The AirPods Pro 3 are getting rave reviews, and I get it—the sound quality improvements are real, and the ANC is noticeably better. But after wearing them for over a week, I returned them, and here’s why: they’re less comfortable for me.
Apple made them slightly heavier and bigger, which may play some part in making them less comfortable. But it’s clearly the new foam-tipped ear tips that add more pressure to my ear canal. I could wear the Pro 2s for hours without thinking about them. The Pro 3s? They start to feel annoying after extended wear. And yes, I tried different size ear tips.
I’m not alone in this. Some of my friends love them, but others have had the same experience. It’s like the AirPods Max problem all over again—yes, they sound great, but they made a trade-off that doesn’t work for everyone. The Max are too heavy to wear comfortably for long periods. The Pro 3s aren’t as extreme, but they’re moving in that same direction.
For a product you wear, comfort should be the most important attribute. Sometimes the older version is better at the things that actually matter for daily use. For me, that’s the Pro 2s.