Open-ear vs in-ear vs over-ear headphones: How to find your fit

Greater situational awareness: Because Open Ear headphones do not actually situate speakers or buds inside your ears, you have a much wider appreciation for the noises around you, making them a popular choice for outdoor athletes who want to get their jog on while listening to music but not being flattened by that Tesla they couldn’t otherwise hear.

Fewer hygiene issues: You really, really shouldn’t share headphones generally on hygiene grounds, but if you must, open-ear models do have the benefit of not incorporating any parts that go inside your ears, which means you’re not sharing earwax (eugh) or for that matter inner ear infections (even more eugh). 

Can be more comfortable: Comfort with any kind of headphones is hugely variable matter of course, but if you’re the type who finds that the inside of your ears rapidly becomes sore with any kind of bud within it, or you suffer from your head overheating when wearing over-ear models, then the more open design of Open-Ear headphones might be perfect for you, allowing your skin to breathe without putting weight and pressure within your ear canals.

Lower audio quality: The way that bone conduction works is scientifically really neat, but there’s just no getting around the fact that any speaker that sits outside your ears isn’t going to match the fidelity of a speaker that’s either within your ear or completely covering it. This is the price you pay for that situational awareness, because even the best pairs of open-ear headphones can’t match the audio fidelity of a good quality in-ear or over-ear set.

Lacks true noise cancelling: Do you love noise cancelling to block out the sounds of the world, whether that’s the drone of an in-flight engine on a long international flight, or just to block out the shrill tones of Sharon at the desk over from yours at work? The design of open-ear headphones means that producing the equal-but-opposite tones needed for true noise cancelling is all but impossible; the best you’d likely be able to manage is higher volume to try to drown out outside noise.

Also, maybe have a polite word to Sharon instead. That would be the professional thing to do.

Can leak audio: The nature of open-ear headphones, and especially those that use air conduction is that their speakers can tend to make it more obvious to those around you that you’re listening to something – and at some volumes and with some cheaper pairs, maybe even what it is that you’re listening to.

Noise Cancelling on some models: Because in-ear headphones sit in your ears, they provide a certain amount of natural noise cancelling through simple isolation. Your ears are blocked by the buds or speakers, and as a result you’ll hear less of the world around you. For more premium models, you can also get proper noise cancelling features that use the external microphones to gauge local audio conditions and provide cancelling waveforms to reduce the impact of that noise on your listening experience. Some premium pairs also allow for “transparency” modes that use the external microphones to boost external audio when you do need to have a conversation without requiring you to remove your buds.

Wide range of style choices: Over and above open-ear headphones – that mostly pitch to the sports crowds – and the heavier look of over-ear headphones that will always look like Princess Leia’s hairstyle on your head – In-Ear headphones come in a wide variety of styles, colours and choices. Apple may only make AirPods in white (yeah, we’re not sure why either…) but you can get buds in nearly every colour in the rainbow, with or without stalks and with or without rubber buds to sit in your ears depending on your own style preferences.

Better audio quality: Because in-ear buds present their audio directly into your ears, they can provide considerably better audio than open-ear headphones can manage without the bulk of over-ear models. That’s generally relative to price, mind you; a cheap pair of in-ear buds is still going to sound like a cheap pair of buds.

Easily lost: Most in-ear buds are quite small, which does have advantages in portability terms. However with that greater portability comes a much higher possibility of falling into an airline cushion seat, tumbling out of their case into the road or just plain falling out of your ears never to be seen again. 

Can be uncomfortable: This is quite relative and it does depend on your ears and listening preferences, but some people do find the immediate weight of either buds or straight plastic in their ear canals to be uncomfortable, especially for longer listening periods. This is a factor that you can really only learn through exposure, with some hating plastic-only pairs while others find rubber tips, even if sized correctly to lead to more inner ear fatigue and pain. 

Can be a hygiene horror story: In-ear headphones live in your ears, and that can lead to all sorts of yucky scenarios if you don’t keep your buds diligently clean. That also affects their aesthetics; few things look more disturbing than to pull your buds out of your ears only to reveal to your friends that they’ve got a blob of earwax on them.

Best-in class audio quality: The lower ends of the wireless headphone market have been largely taken up by in-ear buds, but the true audiophiles will generally flock to over-ear models – though many of them would opt for wired connections if they don’t have to be too mobile. The advantage of over-ear headphones here is that you get full presentation of your music and typically through much larger drivers than the smaller in-ear or open-ear headphones can provide, giving greater musical clarity purely to your own ears. 

Good noise isolation: The nature of the cups on over-ear headphones gives them a natural isolation element, but again those larger drivers and bigger surface area to present noise cancelling waveforms can make them some of the best options for those who want their own private audio landscapes 

Comfort if you hate having speakers near or in your ears: Again this is super variable, but for some listeners there’s a genuine comfort to be had in simply having soft cushions near your ears rather than harsh solid plastics or rubber tips. If your over-ear headphones have an adjustable head strap, you can also adjust the pressure level of the cups on your ears, making them even more comfy.

Less portable:  Most in-ear and open-ear headphones are quite small, but that’s just not the case for any set of headphones that has to incorporate two cups and a headband. This means more bulk in your carry-on luggage or your daily office bag if you open for an over-ear set, as well as making them less optimal for those who like to run to music.

It’s Getting Hot In Here: Because over-ear headphones fully encapsulate your ears, there’s nowhere for the heat buildup in your ears – which have a lot of blood vessels in them – to actually go. Longer term wear of over-ear headphones can lead to the sides of your head getting somewhat warm, which some people may find uncomfortable. 

Much more obvious: If you don’t want to make it obvious to those around you that you’re listening to something (or that you’re just simply trying to block the world out) then a set of Over-Ear headphones are not the way to go at all; you’d have to have a stupendous, Krusty-The-Klown level of hair to fully hide a set of over-ear cans to any extent.