Tips & Tricks: How To Wear Earbuds Correctly

Wearing Earbuds for Sound Quality

If you’re wearing ear buds in either your left or right ear, you obviously want to hear and enjoy your favorite songs, podcasts, or other audio. This means you need a good seal between your earbud tips and the inner ear canal.

For example, if you wear ENACFIRE E20 wireless Bluetooth earbuds with tips that are too small, the earbud may stay in your ear but the tips won’t provide a proper seal. Background noise can leak into your ear distorting your audio or making it hard to hear lower undertones in your music.

When wearing any Bluetooth wireless earbuds properly, you want them to be snug against your ear. This will keep the wireless earbud in place, but also provide a solid seal between the earbud and your inner ear blocking sound from leaking in or out.

This seal is responsible for keeping the audio directed towards your left and right ear drum while reducing the amount of background noise that can also be heard. Wireless headphones that cover your entire ear work in the same way, by blocking sound from entering or exiting the area.

When wearing earbuds in a quiet home or office, this perfect seal for your in-ear headphones is not necessary for great sounding audio, but if trying to enjoy your music or podcasts on a bus, along a busy street, or while jogging through the city, a good tight seal on your wireless earbuds can be vital for proper sound.

Wearing Earbuds for Comfort

Earbuds usually include two or more choices for an ear tip. These ear tip choices can be made from different materials; usually foam or silicone. Oftentimes you will receive these extra tips in both materials, and various sizes when purchasing a new set of earbuds.

Lower-end and more budget-friendly traditional earbuds may only include one extra set of foam tips or plugs, but higher-end Bluetooth wireless earbuds can include several options for a perfect fit.

If you happen to receive several extra pairs, be sure to try them all out before making your decision on the best one. Sometimes even a plug that looks too large or too small might end up being your perfect fit.

Many users say silicone offers the best comfort when used long-term, but in some cases, the foam plugs can provide better sound isolation. You may prefer one type of tip over the other, or may even have your own custom tips that can be placed on your new wireless earbuds.

In general, you will need to test the extra earbud tips to see exactly which one fits your ears the best. Not ever tip size or material will be comfortable in every ear. Men will normally prefer larger foam earbud plugs over women which seem to lean towards the softer silicone plugs.

If you plan on wearing your Bluetooth earbuds long-term while jogging or running, or while moving your jaw to speak or eat, finding the right tip is important for long-term comfort. You may also want to find some plugs that are moisture resistant to keep your ear canals dry and comfortable. Excess moisture build-up in your ear can lead to fungal and bacterial infections.

The more your jaw moves, the more your true wireless earbuds will also move and become loose or uncomfortable. Since the jaw is connected near the ear, and various muscles and ligaments are present in that area of your head, excess jaw movement can also end up moving your ears slightly.

Problems with Poor Fitting Earbuds

If your Bluetooth earbuds don’t fit correctly, you can run into a range of issues when listening to music or podcasts. Some of these issues can include:

• Potential for earbud to fall out
• Uncomfortable feeling on the ear
• Pain from extended use
• Tinny sounding audio
• Hollow sounding music
• Distorted sounding vocals

Don’t be afraid to take some time to ensure you fit your wireless earbuds correctly. You may need to gently push them into your ear canals, give them a wiggle or twist, or try different foam or silicone plugs entirely.

Doing this in advance can help prevent the issues that come with poor-fitting wireless earbuds. One pair of Bluetooth earbuds may include up to six different sizes and styles of buds, while another may only have one or two choices. Be sure you test out each of the buds to find the one with the best fit.

Different Styles of Earbuds

There is a wide range of different brands of earbuds. We have Tozo earbuds, Samsung, Raycon earbuds (which are sometimes compared with Airpods), and other brands. Each one of earbuds can have its own unique shape. You may have noticed some that hook over your ear, some that slide into the ear, and some with little handles that can either point up or down when worn.

The style of earbuds that work best for you may not be the same style that works for someone else. It’s always a good idea to try out a few pairs and see which are the most comfortable for you depending on your ear size, ear shape, and activity level.

Figuring out the right way to wear your earphones may take a bit of trial and error, but you will be glad to have taken the time beforehand to get a proper fit. Your ears will not feel fatigued or in pain, even after long hours of use, once you find the foam or silicone tips that work for you.

Classic Style

The most common style on the market today have a little handle. These are commonly wired, but this particular shape can also be found wireless. It’s a common shape to be found with a variety of brands including Galaxy buds, Sony, and Apple.

Many people are confused by whether or not the handle should point up or down, but in most cases the handle should point down and at an angle. This angle should align with the shape of your natural ear cartilage as well.

Plug Style

The second most common style is the plug which is sometimes called invisible earbuds. These are very simple devices which are mostly made up of the foam or silicone tip and a small plastic back. You won’t find a long handle on these, so they can be placed in your ears at a variety of different angles comfortably.

Their smaller size is great for smaller ears, or if you want to wear them with a hat or ear coverings. Being about the size of the tip of your index finger, you may eventually forget you are wearing them due to their smaller and lightweight size. Plug style can be found in both wireless and wired varieties, and seem to be equally common for both.

Hook Style

Another common style you may see is the hook style. Common when speaking on your mobile phone, these earphones have a plastic hook that is built in. This hook goes around your ear to secure the earphones in place.

While some users say the hooks can be unsightly as well as uncomfortable, others love them for the security they provide. Even when being highly active, you won’t find these earbuds falling out easily. That makes them a great choice for joggers, runners, horseback riders, and other active users.

Strap or Wired Style

While these can still be wireless earbuds, the strap or wired style helps prevent the loss of one or both of your devices. Common with Galaxy buds, the strap normally goes around the back of your head while the device is being worn.

You can remove one or both earbuds and still have them close at hand without having to set them down on a table. When not being worn, the earbuds can be rested on your neck like a scarf. This makes them a great choice for highly active users, or anyone that may need to take out the earbuds often in order to hear ambient sounds around them.

Quick Tips for Adjusting Earbuds

When you first purchase earbuds, they may need some adjustments to get them fit for your ear correctly. It’s rare to find true wireless earbuds that fit perfectly right out of the box which is why they come in different sizes for a good fit.

In addition, if you are new to wearing true wireless earbuds, you may need to give the buds, as well as your ears, a short breaking-in period. Start by having the earbuds in ears correctly for short amounts of time comfortably before you slowly increase the time you wear them.

During this breaking-in period, there are a range of things you can do in order to get the new pair of earbuds to fit your ears comfortably and properly. Let’s take a look at those below.

Push Them in Tight

While you don’t want to cram an earbud too far into your ear, you do want to make sure they are placed snugly into the ear canal. The earbud itself will rest on the outside of your inner-ear, but the foam or silicone plugs will be placed into your ear canal like an ear plug would be. If your earbuds feel lose, push them in further for a proper fit.

Tight fitting buds are great for getting that deep bass tones. Since the buds are close to your eardrum, the bass vibrations will quickly move to that part of your head to deliver the best audio experience you’ve had in a long time!

Twist the Earbuds

Once the earbuds are in place, give them a gentle twist back and forth until you find the position that is the most comfortable for your ear type. You won’t need to adjust them often once you learn the right placement of the device compared to the shape of your ear.

This not only helps ensure the earbuds are not placed into your ear in the wrong way, but also helps get the tip snug into your ear canal for the proper noise isolation and reduction of ambient sound leaking in.

Pull On Your Ear

After the earbuds are in place, you can gently pull on your lower earlobe a slight amount. This helps open up your ear canal and gives the earbud a better chance to fit snugly into your ear. Obviously, you won’t need to use much pressure to do this, it only takes a small amount to temporarily stretch your inner ear in this fashion.

As your earlobe is slightly widened, push the earbud in a slight amount and ensure it has been twisted into the most comfortable position. You can try listening to your favorite song to see if you noticed a difference in how the earbuds deliver those tunes.

Keep Your Ears Clean

Earwax can naturally build up in your ears, as well as on the ends of your earbuds. Regularly use a cotton swab, Q-Tips, or ear scraper to carefully remove the earwax in the ear canal.

This can help ensure a better audio quality from your earbuds, as well as a more comfortable wearing experience for your ears. It can also reduce the amount of moisture that builds up in your ears which may, if left for too long, harbor bacterial growths and other ear infections.

Keep Your Earbuds Clean

In addition to wax buildup in your ears, it can accumulate on the ends of the earbuds as well. Using a small device such as a toothpick, you can gently remove the wax from the opening of the earbud pair.

This removes the obstructions from the speaker and gives your ears a much better return on audio quality. One of the most annoying things to watch out for is the buildup of wax on the outer edge of the buds. This can make using them uncomfortable until the device has been cleaned.

In Conclusion

A pair of earbuds can be a great way to enjoy your favorite audio while on the go, but will need to fit the shape of your ears correctly in order to deliver the best sound quality possible. You will also need to ensure they fit properly for long-term comfort in your ears as well.

Improperly fitting earbuds can lead to pain and fatigue in your ear, as well as potential loss of the earbud if they fall out while you are jogging or working out. You may also notice ambient noise leaking into your ears if the buds are not snug against your ear walls.

Once you have your earbuds adjusted and worn correctly, you won’t have to worry about any of those issues again!