If you have high-quality earbuds, you probably enjoy their convenience, flexibility, enhanced mobility, and excellent sound quality. It makes sense that you’ll want to squeeze every last ounce of mileage out of them. But if you’ve had them for a while, know that they might give out on you soon. On average, wireless earbuds last between one to two years with heavy use, but you can push them to the three-year mark if you’re a moderate user.
The biggest reason for this short lifespan is the size of their lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. Since earbuds are compact, they have small batteries that typically provide 6-8 hours of use on a full charge. This time gets even shorter if you’re using Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). With a small capacity and needing to recharge more frequently, the battery of earbuds will degrade much faster than that of devices with larger batteries.
Smartphones, for instance, have larger batteries, and they usually last a day without needing a charge. In two to three years, which is about 300 to 500 charge cycles, their battery will lose about 20% of its maximum capacity on average. That means it will only be able to hold 80% of the charge it used to. Earbuds, on the other hand, will have reached a breaking point despite using the same Li-ion technology.
Factors that affect the lifespan of earbuds
Small battery aside, your charging habits can significantly shorten or prolong a battery’s life. Li-ion batteries don’t do well when constantly drained to 0% or charged to 100%. Deep discharges will stress the cells, while overcharging builds up excess heat that speeds up the chemical degradation, shortening their lifespan. How you’re using your earbuds also matters. With high-volume playback, ANC, transparency modes, and hi-res audio being huge battery drainers. These will lead to frequent recharges that accelerate the battery’s wear and tear.
Also, you shouldn’t leave your earbuds out of their case, and should put them back in when you’re finished with them. While this means each bud will constantly charge to 100%, it minimizes the chance that you will forget to charge them, which will needlessly drain the battery. Not putting the buds in their case increases the risk that you will step on them, causing them to break. You can also easily lose them since searching for tiny misplaced earbuds is harder than just searching for the case.
Moisture is another problem. While your earbuds might be water-resistant, especially if they’re of the modern variety, they aren’t completely waterproof — no earbud is. Frequent exposure to moisture, whether it’s from water, sweat, or rain, can impact their internal components. This can have a wide range of effects, from reduced audio performance to outright not working.
Ways to make earbuds last longer
To prolong the battery life of your earbuds, it’s important to follow the 20/80 rule – don’t let the charge level drop below 20% or go above 80%. Stopping at 80% might be difficult because earbuds will begin to charge the moment you put them in the case. However, some modern earbuds from brands like Sony have features that prevent the battery from charging beyond a certain threshold. For AirPods, enabling Optimized Battery Charging will delay the process of reaching 80% charge level until you’re ready to use them. It knows how to do this by studying your usage patterns.
You should always have the charging case near you when using your earbuds. That way, you can always put them back in the case whenever you’re not using them. Also, do not put the buds in situations where they will generate excess heat while charging, such as leaving them under your pillow or in a hot car. Heat is a killer of Li-ion batteries.
Other than that, be sure to keep your earbuds away from liquids to prevent moisture damage. Also, clean the rubber portions and interior of the earbuds regularly to avoid buildup of earwax, dirt, and oils. This debris can dampen the sound, forcing you to increase the volume and drain the battery quicker. Plus, it’s just good hygiene. Further to that point, avoid sharing your earbuds with others to prevent the transfer of earwax, which can spread germs and cause infections.
