Product test

This Bluetooth sleep mask isn’t worth your money

11/6/2023

Translation: Veronica Bielawski

My wife’s looking for headphones she can use for sleeping. Just recently, she tried out a sleep headband. After that disaster, it's time to see how this sleep mask fares.

«The storm had blown itself out by the following morning, though the ceiling in the Great Hall was still gloomy ...» Stephen Fry’s voice lulls my wife to sleep with Harry Potter. What about me? I lie next to her and hope she’ll finally fall asleep. Then I can turn off her audiobook and catch some Z’s myself. To recap: our kids broke my wife’s earphones, which is why she now listens to her Harry Potter on her phone’s speaker. And that’s why we’re on the hunt for a good pair of headphones for sleeping.

Product test
These sleep headphones consist of 30 francs worth of e-scrap and a piece of fleece
by Kevin Hofer

The headband she last tried was a disaster. Now, she’s giving the Livoo sleep mask a go.

Headphones

Livoo Bluetooth® compatible earphones sleeping mask

8 h, Wireless

Over before it really began

«Ooh, fluffy!» I think to myself as I unwrap the sleep mask. My wife’s thoughts? «The fleecy material is way too hot to wear in the summer.» This is indeed something we’d already complained about with the sleep headband – and the sleep mask covers even more of your head. Off to a great start ... My better half wraps the contraption around her head, then takes it right off again with a, «No, no way. I can’t wear this mask, it’s claustrophobic.» With that, her test is over before it even began.

Alas, we’ll have to keep looking then. But since we have this sleep mask already, I figured I’d try it out myself.

Fluffy, but still bothersome

I don’t really feel comfortable with the mask on my face, either, despite its fluffiness. I just don’t like having anything on my face. That’s why I don’t wear glasses, although I am nearsighted. I prefer contact lenses.

The Livoo sleep mask feels pleasantly fluffy against my skin, but it keeps slipping off in bed.
Source: Kevin Hofer

The mask blocks out all light except for a little smidge at the bottom. I could fix this by pulling the mask further down, but then it wouldn’t quite stay put. Then again, the sleep mask slips whenever I move my head on the pillow. I keep having to adjust it, which is annoying.

But at least the Livoo sleep mask doesn’t cut into my face; it’s got a Velcro closure that I can adjust. I can also adjust the earpieces under the mask to fit my ears. Unlike the earpieces in the sleep headband I tested, they don’t slip around. Charging the sleep mask is also much easier than the sleep headband. Thanks to the pull-out micro-USB cable, I don’t have to remove all the electronics – though I still could if I wanted to clean them.

Micro USB. Why? My theory: somewhere in China, there’s a warehouse the size of Switzerland. In it are micro USB cables and ports, being sold at dumping prices. I have no other explanation for why manufacturers are still using this standard in 2023.

The controls are located above the nose. There are three buttons that allow you to turn the device on and off, adjust the volume and sound modes and answer calls. Yep – you can use the Livoo sleep mask to make phone calls. I don’t test this function. After all, I hope to fall sleep, not stay up gossiping. There’s also an indicator light on the unit that flashes when you’re wearing the sleep mask. That’s horrendous design; it turns our bedroom into a disco instead of a serene Harry Potter reading.

The LED on the control unit flashes every few seconds, which is annoying in the dark.
Source: Kevin Hofer

(White) noise – with or without music

Switching the mask on, I’m greeted by a monotone-sounding female voice, «Power on. White noise.» Wonderful, my eyes are fluttering shut already. Then white noise (linked article in German) starts up, which is supposed to help you relax and fall asleep. It takes me back to the time after our first son was born. We used to lull him to sleep with white noise. It worked for me, too. My wife, on the other hand, found it about as relaxing as I find her Harry Potter.

In addition to white noise, ten other sounds are available which range from a babbling brook to esoteric music. You can enjoy the music for up to eight hours on one charge. If the built-in sounds aren’t your cup of tea, you can also connect the sleep mask via Bluetooth and listen to your own music or podcasts.

I’m not as relaxed as in the picture when listening to music with the Livoo sleep mask. Sound quality is horrendous.
Source: Kevin Hofer

In terms of sound quality, the headphones in this sleep mask are in the lowest league. They remind me of the cheap on-ears I had in the nineties. No volume, a clanging instead of bass paired with nigh inexistent mids. The high frequencies make my poor ears bleed. And on top of that, there’s a constant signal noise. Listening to music or a podcast with this sleep mask just isn’t it. If the headphones insist on creating static, I prefer to stick with the white noise option. At least then the point is to hear a kind of static.

The lowdown: another nope

If I’d known that my wife would find the mask claustrophobic, I wouldn’t have ordered it in the first place. It’s a hard pass for her.

As for me, I also recommend you give the Livoo sleep mask a wide berth – unless you have no concept of sound quality and stay utterly still in bed. Although the Livoo sleep mask fits better than the sleep headband I previously tested, it, too, slips as soon as I turn my head on the pillow. As for the sound quality, I won’t be elaborating on it any more – because there’s no quality to speak of in the first place.

And so, the search for a suitable pair of headphones for sleeping continues. I’ve got an inkling that some compact in-ears may be the best bet.

17 people like this article

Kevin Hofer

Senior Editor

kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.ch

From big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.

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