1More ComfoBuds Z Review: Buds For Better Sleep

1More ComfoBuds Z Review: Buds For Better Sleep

Review verdict: The 1More ComfoBuds Z is an oversimplified version of the ColorBuds that is currently available in the Philippines, retaining some key features and focusing more on giving you a good night’s sleep as well as delivering stellar audio quality. Its oversimplified design and lack of features make it a bit of a hard sell for audio snobs, though it does a good job of promoting better sleep.

Pros:

  • Very comfortable to wear even when sleeping
  • Decent audio quality with its balanced armature drivers

 

Cons:

  • Lacks a lot of features from the ColorBuds
  • Priced almost the same as the ColorBuds

The 1More ColorBuds is among the best TWS earbuds we’ve reviewed last year. For a hair under 4K, these tiny earbuds provided an excellent soundstage, great fit, and packed set of features.

Fast forward to the second half of 2021, 1More has released a simplified version of the ColorBuds with the ComfoBuds Z. These new TWS earbuds are even smaller than the ColorBuds, stripping off a lot of features from the original while promising to be THE pair to wear while you’re sleeping. Digital Walker sent us a pair of the ComfoBuds Z for us to review. Does it live up to its promise?

Design

Save for the color scheme, the case of the ComfoBuds Z is very similar to the ColorBuds, at least as far as the case design goes. You still get that small, curvy case with a rubber bottom and a USB port at the back of the case. Unlike the ColorBuds, the ComfoBuds Z has a matte finish and only comes in an eggshell white color.

The ComfoBuds Z has a flatter, bean-like design compared to the ColorBuds, and does not have wear detection sensors, touch controls, or even a microphone. It removes all of those features in exchange for a design that is more than 50% smaller than the ColorBuds for better comfort when you’re wearing it in extended periods, like when you’re sleeping. Even the finish is more straightforward, as the ComfoBuds Z sticks to the same matte finish and the 1More logo–no fancy metallic trim.

User Interface and Fit

Like the ColorBuds, the ComfoBuds Z enters into pairing mode the moment you open the case. You can press and hold the pairing button in case it does not initiate pairing itself, but the overall setup experience is seamless.

The ComfoBuds Z also uses the same 1More companion app, though you get a different set of options. Under the ComfoBuds Z’s menu, you have music and sooting EQ options, along with a mini-player that lets you select five different natural sounds to aid you with your sleep. The mini player also has timer options for 30 mins, 60 mins, 90 mins, 120 mins, and 150 mins depending on your needs.

Unlike the ColorBuds, there is no option for a firmware upgrade for the ComfoBuds Z, though 1More might update their app in the future to add this option.

Being the smallest and lightest 1More TWS earbuds to date at around 2.7g, the ComfoBuds Z feels like a feather and sits flush on your ears. With its ergonomic bean shape, the ComfoBuds Z sit well on your ears, ensuring that they don’t fall off when you’re fast asleep–more on that in the next part.

Audio Quality and Battery Life

Both the ColorBuds and ComfoBuds Z share the same driver design with the use of balanced armatures. Despite the absence of aptX on the ComfoBuds Z, their overall soundstage is comparable to the ColorBuds. The mids on the ComfoBuds Z are not as broad as the ColorBuds in music EQ, but the ComfoBuds Z has noticeably better bass. Switching to soothing EQ, the ComfoBuds Z gets a higher loudness level with more emphasis on the highs–which is typical for a single balanced armature design.

As what 1More would emphasize on the ComfoBuds Z, the main selling point is their ability to let you sleep more comfortably. In iF World Design’s citation, 1More claims that the ComfoBuds Z’s preloaded natural sounds mimic pink noise “to help relieve pressure and sleep”. Paired with their minuscule design, the Comfobuds Z are meant to be worn overnight unlike most TWS earbuds in the market.

I’ve tried wearing the ComfoBuds Z before I sleep and listen to its selection of soothing sounds for a few days, and they are definitely the most comfortable set of TWS earbuds I’ve worn to date. The diminutive size may not be appealing to everyone, but they are comfortable enough to be worn for long listening sessions. The selection of natural sounds does help in making you feel relaxed after a long day, and I look forward to seeing how this unique feature of the ComfoBuds Z affects my sleeping habits in the long term.

Unlike the ColorBuds, the ComfoBuds Z doesn’t have that great of an endurance. Their significantly smaller size translates to a smaller battery, and our tests show that they last for less than 3 hours of continuous use–that also explains why the timer caps off at 150 minutes or 2.5 hours.

It takes around 1.5 hours to fully top up the ComfoBuds Z’s charging case, and there’s no added charging niceties to the case like wireless charing.

Wrap Up and Conclusions

Our review of the 1More ComfoBuds Z in the Philippines shows that they’re a minimalist version of the ColorBuds, with the company stripping away several features to shrink the size of the buds so that they’ll be comfortable to wear while sleeping. Their bean-shaped design delivers the best fit for any pair of TWS earbuds, and its selection of natural sounds does help in promoting better sleep–and we’re really curious at how this will help in the long term.

Our main concern for the ComfoBuds Z is its price, as they have practically the same SRP as the ColorBuds–the latter having more features on tap. That being said, we recommend the ComfoBuds Z IF you are looking for a featherweight pair of earbuds as your companion when you hit the sack. Otherwise, the ColorBuds is still the better choice for all-around use.

1More ComfoBuds Z Review Philippines Price

The ComfoBuds Z is priced at Php 3,950 and is available at Digital Walker’s online and physical stores, and at their official Lazada and Shopee stores.

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