This Lesser-Known Type Of Earbud May Help Preserve Your Hearing — And It's Affordable, To Boot

Ever since I got my young hands on a portable CD player, I’ve preferred to keep my music bumping, at home and elsewhere.

But at some point my earbuds started to hurt my ears — and I started feeling concerned about my music being funneled straight into my ear canal, at my eardrum.

As a longtime user of wired earbuds , I’d try to drape the cords over my ears so I could listen to music at a bit of a distance. This was as ineffective as you’d expect — not because I couldn’t hear the music, but because my haphazard draping system didn’t stay put.

So when a co-worker recommended open earbuds to me, I was intrigued.

They’re designed to attach to the ear cartilage instead of getting jammed into the ear, sealing off the ear canal and pumping music into it.

According to ENThealth.org , over-ear headphones can help preserve your hearing, since they enable users to listen safely to music for longer. Typical earbuds can be up to 9 decibels louder than over-ear headphones, a striking difference given that those extra decibels are being channeled directly to your eardrums.

Plus, ENThealth.org notes, typical earbuds can lead to 11 times more bacteria in the ear canal, potentially contributing to ear infections . They may also increase wax buildup in the ear, which can make ears feel clogged and result in difficulties hearing, according to Dr. Susannah Hills , an ear, nose and throat specialist at Columbia University Medical Center.

Your ear health could have much to gain yet little to lose with open earbuds. Read on for some of the best options you’ll find across the internet.

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