Tech companies love to sell us expensive gadgets to solve all of life's little problems. Sleepbuds sold by the likes of Anker and Ozlo are a good example. These miniature marvels of engineering sit flush in the ear, and allow side-sleepers to doze off listening to podcasts, audiobooks, music, or white noise without annoying their partner. But why pay over $200 for a second pair of highly specialized buds when you can spend a fraction of that for a product that never needs charging, never loses its Bluetooth connection, and won't need replacing in a few years after the battery wears out?

Piercing pillows, as the name suggests, promise pain relief for anyone with a freshly pierced ear. They feature cutouts that suspend the ear while sleeping, to avoid putting pressure on the sensitive tissue. I'm here to tell you that they also work great with bulbous AirPods, Galaxy Buds, Pixel Buds, and any other modern earbuds you might already own.

There are dozens of piercing pillows to choose from in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and firmness. I bought the $55 Ear Pillow from Blissbury for a few reasons, primarily because it has two ear cutouts for added flexibility.

I sleep in two side positions. One I like to call the authoritarian cuddle, where my bottom arm is fully extended under one side of the pillow while my top arm strangles the other side. The second is just an unsprung fetal position. Blissbury's piercing pillow accommodates both positions nicely.

The base of the pillow aligns with my shoulder so hunting for the earholes at night becomes effortless. The cover can be unzipped and washed and a simple 1-inch, included foam insert lets you adjust the thickness.

I also like that the cutouts fall just below the centerline allowing the holes to align naturally with my ears when the pillow is nestled up against my shoulder. That makes the earholes relatively easy to locate when tossing and turning at night.

The memory foam used in the Ear Pillow also suits my preference for a relatively thick, firm pillow — though I do wish it was as firm as the $59.99 Ikea Klubbsporre pillow it replaces. The Blissbury's thickness is adjustable between 4 and 5 inches using a removable insert. The outer cover of the Ear Pillow can be removed and washed as required.

The Ear Pillow is 26 inches (66cm) long and 15 inches (38cm) wide, which makes it slightly narrower than a US Standard pillow. That means a Standard pillowcase will sag a bit, which is good because the extra fabric can be stuffed into the earholes. I use mine with a pillowcase that matches my bedding because I've been told that's what full-grown adults do. Blissbury ships the pillow with foam fillers for the holes in case the Ear Pillow ever gets demoted to a guest pillow.

Sleepbuds might still be the way to go if your partner snores, however. I found the Soundcore Sleep A30's masking algorithms to be very effective at canceling out light to moderate snoring. Just know that even the latest sleepbuds often require side-sleepers to adjust their pillows just so to make sure the pressure isn't too acute and the audio isn't muffled.

I've been a dedicated user of Anker's A30 sleepbuds for almost a year. After a bumpy start, a flurry of firmware updates corrected most of the early issues. But there's no amount of software that can overcome the inherent limits of devices that require drivers and batteries that are much smaller than traditional earbuds. Having spent a week with the Blissbury pillow, I now feel silly for spending 4x the amount on earbuds that are inferior to the AirPods Pro I already owned.

The makers of consumer electronics would love for us to believe that only they can smooth out the friction of modern life. But sometimes, all you really need is an oddly shaped piece of foam.

For context, the sleepbuds market has grown rapidly in recent years. Companies like Bose, Anker, and Ozlo have released ever-smaller earbuds designed specifically for sleeping. They offer features such as active noise cancellation, white noise generation, and even biometric tracking. However, these devices come with significant downsides: they require frequent charging, have limited battery lifespans (usually two to three years before the internal battery degrades), and often cost between $200 and $300. Moreover, many side-sleepers find them uncomfortable because the buds protrude from the ear and press against the pillow.

Piercing pillows, on the other hand, have been around for decades, primarily used by people with fresh ear piercings to avoid pain while sleeping. The design is simple: a memory foam pillow with a cutout in the middle that allows the ear to rest without pressure. That same cutout provides a cavity where earbuds can sit comfortably, even when you lie on your side. For those who already own a pair of high-quality wireless earbuds—like AirPods Pro, Galaxy Buds 2, or Pixel Buds Pro—a piercing pillow eliminates the need to buy a second set of dedicated sleepbuds.

There are many models on the market, ranging in price from $25 to $80. The Blissbury Ear Pillow sits at the higher end but offers useful features: a removable, washable cover, a memory foam core that can be adjusted for thickness, and two cutouts (one on each side) so you can flip the pillow as needed. Other popular models include the Cool-Jams Piercing Pillow and the Travelrest Nest Hub Pillow, but the Blissbury's dual cutouts and firm foam give it an edge for side-sleepers who want consistent support.

One potential downside is that the pillow does not provide active noise cancellation. If your partner snores loudly or you live on a busy street, the sound isolation from earphones alone may not be enough. In such cases, sleepbuds with advanced masking algorithms still hold an advantage. However, for many people who simply need to listen to a podcast or white noise without disturbing their partner, a piercing pillow combined with their existing earbuds is a perfect low-tech solution.

Another consideration is pillow size. The Blissbury is 26 by 15 inches, which is slightly narrower than a standard pillow (typically 20 by 26 inches). This means standard pillowcases will have some extra fabric, which can be tucked into the earholes to reduce drafts or noise. The included foam inserts for the cutouts also allow the pillow to be used as a regular memory foam pillow when needed.

In summary, the piercing pillow offers a compelling alternative to expensive sleepbuds. It never needs charging, never loses connectivity, and works with any earbuds you already own. For side-sleepers who want a comfortable, cost-effective way to listen to audio in bed, this oddly shaped piece of foam might be exactly what you need.

Source: The Verge News