I switched back to earbuds after using headphones for three years — here’s what I have and haven’t missed | Tech Radar

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I switched back to earbuds after using headphones for three years — here’s what I have and haven’t missed

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Just over three years ago, I decided to switch to one of the best headphones and close the book on my time with earbuds — and it was one of the best things I’ve done.

Since then, I have been married to my Sony WH1000XM5 headphones; they’re a comfy and reliable way to get my audio fix for when I’m sitting at my desk, commuting, at the gym, or just lying in bed making a new Spotify playlist. But despite my love for them, I started to miss the convenience of the best earbuds, so out of my own curiosity, I made the switch.

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While headphones are great for the comfort factor, lugging them around requires effort and takes up a lot of space. Though models like the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones have folding ear pads to make them more travel-friendly, they can still take up a lot of room. But regardless, my Sony WH-1000XM5s don’t have this perk, making it even more difficult.

Using both wired and wireless earbuds removed this setback, and it was arguably my favorite part about switching back. I forgot how nice and easy it is to keep your charging case in your pocket — a simple pleasure I didn’t know I missed.

Although both wireless earbuds and headphones require charging, I found that earbuds didn’t need as much juice as headphones, and having a charging case on hand is a lot easier than carrying around a plug and lead to charge your headphones.

Also, leaving the house with my headphones on low battery is one of the worst things, especially if you have a long train journey ahead of you. Earbuds are simpler; if they’re dying on you, all you have to do is pop them in the charging case for a bit, and they’ll be good to use. Even if the case is starting to run low, you can still get one last kick out of it before you need to put the whole thing back on to charge. Plus, wired earbuds don't need any charging at all.

It’s more of an aesthetic feature rather than a technical feature, but wired earbuds are just cool to look at and make any outfit look better. That aside, wired earbuds take me back to the days when I first started using analog music devices. My first Apple product was the i Pod Nano 5, and using wired earbuds is desperately making me want to resurrect it.

This mainly applies to wireless earbuds. More often than not, I found myself having to keep pushing the earbuds back in, which in itself was another downside, but it also triggered a lot of unwanted pausing and audio setting alterations. I experienced this quite a bit with my old pair of Air Pods, too, which was one of the reasons I wanted to make the switch to headphones.

For the most part, both types of earbuds felt comfortable whether I was commuting, using them at the gym, or even sitting still. But this would wear off after longer periods of time, causing quite the discomfort in my ear canal. This was when I found myself reverting to the soft, pillowy support of headphones, which fit perfectly over my ears.

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This one is for wired earbuds, and while they’re a better option for reaping the benefits of things like Spotify Lossless, it means you must have your phone on you at all times when using them. With wireless earbuds and headphones, I like being able to walk around freely — and I kept having to remind myself that I couldn’t do this with wired earbuds.

I watch quite a bit of You Tube when I cook, and I’ve lost count of the number of times I nearly yanked my phone off the kitchen counter when waltzing between the stove, fridge, and sink.

➡️ Read our full guide to the best earbuds

1. Best overall: Technics EAH-AZ100
2. Best mid-range: Cambridge Audio A100
3. Best budget: Nothing Ear (a)
4. Best for noise-cancelling: Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds Ultra 2nd Gen

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Rowan is an Editorial Associate and Apprentice Writer for Tech Radar. A recent addition to the news team, he is involved in generating stories for topics that spread across Tech Radar's categories. His interests in audio tech and knowledge in entertainment culture help bring the latest updates in tech news to our readers.

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Key Takeaways

• I switched back to earbuds after using headphones for three years — here’s what I have and haven’t missed

• When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission

• Just over three years ago, I decided to switch to one of the best headphones and close the book on my time with earbuds — and it was one of the best things I’ve done

• Since then, I have been married to my Sony WH1000XM5 headphones; they’re a comfy and reliable way to get my audio fix for when I’m sitting at my desk, commuting, at the gym, or just lying in bed making a new Spotify playlist

• I’m ditching true wireless earbuds for Chinese IEMs in 2026 – here's why