Best Pillow Speakers UK – Smooth Sounds While You Snooze

We all have our favourite methods and tricks of falling asleep easily each night. Playing music, white noise, a podcast, or some other audio is one of the most common and effective ways for people to doze off and ensure they get a good night’s sleep.

I personally really enjoy listening to an audiobook or someone speaking at a lecture. It helps to free your mind from racing and keeping you up all night. Instead, you just focus on the sound and before you know it, you’re off to sleep.

While some people might opt for sleep headphones, earphones, or earbuds; they can be quite uncomfortable. The best way to play audio at night is with a pillow speaker. You get to snuggle into your pillow and listen to what you like, and if you can get that volume lever just right, you don’t disturb your partner with what you’re playing because they can’t hear it!

Finding the right speaker pillow can be tricky. There are lots of different styles, under-pillow, built-in, or removable. You will want to consider aspects like audio quality and volume levels.

Not to worry, I’ve reviewed the best pillow speakers so you don’t have to.

Check out the box below for a quick rundown of the best speaker pillows, just click the name and you’ll be taken to their website where you can get some more info and buy yours.

Top 5 Best Pillow Speakers UK

1. Top Choice – HOMESCAPES Washable Music Pillow With Removable Speaker

The Homescapes Washable Music Pillow is that sweet spot of speaker pillows. A comfortable unassuming pillow, but with an easy to use speaker hidden away inside.

The speaker connects nice and simply to any regular 3.5mm jack socket. It doesn’t require any batteries at all, just plug and play.

The pillow itself is a fairly standard microfibre pillow with a medium-firm bounce to it. It is a lovely comfortable pillow in its own right. Being microfibre, it is also cheerfully hypoallergenic.

The speaker is removable, which means the pillow is machine washable at 40°C. I will say it time and time again, it is so important to keep your bedding clean and fresh. Also, being removable, this means that both the speaker and pillow can be used independently as a regular speaker and pillow.

While the sound quality and volume could be improved, the simplicity and effectiveness make this an excellent choice. Not to mention great value.

2. Best Under Pillow Speaker – Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth Speaker

This pillow speaker comes straight to you from Bose, yes, the epitome of audio quality. This is a pillow speaker for people that have no intention of compromising sound quality.

The SoundLink Micro is small and flat; it hides easily under a pillow. It is designed to be used in all kinds of environments as well as under your pillow, so it is sturdy and waterproof.

There is only a Bluetooth connection available for the Soundlink Micro. So some older devices which only have a 3.5mm or USB connection, unfortunately, are not compatible. Luckily, almost all modern smartphones have Bluetooth capability.

One area it could be improved is battery life. With 4-6 hours, it will certainly see you through the night, but you will probably have to charge it daily. You can always keep it plugged in under your pillow though.

3. Best Bluetooth Pillow – Soundasleep Bluetooth Speaker Pillow

Your smartphone simply connects to the pillow via Bluetooth. The speaker is well hidden in the center of the pillow, and as a pillow, it is very comfortable.

There is an app available for controlling the speaker. From controlling the audio settings to sleep timers and setting smart alarms, this is one clever pillow.

The pillow itself has a good plump and bouncy hollowfibre filling. The quilted microfibre cover has built-in mesh sidewalls to improve airflow through the pillow and give excellent breathability. Being quite a thick pillow it is a good choice for side sleepers.

The audio does sound a bit muffled through all of the fabric. When the volume is low, the muffling does help to keep it only audible to you when you’re lying on it. When the battery falls to about 50%, it does beep, which is a bit silly for relaxing music.

This pillow is wipe-clean only. So I absolutely recommend putting a pillowcase over it while using it.

4. Best Budget Speaker Pillow – Sleep n Sound Pillow

The speaker is built into the middle of the pillow. You would never know it was there if it isn’t playing any sounds. It connects via a classic 3.5mm audio jack socket.

The Sleep n Sound speaker pillow comes in a handy satchel travel bag which gives the pillow some really handy portability. It is also a great bag in its own right.

The pillow is filled with hollowfibre, stuffed to give nice medium support. The outer is made of soft microfibre. It is a lovely soft pillow which, if you didn’t know any better, you would think feels just like a regular pillow.

The sound quality is a little muffled; although that helps to keep others from hearing your pillow. The cable could be a little longer; you could be running a risk of your music player being pulled off your bedside table. If you can store the connected device on your bed, it’ll be no problem though.

5. Best Budget Underpillow – Roberts Radio Pillow Talk Speaker

This is a pillow speaker which has been designed with the consideration that there is a fine line between you being able to hear it, and it being heard across the room.

It is small and compact, at only 2cm thick, it is very low profile and disappears under most pillows that aren’t particularly thin. It is well made, good quality, and robust. You’re certainly not going to crush it in your sleep.

The sound quality is very good, although it can be quiet when you’re playing from a device without an amplifier. A sound system such as a transistor radio, clock radio, or in-line amplifier will up the volume if need be.

A super simple and handy speaker that can be hidden under any pillow.

Benefits of A Speaker Pillow

We all want to get a good night’s sleep. It’s all too common of a story that as soon as our heads hit the pillow, our mind is so full of nonsense that it just keeps us awake.

A Distraction

Some people just cannot fall asleep in silence. Then again, maybe it’s loud outside and you need to drown out background noise. That’s often the case for people living in the middle of a busy city.

Many tinnitus sufferers will find that having something to listen to will drown out that inescapable ring.

Whether it is gentle music, or someone talking, having something to listen to while you doze off can really make all the difference. Sometimes you just need some help to focus your mind while you nod off.

Learning and Sound Therapy

Another excellent use for pillow speakers is to listen to something educational while you fall asleep. You spend about a third of your lifetime sleeping. Even if you only take in the information while you’re awake, it’s an extra opportunity to relax and learn while you would otherwise just be waiting for sleep to fall over you.

Many people like to listen to relaxing music, white noise, binaural beats, nature sounds, or guided meditations to help with conditions like stress, anxiety, and insomnia. Playing the music from your pillow can be a nice and gentle way to play your audio whether you’re trying to fall asleep or just lie down and relax.

Buying Guide For Speaker Pillows

Different Styles of Speaker Pillows

There are a number of different speaker pillow designs. The style best suited for you will depend on your own preferences.

Under-Pillow

Firstly, there is the simplest option; the under-pillow speaker. They are designed to be flat, lie under your regular pillow, and play through all of the layers of your pillow. Whether they are flat speakers, or micro-speakers, they’re designed to hide away under your pillow.

They can be great when you share your bed with a partner who doesn’t want to listen. Your pillow will muffle the noise for your partner, but you get to listen into it closely.

Built-Into The Pillow

Some pillows come with speakers built right into them. Perfect for people looking for a one-item pillow speaker solution or even just for people looking to buy a new pillow anyway.

Removable Speakers (Portable)

The middle ground between having your speaker under your pillow or built into it. Have the speaker removable. Often the speakers will include a pillow with pockets designed to hold the speakers.

This design can also lend itself nicely to becoming a simple set of portable speakers.

Features To Consider

Sound Quality

A good set of quality speakers can be appreciated by everyone.

Unfortunately, it comes with the pillow speaker territory that you are not going to get high quality studio sound. This is partly because it’s not the most in-demand kind of speaker and also because it often has to play through the fabric of your pillow.

That isn’t to say that you can’t get good quality sound out of a pillow speaker. They can sound pretty great all the same. Bose has even wrestled in on this territory.

Then again, if you are simply planning on playing a white noise machine then sound quality does not have to be a priority.

Volume

Volume is an interesting aspect. While you don’t want it too loud, you also certainly don’t want it too quiet, and getting it set to the correct volume level can potentially be a bit fiddly is the volume controls aren’t handy.

An in-line volume control is a great feature that will make using your pillow speaker that much easier.

Stereo

If sound quality is an area that you are not willing to compromise on, then I’m betting you’re an audiophile that has decided stereo sound or surround sound is a must-have.

While many speaker pillows only have one speaker, there are certainly many pillow stereo speaker options available.

Power Source

You have a choice.

You can have batteries built into your pillow speaker. This will likely bring better sound quality and mean that your phone, iPod, or MP3 player will use less power to play. It also means you have one more thing that either needs batteries or charged.

You can have your CD Player, iPod, or MP3 player provide the power to the speaker, but that usually requires your device supplying more power. You also risk the trade-off of potentially lower sound quality.

It’s a balancing act that will depend on your preference. It’s a choice of more devices to charge and better sound quality, or an easier time with one less device to charge but maybe lower sounds quality.

Wired Or Wireless Connection

The choice over how you send the audio signal between the pillow speaker and your device can be absolutely crucial.

Some phones don’t have a 3.5mm jack connection, so they need to reply on either a USB or Bluetooth connection. Other MP3 players and iPods can only do a 3.5mm jack or USB connection.

Decide which audio device you want to play from and how it can send the audio signal.

A final consideration to make is that it’s almost always safe to opt for a wireless connection if possible. It’s just not great having wires near you that you could get tangled in while you sleep.

Other Speaker Pillow Reviews

Rejuvopedic IPod/iPhone Music Pillow

The sound quality is certainly decent and the volume range from a smartphone is perfect for finding that “sweet spot” volume level.

Both the filling and cover are made from microfibre. A lovely soft and bouncy pillow.

The pillow itself is machine washable at 40°C. Just remove the speaker first of course. After washing, lay it out to dry naturally on a flat surface.

The speaker can move around inside the pillow over time, but it is easy enough to reposition while you plump it up again.

Garsent Mini Speaker 3.5mm DIY Portable Pillow Speaker

This is a DIY pillow speaker. This same device is built into many other pillow speakers on the market. So now you are able to turn any pillow into a speaker pillow.

Despite the simplistic look, the sound quality is really good. The volume is certainly a bit low, but when you are lying on it you are certainly able to hear it while your partner cannot.

It will connect to any device with a 3.5mm Audio Jack connection. The cable is a good length that will easily extend from under a pillow to a smartphone on your bedside table.

Philips EverPlay Wireless Flat Bluetooth Speaker

At about the size of a smartphone, the Philips EverPlay is sure to simply disappear under your pillow. It is 22mm thin, try not to lose it under there.

It uses a Bluetooth connection with a massive range of up to 30 meters, so you can even connect to a device in another room if you like. No need for replacing silly AA batteries, there is a built-in rechargeable battery with ample playtime to last you well through the night.

The sound quality is fantastic. It has a clever “anti-clipping” system built in which will remove distortion from whatever you play through it for improved sound quality.

Final Thoughts

With such a wide choice of pillow speakers on the market, it can be tricky finding the right one to suit you.

Sometimes it might simply come down to the versatility and portability of the under-pillow speakers which decides it. Then again, having a smart pillow controlled by an app might just be the neat gadget that takes your sleep to the next level.

Whichever speaker pillow option you do choose, the one factor you absolutely must be careful of is how you connect your device to your pillow. For example, some new smartphones don’t have a 3.5mm jack connection anymore. You might then need an adapter or to just opt for a Bluetooth connection.

Personally, I really like having an inline volume control for some easy volume tweaking.

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