Non ear buds

[drspouse]

Ear buds hurt my ears but I like to listen to podcasts around the house and while walking round the shops/on the bus.
I don't really want big headphones. I would prefer noise cancelling if possible. Any thoughts?

If you want noise cancelling then you are going ti have ti have ear buds or over ears. Not really any other option

To goddammit. Not ti. I'm not a hillbilly

Oh dear. I may have to look at headphones again - or maybe I'm being unrealistic in thinking I can wear my earbuds for more than about an hour at a time. Going by everyone wandering around, they seem to be permanently in people's ears a lot of the time! Perhaps I'm just unlucky.

Try looking at different brands? Apple ones hurt my ears but I have Sony in-ear ones that I wear daily for long periods (work zoom calls and podcasts while dog walking). The rubber fitting came in multiple sizes so I could pick the one that fits me. I've seen an advert for Bose ones that possibly somehow clip on your ear, might be worth a look?

I've always had ear problems, and I have fit my current ones (Jabra) using the fit guide (it checks for sound leakage, though, so maybe they are too tight??)
I'll have a look for the Bose ones.

These are the Bose ones: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/feb/16/bose-ultra-open-earbuds-review-unique-open-fit-and-great-sound

It may be that you don't have the right ear shape to wear ear buds. Most people have a large enough tragus and an anti tragus pointing in towards the ear bowl to create a channel for the ear bud to sit in.

If you have a small tragus and an anti tragus that points forward out of the ear bowl there is nothing to hold the ear buds in so you end up jamming them in to hold them.

This might be your problem.

I think I have a fairly big tragus but I have a history of eczema around my eyes and in my ears (when I used to sleep with earplugs in) so either I have tiny ear canals or just very sensitive skin.

Bone conduction headphones like Shokz?

But they aren't noise cancelling

I use Shokz open fit. I have small ear canals so ear buds always fall out and it's painful if I push them in. I don't think they're noise cancelling but it's the only way I can use earphones.

I've seen an advert for Bose ones that possibly somehow clip on your ear, might be worth a look?

I've looked at the link above and it seems to be the opposite of noise cancelling, as it talks of letting the outside in

I'm willing to give bone conduction a go!

Yeah I think OP will have to give up on the noise cancelling part if in ear or big cans are out!

I might end up with small non-noise-cancelling for everyday and big headphones for travel (planes etc. are awful for noise).
Does anyone else have any bone conduction recommendations?

I think I just have some cheap bone conduction ones from Amazon, not Shokz but an obvious copy! They are ok, I use them for paddle boarding. I just counted and I own 5 sets of headphones!