Fairphone Fairbuds: Sustainable listening with easy repairs

Photo: Fairphone

Tired of throwing away earbuds when the batteries die? Fairphone, the company behind the ultra-repairable Fairphone 5, has a solution: the Fairbuds. These wireless earbuds are designed for easy repairability, letting you replace batteries within the buds and the charging case itself.

Unlike most earbuds, Fairbuds are built to last. You can repair or swap individual components like the left or right earbud, silicone rings, earbud tips, the charging case's outer shell, and even its core. This extends the product's lifespan significantly, which means you can keep it around longer and potentially reduce your electronic waste.

The Fairbuds offer features you'd expect from wireless earbuds. They boast up to six hours of playtime per charge (20 hours with the case), volume and playback touch controls, and active noise cancellation for immersive listening. Other features include 11mm titanium drivers, IP54 water resistance, dual-point connectivity for seamless switching between devices, and environmental noise cancellation for clearer calls. A dedicated Fairbuds app lets you customize your sound experience.

This isn't Fairphone's first foray into repairable audio. In 2021, they launched the Fairbuds True Wireless Stereo Earbuds made with recycled plastic. However, those lacked replaceable batteries. They've since released the Fairbuds XL, modular over-ear headphones with easy-to-replace parts.

Currently available in Europe for €149 (around CA$218) in white and black, the Fairbuds hopefully signal a shift towards repairable wireless earbuds everywhere.

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