It isn't often you pop a pair of earbuds in your ears to listen to... nothing. But that is exactly what you're intended to do with the QuietOn 3. These new Finnish earbuds apparently help you "enjoy the Nordic quietude", according to the packaging, and that they do, pretty successfully.

So what exactly is the point of these earbuds, which is somewhat of a misnomer in this instance, given that they can't play music or connect to another source for sound? Let's take a look.

What's in the Box?

When you open the QuietOn 3 box, you'll find:

• One pair of QuietOn 3 earbuds
• One QuietOn 3 charging case
• A USB Type-C charging cable
• A quick-start guide
• Four pairs of foam eartips

And that is it. No fussy, unnecessary extras. The QuietOn 3 are available to buy now via the QuietOn website, at a cost of $199.

A Miniscule Makeup

We'll deal with aesthetics first. These earplugs (which we will call them for the rest of the review) are absolutely tiny. The outer portion of the earplug, that houses the electronic components inside, is only 11 x 6 mm (note these are not the overall dimensions).

They need to be tiny; any larger and they would not be comfortable to wear in bed. This is especially true for side sleepers as the earplug would protrude out of the ear and cause discomfort in the ear canal as your pillow presses them harder into your ears by way of resistance.

The earplugs are white, and come with gray foam eartips of various sizes. The outer face of the earplug houses a microphone vent so the earplugs can gauge what frequencies to cancel out, and a debossed "Q" logo.

Flip the plugs over and you'll see the gold contacts for charging the plugs, as well as the stem which will fit in your ear and houses the tiny speaker that plays sound to counteract any external noise.

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The case is also white, with a clamshell design that allows you to pop it open to retrieve or charge your plugs. On top of the case is the QuietOn logo. The front, below the opening, carries the charging indicator LEDs (there are three LED indicators for each headphone).

Round the back of the case we have the Type-C charging port. This charges the case which, in turn, charges the earplugs. Open the case up and you'll find the recesses for the earplugs and the charging pins. There is also an attractive metal inlay that gives the case a more robust feel.

Like the contents of the box, the appearance of the earbuds and case is simple and unfettered, mirroring the Nordic quietude you experience when you pop them in your ears, presumably.

How Do the QuietOn 3 Earplugs Work?

Now for the science. The QuietOn 3 earplugs work by detecting external sound frequencies using the built-in microphone. The ANC electronics inside the plugs then calculate obverse frequencies which, when "played" through the in-ear speaker, cancels out any environmental noise.

So, the process is (as we have experienced so far) incredibly simple.

You place the QuietOn 3 in the charging case in order to fill them with juice. You can also charge the case at the same time, using the USB Type-C cable and any regular charging plug with a USB-A outlet.

Once they are at full charge and you are ready to go to sleep, you place the earplugs in your ears and they will filter out any external noise.

I should point out here that the plugs cancel noise out via a mixture of ANC and passive noise cancellation. The seal created when the foam eartips are in your ears is the passive part, the speakers provide the active noise cancellation.

So, if you have a snoring partner, or a neighbour who won't let up playing techno at 5 am (which actually sounds a bit like me), then these will work a dream. Likewise, if you live near a busy road or your air-con unit is disturbing you with a low hum, the QuietOn 3 should improve your sleep quality.

Do the QuietOn 3 Earplugs Improve Your Sleep Quality?

In a word, yes, they do.

They purport to work best with low-frequency sounds, but I found they could reduce the noise made by the house sparrows nesting in the eves of my house (which make an incredibly high-pitched racket at daybreak) and the sound of my cat David crying outside my bedroom door at 4 am so I can escort him to his still-full bowl of cat food.

I found I couldn't hear very much at all, which is great as I am a very light sleeper. This led to a better quality of sleep; an invaluable commodity in this day and age, when we are all so absorbed in our busy lifestyles that we often forget we need to recharge ourselves as well as our gadgets.

I tested these for a week and found that very little disturbed me in terms of external sound. So, in that sense, the QuietOn 3 earplugs do exactly what their designers intended.

But a good night's sleep isn't just about reducing disturbance from external sound sources. You need to be comfortable, too. So it is a good job you can barely feel the earplugs inside your ears as you wear them in bed.

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QuietOn has specifically designed these earbuds so that they don't put any undue pressure on your tragus; a common problem with bulkier earbuds designed to play music. So, when you wear them, you don't feel any aches or pains after prolonged use (i.e. through the night).

Also, as mentioned, because they are so thin, they don't protrude from your ear. So, even the sturdiest of pillows isn't going to make you feel like you're trying to force an apple down your ear canal, which you will experience with normal music 'buds.

I felt rested after sleeping with the QuietOn 3 earplugs in use, which is somewhat of a rarity these days, so I would recommend them if you struggle with sleep because of external noise. Just don't expect them to sing you a lullaby because they can't connect to another source.

In terms of charging, the case takes around 3 hours to charge, and the earplugs lasted four nights before the battery ran out, so the 28 hour battery life rings true.

In all, a great sleep aid that does what it says on the tin.

Can You Use the QuietOn 3 Earplugs for Anything Else?

Obviously QuietOn has designed these earplugs for sleep, and they don't play any music or other sounds from another source. So do they have other applications?

Well, yes, you can use them for other things aside from sleeping.

Given that these earplugs reduce noise, they would make a great device to wear while you work. They will prevent you being distracted by external noise, meaning you can focus on whatever task you have at hand.

Likewise, if you struggle to meditate because next door's dog won't can it with the continuous barking, you can pop these in your ears and astrally project to your hearts content; they remove any sound that may break your meditative state and afford you a more Zen-like experience.

So, an impressive pair of ANC earplugs for both working and wellbeing.

Should You Buy the QuietOn 3 Earplugs?

That all depends on your goals. Do you want a better night's sleep, or to improve meditation, or work without distraction? If you answer yes to one or more of these questions, then I recommend the QuietOn 3 earplugs.

Do you want to listen to music to help you drift off? Well, you'll need to look elsewhere in that case, because you can't play music with these. If only QuietOn had just called them earplugs...