The joy of going hands-free can soon be tarnished by the anguish of losing an earbud. Keep the conference calls and podcasts going with a set of hooked earbuds that wrap around to stay in place.
Whether you’re working out, traveling or just walking the dog, hooked headphones move with you. As they reach around the ear, they don’t feel as “jammed in” as other in-ear options and the handy hook means you don’t have to worry about one falling out when you bend over or move your head.
We got options that are wired and not, budget and splurge-y and even waterproof for swimming laps or taking a shower. We hope to hook you up wit your new favorite pair of hooked headphones.
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A colorful set with an LED display case
Spice up your tech life with this pair of over-ear headphones that come in seven great colors. They have up to 40 hours of listening time between charges and controls on the earbuds for easy listening.
Promising review: "Awesome. Stays in ears without falling out or stress of losing them. Great sound. Connects so easily . Long lasting battery. Friend saw mine tried them out and ordered some too!!! Highly recommend. Pretty true colors too!! Seriously love these much more than my AirPods regret wasting money on those. These are the way to go!!!" — Jean
Anker bendable headphones
A little more spendy, but for good reason: These Anker earbuds have rotatable ear hooks that can twist 210 degrees. Bend them to fit your ears perfectly and control them with the Soundcore app.
Promising review: "I was tired of trying to use earbuds during my workouts. I decided to try the Sport X10. Very pleased, no more falling out when bend over to do rows or bench. Long battery life. No down side easy to recommend." — ROBERT GENTLEMAN
Or a set of side clip ear phones
Rather than going behind the back of the ear, these "open clip" headphones go over the side, so they won't dig into your head or feel too stuffed in your ears. This pair is from one of our favorite budget headphone brands, and you get 10 hours of listening time on a single charge.
Promising review: "These are perfect for my weird ears! I can not wear any traditional ear buds. They fall out. And any of them that fit inside irritate me. I have bad ADHD and am hypersensitive. These have great sound and great voice when I get a call. And I sear them ALL DAY LONG and forget about them and actually laugh when a call comes in and freaks me out! It’s a pleasant surprise for me!!! Thank you!!!" — Mbbanks
AirPods ear hooks
Or, if you love your existing buds, these genius clips are compatible with AirPods 1, 2, 3, pro and pro 2 to turn them into hooked headphones. They've been a consistently top-selling item here at HuffPost and come in eight colors.
Promising review: "AirPods that actually stay in my ears! I’ve tried every tip, wing, and foam insert on the market for my AirPods Pro, but nothing worked until I found these WC HookZ. If you have "non-AirPod shaped ears" like I do, these are a total game-changer. They wrap securely over the ear without feeling bulky. I can finally go for a long run or hit a heavy bag session without constantly poking my ears to keep the pods from falling out. The material is surprisingly soft. I wore them for a three-hour flight last week and actually forgot I had the hooks on." — Lawrence W. Allhands
A pair of Bluetooth wireless connected earbuds
Keep your buds connected with this set of hooked Bluetooth headphones. They offer up to 16 hours of playtime between charges with high-quality treble and bass. This pair comes with four pairs of ear caps, to find your perfect in-ear fit and to reduce outside noise. Best, they're made to be sweat and splash-resistant, to be worn in workouts or the rain.
Promising review: "They have great sound and they stay in my ears and I love the cord as you can hang it on your neck and not have a couple little pieces to get lost" — Mikswah
Beats Powerbeats 2 ear buds
Noise cancelling and Apple's H2 headphone chip make these Beats Powerbeats a top-of-the-line option. They can gain 90 minutes of play time with just five minutes in the charging case and are water and sweat-resistant to go with you to the gym or commuting in the rain. These come in four colors.
Promising review: "ANC is on par with AirPod Pro 3’s. The volume level is higher than the AirPod Pro 3’s which is absolutely fantastic. The fitment on ear is superior to AirPod 3’s. The high, lows, and bass are pretty good; superior to AirPod Pro 3’s. Absolute perfect buy on my end, don’t wait to purchase them! Especially if they’re on sale. :)" — Edgar
A set of over-ear wired headphones
Truly ensure your buds don't run away with this set of wired hooked headphones. They come in lightning, AUX or USB-C inputs, to fit your personal devices and have a button on the headphone for easy controlling and the built-in microphone lets you take calls on the go.
Promising review: "Works great and no worries of dropping them and losing my headphones again." — G. and D. Hayes
Still shopping? Check out these (mostly) under-$50 headphones that reviewers say are just as good as their AirPods.
JBL Tune 230NC TWS in-ear headphones
Promising review: "Awesome set of buds for $70. IMO, they do mostly everything $200 AirPod Pro 2Gs do, and might even sound better. Especially once you’ve got your EQ dialed in. Tons of bass if you want it. Only a month in but the battery is good. Not heavy or uncomfortable in my ear with the pre installed tips. Seems to work well for calls as long as you’re not in wind or a busy environment." — bk98
Bmani Bluetooth wireless earbuds
Promising review: “With 4 kids I’m tired of spending money to replace Apple AirPods every couple of months. I refused to buy another pair especially for myself. So I thought I’d give these a try since they had good reviews & the cost was so cheap compared to others. I was really impressed!! The sound quality is great, super comfortable & I’m pretty active so this style stays in place much better. They stay charged for days!! I highly recommend these & would buy again.” — Kim Verner
TOZO T10 Bluetooth 5.3 wireless earbuds
Promising review: "Bought these on a whim not expecting much considering they were less than $25. I was pleasantly surprised when I received them as the quality was much better than I anticipated. They were very easy to set up with my IPhone and the sound quality is very good. I’ve never tried AirPods or other higher end earbuds so I can’t make a good comparison, but they are every bit as good as my wired Apple earphones. And the best part? I don’t have to worry about losing them and being out $200 or more." — Richard H. Russell
Beats Flex wireless earbuds with Apple W1 chip
Promising review: "Bought first pair in sept of ‘21. Long lasting battery and quality sound. I can compare them to AirPods and the sound quality is the same, just not as loud at full volume (probably not a problem). The Bluetooth range is phenomenal on these. I work in warehousing on a forklift. There would be times that I’d be on the computer in between trucks and left my phone on the desk. I was able to continue listening to my podcasts or music while loading trucks within a minimum 100ft radius. If I was going up and down aisles INSIDE the warehouse, the range was nearly double that." — Billy
Soundcore by Anker P20i wireless earbuds
Promising review: "I originally bought these just because of their reported battery life and low price. But the big surprise was how superior they are to my Apple AirPod Pro’s. The battery life blows away the AirPods and the reliability of the Bluetooth connectivity with my all of my Apple devices is vastly superior. I’m a recording engineer by profession so I don’t look to earbuds for my audio standards but these sound very good and when factoring all performance aspects of these earbuds including their very low price there’s no contest." — Richard Roeder
Anker Soundcore Sport X20 earbuds
Promising review: "I am a former AirPods user (which I loved) but one of my speakers started to go bad and I wanted to get a new pair for exercise. These will definitely not fall out of your ears compared to AirPods. I feel like I could enter a boxing ring with these. Second, the bass is fantastic on these headphones. Much better than your typical AirPods. AirPods have a bit higher quality sound too them and the bass can tend to drown out the guitar in some of my rock music. However, I think anybody that is looking for a less expensive alternative pair of headphones for exercise this is a great option." — Adam Dickinson
JBL Vibe buds
Promising review: "I bought these as a cheaper version of AirPods for work. They sound great (loud) with the JBL app (just work the EQ) and $40? Heck ya. JBL is a great option and honestly sounds better and louder than AirPods, just what I was looking for." — Parker
Skullcandy Jib earbuds
Promising review: "My husband and I both like the in-ear earbuds with cord, and we keep Skullcandy's around the house. We've had 2 pairs go through the washing machine accidentally and still work. They're worth the money, are great for travel and using with your phone, and I like that they come with various size 'buds' depending on your ear size. Great for the price! Worth buying multiples to give as gifts." — Leanne Scorzoni
Promising review: "These are, for me, one of the most comfortable earbuds out there. If only my AirPods were this comfortable." — carolinebridge