soundcore by Anker, Sleep A10 Bluetooth Earbuds - Comfortable fit, Noise Blocking for Sleep, Advanced Bluetooth 5.2, Unique App for Unlimited Sleep Sounds, Integrated Sleep Monitor, Personal Alarm

Product Information

Pairing via Bluetooth was no different to any other device, although Anker does warn that the connection may be unstable if used outdoors. From that, I take it that it’s a low-power connection to save on battery life.

When staying at a relative’s house for a few nights and using a harder pillow, I didn’t have as much success: it just wasn’t quite comfortable enough, and I ended up discarding one of the buds after a while. So, my takeaway is: try a softer pillow if you’re a front or side sleeper. The Soundcore app (available on iOS and Android) is used across the company’s product range, but has several features specific to these buds. You’ve got the usual equalizer settings (preset and custom), along with being able to configure basic tap controls for playing or pausing whatever you’re listening to. That’s probably why most companies haven’t managed it, and why I usually find myself tossing and turning for a few minutes trying to find a comfortable position whenever I’m testing these things. Usually, the end result is me giving up and grumpily pulling the bud out of the ear that’s on the pillow. Right off the bat, it’s important to note that these aren’t noise canceling buds. For some, that’ll be a dealbreaker: if your partner snores like a freight train or you live above a nightclub, you’ll be better served by something like the QuietOn 3.1. While active noise cancellation would make these the perfect sleep aid, I understand the trade-offs that go into making that decision. If the alternative is poor battery life or no Bluetooth streaming (and based on the competition, it seems to be), Anker has made a sensible choice here.In terms of physical design, the only other thing worth mentioning is the ear “wing” on the top of each bud that stops it moving around. It looks like a grab handle, and acts like one as well, helping you remove the buds from the recesses of your ear canal each morning. It’s a simple approach that works well.

On the inside, the A10’s connect to whatever device you’re using via Bluetooth. From there, you’ve got two options: stream audio as you usually would, or fire up the Soundcore app to control a range of settings or play the included ambient sleep sounds. For a first attempt at sleep-focused earbuds, Anker’s done surprisingly well with the A10’s. Battery life is better than expected, especially while streaming, and the buds are more comfortable to wear overnight than pretty much anything else I’ve tried in this space. You can also switch mode between “music” and “sleep”, and that’s worth going into in a bit more detail. Music mode is pretty self-explanatory: you just stream music, podcasts, or audiobooks using your usual apps. Other than the EQ, there’s nothing to configure in the app for this.

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That level of quality is fine for me when I’m trying to sleep, but I wouldn’t typically use them as everyday earbuds. That said, they’ve sometimes been the only earbuds I’ve taken with me on a weekend trip, and I’ve used them to listen to podcasts on the train or while out for a walk.