the bold dev

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I know I am a part of a minority when I say that I don’t like AirPods. Or rather, AirPods don’t like me.

Every variation of Apple headphones has personally victimized me by falling off. It doesn’t matter what I’d doing: going for a walk, working out, even laying down. If I sneezed or moved an inch, the earbuds would go flying.

I gave up after the 2019 iteration., when I tried the new AirPods with the underlying hope they would not fall out like all its predecessors. But it was not meant to be.

Still, I loved the idea of Airpods. My needs are still very basic:

• I did not want them to fall from my ears so easily, but over the ear headphones aren’t my favorite.
• I wanted to listen to music or podcasts. But I don’t consider myself an audiophile.
• I wanted to conveniently carry around with me
• I wanted to go wireless. Cut all the chords!

So I’ve been trying different headphones in search of the perfect pair. Here are the 4 headphones I’ve tried. Spoiler alert: my favorite ones are at the end!

Powerbeats Pro

When AirPods first came out, I was working at one of the Apple stores. I was excited to try out new headphones that promised to get rid of the pesky and perpetually tangled wires. When that fell through, I started looking at alternatives but I still wanted to use my discount. Enter the Powerbeats Pro.

Price wise, they are definitely on the expensive side. I think I got them at around $200, maybe a little less. And that was after my discount.

But I loved them. They seemed to be everything I was looking for. They would stay on, even when running on the treadmill or during weight lifting. The audio was clear and the Bluetooth range let me leave my phone on the other side of the room. And the pairing process to my iPhone was a breeze.

After the honeymoon phase was over, I started noticing the flaws.

I noticed that carrying them around wasn’t always convenient. I couldn’t really put them in my pocket as the charging case was too bulky. It wasn’t a problem I noticed right away, as I typically had my backpack. When I didn’t want to use my backpack, I had to find a purse big enough to carry them or leave them at home.

If I wore them for too long, my ear would get sore from the hook. This only happened a handful of times, so it wasn’t exactly a deal breaker.

If I didn’t place them precisely into the charging case, they would not connect to charge. The first few times this happened, I blamed myself. After the third time, I became annoyed by how often it seemed to happen.

I would recommend these headphones, especially if you are looking for a pair specifically for the gym. That being said, I used the Powerbeats Pro. Amazon has them listed for $150. But I know there is an updated version: Powerbeats Pro 2. They came out a few years ago and look sleeker. I just can’t speak on if these improvements address some of my cons.

TOZO Mini Wireless Airbuds

I decided to try the TOZO mini wireless earbuds because of the price point. At the time, I got them from Amazon for $20. Now, they would run you about $10 to $15 depending on if you have a coupon. I figured I didn’t have much to lose.

They definitely did their job. They connected fairly easily to my devices, the audio was good for casually listening to music. I still had some occasional issues with them falling off, but not as often as the AirPods.

The one thing that stuck with me about these headphones is that the voice was really breathy. It almost sounded inappropriate. I laughed it off, but it’s hard to miss when I used them. Maybe that says more about me than the headphones, but hopefully they did improve that since then.

Would I recommend these? If price point is the most important factor, then these are your headphones. If you don’t mind spending $10 to $20 more, I would instead recommend the JLAB mini earbuds below.

CMF Buds

What drew me to the CMF buds was the case. I thought that the rotating circle was functional. What I didn’t know is that there are two variations: the CMF buds and the CMF buds pro. The dial on the regular pair is not functional. The dial on the pro version does give you ‘intuitive sound control.’

So that kind of sucked, but it’s on me for not noticing that detail. I also went for the basic model because I wasn’t ready to commit to the Pro’s $60 price tag. I didn’t know if these earbuds would actually stay in place. It felt safer to opt for the basic model that, depending on the color, runs as low as $30.

JLAB Mini Earbuds

Listen. Tik Tok has gotten me a couple of times. But the JLAB Mini earbuds are by far my favorite Tik Tok-influenced purchase and my favorite headphones to date. I take them everywhere I go because they’re so tiny. I can just plop them in my purse or my pocket and be set.

Once they’re in, they stay in place. They do have touch shortcuts though, where you can change the volume based on which ear bud you touch. All customizable in the app. The audio is great! It has different settings, including noise canceling and “be aware.” This is where you can still hear people around you over the music. A helpful feature to use if you are by yourself in public.

I haven’t tested them while using a treadmill or for a run though. The extent of my usage is when I walk to work or using public transport. Although, taking them on a trip was extremely convenient. I recently flew to Phoenix and they were a dream on the flight! The noise canceling came in clutch for the fussy baby. I was not afraid of them falling and rolling under the seat. Yes, that happened to me with Airpods once. Never again.

I thought I lost them at some point. I still had other headphones, so I was initially fine with waiting to see if they turn up. But by the third week, I missed them so much I impulse ordered a new pair. Turns out, they fell inside my car. Now I have two pairs and I’m not mad about it!

Wrapping Up

Even though Airpods and I are not compatible, I still want to be a part of the wireless earbuds club. Finding that perfect pair has been quite the journey, but I’ve finally landed on my favorite: the JLAB Mini Earbuds. They check all the boxes—small, convenient, great audio, and most importantly, they actually stay in my ears. The other pairs have their strengths and weaknesses, but the JLAB Minis have become my go-to for daily use, travel, and everything in between.

Of course, the best earbuds will always come down to personal preference. If you’re on the hunt for a pair that suits your needs, I hope this breakdown helped! If you’ve found a pair of earbuds that you absolutely love, let me know in the comments. Even though I love my minis, I’m always open to testing out new options!