Fairphone’s repairable headphones shine in every way

I sheepishly admit that I’ve sometimes looked forward to my devices breaking down so I could replace them with shiny new upgrades. Don’t be like me, friends. That just adds to the world’s growing piles of e-waste, and you usually end up throwing away a device that only needs a small component repaired or replaced.

Dutch hardware brand Fairphone has been remedying this for a few years now, with its line of devices designed to be serviced and used for years longer than usual. It just launched its Fairbuds 2 wireless earbuds, which are not only easily fixable, but also improve on the original pair that came out in 2024.

Like the first Fairbuds, these feature 11mm drivers, IP54 water and dust resistance rating, and let you adjust the audio output using an equalizer in the companion app.

For 2026, you get a completely new design for both the case and buttons, and they look particularly cool in this deep forest green colorway. The exterior is free of toxic PFAS compounds that can penetrate the skin, making them safer for long-term use.

The case is slightly lighter and smaller, and extends listening time by 40 hours, compared to 26 hours for the first-generation case. The earbuds last eight hours on a full charge with active noise cancellation (ANC) disabled, compared to six hours for the original Fairbuds. If you complete the buttons for 10 minutes, you’ll get about two hours of playtime, which is good. Speaking of which, the ANC reduces 45 dB on this model.

Fairphone tuned them in acoustic engineering studio Form Follows Frequency for “deeper bass, warmer mids, and crisp highs.” They also include LDAC support for 990 kbps high fidelity audio.

The Fairbuds 2 quickly connect to your phone via Google Fast Pair and can switch between two connected devices on the fly.

What’s especially cool, however, is that they are just as repairable as the original Fairbuds. You can easily open and repair the earbuds and case, swap out a weak battery for a new cell, and even use a spare earbud if you lose one. For reference, a battery for the case is just $12.99, while a battery kit for the earbuds is just $9.99.

Surprisingly, Fairphone has priced the Fairbuds 2 below what the originals cost at launch. These cost 120 dollars in the United States and 119 euros in Europe. That’s about the same as you’ll pay now for the Nothing’s Ear (3) on sale at Amazon, and a little less than the cost of Bose’s QuietComfort headphones, Apple’s AirPods 5, or Skullcandy’s Method 360.

Generally speaking, these are all in the same ballpark in terms of functionality and battery life. However, the Fairbuds 2 are made to last much longer than these, and extending their lifespan doesn’t cost much.

Find the Fairbuds 2 on Fairphone’s US site, where they will soon be available to order.

Source: Fairphone

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