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" There&amp;#039;s such a vast selection of headphones out there that picking the perfect pair can be a daunting task. Before you go shopping, here are two questions to ask yourself and our advice for answering them. 1. What type should I buy? Earbuds, in-ears, and canalbuds: As they&amp;#039;re similar in size and shape, I&amp;#039;ve grouped these 3 categories together. Earbuds (which come packed with mp3 players) rest on your outer ear; in-ears need to be inserted into the ear canal; canalbuds are a hybrid that rest just inside the ear canal as opposed to being wedged all the way in.  Advantages:   Very compact and lightweight Tight seal helps isolate external noise (especially true of in-ear headphones)  Little interference with hair, glasses, earrings, etc  Disadvantages:  Sound quality&amp;#039;s not as good as from full-size models  They can be hard to get a tight and/or comfortable fit  Can fall out of the ear more readily  Consider for: Commuting to work or traveling.  Sport Headphones: This is a broad category for any headphone designed to stay in place during active use. These headphones come in behind the neck or clip-on styles. Advantages:    Stay in place during active use  Relatively lightweight  Disadvantages:  Complicated to position in the ear  Can irritate your ears  Consider if: You&amp;#039;re a hiker, runner, or do aerobics.  Over-ear headphones: Worn over your head, these have cups that rest over your ear.  Advantages:   Comfortable to wear, especially if they have padding or ergonomic designs  Good at blocking exterior noise Can achieve higher bass and decibel levels   Disadvantages:  Not very portable (although some fold up for easier transport) Can get hot and make your ears sweaty  Can interfere with earrings, glasses, or hair, etc  Block exterior noise which can be a problem when you need to listen for a horn, bell, or incoming call  Consider if: You&amp;#039;re a serious music aficionado and/or like to chill out to music in the privacy of your own home. 2. Do I need fancy features? I&amp;#039;m often asked if it&amp;#039;s worth paying extra for bells and whistles. Unfortunately, I don&amp;#039;t have an easy yes or no answer. It all depends on your situation and what&amp;#039;s important to you.  Wireless:  Advantages:   You can move easily and freely when you&amp;#039;re wearing them  Disadvantages:  May not be compatible with your radio source Many require batteries  Great for: Listening to TV in bed at night when your husband wants to sleep.  Active noise-reduction/cancelling:  Advantages:    Drown out other sounds (Great on a plane or treadmill.)  Disadvantages:  Drown out other sounds (Dangerous if you need to be aware of your surroundings like while walking on the street)  Require batteries  Great for: Relaxing to music at home.  General smart tip: Check out the return policy so if you&amp;#039;re not happy with the sound quality or the fit, you can exchange the headphones for another pair. What do you look for when you&amp;#039;re going out to get a new pair of headphones? Are there any qualities that are important to you that we haven&amp;#039;t mentioned? Let us know in the comments! If you&amp;#039;re on the market for headphones, check out the headphones reviews from the Good Housekeeping Research Insistute (GHRI). Want to see what goes on behind-the-scenes at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute? Sign up for a tour of GHRI today! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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