Maxell Maxell Tune Out True Wireless Earbuds with Sleep Review

The Maxell Tune Out are $19 true wireless earbuds built for sleeping. The microphone is surprisingly good, but battery life is only 4 hours and sound quality is below average. They're a ultra-budget tool for a specific job, not your everyday headphones. Only buy these if you need the absolute cheapest wireless option for bed and nothing else.

Let's be honest, most earbuds aren't built for sleeping. They're designed for the gym, the commute, or the office. The Maxell Tune Out True Wireless Earbuds are a different animal. They're specifically marketed for comfort while you sleep, with a compact, low-profile design meant to stay put when you're lying on your side.

This is a niche product, and it's priced like one. At $19, you're not getting flagship sound or battery life. You're getting a tool for a specific job: blocking out noise so you can sleep. The 'Sound-Isolating Noise Reduction' is passive, meaning it relies on the physical seal of the earbud tips, not active noise cancellation (ANC).

What makes this interesting is the trade-off. Maxell is betting that for some people, a comfortable, cheap, and simple earbud for sleep is more valuable than a feature-packed, expensive pair that's a pain to sleep in. It's a gamble, and our data shows it's a very specific kind of performer.

Our performance scores tell a clear story. These earbuds scored a 28.2 out of 100 overall, with their weakest area being 'commute' at a dismal 16. That's not a surprise. They're not built for the outside world. The percentile rankings are more revealing. The microphone lands in the 80th percentile, which is shockingly good for this price. Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity is solid at the 60th percentile. Everything else, though, is below average. Sound quality, ANC (or lack thereof), battery life, build, and even comfort all sit in the bottom third of our database.

So what do the numbers mean in real life? You'll get a stable Bluetooth connection and people will hear you clearly on calls. But the 4-hour battery life per charge is a real limitation for anything beyond a nap or a night's sleep. The sound quality is functional, not immersive. The 'comfort' score being so low is the real kicker for a sleep-focused product. It suggests that while the design is low-profile, the actual in-ear feel might not be a universal fit for all-night wear.

At $19, the value proposition is brutally simple. You are not paying for premium audio. You're paying for a specific function: wireless, sleep-friendly earplugs with a mic. Compared to buying a dedicated white noise machine or fancy sleep headphones, it's dirt cheap.

The catch is that you're trading away almost everything else. Battery life, sound, and build quality are all sacrificed to hit that price. For someone who just needs 'something' to block out a snoring partner with the option to listen to a podcast, the math might work. For anyone else, it's a compromise that might not be worth it.

This product exists in a different universe than its listed competitors like the Sony WF-1000XM5 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra. Those are $250+ audiophile-grade tools with world-class ANC. A more relevant comparison might be other budget sleep earbuds, but even there, the Tune Out's specs are barebones.

If your budget is $50, you could look at something like the Anker Soundcore Sleep A10. They're specifically designed for sleep, offer more battery life, and have a dedicated sleep masking sound library. You trade the ultra-low $19 price for more features and likely better comfort. If you just want cheap earplugs, you could buy actual foam earplugs for a few dollars. The Tune Out sits awkwardly between those two ideas.

Skip these if you want earbuds for anything other than sleeping in a quiet room. Our data shows they scored a 16 out of 100 for 'commute' use. They have no ANC to fight train or plane noise, and the short battery life makes them impractical for travel. Gamers and people who need earbuds for work calls should also look elsewhere; the latency and audio profile aren't suited for it.

Instead, if you need a general-purpose budget pair, check out options from Anker's Soundcore Life or JLab's Go Air series. They'll cost a bit more ($30-$50) but offer better sound, more battery, and often some basic water resistance. If sleep is your only goal and you have a bigger budget, dedicated sleep earbuds are a better long-term solution.

We can only recommend the Maxell Tune Out for one very specific person: someone on an extreme budget who needs a wireless, low-profile option for sleeping and occasionally taking calls. The good mic and stable connection are legit perks at this price.

For literally anyone else, look elsewhere. If sleep is your primary goal and you can spend a bit more, dedicated sleep earbuds are a better investment. If you want general-purpose earbuds, even a $40 pair from brands like Anker or JLab will sound better, last longer, and be more versatile. The Tune Out's compromises are too severe for daily use.