When your earbuds aren’t busy getting tangled in your pockets and purse, they’re probably helping you drown out the noise on your commute to work or they’re letting you quietly watch your Netflix shows during your lunch break. Despite our frustrations with untangling the darn things, we feel like earbuds go underappreciated. Ever since Beats by Dre first came out (which BTW was six years ago), everyone was rocking the sleek over-the-ear headphones and tossing their Apple earbuds — and all earbuds for that matter — to the side. Well we’re about to bring back the craze over earbuds.
1. Urbanears x Marc Jacob ($45): Fashionable and functional — who needs to ask for more? They come in three different colors, but the buds with the trippy, acid-rain pattern definitely caught our attention.
2. Normal ($199): Think you can sneak a picture of your friend’s ear? Why? Because that picture will get you an awesome gift that will wow the biggest audiophiles. Normals are 3D printed earbuds that are made to fit perfectly in your ears. Just download the app, snap a quick pic of your ear and send it in. You’ll have your Normal earbuds knocking at your door within the next two days!
3. Inspire 400 for Women ($25): These earbuds from Yurbuds are specifically made for the kick-ass female beasts in the gym. When you’re sweating up a storm as you push for that last mile or when you’re running through choreo to that hair-whipping, bass-trembling beat, these athletic earbuds won’t pop out. They’ve got TwistLock technology so your music is bumpin’ throughout your entire workout.
4. Sennheiser PMX 695i ($60): If you’re a neckband kind of gal, these earbuds will be sure to stay strapped. These are great for exercising because they’re sweat-proof, so you can go all out in your workout without your earbuds holding you back. After your intense workout, you can even wash them under running water. All of Sennheiser’s earbuds have HiFi sound quality that immerses you into your playlist and this pair is no exception.
5. Cantaloupe Ear Buddies ($16): These cute earbuds are sure to have your girlfriends doing double takes. They’re simple, unique and adorable — a nice change from the Apple earbuds that are everywhere.
6. Heart Rate Monitor Earphones ($180): Alright, let’s get to the heart of fitness. These earbuds track your heart rate so you can monitor how well you’re strengthening your heart while you’re strengthening your quads.
7. Bluebuds X ($170): Looking for a pair of wireless earbuds that will last throughout your workout and even longer than that? These wireless fitness buddies last up to eight hours on just one charge. For iPhone users, your earbuds’ battery levels will show up right next your phone’s battery icon so you can easily gauge your usage for both of your daily must-haves.
8. Sports-Fi S6 ($60): With memory wires that form to your ear, these HiFi buds will never slip out.
9. Roam ($300): Are you a faithful Beats lover? Roam might change that. The way they combine fashion and status make them the Beats of earbuds. When they’re not stylishly plugged into your ears, they become a blingin’ tech-cessory piece.
10. QuietComfort ($300): If you prefer using headphones over earbuds because they do a better job with noise cancellation, get ready to you trade out your headphones for something lighter. These Bose noise cancellation earbuds do a great job of isolating the noise from your music. At the same time — if you want to be more aware of your surroundings — they have an Aware Mode where you can hear what’s going on around you while you’re jamming out.
11. Bombshell ($40): No, we’re not talking about a Victoria’s Secret bra, but these custom women’s Skullcandy earbuds fit just as perfectly as one. The best part is that the ear gels are made with Skullcandy’s Pureclean technology so that it prevents germ build-up.
12. Dime ($24): If you don’t care too much about that Pureclean tech and would much prefer better sound quality out of your earbuds, then Dime might be the one for you. It has a bumpin’ bass and crystal clear vocals.
13. Shure SE215 ($99): Say #ByeByeBye to uncomfortable wires that get in the way when you want to move freely with #NoStringsAttached (‘N Sync references, anyone?). These earbuds do wonders for canceling out noise and for comfort. If you are using the earbuds with their removeable wires in, the wires form to your ears. Otherwise you can roam around without the wires getting in the way.
14. Audio Technica SonicFuel ($40): Love how in-ear earbuds sound, but don’t like the feeling of them being, well… in-ear? These HiFi earbuds don’t enter the ear canal, but still deliver great quality with a sleek design.
15. Dash ($299): These are the world’s first smart headphones. Dash can store up to 4GB worth of songs so you don’t have to bring your phone along with you while you’re getting your cardio in. You’ll even be able to view your performance via the connected app (iOS and Android coming soon). Volume, noise cancellation and song skipping adjustments can be made all on the buds themselves so you can remain wire and phone free.
16. Panasonic RPTCM125K ($14): Want a pair of great quality earbuds without tearing a hole in your wallet? These are a great option.
17. Urbeats ($100): If you love your over-ear Beats headphones, then you’re going to love the Urbeats earbuds. They’re just as stylish and a whole lot easier to carry around during travels and commutes. Bonus: The flat wired cables keep your earbuds from tangling up.
18. Wrap Headphones Mint ($18): Keep your earbuds organized with this wrap. It comes in handy when you want to throw a pair into your purse. No more pulling out your earbuds as they pull out your keys, pens and brush along with them.
19. GreenBUDZ ($30): We love woodwork, especially on technology. These headphones are eco-friendly, made out of Rosewood and they even comes with their own cord retractor.
20. Happy Plugs ($25): First off, how cute is this packaging? We would seriously just buy a pair just for that. But then the question would be: Which color? There are nine colors to choose from, and we think we might just need them all.
21. Happy Plugs Animal Print ($30): Rawr. These buds add a nice cheetah print accent to any outfit.
So which pair is it going to be? Let us know in the comments below!
