Fact: Earbuds. Always. Get. Tangled. And it’s super frustrating. Whether you want to listen to music on your way to work or call a friend on Skype, you need your earbuds at the ready. Yet, when you take them out of your pocket, backpack or purse, you ALWAYS end up having to untangle the ball of wires. Yup, we’ve all been there. Lucky for you, we’ve found 20 solutions to all your tangling frustrations.
1. Funkyfonic Retractable Earbuds ($16): Reel it in neatly every time. With the Funkyfonic, you also ensure that you always have your earbuds with you by clipping this onto your keys or backpack.
2. Music to My Gears Earbuds ($6): Beep. Boop. Beep. That’s robot for “I’ll always stay organized.” Just pop out the eyes and they turn into earbuds. After you’re done, pop them back in and wrap the cord around his body. This little guy will be sure to keep his eyes on your earbuds :)
3. Bobino Cord Wraps ($3): This cord organizer comes in three different sizes, is super easy to use and is totally affordable.
4. The Owl Earbud Organizer ($12): This handmade beaut is a real hoot and perfect for any nature lover. It’s made from walnut wood and finished with tung oil.
5. Wrapster ($2): This is a convenient and affordable way to organize your earbuds. Powered by Quirky, Wrapster is super light, and you’ll never forget to use it because it’s hooked onto the cords of your earbuds.
6. earBuddy ($13): earBuddy won’t just keep your earbuds untangled and neatly put away, it’ll prevent your earbuds from turning into earduds. The carrying case is made with ballistic nylon that acts as an armor for your otherwise vulnerable buds.
7. Folio ($20): As a multifunctional way to keep your earbuds safe and tidy, Folio is an iPhone case that doubles as a light wallet. With Folio, you’ve got your three most important cards, earbuds and your phone. It’s the perfect way to travel light.
8. Spooled Cord Handler ($7): At first glance, this cord organizational tool might’ve “spooled” you, but that’s what makes it so great! The deceiving look of mimicking a spool of thread allows you to prop your earbuds on your desk at work without worrying that someone might snatch ’em (not that your coworkers do anything like that EVER).
9. Sinch ($39): Appropriately named, this little strip of silicone is a cinch to use. After its easy one-time installation, all you need to do is wrap your cord around your device while overlapping the Sinch. Then, flip over the bottom half of the Sinch to magnetically hold down your cords.
10. Cord Taco ($25): Every day is Taco Tuesday with the Cord Taco! For $30, you can get a quirky pack of five small cord tacos, made from premium leather.
11. Cordito ($45): From the same creators of the Cord Taco, Cordito keeps multiple earbuds or any other cords you might have into one burrito — er, we mean cordito.
12. Macaroon Earbud Holder ($4): The little French desserts easily go for $6 a pop, but this one is $2 cheaper, and it’s a cute way to keep your earbuds always ready to go.
13. Applecore Wrap ($4): This cord wrap gets to the “core” of the your frustration with tangled earbuds. We love the bright neon color, which makes it easy to spot in our purses and backpacks.
14. Spoolee ($9): We know we’ve mentioned this useful fella before, but we couldn’t resist talking about it again. Spoolee is a neoprene earbud organizer you slip onto your finger and wind the cord around. The cords are held in place by the securing strap. Check out their Kickstarter to find out how you can snag a Spoolee.
DIY
15. Binder Clips/Hair Clips: Got any old hair clips that you don’t use anymore? How about binder clips? They’re both super useful for keeping cords on lock so they’re not getting tangled with other various cords. (via I Heart Organizing)
16. Old Prescription Bottles: Sure, they look a little drab and remind you of that time when you had that horrendous cold, but with a little DIY sprucing, you can reuse these prescription bottles to hold your earbuds. You’ll never be “sick” and tired of your earbuds getting tangled again. (via One Good Thing by Jillee)
17. Travel-Sized Q-tips Container: If you don’t have any of these containers laying around the house, head to the drugstore, where they only cost $1. Feel free to go all DIY on it to add your own cute decals. (via I Heart Organizing)
18. Perler Bead Cord Organizers: Talk about throwback to grade school arts and crafts! Using perler beads is a fun way to make your own custom earbuds organizer. It’s durable and totally you-nique. (via Kin Community)
19. Clothespin Cable Tidy: Alright, bring out the washi tape! Clothespins are really plain, but we see that as an opportunity to decorate and personalize. This DIY will give your earbuds that shabby chic look in no time. (via BuzzFeed)
20. Altoids Tin Cord Keepers: Keep your earbuds in mint condition with this DIY. Altoids tins are great for any type of storage, because they’re compact and durable. They’re a little drab, but this DIY will help you turn one into something more personalized and fun. (Brit Tip: Use an Altoids Smalls tin for more portability.) (via Unusually Lovely)
Bonus: If you have the same tangling issues with your phone chargers, CableKeep ($13) keeps your cord neatly wound up at all times. They come in two adorable models: Goldie and Nibbles.
How are you going to keep your earbuds from tangling? Let us know in the comments. We’re all ears!