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Everything felt wrong when I ordered a pair of Apple Airpods. I’ve just always been an over-the-ear headphones kind of girl, but I succumbed to the Airpods out of necessity (and a bit of peer pressure). Truth be told, as practical as they were, they also induced immense panic because I convinced myself they’d somehow find a way to crawl out of my ears and into a never-ending NYC manhole. It actually never happened, but the fear made zoning out and listening to music relatively hard to do.
But with over-the-ear headphones, I never had that problem. I love that they kinda look like earmuffs, and how they make me feel safe and cut off from everything. When I put them on, I feel like I’ve stepped into another room where it’s only me, my thoughts, and currently, Rosalia’s Motomami album on repeat. When Apple released the now- insanely popular Airpods Max, I knew I needed a pair almost instantly after seeing them.
Shop now: $479 (Originally $549); amazon.com
Apparently, everyone on the internet feels the same. If you go on TikTok, you’ll find thousands of videos of stylish people wearing the headphones while putting on a Pinterest-worthy outfit. There are even some styling videos focused solely on creating an outfit around the Airpods Max themselves. Unboxing videos of the headphones generate hundreds — sometimes thousands — of comments, with people exclaiming their jealousy and how their life cannot go on without owning a pair. I’m not exaggerating. Here’s what one of those comments looks like: “I’m trying not to be influenced so badly right now.” But with a single Apple Airpods Max unboxing video racking up 2.1 million likes, it’s clear thousands of us are being influenced into getting a pair no matter how hard we resist.
In a matter of months they’ve gone from tech accessory to fashion ‘It’ girl staple, something that truly never really happens. Even Sarah Jessica Parker has been spotted in a pair. But maybe we should have seen this coming: Celebs like Lily-Rose Depp have been making tangled, wired headphones look chic, and Instagram accounts like Wired It Girls exist.
But the difference between wired headphones and AIrpods Max is, of course, the lack of wire. Apple’s version connects to bluetooth automatically, which means you never have to worry about whether or not you have the correct adaptor. But for me, the main benefit of over-the-ear headphones without wires is the ease of use. I have long hair and I wear lots of jewelry, so wired headphones and I just don’t go together. (Or, it could be argued, we actually go together so well that we all become tangled into one stress-inducing clump.)
Taking headphones on and off while riding the subway was always a disaster, and now I can do it without a second thought — but plot twist: I never really want to take these off. The sound quality is amazing, the noise cancellation is the best I’ve ever experienced, and I’m beyond obsessed with the aesthetic. I can’t tell if it’s all of the TikToks getting to me, but I truly feel like these headphones make every outfit better. My regular AirPods could never.
As luck would have it, my new go-to accessory also happens to be on sale right now. Below, shop the Apple Airpods Max headphones at Amazon before they go back up to their original price.
Shop now: $479 (Originally $549); amazon.com
Shop now: $479 (Originally $549); amazon.com
Shop now: $479 (Originally $549); amazon.com
Shop now: $479 (Originally $549); amazon.com
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