While using headphones, some people might feel any type of discomfort and that may happen because the headphones are strong, non-adjustable, and also there are many other factors that may cause this.
What is the most important thing that you should do, if you want to listen to music but your ears are too sensitive? Choose the best headphones for sensitive ears!
In this article, you will be able to find the top picks that earned a place in the category of the best headphones for sensitive ears! There are listed many different headphones all titled what is their main feature or what are they the best for.
Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the best picks!
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best In-Ear  | 10 | Check Latest Price | |
Best On-Ear  | 9 | Check Latest Price | |
Best For Professionals  | 8.5 | Check Latest Price | |
Most Comfortable  | 8.8 | Check Latest Price | |
Best Overall  | 8.6 | Check Latest Price |
The Top 5 Best Headphones For Sensitive Ears
5. Apple Airpods Pro – best in-ear
Apple is one of the most famous brands all over the world! Famous is Apple’s Airpods Pro too plus even though in-ear headphones may bother you, these ones are a great fit for anybody. That’s why the Apple Airpods Pro headphones are listed in this article!
The Apple Airpods Pro are very good-looking headphones. They come in white color and they all in all have a very solid built. The silicone ear tips of these headphones come in three sizes S, M, and L.
That makes them great ones when it comes to the fitting part. Once you find the best fit for you the headphones stay perfectly and they don’t bother you while in your ears.
If your ears are sensitive, the silicone tip isn’t damaging in any way but in case you feel any discomfort, it may be because the ear tips are located deeper than normally.
Besides being a great fit for everybody, the Apple Airpods Pro bring also has very good sound quality. The sound, in general, is very clear, every voice or anything is very well balanced and the bass is very powerful.
On the headphones is included the active noise canceling technology. It helps to block out unwanted noises from the outside so that you can listen to your favorite music fully alone. They also include the Adaptive EQ that automatically tunes the music that you are listening to to the shape of your ear.
Seriously, the active noise cancellation technology of these earbuds is out of this world. I use the Airpods Pro everywhere, even in the gym where there are loud noises. The active noise cancellation technology allows me to disconnect from the noisy environments.
The connectivity of these headphones is fully wirelessly. They work via a Bluetooth connection that makes them compatible with many devices.
But they especially work perfectly with Apple ones. The battery life on the other hand can last about 4 or 5 hours on a single charge, but still, the headphones come with a wireless charging case that makes them live up to more than 24 hours.
To conclude, i’d say that if you have an iPhone, these are probably the best ones you can get. The active noise cancellation technology and sound quality alone is enough to justify their price.
4. Beats Solo3 – best on-ear
It is known that on-ear headphones may bother you a little bit if you have sensitive ears.
Still, that is not the case with the Beats Solo3 because these on-ear headphones are super comfortable and besides that, they are amazing headphones with lots of features built-in!
Design-wise, these headphones have a very cool look in general.
They come in a variety of colors which you can choose based on your personal preferences. Weighing 1.44 pounds they may sound heavy at first but you shouldn’t care about the weight in any way!
They are super comfortable, the headband is made of really soft grippy plastic that besides fitting on your head it is adjustable and usable for any type of head size. Coming to ear sensitivity, sensitivity is a word that these headphones never heard of! The earpads are fully covered on a fluffy material and are very soft.
Beats Solo3 headphones sound normally and are very good as on-ear headphones. The sound in general is clean and well balanced, but if you are a bass lover, then the bass on these headphones may be a little bit mixed.
On the headphones isn’t included the Noise Canceling technology, but still, considering the fact that they are on-ear headphones, there is a little bit of noise isolation. These headphones support spatial audio, which is a stereo separation of the instruments while you are in a movement.
The Beats Solo3 headphones work with an Apple W1 chip and amazing Bluetooth connectivity. They are easily connected and are compatible, with many types of devices that you may already own. As per the battery life, these headphones promise 40 hours of battery life, and t is more than great. They can last 40 hours on just a single charge!
3. Audio-Technica ATHM50XBT – best for professionals
Just as titled, you may know that Audio Technica is a brand that works with professional studio monitors and many other things. These headphones that I chose, come in two versions, wired and wireless, but since I’ve been able to test the wireless ones, let me tell you more.
The design is soft and strong at the same time!
The headband and the ear cups of these over ear headphones are covered in leather, still, the ear cups on the inside part are made of a very fluffy material that ensures that your ears won’t feel any damage or any bothering.
The headband is adjustable in different angles so that they are a great fit for any type of head size. On a first look, the headphones may look a little bit big and heavy but the Audio Tecnica ATHM50XBT professional headphones weigh only 10.9 ounces.
As per the sound quality, these over ear headphones are very clear in anything that you may want to listen to. Each and every tiny detail can be heard with these headphones and by that, they can also be considered headphones for audiophiles!
Owning a closed-back design, the headphones amazingly isolate the sound so that you can hear only the music that comes out of them, nothing else!
The connectivity of these headphones is something that Audio Tecnica is very proud of. The headphones can be connected wirelessly via a Bluetooth connection, and they have immersive compatibility with many different devices.
The connection is super sturdy and super accurate. The battery life is also an important thing and on these headphones it is immersive, they can last for about 40 hours and that, on just a single charge!
2. Bose QuietComfort 45 – most comfortable
Just by the name of these headphones, we get that they are known for their amazing comfortability! There are many Bose headphones that provide comfortability, but the Quiet Comfort series of headphones are on another level.
The Bose QuietComfort 45 are the newest noise canceling headphones of the QC series, and they also bring a great performance.
These Bose noise canceling headphones are very stylish and they look too good to be true! Thickness is a part of these headphones but that doesn’t mean that they can bother you!
The headband of the headphones is adjustable and includes a soft material on the piece that goes around your head, and the ear cups are big and made of plushy synthetic leather which is a very durable and long-lasting material. These headphones also include impact-resistant nylon so that they are able to withstand any shock or force.
Bose Quiet Comfort 45 active noise cancelling headphones bring a very clear and eep audio at the same time. They are also known for their amazing noise-canceling technology which in these headphones is really immersive. It is fully adjustable and you can choose between two modes, Quiet and Aware.
When using the quiet mode there will be no sound heard from the outside, and when using the aware ode, you can hear some other sound that may surround you.
Being wireless headphones they include a Bluetooth connection of version 5.1 with an amazing range of connectivity. Once these headphones are connected to the device that you own, Apple, Android, and Windows, you can freely move around 9 meters away and it still stays perfect.
As the battery life is concerned, the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones allow usage for about 24 hours on a single charge, and they have an amazing rapid charging time.
Fantastic sound quality, great active noise cancellation technology, a good battery life and many more features makes these the best wireless headphones you can buy.
1. Sony WH-1000XM4 – best overall
Everybody knows Sony and almost everybody heard about the Sony WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones of course! They are amazing wireless headphones that work perfectly for whatever thing you need them for! The WH-1000XM4 are the newest Sony wireless headphones which include the most advanced technologies that you can think of!
When it comes to their design, the headphones are simple and pretty at the same time. They come in three colors, black, blue, and silver, and I assure you that each of the colors looks very good. The headphones are also portable based on their lightweight of just 9 ounces.
Being lightweight makes them comfortable too! The headband of these Sony wireless headphones is adjustable and flexible, it can be tilted and swiveled however you want, and made of a soft fabric the headband is fully unnoticeable while on your head. The ear cups are very soft as well and they don’t irritate your ears in any way.
Besides being known as good-looking wireless headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are also known for their sound quality and the noise-canceling technology which is built-in. Any song or anything else that you may listen to with these wireless headphones comes in the best way possible.
They have immersive clarity and very well-balanced sound. The active noise canceling feature of these wireless headphones is called industry-leading and in fact, it is. It works perfectly when you want to block out the unwanted noises that may be around you.
To connect these wireless headphones to your devices you just need a device that works via Bluetooth! You can connect both Apple and Android devices, and a specialty that these headphones bring to you is that they allow connection on up to two devices at the same time.
The battery life is a great feature as well, Sony promises that these headphones can stay with you for about 30 hours, and when tested they even lasted more!
FAQ about headphone for sensitive ears:
Why are my ears sensitive when I use headphones?
The headphones, with their good and bad things, may cause to some people sensitivity while on-ear, over-ear, and in-ear as well. The main thing that may cause this is the pressure of the headphones. There are headphones that don’t include adjustability of the headband and the ear cups may be too tight while over your ears and they cause discomfort.
What types of headphones should I use?
We all know that there are three types of headphones, in-ear, on-ear, over-ear, but there’s no such rule that you should choose only one type. As long as the in-ear headphones come with different sizes of ear tips, and over or on-ear headphones come with soft ear cups and adjustable headbands you are more than free to use them.
Then, you have to decide between wireless and wired headphones. But, those are straightforward.
How to choose headphones for sensitive ears?
Comfort, Fit, and Weight
Comfort is always the first thing that you should be careful about when choosing the best headphones for sensitive ears. If you don’t feel comfortable with them, there is where sensitive ears appear.
The fit is also related to comfort, but it is more directed to the types of headphones that are used. If you have bigger ears, i recommend you get a pair of headphones for big ears so you can feel comfortable while wearing them.
When using over-ear and on-ear headphones, try to find those that include adjustable headbands, and when choosing in-ear headphones, those that come with different sizes of ear tips, go for them. With the weight, I mean that the headphones should definitely be lightweight, the more weight, the more pressure.
Earpads
Check everything about the earpads that you will be using. Starting from the material that they are made of, you should choose those headphones that include soft earpads so that when they are directly in touch with your ears they don’t create any irritation.
Music Types
Depending on what kind of music you listen to, different types of headphones perform differently. For example, if you listen to rock music, headphones will perform much better than earbuds. If you listen to classical music, earbuds will be more suitable. Don’t get me wrong, you can listen to any kind of music with any type of headphones, but each of them has its own pros and cons. If you have a favorite type of music, i recommend you read some of our posts:
- Headphones For Listening To Rock Music
- Headphones For Listening to EDM Music
- Headphones For Listening to Vinyls
Final Words
Coming at the end of this article, I think that you gained a lot of information about the types of headphones that are mentioned as the best options for sensitive ears.
I hope this article will help you find the best ones for you, before buying consider the things that are mentioned at the end, the FAQ, and the way of choosing the best products.
Audio Engineer
You’ll never find anyone more passionate about audio as me. I love to share my knowledge with others and help people find the right equipment for them.
