How to keep earbuds from getting tangled

Earbuds can be a constant headache, mainly because they are difficult to untangle. The best solution to this is to prevent them from getting tangled in the first place. For that, we need to store them properly.

The first method for neatly packaging a set of earbuds is to hold the plug end between your thumb and finger, and wrap the wire around your fingers tightly. When you reach the end, feed the earbuds through the center of the loop twice. The result is a neat and secure set of earbuds, perfect for your backpack or jacket pocket. To undo them, just pull the earbuds from the center of the loop and let them un tangle themselves.

Because there are many different earbuds, this method may not work perfectly for all of them. For instance, a flat cable is harder to coil up. So, we have another method which could work better. Instead of starting with the plug, grab the earbuds themselves, and wrap them around your fingers. When you get near the end, just squash the whole loop down into a bow, and wrap the excess cable around the center. Feed the plug into the end of the loop to secure it. This is a very secure way to store earbuds, and it’s even easier to unravel. Just pull the plug out from the end of the loop and watch your earbuds unravel themselves.

Both of these methods can be used with virtually any cable. Here’s a USB cable, which we’ll use the second method for. Just wrap the cable around your hand, and grab the coil from the center. Wrap the excess cable around the center of the coil, and then feed the plug into the loop. This isn’t going anywhere.

Do you have another way to manage earbuds and cables? Let me know in the comments.