Some of the best personal listening equipment available on the market is in headset or headphone form. The only problem is that headphones can be extremely uncomfortable when worn for long periods of time. If you are wondering how to make headphones more comfortable, my advice is to pay attention to what’s making them uncomfortable, and work backwards to address those issues and improve the comfort of your headset.
In this article, I’ll go over how to make your headphones more comfortable. We’ll also cover on some of the most common causes of headphone discomfort, like excessively tight clamping or a band that digs into your head.
Get Extra Band Padding
If your headphones don’t have sufficient padding, that can make the bands uncomfortable by digging into your head or letting the weight rest too much on your ears. You can add extra padding to more your headphones more comfortable. Simply wrapping a towel around your band can ease things quickly, but buying specially designed padding will be better.
You can buy memory foam padding to add to your headphones. Companies like Geekria make padding that looks a bit like a sock covering the band of your headphones. It’s inexpensive but isn’t all that visually appealing. That company also makes a pleather snap-on cushion for a bit more cost. While it is more expensive, it’s still reasonably priced at about $18. Both of these cushioning options can be removed and put back on whenever you want.
Keep Your Ears Cooler
Headphones with earpads made of fake leather may be comfortable but the material doesn’t breathe. They make your ears hot and sweaty, which gets uncomfortable after extended use. Breathable ear pads made of fake velour or velour ear pads will keep your ears cooler. You can find velour pads by third-party makers that you can put on your earpieces.
While it’s not always possible to find pads specifically made for your headphones, there are ones made in different sizes that you may be able to fit to your headphones. Look for information on which other models of headphones are similar in size to your own headphones. Then look for velour pads on Google that are made for those.
When you use velour pads, though, you may have to be prepared for less insulated sound. After all, more breathable pads not only let in more air, they also let more sound out. Be ready for a less resonant bass. The key is to balance all your preferences and needs.
Wear Headphones More Comfortably with Eyeglasses
One of the most common problems that people have with headphones is that they push the frames of your eyeglasses into their temples. Almost any kind of headset will do this, regardless of whether they have soft pads and a lighter clamping force.
If the problem is bad enough, you can resolve it by cutting the pads so they’ll fit around the glasses. Doing so may make your headphone pads fray, but if the issue is bad enough, it may be worth it. Use a hobby knife to cut your ear pads to better fit the shape of your frames. Try this first on inexpensive replacement pads to make sure you get the shape right and make sure it works for you. After all, you don’t want to ruin a several hundred dollar pair of headphones.
Deal with Drivers that Press Against Your Ears
You have rather shallow cups, the driver might press against your ears so much that it’s uncomfortable. The driver is the main disc that converts sound and sits next to your ear. If you’re having this problem, you can for extra comfort deepen the ear cups. When you do this, though, there will likely be a minor alteration to the sound.
If you want to do this, stuff some padding or foam beneath the ear pad, making sure to go the whole way around. This boosts the pad thickness, making additional space inside the earcups. You can try to use cotton balls for this. Some people try something such as a backer rod, which can be found at hardware stores.
Stretch Out Your Headphones
If you find your headphones are too tight around your head, you can try stretching them out. To do this, stack up some books so they’re positioned side by side. They should go to the width of your head or a little bit wider. Once you have done this, put your headphones over this. The books will act as a stretcher. Make sure to keep trying the headphones as you stretch them. You don’t want to stretch them so much that they are too loose on your head, as that can cause other kinds of discomfort and inconvenience.
If you have headphones with a metal band, you can try bending them manually. There are videos available online that can show you how to do this. It’s very important, though, that you are careful with this and don’t do too much bending. You need to be able to bring the band back to its regular shape.
Try to Find the Right Fit for You
If you haven’t yet bought your headphones and want to make sure that you select the best possible fit, do some research before you go shopping. Even though it’s often not specifically stated, headphones actually come in many different sizes. Research and find out which ones might be most comfortable for your head size and preferences.
It’s usually best to look for headphones that have cups centered over the ears without needing to completely extend the band. Also, find out about what kind of cushioning the earpieces provide. You should find out what kind of material is used If you can, try to get a headset that has memory foam for comfort and breathability.
Find information on the headset’s clamping force, too. If there is too much clamping force, you will probably be uncomfortable. But if there is too little, you will have to deal with headphones that constantly fall off your head. Finding the perfect headphones is all a question of achieving the best possible balance.
As we’ve seen here, there are several things you can try if you find your headset headphones less than perfectly comfortable. If you haven’t yet bought your headphones, you now have an idea of the features you should look for when shopping.
