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It can often be hard for people with small ears to find a pair of comfortably fitting earbuds. Many in-ears have fairly large buildsthat can cause pressure and push on different parts of the ear, causing fatigue and pain over time. Luckily, some ultra-slim in-ears sit more comfortably in the ear or ear canal.
We've tested over 300 earbuds and in-ear headphones, and below are our recommendations for the best options for people with small ears. If you're looking for our top picks for other earbuds and in-ears, check out our recommendations for the overallbest earbuds and in-ear headphones, thebest truly wireless earbuds, and thebest wireless earbuds and in-ears.
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Best Earbuds For Small Ears
Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless 7
Neutral Sound
7.2
Commute/Travel
8.1
Sports/Fitness
8.2
Office
7.5
Wireless Gaming
5.7
Wired Gaming
5.5
Phone Calls
6.5
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
The Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless are the best earbuds for small ears we've tested. They don't sit deeply in your ear, and they come with four sets of differently-sized ear tips to help you get the best fit. Their lightweight build also doesn't put as much pressure on your ears as this manufacturer's other in-ear offerings. While their build quality feels a little cheap since they're made of recycled plastic, they house a powerful ANC system that can block out the low rumble of buses, ambient voices, and the high-pitched hum of A/C units.
These buds have quite a few extra features that help them stand out. Their warm sound profile can be fine-tuned to your liking using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets. They support multi-device pairing, meaning you can simultaneously connect them with your computer and smartphone. Their battery only lasts for around seven hours on a single charge, but their carrying case has over two extra charges to keep you supplied on the go.
See our review
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Best Mid-Range Earbuds For Small Ears
Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless 17
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Neutral Sound
6.8
Commute/Travel
8.3
Sports/Fitness
8.0
Office
7.5
Wireless Gaming
5.5
Wired Gaming
5.3
Phone Calls
6.4
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
If you're looking for a mid-range price tag, the best Bluetooth earbuds for small ears we've tested are the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless. These buds come with five sets of ear tips to help you get the best fit possible, and their lightweight design doesn't sit too deeply in your ear. Their ANC system performs very similarly to the Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless, so you can expect a high level of noise isolation whether you're commuting to work or powering through your shift at the office. However, they're less stable in-ear than the Sony and more likely to fall out during high-intensity movements, like sprints or heavy workouts.
Out of the box, these buds have a warm sound profile, and you can also fine-tune their sound using their companion app's EQ and presets to better match your preferences. They last over eight hours with their ANC on, and their carrying case holds an extra four full charges. Unfortunately, their mic's recording quality is poor, and speech sounds far away and sibilant, which isn't great if you make a lot of calls.
See our review
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Best Budget Earbuds For Small Ears
Beats Flex Wireless 1
Neutral Sound
6.9
Commute/Travel
7.7
Sports/Fitness
8.1
Office
7.0
Wireless Gaming
5.4
Wired Gaming
5.3
Phone Calls
6.0
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling No
Mic Yes
See all our test results
If you're looking for earbuds that areeasier on your wallet, the Beats Flex Wireless are the best wireless earbuds for small ears we've tested at the budget level. These neck cable headphones have a small bud design and a shallow in-ear fit. They also come with five sets of ear tips to find the best fit. Even though they're not as customizable as the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless, their unique design comes in a couple of eye-catching colors.
They'll be stable enough for workouts despite lacking stability fins or ear hooks to help them stay in place. Their bass-heavy sound profile brings extra thump, boom, and punch. It makes them well-suited for bass-rich genres like EDM and hip-hop, but instruments sound dull while sibilants like cymbals are veiled. Although they have a companion app, it offers extremely limited controls and lacks sound customization options. Fortunately, they have a reasonably long continuous battery life of roughly 11 hours. They also have a W1 chip for seamless pairing with your Apple devices.
If you're looking for budget buds with a more neutral sound, consider the Sony WI-C310 Wireless. Their bass is a little tapered down, though still quite punchy and warm, while vocals and instruments are pleasantly bright. However, they have fewer tip options and feel less sturdy than the Beats.
See our review
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Best Cheap Earbuds For Small Ears
Skullcandy Jib Wireless 0
Neutral Sound
6.7
Commute/Travel
7.0
Sports/Fitness
7.6
Office
6.6
Wireless Gaming
5.1
Wired Gaming
5.1
Phone Calls
6.8
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling No
Mic Yes
See all our test results
The Skullcandy Jib Wireless are another pair of wireless earbuds with a neckband. However, their extremely low price differentiates them from the Beats Flex Wireless. Granted, the Skullcandyhave a lower build quality and one fewer ear tip option, but they're still very small and have a slim profile that hardly comes into contact with the outer ear. They're also decently comfortable and stable, making them well-suited for activities involving moderate movement, like running or doing yard work outside.
They deliver a very bass-heavy sound, which you might enjoy if you work out to hip-hop or EDM. Like most cheaper earbuds, they lack sound customization options, so you're stuck with their default mix. Their passive noise isolation performance is also just mediocre. They won't isolate you from the deep rumble of a bus engine or heavy traffic, but they do slightly better at blocking background noise. Their battery lasts around six hours on a single charge, which won't get you through a long workday but will last for a few brief workouts before needing recharging.
See our review
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Best Earbuds Without Tips For Small Ears
Nothing Ear (stick) Truly Wireless 7
Neutral Sound
7.3
Commute/Travel
6.2
Sports/Fitness
8.1
Office
6.2
Wireless Gaming
5.9
Wired Gaming
5.8
Phone Calls
6.2
Type Earbuds
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
If the feeling of an earbud inside your ear canal makes you uncomfortable, consider the Nothing Ear (stick) Truly Wireless. The main body of each earbud is covered in silicone and sits comfortably in your concha, which is the recessed part of your ear just before the ear canal. While this one-size-fits-all design is convenient and easy to use, it means there are inconsistencies with their fit depending on your unique ear shape. They're likely to stay in place during moderate exercises, like jogging, but their unique fit in your ear will impact how likely they are to move around during a more intense workout.
Their sound profile is neutral, and they deliver warm, punchy bass to complement genres like hip-hop and EDM, though how much bass you get willdepend greatly on their specific fit in your ear. Thankfully, their companion app has a graphic EQ and presets, which allow you to fine-tune their mix to your liking. Unfortunately, earbuds of this design have a very hard time isolating you from any background noise. If that doesn't bother you, they last nearly seven hours on a single charge, and their case holds an extra three full charges.
If these headphones don't fit right, try the Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless. They're a little more expensive and don't have any sound adjustment features, but their H1 chip offers seamless pairing with Apple devices, and you can charge their case wirelessly.
See our review
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Best iPhone Earbuds For Small Ears
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless 23
Neutral Sound
7.4
Commute/Travel
8.2
Sports/Fitness
8.3
Office
7.3
Wireless Gaming
5.8
Wired Gaming
5.6
Phone Calls
6.4
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless are the best iPhone-compatible earbuds for small ears we've tested. These high-end earbuds are the next generation of the Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless, and unlike their predecessor, they come with four sets of ear tips instead of three, and the newest one is an extra small pair. However, some users have still experienced trouble wrigglingthemout of their ears and haveswapped out the default silicone tips with foam tips, which can mold to your unique ear shape, improving comfort, fit, and stability.
These in-ears have an adaptive EQ, so their sound automatically adjusts to the unique shape of your ears. Their warm sound profile is well-suited for genres like pop and jazz, although they lack any built-in sound customization features tomanually adjust them to your liking. They also have an activenoise cancelling (ANC) system and can block out an excellent amount of ambient noise, which is nice for commuting or working in a noisy office. They last just shy of six hours with their ANC on, and their carrying case has four additional charges.
See our review
Recent Updates
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Feb 06, 2024: We've checked to ensure all products are still in stock and added the JBL Vibe Buds True Wireless and the Sony WI-C310 Wireless as Notable Mentions.
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Dec 08, 2023: We've added the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless to the Notable Mentions since they have a small design that doesn't enter the ear canal very deeply, but they don't have as many tip options as the Beats Flex Wireless.
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Oct 18, 2023: We've removed the In-The-Box photo above each pick and replaced it with that product review's Comfort photo to better showcase the buds' tips and body.
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Aug 21, 2023: The Anker SoundCore Liberty Air 2 Truly Wireless were removed from the Notable Mentions due to stock issues. Minor text changes have also been made for clarity and accuracy.
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Jun 28, 2023: We've restructured the article to better suit the needs of users looking for earbuds for small ears. This includes making Sony Linkbuds S Truly Wireless our new top pick and adding a new category for earbuds without ear tips.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best earbuds to buy for most people with small ears. We factor in the price (cheaper headphones win over pricier ones if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no headphones that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to choose for yourself, here is the list of all our reviews for earbuds and in-ears, sorted by their comfort score. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect headphones. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.
