A new under-pillow speaker is changing how people fall asleep, and it requires no earbuds.
TechCrunch's Lauren Forristal has struggled with insomnia since childhood—she needs audio to drift off. Earbuds are uncomfortable. Speakers at full volume disturb sleeping partners. The Peace Duo from Jabees, launched last month, offers a different approach.
The device uses bone conduction technology to send vibrations through your skull to your inner ear. Place it under your pillow and listen privately. Forristal found it so thin she forgot it was there.
The speaker comes pre-loaded with sleep sounds: gentle waves, light rain, rain with thunder, and soft wind on a micro SD card with four hours of content. Bluetooth connectivity lets you stream your own audio—podcasts, ASMR, whatever you prefer.
Battery life is ten nights of one-hour listening sessions on a single charge. The foldable design fits into an included magnetic fabric travel case.
One limitation: it performs poorly under thick memory foam pillows. Forristal, who uses thick memory foam, had to switch to a regular cotton pillow for clear sound. Thinner memory foam options should work fine, according to the company.
The Peace Duo costs $59.99 and comes in Sunrise Yellow and Mist Green. Customizable magnetic frames allow you to add personal photos or names.
Forristal's assessment: it won't cure insomnia, but for the price, it works.
