Equipped with better drivers, the latest Bluetooth technology and upgraded chipsets, full-size headphones are delivering increasingly powerful performance for more affordable prices. However, some headphone models can cause real headaches.

In the past, I typically used lighter headsets for studying or communication, so headaches were never much of a problem until I started reviewing larger gaming and work headsets early in my tech reporting career.

After a few lengthy Overwatch and Destiny sessions, I noticed my head throbbing and my temples aching — and after researching the issue, I found many people had headphone headaches to share, especially when gaming or working for long periods with tight headphones. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

These headphone-induced headaches typically occur from a combo of pressure, weight, heat, wearing glasses and similar factors. But I have good news: it’s possible to treat headset woes like these with a few careful tweaks to your setup. Here’s what I’ve found works best, even when headphone sessions last for hours.

1. Try over-ear or open-ear headphones 

On-ear headphones are smaller and lighter than the large earcups of over-ear models, and often more affordable, but they can also cause headaches. That may sound counterintuitive, but it’s due to the earbuds’ gripping design and the lack of padding in on-ear models. That includes popular music headphones like the Sony WH-CH520 or the Beats Solo 4. 

The smaller earcup design of on-ear headphones typically puts more pressure directly on the ear, which gets very tiring during extended use. That’s especially true for people with glasses, who often experience pain with these headphones.

The best alternative, without sacrificing too much audio quality or extra features, is switching to over-ear headphones. These headphones have significantly larger, cushier earcups that create less pressure and improve noise isolation. In this case, going big may be the best way to ease your pain.

The other option is to use earbuds or innovative open-ear headphones like Shockz, which use bone conduction and other methods to reduce ear fatigue. You may lose audio quality compared with over-ear models, but it’s a pain-free option, especially for those relying on their glasses while they work, study or play.

2. Switch to a better ear cup material

If you’re adamant about sticking to over-the-ear headphones, consider a better ear pad material for your earcups, as it can significantly reduce pain. If your headset is stuck with basic foam covers, it’s time to find a model with thick memory foam or a similar material.

Likewise, if you find the padding material on your earcups is scratchy, stiff, or pulls on your ears, try switching out the covering material. Velour tends to work best for comfort levels, as does suede. If you find your earphones overheat your head and lead to headaches, consider trying a mesh fabric cover instead.

If you already have a gaming headset or professional over-ear headphones, look up your brand to see if they offer ear cup replacements in different materials. That may be pricey, but you can explore affordable alternatives like ear covers for $10 that can help some earcups feel smoother and cooler. 

3. Experiment with adjusting your headband

Do your current headphones offer headband adjustments or similar customization? If not, I highly suggest looking for a pair that supports them. Even standard headsets can be heavy — the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5, for example, clocks in at nearly 10 ounces— leaving it on your head for a few hours can cause discomfort. That’s why weight distribution is important.

The tension of your headband can directly affect the tension in your head. Too tight, and the headphones will apply uncomfortable pressure and pull at your hair. Too loose, and your earcups can feel like dead weight. If you get frequent headaches, try loosening your headband a little while still keeping it firm. Ear cup height adjustments can perform a similar role.

Additional note: Some headphones are heavy, like the AirPods Max (a hefty 13.6 ounces), but distribute the weight well. But lighter is often better. Check out our reviews and recommendations to see which headphones we call out for their stress-relieving designs.

4. Shift your volume to lower settings

I know you may want to pinpoint the sound of footsteps or hear every possible environmental sound, but it’s important to keep headphone volume at a safe level. Beyond a certain point, volume can be an active trigger of painful headaches, even if you don’t usually experience them.

If you’d like to dive into this topic, I highly recommend my colleague Anna Gragert’s account of earbud-related health issues and what she learned from talking to audiologists. If your volume is high enough to trigger ear pain and headaches, there’s also a good chance it’s causing long-term hearing loss or other problems.

The general rule for headset volume is to keep it significantly below 85 decibels, a tip recommended by Turtle Beach and other headphone brands. I suggest heading into your headphone app (if available) and tweaking your audio settings so the emphasis is placed on the sound details you want, letting you keep the overall volume lower.

If you prefer headphones for music and find yourself listening to your favorite album at a higher-than-usual volume, it’s a good idea to lower the volume to a quiet setting and chill with more lo-fi music to give yourself a break.

Brands like SteelSeries also produce headphones with volume-limiting features for this very purpose, placing a universal volume cap on headphones to help rein in bad habits or protect kids’ ears.

5. Turn down screen brightness or enable a blue light filter

Headphone pressure and volume aren’t the only causes of headaches. Your screen is also an important factor, especially if you’re staring at it for long periods in a dark room.

That’s why I also recommend turning down your screen brightness if you suffer from headphone headaches. Set your computer or TV to a lower brightness or dimmer mode when you start a session, and see if that keeps the headache at bay.

If your display supports it — typically in software settings or some game settings — you can also enable a blue light filter. These filters reduce the colder, bluer light on the display, which is most responsible for eye strain. It will slightly shift the visuals toward warmer hues and can also provide significant relief.

For glasses wearers, there’s another option: You can find glasses with blue light-blocking lenses for continual protection, no matter what screen you’re on. Again, these are best paired with over-ear or open-ear headphones to complete a comfortable headset setup.

6. Kill the noise-cancelling features for a while

Are active noise-canceling headphones giving you headaches? Those high-tech features, found in popular lines like Bose QuietComfort, larger Sony WH models and the AirPods Max, may actually be the problem. Active noise cancellation uses sound waves to cancel out ambient noise. It’s a neat trick, but not everyone responds the same.

Some people report feelings of pressure, dizziness and general weirdness when using noise cancellation. Similar to sudden altitude changes, it can trigger headaches for people trying to concentrate.

If your headphones have an active noise cancellation feature, switch it off to see if it helps reduce the pain and strain of long-term use. If it makes a noticeable difference, you should probably stick with passive noise cancellation on your headset.

With your headache issues sorted out, now is an excellent time to take a look at the best PC games we’ve tried and the best monitors for the action.