The $399 hearable can also be used regularly for music playback and audiobooks
NextSense has released Smartbuds, a pair of wireless sleep earbuds designed to improve sleep by analyzing brain activity and providing real-time audio cues.
While most sleep trackers simply use heart rate and movement to analyze sleep, the Smartbuds integrate six specialized electroencephalogram (EEG) sensors into conductive silicone tips to detect sleep stages directly from the brain.
The device is currently available in the US for $399.99 (with a limited-time pre-order price of $249), marking a significant step toward miniaturizing medical-grade brain monitoring for regular home use.
The brand says the Smartbuds are designed to be an active intervention tool rather than a passive monitor.
Once the sensors detect a specific sleep stage—light, REM, or deep—the earbuds deliver audio cues to stimulate the brain and encourage longer periods of restorative deep sleep.
Over time, the platform’s AI learns the user’s specific neural patterns to provide more personalized audio assistance. The hardware also weighs just 5 grams per bud and features a flexible design that’s engineered, the company says, to accommodate side sleepers.
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(Credit: NextSense)
Enough juice to be your daily driver
The Smartbuds offer up to nine hours of playback per charge, and the included case provides four additional full charges. Away from their nighttime slumber, users can also use the buds as standard headphones for their own music, audiobooks, or white noise.
To ensure the EEG sensors maintain proper contact with the skin, NextSense also offers a (quite pricey) ‘Fit Kit’ monthly subscription for $14.99, which delivers fresh ear tips to the user every 30 days.
By focusing on active neuromodulation rather than simple noise masking, NextSense is positioning the Smartbuds as a clinical-grade alternative to popular sleep hearables like the Ozlo Sleepbuds.
We’ll be putting them to the test when they eventually go global, so stay tuned for more.
