A simple twist convinced me the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are better than I ever thought

I’ve had the Pixel Buds Pro 2 for six months now and thought I already knew everything there is to know about them. After all, they’re two pairs of buds and a case — what more could there be to them? But as I was catching up on some older episodes of the Made By Google podcast, I came across an interesting tip I hadn’t really considered about the Pixel Buds Pro 2, and it changed the way I use these buds every single day by simply twisting them in my ear.

In the Pixel Buds Pro 2 episode of Google’s podcast, Collin Billings (senior product manager of the Pixel Buds Pro 2) explained the reasons and advantages behind the buds’ twist-to-fit stabilizer design (YouTube link). Even though this was part of the marketing material for the buds, I had never really paid much attention to it because nothing on the buds actually twists. They’re one continuous solid piece of plastic. I thought it was just a sales gimmick.

But as Collin explained it, the idea is to twist the entire buds in your ear so you can switch from a snug fit to a looser one, each with its own benefits. So I tried it. And I tried it again. And then again. And it finally dawned on me! This is genius.

When the stabilizer is looser (for me, that’s when it’s pointed diagonally upward), the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 simply rest in my ears, not causing any pressure on any part of it. That’s an extremely comfortable fit that allows me to wear the buds for hours at my desk. The noise cancelation is a little diminished, but not enough to become detrimental to my enjoyment of the music or podcast.

The problem with that fit, though, is that it’s not snug enough for more active use. If I shake my head, wear or remove a jacket, run a bit, or do any jostling movement, they are likely to dislodge and fall out.

That’s where the twist becomes useful. I just turn the buds around so the stabilizer is pointing horizontally and tightly pressing against my ear to get a more stable fit. This works better when I’m more active outdoors, walking, or taking public transit. Noise cancelation is better in this case, but there is some extra pressure on my ear from the contact of the stabilizer, so I can only stand it for an hour or so before I have to loosen it again.

All of this is obviously made possible thanks to the Buds Pro 2’s extremely tiny design. If these buds were any bigger, you couldn’t twist them in any shape or form. I’ve tried this with the older, original Pixel Buds Pro, and it’s just not possible with that design; they sit in my ear in one orientation, and anything else makes them fall out or kill me with pain. The Pro 2, though? They’re tiny and round enough to be spun about 40° in each ear without completely dislodging or torturing me.

So, for the past couple of months, I’ve been more conscious of how I’m wearing my Pixel Buds Pro 2 — something that I never thought about with any other pair of buds. When I’m in a safe environment and using the buds for a longer period of time, like working at my desk or sitting on a multi-hour train ride, I just use the loose configuration. And when I start moving, like if I’m on a walk or taking public transit, I switch to the snug fit and stick with it until I’m in a safer spot and can loosen them again.

This has been a game-changer for flights, too. I often feel pressure and pain in my ears at a high altitute, and earbuds make it a lot worse. Relieving this pressure without removing the Pixel Buds Pro 2 is easy with a twist-to-loosen, and if I feel my eyelids getting heavy and I don’t want the buds to fall from my ears while I doze off, I just twist to tighten them.

The other big benefit for me now is that the buds rarely fall from my ears when I’m putting on a heavy jacket, taking off a sweater, or wrapping a scarf around my neck. All of these used to jostle the Pixel Buds Pro out of my ears, but with the Pro 2, they’re a rarer occurrence because I just tighten the stabilizers against my ears before doing them.

I find it silly that I spent several months with these buds and never really tested their fit in my ears until I heard about it from a podcast. I just took their fit for granted, aiming for a default tightness somewhere in the middle between the looser and more snug ones; I bet a lot of people do the same thing. In my mind, earbuds were just something you put in your ear and never messed around with. But I’ve since realized I can — and should — actively change this fit depending on what I’m doing, and that made these Pixel Buds Pro 2 infinitely more versatile for my everyday use. It’s like having two pairs of buds on me without ever taking them out of my ears.