Lily Katz / Android Authority
Today, earphones seem to be more about tools and software than the essentials. New features put you in the center of your favorite movies, and adjust audio settings based on your location. It’s definitely impressive. But software magic means nothing if I can’t fit the earbuds or stay in place. After more than a decade of reviewing earphones, it’s clear that winged earphones offer more stability and a better fit than non-winged ones.
Wingtips provide a more secure fit than other earphone designs
Lily Katz / Android Authority
One of the most common complaints I hear about earphones is that they don’t fit very well. Either they fall off too easily or they are too wobbly to put on properly. Adding wingtips to the earphones fixes the poor fit issue. The wings create friction against your ear and snap into your sternum to stay in place.
I recently reviewed the wingless Pixel Buds Pro and winged Pixel Buds A-Series and noticed a huge difference in stability. It’s true that the Pixel Buds Pro didn’t pop out of my ears, but I never really trusted their stability. This was not the case for the Pixel Buds A-Series. With cheaper winged earbuds, I felt like I could lose my head riding Disney’s Mission: SPACE, and the buds would stay put.
Winged earbuds are sturdier than non-winged earbuds, but that can come at the cost of comfort.
With a more secure fit, I’m less likely to adjust the earphones while wearing them. This is especially important for earbuds while working out. The last thing I want to do when strengthening noodle arms is readjust the fit after each set. Fewer interactions with the buds means fewer command errors, which is an issue with certain earbuds’ touchpads. (Cough, Samsung Galaxy Buds.)
However, a stable fit does not always generate a comfortable fit. Some earphones feature interchangeable silicone ear wings, such as the Sony LinkBuds, Bose Sport Earbuds, and Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus. This soft material adds some stability without the aches and pains. Other companies use non-removable wingtips, which differ in flexibility. Tougher, more winged options like the Beats Fit Pro are closed like buds. However, the stiffness of the wings made it difficult for me to wear the buds for longer than 90 minutes. Of course, my ears aren’t yours, so you might find the Fit Pro doesn’t bother you at all. Then again, you probably won’t even be able to wear them for an hour without experiencing some pain. Again, I commend the wing tips for their stability, not necessarily for their comfort.
Lily Katz / Android Authority
But what about earbuds? The derivative earbuds are cool in their own way! There’s more to grab onto, which makes stem buds more accessible to people with dexterity issues. However, the shins tend to catch things and toss outside the ears. I’ve repeatedly tossed the Nothing Ear 1 onto the curb when removing a bike helmet because the stem caught the chin strap. Similarly, my colleague Rita Khoury shared that she often holds her Nothing Ear 2 or Pixel Buds Pro in place when removing her hoodie, wearing a mask, or interacting with anything near her head. Otherwise, they fly straight out of her ears, too.
A better fit means better sound quality and noise cancellation
Getting a good fit starts with properly sized ear tips, but it doesn’t end there. Earbuds should maintain a proper seal while walking, eating or drinking. If the headphones can’t keep your ears isolated from your surroundings, the sound quality will drop — as will Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) where appropriate.
I have wobbly ears and move them thoughtlessly while thinking. The earbuds with wings can resist the vibration force of the ear. However, with wingless earbuds, this motion can open up the buds and let in background noise. Attenuating the fit makes my music sound less clear and quieter, even though I haven’t adjusted the volume. This happens to everyone because our brains focus on the louder sounds in our environment rather than our music. It’s a survival mechanism and a good one at that. It just isn’t adapted to modern times.
The above graph visually illustrates the effect of poor fit with AirPods (3rd generation). These bare earbuds don’t have ear tips, but they make the point clear. Celestial tracking represents AirPods 3 with a poor fit in the Head and Torso Simulator (HATS). Under these conditions, test results yielded a relatively quiet (lower decibel) bass output. When we retested the AirPods 3’s frequency response with HATS-fit buds, the bass and midrange response improved. In general, the frequency response was like SoundGuys The goal curve is a little more flat. (For those who don’t shave, SoundGuys It’s our sister site that focuses on audio.)
In order for your music to sound its best, you need earbuds that fit well and stay in place.
Like perfect sound quality, you need good compatibility for perfect noise cancellation. Isolating earbuds cancel noise for extra technical work. (This is why the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live’s noise cancellation is ineffective.) With a good fit and ANC-capable, it’s more difficult to hear a lawn mower or plane engine than with earbuds with poor fit and ANC-capability. Earbuds with good noise cancellation don’t always come at an affordable price, so make sure what you buy is just right. Otherwise, you may throw away the money.
You’ve got the best of both worlds
Lily Katz / Android Authority
Winged earphones come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes you get built-in options like the beloved Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus. Other times, you get comically large options like the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. In general, though, winged buds are not much larger than their wingless counterparts. Winged-tip earbuds are sometimes more compact than pop-up buds!
Another plus: wing-tip earbuds give you a similar degree of security as earbuds with ear hooks. Over-ear headphones like the Beats Powerbeats Pro and JLab Epic Air Sport ANC come in bulky carrying cases that are rarely in a pocket. I’ve also found that the buds with ear hooks create painful hot spots where the spiral meets my cheekbone. I’ve tried this with almost all of my over-ear buds, and it far outweighs any external in-ear discomfort from wing-tip earbuds.
For my next pair of earbuds, I’m going with a company that gives me wings.
At the end of the day, I don’t swear by other types of earphones and will use the Nothing Ear 1 until the batteries are completely dead. But when the time comes for me to buy another pair of wireless earbuds, I’m going with a company that gives me wings.
If you’re looking for a pair of winged earphones, keep reading.
What are some good earbuds with wingtips?
Lily Katz / Android Authority
The Google Pixel Buds A-Series ($93.02 at Amazon) are great winged earbuds, especially for Android phones. You get “Hey, Google” and excellent touch controls. The build quality is comparable to that of the Pixel Buds Pro, but the Series A costs significantly less. Otherwise, if you’re an Apple fan, the Beats Fit Pro ($159.95 at Walmart) is a great buy. Noise cancellation is good. And you get reliable button controls suitable for glove- and workout-wearers. These work best with iPhones, but you can use them on Android and explore the software’s features through the Beats app.
For earphones with removable tips, I recommend the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 ($199.95 at Amazon). These headphones look great and are packed with customization options in the mobile app. The Bose Sport Earbuds are some of the most comfortable earphones I’ve tested. It’s a little bulky, but the company has definitely mastered the art of a comfortable, stable fit. You can buy the Sports Earbuds for $129 from Amazon.
My final and most favorite recommendation is the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus ($144.99 at Amazon). Samsung has discontinued these, but they were my favorite earbuds for their compact size and long battery life. Like the Sennheiser earphones, they come with removable silicone wingtips. If you can find it used, it’s a great value and sounds very good.
questions and answers
Well-fitting earbuds should close in your ear canals and stay in place when you move your head. Some earbuds come with mobile apps that have ear tip fit tests. If your buds don’t include this, you can find the best fit with the guess and check method.
Derivative earphones are a great choice for listeners because they place the microphones closer to your mouth, which improves call quality, and they’re easier to handle than standard earphones. Honestly, the fact that all AirPods use stems has a lot to do with the popularity of the design, too.