I have worked alongside and led a 100% virtual team for decades, so quarantining at home is mostly no big deal for me. That said, I have come to the firm realization that my Apple AirPod Pros are the best quarantine gear ever, only superseded, of course, by an omnipresent, rapid and reliable WiFi connection.
As a working parent, I’ll be the first to admit that there are certain times when working from home is more challenging than others. For instance, it was much more difficult when my kids were younger and even more obtuse, oblivious, and self-absorbed than they are as teenagers.
I fondly remember the days when my twins were little and slightly more willful (as if that’s really possible). I would occasionally find myself hiding in a cedar closet in the basement participating on a conference call and trying my damndest to live up to the illusion I had hoped to create of being a consummate professional. I’m sure the people on the other end of those calls likely knew better.
I laugh about those days now, but I’m also the first to admit that being a working parent, raising my first two kids as a single mom and the other two kids twenty years later (yes, I’m certifiable) with a husband who travels 90 percent of the time has made me incredibly agile. I can adapt to working in any environment (See: Cedar closet), at any time of the day or night, and amidst even the highest levels of chaos.
Apple AirPod Pros and the Beauty of Noise Cancellation
That said, my job requires me to think and to write, both of which I find incredibly difficult to do when it’s noisy. In fact, the very thought of working in an open office environment with other human beings over whom I can’t exert some level of primary control gives me hives. With my kids, at least I can threaten to put duct tape over their mouths, banish them to another part of the house or outside, or bribe them with copious amounts of Twix bars and Starburst. They also seem to respond fairly well to the finger drawn across the throat signal that if you don’t immediately shut the hell up I will murder you. Kids, it’s all about bribery, threats, and promises of an endless supply of candy.
That noise, the noise that is unavoidable when trying to work in the presence of children, is where my AirPod Pros come in — and why I’m such a fan.
I’ve tried every manner of noise cancelling devices — ear plugs, noise-cancelling headphones, ear buds, or some combination of all of these things. I find headphones to be uncomfortable to wear for more than about ten minutes, but for a long time they were the only weapon I had against the children and their noise.
I bought a pair of Apple AirPod Pros when they first came out, only hoping they would be more comfortable to wear than the original AirPods, never dreaming that they would change my life. And those OG AirPods — could there BE anything more uncomfortable to wear — especially if you, like me, are of the “teeny tiny ears” tribe? They hurt my ears to even think about wearing them but wear them I did because it was the logical choice to work seamlessly across my iOS ecosystem of devices.
The Apple AirPod Pros Are a Game Changer
The Apple AirPod Pros have been a complete and total game changer for me. The true wireless earbuds feature noise cancellation capabilities and I’m here to tell you they are seriously legit. In fact, now when I’m wearing them around the house and one of the kids says something to me, I don’t even have to pretend to ignore her, I truly can’t hear her. It’s fantastic!
Even better, when I’m venture out of quarantine insanity to take the dog for a run, I can quickly access the touch controls on the stem, turn on transparency mode, which allows me to hear what’s going on around me. I already mentioned the fit, which means the AirPods actually stay in my ears when I’m running or working out, which is, of course, the goal. The AirPod Pro setup process includes assessing your fit and checking to make sure the tips you’ve selected are creating the right seal, which helps make sure you have exactly the fit you need. It’s taken way to long IMO for Apple to go down that route, but I’ll take it.
The sound quality on AirPods Pro is really good, although I’m admittedly not an audiophile, and you are, I defer to your thoughts on that front. I just want music blaring in my ears when I’m running and to be able to have great sound quality on conference calls (Read: Not all that picky!). Lastly, the battery life is a decent four to five hours and they seem to charge fairly rapidly in the case.
From a work from home standpoint, the Apple AirPod Pros are truly saving my life. I’ve got more noise around more often than ever before, and these earbuds allow me to check out from what’s going on around and have all the peace and quiet I need to get some work done.
Bonus: Find Apple AirPod Pros on Sale
I was really only inspired to make time to write this article because of a recent conversation with a colleague wherein I raved about Apple AirPods Pros saving my sanity these days. Little did I know that in the course of writing this article that I would actually find them on sale. In case I’ve convinced you to check them out, Apple’s AirPods Pro are available on Amazon for $235 with a promo that takes them down to $228. Since Apple products are rarely on sale, that’s worth at least a mention and you’ll be saving a whopping $20.
And that, my friends, is that. If you’re an Apple fan and thinking about whether or not it’s time to upgrade to the Apple AirPods Pro, I’m here to fully enable you and say, ‘Absolutely yes, go for it!’ True wireless earbuds, really amazing noise cancellation (aka “kid noise blocking”) features that are easy to turn on and off as needed, super comfortable, good sound, decent battery life. I’m all in.
Futurum Research provides industry research and analysis. These columns are for educational purposes only and should not be considered in any way investment advice.
Other insights from the Futurum team:
AirPods Are Built To Be Obsolete — Here’s What To Do About Your Dying Batteries
Samsung Unpacked Reveals Next Wave Of Mobile Innovation
Wearables–Their Past, Present And Future–Futurum Tech Podcast
Image Credit: Apple
Author Information
Shelly Kramer is a serial entrepreneur with a technology-centric focus. She has worked alongside some of the world’s largest brands to embrace disruption and spur innovation, understand and address the realities of the connected customer, and help navigate the process of digital transformation.
