A couple of years ago, I wrote a post about my difficulties getting Apple’s ear pods and ear buds to stay in my ears. The post has been surprisingly popular, and based on the commentary it seems like 20-25% of people have the same problem I do – the ear pods just fall right out. The other 75-80% of people don’t have this problem.
Back then, I solved the problem with a product called Earbudi. These are hooks that clip on to ear pods and loop around your ear, preventing them from falling out even heavy activity like exercise. That post continues to drive several hundred page views a week, and a lot of people have followed my lead.
I feel bad, because I don’t actually use them anymore.
Don’t get me wrong – my ears haven’t magically reshaped themselves so the ear pods stay in, and the Earbudi does do a wonderful job.
The problem is that they have turned out to be quite flimsy. They are made from thin plastic that clips onto the ear pods to hold them in place, and it turns out this can break easily. After just a few months of riding around in a dedicated pocked in my Timbuk2 Messenger Commander bag, these pieces cracked and broke.
I replaced them a few times, but the same thing kept happening. Eventually I gave up.
About 8 months ago, I stumbled across a different product that has held up much better… Earhoox. These are small rubber attachments that loop onto the ear buds with a small protrusion.
Earhoox are small rubber attachments that add a small hook onto the top of the ear pod
Unlike the Earbudi, the Earhoox don’t loop around your ear. The small protrusion naturally hooks onto the fold of the ear, and somehow, magically, this allows it to stay in place.
It works remarkably well, though I don’t understand why. I’ve gone running with them, and I’ve used them while reclining in a dentist’s chair. Something between the extra friction provided by the rubber and the way it fits into the natural folds of the ear allows it to sustain bumps, tugs, and vibrations.
Best of all, it is remarkably durable. The flexible rubber just absorbs jostling, and even after months and months of use, I haven’t noticed any tears or breaks.
They’re just $9.99, so if your ear pods fall out of your ears easily like mine do, go get a pair.
Jeremy Rothman-Shore Blog 
Thanks..just ordered a pair. Hope they work as well for me as they do for you. I was about to chuck my apple earpods out the window!
Umm the following sounds dumb but it works pretty well on the new style earbuds: Put a little glue-stick on the back of the buds. Lasts a little longer. I’m still looking for a better solution and, if you find one, please let me know!
Many thanks, Jeremy. I ordered a pair and I am looking forward to solving this frustrating little fall out a problem
And the same here; just ordered two pairs, one for me, one for my wife. I have been not using my earpods for years … hope this will work! Thanks for the tip 🙂
After struggling for at least a year trying to keep those aggravating earbuds in, I gave up trying to listen to my iPhone music on the treadmill—which, for me, is pretty much essential to the treadmill experience, anyway—so the aerobic part of my fitness program was sporatic, to say the least. Today, I decided to ‘google my earbud problem’, and found your site. I’m excited to know I wasn’t alone in that problem, and am about to order some earhooks. Thank you!!!