The $22 Earpad Covers That Saved Me From Sweaty, Smelly Headphones

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A little story time: I love working out, especially while blasting my favorite music in headphones that drown out all the social anxiety-inducing hustle and bustle of a commercial gym. I had been eyeing the Beats Studio3 over-ear headphones for months, but given the notable price point, I always hesitated right before clicking the “Place Your Order” button. So, like any younger sibling would do, I asked my brother to gift them to me for my birthday last November, half-joking but also half-not. When they arrived in the mail, I was absolutely ecstatic, and I swore to myself that I would keep them in pristine condition for years to come.

Fast-forward 5 months later, and I was in between a rock and a hard place. I loved the sound quality, look, and feel of the Beats, but there was just one problem. They stank … a lot. I had followed all the Internet tips to the tee — making sure to wipe my headphones down with a dry cloth after every workout, soaking out the excess sweat that had snuck past the earpad seams into the inner cushions, etc. But given the absorbent material of the pads, the sweat had accumulated bit by bit, to the point where I would dread putting on my headphones to go to the gym because I was 100% sure that the people around me would smell how rancid these headphones were.

It finally got to the point where I was just about ready to pull the plug on these Beats and buy a new pair, but I was filled with guilt since this was a birthday present and everything else about the headphones were just perfect. As a last resort, I scoured through Amazon looking for potential solutions, and I came upon these silicone headphone earpad covers. Since $22 is a significantly cheaper price tag than $350, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try these out, along with $18 earpads. I followed video tutorials on how to replace the pads, put the silicone covers on, and cautiously headed to my next workout.

When I say these silicone covers are a gamechanger, I’m genuinely not exaggerating. Almost 6 months and countless sweaty workout sessions later, and my Beats Studio3 are still as good as new (and the sound quality hasn’t been compromised in any way). As someone who was able to save her beloved headphones from going in the trash (and end up a few hundred dollars poorer), I’m here to tell those of you who can relate to me that there is an affordable, easy solution. And don’t worry if these headphone covers don’t match with your current ones — the company makes a wide range of them, along with replacement earpads, so you can find the ones that are specific to your needs.

If you’re ready to embark on a new adventure with your headphones while saving some big bucks, come along with me and keep reading.