What Is Standby Time On Bluetooth Headphones? (Explained) -

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When you’re shopping for a good pair of Bluetooth headphones, the battery is often the number one issue that most consumers look for first. There is nothing like having your headphones drop out with a dead battery when you’re a long way away from a charger.

Standby time is a battery time often listed in Bluetooth headphone specs. It indicates how long the Bluetooth headphones will last when they are on your ears but you aren’t playing anything or talking on the phone.

Standby time is often pretty long. A good pair of Bluetooth headphones may only play music for 6 or 7 hours, however, it will probably have a standby time of three or possibly four times that amount.

Do Bluetooth Headphones Turn Off Automatically?

That usually depends on the brand and model of Bluetooth headphones you’re using. Some will turn off automatically after only a few minutes of inactivity. Some will turn off after an hour—maybe two.

Others may not turn off at all. They’ll just remain on until the battery dies or you turn them off yourself, either by placing them in their case or putting a pair of over-the-ear headphones on the charger.

Of course, there might be other issues that cause your Bluetooth headphones to turn off after just a few minutes, such as a low battery or the headphones are no longer connected to your smartphone and turn off on their own.

A lot of Bluetooth headphone manufacturers also offer companion apps for their devices. While it’s not true for all companion apps, some will allow you to jump on there and set time limits for your Bluetooth Headphones to turn off on their own.

For instance, the Edifier Hecate GX07 Wireless Bluetooth Gaming Headphones have an accompanying Edifier app. If you enter the settings by touching the gear symbol at the top, right-hand corner of the screen, you’re presented with a grid layout series of options.

One of those options is a shutdown timer. Not all headphones have this feature but some do, including the ability to make it a default feature for whenever you take your Bluetooth earbuds out of the case and put them on.

Is it Okay to Leave Your Bluetooth Headphones On All the Time?

It won’t hurt anything if you do this in the short term, especially if it’s on accident, such as leaving them off the charger or out of their case and forgetting to place them on the charger. It’s better for the battery to go through a full power cycle (all the way down and all the way up), than a series of charges over time.

Every battery has a finite number of charging cycles before the battery diminishes to the point where it is no more than 80% efficient. Leaving them on all the time simply hastens the inevitable. Eventually, your battery won’t charge efficiently anymore.

Fortunately, most headphones automatically cut off the audio when you take them off your head or remove them from your ears. This puts them in standby mode, which is exactly where we started.

Some cheaper Bluetooth headphones may not have this feature, however, and they will continue to play audio when no longer on your ears, until the battery is completely dead.

Is it Safe to Sleep with Bluetooth Headphones On?

It’s a question worth asking since it plays right into standby mode and battery length. If you have them on standby mode and are simply using the ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) for a more serene and silent environment, it won’t hurt anything at all.

Playing audio isn’t harmful either, even though the battery will probably die in your sleep. Oftentimes, the virtual assistant or built-in voice on your headphones may speak up when the headphones are below 10% or 15% battery level, startling you out of a dead sleep.

There are other potential risks involved but there are no definitive studies linking health issues with wearing Bluetooth headphones while you sleep. However, it might be something worth considering if you make a habit of sleeping with them on.

How Long is the Battery Life on Bluetooth Headphones?

That depends on the Bluetooth Headphones. There are two versions of Bluetooth headphones—over-the-ear and earbuds. Of course, there are audiophiles out there that will claim other variations but the point is, the over-the-ear headphones have larger batteries and last much longer.

On average, OTE headphones will last for 15-20 hours but some can last 40 to 60 hours. Earbuds have much smaller batteries and last anywhere between 3 hours and 10 hours, depending on the brand and model.

There’s been a huge push in the Bluetooth earbud industry to increase battery life to more acceptable levels and it’s a huge marketing point, providing manufacturers with an edge over the competition when they can offer longer battery life.

The shorter lifespan of Bluetooth earbuds keeps some consumers in the over-the-ear headphone category, in terms of preference. Improved battery life may win over some of the wired headphones crowd, even though wired headphones will help drain the battery on a connected device as well.

Either way you decide to go, both types of wireless, Bluetooth headphones will typically have standby times, and the 60-hour, OTE headphones will either have an enormous standby time or they will shut off automatically at some point, whether you take them off or have them on.

Bottom Line

Standby time is how long the headphones remain on when you aren’t actively using them by playing music, audiobooks, radio, or listening to a podcast. Depending on the brand and model, standby time might be significant or something not encountered much because the earphones shut off automatically.