Heading to the Gym or Salon? Here's Why You Might Want to Leave Your Expensive Earbuds Home

Take it from us: we know what it’s like to have a high-quality pair of earbuds that raises the bar on every listening experience. From the advanced noise-canceling capabilities to bass-boosting technology and every other enhancement available, investing in a pricey pair of earbuds can certainly be worth every penny.

On the other hand, losing or damaging those expensive earbuds can be a truly devastating experience. If you’ve just spent a couple hundred dollars on the latest, greatest earbuds on the market, chances are you won’t be too happy to turn around and spend another couple hundred on a replacement if they get lost, stolen or damaged. If you’re planning on engaging in activities that open your earbuds up to greater chances of loss, theft or damage, such as intense workouts at the gym or a spa day at the salon, you might want to think twice about bringing them along. Here’s why:

Earbuds at the Gym

Who doesn’t love listening to their favorite energy-boosting cardio mix during an intense sweat session? Research shows that listening to music you enjoy during a workout can have numerous benefits, including increasing endurance, elevating mood, reducing perceived effort and perhaps even promoting metabolic efficiency. Getting into a playlist of your top tunes can turn a workout into a FUN-out, and who wouldn’t want that?

But before you pack those brand-new, expensive earbuds into your gym bag, ask yourself this: what kinds of damage are you exposing them to every time you hit the gym?

For starters, there is always the potential that you will lose your earbuds during a workout at the gym. Anything from a partially unzipped duffel bag to a super-intense session where one or both buds go flying can cause your favorite earbuds to go missing. If your go-to expensive earbuds are of the wireless Bluetooth variety, even losing or damaging one earbud can ruin the entire pair. Because of this, you might be better off using a less-expensive pair of earbuds when you hit the gym.

We hate to say it, but theft is also a huge concern at a fitness center. Health clubs can be easy targets for property theft, due to the ease with which they can break an average padlock. Even if you’ve got your earbuds on you instead of in a locker, a would-be thief can swipe your earbuds and case from the cup holder on your elliptical, the dashboard of your treadmill, or the cubby hole in the group fitness room before you even have time to realize they’re gone. As with any valuable, leaving your expensive earbuds home before you hit the gym and opting for a cheaper pair might be the best thing to do.

Your earbuds don’t have to get lost or stolen to meet with a bad end at the gym, either. Dropping one or both earbuds into a swimming pool, accidentally stepping on one during a treadmill workout or dropping a heavy dumbbell onto one, both or the entire case during a strength training session could all damage your expensive earbuds beyond repair. Also, not to be gross but it has to be said: if you are a person who sweats a lot during a workout, the amount of moisture coming from the top of your head and even inside your ears could be enough to short out your pricey earbuds and render them useless. Your best bet might be to leave your high-end earbuds home and keep a cheaper pair in your gym bag.

Earbuds at the Salon

Are you a person who loves to be pampered? If nothing sounds more relaxing than a tranquil spa day listening to your favorite soothing meditation playlist, we’ve got some great news for you: listening to soft music does wonders to reduce stress, lower blood pressure and heart rate and even minimize the perception of pain (which is extra good news if your spa includes waxing services!)

But while a day at the spa or salon might sound like your idea of a good time, your earbuds don’t feel the same way. Every time you bring your go-to earbuds with you for a spa service, you are exposing them to a number of hazards.

As with the gym, it can be pretty easy to lose one or both of your earbuds during a spa day. Whether you drop one during a deep-tissue massage or they fall out of your robe pocket as you remove it, losing your earbuds can be a terrible end to what was supposed to be a day of relaxation. Why not skip the drama and hang onto your blissed-out spa afterglow a little bit longer by opting to bring a less-expensive pair?

Sad to say, but theft also runs rampant at spas and salons. Thieves know that people are likely to bring or wear valuables into the salon and leave them in a locker during their spa treatments. Even if you lock them up, there’s a chance of your earbuds getting boosted from the salon before you even realize they’re gone. For this reason, we recommend using a cheaper pair of earbuds during your treatment to avoid theft.

Thanks to the many lotions, body butters and other assorted types of goo that will be applied to your body during a salon or spa treatment, your expensive earbuds also run the risk of being damaged if you bring them along to use. Imagine dropping an earbud into a steaming, bubbly hot tub or accidentally getting it covered with massage oil! In fact, your earbuds even stand a chance of being damaged if you wear them into a steamy sauna (once again, sorry for the ick factor but you’re gonna sweat. A lot.) You’ll be glad you left your super-expensive earbuds home and brought a much cheaper pair with you if you end up having to fish them out of a tub during your seaweed wrap!

So…What’s the solution?

We’re not saying you shouldn’t get to enjoy music during a workout or salon visit. On the contrary, we love the idea of enhancing an already-beneficial act of self-care with some music that makes you feel happy, energized, powerful, relaxed or calm. We’re just not too crazy about the idea of you losing or breaking your high-tech earbuds while you’re doing it. Fortunately, we live in a time where disposable headphones, headsets and earbuds exist, giving you the sound quality and convenience you want without any of the headaches. Keeping a pair of disposable earbuds in your gym bag or purse can help eliminate the chances of anything happening to your go-to pair at home, and you still get the listening experience you want. It’s a win-win!

In fact, many fitness centers and salons already purchase bulk disposable headphones and distribute them to their patrons as an amenity, so be sure to call your gym or spa and see if they offer complimentary earbuds before you pack your own.

Happy listening!