earbuds for a serial earbud killer

April 30, 2024 11:39 AM

I lose my Bluetooth earbuds all the time, which makes me feel like a failure as an adult. I also break the ones I don't lose (due to sweating too much or jamming them into tiny pockets/cases or putting them through the wash). Help me find the sweet spot in terms of reliability/sound/price - under $50 for sure but $25 would be ideal.

I need the soft silicone pads- not the hard plastic airpod type. I prefer the type connected to each other by a wire without anything that goes over the ear but could be convinced to try other configurations. sound quality is less important than staying in my dang ears and not breaking.

posted by genmonster to Technology (10 answers total)

I used my Sony WI-C200 earbuds for a LONG time before they broke and loved them. They're connected with a wire, have soft buds and they're a good price for the quality of sound. Though buyer beware: I bought my replacement pair from Amazon and I'm 90% sure I was sent a weird dupe, because the replacement is a real step down in quality and has a different voice than the originals. So I'd try and locate them in a store rather than buying online if you can.
posted by fight or flight at 11:56 AM on April 30

No wire but I am on my third pair of Soundcore by Anker P20i earbuds.They are great for the price... (And one day I suspect I'll find the cats' secret stash of stolen ones.)
posted by socky_puppy at 12:06 PM on April 30 [4 favorites]

I had a cheap pair of jlab air pop earbuds that held up surprisingly well for at least a year until they got flushed down the toilet in a freak accident. It looks like they have ones connected to each other by a wire too for $20, jbuds pro.
posted by Gravel at 12:44 PM on April 30 [1 favorite]

Huawei buds. The sound off them is absolutely incredible. The fit-to-ear is perfect. I love them.
posted by jacobean at 1:24 PM on April 30

My husband and I both like these! Cheap and comfortable.
posted by GrimmblyTuna at 3:44 PM on April 30

If by “connected to each other by a wire” you mean a wire that goes over the back of your neck, I’d recommend Beats Flex. I think they list above $50 but they’re regularly on sale for $50 and under (including at Target right now) and you can often find them on eBay for $25 or so. I’ve been really really impressed by the build quality — my pair is almost three years old and going strong. The plastic coating on the wires is incredibly sturdy and shows no signs of fraying. I did pulverize one earpiece by accident when it got in between me and some household chores — but the speaker itself kept working and I was easily able to reassemble the housing and epoxy it back together.

Sound quality is not outstanding but quite decent — great for calls and for podcasts, passable for music.

And if you have an iPhone the pairing and Find My integration are great, and the autopause when they clasp together magnetically is handy too.
posted by sesquipedalia at 3:51 PM on April 30

I buy the Tozo ones when they go on sale (I've had the T6 and T10 ones). Every so often I try to see if I'm missing something by not paying more but haven't found any I like better.
posted by slidell at 9:35 PM on April 30

I have these, which I am very happy with. I have tiny ears and these are the only ones I've ever used that have stayed put - the ear hook helps and is so light that I can't even feel it.

They are as cheap as chips (under $25) and the sound quality is (for me) fine.
posted by essexjan at 8:13 AM on May 1

FWIW, there's another option: You can buy cheap earbuds for prices like... $5-15 from China via Temu, Aliexpress, Gearbest, and these buds still have impressive stats, like BT 5.3. splash proof, and so on.
posted by kschang at 12:46 PM on May 1

Magnetic and strung to each other? I got you on this, Soundpeats has all your requirements including lower end price with coupons and sales. Definitely great bang for buck here. JBL also has a few that fit your criteria but their cords are shorter.
posted by jadepearl at 9:39 AM on May 2