Signs You Have Small Ears

Unsure if your ears are too small for regular earbuds? Before you spend money on a new pair, check out these signs to find out if you have small ears.

Finding the right pair of earbuds can be an uphill battle. While there are some lucky music lovers out there who can seemingly rock any pair of earbuds without discomfort and never complain about their ‘buds falling out, that just isn’t the case for everyone.

At some point, maybe you’ve wondered why finding that perfect pair of earbuds has been such a challenge. You might be one of the millions of people who have smaller ears who struggle with shopping for earbuds.

Whether they lose their earbuds or just get annoyed by the discomfort, people with small ears always end up right where they started—shopping for a new pair and crossing their fingers for a better experience. But how can you tell if your ears are too small in the first place?

We’ll help you figure it out! There are a handful of common issues that people with small ears face that can help you figure out if you’re among that select group. Here are some signs that your ears are on the small side and how you can find that last, perfect pair of earbuds.

Your Earbuds Hurt Your Ears

Listening to music shouldn’t be painful. If you’re someone who experiences pain while using earbuds, your ears might actually be too small for the tips. The root of this problem comes from generic earbud tips that don’t match the contours of small ears and are being forced to fit.

Your ears have several surfaces that earbud tips make contact with, but when the pressure is distributed unevenly, pain can settle in. Generic earbuds that cause unnecessary pressure on your outer ear—namely the concha.

There are always going to be pressure points when you don’t have a custom fit, but when you’re trying to squeeze an earbud into your ear when it’s too big, there are going to be even more—and more painful—pressure points. That discomfort and pain will mean you need to take frequent breaks from listening to your music, which sort of defeats the purpose of having earbuds.

You deserve earbuds that are specialized for small ears so you can go through your day without missing a beat. UE FITS mold to your unique earprint using patented Lightform Technology, resulting in unparalleled comfort for your daily routine. That means no pressure points—even for small ears.

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Your Earbuds Keep Falling Out

You probably won’t lose sleep over replacing a single pair of earbuds every few years, but buying them over and over again because they kept falling out of your ears… that’s another story. If you have small ears, the generic one-size-fits-all hard plastic earbuds will probably fall out of your ears because they’re not going far enough into your ears to form a secure fit.

You’ve probably seen the notorious trio of tip sizes that come with off-the-shelf earbuds. Those have to be better, right? They’re a step in the right direction, but they still miss the mark. Most people with smaller ears will go down a size or two, but these rarely fit. Plus, the soft rubber loses its shape over time and you’ll find that those eventually fall out constantly, too.

Generic tips are more of a ‘guestimate’ of what fits most people, but ears can’t be whittled down to small, medium or large. Just like fingerprints, no ear shape is exactly the same, and what one person considers small might not measure up with the tips that earbud manufacturers provide.

The only solution for small ears is a custom-fitted pair of earbuds, like UE FITS. The custom molded tips will give you a secure fit that never falls out, even during exercise or other physical activities.

Excessive Ear Wax Build-Up

Too much ear wax on your earbud tips? If you deal with ear wax build-up frequently, it may be a sign that you have small ears.

While ear wax helps the ear trap debris, too much of it can be a problem. If your ears are too small, ear wax build-up is more likely. Smaller ears—or ears with a unique shape—can trap wax in the ear canal and make it harder for it to escape naturally.

Frequent earaches, itchy sensations or a clogged feeling due to ear wax build-up are other signs that your ears are on the small side. Severe ear wax build-up, known as impactions, are also more common for people who have smaller ear canals.

In extreme cases, excessive wax build-up in small ears can lead to hearing issues too, including a ringing sensation known as tinnitus. Ear wax blockages prevent sound waves from reaching your eardrum, resulting in a weakened ability to hear things clearly.

Prone to Ear Infections

If you’re someone with a history of ear infections, smaller ear canals could be the reason.

People with smaller ears are more prone to ear infections because narrower ear passages can restrict the flow of fluid. Middle and outer ear infections are caused when fluid builds up and has nowhere to go. Without proper drainage, it becomes a breeding ground for harmful bacteria that cause painful ear infections.

Dirty earbuds that are poorly taken care of can complicate these issues even more, which is why cleaning the tips is so important. But even with healthy practices like this, people with small ears are more likely to develop ear infections from other sources.

Find the Perfect Fit

Do any of these signs sound familiar? If so, you might actually have small ears, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a perfect pair of earbuds for you. Before you buy another pair of earbuds off the shelf, try UE FITS risk-free. UE FITS are the only custom earbuds in the world that are designed to fit people who have small ears. Guaranteed to fit, or your money back.