6 Best Headphones That Don’t Mess Up Your Hair


Messy hair is a familiar consequence of wearing headphones for prolonged durations, especially when using on-ear or over-ear headphones with poorly designed headbands.

You could use earphones to combat this issue, but more often than not, it means living with lower sound quality. What’s an audio enthusiast or gamer to do? 

It’s the 21st-century, and men are allowed to look after their hair, and despite it being a small problem, “headphone hair” is still a genuine concern for many. 

If you’re sick and tired of having to redo your hairdo every time after jamming to your favorite tunes or a long gaming session, then this article was made with you in mind! Not every pair of headphones will ruin your hair; it’s all about finding one with the right design.

There’s no need to pull your hair out in trying to find a decent pair of headphones that don’t mess up hair because we’ve done all the necessary research for you! Keep on reading to see a list of some of the best headphones that don’t mess up hair. 

This list contains headphones that we found the most comfortable, easiest to wear, offering good performance, and most importantly, forgiving on our hairstyles. Here, in no particular order, is a list of the six best headphones that don’t mess up hair!

Sennheiser HD 25

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  • Form factor: On-ear
  • Connector: 3.5/ 6.5mm stereo
  • Cable length: 4.9ft straight cable
  • Max sound pressure: 120 dB
  • In-line remote and mic: No
  • Bluetooth: No
  • Noise cancellation: No
  • Weight without cable: 5 ounces

The Sennheiser HD 25 is a classic pair of budget headphones that only cost around $150. These headphones have been around for a long time and good reason! 

The original HD 25s was launched in 1988 and quickly gained popularity and fame from music professionals and DJs alike. A few music professionals have even referred to it as “industry standard” for Dj headphones.

The flexibility of the split headband and its low weight make it a comfortable fit for long jamming sessions, and as a bonus, the headband doesn’t mess up your hair much. 

Don’t let its simple, minimalistic design fool you, though; these headphones provide professional, accurate, and superb sound quality. They are making it an excellent option for individuals who enjoy music and DJing.

One minor inconvenience regarding the HD 25s is that if you’re not careful, you can occasionally trap your hair in the retractable headband, which can be a headache. Other than that, the HD 25s are a decent pair of headphones that offer comfort, performance and distribute their minimal weight nicely on your head.

ProsCons
Excellent sound quality and isolationNot the best quality cans for mixing
Reasonable price
Lightweight

Check out the Sennheiser HD 25 on Amazon

Sennheiser HD 650

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  • Form factor: Over-ear
  • Connector: 3.5/ 6.3mm stereo
  • Cable length: 118 inches
  • Max sound pressure: 103 dB
  • In-line remote and mic: No
  • Bluetooth: No
  • Noise cancellation: No
  • Weight: 0.57 lbs (260g)

The Sennheiser HD 650 is often considered to be one of the most comfortable studio headphones ever made. Thanks to the open-back design philosophy, there’s room for plenty of air to circulate these cans, making them possible for wearing on hot summer days. 

Most other headphones on the market often feature a “closed back” design, which means that they form a tight seal around the user’s ears to help prevent background noise from entering and helps isolate sound. But this closed-back design also leads to hot ears and might make wearing such headphones on hot summer days for long durations uncomfortable.

The HD 650’s open-back design, on the other hand, means that the ear cups are more significant and create a breathable area around your ears. This not only allows for more excellent airflow but also helps produce a natural soundstage that sounds nicer to your ears.

The HD650 is perfect for prolonged use, and their balanced weight distribution is good enough to make most forget that they’re even wearing them. They might not be as forgiving to your hairdo as other headphones on this list, but they’re still so good overall that it’d be a crime not to mention them at all.

Pricing for the HD650s varies significantly, but you can find reasonable offers for these cans online around the $300 price mark. Despite the relatively high price tag, it’s difficult to find much fault with the HD 650. They provide excellent detail with a good soundstage and are super comfortable to boot. 

ProsCons
Great build qualityRelatively high price tag
Amazing sound qualityLeak a lot due to their open-back design
Superior comfortNoise isolation is poor due to the design 

Check out the Sennheiser HD 650 on Amazon

Audio-Technica ATH-A2000Z

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  • Form factor: Over-ear
  • Connector: 3.5/ 6.5mm stereo
  • Cable length: 3.0m
  • In-line remote and mic: No
  • Bluetooth: No
  • Noise cancellation: No
  • Weight without cable: 294g

The ATH-A2000Z is an around-ear headphone from Audio-Technica, which has a lot going for it. There’s much to like about these cans, from the 3D wings system to the lightweight build and stellar sound quality. The ATH-A2000Z offers crisp sound in a Titanium capsule package.

As far as comfort quality goes, the soft pleather earpads, low weight (294g), low caliper pressure, and most importantly, the 3D wings support system do a splendid job of evenly distributing the headphone’s weight over a large area of your head. 

This makes wearing these headphones for long durations an absolute pleasure. The minimal amounts of pressure it exerts on top of your head also translates to lesser chances of headphone dents forming in your hair.

Despite being the best sounding Audio Technica 3D Wing series headphones, the ATH-A2000Z still has minor drawbacks. The 3m cable is nonremovable, the headphones don’t come with a carry case, and the titanium surface is prone to scratches.

ProsCons
Amazing comfort Cable is non-removable
Good build qualityNo hard carry case included
Detailed and sweet sound qualityRelatively expensive

Check out the Audio-Technica ATH-A2000Z on Amazon

Meze 99 Classics

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  • Form factor: Over-ear
  • Connector: 3.5/ 6.3mm stereo
  • Cables: 1m in-line with mic for portable use/ 3m cable for home use
  • In-line remote and mic: Yes
  • Bluetooth: No
  • Noise cancellation: No
  • Weight: 0.64 lbs

Produced by a small Romanian company, the Meze 99s is a regular fixture in most top 10 closed-back headphones lists for audiophiles. Mainly due to the ability of these cans to produce authentic and accurate sound. The 99 Classic’s pleasant tuning also gives off a nice touch of extra bass. But, what makes them so great is their comfort factor. 

These cans are right up there with some of the comfiest headphones ever produced. The comfortable padding, self-adjusting headband, and large size ear cups make them an absolute treat to wear around the house or outside.

The user-friendly self-adjusting headband design allows these headphones to sit gently atop your head and exerts minimal pressure. The soft leather band and the stabilizing arcing steel frames on top are just there to keep the cans in place and not mess with your hair much.

The surprisingly low weight of the Meze 99s also prevents excessive straining of neck muscles, and apart from the occasional break to rest your hot ears, they can be worn throughout the day with ease.

All in all, the more traditional and premium aesthetic design, sturdy build quality, comfort, and excellent audio performance makes the 99 Classics a pair of headphones worth considering if you’re in the market for some new cans.

ProsCons
Premium build and aestheticsSuffers a bit of noise transfer through headband and cables
Extremely comfyNot that great for portable use
Excellent audio quality

Check out the Meze 99 Classics on Amazon

Razer Ifrit

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  • Form factor: In-ear
  • Connector: 3.5mm and USB
  • Max sound pressure: 102 dB
  • In-line remote and mic: Yes
  • Bluetooth: No
  • Noise cancellation: No
  • Weight: 0.38 ounces

The Razer Ifrit is often advertised as the headset to get if you’re a gamer or streamer that wants a decent pair of headphones that don’t mess up hair. Unlike most other over-ear gaming headsets, the Ifrit’s wraparound in-ear design essentially makes it impossible to mess up your hair. 

This means that these cans are handy for streamers and content creators that are conscious about their appearance and care about how they look on camera.

The Ifrit also has some gamer-friendly features, such as the ability to insert two headphones simultaneously for audio playback and capture, thanks to the included USB sound card. This makes playing duos with a buddy an absolute treat.

The one size fits all flexible plastic headband rests reasonably comfortably on your head but might not be the most secure fit. The headband exerts a constant slight pressure around the back of the head but is still comfortable enough for gaming all day long.

All in all, the Razer Ifrit is a unique headset with a few excellent gaming-oriented features. But, the sound quality of both the headphones and the mic doesn’t exactly justify the $100 price tag. Especially when considering that Razer has other better performing over-ear headphones like the Razer Kraken in the same price range.

ProsCons
Ability to support two headsets simultaneously through the USB soundcardDoesn’t have the cleanest mic
Prevents headset hairBuild quality is mostly plastic and feels cheap
Innovative and lightweight design

Check out the Razer Ifrit on Amazon

Koss KSC-75

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  • Form factor: On-ear Clip-on
  • Connector: 3.5mm
  • Cable length: 4 ft
  • In-line remote and mic: No
  • Bluetooth: No
  • Noise cancellation: No
  • Weight: 1.52 ounces

The Koss KSC-75 deserves to be the conversation of the best headphones that don’t mess up hair. The KSC-75 are “clip-on” headphones that don’t exactly fall under a specific category. 

They’re not IEMs or in-ear headphones, well, because they don’t go inside your ear, and they’re not earbuds. Despite not having any headband form, the KSC-75s are still arguably more like a headphone than an earbud or an IEM. 

Although we’re not quite sure what type of headwear we’d classify these cans into, one thing we are confident of is that the KSC-75 offers exceptional audio quality. It is comparable to the significantly higher-priced alternatives, and its clip-on design means that they don’t disturb your hairstyle either.

The KSC-75 was first produced in 2005 as a cheaper alternative to the KSC35’s and, ever since, has been considered as the best pair of headphones to try if you’re an aspiring audiophile. They quickly gained notoriety as the best bang for your buck headphones that the audio world has to offer. 

These cost roughly $20, and despite being more than 15 years old, these old cans still stand the test of time and compete with the audio quality of more expensive $100 and above headphones. 

The only shortcoming of the KSC-75 is the less than desirable build quality, nonremovable cables, and lack of premium materials used. Nevertheless, these shortcomings are justifiable considering few branded alternatives in the same price bracket with a similar price to performance ratio. 

All in all, these headphones truly redefine the sub $30 price bracket since not a single manufacturer has yet released a headphone in the same range that can even match, let alone outperform it in terms of audio quality. Usually, if budget is your biggest concern, you only have two real options, either go with some cheap Chinese knockoffs or the revered KSC-75s.

ProsCons
Audio quality that far exceeds the price tagNot the best build quality or the most durable headphones out there
Comfortable, lightweight, and unique designEar clips might not be for everyone
Excellent stability due to ear hooks

Check out the Koss KSC-75 on Amazon

Some Tips To Avoid Headphone Hair

Most of the time, prevention is better than cure. You don’t necessarily have to deal with headphone hair if you know how to avoid it.

If you already have a decent pair of cans lying around the house and don’t want to go and search for new headphones that don’t mess up the hair, then don’t worry; we got you covered. Here are a few tips and tricks that you can try to help prevent headphones from messing up your hair.

Keep Changing The Placement Of The Headband

The pressure exerted by headbands onto the top of your head is the main reason why wearing headphones flatten hair and makes a dent in your hairstyle. 

Simply repositioning the headband from time to time can prevent excessive pressure from being exerted on a single area of your head. Moving the band’s position after every half an hour or so can stop your hair from forming dents. 

On the off chance that dents do form, they usually are far less noticeable due to the decreased amounts of pressure exerted on that area.

Similarly, just moving the headband towards the back of your head or below your chin can also help avoid your hair flattening.

Grow Out Or Go For Shorter Hair

Some types of hairstyles are less susceptible to flattening. People with concise hair, for example, people with buzz cuts, are less likely to get headphone hair. This is because short hair strands are not long enough to be flattened.

Similarly, people with really long hair don’t need to worry as much either. Longer hair is easy to style, and people with long hair can even use headphones as headbands or put their hair in a ponytail to avoid flattening. Tying long hair as in ponytails can tighten hair up and prevent dents from forming in your hair as well.

Additionally, you could try wearing caps or beanies when using your headphones to prevent headphone hair, but it’s usually not an ideal solution.

Try Using Earbuds

Unfortunately, there aren’t many headphones that don’t mess up hair in the market, save for a few. 

The most effective and most straightforward way to rid yourself of headphone hair is to switch to earbuds. This might be a more feasible solution than having to cut your hair or constantly adjust the position of headphones every once in a while.

Due to not being worn over our hair, earbuds eliminate the need to worry about headphone hair. Additionally, they still have some other benefits over other traditional headphones. They are more portable, less bulky, and generally cheaper than their on/over-ear counterparts.

Earbuds still have their downsides, though. Some people aren’t comfortable placing earbuds inside their ears for long durations of time, and earbuds generally don’t have the same level of sound quality compared to traditional headphones.

The Takeaway

No list of headphones is ever conclusive. There are too many varieties, iterations, and other factors involved. What this post intended to do was to present the headgear that stood out above the rest. 

According to my experience, these were 6 of the most comfortable, lightest, and best performing headphones that don’t mess up hair. 

Lastly, consider following the tips provided near the end of the article to help prevent and solve your headphone hair woes!

Audiophile Haven

AudiophileHaven is a site dedicated to Hi-Fi audio, and helping others learn more about premium quality sound equipment.

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