I was in the market for headphones recently, and I started Googling ‘programming headphones’. Surprised I couldn’t find any articles.
What makes headphones good for programming?
Good programming headphones will ultimately enable you to work faster, more comfortably, and to stay focused.
But in the end it really all comes down to preference. For example, I am more concerned about wearing something low-profile and simple that I am about wearing something that cancels all noise out. So for some, noise-canceling may be their top priority. Take a second to make a list of your priorities if you’re looking for new head phones.
Here’s what I felt contributed to my decision
There were a lot of arbitrary factors that weighed in on my decision, like color, brand etc, but I focused on a list of features I felt allowed headphones contribute to the programmer/entrepreneur.
Fit
A very important factor for working headphones is fit. These headphones, either in-ear or over-ear, need to be comfortable when worn for long periods. Some earbuds, like the iPhone earbuds (which is known to be the most worn programming earbud), kill my ears after prolonged used. So when choosing my headphones, I went with something I knew would be comfortable for 3+ hours.
Wired vs. Wireless
This decision boils down to personal preference. For me personally, I wanted something wireless because my last pair of headphones ripped at the wire.
If you’re trying to decide between wired and wireless headphones for programming, ask yourself this — Are you going to keep the headphones charged? That is the ONLY difference between the two. My headphones use a micro usb charger, which I can also use for my phone. But if you have an iPhone you’ll probably need to keep a second charger in your backpack. Other than that, there is no sacrifice to going wireless.
Noise Canceling
Do you want to silence the world around you when you work? If so, you’re going to need some noise canceling headphones. I’m not an expert here, but I’d like to talk about the commitment of noise canceling headphones. Virtually all powerful noise-canceling headphones are over-ear headphones. That being said, if you use an over-ear headphone, you will most likely not have an inline-microphone (over-ears typically don’t). So by committing to noise canceling headphones, you’re virtually commiting to single functionality headphones. I couldn’t do it.
Microphone
My last, and ultimately very important, factor to my decision was the in-line microphone. I wanted to be able to take calls on these headphones, like iPhone earbuds. This allows me to move in and out of programming for calls seamlessly, which means I can make more money by working faster. I also use a Google Watch, so having this really just completed my wireless arsenal. I feel I’m in Tron when I program.
I Chose Wireless Yurbuds
I got something like this here. Overall, they’ve been working fine. Just remember that the programmer should make the earphones look cool, not the other way around.
Work harder.