7 Best Clip-On Headphones in 2023
In the past, if someone had mentioned the idea of clip-on headphones, it would have been met with confusion. However, in today’s world, headphones have become an integral part of our lives, almost as if they have always existed. While headphones have been around for over a century, they have only recently become a popular consumer product.
Furthermore, it is only in recent times that headphones have become versatile enough to be considered suitable for various situations. Who would have imagined using headphones while swimming? But now, even that is possible!
There are now headphones designed specifically for athletes, both professionals, and amateurs, as well as for individuals who prioritize fitness. Additionally, there are headphones tailored for travel, airplane use, and even for aiding sleep. So, let’s explore one of these specialized markets and discover the current top contenders for the Best Clip-on Headphones available.
1. Koss KSC35 Wireless Bluetooth Ear Clip
Key features
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2
- Ear clip material: Plastic
- Frequency range: 15 Hz – 25,000 Hz
- Built-in mic: Yes
- In-line controls: Yes
Design:
- Ear Clip: Although these headphones offer impressive features, one drawback is their uncomfortable ear clips. Constructed from rigid plastic, prolonged use can lead to discomfort, necessitating occasional breaks from wearing them.
- Connectivity: These headphones offer the flexibility to enjoy your music, podcasts, and audiobooks either wired or wirelessly via a Bluetooth 4.2 connection.
- In-line control: The added ease is provided by the practical in-line controls, enabling effortless control over calls, music playback, and volume adjustment, all without having to reach for your phone.
Performance:
- Microphone: clear calls voice, with the convenience of a built-in microphone, the headphones enable seamless call management without the need to remove them.
- Battery life: Experience extended listening sessions with the built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery, providing a battery life of over 6 hours for uninterrupted enjoyment.
Pros:
- Convenience
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Cause discomfort sometimes
Pricing:
Available on Amazon at the price of USD 49.99
2. C-YOUNG Clip-On Earphones
Key features:
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Ear clip material: Plastic
- Ear clip adjustability: Swing hinge
- Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz
- Built-in mic: Yes
- In-line controls: Yes
Design:
- Ear clip: Designed for prolonged comfort, the sponge earmuffs of these headphones gently rest over your ears, enabling extended wear without any discomfort. Furthermore, the swing-type clip feature allows you to customize the distance between the headphones and your head, providing added convenience, especially for those who wear glasses.
- In-line control: Experience the ease and convenience of in-line controls, allowing you to effortlessly handle calls, control music playback, and adjust the volume for a seamless experience.
- Connectivity: Connect with a 3.5mm headphone jack, these headphones are compatible with both iOS and Android systems, you can effortlessly connect them without any compatibility issues.
Performance:
- Microphone: The incorporated high-quality microphone enables convenient management of calls, playback control, and adjusting the volume effortlessly. Experience impeccable voice transmission during conversations, guaranteeing outstanding communication for the recipient.
- Sound quality: Impressive and well-balanced audio quality is delivered through the 30mm drivers, making these headphones a standout option within their price range. Additionally, the included microphone enhances the overall functionality of the product.
Pros:
- Great microphone quality
- Easy to control
Cons:
- Not durable
Pricing:
Available on Amazon at the price of USD 12.99
3. Panasonic- Rp-hs46e-k Slim Clip-On Earphone
Key features:
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Ear clip material: Plastic
- Ear clip adjustability: Rotatable, flexible
- Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz
- Built-in mic: No
- In-line controls: No
Design:
- Ear clip: effortlessly place them over your ears, or you can adjust the clip to secure them around your ear for a customized fit, you get a pair of discreet headphones that remain securely in place regardless of your movement or activity.
- Comfort fit: With a mere weight of 15 grams, these headphones offer an exceptionally lightweight experience. Their slim design ensures a close fit against your head, making them ideal for sleep, as they minimize pressure and avoid excessive contact compared to bulkier headphones.
Performance:
- Sound quality: As the volume increases, the audio quality diminishes. This isn’t an issue when listening at low volumes for sleep, but it can pose a problem in noisy work environments since the external noise can easily overpower the audio.
Pros:
- Affordable price
Cons:
- No noise isolation and microphone
Pricing:
Available on Amazon at the price of USD 12.00
4. Back Bay Audio Runner 60 Ear Clip
These earbuds are the perfect fitness companion for athletes. With a specially designed hook, they stay securely in your ears, freeing you to focus solely on your workout. And don’t worry about getting caught in the rain or sweating profusely – our earbuds are IPX7 waterproofed with internal nano-coating, so you can power through any weather. Plus, with an incredible 80 hours of battery life, you can enjoy months of workouts on a single charge. Our earbuds deliver Back Bay’s Signature Sound but also offer a new Bass Mode that’s perfect for those who want to feel the beat. And when you need to take a call on the go, the built-in microphone ensures that you can do so hands-free.
Key features
- Built-in microphone: Yes
- Battery: up to 8 hours
- Case battery: 80 hours
- Charge time: 1.5 hours
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0
- Water resistant: IPX7
Design:
- Eartips: equipped with six pairs of ear tips, each featuring two different levels of rigidity. The size and rigidity of the ear tips play a crucial role in determining how well the earbuds fit in your ears, which ultimately affects the level of comfort you experience while wearing them.
- Ear hooks: incredibly comfortable, offering the perfect balance of flexibility and clamping force, ensuring that even when worn for extended periods, you won’t experience any discomfort or soreness.
- Waterproof: ensuring added durability and making them suitable for outdoor activities or intense sweaty workouts.
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 technology along with AptX codec to ensure high-quality audio, fast and stable connection
- Touch control: answering calls, playing/pausing audio, skipping tracks, adjusting volume, activating voice assistants, and turning the bass boost on or off with the button on the ear cups
Performance:
- Sound quality: warm sound with a punchy bass that doesn’t overpower the mids and highs.
- Mids: sound clear and detailed
- Soundstage: expensive soundstage, wide and really beautiful
- Bass sound: generally impactful, imparting a solid sensation to the tracks.
- Microphone: easy to call with great clear voice over the phone
Pros:
- Affordable at a reasonable price
- Great sound quality
- Super comfortable
Cons:
- Ugly charging case
Pricing:
Available on Amazon at the price of USD 49.99
5. JBL Endurance Peak II Best clip-on headphones
Serious exercise demands appropriate equipment, and the JBL Endurance Peak II true wireless headphones are up to the task. These headphones provide JBL Pure Bass sound for an energizing workout experience, as well as connectivity and comfort to keep you going strong. The Powerhook™ feature ensures 30 hours of combined battery life, starting from the moment you wear them, boosting your motivation. With intuitive touch controls, you can answer hands-free calls and access your voice assistant, while dual connect allows independent control of each earbud. The sweatproof/waterproof design and ergonomic fit allow you to exercise longer and harder, no matter where your workout takes you. This is one of the best wireless earbuds with ear hooks that you should consider.
Key features
- Built-in microphone: Yes
- Battery: up to 6 hours
- Case battery: 24 hours
- Charge time: 10 Min Charge = 2 Hrs Playtime
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.2
- Water resistant: IP67
Design:
- Eartips: soft and secure fit into your ears
- Ear hooks: made of soft silicone, strong and fit to your ears, make you easier to focus on your task
- Touch control: control the music playlist with the earbuds
- Voice control: hand-free control on some features by just using your voice
- Sweatproof: get wet as much as you want with IP67 waterproof
Performance:
- Bass sound: Pure bass sound, rich and detailed in every beat
- Sound quality: still maintaining a balanced sound. Although the lows are slightly more prominent, the mids and highs are particularly noteworthy and stand out.
- Microphone: get your clear calls with voice detection and transfer to be heard clearly
- Skull-iQ Technology: you can share your music with a friend in real-time, activate your assistant, personalize your earbud controls, and even trigger your phone camera to snap the perfect selfie.
Pros:
- Powerful bass
- Secure and fit to the ears
Cons:
- No app to control some features
- The problem of sound with EQ
Pricing:
Available on Amazon at the price of USD 69.99
6. Anker Soundcore Spirit X2 Best clip-on headphones
These sports headphones employ a combination of ear hook and wing to ensure a secure fit. The short EarWings provide support inside the ear, while the ear hook, positioned behind the ear, alleviates pressure and provides additional stabilization. Though the in-ears design may require careful fitting, the earpieces are comfortable to wear and do not cause discomfort. Additionally, users can personalize their fit by selecting from five different sizes of ear tips and three versions of wings, which can be freely combined. This feature is undoubtedly a positive aspect of these headphones.
Key features
- Built-in microphone: Yes
- Battery: up to 9 hours
- Case battery: 27 hours
- Charge time: 90 mins of use in 10 mins.
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0
- Water resistant: IP68
Design:
- Eartips: soft and comfortable to wear, fit into your ears
- Ear wings: secure and hold tight with your ears, easy to do with your lifestyle activity including workout
- Waterproof: with IP68 against dust and water, sweat really well
- Bluetooth connection: with codec code aptX audio technology delivers, easy to connect, fast, stable, and provides better sound quality
Performance:
- Microphone: clear calls, effectively reduce background noise, make your voice clear, and calls anywhere in any situation
- Bass sound: the inspiration by high-end speakers, and the driver to enhance the bass resonance, resulting in a 100% increase in bass quality, rich and sound great.
- Sound quality: the sound is great, detailed, and perfect for a workout.
Pros:
- Secure and fit well
- Water resistant with IP68
Cons:
- Strong bass
- Ear hooks might be annoying sometimes
Pricing:
Available on Amazon at the price of USD 99.99
7. Beats Powerbeats Pro Best clip-on headphones
They are designed for quality and premium looks. The Apple H1 chips allow connecting via iOS devices easily and fast connection. In terms of battery life, the charging case can offer up to 24 hours, and earbuds can play for up to 9 hours. Moreover, the design is unique, with the wind tips allowing for securing and fitting to your ear.
Key Features
- Active noise cancelling: Yes
- Transparency: Yes
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
- Battery: 9 hours
- Spatial Audio: Yes
- Water resistance: Yes
- Weight: 11g
- Built-in microphone: Yes
Design:
- Wingtips: help to fit the inner ear so that it won’t fall out easily
- Connectivity: compatible with iOS and Android
- Set up: the Apple H1 delivers a fast and stable connection to iOS devices
- Earbuds: comfortable, adjustable with the wingtip to support to secure and fit within your ear
- Sweat resistance: listen in any situation or at the gym, handles sweat really well
- Auto sharing: put earbuds near iOS devices, and they will auto-share music to the earbuds
- Find My: quickly finding your earbuds via phones
- Touch control: auto play or pause music with the button on the earbuds
- Siri integration: always on Siri, convenience to control features without using hand
Performance:
- Noise cancelling: isolate outside noise well, listen in peace without distractions
- Spatial Audio: immersive Sound it surrounds your head 360 degree
- Sound quality: balance and rich in Sound, with a dynamic range
- Microphone: dual microphones detect your voice and reduce background noise so that your voice is clearly heard on phone calls
Pros:
- Warranty card
- Convenience
- Easy to connect with iOS devices
- Free Apple Music
Cons:
- Limit features on Android
- The wing tip might annoy you sometimes
Pricing:
Buy now at Amazon for only USD 149.56
Conclusion
Clip-on headphones offer a convenient solution for individuals who desire to listen to music or podcasts in crowded public spaces with limited room. They prove to be particularly useful in situations where time, patience, or accessibility to use earbuds may be lacking, ultimately enhancing your daily commute. When purchasing clip-on headphones, it is crucial to consider your specific requirements and preferences, as well as their compatibility with various devices. By keeping these factors in mind, you can discover the ideal pair of headphones that cater to your needs. We trust that this guide has assisted you in finding a suitable set that aligns with your lifestyle and budget.
