AirPods are great, but do they help or hinder your ability to work from home?
Working from home can be tricky and require extra equipment to ensure you can stay productive throughout the day and connect with your team on-site.
AirPods might be the answer you’re looking for, but before you make the investment, it’s important to weigh their pros and cons and see if they’re right. With the right setup, these wireless earbuds may be exactly what you need to achieve your goals while working remotely.
What Are The Benefits of Airpods?
#1: Price
At $159, Apple’s Airpods cost significantly less than other Bluetooth headphones, such as Jabra’s Elite 65t ($180) or Sony’s WI-1000X M3 ($230). Given that these types of headphones are typically worn for hours at a time, and many workers work from home—which is really quiet and tends to minimize distractions—you can end up saving money in terms of not needing to buy new pairs when you lose them or worse, break them.
And while expensive competitors may sound better and have extra features, they don’t offer more bang for your buck compared to Apple’s devices.
#2: Battery Life
The one major downside to Bluetooth headphones is their short battery life. Depending on how often you use them, it’s possible to burn through an entire charge in just a few hours. But with an estimated five hours of listening time on one charge, Airpods last longer than most wireless earbuds out there (the aforementioned Jabra model lasts about four and a half hours per charge).
#3: Comfort
Compared with most wired earbuds, which tend to be heavy on larger ears, Airpods are lightweight and easy to wear all day long without discomfort. This makes them ideal for working from home, where you might need both hands free during calls or meetings but still want some audio privacy.
If you like to move around while working or find yourself often using your laptop in different rooms of your house, Airpods are perfect for you. If you want to listen to music while doing dishes or cleaning your house, simply put them in and go.
Related: What Are The Best Headphones For Online Meetings?
How Does Airpods Compare With Other Headphones?
Bose QuietComfort 35 (Best Noise-Cancelling)
Design: These Bluetooth headphones are lightweight and comfortable, but they don’t feel as solid as some of their competitors. They feature a rather awkward carrying case that is bulky and has a fixed hinge. The headphones fold neatly into it, and you can charge them inside. That’s good news if your battery life isn’t long enough to last through a transatlantic flight.
Apple Airpods (Best All-Around Wireless Headphone)
Design: Apple’s first pair of wireless earbuds look exactly like its wired EarPods. The biggest difference is that they have no wires—no wires mean more comfort when you wear them for hours. As with any new product from Apple, these aren’t cheap at $159. But these are a great choice if you want an easy way to make calls and listen to music wirelessly on your iPhone or iPad.
How Does Airpods Compare With Other Wireless Headphones?
You can use AirPods with your iPhone, but if your call comes in, you can talk on them hands-free.
In addition, unlike other wireless headphones (like Bluetooth ones) that cut out when there’s a break in a connection or if your battery runs low, Apple claims its W1 chip makes these sensors last longer and run smoother.
Finally, max power of their rechargeable batteries.
The W1 chip allows them to deliver their full performance for up to 5 hours before they need recharging. Their ability to last longer than standard wireless headphones is due to these improvements and Siri integration into AirPods.
This means that instead of pausing music and pulling out your phone whenever you want to change songs or adjust the volume, you can simply tell Siri what you want to do. This saves time and energy, so users don’t have to worry about running out of charge during a long day at work.
Airpods are available in Apple stores and online. You can also purchase them from retailers such as Best Buy, B&H Photo Video, Target, and Walmart.
However you choose to purchase your new earbuds, keep in mind that there may be some situations where using wired earbuds may be preferable. That said, it’s clear that one thing is certain—Airpods offer impressive sound quality.
Read: Do Noise Cancelling Headphones Work In An Office?
Do Airpods Have A Charging Case?
When Apple unveiled its shiny new Airpods, there were plenty of jokes about how ridiculous they looked. They are very small and, at times, quite easy to lose.
However, one of their benefits is that you never need to worry about charging them! You can use them for 5 hours before you’ll have to pop them back in their case for just 15 minutes; with a full charge (which takes less than 2 hours), they will work up to 24 hours.
With such long battery life on top of how tiny and convenient they are to carry around with you everywhere, it’s no surprise that so many people are trying Airpods out.
What Is The Warranty And Return Policy of Airpods?
As far as information on their warranty goes, there is only one thing to know. And it is that they are guaranteed to be waterproof and are designed with IPX7 technology. This means you can submerge them in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. Any more than that, and it might damage them irreparably.
Now, when it comes to returns, Apple does have a 14-day return policy which is standard across most companies. However, if you’re returning them because of any defects or issues, then Apple will refund your money, no questions asked, within two weeks from the purchase date.
It’s important to note that if your Airpods were damaged for any reason other than manufacturing defects, then Apple will not accept your return request. So make sure you buy from an authorized seller like Amazon to get a genuine product.
Read: Who Should Use Noise Cancelling Headphones?
Conclusion
Airpods aren’t necessarily a terrible idea, but if you’re constantly on your computer and using them, they probably won’t be good for your ears. If you use them more occasionally, there are ways to protect yourself from ear damage. If you want to be smart about it, only use them when necessary and then take frequent breaks. Just remember that it’s not an excuse to wear other kinds of headphones that don’t have great sound quality.
Make sure that no matter what you do, high-quality headphones are worth investing in for professional settings. The new Airpods max is a good investment because they block out background noise effectively while still providing great sound quality. They won’t solve every problem working from home creates, but they’ll make some aspects easier.
