How to Choose the Right Pair of Headphones for You？

1. Choosing headphones? You got this.

Of all the everyday gadgets that impact quality of life, headphones are near or at the top of the list. We run with them on, we take them to bed, we wear them on trains and planes - some of us even eat, drink, and go to sleep under headphones. The point? A good pair improves your quality of life. And a not-so-good pair? Not so much. So stick with us here, and in the next 5-10 minutes we’ll cut through the confusion, help you narrow your choices, and maybe even open your eyes as well as your ears.

Over-Ear Headphones

The biggest of the three types, over-ear headphones surround or cup your ear and stay on via light pressure on your temple and upper jaw. Over-ear headphones are the classic, original style headphones and they come in two versions: closed and open. Closed-back headphones naturally keep your music in, preventing others around you from hearing what you're listening to, while open-back headphones have openings that let outside sounds in and inside sound out. (The effect here is a more natural, spacious sound, but more on that in a bit.

On-Ear Headphones

On-ear headphones are generally smaller and lighter than over-ear headphones, and they stay on your head via pressure directly on your ears, like ear muffs. On-ear headphones also come in open and closed variations, but as a rule, on-ear will let more ambient sound through than over-ear headphones.

In-Ear Headphones

Often called earbuds or earphones, in-ear headphones are the smallest of the three types and fit in the ear canal. They’re also everywhere these days, thanks in large part to Apple including a pair with every iPhone. (Some are even disposable. And those, we recommend disposing.) There’s a lot to love with in-ear headphones, and a lot to not love, but bottom line: 5 bucks says you have a few in a drawer somewhere