Can you wear headphones with earrings? Yes, if the pair sits clear of the ear pads as you put the headset on, turn your head and take it off. Before you order a pair, find where the pad touches an earring you already own. That tells you which part to look for in the listing photos.
In 2021, Corporette founder Kat Griffin wrote that she found post earrings uncomfortable with headphones, a headset or a phone handset. Her experience is a good reason to look at the back of a stud before you buy one for work.
Where do your headphones meet the earring?
Stand in front of a mirror and put the headset on as you normally would. A pad pressing a stud back calls for a side view of the post and backing. A cushion catching a ring below the lobe calls for a closer look at where the drop attaches.
Keep your usual glasses on so you can see where the frame sits once the headset goes on. For the frame itself, see our guide to earrings with glasses.
What should the fastening photograph show?
For a stud, ask to see the backing in place so you can see how much of the post sticks out. For an open hook, look for a side view with both ends of the wire in frame. If a hoop carries a drop, look below the closure too. A connecting ring can sit wider than the hoop itself.
What can you learn from three real pairs?
The photos show the earrings off the ear. The measurements below are their overall lengths. Your own headset and the way the earrings hang on you determine where they meet.
The Redthread #52
#52's Red Jasper drops are about 77 mm (3.0 in) long. The silver-plated cupronickel hook curves above a small wire curl where the cotton-wrapped drop starts. If the cup catches the hook when you lift it off, ask for a side photo of the whole hook next to a ruler so you can see how far it extends from front to back.
The Stillwater #55
#55's Quartz and Agate pair is about 65 mm (2.6 in) long, including the hinged hoop. The hoop material is listed as titanium steel. The two metal rings at its base are the part to compare if your cushion catches a link just below your lobe.
A note to the maker could read like this.
The bottom of my headset cushion catches the link just below my earlobe. Could you send a side photo of #55 with the hoop closed and measure across the two rings where they hold the drop?
The Nightglass #53
#53's Black Obsidian pair is about 81 mm (3.2 in) long. Below the silver-plated cupronickel hook, the burgundy wrapping leads to a metal disc and a wider block of Obsidian. If the pad brushes the wider part of a drop you own, ask for a photo with a ruler running from the top of the hook to the disc. That gives you a distance you can compare with your own earrings.
What can you learn from a pair you already own?
If you're recording an interview about your business, try a short recording while turning toward your notes. Listen for any click or scrape that coincides with the movement. For a stage or clip-on mic, our public-speaking guide walks through rehearsing with the equipment you'll use.
On a day that starts with calls and ends with an in-person meeting, you can wear the pair that already works with your headset and put on the stone drops when the calls are over.
Frequently asked questions
Are studs always better than hoops with headphones?
Either can work, depending on where your headset sits. For a stud, look at the backing and how much of the post extends past it. For a hoop, look at the thickness of the closed hoop and any rings that hang below it.
Can I wear earbuds with drop earrings?
Yes, when the stem or ear hook clears the top of the drop. Try putting the earbud in and taking it out with a pair you own. A connection that clears the stem while you're sitting still can catch as you lift the earbud away.
About the author
Yifeng Tao is the founder and maker behind à la luck. She works with stone, beads and hand-worked cord, making edition-of-one jewelry and naming its materials plainly.