Apple's AirPods Pro 3 have one fatal flaw – for me at least

Apple's AirPods Pro 3 launched to much acclaim earlier this year, with critics and fans alike pouring praise on the improved sound quality, noise cancellation and comfort. I've been using them for a few weeks new, and while I was able to vouch for the first two of those qualities from the start, I've had a bumpy ride with the comfort aspect.

When I first tried the new AirPods Pro, I was blown away by the noise cancellation. Coming from the AirPods Pro 2, the upgrade here is immediately noticeable – loud train or journeys are suddenly a haven of peace. At least for an hour. Then the comfort issue – something I never experienced with the second gen model – kicks in.

One of Apple's most touted features of the AirPods Pro 3 is the "exceptional in-ear fit", which is partly afforded by an increased number of tip sizes available in the box. But there's also a new design – and that's what's causing the problems for me.

The back of the new earbuds protrudes upwards more prominently than the previous generation, placing pressure on the top of my earlobe – or the antihelix (thanks, Wikipedia). And after an hour or so, it becomes too uncomfortable to ignore.

I thought I'd found the answer when Redditors advised switching to smaller tips. I've always used medium with previous generations of AirPods Pro, but perhaps with the new design, small would be more comfortable? Rejoice – it was! I was able to wear the AirPods Pro 3 for much longer than before.

But then the fatal flaw with this approach became apparent. Although Apple's in-built ear tip fit test suggested the small tips still provided a good seal. But the actual performance of the noise cancellation told a different story. Suddenly, while commuting, I found myself distracted once again by the sound of the train – and no amount of wiggling the AirPods could drown it out.

AirPods Pro 3 extremely uncomfortable- is it just me? from r/airpods

So is it just me? My colleague Georgia claims the AirPods Pro 3 are "really comfy" and "feel great". Have I just got weird little ears? Probably – although Reddit is seeing an increasing number of threads by disgruntled users having comfort issues, and similar problems with the noise cancellation when switching to smaller tips.

So, for now at least, it seems I'm stuck – either I have to tolerate the discomfort, or accept sub-par noise cancellation. At this rate, I'm probably going to end up having to revisit our roundup of the best audiophile headphones to find my next pair.