AirPods 3 Fit Your Ear? Are They Comfortable? (Yes / No)
Last updated on November 11th, 2021 at 01:49 am
Posted in Accessories by Mike on October 28, 2021
AirPods 3 fit
Do the AirPods 3 fit your ear? Are they comfortable and secure or you can feel pain after wearing them for a certain amount of time? How is the listening experience when compared to the previous generations? Is the new shape better or worse?
AirPods 3 Shape
This is the first upgrade that sees a different design for the original AirPods (not Pro).
Considering that the 3rd gen comes five years after the first AirPods model, we can conclude that Apple had plenty time of studying the fit and the new shape should make a better fit and provide a better experience for the majority of users.
AirPods 3 Ear Friendly?
However, human ears are very different and the AirPods 3 fit will surly not please all of us. Use the comments section and share your feedback. Do Apple’s new Bluetooth earbuds fit better in your ear than then older design?
Darko, an iPhoneTricks.org reader that inspired this article, is among the first ones to complain:
“The sound is great but I can’t keep them in my ears for more than 15 – 20 minutes. They start to hurt. The fit isn’t great :(“
He’s not the only one though. I search the web and found similar reports on Reddit!
AirPods 3 Ear Tips
The new AirPods released during the Unleashed event, aren’t an upgrade for the AirPods Pro, but a new version of the original AirPods!
That’s one of the reason why you won’t find ear tips in the package. The AirPods 3 come in an universal size. So, they will either fit your ear or not!
How To Fit AirPods 3 Better
1. Be Patient
If the AirPods 3 hurt you might have to train your ears. Get them out when you start feeling the pain. Next time try to wear them just a big longer. With baby steps you might be able to get your ears to accept them.
Fact: It should work the same way they started accepting the annoying COVID-19 mask, to the extend that you’re now able to wear it for a prolonged time without ear pain.
2. Use Ear Hooks
If your AirPods 3 don’t fit you can try to use them with ear covers. Here are some popular ones:
- AirPods 3 Ear Hooks DamonLight ($13.99)
- AirPods Ear Hooks (1,2,3) Xoomz ($10.59)
- AirPods Ear Hooks (1, 2, 3) ICARERSPACE ($7.99)
3. Go For AirPods Pro
If there is not way that you can make the AirPods 3 fit, you might consider returning them and switching to the AirPods Pro.
The Pros ship with three sizes of soft silicone tips that ensure an optimal fit. More, the AirPods Pro have also been updated to a wireless charging case that can charge from your iPhone’s MagSafe charger.
Tip: The AirPods Pro are currently on sale at Amazon.com. You can buy them for $189.99, that’ almost 25% off from the standard $249 retail price. This makes them only $15 more expensive than the AirPods 3! A great deal for the extra Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode features!
Disclaimer: iPhoneTricks.org has an affiliate partnership with Amazon. If you purchase a product after clicking the above link, you will help us receive a small commission that allows us to cover website costs.
Do the AirPods 3 fit your ear? Share your feedback in the comments section.
Related: Check out our extended AirPods 3 review and learn about the five controls available thanks to the force sensor!
Air pods 3 have a very bad fit. Ears hurting like hell. also the force touch function is useless compared to the tap function of the earlier AirPods.
Thanks for the feedback. We appreciate your contribution.
I loved the old ones. Gen 3 too big for my ear. Already fell out and accidentally found it on floor later. The hard touch to turn on is horrible – does not even respond. And have heck of a time pairing it to my IMAC with up to date OS – it literally will not pair.
Leigh, thanks for the feedback and for the straightforward review. Regarding pairing, can you please try the following:
Open System Preferences -> Sharing and Disable ‘AirPlay Receiver’. Does it help?
bad fit in my ear. Ears in pain after 10 minutes in. The force touch is difficult. in trying to grab the pod to ‘click’ it, it comes out. Returning today and sticking with my Gen 2s
Thanks for the feedback Josh. Why aren’t you going for the AirPods Pro instead?
I’m really disappointed, they fit very bad. Every 1 min i have to adjust them not to fell out. I’m trying to give them back after 4 days.
Thanks for the feedback. Let us know if you are successful. Also did you own any other previous AirPods model that were fitting better?
Super disappointed. I had tried the pros and they didn’t fit. When this new gen 3 came out I thought it would be the same style and fit of the gen 1 and 2 – but they’re horrible. I literally start smiling while speaking with someone and they fall out….sadly I got the case customized so I can’t ever return. Very dissatisfied and frustrated they’re such a bad fit.
Thanks for the feedback Tracy. Sorry to hear that they don’t fit your ears. Reports start to pileup. I am curios if the percentage is higher when compared to the previous AirPods generation. If they AirPods 3 fit your ear better please comment to, we want to hear both sides of the story!
P.S.: Users should learn from your experience and avoid customizing the case, to be able to return the AirPods if they don’t fit.
Extremely poor fit, they keep falling it out and I can’t even return them in Apple India. Is there someway we can pressurise apple to take these back. It hardly stays on for 5 mins and then starts falling off.
Sorry for your experience Saif. Did you own any other AirPods model before, that had a better fit?
It fits well on my left side but hurts my right ear, the same way as the AirPods Pro. I’m still trying to see if I can train my ears to get used to it. But I am already considering returning them.
Thanks for the feedback Song. Did you own an earlier AirPods model too? Were they fitting better? What about other earbuds?
Strange – I have the opposite problem, my right ear fits and the left is constantly falling out…
Thanks for reporting Olivia. Did you own any previous AirPods model? Did the 1st or 2nd gen fit better? If you can’t get used to the AirPods 3 you can return them and buy the 2nd gen. The AirPods 2 are currently on sale on Amazon. $99.99 instead of $159!
Disclaimer: iPhoneTricks.org has an affiliate partnership with Amazon. If you purchase a product after clicking the above link, you will help us receive a small commission that allows us to cover website costs.
Too big for my ears, falling out and WILL be lost. HATE having to push that button to turn it on and off. I liked hitting my ear to start/stop and this button pushing is too laborious.
I need to return them.
Appreciate your feedback Linda. Did you own any other AirPods model before, that fitted better? I recommend you to go for the AirPods Pro. They come with silicone tips that are available in three sizes and included in the package for optimal fit.
More, Amazon.com is currently having them on sale for $189.99, almost 25% off from the regular
$249price tag. That’s only $15 on top of the AirPods 3 price.Bought the Pros, and they didn’t stay in my ears. When the 3s came out, I bought them hoping that since they didn’t have the interchangeable tips (that I hate), they’d fit better but they didn’t either. A little bulky, hurts my ear and continuously slips out every 5-10 minutes. When I took those back, the sales person said that they have XS tips for the Pros that could work for me, but they didn’t have any in stock to give me…downside of that, I would HAVE to get them at the store since they’re not offered online, and the nearest store is an hour away. Sucks having to BUY extra accessories just for them to fit right. Love the sound that the 3s give but the 1st and 2nd gen AirPods fit the best for me. Thinking of switching to Bose at this point.
Thanks for the detailed feedback Patrice. Wasn’t aware either that they have an XS size for the tips. Good to know. For me personally, the AirPods Pro are the only out that fit without having to use ear hooks.
So painful! At least with the pro model fitting larger ears and the regular model fitting smaller ears, everyone was included and has a model that worked for them. Now, anyone with smaller ears doesn’t have a new model to choose from. Back to my 2nd gens.
Thanks for the feedback Nina. If you have the AirPods Pro and they don’t fit small ears you can grab Super-Small size eartips and get a nice fit. You can check them out here.
P.S.: AirPods Pro are currently on sale at Amazon for $188.99 instead of the regular $249.
Patricia, why would you constantly recommend buying AirPods pro to people that are complaining about the 3 being too big? Does not make any sense at all! They will run into the same problems!
Because the AirPods Pro come with the interchangeable silicone eartips and you can even get them in Super Small size: https://www.iphonetricks.org/how-to-fix-airpods-pro-not-fitting-well/
The eartips are not the problem. It’s the actual buds that are bigger on both the pro and gen 3 models. The gen 2 airpods which have the original shape and size are more comfortable for many people including myself.
That makes sense Ali. Thans for the feedback.
Super disappointed…these are awful. So painful, literally can’t even wear them through to listen to music or a video. I don’t like the earbuds that go deep inside hear (like every kind other than the original airpod/EarPod). Airpod pros aren’t an option because of this and no other wireless brand is an option either…Airpods we’re the only kind that I liked due to the simplicity and easy fit that didn’t go deep in the ear (the silicone things). It sucks that they did this, now I have to stay with the old gen 2s for forever since there aren’t any other headphone options for me. This has been a huge let down for me. I loved Apple, I don’t understand how they couldn’t have tested this…It doesn’t seem like anyone likes this new shape online.
Thanks for the feedback Brayden. Too bad that they’re not fitting your ears. You will have to stick with the AriPods 2 for a while. Next year, apple plans to release AirPods Pro 2, and most likely they will keep the silicone eartips design.
P.S.: Aren’t AirPods Max an option for you? They’re currently available for $479 ($70 sale) on Amazon?
I have been using airpods 2 earlier. I found the fit perfect. Recently got airpods 3. Though the pods don’t fall out, I don’t feel them to be comfortable. Also felt the bass is little too much for me. Feel pain in my ears and head after 10 minutes of listening to music
Thanks for the feedback Thanigai. Too bad that they’re not comfortable for your ears.
I bought the AirPods 3s after being disappointed with how the AirPods Pro did not fit my ears and kept falling out while feeling uncomfortable. I’m trying to stick it out and I really want to like and enjoy these new AirPods. But I still get the feeling that my 1st gen AirPods fit me better and feel more comfortable. I really don’t want to have to return these.
Thanks for the feedback Nick. Hope that you’ll manage to get used to them.
Which ever team at Apple that is responsible for AirPod 3 really dropped the ball on this version! These hurt my ear and are very uncomfortable… Sounds like this is a global issue. I own several earlier versions of Aipods. The only difference is new sound feature. I had to return these after the first week.
Thanks for the feedback Ian. Too bad that they’re not fitting your ear. Are the AirPods Pro a better fit?
The problem with AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro the people who like them are the same people who hated the original AirPods and claimed they would be a failure because they look and sound terrible.
Mainly tech reviewers on YouTube and else where really had it wrong and still wrong. The comments here are almost entirely negative.
Apple’s problem was they listened to the people who were not buying the AirPods.
If anything the pro line was geared towards the people with weird ear shapes the tech community. It’s sort of weird everyone liked AirPods but the tech reviewers all had the same complaints now the pro line reversed that trend.
I think Apple again should have two different lines the pro for tech YouTubers and the regular line for everyone. Since the pro line is geared towards a Minority of consumers they can pay more for features that were specifically made for them.
AirPods 3 was a mistake and it sucks they waited so long to release but I wouldn’t be surprised people are returning the AirPods 3 in mass. The comment section tells me we are not alone
Thanks for the feedback. We really appreciate it. Not that I wanna defend Apple, but there is one thing to consider: users that don’t like the AirPods 3 or have a problem with the fit will always search for this and complain. However, those that have a good fit, will very rarely search for an, ‘AirPods 3 fit your ears’ article.
If you look at the comments section of this topic, yes, it’s like 100% of people are negative about them. But we don’t really know the amount of people that are enjoying the fit, because we don’t have data from the other side of the coin.
I guess that only Apple can know the success rate as they can compare the percentage of users returning the AirPods 3 with the amount of customers that returned previous versions. They will probably never admit if the AirPods 3 have a higher return rate though.
A good hint for this will be the design of the AirPods 4. If Apple will stick with the 3rd gen form factor, we must have been in the minority. However, if they will return to the initial design, or change the design, we will know why.
Defending Apple or not you got to do what you feel is best. I think the search criteria is true but I the trend with the new ear shape I noticed even back when the Pro line was released the people who hated the original AirPods and the shape and look liked the AirPods Pro and the people who liked the AirPods 1 couldn’t stand AirPods Pro.
From the rumors it was back and forth on the design for AirPods 3. I think Apple just went with this design rather then do what they did for AirPods 2 and held onto them for I believe one or two years before they announced them.
I remember when the AirPods 2 came out in the instructions you still had references to the AirPower which Apple cancelled way before the launch of AirPods 2.
Apple is stubborn however even if consumer sentiment is negative they may try to push this again. It is Apple lol 😂
Thanks for the response Patricia
Very happy with the 3rd gen. Have them for about 1,5 week now and use them daily for meetings and listening to music during the commute and going for an after-dinner stroll. Fit me a lot better than the 1st gen, which, although comfortable, would occasionally fall out. Also, they don’t hurt me at all.
However, I can imagine people disliking the design. They’re significantly bigger than the 1st and 2nd design. My girlfriend is not a fan and when we listen together to the same music we use her 1st gen.
Probably everybody that’s unhappy with the design is out there placing comments about it. Suppose its likely that I’m one of the exceptions who bothers to look this stuff up and say something positive about the 3rd gen. Can’t see why most satisfied buyers would. I.e., don’t get blinded by a comment section that’s all in agreement about how bad a certain product is and just go to a store and try them!
In conclusion, I’m so far a very happy customer with the 3rd gen.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the AirPods, 3 Henk. Finally, some positive feedback. :)
Yes, users are always more inclined to share a negative review, if they product doesn’t match their expectations, compared to sharing a positive one if it does. Matching expectations is something that’s taken for granted. Time will tell if the AirPods 3 will be a successful generation or not.
I have 1st gen for four years and just 3rd gen, the fit is mad awkward, the sound quality is better definitely but after hours of wearing them my ears start to hurt. I guess I should have gone for the second gen
Thanks for the feedback. Why not the AirPods Pro instead?
P.S.: AirPods 2 are currently on sale on Amazon. $99.99 instead of $159!
Disclaimer: iPhoneTricks.org has an affiliate partnership with Amazon. If you purchase a product after clicking the above link, you will help us receive a small commission that allows us to cover website costs.
The new 3’s don’t fit my ear, kept falling out. I just flushed one down the toilet as it fell out when the toilet was flushing. No saving that one. They’re also harder to put in and remove from case.
They do sound better.
I’m going to get a new pair of 2’s rather than replace the one pod I lost. They fit great and never fell out, even while running.
Uh, that’s bad luck. Sorry to hear this. The AirPods 2 have been available until recently for $89.99 on Amazon. They’re out of stock now but they should be back and we might see a late Christmas or New Year’s sale.
I got the 3s for Christmas. I have been a huge fan of the AirPods 1st and second generations. They fit me perfectly. I have literally worn them for hours and sometimes I even forget they are in my ears. The 3s don’t fit me as well. I can’t really figure out if they fit me right at all, they don’t fall out of my ears like some have said, but I feel like they don’t go all the way in like they should, like I feel like I’m missing out on some sound. They don’t seem as bossy to me as the others, but it might just be a difference in sound. I do really like the stem controls, and I think they do sound excellent. I sort of wish they had kept the old design and made the stem control work for it. But I suspect to get the new sound they had to make it bigger. I don’t know, I’m a little sad, but I’m keeping them for now. The pros don’t work for me at all, my ears are extremely small, and the rounded design just doesn’t fit my ear.
Thanks for the detailed feedback Holly. It will surly help others when deciding to buy them or not.
Like others here. The airpod pro are painful for me to wear. The problem is not the eartips but the actual shape of the buds. The new design of the gen3 and pros use new larger buds which are painful to wear.
I was thinking about getting the 3rd gen and
I wanted to try them on when I go to the Apple store but I don’t think you can anymore the 3rd gen looks
Good but I don’t know what they would feel like in my ears
If they don’t fit you should be able to return them and claim your funds back.
Really disappointed. Sound is great but they should come with sticky tape to help hold them in your ears
Hi and thanks for this great article.
I just came here to say the “reply button” has a terrible place on this site. During my reading, while I was scrolling up and down to read the comments section, it was tapped accidentally and by mistake almost a thousand times and the reply form appeared then, which was frustrating and really drove me up the wall.
Anyway… Thanks.
Still in two minds about choosing Pro vs 3.
I used to have a pair of Pros which were perfect. But I also want to give 3 a try. Since some of my friends do own them and they’re quite satisfied with them.
I hope the email I’m entering to post this comment is not going to be used for receiving spams…
Just got the air pods 3 as a gift after my AirPod 1’s finally failed on me. The air pods 3 do fit differently than the originals, they are much bulkier and sit in my ears comfortably, however they do not go INTO my ears like the smaller originals did which over the years i had gotten very used to. Once I got past trying to make them fit like my old ones, the airpod 3’s are very comfortable, not gonna go running in them though.
Thanks for the feedback! Enjoy your AirPods 3!