Earbuds aren’t exactly made to last, but some companies take pride in their build quality. These are a few of the most durable earbuds on the market. Let’s face it, earbuds kind of suck. Earbuds aren’t the most resilient things in the world, and if they aren’t breaking or fraying, they’re getting tangled.
Still, we deal with these issues because there really is nothing that matches the convenience of a good pair of buds. In many cases, if you get a solid pair that don’t sacrifice sound quality, they even sound better than their larger over ear brethren.
With that issue solved, we can focus on what this article is all about “Durability”.
If you live an active lifestyle, don’t take the greatest care of your products, or you’re just tired of replacing earbuds and want something that will stand the test of time.
These are the most durable earbuds in 2020.
- Westone 78400 Adventure Aeries Alpha
- Shure SE215-K
- RHA S500i
Westone 78400 Adventure Aeries Alpha
If we made a checklist for what the most durable earbuds would be, the Westone 78,400 adventure series alpha would check all of those boxes.
The brand isn’t necessarily the first one that comes to mind when you think of consumer audio, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know what they’re doing. Westone has been working with custom earpieces since 1959 and started manufacturing for musicians in the 1980s. They’ve taken everything they learned over that time and taken it into the world of the consumer.
The most durable earbuds live up to the name and have an IPX3 certification, meaning earbuds are weather resistance. So if you get caught in the rain, you won’t have to frantically stuff these into a dry spot in your pocket or backpack. Of course, the same cannot be said of your source device, but at least this is one less electronic you have to worry about should you find yourself in that situation.
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Westone 78400 adventure series alpha are rocking 6.5 mm micro drivers that help push air for your favorite tunes and the housings for them are made of a lightweight magnesium design with aluminum added in for extra strength. These most durable earbuds come with a sturdy carrying case made of a hard rubber that is also weather resistant.
The top screws on and is connected to the bottom of the case, so you won’t accidentally lose it while you’re out and about. Besides that, best durable earbuds 2020 also comes with a cleaning tool for maintenance and a number of different ear tips to help get a good fit.
You’ll get five silicone ear tips and five comfort foam ear tips, all of them color coded with its partners so say goodbye to trying to match them up by putting two next to each other and looking at the size.
Chances are one of these most durable earbuds will be the perfect fit for your ear. So it’s good that they come with different options to experiment with.
Get Westone 78400 Adventure Aeries Alpha from Amazon
Shure SE215-K
If you’re looking to optimize sound quality as well as durability, check out the Shure SE215-K.
Shure SE215-K most durable earbuds have a detachable wire, so like the Westones, you can easily replace them if necessary. The cable uses what’s called wire form fit, which is a fancy way of saying that they’re comfortable and it is also reinforced with a durable Kevlar. It’d be difficult to break these best durable earbuds even if you tried.
You wear them behind the ear and they can be molded into a more comfortable shape to better fit your ears. Shure is big on making earbuds that are fit for onstage performances, as well as casual listening.
For the best results, you need a good fit and an even better seal. That’s why Shure durable earbuds includes three different sized ear tips S M L that are sure to give you both comfort and solid noise isolation.
If that’s not enough, you can even take it a step further and order custom sleeves to help with the fit and isolation. Speaking of which, Shure claims that the noise isolation in the SE215-K is good enough, take away up to 37 decibels of outside noise.
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This could definitely be a useful feature if you’re performing on a stage with things going on all around you, but it’s also useful for someone who really wants to disappear into whatever they’re listening to.
Inside the most durable earbuds are single micro drivers that deliver a full range of audible frequencies from 22 Hertz to 17.5 kilohertz. Best durable earbuds also have an impedance of 20 ohms and ends in the standard 3.5 mm jack.
Though, these are fairly solidly built pair of in-ears, they only weigh about five ounces.
The housing on the buds is also built with water and sweat resistance. So even though these probably aren’t the best headphones for the gym, at least you know that a little moisture won’t be the end of them.
Get Shure SE215-K from Amazon
RHA S500i
One other pair of most durable earbuds, we can’t leave out are RHA S500i. If the heavyweight of the Audiohms above were a concern than the lightweight design of the RHA S500i ear buds is for you.
RHA is more known for their flagship T10 and T20 in-ears with swappable filters, and even though the S500i don’t have filters, they still benefit from the knowledge RHA has when it comes to build quality.
The most durable earbuds are housed in a durable aluminum alloy that you’re going to have a hard time breaking. Even though the cable isn’t reinforced like some of the other earbuds on this list, that doesn’t mean it’s frail.
The bottom of the cable is covered with a flexible, braided fabric that improves durability. So even though it may not be able to hold up some weights, S500i best durable earbuds will definitely live through some regular, every day wear and tear.
One other thing to keep in mind is that RHA S500i earbuds aren’t sweat proof. Durable doesn’t mean waterproof, so we wouldn’t recommend wearing them to the gym.
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RHA S500i earbuds are more for the person that needs a solid pair of everyday headphones without worrying if they’re going to snap in half. These most durable headphones also come with a number of different sizes and styles of ear tips, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding a comfortable fit to keep them from falling out of your ears.
As far as sound, these aren’t going to give you the same quality and accuracy as the higher end RHA models, but for under $50 that shouldn’t be expected.
Instead, you’ll get a fairly fun sounding pair of earbuds that are fine for casual listening throughout the day or during a commute.
Something to keep in mind is that these were made with IOS devices in mind. So if you have an Android phone, you’ll only be able to pause, play music and answer and phone calls. RHA offers a three year warranty on their products, and RHA S500i earbuds are no exception. So if RHA S500i earbuds break on you for whatever reason, you can always swap them out for a new pair.
Get RHA S500i from Amazon
These are some of the most durable earbuds you can buy today. Finding a durable pair of earbuds is easy, but finding the right balance between the sound quality and durability is a tou