According to Statista’s last survey of share of glass wearers in the UK in 2020, a whopping 59% of the population wear glasses. 77% of women and 68% of men reported wearing glasses or contact lenses in the United Kingdom, so if you have 20/20 vision you’re in the minority.
The reason that most of the population wear corrective sight solutions are attributed to genetics, advances in diagnosing those needing corrective lenses, an ageing population and yes, screen time gets the blame too. With the majority of the population with a pair of spectacles on their faces, and the temples perched neatly on their ears, thoughts turn to the ideal pair of headphones for glasses wearers, and that includes sunglasses too.
We conducted a short qualitative survey amongst a small, but talkative, group of glasses-wearing colleagues, friend and associates, seeking feedback on the issues they had regarding wearing glasses and headphones and headset combinations, and what features they specifically look out for. We did not include earbuds or headphones that used bone conduction technology in our survey – we stuck to those devices that use speakers to transmit sound and have a headband.
Headsets v Headphones
Our snap survey glass-wearing respondents were utterly confused about the terminology they were using and what was on their heads – some thought headphones and headsets were the same devices, whilst others differentiated whether the devices were used for work or leisure. For the sake of getting through our survey, we asked for feedback from glasses wearers for both head devices and most understood that headphones were largely designed to listen to audio and headsets were largely designed for listening and communicating and may or may not come with an attached or inbuilt microphone. Additionally, it was felt that headphones fell into mainly two categories, they could be closed or open backed, and if they were closed-back it meant that the earcups are closed on the outside which blocks the background noise and air entering the earpiece.
Glass Wearers’ Gripes
We had a lot of gripes from glasses wearers, and we categorised them into three distinct categories: pain, loss and fit. The pain gripe from glasses wearers centred around the pain they experienced when the arms of their glasses dug into their skin because the earpiece pressure was adding extra force. Someone described this phenomenon as “clamp force” – the force of their glasses and the extra force of earpieces on their ears.
Sound Loss and Poorly Fitting
The loss gripe was around the fact that the glasses arms were preventing the earpieces from fitting, and the audio was “floating away” or “leaking” before it got to their ear canals. The fit gripe was comfort issues, there was no pain involved, they simply did not feel comfortable or fit properly. One poor lad demonstrated that he could not wear his glasses and his headset perfectly – he kept adjusting his glasses slipping down his nose or retrieving his headband from the back of his head. When he finally got his glasses and his headset in line, his glasses started misting up.
Solutions to the Gripes
Thanks to our respondents, we can sum up what they are looking for. Glass wearers unanimously said, when they were choosing headphones and headsets, they would look for:
1. Earpiece Padding – more is good, soft is great
2. Adjustable Headbands – they give you options
3. Flexible Material – but make it robust, not flimsy flexible
4. Over the Ear or On the Ear – your glasses will decide, but most said over-the-ear
Over-the-ear headphones are predominantly a glass wearer’s best bet, since they distribute pressure more evenly, rather than placing pressure directly onto the earlobes. The ear cups typically cushion around the arms of glasses, and while not limiting discomfort entirely, offer unparalleled comfort compared to in-ear, or on-the-ear headphones.
Seeing is believing
Our respondents were wearing a lot of gear, not only on their heads and ears and eyes, but we felt it would not be good to share with you just their pain and misery, but also their joy. We share with you the headsets that our respondents rated very highly, based on their own personal experiences, ones that they are currently wearing and using.
Jabra Elite 85h
The headphones contain 8 microphones, 4 of which are used by the powerful digital ANC to filter out the surrounding noise around you. ANC = Active Noise Cancellation: it responds to the environment around the wearer, switching itself on if it detects unwanted background noise according to the preferences set within the Jabra Sound+ app. The user can also customise their music settings with purpose-built speakers. With up to 36 hours of battery power on a single charge (with ANC switched on) and fast charging – you can get up to 5 hours of battery power from just 15 minutes of charging. Voice assistant enabled to Amazon Alexa, Siri®, and Google Assistant™. The headphones recognise when you remove them from your ears, auto-playing and pausing audio and answering and muting calls. The Elite 85h are certified rain-resistant and come with a 2-year warranty against water and dust.
☑ soft padded ear cups ☑ adjustable headband ☑ lightweight design
Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones
Known for their exceptional comfort and noise cancellation, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II and the newer QC45 are popular choices. Their lightweight design and adjustable headband help reduce pressure on the temples.
☑ soft padded ear cups ☑ adjustable headband ☑ lightweight design
Sony WH-1000XM4 Headset
The WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM5 models are noted for their noise cancellation and sound quality. They also have plush ear padding that can accommodate glasses more comfortably. The battery lasts for about 30 hours and you can get 5 hours of charge after just 10-15 minutes with the optional AC adapter. Sony has integrated a hands-free mode such as pausing the playback when headphones are removed, or the user can place their hand over the right ear cup to turn off noise cancellation. They are equipped with adaptive sound which automatically adjusts noise cancellation levels to the location.
☑ soft padded ear cups ☑ adjustable headband ☑ lightweight design
Tips for Resellers
• Use a good comprehensive headphones/headset distributor, like EET or Nimans.
• Establish customer use intention – work, leisure, commuting etc. and in-use hours per day.
• Listen to the customer’s needs, and if they are wearing glasses then offer devices with padded earcups and adjustable headbands. The customer may be wearing contact lenses, so check if they are an occasional glasses wearer.
• Trade the customer up – cheap is not cheerful, and when it comes to the customer’s sight and hearing, it is always wise to make the investment into a good pair of headphones/headsets.
• Offer the customer a returns policy and testing devices if possible.
The Customer is Right, but they may need help
For the glass-wearing customer that cannot find the right headset/headphones for them, they may want to consider changing their glasses – either thinner frames, or ones that can be worn on the bridge of the nose. And apparently, according to one of our respondents, they changed their hairstyle, and now their glasses, headphones and hair are all in harmony.