If you have ever worn a pair of glasses while wearing a pair of over-the-ear headphones, you know the headphones can cause some serious discomfort after a while.
- Loosen your headset
- Reposition your headset
- Reposition your glasses
- Try the padding trick
- Try thinner frames
- Get new ear headphones with thicker ear cushions or a different material
- Buy headphones designed to be worn with glasses
There are a few tips and tricks you can try to alleviate the discomfort temporarily, but there are also headphones on the market designed just for people that wear glasses.
Loosen Your Headset
All of the discomforts of wearing headphones with glasses come from the pressure exerted on your head by the headband of the headphones.
You can see if your headphones are adjustable and adjust them to lessen the clamping pressure on your temples where your frames are.
You can also try inserting a stack of books into the headset to help stretch them out to reduce pressure. Be careful not to damage the headband on your headphones.
Reposition Your Headset
There is no right way or wrong way to wear your headphones if you find a better way of wearing them that relieves the discomfort while wearing glasses.
Try changing the position of the headband or the ear cups to see if you can find a more comfortable position for your headphones.
Reposition Your Glasses
It’s possible that placing your glasses over your headphones instead of vice-versa may solve your problem. You want to be sure not to damage your glasses frame while trying this fix.
Try the Padding Trick
Something else you can try for temporary relief is to insert some padding in between your headphones and the frames of your glasses.
Small, folded-up pieces of tissue make for easy make-shift pads that can relieve the discomfort of wearing headphones with glasses for long periods.
Try Thinner Frames on Your Glasses
It may seem obvious, but you can also try glasses with thinner frames. While not exactly a cheap option, it is an option.
The thinner the frames, the less material there is to push into your temples. You can also try rimless glasses.
Ear Cushion Material
Another thing you can look for when purchasing wireless headphones is to pay attention to the material the ear cups and ear cushions are made out of.
If possible, get yourself some headphones with either foam or velour ear pads or cushions. These materials tend to be the softest and exert the least pressure on the temples.
Velour ear cushions usually come on higher-end headphones. It is also possible to get pleather, and leather ear cushions, but these tend to have stiffer padding and cause discomfort.
Headphones Designed for Glasses Wearers
There are also headphones designed especially for people who wear glasses, although they are few and far between.
Headphones like the Razer Krakens feature a notch for the arm of your glasses frame so they don’t push or exert pressure on your glasses.
Best Headphones for Glasses
Most of these types of headphones feature some or all of the features that have been previously mentioned. Any would make a great gaming headset or headphones for a glasses wearer.
| Name | Features | Ear Pad Material | Noise Cancellation |
| AKG Pro Audio K371 | Oval Over-ear cushion Great audio quality Bluetooth | Foam | Yes |
| Echo Frames (2nd Gen) | Headphones built into sunglasses design Lightweight and comfortable | – | No |
| Aftershokz Aeropex Open-Ear Bone Conduction Headphones | Won’t interfere with glassesBluetooth8-hour battery | – | No |
| Sony WHCH700N Noise Cancelling Headset | Digital noise cancellation 35-hour battery Bluetooth | Pleather | Yes |
| Razer Kraken X Ultralight Gaming Headset | Cutout for glasses frame Lightweight frame Bluetooth | Foam | Yes |
All of these models of headphones are well-rated and would be an upgrade for anyone that is suffering from discomfort from wearing headphones and glasses at the same time.
Problems With Wearing Headphones With Glasses
There are a few problems with wearing glasses and over-the-ear headphones. It is also possible to have headphones that sit on the ear instead of over it, such as Beats Solo Pro.
- Headphones that sit on your ears will dig your glasses’ frame into your temple
- The pressure can also cause headaches
- It is also possible to get inflamed ear cartilage, known as Auricular Chondritis
If you wear glasses or sunglasses and headphones at the same time, you owe it to yourself to get a pair that are more comfortable and won’t force unnecessary breaks before you are ready.
Conclusion
If you wear wireless headphones with glasses, ear pads, ear cups, and ear cushions (memory foam, cloth, etc.), the surface area is just as important as audio quality and battery life.
To be comfy wearing headphones while wearing glasses, you need to take all of these factors, sound quality and comfort, into consideration when purchasing a pair of headphones.
