Allergic to AirPod Pro eartips

This latest reaction I’ve had is really taking a long time to heal for me. I’ve completely stopping using the APPs and have asked Apple for a refund.

interestingly, I was talking with my dentist yesterday about this (she asked if I had ear pain and I explained the situation) and she TOO is having the same issue with her APPs! Like me, she didn’t connect her ear drainage and itching at first to the APPs (thought it was just allergies) because she’d never had an issue with any other earbuds. But then realized the problem went away when she stopped using them.

i suspect there’s a lot more people out there having this issue.

That is very concerning. I know some people feel that the AirPod pros have triggered something that is now a bigger issue.

Just curious, but have you seen a doctor regarding your issue? The ENT I saw prescribed steroid drops that did wonders clearing up my issue. It seems like once I let the issue clear up using the drops and give my ears a rest, I can go back to using in-ear headphones just as long as they are NOT my AirPod pros. When I tried to use the AirPod pros again (even after trying other earbuds), the issue came back within a day.

The Comply foam works for me for at least a week now, I have been using the APP for 2 hours/day and nothing bad has happened. Also replacing the tips get rid of the chemical smell that I got with the silicone tips.

Also it is worth noting the Galaxy Buds Live is also a great alternative and it is very comfortable while still very secure and it does not go deep inside your ear canal like most other earbuds. The ANC is the worst of the worst though and it does not have transparent mode (but you don’t really need it since it is always in transparent mode).

By the way, does your APP have a strong chemical odor when you open the lid after 1 or 2 hours of closing it?

This does not ring true for me. The notice says that Acrylates are used in trace amounts for adhesives. I cannot conceive that the silicone ear tips contain adhesives where the silicone touches any skin. I still think it is the kind of silicone material itself, which Apple has not actually disclosed. My own experience is that Apple silicone tips causes significant contact dermatitis in my ears, whereas the Spin Fit medical grade silicone is neutral in my own ears. Also, I have never had any allergic reaction to adhesive bandages.

It does not mean it is an issue with the tips either as you said many change the tips and they are fine (I am included). You can try the new tips and hope that the issues go away. That is the best suggestion for now. (Aside from stop using them)

Base on these inconsistency, I think it is due to bacterial infection when wearing the APP for too long or when you ears are still wet. Maybe try to clean the tips every single time you use it and make sure your ears are dry to see if it works.

All, I found a solution to this issue! I too had the same problem. Unfortunately, at the time I had the issue, there were no alternative tips. I ended up blessing my son with the Airpod Pros, and got an alternative pair of earphones. Also unfortunately, I have found that I am still allergic to silicone ear tips. Not just apple. I've tried 3 different brands of in ear headphones and have the same results. Fortunately, I did actually find a solution to the itching, burning and such. I put a little generic brand maximum strength hydrocortisone cream on a Q-tip and wipe it around the surface inside of my ear (not too deep) where the ear tips touch just before going to bed. It works great! I sleep at night without itching ears, and can go all the next day without the need for more hydrocortisone until bedtime. I'm not one to use over the ear headphones due to the bulky nature of those, so I"m happy to have found a solution that actually allows me to still enjoy the headphones I prefer. Hope this helps!

I have the same issue and can only use them for maybe 10 minutes at a time before my ear canals become extremely itchy. If I leave them in it will get worse and eventually cause liquid to drain from my ears. Tried cleaning the tips but that didn’t help. After a recent ear infection I’ve stopped using them.

As I used older Bose in-ear headphones for hours at a time I can only guess it’s something to do with the silicone compound being used by Apple. As such I’m going to buy some aftermarket tips to see if that helps.

Apple really ought to address this as it can lead to ear infections which can be dangerous.

I’ve been having this exact problem for a few months now.

at first I though my ears were only feeling sore and itchy because my AirPods were new, and I was so use to the older ones. Then after a month it got progressively worse. My ears would get swollen, damp on the inside, and itch like CRAZY. I believe it was also 10x worse for me because I workout a lot, and the sweat/movement caused it to become raw. The sound quality is amazing so I threw the box away not even thinking I could develop an allergy, so returning them was no longer an option for me.

if you’re experiencing the same thing, please PLEASE do not itch your ear. I got so itchy I used Q-tips to itch it, and it made it so much worse. Please stop using them to let your ears air out, and see a doctor for antibiotics. Using Q-tips and other tools will only cause sores inside the ear and make your issue 100% worse!

Yes! It has taken me a few months to narrow this down and I am guessing an allergy to the silicone. I have liquid draining from my ears while sleeping, uncontrollable itching and inflammation. I have gone to the ENT and they couldn't pin-point a problem other than "allergy" diagnosis. I stopped using my AirPod Pros for a few weeks to help alleviate the symptoms, used them for couple of hours yesterday on conference calls and boom!, overnight, ears are plugged, draining, itching and inflamed.

Too bad, I really liked these AirPod Pros but I will have to go back to the older style and see if that works better for me once this clears up.

I'd let you ears heal entirely before putting anything in there. Did you wipe the casings down with rubbing alcohol to clean them before adding the foam tips? Any residual silicone residue will get on your skin and cause irritation. The casings are hypoallergenic in and of them self, I've had great results with the foam tips from comply others may not be as good.

I had issues with the APP, usually manifesting at night after using them during the day - hot ears, drainage, etc. making it impossible to sleep. Ended up offloading the APP after trying all sorts of different tips with no joy.

Bought AP3 on Saturday, hoping they’d be good. Loved the sound of them, and the spatial audio, but after using them for about 30 minutes on Saturday afternoon, I had the same symptoms that night. My strong suspicion is that it’s the acrylates in the plastic (in both the AP3 and the APP), rather than the tips that were on the APP which was my original assumption. Returning the AP3’s today unfortunately.

I have no issues with some IEM’s that I have which are a titanium body with silicon or memory foam tips, and no issues with various over the ear headphones which I often use for many hours a day in the current WFH world.

I never had a reaction to my original version AirPods, so I was hoping the AP3’s would be fine, but unfortunately not.

I might try the Beats Fit Pro, but given I had a reaction to my partners Powerbeats Pro’s when I tried them, I’m a little gun shy :(

I just didn’t want to believe I was allergic to my 210 w/ tax tips! After sever trips to ENT and limiting use and no more itching … it’s true. I started wearing my buds again and the itching and draining returned. People need to know . I have now order memory foam.

I have this problem. here are some alternative links for new tips.

Silicon: https://www.amazon.com/Airpod-Replacement-Earbud-Covers-Airpods/dp/B083VRLNXV

Foam: https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Reduction-Silicone-Portable-Charging/dp/B08HT46TVP

I stopped using mine and my ears - after a severe infection, crusty, scaly skin - have gone back to normal.

today, I tried using the pods for 15 mins. And this evening, the itchiness came back. So definitely an issue with these.

there are a couple of papers describing acrylate contamination in the AirPods Pro and allergic reactions in patients. This likely varies from batch to batch, so some production runs may be more allergenic than others. Again, >100 million units sold, so a very large number of users.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Airpods+pro