ear buds that don't fall out

[Becky]

I switch the ear tips on my headphones to Comply Active foam tips. They're comfortable and grippy, and stay in even when running. Their website has a fit finder, depending on the specific model of headphones that you own, and they come in multiple ear canal sizes.

[OakLeaf]

The compatibility chart is for the headphones, not for the ears. They assume that people buying those tips already have experience with silicone tips.

FWIW, since we're kind of roundaboutly on the subject, I can't really recommend custom earplugs/earbuds. IME, corded earplugs of any kind - which would include earbuds, even if they're wireless they'll be connected physically to some kind of external structure - the cord picks up vibration not only from extrinsic sounds, but from any time it brushes or presses against clothes, hair, or helmet and carries it right into the ear. Uncorded earplugs for noise blocking only, IME are nice for air travel (since they don't seal pressure inside the ear canal) and if you sleep on your back. But since they work by covering the ear canal, not by sealing it, if the outer surface comes in contact with anything, like if you sleep on your side, it both puts pressure on your ear canal and carries noise inside. Walking around, for some reason the noise of my own footfalls is deafening, which I don't have that experience with foam plugs.

[Becky]

I bought a set of tips to fit my specific headphones and they came with three sizes (S, M, L). Next time around, I'll just order the 3 pairs of my size. Comply tips come in both different styles (Active, Comfort, etc.) and different sizes for the specific headphones you have. So yeah, it takes some research to get the right product.

As for the vibration thing, that's exactly I sprung for Bluebuds X bluetooth headphones. Because of the way the cord wraps behind my head, there's no vibration when running. Worth every penny.

[GLC1968]

I have tiny ear canals and I've never been able to wear ear buds that either don't fall out, or don't hurt because I've jammed them in there. I think for me, it's not just the size, but the shape of my ear because even the smallest versions fall out.

I have good luck with Yurbuds. They are silicone things that slip on over a regular earbud. The smallest size they carry does fit comfortably in my ears and even better, stays put when I run. I have the ones they are now calling 'inspire' but they have other versions as well (over the ear, bluetooth, etc). http://goo.gl/fbrDya

[Wasp]

I gave up wearing earbud type headphones. I tried a few different brands/styles and all of them caused me ear pain/discomfort after I wore them longer than an hr. Now I wear the smaller over ear style headphones. Currently I use a pair of Sennheiser Bluetooth headphones. I've used them on the treadmill and had no issues with them falling off. They also have the added bonus of noise cancelation. I personally would like to be able to wear the smaller, less obvious type headphones but it's just not worth the following 3 days of inner ear discomfort I've experienced in the past.

[bmccasland]

The thing that slays me is that long long ago, in an fire department alarm room far far away, I wore an in-ear piece for an entire 8-hour shift without pain. So if the technology existed 30+ (cough cough, has it been THAT long? ) years ago, why oh why is it so hard now!!!

[OakLeaf]

It isn't necessarily the products, though. I've had to keep switching to softer and softer earplugs as my ear canals get sensitized. I wore Hearos Ultimate Softness for several years, now I can't wear them through the night without the pain waking me up. Before that I could wear the orange foam plugs, and before that, pretty much any were okay.

So far I'm doing well with the small Moldex plugs, don't know what they call the model, but if those start getting painful I don't know what's next.