While generally, earbuds are more compact than headphones and are much more affordable, does that make them the best option? There are many great earbud brands that are worth buying from.

However, headphones are normally much more expensive and take up more room. There are also great brands that have headphones for much cheaper prices and still have good music quality.

Comparing the two, one of the biggest differences is how safe they are for your ears. More than likely having earbuds is more dangerous than having headphones. This is because the earbuds sit inside your eyes rather than on top of them. Headphones are better at noise canceling the noises outside the headphones, making it so one can enjoy music at lower volumes without having to overpower outer noises.

A big factor in choosing headphones or earbuds is what they’re planned on being used on. Headphones are better for listening to music for extended periods of time, as they won’t injure the eardrums in your ears. Then again, if you’re working out or jogging, then earbuds would be a better option. Headphones would tend to make the area around your ears warmer, which would cause an uncomfortable sweat to form near your ears while exercising.

Another problem that could arise is the shape of the earbuds, everybody’s ear canals are different. It can be hard to find one that fits perfectly in your ear. Headphones aren’t formed to fit in ears and can be expected to provide better quality and isolation from outside noise.

This can result in a more comfortable fit, which means that people can wear headphones for a longer period of time. The shape of headphones doesn’t tend to make the ears uncomfortable unless placed incorrectly around the earlobe. Personally, I like headphones more.