Some headphones are absolutely terrible to wear. They hurt your ears because they fit bad and long session of wearing them leave the outside of your ear burning and also they have a bad sound quality that leaves your head spinning. You want to avoid these uncomfortable headphones like they are the plague. Instead you want to find a good pair of very comfortable headphones so that you can listen to your music with ease.

You can definitely notice the difference between uncomfortable and comfortable headphones in as little as 15 minutes. 15 minutes is hardly any time at all, it is less than a mile walking, it is around 2 miles running, and it isn't even very much weight lifting. It is also not very much a plane trip, or bus ride, or train commute. 15 minutes is like a flash in the pan when you consider all the time that you spend with headphones around your ears. So if you can feel the different in that short of an amount of time don't you think you should get headphones that are comfortable?

We really do use headphones a lot in today's society. We use them on our iPods, which we take everywhere with us. We also use them on our cell phones if they can stream media like Pandora or YouTube. We use them at our computer while we study, work, or play. If I were a betting man, I would say that most college students have their headphones for hours a day and most workers have their headphones on for a little less than a few hours. This means that we need to find a way to keep our ears in comfort since we have headphones on for so long.

Here are some of the key characteristics of a comfortable headphone.

1. You get a good fit to the ear. When speaking about headphones we are really talking about two different styles. One style fits over the ear. This style requires that the cup that fits over the ear not touch the ear or at very least provide a very comfortable point of contact between the headphone and the ear. Many headphones of this style fail at this task and are uncomfortable. However, some people find the second headphone style intrinsically uncomfortable so they are left with finding a good fit for them. The second style of headphone fits inside the ear. I personally find this style very uncomfortable to begin with so I am unable to speak about how to find a comfortable fit with this style. Just make sure that you get a good fit for your ear and you are set.
2. If you go with the first style of headphone you need to make sure that the headband that connects the two cups is going to be comfortable for your head. If the headband pressed down on the top of your head it can become very uncomfortable very fast. Place the headphones on your head and see if they fit well.
   
3. Another key component of good headphones is excellent sound quality. A lot of uncomfortable headphones also have good sound quality so make sure that you find a set that also has the other attributes being included in this list.
   
4. A well placed cord is also key for comfort. If the cord is always getting in your way as you go about your work, play, or exercise then you might not find this style of headphone very comfortable. Again, try on the headphones before you buy them to see if they are going to be comfortable.
   
5. Another cord related issue is the cord length. You are going to want something that is not too short and not too long. If it is too short you may have to be hunched over your laptop to listen or if it is too long it is going to get in your way while running.

Finding comfortable headphones is all about personal preference, so try a bunch of different styles and brands out until you find the right fit for you.