What Are the Benefits of Retractable Headphones? -2024

What Are Retractable Headphones, and How Do They Work? What Are the Benefits of Earbuds With a Retractable Cord?

Convenience is the key factor that everyone takes into consideration while searching for a good pair of earbuds or headphones. While most people are shifting their preferences from wired earphones to wireless options, these wire-free earbuds do have some shortcomings that cannot be ignored. Some of the common issues like earbuds falling off from the ears while jogging or workout, shorter battery life, or issues with sound quality are some of the most common ones. Nevertheless, they are definitely a better option than the traditional wired ones.

There are earbuds that come with a short cord connecting both the earpieces together. These types of earbuds are specifically designed for sports and fitness.

Earbuds with a retractable cord, also commonly known as collar clip headphones, are a new form of earbuds that is catching a lot of attention these days. Although this type of headset hasn’t gained that much popularity yet, like that of the other types of earbuds, they come with numerous benefits that address the gaps between the true wireless earbuds and the ones with a short cord.

So what are these retractable earbuds?

These earbuds are attached to the headphones with a retractable cord that expands when you pull them to put in your ears. When you take them off your ears, they go back to their original form by curling back into the headphone frame.

In this article, we will focus on providing some of the best retractable Bluetooth headphones available in the market today. Along with that, we will also take you through the basic factors you need to keep in mind while selecting a good pair of earbuds with a retractable cord, the benefits of these types of headsets, and some of their drawbacks.

What Are the Parameters for Purchasing Retractable Headsets?

So, first things first. Since this form of earbuds is relatively new, before heading to the list of the best retractable earbuds, let’s take a dive into some of the things that you will need to consider when buying a pair of earbuds with a retractable cord.

Sound Quality:

No matter how convenient your headset is, the sound quality still remains one of the most important things when you consider buying headphones. There is no point in getting one if it doesn’t sound good, right? Some of the main things that determine the sound quality of the headphones are- the size of the drivers, frequency response, noise isolation ability, bass response for an energizing sound.

Durability:

The best retractable earbuds have a durable design in most cases, however, there may be a slight variation from product to product. Oftentimes, in the case of cheaper headphones, the manufacturer tends to trade off the durability part with other features to fit into the budget. If you are particular about the longevity of the headphone, then read the user reviews and check the warranty of the product. This will give you an essence of how durable the product can be. Check out our most durable headphones from here.

Brand credibility:

It is a good idea to read up a little on the brand, its products, and customer service, so you know where you are heading to. While some of the top brands like Sony or LG have solid brand credibility, there are other brands with options worth looking at as well. So before you make a purchase, check their overall performance in the market. Speaking of the brands, Audio Technic has been there in the market for quite some time now and has a great range of headphones. Check out our list of the best Audio Technic Headphones from here.

Connectivity:

Retractable headphones pair via Bluetooth and so that you get seamless audio streaming and a good connection, you need to ensure that the Bluetooth has a long range. Most of the latest Bluetooth headsets have an operation range of 30 to 33 meters, thanks to the development in technology.

Battery Life:

For the headphone to last for several hours if you are outside, you need a good battery performance. Most of the best retractable Bluetooth headphones have at least 10 hours of battery while some can offer more as well. Remember, some features like high volume, bass booster, noise-canceling feature tend to drain out the battery fast. Consider the charging time as well. Generally, these headphones take about 2 hours to charge fully.

Other than that some of the other things that need consideration are comfort, weight, simple user interface, etc.

Now that you have a fairly decent idea about the earbuds with retractable cords, you might want to know which are the best retractable Bluetooth headset available out there. Without any further delay, let’s move on to our next section.

Best Retractable Bluetooth Headset: List of Some of the Best Retractable Bluetooth Headphones, Their Features, and Price Point:

There are many options of this kind available in the market from different manufacturers, all claiming theirs to be the best retractable earbuds. However, when you are investing money in a good pair of earbuds, you will obviously want them to be packed with features and that can give you overall good performance. In this list, we have covered a wide range of earbuds with retractable cords that are under different price ranges, and have different features.

So Why and How Should You Use the Best Retractable Earbuds?

Well, there is a long list of advantages of having the best retractable Bluetooth headset and making them a part of your day-today life:

• Earbuds with retractable cords are a great alternative to their wired counterparts as they free you from the hassles of untangling the wire when you need them in emergencies.

• They are a great solution for those who are always afraid of losing their true wireless earbuds or keep losing them unknowingly. The earbuds with retractable cord help them to keep their earbuds close to the ears as they clip on collar so they can use them when they need to and take them off otherwise.

• The entire make of the headset is bigger in size so there are less chances of losing them like in case of the tiny buds.

• Great option for jogging or light exercises in the gym. No more cable ripping, heavy overhead headphones making you conscious or the wireless earbuds slipping off the ears.

More Benefits of the retractable earbuds.

• It is easy to control the length of the cable in case of the earbuds with retractable cords. You can pull the exact length of the cable you want with no extra extensions hanging and tugging at the door knob, hooks or getting held anywhere else.

• In case you are wondering that the continuous pulling of the headphones might rip the wires from the coiling case, then rest assured. These types of headsets are designed to have a stronger build than their other earbud counterparts. This means that they can be with you for a long period of time.

• Some of the best retractable Bluetooth headset come with in line mic or built in mic so you can make calls.

• These headsets have a better battery capacity than the true wireless earbuds. They offer a minimum of 10 hours of playback time or more. Many earbuds from top brands on the other hand offer around  6 to 8 hours of run time on a single charge.

Why Should You Avoid Buying Retractable Headsets?

While there is a long list of benefits that you can reap from these pair of headsets, it does have some limitations that you should know of–

If you are a critical listener, or an audio professional then you would probably want to go for headphones that offer more detailing and hi-fidelity sound quality.

If you need a headset for extensive fitness sessions that involves a lot of physical movement, then the earbuds with retractable cord may not be the best option for you. Even though it is pretty stable with lighter moves and running, with heavy work out.

Another potential downside of these headphones is that it is a bit challenging to find earbuds with the right fit for small size ears. Even though some headphones may come with different sized ear tips for the accurate fit, you may need to hunt a bit more if you have a really small ear canal. Still, the options are limited.

How do you use these headphones?

Using retractable headphones is pretty easy. The only thing you need to do is to pair the headphones with the audio device using Bluetooth wireless connectivity. Every headset has its own dedicated button for Bluetooth pairing. You need to turn the pairing mode of the headphone on and make sure that the Bluetooth of your mobile is also turned on and visible.

Once the pairing is done, you just have to pull the earbuds out at a length that is most comfortable to you and seal them into the ear canal. Many earbuds come with eartips of different sizes so you can choose what works best for you. This will help in sealing the buds into your ears properly so there is no sound leakage.

The retracting mechanism for different headphones may vary. While most of them that we have listed on our best retractable Bluetooth headsets list have a dedicated button to pull the earbuds back in place, some need to be pulled forward for them to unlock and spring back in place. You might also want to check out our comfortable over ear headphones article from here.

Conclusion

Retractable headsets are one of the great audio accessories to keep with you especially if you have an active lifestyle or tend to make impromptu plans most of the time. The headphones are easy to carry and store and the best thing is they do not have their wires hanging long which means you do not have to deal with hassles of untangling them. These headphones may not be the best option for professional uses or an audiophile who observes and analyses every minute detail in an audio content. However, if you need something inexpensive for casual use, they cost much less than an overhead headphone or a good pair of earbuds and they have their own conveniences.

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