If you're someone who likes to fall asleep listening to sound, be it a podcast, music or a rainy soundscape, your options have been limited if you want to avoid next-day ear pain or disturbing anyone you share a bed with. One company has actually solved both issues.
Jabees' bone-conducting speakers sit flat under your pillow and emit audio for your ears only. We've covered Jabees previously, with its single-speaker unit that could play SD-card-loaded soundscapes or connect to your smartphone for fuss-free bedtime audio.
Since then, Jabees has improved on its design, with a compact twin-speaker unit that folds up into a compact package when not in use and spreads out flat under any pillow when needed.
I've loved the original model, so wasn't expecting a huge difference in this new twin-speaker device. However, some key changes make the upgrade worthwhile.
Firstly, if you're a back sleeper, you'll be able to get a better stereo experience with each square speaker targeting an ear each. Unfortunately for me, I'm an awkward and restless side sleeper, so I've accepted my fate as someone who will be turning left and right throughout the night regardless of my level of tiredness or quality of mattress and pillow.
The Peace Duo Bone Conduction Under-Pillow Speaker from Jabees can't work miracles – namely, me being able to fall asleep as soon as I get horizontal – however, the twin-audio output, connected by a solid flat cable, extends the listening range.
Some customers have reported issues with the volume of the new unit, so I tested it with my air conditioner on audibly loud and with the densest pillow I have, and while the volume was at the maximum level, I had no issue hearing the podcast clearly. And this was either on my back, left side or right side. But it's worth noting that your environment is going to play a part in how well these speakers perform. And because they're bone-conducting, ideally the thinner or looser your pillow is, the louder the audio is likely to be.
The unit also lies flatter than its predecessor, which was already slim, and it folds up to be much smaller when not in use.
One of the really thoughtful additions is the ability to create your own faceplates, the magnetic squares that snap to the back of each speaker. Of course, you're not going to see them in use, but for a few extra bucks it can add a meaningful and personalized touch to the device.
The Jabees team suggested an image of a pet, so it was a no-brainer for me to get my beloved late bunny Harvey immortalized on yet another one of my possessions. The printing was done within a day, and the quality was better than expected from my phone photograph.
You can, of course, skip this step and buy the standard set, but I'm sentimental and miss my boy every day, so there's something nice about having him in a very abstract way help me to get to sleep. He did, after all, love to dig to get under my pillow in the middle of the night. So I highly recommend personalizing your set, either with loved ones present or passed.
The set comes with a pre-loaded microSD card of around four hours of nature soundscapes, but it's simple to connect to any device via Bluetooth if you find true-crime podcasts more relaxing (guilty).
And even though the speakers pump out audio ranging from 300 Hz to 14k Hz, they won't disturb anyone sleeping next to you. You can set a timer for it to shut down, or just let it play out – if it doesn't switch off, you'll get a full night's worth of audio but will probably need to charge it up for the following evening.
It's also lightweight, at around 45 g (1.6 oz), making it an ideal device for travel, where hotel room soundproofing can be less than ideal. I've found that these speakers help me focus more on what's coming out of them than what I might hear next door or down the hall.
The standard unit available in Sunrise Yellow or Mist Green is currently on sale for US$49.99 (normally $59.99). And if you want to customize your pair, it's $62.99 (down from $69.99). Check the Jabees site for shipping and details on personalizing your speaker plates.
Product page: Jabees
