Shower Head (Does Wet Hair Cause Headphone Breakdown)

Listening to music is becoming increasingly personal. An increasing number of people nowadays prefer headphones for their compact size, sound, and portability. Although it may be portable, it cannot be used everywhere. Being electric devices, they are vulnerable to water which may raise questions such as, can you use headphones with wet hair?

Regular headphones should not be used with wet hair. Headphones lack waterproofing. So, they can short-circuit coming in contact with water and become unusable. So realistically you should avoid wearing headphones while you are wet.

Reading this article will help you understand why headphones should not be used with wet hair and you’ll also get to learn about water-resistant headphones and factors to look out for while purchasing one for yourself!

5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Use Regular Headphones With Wet Hair

Chances are, in most cases you might use your headphones with wet hair or sweat. That isn’t the best thing to do with your valuable piece of tech. So here are the top 6 reasons why you should not use headphones with wet hair or sweat!

It might short circuit the motherboard

Any substantial amount of water or liquid can be bad for your headphones. If the water enters directly into the motherboard, it can easily cause a short circuit and cause all connections not to work.

Just like any other working electronic device the motherboards are what drives it. Any sort of tampering or damage can leave it unusable to function which will result in your headphones not working anymore.

Most likely can damage the speakers

Just like the motherboard if the open speaker connections come into contact with water. It can result in one or both headphones not working and producing any sound at all.

If you didn’t know, headphones have small speakers in them that play music straight in your ears. As the sounds or music come directly from the pair of speakers, they play the most vital role in the whole headphone. They might need to change if they cannot be repaired.

Possibly can damage the ports

Doesn’t matter if your headphones are wired or wireless, they generally have charging ports or a 3.5mm Headphone Jack. Water or liquid can temporarily or permanently cause them not to function

Changing or repairing them can get expensive on the wireless ones. They have a whole new kind of technology that cannot be easily changed or repaired depending on the model of headphones you end up with.

It might cause hearing problems

If the speakers of your headphones get damaged, they can sometimes produce high frequencies of sounds that are not healthy for one’s ear. These high frequencies sometimes get high enough to cause long-term problems as well.

As the speakers are sound-based electronic devices, they save certain frequencies set by the manufacturers for safety purposes. But exposure to water can damage that. Which might cause different decimals or frequencies of sound that harm the human ears.

It will muffle audio

As we know, speakers are the essential part of the listening experience to any good pair of headphones. But if water gets in them, it can muffle the audio and ruin the listening experience of the listener.

Water entering directly to the diaphragm or cone-shaped part that makes the sound in a speaker can cause problems. The diaphragm vibes to create sound. But, water or liquid causes obstacles and results in sounds coming out muffled or obstructed.

How to Protect Your Headphones From Water Damage? 

Now that you know the reasons why you shouldn’t use your headphones with wet hair or sweat. Now let’s look into how we can protect your valuable headphones. Here are the top 3 ways to protect your headphones:

Understanding water resistance

People often mess up the phrases “water-resistant” and “waterproof” are frequently interchanged, although they should not be. It is key to understand before using it near wet areas.

One is water-resistant, meaning it is only resistant externally. On the other hand, Waterproof is completely certified to be waterproof to all sorts of water interactions. Understanding the difference while buying plays an important role in its longevity.

Using plastic or rubber padding

The use of plastic or rubber padding to steal the headphones into place not only provides proper isolation of sound. But also helps in keeping the water out. They come with some earphones in the box or after-market ones that can be found on the internet.

They come in all shapes and sizes. Make sure to get them according to your right model and fit. I bought one for my younger brother once. They do deliver on their promise for their quality to price ratio.

Keeping them far away from water

The most basic but key step is keeping as far away from water or wet kinds of stuff as much as possible. If your pair of headphones isn’t waterproof, it is highly recommended to keep them as far as possible.

Needless to say, you would be aware of the fact. Unless you have a waterproof or resistant pair of headphones.

Buy Waterproof or Water-Resistant Headphones and Earbuds

As we have discussed previously, Waterproof and water-resistant are not the same thing. Both are different and have equally different uses and functionality. IP (IP stands for Ingress Protection) ratings play an important part in defining that. Another is the price of the product for its quality.

Therefore, IP rating, Price, and quality are to consider while buying a good pair of water proof headphones.

IP Rating

IP or Ingress Protection has two digits after it. The first digit relates to solid protection, such as dust. 0 indicates no protection, 6 indicates complete protection, and X indicates that, while the manufacturer did not test for solids protection, it is assumed that the product has some level of protection.

In other words, an X in an IP rating implies “better than 0 but we’re not sure beyond that, so don’t sue us.

The device’s protection against solids is more than zero, and its protection against liquids is good, according to IPX8. The numbers 0 and 8 imply that the gadget can be submerged up to 1 meter (perhaps beyond) and withstand high-pressure water from a faucet or a strong downpour without being harmed. Liquid protection is represented by the second digit of an IP rating.

If you’re going to use your headphones for exercising or in or after a shower with wet hair, your headphones should have an IP rating of at least IPX7 or IPX8. Low-pressure water like a shower, light rain, perspiration, or mist from a spray bottle won’t cause any damage to these headphones.

Price and Quality

This is another key factor to look out for. Cheap here won’t get you far. So, spend your money wisely and on the right pair of headphones. Whether you buy online or in your locality, do some digging on what exactly you want.

A good pair of headphones with proper waterproofing can cost from 80-150 Dollars. They vary according to their specifications and type. My recommendation would be to get a wireless earbuds for ease of mobility and no wires to handle. Such as these Jabra Elite Sports IP67 waterproof earbuds.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article was helpful enough to answer whether or not can you use headphones with wet hair or sweat. As well as the ways to protect them from water damage.  But I’ve already said, instead of worrying about water damage, invest in a good pair of wireless earbuds. They are definitely worth it.

Thanks a lot for reading till the end & have a nice day!