Apple In-ear Headphones with Remote and Mic Review - Comfort

	Comfort
• Comfortable overall, even over long wear sessions. • Fall out very easily, even when wearer isn't moving. • Comes with three sleeve sizes. • Adjustable neck split.
	Isolation	Page 5 of 12	Usability

Short-Term Use     (5.00)

We thought the Apple In-ear Headphones with Remote and Mic were pretty comfortable. They had a comfortable fit that didn't exert too much pressure on the insides of our ears. Over the course of an hour we didn't really have any comfort issues with the Apple In-ears.

Unfortunately, these headphones suffer from the same issue as their predecessors: they fall out of place very easily. Some of the many activities that will cause your Apple In-ears to fall out of place include:

That's right, even just sitting still our ears would eventually spit these things out on their own accord. This issue is why the headphones didn't score a 7 or 8 on this section. Sure, they're comfortable, but it's annoying to have to constantly shove the things into your ears. These aren't great headphones for the gym.

Of course, as we always mention, this section is one of the part of our review that is blatantly subjective. Sure, we pass the headphones around the office and ask for opinions, but we don't have an awesome lab test for comfort, unfortunately. Always be sure to try the heapdhones on before you decide to buy or keep them. We recommend you try them on for at least as long as your listening sessions tend to last, if not longer for good measure.

Extended Use     (4.50)

We really didn't notice any issues with comfort over the course of six continuous hours. The constant necessary readjustments represent 100% of the score difference between this score and the previous one. On the previous score, which is based on one hour of use, we naively thought, "although it was somewhat annoying to have to push the ear buds back into place a hundred times or so, it wasn't so annoying as to make these headphones less comfortable than average." Well, tack on another five hours of wear and about 500 more adjustments and the annoyance factor increased a bit. The issue is really a shame, given how otherwise comfortable the headphones are.

Of course, we highly recommend you try the headphones on. There's always the chance you have the golden ear shape and won't run into any issues.

Customizability     (2.25)

Like many in-ear headphones, the Apple In-ears come with three sizes of sleeves, all of which are the standard soft plastic design. Some higher-end headphones come with a few different sleeve types or, rarely, optional in-line accessories.

While the case is nice, three sleeve sizes is the standard inclusion.

The Apple In-ears also have an adjustable neck split, but it isn't very good. One side of the adjustment slider is open, which lets the cable pop out should any undue stress be put on it. This will prevent the slider from ripping should such stress occur, but also renders the slider less effective.

The end facing away in this picture is open, letting that cable
pop out to prevent tearing.

Overall, the Apple In-ears only offer basic customizability options.