Wireless earbuds and headphones are your convenient best friends when it comes to travel. Stuck at the airport due to a flight delay? Put on your wireless earbuds and catch a movie.
The possibilities are endless – and we’re not just talking about aural entertainment on-the-go.
There is a dizzying array of options available for earbuds, headsets, and newfangled bone conduction headphones – all wireless and equally fuss-free – depending on your budget and the perks you value the most, whether that be audio quality, battery life, comfort or waterproofing.
Read on for the exact pros and cons of in- and over-ear earpieces, headsets and headphones, along with our list of the best and most value-for-money audio entertainment gadgets to sling in your pocket the next time you travel.
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In-ear earbuds – are they dangerous?
Earbuds are essentially bijou headphones that sit snugly in your ear, projecting sound directly into your ear canal.
One pro for earbuds is just how travel-friendly they are compared to over-ear headphones and bone conduction headphones, mainly due to their diminutive size.
Earbuds and their charging case can easily fit in most pockets, making it easy to store (but also misplace).
They offer great freedom of movement, as you don’t have to worry about snagging the headband on anything, and are also generally comfortable for prolonged use depending on the snugness of the fit (though that might come down to personal preferences).
And that sweet spot that most audiophiles look for in their big sound systems? Well, with quality earbuds, you’re always in the zone, regardless of where you are.
Cons include inferior sound quality and noise cancellation compared to over-ear headphones, which might need you to crank up the volume to drown out ambient noise.
Though in-ear earbuds project sound directly into the ear canal, this is not inherently more damaging than over-ear headphones or other audio playback devices.
Volume and duration are more important factors when it comes to preserving aural health.
Earbuds worth considering:
- Sony WF-C500 – huge battery life on a budget, with 10 hours in the buds per charge at $149
- Earfun Air Pro 3 – active noise cancellation (ANC), good overall battery life (9 hours in the buds, and 36 hours in the charging case) and decent sound in a US$79.99 (S$106) package
- Apple Airpods Pro 2 – the latest Airpods are a no-brainer for anyone in the Apple ecosystem, as it offers a host of nifty features like seamless audio transitioning between devices apart from good ANC and sound
Over-ear headphones – best sound quality
Over-ear headphones, as the name suggests, are worn on or around the head over your ears. They typically feature a headband connecting two separate padded speakers.
Naturally, over-ear headphones generally boast better sound quality (due to the size of the speakers) compared to earbuds, while also creating a more immersive sound experience by physically shutting out background noise.
As the headphones don’t go directly, well, into your ear, another pro of over-ear headphones is that they eliminate the risk of ear infections, which can come from earbuds that aren’t regularly cleaned.
That said, headphones can be uncomfortable for prolonged use due to the pressure the headband places on your head.
The padded area in contact with your skin can also become sweaty when you travel to tropical countries like Singapore, unless you’re in an adequately air-conditioned space.
Furthermore, the immersive sound experience provided by over-ear headphones can become a danger in certain situations, where you are left unaware of your surroundings. They can also be pricy.
Over-ear headphones worth considering:
- Focal Bathys – French-made travel headphones for the audiophile, offering unrivalled audio fidelity, noise cancellation and an elegant design to boot for those willing to spend $999 on headphones
- Sony WH-1000XM4 – a great all-rounder with high-quality sound quality, great noise cancellation and a hefty 30-hour battery life on a discount ($509), thanks to it being the last-gen older brother of the latest WH-1000XM5
- Sony WH-CH20 – for $139, this pair of ultra-budget headphones offers 50 hours of battery life and decent sound, though it doesn’t come with any active noise cancellation
Bone conduction headphones – how do they work?
Bone conduction headphones rest on your cheekbones (near your sideburns), instead of in or over your ear.
They transmit sound vibrations through your cheekbones instead of playing music through the air into your ear, allowing sound to completely bypass your eardrum.
Beethoven used this method to continue making music after losing his hearing, holding a conducting baton between his teeth to allow the vibrations to travel to his cochlea.
One pro of bone conduction headphones is that your ears remain unoccupied, meaning you remain aware of your surroundings when you travel. This is why most bone conduction headphones are designed for sport or outdoor use.
There is also no chance of getting either an ear infection or irritation in or around the ears, since bone conduction headphones rest unpadded on your cheekbones. Great for those who are hard of hearing.
Of course, there are cons for bone conduction headphones too.
Audiophiles are unlikely to be satisfied with the audio quality provided by these headphones, especially since passive noise isolation from something covering your ears, is absent too. They do take some getting used to.
Bone conduction headphones worth considering:
- Shokz OpenMove – armed with an IP55 rating (protecting against splashing water) and 6 hours of battery life, the brand’s entry-level headphones ($119 at Decathlon) are a great way to see if you enjoy the experience of using bone conduction headphones. Shoot for the Shokz OpenRun Pro for better bass and longer battery life, or OpenSwim for a waterproof set with inbuilt memory when doing laps in the pool
