foam, push them in with a twist, and let them expand. That expansion gives you the proper seal. If you skip that, the noise cancelling won’t do much.
Comfort is still the highlight. You can lie on your side and not feel any pressure. They don’t dig into the ear and they don’t fall out during the night. That’s more than you can say for most earbuds.
In addition to when you are asleep, the buds are useful on planes. You can wear them during long-haul flights and block out cabin noise without having to keep something heavy on your head.
Same with noisy buses or waiting areas. You’re not going to fall asleep instantly, but the general stress level drops. It’s a different use case, but it fits the same idea of lowering background noise rather than masking it.
Wax guard and long-term use
There’s also a built-in wax guard now. It’s not something you notice when wearing them, but it helps keep the internal components cleaner and protects the tips from clogging. That small addition could make them last longer with regular use.
As before, you get a few different tip sizes in the box. Swapping them is quick, and finding the right size is worth the effort. A good seal makes a big difference. And with the new wax guard in place, the tips should hold up better over time even with nightly use.
After a few weeks of daily use, you’ll probably notice the foams getting more compressed or picking up a bit of wax buildup. The wax guard helps protect the insides of the buds, which is a step up from earlier models, but you might want to replace the tips every couple of months depending on use. They’re easy to swap, but not exactly cheap.
Charging and nightly routine
Like before, you get a small charging case with the earbuds. Drop them in when you’re not using them. It keeps them powered up, stops you from losing them, and keeps the foam tips from picking up dust or fluff from your pillow.
The case gives you about 28 hours of total use per charge. That’s enough to top up the earbuds around three times before you need to plug the case in again. The earbuds themselves last the night without issue, so you’re covered for regular sleep cycles and even a bit of downtime before bed.
The buds tend to hold charge well even if you leave them unused for a few days. You’ll want to check them now and then to avoid getting caught out right before bed.
On the front of the case, there are six small lights to show how much charge each earbud has. On the back, there are three more lights for the case itself. You’ll know where everything stands at a glance.
Charging is simple. The case takes around 3 hours to go from empty to full. The earbuds need about 2 hours to fully recharge once drained. Stick to a nightly routine and you probably won’t think about battery life much at all.
Are they safe to wear all night?
Wearing something in your ears all night raises fair questions. Safety should be part of the equation.
One concern that comes up is electromagnetic field exposure. That’s not a problem here. QuietOn 4 doesn’t have Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or any kind of wireless connection. There are no transmitters or receivers, so you’re not dealing with any EMF radiation.
Internally, the microphones have been improved. They’re better at picking up low-frequency noise, which helps the ANC work more precisely. That improvement plays out most clearly with snoring and environmental hum rather than sharp sounds.
QuietOn 4 vs 3.1: Technical specs comparison
View on QuietOn.
Feature | QuietOn 4 | QuietOn 3.1 |
|---|---|---|
Package includes | Earbuds, eartips (XS, S, M, L), charging case, USB-C cable | Earbuds, eartips (XS, S, M, L), charging case, USB-C cable |
Materials | Plastic (PC-ABS, PMMA, polycarbonate), polyurethane rubber, stainless steel, gold | Plastic (PC-ABS, PMMA, polycarbonate), polyurethane rubber, stainless steel, gold |
Technology | Active noise cancellation and passive acoustic attenuation, improved mic tuning | Active noise cancellation and passive acoustic attenuation |
Weight | 1.8 grams per earbud, 59 grams for the case | 1.8 grams per earbud, 59 grams for the case |
Battery life | 28 hours with case (17 mAh per earbud, 200 mAh in case) | 28 hours with case (17 mAh per earbud, 200 mAh in case) |
Charging interface | USB-C | USB-C |
Foam tips | Softer Comply-style foam tips with better seal | Standard memory foam tips |
Wax guard | Built-in wax guard for hygiene and durability | Not included |
Design shape | More oval, follows ear canal better | Rounder shell |
Fit and comfort | Improved stability, better comfort for side sleeping | Good, but can shift with movement |
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