Don't buy AirPods, buy EarPods — here's 5 reasons why

The world is, currently, very expensive. I watch my beloved Nespresso coffee pods get more costly by the day, and my packets of sandwich ham seem to rise in price by a few cents every week. Let's not even get started on eggs — waking up just isn't the same without my butter-filled morning scramble.

Headphones and earbuds are expensive, and in a time when it's more important than ever to save a few bucks (especially when a ham sandwich costs what it does now), they're a luxury that's easy to forgo or cheap out on when replacing old or damaged models.

But what do you get? EarPods. No matter if you're an Apple user with an iPhone or an Android faithful wielding a Pixel thing, you should get EarPods. For $20 bucks, you're not going to do any better than Apple's cheapest buds — and there are other benefits besides price. Let me explain.

1. No battery life

A pair of Apple AirPods Pro 3 — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Look, I love wireless earbuds. I really do. But there's nothing quite as annoying as opening your buds case, slipping them in your ear, only to receive no sound because you completely forgot to charge them.

Or, when you're on a long trip, and you have no time to add battery life to your buds. Musicless train journeys are simply a no-go in my books.

You know what doesn't have battery? EarPods. They plug into your phone, play music and take calls. They don't need recharging, so you won't need to worry about music-less train journeys anymore. No brainer.

2. More intuitive controls

The Apple EarPods on a stone wall — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

You see that funny rectangle on the right EarPods cable? That's a controller, and it's so much easier to use than the touch controls on your AirPods. And AirPods controls are great.

You press the volume up button to turn the sound up. You press the volume down button for the sound to go down. You press the middle button to play pause, and the volume up and down buttons twice to skip and go back a track. That's it. Those are the controls.

Not only does this placement make them easy to access, physical buttons are also a cinch if you're wearing big bulky gloves in colder weather.

3. Harder to lose

AirPods (and other wireless earbuds) are small. They're tiny, in fact, in the grand scheme of things. And what happens to tiny things? They get lost — a universal truth that follows us all. Train seat? See ya later, left earbud. Or never again.

By virtue of being attached by a cable, you're far less likely to lose your EarPods. Sure, if you leave them on the tray table and leave the train, you might, but you're not going to drop one down the sofa and be left with just one ear of music.

And if you do leave them on the tray table, you can buy another pair. Because they're $20.

4. Increased call quality

AirPods Pro 3 — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Call quality with modern wireless earbuds is fine, but it's never exemplary. There's a reason most companies supply you with a wired headset when you join — they sound better.

You see, when taking a call, the connection suddenly has to deal with two-way communication. One is the sound you can hear, being transferred from your phone or laptop to the buds.

The other is your voice being transferred from the microphone in your buds to your phone. That's double the audio streams, and Bluetooth just isn't man enough to handle both with much grace.

A cable, though? A cable does just fine — a pair of EarPods will, I'd wager, outperform even the most expensive wireless headphones mics in a head-to-head battle.

5. They're $20

A man wearing the Apple EarPods — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Look, I know I said I wouldn't talk about price, but I have to. The EarPods are cheap. They cost less than a family meal at Burger King. They're cheaper than Coffee for two at a nice cafe in Manhattan. There are everything bagels that cost more than the EarPods. They're so cheap.

And you know what? That's important. Because, like I said up at the very top, the world is currently putting us through the financial wringer, and saving money where you can is paramount. And getting EarPods instead of AirPods is a great way of making sure there are some eggs in the fridge for that all-important morning scramble.

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Tammy and her generous collection of headphones have found a new home — Tom's Guide! After a two-and-a-half-year stint as iMore's resident audiophile, Tammy's reviews and buying guide expertise have more focus than ever on Tom's Guide, helping buyers find the audio gear that works best for them. Tammy has worked with some of the most desirable audio brands on the planet in her time writing about headphones, speakers, and more, bringing a consumer focussed approach to critique and buying advice. Away from her desk, you'll probably find her in the countryside writing (extremely bad) poetry, or putting her screenwriting Masters to good use creating screenplays that'll never see the light of day.

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