SHOP NOW: As of Aug. 18, the Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds are officially available to the general public. You can pick the noise-cancelling sleep earbuds for $229.99 at Amazon or Soundcore's website.
After a summer-long Kickstarter campaign, launch day has finally arrived for the Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 as of Aug. 18. The sleep earbuds distinguish themselves as one of the only options for sleep-specific earbuds with active noise cancellation (more on that below), all for the price of $229.99.
It's an investment — but it's also a good deal cheaper than the $349 Ozlo Sleepbuds (that have no ANC). Relatively speaking, the price point falls in line with Soundcore's generally budget-friendly ethos.
So how do they perform? I've spent time using them over the past two months, and for their performance and price range, they're the new standard for premium sleep earbuds. For more, you can read my full review, or check out the overview below on the Sleep A30's upgrades, how they're similar to the Sleep A20 earbuds, and where you can purchase both.
What's new with the Soundcore Sleep A30
The headline news here is the active noise cancellation, but Soundcore provided overall quality of life upgrades that boost the performance of these earbuds over the Sleep A20 (and other sleep earbuds on the market), including:
Active noise cancellation
Slimmer profile earbuds over the Sleep A20
Microphones in case to monitor snoring for real-time adaptive snore masking
Memory-foam ear tips, in addition to silicone ear tips
New sleep, meditation, and focus audio within the app
More detailed sleep tracking
Built-in light in case for easy visualizing in the dark
No-slip silicone bottom on charging case
New mint colorway
Admittedly, I don't have to deal with too much noise at night — the biggest culprits are the AC unit and the occasional car at night — but even I noticed the difference with the ANC. The hum of the AC nearly all but disappeared (and I learned I much prefer it that way!), and I was never woken up by the sound of a car. My partner and I are both somewhat restless sleepers, and it could just be chance, but I did notice that the nights I wore the earbuds, I was much less likely to wake up due to rustling next to me.
As for the wear and app experience, both were noticeably improved over the A20. I primarily sleep on my slide, so the lower profile was much appreciated. I liked having the choice between the silicone and memory foam ear tips, and though I stuck to the silicone, I found it to be more comfortable (and slightly less tacky) than the A20 silicone tips. The app also felt more streamlined, looking much more reminiscent of the Ozlo Sleepbud app (which I loved).
My biggest gripe with these earbuds (and an unfortunate difference between them and the Sleep A20) is that when streaming Bluetooth audio, there was no option to toggle the sleep detection mode off. That means if you're listening to a podcast or video, and the earbuds decide you're asleep, it'll automatically cut your audio or switch to the local snore-masking audio. Most times, the audio cut off before I was actually asleep, and the only fix I could find to restart my audio was by completely reconnecting the earbuds by placing them back in the case, then back in my ears. However, the Soundcore app did flash an update that the option to toggle off sleep mode would be coming on Aug. 20.
What stayed the same with the Sleep A30
Soundcore's Sleep A30 definitely feel like an upgrade over the A20, but didn't completely reinvent the wheel. At the end of the day, both earbuds are low-profile, comfortable-to-wear earbuds that stayed in my ears all night while dampening some degree of noise from my surroundings.
Both are far better suited to sleep than standard earbuds. They have companion apps with noise-blocking soundscapes and excellent battery life (the Sleep A20s get 14 hours per charge, to the Sleep A30s' nine hours with ANC and 6.5 hours with Bluetooth streaming), and both offer sleep data.
Considering they start at $179.99 (and can often be found on sale for cheaper), the Soundcore Sleep A20 still offer plenty of the same features, and might be more appealing if you're on a budget.
Where to buy the Soundcore Sleep A30
Overall, if you already own the Sleep A20, I wouldn't necessarily say these are a must-upgrade, but if you are looking for even better noise-blocking, they're at least worth considering. If you've never owned sleep earbuds and want ANC, these are an excellent pair, and essentially your only option. (Though these are Soundcore's first ANC sleep earbuds, the brand QuietOn also used to offer some, but it appears as though they are not selling them anymore.)
At the time of writing, the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds are available to purchase at Amazon and Soundcore's website.
