Jabees Serenity Sleep Mask review: a great value nighttime accessory

For daily listening, its unsurprising that most of us on staff use either AirPods Pro or AirPods Max. Apple makes great headphones.

However, it's important to point out that there's a lot to be said for using the right tool for the right job. AirPods Max are too big to wear comfortably to bed, and the thought of dropping a pair of $550 headphones on the floor makes us nervous.

And yes, lots of people use their AirPods while they sleep, but we're not sold on that. Not only do they hurt your ears if you're a side sleeper, they are easy to lose in the covers — or worse.

So, as we continue to search for the best headphones to sleep in, we thought we'd look at Jabees' Serenity Sleep mask. It couples an ultra-soft sleep mask with wireless earbuds to help you unwind and drift off to sleep at the end of the day.

The mask

The first thing we noticed is that the headband for the sleep mask is a little less generous than others we've used in the past.

If, for example, you have a lot of hair as our tester does, you may find the mask a little snug. That said, it wasn't unusable and should be fine for anyone with a 22" head circumference or smaller.

The mask is pretty comfortable, featuring a satin liner that is soft on the skin. It also has recessed eyeholes to prevent unwanted pressure and dryness while you sleep — something we look for in any good sleep mask.

It's also pretty generously sized, coming in at nearly four and a half inches tall from the top of the eyebrow to the cheekbone. Additionally, it features a nose baffle that helps to keep light out while you're wearing it.

We were impressed by how comfortable the mask was, though we did note that there is a potential for it to get a bit hot while wearing it due to the mask's thickness.

Another nice feature of the Serenity mask is that you can remove the headphones and wash the mask — it's washing machine safe, though Jabees suggests hanging the mask to dry.

The placement of the headphone controls is an unusual design choice, as they are located on the topmost part of the left cheekbone. While it isn't painful to use, it does feel somewhat odd to do so.

The earbuds

We're pretty used to reviewing headphones, earbuds, and speakers, and we've learned to temper our expectations, especially regarding the sub-$50 category.

However, we were so impressed with the sound quality that it made us stop halfway through the first song and check the price on the Amazon listing.

The bass was surprisingly full, the mids were crystal clear, and the highs were crisp and didn't distort even at the highest volume. That being said, we don't recommend listening to music at maximum volume, either.

This is mainly because the earbuds offer a very snug fit. Jabees offers three different ear tip sizes in a wide range of sizes, and the soft material should accommodate most people's ears.

If you're sensitive to ear pressure, you're probably going to want to go one size down. While the medium tip produced the best sound quality, the small tip worked best for comfort reasons.

Are they as good as our AirPods Pro? No, of course not. But they sound significantly better than a few other sleep headphones we've tried out.

There's also an easily overlooked addition that we appreciate. Jabees disabled voice prompts and alerts sounds for when the battery is running low, meaning it won't wake you up halfway through the night if your battery is running close to empty.

As far as battery life goes, Jabees says you can get up to 11 hours of playtime, though this will be dependent on what volume you play your music at. We were able to get nearly ten hours at medium volume, which is admittedly a bit loud for sleeping. It took a little under two hours to fully recharge the mask.

Is it worth it?

What the Serenity Sleep Mask lacks in sleep tracking or built-in soundscapes, it more than makes up for in sound quality, comfort, and usability.

Pros

• Excellent sound quality
• 100% blackout mask
• Recessed eyeholes for comfort
• Machine washable
• 10+ hour battery life
• Comfortable for back, side, and stomach sleepers

Cons

• Mask can be a bit hot to wear due to thickness
• Strap could be longer
• Controls are very close to the eyeball

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Where to buy

You can score your own Jabees Serenity Sleep Mask by heading to Amazon where it retails for $39.99.