This British start-up claims to have made the world’s first battery-free streaming sleep earbuds

Contrary to popular demand, there aren’t many brands making the best sleep headphones as you might think. Philips and Kokoon are the go-to manufacturers for sleep-specific headphones, but now, a new British start-up has announced its new sleep earbuds – and it’s making some big promises.

SomniBuds claims to have made the ‘world’s first battery-free streaming earbuds for sleep’ – a big claim, indeed. Powered by what the brand calls ‘battery-free technology’, SomniBuds are designed to stream audio all night long without a battery, recharging, apps or cases.

So, how does that work, exactly?! The SomniBuds headphones wirelessly connect to the SomniMat, a charging mat that can be placed under your mattress or pillow. As you lie down with the SomniBuds in, the earbuds should start playing your audio of choice, including Spotify playlists, music, podcasts, white noise or guided meditation.

When the SomniBuds connect to the SomniMat, this should power the earbuds all night, so they can work for several hours at a time. Wearing earbuds for hours at a time can be uncomfortable, but the SomniBuds have an ultra-slim design with its 3mm size and adaptive stems that mould to your ears and can be used in any sleep positions.

I’ve covered sleep for a while now on T3, and have tested many sleep headphones over the years. I think the idea of the SomniBuds is a strong one, as recharging sleep earbuds can be a pain, and they can oftentimes run out of battery quite quickly – depending on the model you choose, of course.

While I like the idea of the SomniBuds connecting to a mat under your mattress – which is similar to how some sleep trackers work – I do wonder about the accuracy and if the SomniBuds will disconnect at all if you’re not sleeping in a certain position.

Compared to other sleep earbuds I’ve tried, the SomniBuds do look very comfortable and extremely slim. I’ll definitely have to try them myself when they launch, although as of writing, news surrounding that is scarce.

Pricing and availability for the SomniBuds haven’t been announced yet, but you can register your interest on the SomniBuds website.