WIRED Reviews Editor Urges Travelers to Pack Inexpensive Wired Headphones
After an on-the-ground incident left a family stranded without audio, the editor of WIRED Reviews has championed the inclusion of a budget pair of wired headphones in every travel kit to mitigate device dependency and latency issues.
As the summer travel season approaches, a senior editor at WIRED Reviews has publicly advocated for the inclusion of inexpensive wired headphones in every traveller's kit. The recommendation stems from a recent incident at an airport Hudson News kiosk, where the editor impulsively purchased a pair of relatively cheap wired headphones for $15 after the family's Bluetooth devices ran out of charge.
The editor argues that relying exclusively on wireless technology introduces significant friction points regarding charging cycles and connection stability during family trips. During the recent journey, the family had forgotten to charge their daughter's over-ear Bluetooth headphones before leaving their vacation rental. This oversight prevented her from listening to conversations in the game Tomodachi Life on her Nintendo Switch Lite, creating a disruptive situation that the wired alternative immediately resolved.
Beyond the immediate issue of power, the editor highlights the unreliability of Bluetooth connections when multiple family members switch devices simultaneously. With children using both Nintendo Switch Lites and refurbished iPads, constantly connecting and disconnecting headphones can cause phones to register an unknown device following the user. This leads to confusion on whether the connected device belongs to a spouse or a stranger, a problem that simply plugging in a wired connection eliminates.
The editor also notes that while many modern devices lack headphone jacks, a surprising number still possess 3.5-mm ports, making wired connections viable without expensive adapters like the Twelve South Airfly. This observation was drawn from personal experience with the family's Nintendo Switch Lites and iPads, which retained their native ports. Consequently, the need for dongles is reduced, saving both cost and space in a backpack.
Comfort and portability were also cited as key factors in the editor's decision. Although the editor had previously recommended the Koss Porta-Pros for planned trips, the impulsive $15 purchase proved surprisingly comfortable compared to previous wired AirPods. Furthermore, wired models reduce the risk of losing a single Bluetooth earbud on the floor and rolling away, a common occurrence with wireless over-ear models that consume valuable backpack space.
Finally, the editor emphasises that wired headphones eliminate audio latency, which is critical for gaming experiences. By removing the wireless connection entirely, users avoid the delay that can affect gameplay on devices like the Nintendo Switch Lite. The editor concludes that while they will not abandon their AirPods Max 2, a pair of cheap wired headphones is a critical addition to any travel tech kit to ensure uninterrupted audio and connectivity.
