These Innovative Headphones Are Easy to Repair.
Fairphone, an Amsterdam-based phone company committed to sustainable and ethical business practices, has introduced Fairbuds , a pair of wireless noise-canceling headphones. Like the company’s easily repairable Fairphone 5, the Fairbuds are designed to be easy to repair. Unfortunately, this kind of thing is quite rare in the tech world, but it is a much more consumer- and planet-friendly practice that will hopefully become more common in the future.
On its website, Fairphone sells individual Fairbuds components (such as ear tips, batteries, and charging case parts) so users can repair or replace their headphones if something gets lost or broken, rather than having to buy a whole new pair . Having a replaceable battery means the headphones can last much longer, which in turn will lead to less e-waste in landfills. And if a small tech company based in the Netherlands can create a pair of headphones with a replaceable battery, then there’s no reason why tech giants like Samsung or Apple couldn’t do the same.
Most of these electronics companies would rather you buy a new device than repair it yourself because it’s more cost effective in the long run and that’s what worries them the most. This has led to a number of US states passing ” right to repair ” laws to force these tech companies to make it easier for consumers to repair their devices themselves. In fact, one of these laws was just passed in Oregon , following the lead of states like New York, Minnesota and California.
Fairphone claims you should get about six hours of listening time and another 20 hours from the charging case. To continue Fairphone’s sustainability efforts, Fairbuds are made from 70% recycled, fair trade materials and 100% recycled rare earth elements. The Fairbuds feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) that helps block out any external noise, 11mm titanium-coated premium speakers for good sound, and Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint support. The headphones are also IP54 water and sweat resistant and come with a three-year warranty.
The Fairbuds are available now on the company’s website for €149 (about $162) and come in two colors: black and white. The company currently only ships Fairbuds to Europe and the UK.