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Comment by chollida1 | Hacker News Reader

Can any other runners comment on the new airpods for durability.

I've killed 3 pairs due to sweat from running seemingly shorting them out and then they never seem to recover.

the sound is great but I can't really tell much a difference between them and the $50 pair I tend to buy from amazon. That could be due to my 40 year old ears though.

They do connect really well and allow me to connect to both my phone and laptop which I love but durability seems to be a big problem for them.

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Just anecdata, but I have been running with non-pro AirPods for years with no problems like one you describe. I tend to sweat a lot, so by the end of the run they are pretty wet. No shorting or other electrical issues.

The only problem I've had was ear wax buildup (yeah, gross, I know) with the first/second AirPods generation (the ones with the long stem). I was able to use alcohol & hydrogen peroxide to clean them up a bit, but eventually the sound is muffled pretty bad.

I have recently switched to a pair of the latest version, AirPods 3 (with the shorter stems) and they seem to be made better in general. No sound problems and they seem to stay cleaner with minimal regular cleaning. I use a toothpick to gently remove any buildup as needed. The fit of the 3s is significantly different that the older version and did require some getting used to. They are a bit larger in the ear.

The only problem I've had was ear wax buildup

Fun-tac is your friend.

What's "fun-tac"?

I googled it for you: https://www.loctiteproducts.com/en/products/fix/general-purp...

It's mounting putty or sticky putty. You moosh it into your airpods and it grabs all the little debris that may be stuck to them.

There's also keyboard cleaning gels made specifically for this purpose: https://nerdtechy.com/best-keyboard-cleaning-gel

Huh, thanks, that does sound quite useful!

This is a good idea! I will look into it.

I had to get somewhat elaborate to keep the long-stem AirPods clean, with the Pros, it's really just getting the goo off them and the case. They seem impervious.

>>The only problem I've had was ear wax buildup

I purchased a hearing aid cleaning kit[0], and the little wire loop tool is excellent at removing wax.

[0]https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B089QMMSWW/

Well that's because they literally sound like $50 ones.

When it comes to sweat I believe balanced armature drivers tend to last much longer than dynamic drivers.

I also ruined a pair of Airpod pros that way. Got them replaced on warranty, but I'm still annoyed because Apple has ads where people run with Airpods but if you do they'll break.

I have not had this problem despite the fact that I believe I sweat a lot especially during peak summer running. I also happen to use ear-hooks to help my airpods stay in place otherwise they would fall out. Its kind of like ... uh... a condom for the airpod. I wonder if that has provided some protection.

if you can afford having a separate thing for running, I'm a big fan of Aftershokz. They use bone induction and are basically sweat proof. It's also helpful to be able to hear out my ears while running while still listening to music.

Agreed, I would go with separate running headphones. Even if the sweat doesn't destroy them, I've lost several pairs of quasi-waterproof headphones to sudden heavy rain etc.

I've put my first-get AirPods pros through the washing machine. I've been successfully using them for years now. Still work great. I concluded that their waterproof rating was, practically speaking, far above whatever they stated.

I run with Powerbeats Pro and they seem to have great durability. The main reason for me is the ear hooks though which are great for running. They use the H1 chip too.

I completed a 500 mile hike wearing AirPod pros and they're still kicking

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