Your Headphone Questions, Answered

If you've ever tried shopping for headphones, you know there’s an overwhelming selection to choose from.  We asked listeners to send us their most pressing headphone questions and brought in Wirecutter audio expert Lauren Dragan to answer them. 

From earbuds that stay put in small ears to the best headphones for sleeping, Lauren shares practical advice from years of testing more than 2,000 pairs. She also addresses concerns about Bluetooth safety, hearing loss, and how to keep your headphones clean and working properly.

We had too many great questions to address in the episode alone, so we’ve included an added selection of listener questions and Lauren’s answers on our website. 

Products Lauren recommend: 

• The best built in microphone: Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro
• The best earbuds with a hook over the ear (for small ear canals): Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
• The best earbuds with a stabilizing wing (for small ear canals): Sony LinkBuds Fit
• The best over-ear headphones for wearing with glasses:  Sony WH-1000XM6
• An example of a third party tether you can add to most earbuds
• The best bone-conduction headphones for running: Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
• The best bone-conduction headphones for swimming: H2O Audio Tri 2
• Another option for non-bluetooth streaming while swimming is the Mighty Wave
• Great options for sensory issues: soft headband-style earmuffs and Quiet Sense hoodies
• The best headphones for sleeping, if you dislike wearing earplugs or earbuds: AcousticSheep SleepPhones Wireless
• The best earbuds for sleeping:  Soundcore Sleep A20
• The best earbuds that adapt to your hearing: Apple AirPods Pro 3
• Better sounding open earbuds:  EarFun OpenJump
• A tool for cleaning earbuds
• The best packable headphones for travel: Sony WH-1000XM5 or XM6
• The best budget packable headphones: Soundcore Space One
• The best sounding wired earbuds: TinHiFi T3 Plus
• Retro-looking wired earbuds: Sivga M260
• Earbuds with hearing protection: Elgin Rebel
• A more affordable earbud if you like the Apple AirPods: EarFun Clip
• Durable headphones for kids: Puro Sound Labs BT2200-Plus and the Puro Basic
• The best bluetooth transmitter: 1Mii ML300
• Noise cancelling earmuffs: 3M Pro-Grade Earmuffs
• Lauren loves: OXO Brew 9-Cup Coffee Maker

Additional reading:

• The Best Bone-Conduction and Open-Ear Headphones
• The Best Sleep Headphones
• How to Clean AirPods, Earbuds, and Headphones
• How Good Are the AirPods Pro 2 as Hearing Aids? We Tested Them to Find Out.
• The Best Headphones

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The Wirecutter Show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel.Engineering support from Maddy Masiello and Nick Pitman. Episodes are mixed by Catherine Anderson, Efim Shapiro, Rowan Niemisto, Sophia Lanman, and Sonia Herrero. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Diane Wong. Wirecutter’s deputy publisher and general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Frumin is Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief. Hosted by Rosie Guerin, Caira Blackwell and Christine Cyr Clisset.

Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

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