Good Inexpensive Over the Ear Headphones

I like headphones. I needed good, inexpensive over the ear headphones because the on ear headphones just hurt my head.

They’re important. They let you listen to what you like without bothering others.

I have many purposes for them and the use cases make the purchasing decisions more complex.

Earbuds don’t stay in my ears, so those are no-go.

When I exercise, I typically sweat. So, I want a separate pair of good headphones for workouts than my headphones for regular use (non-sweating) scenarios.

I like using them for hands-free calls, so I need a mic in the regular use headphones.

I don’t like spending a lot of money on them either, which is why I’ve never owned a pair that cost more than $25. Now, I’m ready to change that.

I still won’t be buying $300 headphones though.

Why? A) I can’t afford them and B) I’m not enough of an audiophile to make it worth the expense. I doubt that Beats have better sound quality than a pair of $40 Sonys anyway. I’d go with Bose if I had the money to spend and the need for that much audio clarity.

With bluetooth wireless headphones the new thing, I want to upgrade to that. I’ve had a $15 pair of Sonys for workouts for the last three years and a $20 pair with a mic that I got on Groupon – they’re Symphonized and they are super comfortable in-ear headphones. The one problem is: they keep falling out if I go for a walk.

The Sonys are on-ear, not so much over-ear. Not sure if I have big ears or if the headphones are just small. Either way, I want an athletic pair with a hook to stay on my ears, no mic needed. I’d prefer the extra play time.

For regular use, I’ll be using them for podcasts, audiobooks, music and phone calls so I do need a mic and quality sound. I also want comfort for hours, so over-the-ear is necessary.

I’m looking for comfortable, adjustable and foldable with as much battery life as possible on a less than 2 hour charge (roughly how long my phone takes to charge).

I’ve asked my FB friends for recs and have been browsing Amazon (where I will be making the purchase) and reading reviews (both customers and bloggers – like audience and critics for movies).

Durability would be nice too as I plan on keeping good inexpensive over the ear headphones for a few years.

I had a budget of $100 total (Amazon gift card for Christmas) for the two pair and I think I can fit my needs well with that.

I was almost set on a $80 pair for home/work use but while watching video reviews of the Ghostek soDrop 2, I got recommended a best 3 headphones under $100 video. After watching it, checking the product reviews on Amazon, I went with the Archeer AH07 (now it’s $50).

Outside forces may have influenced my decision – I like Archer on FX and Bond (007), both of which are kind of in the name of the headphones. Also, the AH07 look similar to the soDrop 2 and have similar features… but the AH07 was $56. Which meant I got a stand ($9) and case ($5) to total $70.

I went with the COULAX noise cancellation, waterproof headphones ($24) for workouts. Adjustable hooks are awesome! My ears are weird and I loved the old cheap plastic Sony’s with hooks – bought a new pair every year from 2006-2010 because I was wearing them out and sweating in them. They were $10.

I bought good inexpensive over the ear headphones and a pair of workout headphones for under $100.

Two sets of awesome headphones for different situations, a carrying case and a stand to keep my desk decluttered purchased for $94. That left $6 for a good book.