Run Without Earbuds Falling Out
Written by Authors in RunningLast Updated July 5, 2021
All of us might have faced issues regarding earbuds falling out of our ears while running, walking, jogging, dancing, biking, or skateboarding.
To run without earbuds falling out we need to secure the earbuds or buy earbuds made for running. The reason earbuds fall out may be because of the design of our ears, as some do not comfortably accept earbuds. Or it could be the design of the earbud itself.
In this article, we will see different ways and DIY techniques of how to stop earbuds from falling out of your ears while running.
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Why Do Earbuds Fall Out?
There are multiple reasons why earbuds falling out of your ears. Sometimes it might happen because of your ears’ shape and sometimes because of the earbuds’ design. Let’s discuss in detail and find out the other possible reasons behind earbuds falling out.
Ear Shape
Ear shape varies from person to person in terms of size and shape. Some people’s ears cannot catch the earbuds properly and firmly; rather, they fall out of their ears.
If you are one of them, you might feel uncomfortable wearing them, or in some cases, you won’t be able to wear them at all. Later on, we’ll talk about what to do if you have small ears.
Earbud Design
Earbuds are manufactured by different brands and companies having their own designs and sizes. These designs and sizes differ from one style to another. They make a mistake by assuming that each type could come in one size and fit in all kinds of ears.
Some of them know that it’s not true, so they come up with additional sizes of rubber or silicone attachment tips. These tips are available in the boxes, and you can use whichever you feel most comfortable with.
Distance Between Ears To Jaw
The temporomandibular joint is settled on both sides of your skull. These joints are responsible for things like chewing, swallowing, and talking.
Your ears basically lie behind these joints, so when your jaw moves, it temporarily changes your ear canal’s shape. This phenomenon depends on your ears’ distance to your jaw, which results in pushing the earbuds out.
Lack Of Ear Cartilage Syndrome
Ear cartilage is supposed to surround the earbuds. Still, some people have ear cartilage deficiency, which may cause the earbuds to fall out of their ears.
Wax Inside Ear Canal
Some people have the habit of cleaning their ears with cotton swabs, which may cause pushing extra wax towards the eardrums. This excess wax causes the ear canal to become oily and creates a slippery condition so the earbuds fall out.
Later we’ll discuss how you can clean your ears the safe way and get your earbuds to stay in better.
Keep Apple Airpods from Falling Out
Twisting Your Airpod
This is an old tip but a good one. The majority of people put the Airpod in their ears with the stem pointing down. If you are following this pattern, you may have had your Airpods come loose and eventually slip out.
A simple trick to stop them from falling out is to place the Airpods stems forward; twist them up around 30 degrees.
In this way, the stem will be in a horizontal position, making it stick out away from your ears. This trick works for some people, but you should definitely give it a try to check out if it works for you or not.
Attach Waterproof Tape
Another cool DIY method for keeping your Airpod in your ears is to attach the waterproof tape to your Airpod. First, you need to cut out circular pieces of waterproof tape using a regular hole punch.
Stick a circular piece of tape near the top and bottom of the Airpods. It is essential to position the tape close to where they stick in your ear. Insert the Airpods in your ears and try your regular exercise or walk. You may see that they remain in your ears and don’t fall out.
5 Best Ways to Prevent Earbuds from Falling Out
Here are the 5 best ways to prevent earbuds from falling out of your ears while running.
Wear Earbuds The Right Way
Many people wear earbuds in a common way; inserting them directly into the ears. But wearing earbuds directly in the ears may not create a firm and tight fit, especially when they have the long cord connected to your phone or other media device.
The long cord can create downward pressure on the earbuds because the cord is pulling on them.
To resolve this issue, you need to loop the cord around your ears, and then insert the earbuds. In this way, your earbuds will stay steadily fixed in your ears because that cord allows the ears to carry the cable tension.
The next step to help the earbuds from coming loose is to use a twist tie or other device to clamp the wires together about 8 inches from the earbuds.
Avoid Cotton Swabs for Ear Cleaning
If you feel like your earbuds have recently started falling out and it wasn’t happening earlier, you may have a buildup of earwax. This is because you are probably cleaning your ears with cotton swabs, which pushes the extra wax into your ear canal. Thus, preventing your earbuds to fit in properly and making them fall out.
Removing ear wax with cotton swabs is not recommended at all as it can cause blockage of ear wax inside your ear canal.
If you need to dry out your ears you could use a dry ear syringe (AD) to blow out the air from the ear. If you are a swimmer or always get water stuck in your ears after a shower this device can help you safely remove water from your ears. It can also help prevent ear infections if water is commonly stuck in your ears.
If you need to clean the wax out of your ears a water-squirting syringe or bulb ear syringe (AD) can help. These are soft and can both push water slowly into the ear to loosen up wax, and can be used to suck water out. Although caution should be used with any applying water or suction, to ensure gentle cleaning.
Use Behind Neck Earbuds Style
Another way to stop earbuds from falling out is to use behind-the-neck earbuds. This is an optimal solution when you are intended to buy new earbuds for running.
There are several types and styles of earbuds specially designed for running and sports, so you can look for the kind that fits you best. The behind the neck style, are the ones that sit on the neck and have wires the go to the earbuds, in your ears.
I personally use these whenever I go running. I like these Soundpeats headphones (AD) because they have earbuds with rubber prongs that help keep the earbuds in place, they have good connectivity and long battery life. The only thing that I don’t like it when I jog laps at the gym, they sometimes slide a bit as I turn the corner and sometimes want to come off my neck.
The dedicated base ring you put around your neck can sometimes have long battery life. This gives walkers and runners the advantage of listening to music for long periods and talking on the cell phone for an extended time.
Since these units don’t apply any pressure on the cords, earbuds tend to stay in well. I usually jog for 30 minutes and don’t even notice they are in my ears.
Use Earbuds With Hooks
If you want to buy a new pair of earbuds that do not fall out from your ears while running then go for the ones that are specially designed for that purpose.( i.e. sports earbuds type)
These earbuds have built-in hooks that can easily and comfortably fit on your ears. These hooks wrap around your ears and are often used by those who exercise and do other sports.
Just make sure not to separate the wires too much, otherwise, the earbuds could start to loosen as you jog with the repeated foot strikes on the ground.
Use Special Earbuds For Small Ears
AD
Even after doing everything possible, you still may not be able to keep your earbuds from falling out. You may have smaller ear canals and need small earbuds. Therefore, you need to buy a pair of earbuds that are designed specifically for smaller ears.

