I've owned the Shure ear buds and liked them but while working I still had trouble with them slipping out.

I recommend Sony ear buds because they give you tips of mulitiple sizes (not one size fit all) to actually fit your ear canal.

Not a smart move to use sound-isolating earphones while cycling, unless you're on a trainer.

I've never been able to get this style of earphone to stay in. They just don't work with my ears. I've used the Sennheiser MX ones for running (they've changed the design since mine, though they're probably easier to use and more comfortable now!). Earphone fit depends entirely on the person, since I also know people who can run with the Apple earphones!?

And I completely agree with the sound-isolating while cycling (and running) comment. Bad news on the streets!

I work for a radio station and the only headphones we have are Sennheiser because of the great quality. For that reason I bought the Sennheiser ear buds listed above for personal use, but they were the crappiest ear buds I've ever owned. I'm sure the sound quality would have been wonderful if only they stayed in my ears! Not sure why they are included in this list. Don't think the author has any personal experience with them at all.

I have a lot of trouble with ear buds slipping out as I get sweaty. I just bought a pair of Phillips ear buds with a soft/flexible over-the-ear loop. They still slip out some, but at least stay near hooked on my ear. When running outside, I only wear one bud, and leave the other (usually the traffic side ear) tucked under my bra strap.

Apparently I'm a freak of nature because over the last 6 or 7 years I've tried at least 10 different kinds of earbuds and they ALL fall off/out. The ones that wrap around your ears are always too tall, and even the ones with child-size tips pop right out. I guess I'm stuck with those big headphones that don't fit in my purse since I can't afford the ones that mold to your ears. Sigh.

Surely whether the earbuds stay in depends at least as much on the ears as on the buds.

I have had two pairs of Sennheiser, the same exact model since I broke one pair after about a year of hard wear. I love them. They were definitely not as pricey as any of these although I did get a really good deal on them which helped. They have multiple tips which are a must and the cancel out surrounding noise which means you don't have to crank your music soo loud which they are finding is very bad for your hearing. However, cancelling out your surroundings can be dangerous if you are out and about.

Nope. Ear buds do NOT work for me, like others here it seems. I sure as heck am not paying in the three figures for something I have no likelihood of being able to wear. I figure my ears are not shaped for these things or else there is a trick nobody ever taught me.

I have a pair of urban ears ear buds and they stay in pretty well for me. They come with 3 different sizes of buds to customize fit. However, they don't work for my husband - he has the medis, which twist and lock in. They work for him (but not me). All ears are different!

I wear earbuds when running, and haven't had much of an issue. It definitely helps to thread the headphone wires up the back of your shirt (I have a little running spibelt that sits at the base of my back) - helps keep the wires from pulling on the buds and from flailing around while you run.

Litnerd--you might want to try the Sennheiser PX100 folding headphones. i can't handle earbuds for any length of time. these headphones sound good, and are quite compact.

I have a pair of MEElectronics M6 (similar to the Westone 1 and Shure 215) for under $30. I paired them with Comply T500 tips and they are super comfortable and don't pop out. I use them mostly to sleep in (sleep tracks) but when I use them other than while sleeping, best set of buds under $40 you can buy and I have owned quite a few of them. Skull Candy (Titans and INK'd), misc, Sony, JVC, Philips, etc...) If you can't afford, or chose not to afford some of the buds listed, the MEE with the Comply tips are excellent for the price.

I find that the Shure SE535 blocks noise as well or better than any active noise cancelling headphone that I've tried (I haven't tried in-ear, active noise cancelling). But as other's have said, you don't want to be completely unaware when out and about, even while just walking, in my opinion.

Also, the 535s really stay put for me; much more so than their predecessors the 530s.

But because of their price (and total noise isolation), I stopped running with them and got a Sennheiser Adidas sport model. The sound is no where near the Shures, but its fine for exercising, and it stays in the ear reasonably well when running, but I do have to give them a push every once and a while to keep them from wiggling out.

I've been using Bose in-ear headphones for a couple years now. My first pair broke within a year at the juncture where it plugs into the ipod from having it in my back pocket while wearing a backpack, but I got a second pair on clearance for $22 when they changed styles (they've lasted longer). I like that they produce good sound but don't block all the environmental noise. I can wear them while cycling and still hear what's going on around me but they don't work well when it's windy.

I haven't met a pair of earbuds that produces a good sound for me. I'm a musician, pretty finicky about sound. I love Sennheiser microphones and even the headphones, but not the earbuds. There is a LOT that I can't hear, layers I KNOW are there from listening with other headphones or through speakers. Maybe it's my ears, and I like the physical fit of these styles of earbuds, but the sound fit is never right for me.

Another thumbs up on the Sennheiser PX100 headphones. I've used them for a couple years and always reach for them over the earbuds. They sound good and are non-fatiguiging but they are more obvious when out on the town.

I use Sony earbuds; I think they're pricier than need be, but they fit my ears, and neither the hard earbuds nor the over-ear earbuds work for me. But I never have a problem with being unable to hear street noise when running, and I don't really understand where people are coming from on that score. My buds don't actively cancel ambient sound with white noise, and while they stay in my ears, they certainly don't fit so closely as to make a sound-blocking seal. Unless I crank up the volume to an excessive degree, I can hear ambient sound just fine.

How timely. Just spent a whopping £119 on Bose earphones yesterday (because i go through earphones so frequently I wanted the 2 year warranty). And they going straight back. They stay in but my ears small so they hurt. Plus they dont block out surrounding noise which I really need at work.

Can anyone recommend good, inexpensive, SMALL-EAR ear buds? I have the hardest time finding buds that are small enough for my tiny canals. The included three-covers with Sony buds are nice, but sometimes the base still just makes them too big to work, even with the smallest cover. Anyone with similar troubles have a recommendation?

I'm a singer, and I have used many kinds of in-ear monitors and headphones. I have very small ear canals, and here are a few tips for anyone with fit problems.

First, get a set of earbuds that have many different interchangeable rubber tips, so you can experiment and see what you like best. I never have liked the foam ones. I always use the smallest ones. There are even $10 headphones that come with plenty of options.

Second, some of these headphones are designed to have the cord go up and over the top of your ear and hang behind your ear, not hanging out of your ear like iPod headphones. If you are putting them in upside down, they're not going to stay in. (Honestly, I'd probably wear all of the ones pictured here this way. It keeps the weight of the cord from pulling them out of your ears.)

Third, when you're inserting the earbud, reach over your head with your opposite arm (i.e., left arm over your head to your right ear), and pull your ear gently up and away from your head. This opens the ear canal slightly, you put in the earbud a tiny bit farther than you could have otherwise, and let go. A Shure pro taught me this and it helped a lot...the over-the-ear kinds drove me crazy before that.

I've owned $50 Sennheisers that were great for casual music listening, excellent bass, and blocked out noise on my train commute. The various pricier Shure models I've used are much more sound-isolating, which is a must onstage but not as necessary the rest of the time. If you're shelling out $500 anyway, you might consider custom ones (they give you a kit to take to a doctor, who makes a mold of your ear).

Sorry for the earful. hee hee hee :)

I hate rounded buds because they feel uncomfortably huge and don't stay in my ears.

My preferred buds are the $20 Sony MDR-ED21LP Fontopia. The L-shaped posts attaching cord to bud rest against my ear in just the right way. I get such a comfy good fit that I use them to listen to audio books in bed.

I always buy a few when they're on sale because my cord mangling eventually causes shorts near the plug :( The thickness of the plastic around the plug also doesn't play well some form fitting ipod and and phone cases.

Sony's newer ED12LP buds lack the L shape posts and are a poor substitute IMO, but the $14.99 price and color selection likely means death for the 21LP model.

As an aside, Apple's basic buds stay put in my ears and are comfy enough, but I hate the cord lengths and the 21LP's just give me a better fit.

Thanks for the suggestion @mrsyow. I'll check them out.