Is it hygenically safe to wear pre-loved open-ear headphones (like a pair bought from eBay)?

September 29, 2007 5:02 PM

Is it hygenically safe to wear pre-loved open-ear headphones (like a pair bought from eBay)?

I want to buy a pair of (sadly expensive) open-ear headphones (these ones) and I'm curious to know if I bought some second-hand would I be risking ear-infections or other nastiness, or would it be perfectly safe??

Or potentially, if it is a bit of a hygiene risk, is there a way to effectively disinfect pre-loved headphones? Any advice would be very very much appreciated :)

posted by katala to shopping (12 comments total)

You could buy new cushions (the part that touches the ear) to replace the old ones. There's a hotline for replacement parts listed in the website FAQ.
posted by needs more cowbell at 5:17 PM on September 29, 2007

Headlice.
posted by Reggie Digest at 5:28 PM on September 29, 2007

It's been pretty common practice for people to rent, borrow, or share headphones in many situations, for a long time. No deathly plagues have resulted, and you'll probably be fine. That said, I do know people who have taken those hand sanitizer towelettes to rental headphones they picked up, when checking out aircraft for pilot training lessons, and although I have no idea how effective that might have been, no one looked askance at them.

Other than the cushions and the head strap, there is not much that comes into contact with the wearer in those type of cans. Would you use public telephones without serious hygeinic consideration? If so, I'd wipe and go. If not, I'd order replacement cushions, and put the units in direct sunlight, or in UV light long enough to sterilize.
posted by paulsc at 5:32 PM on September 29, 2007

I used to sell headphones, people were always trying them on. We just took the 'telephone clean' wipes (basically alcohol wipes) we had and cleaned the cushions. I think you're safe.
posted by pupdog at 5:44 PM on September 29, 2007

I often find myself in a situation where I need expensive cans, so I've considered this question on several occasions. And the conclusion I've come to is this: if I'm the kind of person who is concerned about the hygenic considerations of wearing used headphones, then I'm the kind of person who is not going to be comfortable wearing used headphones.
So - even if you get 100 answers all telling you that it's OK, I think your disposition is still going to prevent you from buying them.
posted by forallmankind at 6:28 PM on September 29, 2007

Nothing will go wrong. You will not die.
posted by corpse at 7:02 PM on September 29, 2007

Yes, unless you're Monk.
posted by klangklangston at 7:16 PM on September 29, 2007

Get 97% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). Get a Q-tip. Get all the nooks and crannies. If the cushions are removable, you can soak them in alcohol, and let them air dry. Because you're using high concentration alcohol, it will evaporate almost entirely to complete dryness.

I've cleaned cellphones by soaking them in alcohol (with the batteries out), but I don't know what that would do to the speakers in the headphones (that are very precise and probably delicate), so I wouldn't recommend that here.
posted by Pastabagel at 7:24 PM on September 29, 2007

For what it's worth, I bought a pair of these recently-- less than half the price and just as good as the Bose, according to David Pogue. I've been very happy with them.
posted by hwickline at 9:58 PM on September 29, 2007

My friend used to work for a clothing store (a Major, national one)-- at the store she was at, they had community 'walkies', which are headsets with microphones that they trade off using. Her impression is that she got sick from other employees due to this. (Strep and the like.) But, keep in mind this was a continual exchange-- not a one-off deal, like you are proposing.

Myself, I used to go to record stores and listen to albums using public sets, and never got any heebie jeebies.

Anyway, and I'm echoing previous posts here, one of the things that makes nice headphones 'nice' is that you can often buy replacement parts (such as cables, plugs, and more to the point, ear cushions.) If you're that worried, just buy the new cushions, take the old cushions off, and swab some alcohol on the set before putting on your new cushions. If they're well used, they could probably use the refresh anyway.
posted by blenderfish at 11:02 PM on September 29, 2007

New ear cushions will also improve the fit/comfort and potentially the sound reproduction (or more accurately your perception of it) since the drivers were designed assuming new, well-fitting cushions...
posted by sparrows at 2:27 PM on October 1, 2007

Thank you all for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it :) Some great advice here! I'm going to go ahead with buying a second-hand pair of the headphones I'd like and also buy new cushions and disinfect as instructed.

Thank you again!!
posted by katala at 4:46 AM on October 3, 2007