“Dumb” Problems

Music is a big part of my life but from time-to-time I don’t keep up with it like I should or like I want.

Back in July, I ditched my Spotify subscription because I wouldn’t be really using it on the road much anymore, like I had been before. 

The big gripe I have had since then which has contributed to my lack of listening lately is finding a decent pair of headphones I can stand to wear while I exercise.

Most of them get tangled in my oxygen tubing or come out of my ears when I’m exercising on the treadmill or on another machine because the cord won’t stretch enough.

I also have a very big thing with the fit & comfort of most earbuds. The apple ones that came with my phone are comfortable enough but still get tangled in my tubing if I do anything remotely active.  I save those for home use & they work fine for that.  Most of the other buds I’ve tried lately in hopes of finding a workable pair seem super uncomfortable to me.

The few wireless or behind the neck buds I’ve tried lately have been a huge letdown even though they are supposed to be adjustable & designed for active sports.

They really hit my ears wrong & I can’t stand to wear them because they are too tight & uncomfortable to wear. They also tend to not retain a charge well.

Or if they are corded & designed for sports use, they have too short of a cord. Most designs are not friendly to my oxygen tubing. They crowd my cannula (nasal tubing which has to go over my ear in the exact spot where most hook styles need to attach) so either the buds don’t stay in (even if they go around my neck first) or my tubing won’t.

I’m wondering if I need to go old school with it. Try some of the over-the-ear, on ear models instead or possibly get one of those geeky hats or the bands with the headphones built in.  I’m not sure how comfortable those be or if they’ll work.

I’m also paranoid of leaving them somewhere & then not being able to find them. Especially since most of those styles don’t seem to be super compact.

My ideal headphones also need to be portable (either foldable to fit my purse or compact enough to pack in a running belt).  Most of all, they also need to be comfortable (which has been one of the biggest problems with anything I’ve tried to date).

The other issue is I don’t want to spend a ton of money on them.  I don’t mind spending closer to $50 if I have to for something decent & comfortable, but that’s really my max because I won’t wear them often enough to justify paying more than that.

(I’m curious about the bone conduction sets but those are usually out of the price range I’m looking in. )

Therefore, Beats or some other “brands” that people might suggest I try are probably completely out of the question because I don’t want to spend that much money.

I know it seems like a dumb issue to gripe about, but still it does pose an issue for me.

Then again, I am human. I’m sure I’m not the only person to have this annoying dilemma.

I’ve pretty much given up listening to music while I exercise because I haven’t found a good solution yet.  Hopefully I can maybe find something soon or get a lead on something that will work.

 UPDATE: yep — trying the older school approach with some Skullcandy uproar wireless. I did try them on versus just ordering online, they seemed to agree with me more. I’ll give them a whirl & see. They paired easy enough to the phone which is a bonus. Within the price range too. I’m keeping my fingers crossed they do the trick.  Not foldable and not super compact but not overly bulky. Can’t win em all, I guess.