The Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 Lite are perfect for sleeping

Third time’s the charm, right? Two bad purchases later, it’s a pair of regular old earbuds that do it for my wife. She’d been on the hunt for earbuds to use as a sleeping aid. Or rather, we’d both been on the hunt. You see, my wife has been listening to «Harry Potter» to lull her to sleep for years. And ever since our kids made off with her old headphones, she’s been listening to it on speaker. I really can’t listen to another line of it – and I don’t have to anymore, thanks to the Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 Lite.

Headphones

EUR22,15

Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 Lite

ANC, 5 h, Wireless

142

Headphones

EUR20,43

Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 Lite

NC, 5 h, Wireless

142

In case you missed my reviews on the junky sleep headband and sleep mask we tested, here they are:

My wife’s requirements

Before I go into more detail about the product, here are my wife’s requirements for sleeping headphones. They should:

• Be wireless, so she doesn’t end up strangling herself in the night.
• Feel comfortable even when she lies on her side.
• Not have active noise cancelling; she wants to be aware of her surroundings.
• Not necessarily have the best sound quality; it’s secondary.
• Be cheap.

In other words, the technological requirements are low. Ergonomics and comfort are more important. That’s why we had started out looking for headphones designed specifically for sleeping. But neither the sleep headband nor the sleep mask managed to meet these already low expectations, which is why we’re back to classic earphones.

My wife’s not a fan of silicone tips, so in-ear earphones are a no go; earbuds it is. My wife moved away from Apple products a few years ago, which is why AirPods aren’t an option (mind you, they wouldn’t have been either way due to their decidedly non-cheap price tag). After some research, I land on with the Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 Lite. At first glance, they meet all the criteria.

Simple, no-frills operation

In addition to the charging case and earbuds, the box includes a USB charging cable and the user manual. I’m especially pleased that the inexpensive earbuds charge via USB-C. At 55 × 47 × 20 millimetres, the plastic charging case will fit in any pocket. Not that it needs to; my wife keeps it on her nightstand. The quality of the case feels more than okay given the price of the buds. The only thing I’m a little worried about is the lid, which feels like it could break off if used improperly.

To pair, open the lid of the charging case and select the earbuds in your smartphone’s Bluetooth connections. Connecting is quick and easy. There’s no tedious faffing about like with the sleep headband and sleep mask. The earbuds support the modern Bluetooth 5.3 standard, which offers more stability and a lower latency than previous versions.

The buds stick magnetically to the charging case. If you recharge them in the case between uses, you’ll get up to 20 hours of battery life. On a single charge, you get 5 hours. That’s not much compared to other earbuds, but it doesn’t bother my wife, as she’ll mainly be using them at home.

The buds even have touch controls, limited as they are. A double tap resumes/pauses the music, while a triple tap skips to the next track. Pressing and holding the two earpieces at the same time, activates/deactivates low-latency mode.

Comfortable fit

The Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 Lite fit my wife’s ears like a glove. At just under 4 grammes per bud, they’re lightweight and barely noticeable when worn. She can wear them for a long time without them pinching her ears. Even when lying on her side, the buds are hardly noticeable – perfect for sleeping.

The earbuds barely block out outside noise. My wife can hear me turning in bed over her Harry Potter audiobook. Perfect – she wanted to be able to hear what’s going on around her. I will say I wouldn’t want to be sat in a crowded train wearing these buds. On the other hand, they’re probably quite good for running, when it’s important to hear your surroundings. In addition, the buds are IP54 certified against splashes of water. So, should my wife wish to bring her low fantasy entertainment with her on a run, that should work too.

Despite the lack of silicone tips, the Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 Lite stay put in the ear, though a little less securely for my wife than for me. I can headbang with these things all I want and they stay in.

Surprisingly good sound

Sound-wise, my expectations aren’t high given the price. But the 12-millimetre drivers deliver more than expected. Now, you can’t expect any miracles from the bass. It’d be an exaggeration to speak of any real boom. Still, the buds don’t sound tinny. The lows are gentle, but still very present. What’s astonishingly clear are the highs.

Because my wife mostly listens to her Harry Potter audiobook, the mids are key. She’s happy with how Stephen Fry sounds on the buds. I agree. Overall, the sound quality is very good for the price. Mind you, there’s no comparison to my Sennheiser CX Plus – but those also cost about 100 francs / euros more.

The earbuds have built-in microphones. We didn’t test them; my wife just wants to wear the buds to bed, not hold gossip sessions. For those of you who do care about the microphone, here’s a short audio sample:

Finally! I can sleep without listening to Harry Potter

I can breathe a sigh of relief. After weeks of constant exposure to Harry Potter, there’s peace one more in the marital bed. At least for my ears. Thanks to the Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 Lite, my wife can now listen to the tales of the young wizard all by herself. The earbuds are perfect for sleeping.

And even outside of sleeping, they’re a good, affordable pair of true wireless earbuds. If you’re into this style of headphones and don’t want any bells and whistles, I recommend them.