Why I Still Run with Cheap Wired Headphones

How many pairs of AirPods has your sweat killed?

Published August 19, 2024

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Running came to me in college, in the form of a Baltimore running loop, a cheap pair of wired earbuds and an obsession with screamo music. It was the first time in my life that I wasn’t playing a sport and I wanted to stay active. Maybe staving off the Freshman 15 had something to do with it, too.

Anyway, I started running and over a decade later, I’m still at it. Not as frequently, admittedly, but I continue lacing up my running shoes twice or thrice a week. And, as always, music is essential.

In the beginning, I didn’t own sweat-resistant headphones, and wireless headphones weren’t a thing. I simply ran with the EarPods that came stock with my iPhone. The problems I encountered were predictable. After a few months, one earbud would die. Damn sweat. Or, mid-run, my arm would snag a wire, ripping the buds out of my ears and ruining my workout momentum. Stripped wires were an issue, too.

I rattled through copious cheap wired headphones. I stole the other EarPods that came with my parents’ and siblings’ iPhones. I ordered a few online. And, occasionally, I bought the sub-$25 non-Apple earbuds that you can find at any Best Buy or in every airport corner store.

Even today, and maybe it’s nostalgia, I just enjoy running with cheap wired earphones better.

Sweat kills

Obviously, wireless earbuds are a dime a dozen these days. And many of them are specifically designed for activities like running. They have ear wings and ear hooks that better grip your ears. And they’re IP-rated, so they’re tough enough to handle a bit of sweat and grime.

As a tech writer and avid runner, I have tested many of them while running, but none are perfect. They either don’t fit securely enough — and when running, you need your earbuds to fit just right — or they just start acting finicky. We’ve all experienced abruptly stop charging, right?

For me, I’ve always found that the stem shape of Apple’s AirPods or AirPods Pro fits best in my ears; when I’ve run with traditional-shaped earbuds, they’ve always felt precarious (or have actually fallen out of my ears). However, if you sweat as much as tend to do, I wouldn’t recommend running with any AirPods. You’ll kill ’em.

I’ve learned this the hard way. Over the past few years, I’ve killed two AirPods Pros and one AirPods 3 — Apple’s only two AirPod models with an IPX4 rating, meaning they’re splash-resistant. But that’s evidently not enough to fend off my sweat.

Believe me, there’s nothing more demoralizing than finding the seemingly perfect pair of wireless earbuds for running, only for them to suddenly not charge or start crapping out on you mid-run after a few good weeks.

Sure, if you run with cheap wired buds, they’ll eventually die too. But since they’re a fraction of the price, replacing them won’t set you back too far. Plus, it’s expected.

wired earbuds with different connectors — Most smartphones have ditched the traditional 3.5mm jack, so you need wired earbuds with a USB-C or Lightning connector

Get loud

The other big reason I often fall back to wired headphones is volume. I need my music loud — even it sacrifices the fidelity of what I’m listening to. Linkin Park, Rage Against the Machine and Rise Against just need to be all-out screaming to keep me moving.

And despite what their respective websites’ say — most wired earphones and wireless earbuds claim to reach near 100 decibels (unsafely loud, according to The New York Times) — no wireless earbuds seem to get as loud as wired ones. I’m convinced of this.

There are several factors that could inhibit Bluetooth volume, of course. Some phones limit it; you might see a message warning you against listening to high volumes when you try to crank it.

It could be a streaming service issue as well; if you listen to Spotify, you can adjust the max volume by going into settings and tweaking the equalizer (Settings > Playback > Equalizer > Loudness).

It could also be the fit or shape of the actual earbuds; the farther into your inner ear canal the driver is, the louder the headphones should sound.

(This is a common problem with wireless earbuds that have an open-ear design, like the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds; they allow you to better hear the world around you but don’t get as loud because the actual drivers are further away from your ears.)

Low cost, low risk

For me, there’s also the money argument. I can spend less than $30 on EarPods and go through maybe two or three pairs in a year — $90 total, max — or I could spend almost twice that much on the latest-and-greatest wireless offerings by Jabra, Jaybird, Bose or Apple.

Having a cheap pair of wired earbuds to run with also solves a lot of modern problems with wireless earbuds. You don’t need to need to worry about charging them or having pairing issues. You plug them in your phone’s headphone (or charging) jack and they’ll work … until it’s time to throw them out and break out a new cheap pair.

Obviously, with most smartphones ditching the headphone jack these days, stocking up on your favorite wired earbuds can be complicated. If you’re going to get a new iPhone (15 or later) in the near future, you need to get wired earphones with a USB-C connector instead of Lightning. If you use earbuds with a 3.5mm jack, you should invest in a cheap adapter (like this), too.

Of course, this isn’t to completely gripe about wearing wireless earbuds when running — many of them are excellent (albeit expensive) and freeing (no wire!). But for me, at least, having a cheap pair of wired earbuds ready makes sense — even if it’s just for backup.