# How do you keep your earbuds from getting entangled? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 18, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466 "2011-07-18T17:33:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/1 "2011-07-18T17:33:29Z")
No matter what I do, every time I want to use my earbuds, I must spend about five frustrating minutes detangling them. If I wind them around my Blackberry, or make a neat coil of them, they’re still hopelessly tangled when I try to use them. Has anyone devised a solution to this problem? I would think the person who invented a way of keeping earbuds detangled would be in line for a Nobel Prize or at least a shipload of money. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/2 "2011-07-18T17:37:59Z")
I have a co-worker that was complaining about this. Then I showed her the little “sleeve” thingy down where the cords being to Y. Slid it up to the top and both earbuds don’t get all twisted. Most earbud style headphones have 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/3 "2011-07-18T17:39:43Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I have a co-worker that was complaining about this. Then I showed her the little “sleeve” thingy down where the cords being to Y. Slid it up to the top and both earbuds don’t get all twisted. Most earbud style headphones have 'em. And don’t forget - or you’ll kick yourself as you spend what you now know are 5 useless minutes untangling them. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/4 "2011-07-18T17:39:51Z")
This has been driving me nuts recently. My last pair of earbuds had a thick, woven cord that was absolutely perfect. You _couldn’t_ tangle it, and it was far more durable than most headphone cords I’ve dealt with. But the earbuds themselves stunk. So I got a pair of hooked headphones that fit my ears much better, but the cord is the cheap little tangle-able POS. If you’ve got simple earbuds rather than the hooked ones, this probably won’t work well, but I just wrap the cord tight around the buds, then hook the plug through the cord. Keeps it from coming loose easily. I’m constantly wrapping and unwrapping the cord, so I’ve gotten fairly good at it. What I’d _really_ like is a retractable cord like you see for [phone cords](http://www.amazon.com/Cables-Unlimited-Retractable-Phone-Modem/dp/B00479GQMG/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_4). I’ve never been able to find anything like that for headphones, though. ETA: Oh yeah, that sleeve helps, _if you have it_. My current pair doesn’t. Irritating. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/5 "2011-07-18T17:45:58Z")
Mine are retractable. They spool into a little cylinder. [Linky](http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/05/sonys-three-new-models-of-retractable-headphones/) Pricey but considering I keep them in my purse, it saves me the detangling time and they are less likely to get caught on something sharp in there and break. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/6 "2011-07-18T18:41:17Z")
I have [several](http://www.amazon.com/MEElectronics-M2P-BK-Sound-Isolating-Headphones-Smartphones/dp/B0038W0K3O/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1311014221&sr=1-7) [different](http://www.amazon.com/MEElectronics-M9-SL-Sound-Isolating-Headphones-Silver/dp/B0038W0K1Q/ref=sr_1_10?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1311014221&sr=1-10) ones from MEElectronics that have wires coated with a thin layer of clear something that prevents tangling, but doesn’t make them too thick. The sound quality is great. I couldn’t tell you which specific model I have, but you can see which ones have the coating in the photos. They don’t tangle no matter how you scrunch them up. ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/7 "2011-07-18T18:54:29Z")
You might also try the “devil horns” way of wrapping the cord: 1. Place the earbuds in the palm of your hand and extend your pinkie and index fingers while folding down your ring and middle fingers over the earbuds. 2. Then, wrap the cord around your index finger and pinkie fingers, using a figure-eight motion. 3. When you get down to the last few inches of cord, pinch the bundle in the middle and slide it off your fingers. 4. Wrap the remaining cord around the middle of the bundle and then loop the end through one of the circles. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/8 "2011-07-18T22:58:46Z")
In addition to using the sleeve, I fold my cord in half before coiling. Easy to do, and usually no tangling problem. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/9 "2011-07-18T23:11:05Z")
> [@BobArrgh](#): > > You might also try the “devil horns” way of wrapping the cord: > > 1. Place the earbuds in the palm of your hand and extend your pinkie and index fingers while folding down your ring and middle fingers over the earbuds. > > 2. Then, wrap the cord around your index finger and pinkie fingers, using a figure-eight motion. > > 3. When you get down to the last few inches of cord, pinch the bundle in the middle and slide it off your fingers. > > 4. Wrap the remaining cord around the middle of the bundle and then loop the end through one of the circles. This works pretty well. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/10 "2011-07-19T00:42:51Z")
Retractable! Must…Have… Thanks, **perfectparanoia**. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/11 "2011-07-19T01:44:27Z")
I tell them to walk on either side of me. Stupid sods are always falling all over each other. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/12 "2011-07-19T01:52:44Z")
I crocheted around the cord. It really has cut back on the tangles and since I used variegated yarn, I can tell even quicker which one is for which ear, like “purple is right, green is left.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/13 "2011-07-19T03:27:06Z")
I keep observing them. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/14 "2011-07-19T03:58:29Z")
Some earbuds can be quite fragile, at least the cheaper ones, and the sliding back and forth of that little ring can abrade the coating away. I went through two or three pairs in as many months, having found, each time, that the copper wire was exposed either along the area passed over by the slider, or at the base of the jack. I found that if I spend twice as much on a pair of earbuds as I spent for those cheap ones, I get much more than twice the use out of them. I also opt in for the guaranteed replacement program for a few bucks more. If you don’t want to use the slider, another way to keep them neatly coiled is to use a twist tie. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-your-earbuds-from-getting-entangled/589466/15 "2011-07-19T14:01:55Z")
I coil them twice and tie a knot in them. I’ve been doing this for years and years and it’s the only guaranteed way I find not to tangle them. I don’t use earbuds, those looped earphones instead, and it works just fine.