What are durable earbuds?
Durable earphones (or earbuds) are in-ear headphones built to last. They are made to take a beating and still keep playing music the same way they did on the day you bought them.
Durable headphones and IEMs are perfect for travelers, athletes, construction workers, and commuters. They might not focus on the best sound quality, but not having to worry about babying your audio gear is one less thing to worry about.
All sorts of people might need a tougher set of headphones, and whether you are in extreme environments, working construction, hiking & climbing, or maybe you train like a beast, these earphones will stand the test of time and give more mileage to your dollar.
Many people use the tough durable earphones we list below for the gym or other extreme sports because they know they will be less prone to failure.
What Are the most crucial features when choosing durable earphones?
There are plenty of areas where you know something will be a rugged set of earphones, and it’s a mix of these individual factors that give you confidence in the overall products’ ability to stand the test of time.
We reckon we have gotten pretty good at knowing from the get-go if an earphone or headphone will stand up to our use. Some things stand us, and here are some things we look out for when we put them through the wringer.
Materials:
We are looking for earphones to be made out of tough hard-wearing materials. Cheap and flimsy plastics won’t do here. We want to see the earphones beaning made out of metal, high-grade reinforced plastic, or ceramic. In some cases, woven fiber resins can also make a good earpiece.
It goes further, however, as just as crucial as earphone materials is how they are constructed.
Are they using a plastic lip-locking mechanism, or are they using screws to attach various pieces? Are there defects or imperfections that cause us concern? How have similar earphones performed in the past?
We even do drop tests from 1.5m and keep them in a meat freezer to check if the earphone’s housings become brittle. For heat tests with a heat gun see how well the glue holds the casing.
Strain Reliefs:
We need robust strain reliefs at three main points – the jack, the housing connectors, and the Y-splitter. These earbuds will get tugged on and possibly catch on to things over time, and we made the connections to remain as strong as possible.
Strain reliefs do precisely what the name suggests. It removes unwanted pressure from the cable and the connections to ensure the enhanced longevity of your earbuds.
Waterproofing:
A rugged and durable earbud doesn’t need to be waterproof (even though it helps), but it should have excellent sweat and moisture resistance. Nothing kills as a set of earphones faster than water, and when running and cycling, this couldn’t be more true.
The salt in sweat is far more damaging to headphones than you think, even with some IP rating. So I suggest rinsing your earphones after use or, at the very least, wiping them down if they are not a waterproof model.
Cables:
Earphone cables are essential and, more often than not, will go first when a headphone dies. We want to see nice thick, and high-quality cables or detachable and user-replaceable cables.
If your cable dies, knowing you can purchase an aftermarket cable and continue using it is a bonus. More often than not, this is far cheaper than buying a new set of earbuds.
Warranty:
No questions-asked warranties are best, but we also look out and give points to earphone companies that offer more than the standard 1-year warranty. Not only is this good if something goes wrong, but it is also a sign that a company has faith that its earbuds are built to last.
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