Headphones allow you to immerse yourself in your own musical universe. This is why it bothers us so much when people like us with glasses have to endure physical discomfort just to listen to music through headphones.
I am certain that everyone who wears bespectacled headphones will agree with me on this. Headphones and glasses are not permitted. You might think it’s impossible to use headphones while wearing glasses without feeling uneasy. You, on the other hand, do not have to put up with the discomfort. This is a fight you can win.
If your glasses make wearing headphones uncomfortable, read this article carefully to understand how to decrease the discomfort of wearing glasses with headphones to a bare minimum.
Types of Discomforts
First and foremost, we need to appreciate the many types of pain that one can experience when wearing glasses with headphones for an extended amount of time. These include, but are not limited to:
- Headaches caused by pressure on the temporal bone
- Pressure from wearing these items together for an extended period of time causes sore ear cartilage or auricular chondritis.
- Long-term Pain and Discomfort
Why Wearing Headphones with Glasses hurts
Why do people typically suffer pain when using both headphones and glasses for an extended amount of time?
The human ear, like fingerprints, is unique to each individual. This is also why there aren’t any one-size-fits-all headphones on the market that cater to everyone’s requirements.
Some of the elements that have been recognized as contributing to the discomforts reported include:
- The shape and style of the glasses you wear
- On-ear, in-ear, earbuds, and over-ear headphones are available.
- The Headphones’ Clamping Strength
- The thickness of the ear cushioning and the materials that were used
How to Wear Headphones with Glasses
Learning how to use headphones with glasses can help you maintain your skin in good shape while allowing you to listen to your favorite music or podcasts for as long as you like. If you follow these tips, you’ll absolutely know How to Wear Headphones with Glasses.
Try Wearing Glasses with Thinner Frames
Thinner-framed glasses would be more comfortable to wear with headphones than thicker-framed spectacles.
Thinner frames have a lower surface area that is pushed on the scalp than broader frames, resulting in less strain on the temporal bone and ear cartilage.
If you’re a heavy headphones user, the basic rule of thumb is that the thinner the glasses, the better.
For individuals who do not want to buy a new pair of glasses, this approach may not be the most practical. If you are intending to buy a pair in the near future, though, you should keep this in mind.
Earpad weights matters
Lighter headphones generally have a more bearable clamping force. This isn’t always the case, so make sure to read the reviews.
Heavier materials result in heavier headphones with a greater clamping force. This is the amount of force with which the headset grips your head for stability. Even eagle-eyed consumers may be put off by the strong clamping force, but given that all of this pressure is placed firmly on the ears – essentially sandwiching the ears between the cans and the frame of the glasses – this is an even greater issue for us.
Go with over-ears all the time
In terms of pressure distribution, over-ear headphones are more comfortable than on-ear headphones. Rather than exerting direct pressure on the ears, the ear cups surround them. While this design does not fully eliminate discomfort, it does avoid the pain-sandwich caused by on-ear headphones compressing the plastic arms between your ear lobes and your skull.
You’ll still need to take breaks with over-ear headphones like the Bose 700, but they’ll be less regular than with the Beats Solo 3. If portability is essential and you insist on wearing headphones rather than earbuds, you have a few options to consider: The Bose SoundLink On-Ear Wireless is a really comfy pair of headphones.
Pick softer earpad materials over anything
Earpads made of a softer substance, such as velour, suede, or fabric, are highly recommended. The former is usually found on more expensive headsets, although you can always change your headset’s default earpads with third-party ones.
Softer materials, like as memory foam, are better for this since they can better adapt to the curves of your ear. This is crucial not just for comfort but also for sound quality.
If you can’t achieve a good seal when you put your headphones on, the audio quality may deteriorate and perhaps get distorted. Stiff materials, such as leather, aren’t as excellent at conforming to your ear’s curves, thus when worn with spectacles, they not only put you under additional pressure.
As a result, soft materials are essential since they provide unsurpassed comfort as well as superior acoustics.
Velour is the most comfortable of the cushioning alternatives, but it does not isolate sound as well as the other options, therefore it is not considered noise canceling. These are the headphones to get if you wear glasses and are continually wondering how to use headphones with glasses without grunting in pain. It’s silky and dreamy velour—a there’s reason lounge suits are made of it—and you could live in it.
Place the headphones to a more convenient position
If you’ve tried a few different ways but haven’t been able to make them work, you might want to try moving the headphones about. Your headphones do not have a fixed position that you are unable to change.
Adjust them so that the earpiece cushions do not fall into your ears. This is easier to achieve with headphones with large earpieces. Consider adjusting the headphones’ location by slowly moving them upwards or forwards until you find the most comfortable position.
Lift Up the Temples of Your Glasses
Lift the temples of your glasses over the headphones if you’re not too worried about your look and it won’t hinder your vision. Your ears should come first, followed by over-the-ear headphones, and then your glasses.
It is essential to remember, however, that excessively changing the pantoscopic tilt of your glasses may result in visual abnormalities.
In-ears have certain disadvantages
So you’ve made the decision to avoid headaches by using earphones or true wireless earbuds. Unfortunately, there are difficulties with in-ears that do not exist with headphones. For one thing, the comfort of earphones is very subjective.
While I find the Sony WF-1000XM3 to be incredibly comfortable, a colleague at Android Authority does not. It’s not that one of us is correct and the other is wrong; rather, our ear shapes are different.
Some individuals like ear hook designs like the Beats Powerbeats, however the ear hook overlaps where the arms slope down and across the back of the ear, which might be a problem with some glasses.
Aside from fit quirks, in-ears require more frequent cleaning than headphone earpads. Ear tips are fantastic for collecting ear wax and may also gather muck down the ear tip’s tube. Any obstruction reduces audio quality and puts you at risk of having an ear infection, which can lead to temporary hearing loss or reduction as a symptom. Simply clean your ear tips on a regular basis to reduce the risk of infection.
Use headphones having thicker ear padding
Manufacturers of headphones employ various kinds of materials for the padding. The materials and the usability of the cushion padding normally discern convenience headphones for the bespectacled.
The ear cushions of the headphones are normally built from foam, leather, velour, or pleather. Cushions that are made from leather and pleather usually have tougher cushioning compared to the other two materials. But most of the time, the material that is used in the ear cushion as well as its thickness, is normally a concession between comfortability and the quality of sound.
If you notice that the padding is very thin or that it is made of a material that isn’t right for you, it’s possible that there isn’t enough cushioning to protect the temporal bone and ear cartilage from the clamping force.
Choose Headphones that Work with Glasses
If you’re serious about avoiding headphone pain while wearing glasses, you’ll need to locate the finest headphones for bespectacled users. They should be pleasant to use for long periods of time, which means everything from the clamping force to the earcup fit must be precise.
The headphones should sound as wonderful as they feel, with no compromise in sound quality. There should be no functions missing from contemporary headphones, such as a long battery life and on-headset controls.
Finally, the headphones should be simple to use and free of wires that might tangle in your glasses frames. For anyone who wears glasses, having high-quality wireless headphones with superb sound and a built-in microphone is a dream come true. Check out these Headphones for Sensitive Ears also.
Use contact lenses
If none of the other alternatives work, contact lenses might be used as a last resort. When you use headphones, it reduces the pressure from your glasses and eliminates the ache. However, because not everyone is comfortable using contact lenses, make sure it is auditable for you first.
While spectacles and headphones aren’t generally a good match, there is always a workaround. To make wearing headphones with glasses comfortable again, you may try other headphones or even replace your glasses. There will surely be one that works for you among the various options available.
Consider neckband headphone
If you have the extra cash, a neckband headphone is a good option. Aside from having easier access to settings, this type of headset is thought to cause the least pain. It’s especially convenient for working out and making frequent, unexpected business calls.
Secure another pair of specs
You can use a different set of specs if yours don’t have movable arms. Despite the fact that it is a pricey choice, it may be the best way to acquire the particular frame you have been eyeing.
Unorthodox Solutions
If the preceding ways failed to relieve your discomforts, you may attempt the following, rather unconventional approaches to learn How to Wear Headphones with Glasses:
Cutting a Gap Through The Ear Cushion
You may always cut a tunnel-shaped hole where the frame of your spectacles passes through the ear cushions. This should be the very worst-case situation, as there’s no way of knowing if the headphones will be damaged. It will also have a detrimental impact on the sound. However, if the headphones were previously useless due to discomfort, it would not be such a bad idea. This last one is entirely up to you.
Purchase a Virtual Reality (VR) Frames
Why not get rid of your glasses frames entirely? With a set of VR Frames, you won’t feel the extra strain from your frames when using headphones.
Shove a tissue in the middle of your head and the frames
This is a unique remedy to consider if the temples of your glasses go into your head every time you wear headphones. Take two pieces of tissue and fold them into the tiniest size possible. Make sure the folded tissues are very small. Every piece should be placed in the centre of your head and at the temples. These tissues will act as cushions, allowing you to listen to your music as much as you like.
FAQs
In case we haven’t answered any concerns or raised new ones with anything here, don’t worry–we’ve got an entire section dedicated just to answering those pesky little Q&A’s down there.
Why are closed-back headphones so uncomfortably tight?
Closed-back headphones are sealed to eliminate noise, however they become unpleasant after a time since they impede air movement. Open headphones, on the other hand, allow air to enter.
How do you get a plugged ear open?
If your eustachian tubes are clogged, try swallowing, yawning, or eating sugar-free gum to open them. And if this doesn’t work, take a big breath and softly blow out your nose while squeezing your nostrils tight and keeping your lips closed. If you hear a popping sound, you’ve succeeded.
Wrapping Up: How to Wear Headphones with Glasses
Finding the finest headphone type that fits spectacles might be difficult, as there aren’t many options for bespectacled headphones. Because of the flabby earcups, tightly fastening headbands, and very tight padding, some bespectacled do not use headphones because they cause pain, discomfort, and headaches every time they put them on.
Nevertheless, you may still select headphones that complement your spectacles and wear them comfortably. They have a great ability to balance practicality, sound quality, and comfort. Blood flow isn’t very good in the ears. Putting pressure on it will just make it worse. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for using headphones with glasses. However, you may always attempt the above suggestions on how to perform it to avoid the agony and discomfort that comes with it.
Freelance tech journalist & author of soundboxlab.com …Read More
