How Long Should Headphones Last?

It’s tricky to give an exact answer when it comes to audio items. Today’s market offers too many models with different durability. The competition in this field is insane. Many brands catch the customers’ attention by decreasing their costs. To decrease the cost, they needed to compromise on the built or sound quality. This is where the mess has been started. You do you, but always choose reliable brands over cheap headphones.

Headphones just like other technology accessories require care. If you take care of things, they last. Your responsibility is going to determine how long your headphones will last. Along with that, the brand you choose plays a significant role as well.

The more you pay for headphones, the longer they are going to last. The audio quality and durability is better, and that’s why their lifespan is longer. The quality headphones usually last 5-10 years, whereas the cheap models last just a couple of months.

Without wasting time let’s jump on the topic and see how long will over the ear headphones last.

How to Notice that the Headphones You Purchase will Last Longer? 

The first thing to check is if they come with protecting case, if not, just know that the lifespan will last no longer than a few months.

Another thing to look for is ear pads, if they are not comfortable, you will keep moving them around until you find that comfortable position and usually the lifespan ends up shorter than usual.

Choose Bluetooth headphones/wireless headphones over wired ones. These types of headphones won’t cause you a cord problem which is usually a typical issue to shorten the lifespan of headphones. 

Why My Headphones Stopped Working out of Blue?

Have you ever wondered why headphones have stopped working out of nowhere? One day, you just wake up, and one side isn’t working anymore. So annoying, but what’s the reason behind it?

The main reason could be is listening to music excessively despite the constant notification you get from your phone. Over time, the issue arises and you end up with broken speakers. 

Another issue can arise if you own wired headphones. Positions the wires get through while using headphones cause permanent physical harm. Be careful how you wrap the wires after you take them off. 

How to Make Headphones Last Longer?

If You Pay Bananas, You Get Monkeys

The top reason why headphones go through breakage is low quality. You expect too much from a cheap piece of technology. Just by paying a couple of dollars for a product, you can’t expect good stuff to come out of it. Pay some extra cash and you will see the results yourself.

Keep an Eye out for Headphones

The more you look after the headphones, the longer they will last. Constant cleaning is the key to a long-lasting lifespan. As for the cleaning part, use wet wipes, sanitizers, or a soft cloth. If the sensitive skin is in question, use only water and a soft cloth.

Be gentle with headphones, don’t throw them across the room when you are done with them. When you want to port, place somewhere secure and always take the case with you. Smushing them in the backpack will do no good. Just saying, you know, if you want them to last longer.

Wire Problem

Come on now, who prefers to use wired headphones over wireless ones. The newly released products operate wirelessly. I get that some people don’t want to charge their headphones daily, but isn’t it better to charge them daily than to deal with cord issues that you going to end up replacing with a new pair of headphones anyway.

Wires suck, they not only take too much space and nerve to wrap them, but also make the lifespan of headphones shorter than usual. Even quality brands come across this issue. For a longer lifespan choose wireless cooperating headphones.

Battery Life of Wireless or Bluetooth Headphones

The struggle with the battery problem is real. With a few easy tips, you can make your headphones time a little longer, or say prevent them from breaking.

1. 1. Why would you keep charging all night, it’s not necessary. It won’t impact the battery strength, but the charging case may show internal problems over time. 
   2. Don’t take off from charging unless it’s not 80%. Above that percentage, is acceptable.
   3. If you’re not planning to use them for a day, it costs nothing to place them in their case.

Sleeping In Headphones

The half population of the world who use headphones prefer to sleep with them in the ears. The constant pressure that headphones get, shortens their lifespan, and one day they will stop working. Plus, damaging the headphones will be the least of your concerns.

Too Much Water, Moisture, and Sweat Exposure

The technology has thought about these issues and came up with resistant featured headphones.

Even though the brand says water-resistant IPX7 or more, don’t go on a walk when raining cats and dogs or shower. They won’t stop working immediately, but over time, the resistance fades away.

Moisture and sweat are other causes that make your headphone’s life shorter. To prevent that, please wipe immediately after work out until the earcups haven’t sucked the moisture inside. Speaking of that, the humid area will surely shorten the headphone’s life. Prefer not to wear in harsh weather conditions.

Try Other Types of Headphones

Why not try in-ear or earbuds instead of over ear headphones. You won’t have much problem carrying the huge case around. They usually are lighter and the charging case is a must-to-take. The lifespan will last longer when they are protected with a charging case.

They provide a good sound quality too (not as headphones though). Now, reliable brands produce better quality wireless earbuds/in-ear headphones than most brands.

Truly wireless earbuds/In-ear headphones are more stable and the possibility to withstand water or catch moisture is lower than over-ear headphones. You can also wear a cap or beanie in heavy rain or humid areas to expand the headphone’s lifespan.

Please just make sure you keep your wireless earphone clean, they can get clogged with ear wax.  

Final Words

To sum up the article, the life of the headphones can last a couple of months or 5-10 years. This huge gap depends on the brand or the price you pay and not taking proper care. To make the headphones last longer, do not sleep on them, choose Bluetooth or wireless headphones over wired and dont expose them too much with bad weather conditions. Alternatively use in-ear or earbuds. Remember always keep the charging case with you. 

Also yeah, avoid cheap headphones, yet again, expensive headphones don’t mean good durability, although it does in most cases.

We know that a high price means a good value product, still, sometimes a product looks good on paper but when it arrives it’s the complete opposite. Just seek good quality headphones.

In the end, worn headphones performed a good job of providing you with what you paid for, so if they break after a long use just let them go and replace them with a new pair of headphones.

Take care of your headphones and yourself. See you in the next article.

Further Reading

Another topic that might catch your interest can be the lifespan of studio monitors is worth reading for the sake of a simple explanation.

If a four-leaf clover isn’t on your side, take a quick look at if you lost your faith from broken headphones.

If you have wired headphones, Have you wondered how long wired headphones last? 

Did you know that headphones can reduce anxiety. and help with productivity? Find out many more facts in the article.