Imagine you’ve just bought a new pair of headphones and you’re eager to try them out. You wear the headphones, but something just doesn’t feel quite right about it. You feel a bit of discomfort – not so much so that it hurts, but just enough for it to be noticeable and annoying that it distracts you. Because of that, you often find yourself adjusting and readjusting your headphones just to get a better fit, but even after doing so, you end up constantly catching the headphones from falling off your head. As silly as this sounds, a lot of people experience this issue, especially if they’re dealing with headphone models that they’re not used to. In most cases, this is the result of not wearing your headphones properly. That’s why this article will serve as a guide that will help you wear your headphones correctly to get the best overall comfort while retaining the full functionality of your device. We’ll also discuss some tips for you to keep in mind to avoid experiencing any discomfort during your listening experience.
Why Is It Important to Wear Headphones the Right Way?
Can you imagine trying to immerse yourself in your favorite album while having to constantly readjust your headphones, or watching a movie but having to keep your headphones from falling off? Doesn’t exactly sound like the most ideal scenario, right? These are just some of the problems that can happen if you aren’t wearing your headphones the right way. But it doesn’t end with that. Improperly wearing your headphones can lead to headaches, with the possibility of your ears experiencing pain or discomfort. Wearing your headphones the wrong way can also affect you during some activities such as working out or going for a run due to the cable getting in the way of your movement. You might be thinking to yourself that it’d be near impossible to have fun under these circumstances, and you’d be right!. That’s why wearing your headphones correctly can drastically improve your overall listening experience. But aside from letting you enjoy the most of what you’re listening to, wearing headphones correctly can also let you enjoy the most of what the headphones have to offer. Properly wearing your headphones will help with its maintenance and longevity since you’ll be using it in the way the manufacturers intended it to be used. You can also expect better sound quality from the headphones because a proper fit ensures a more reliable seal for good sound isolation and breathability based on the headphone design.
How to Properly Wear Headphones
In addition to your personal preference on how to wear your headphones, the proper wearing technique will depend on the type, build, and overall quality of the headphones you’re using. Since headphones come in different size, form, and design, they also require different techniques to wear your headphones for a perfect fit. Here’s a quick guide on the best practices to follow per headphone type.
How to wear on-ear and over-ear headphones correctly How to wear in-ear headphones and earbuds For earbuds For in-ear headphones
How to wear on-ear and over-ear headphones correctly
On-ear and over-ear headphones may look similar at a glance, but it’s important to know they have distinct differences that can affect your overall experience with them. On-ear headphones are generally smaller and more compact than over-ear headphones. These headphones have small ear cups that rest on top of your ears without fully covering them. An example of a great pair of on-ear headphones is the Bowers & Wilkins PX5. On the other hand, over-ear headphones have larger ear cups that encompass your ears. The padding on the ear cups is large enough to fully cover the ears and provide a reliable seal around them. One of the more iconic over-ear headphones this year is the Sony WH-1000XM4.
How to wear in-ear headphones and earbuds
The same thing can be said about in-ear headphones and earbuds, with both devices looking quite similar, but having noticeable differences that set them apart from each other. In-ear headphones are specifically designed to stay inside the ear. These headphones usually have soft material (such as silicone and foam) ear tips that help keep the device in place while forming a reliable seal inside the ear. Contrastingly, earbuds don’t actually stay inside your ear canal. Instead, these are specifically designed to stay on the space just outside of your ear canal (concha). Earbuds usually don’t have any soft ear tips and simply have the small drivers sit just outside the ear.
For earbuds
The steps for wearing earbuds are almost identical to wearing on-ear/in-ear headphones, with the only difference being that you should make sure that the earbuds are sitting comfortably on the crevices of your ear-folds to keep them from falling off.
For in-ear headphones
Depending on how they’re made, there are two main ways on how you can wear in-ear headphones. These are the over-the-ear/around-the-ear method and the straight down method. Examples of over-the-ear in-ear headphones and regular in-ear headphones are the KZ AS16 and the Sennheiser CX 300S respectively. The main difference between the two is that the former has special ear tips that require the headphone drivers to be positioned in a way that allows the wire to loop around the ear, while the latter uses regular ear tips. Standard in-ear headphones are usually worn straight down with the cable left hanging on the front or back. Because these are in-ear headphones and not earbuds, it helps to wear them snugly by pulling on your earlobes while you insert the ear tips to create a reliable seal inside the ear canal. These in-ear headphones are made with wires that loop around your ears for better security and to prevent them from falling off during movement. As mentioned earlier, these headphones usually have wingtips or ear tips that require a different positioning to keep the drivers in place.
How to Reduce Discomfort When Wearing Headphones
These are general tips for users that want to ensure a comfortable experience while wearing their headphones.
Choose the right type of headphones
The most reliable way to know the best type of headphones for you is to personally try different models on and get a feel for each of them. This allows you to accurately determine which headphones are most comfortable for you.
Always check the fit
No matter how expensive or high quality your headphones are, it means nothing if it doesn’t even fit you well. Although this tip mostly applies to in-ear headphones with replaceable ear tips, it helps to be aware of the importance of having a proper fit for other types of headphones as well. Here’s how you can find the best fit for your in-ear headphones:
Remove eyewear or jewelry that could get in the way
It’s not advisable to wear earrings or other ear piercings when wearing headphones as not only will these cause discomfort or pain, but these objects can also damage the ear cups or headphone padding. Although it’s possible to wear glasses or eyewear with headphones, it may require a bit more effort so that it doesn’t negatively affect your overall listening experience.
Choose the right material
Most people don’t know this, but you don’t necessarily have to stick to the stock headphone pads or ear tips if you’d prefer another. It helps to try out other materials to know which one you’d rather settle with.
Be a responsible headphones user
Being a responsible headphone user means prioritizing your ear health and comfort above anything else. Even if you wear your headphones properly, there’s still a possibility that you’ll experience some level of discomfort if you keep wearing them non-stop for several hours at a time. If possible, make sure to take breaks every hour or so by removing your headphones and lightly massaging your ears to let them breathe. It also helps if you can keep the audio of your device at no more than 80% volume.
Conclusion
With these tips and detailed instructions in mind, you should now be able to wear your headphones comfortably for the best listening experience. Not only are you able to wear headphones the way they were intended to be worn, but you should also know what to look out for to reduce overall discomfort when wearing them. How’d you like our detailed guide? What’s your favorite type of headphones? Are you still having trouble putting them on? Please feel free to let us know in the comments down below!
