AirPods have many benefits, including good audio quality, mobility, and various hand-free controls. Despite the numerous positive attributes, some people find AirPods uncomfortable because they hurt their ears.
So, why do AirPods hurt your ears? The leading cause of discomfort is that the AirPods design is not compatible with the shape of your ears. If you constantly experience discomfort when wearing AirPods, try adjusting their position. Remember that there are several other reasons why AirPods hurt your ears, and you need to find solutions according to the cause.
AirPods are one of the most popular audio devices on the market. Their unique features make them an excellent option, especially for those looking for wireless audio devices. However, this doesn’t mean that they are perfect and free of any inconveniences — some users find them uncomfortable because they hurt their ears.
The main reason AirPods can hurt your ears is if their design doesn’t fit the shape of your ears. In that case, you have to adjust how to wear them to get rid of the discomfort. Remember that there are different AirPod designs and getting one that is compatible with the shape of your ears is very important.
Since its introduction in mid-2010, Apple has released many editions of AirPods. Each new release has a different design that impacts how they fit in your ears. Therefore, you shouldn’t give up on them just because one hurts your ears — try out other editions and see if they are compatible with the shape of your ears.
Generally, AirPods are designed to fit comfortably in most people’s ears. However, their circular, round shape sometimes causes discomfort and pain for a small number of users. Therefore, it is crucial to know all the possible reasons why AirPods are hurting your ears in order to fix the problem.
One of the common reasons why AirPods cause discomfort is how far you have pushed them inside the ear. If you position them deep inside the ear, you are likely to cause aggravation due to a number of reasons.
First, from a physical point of view, the AirPods outer material will press against your ear canal when you force them too deep. The ear canal is not supposed to come into contact with hard surfaces like AirPods. Therefore, if you position them too deep into your ear, you are likely to experience significant discomfort.
Besides, when you push your AirPods too deep into your ears, you are likely to experience hearing damage. The deeper the AirPods go, the closer the speaker will be to sensitive parts of your ear.
If you are exposed to very loud noise, you know that this too can cause physical ear pain. It is also likely to cause tinnitus and, in worse cases, cause hearing loss. Placing AirPods too deep in your ear means sound from their speakers has to travel a less distance before reaching the ear canal.
As a result, they will be way louder when they enter your eardrum, increasing the chances of damage. Consequently, you may experience earaches, headaches, and possible infections. There are also chances of earwax being compacted by AirPods as you push them deep down your ear. If you do so, you will experience ear pain or a feeling that your ears are being blocked. In some cases, you may end up with a severe ear infection that worsens the pain and causes great discomfort.
To determine whether pushing the AirPods too deep in your ear is causing you discomfort, there are several things you can do. Try inserting the AirPods by gently pulling your earlobe and loosely placing them in your ears. Then, slowly turn the stem of the AirPod until it fits properly and feels most comfortable.
You should ensure that the AirPods are loose, but not loose enough to easily fall out of your ears. Remember that you shouldn’t push the AirPods too deep into your ears, but rather insert them gently and move them smoothly. Keeping them too loose is not ideal because they might fall out when you move around. Adjusting the position of these devices will go a long way in fixing the problem.
In case you still notice ear pain after adjusting positions, you should try AirPods with a different design. The three most popular varieties of AirPods are AirPods Pro, 2nd Generation AirPods, and AirPods 3rd Generation.
The last variety is the most recent release and has one of the best compatibility features. With every new AirPods edition, Apple has expanded the number of capabilities and features, making the device better and user-friendly.
How Do I Stop AirPods from Hurting My Ears?
AirPods have excellent hand-free control features that make them reliable audio devices. However, they can cause ear pain, especially if their design doesn’t fit the shape of your ears. For that reason, some users wonder how you can stop AirPods from causing pain to your ears.
The best way to stop AirPods from hurting your ears is to adjust their wearing position. As mentioned earlier, AirPods come in different designs, with each release having unique features. Some AirPods designs don’t fit your ears, and this could see you experience significant pain when wearing them. Therefore, it is helpful to adjust the position and see if it fits properly. There are several other tips you can try to stop AirPods from hurting your ears.
For instance, you can wait out for the first few days and see if the pain disappears. While this sounds unhelpful, many AirPods users have admitted that they experienced discomfort during the first few days of wearing them.
This means that AirPod fit problems are very common during the first few days and could need time to fit in your ears. Therefore, you should give them a few days to adjust and evaluate if they are still uncomfortable.
Once you get used to wearing them, you will find them very comfortable, and the constant ear pain will disappear. Therefore, you shouldn’t rush into replacing your AirPods just because they don’t fit properly on the first day of wearing them.
You can also fix the problem by placing the AirPods correctly. The fact that you might be placing the AirPods wrongly could cause ear pain. While this might be a no-brainer, it is surprising how many users place their AirPods incorrectly and increase the chances of damaging their ears. If you experience ear pain when wearing your AirPods, it could be because you have placed them too deep.
You will come across AirPod users complaining about earaches and wondering how they can fix the problem. In most cases, such problems can be fixed by simply not placing AirPods too deep into their ears.
Mindlessly shoving these devices into your ears can cause great discomfort, and in some cases, you might experience hearing problems. Such behavior is not going to do your ears any favors, and you need to stop it.
Perhaps, one of the reasons people shove AirPods too deep into their ears is to prevent them from falling out. The irony is, placing them in such positions actually makes them more prone to falling out. Therefore, you shouldn’t place them too deep into your ears when you can have them comfortably halfway into your ears. This will go a long way in reducing ear pain.
Another way you can fix this problem is by alternating AirPods between ears when you wear them for too long. After a long period of wearing AirPods, they will automatically start hurting your ears. This is a common thing, and most users agree that if you wear them for long stretches of time without breaks, they will start hurting your ears.
Suppose you face this problem, the most effective way to fix it is alternating between the right and left AirPods to give your ears a break from the hard material. Even though AirPods are supposed to fit universally, some people might not find them comfortable. Therefore, you need to find the right type of AirPods that is compatible with the shape of your ears.
Even though this issue has been addressed by AirPods Pro, the previous editions of AirPods don’t have the size options for silicone tips. Thankfully, you can fix this problem by getting customized silicone earbud tips or covers from the market.
You can also create makeshift ones using tape. However, you should avoid covering sensitive parts of the AirPod with tape to prevent damage. Tape covers are helpful because they make AirPods gentler on your ear and increase comfort levels.
From a public perspective, the AirPods Pro is a perfect pick for those looking for comfort. This is because they have three sizes of silicone tips that give you different options to choose from. This means that users with varying ear proportions have options — you can choose a silicone tip that doesn’t hurt your ears.
If none of the silicone tips works for you, there are a few other things you can try. For instance, you can swap the silicone covers. You could discover that they are much more comfortable with a medium-sized one.
Therefore, ensure that you try different sizes and experiment a little to find your best fit. Another way you can fix this problem is by using foam to make silicone tips fit snugly in your ears. This goes a long way in making them comfortable.
How Do I Make My AirPods Comfortable?
Wearing AirPods for far too long can make them uncomfortable. Besides, some AirPods can hurt your ears when they don’t fit properly. For that reason, many users wonder how you can make AirPods comfortable.
The most reliable way to make AirPods comfortable is using AirPods covers. If you are experiencing great discomfort wearing AirPods, consider looking into AirPods covers. Thankfully, these accessories come in different variations and are available for AirPods 1 and 2.
They work by slipping over the head of your AirPods, helping create both a more secure and comfortable fit. There are different options you can choose from, depending on the shape of your ears and personal preferences.
You can also make your AirPods comfortable by wearing them upside down or sideways. An easy and quick way to keep your AirPods comfortable and steady is by giving them a little twist. Instead of placing them in your ears with the stems facing downwards, you can try turning them sideways or have them face the opposite direction.
However, you should know that twisting the position of your AirPods points the microphone away from your mouth. This means you will have problems having Facetime, phone, or zoom conversations with AirPods in that position.
There is also the option of fixing the AirPods with waterproof tape. One enterprising user discovered the method of keeping AirPods comfortable in the ear using waterproof tape. According to this method, cutting out small pieces of waterproof tape and gently fixing them to your AirPods can add some grip to keep them steady and comfortable.
They also prevent AirPods from slipping out and falling off. While this fix is highly ingenious, you can still charge your AirPods correctly without interference. However, you should only use the right type of tape to avoid damaging your AirPods. You should also not tape sensitive areas of the device because it could block the microphone.
You can also fix the problem by trying different ear tips. As earlier indicated, AirPod Pro comes with three distinct sizes of silicone tips. Therefore, trying out each of these tips will help you find the perfect combo for your ears.
If you still don’t find them comfortable, you can order third-party ear tips that help AirPods fit comfortably. These ear tips help create a form-fitting seal in your ears that is more comfortable. This method also prevents them from falling out.
Wrap Up
Even though AirPods come with a great lot of benefits, they also have their share of setbacks. For instance, they can hurt your ears and cause discomfort. In most cases, the reason why AirPods hurt your ears is that their design doesn’t fit the shape of your ears.
In that case, you have to adjust the position to get another AirPod design that fits comfortably. You can also make AirPods comfortable by not sliding them too deep into your ears. When they are too deep into your ears, AirPods could hurt your ear canal and cause significant discomfort. Alternatively, you can use take covers to help AirPods fit more snuggly.
