Fairbuds

Fairbuds are wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation. They are stored in an accompanying case with charging function. Both the case and the earpiece are designed for easy repair. The batteries are easy to replace. The earbuds have an ergonomic shape that fits comfortably in the ear. Touch controls allow you to skip tracks or increase the volume. 

The jury on Fairbuds:

The Fairbuds respond to the need for modular product upgrades or repairs. The aim is to extend the lifespan, and the entire design is geared to that. In this way, the product helps set the standard for future sustainable developments, especially in the consumer electronic products sector.

What does this award mean to you?

At Dott Achilles, we are big fans of Fairphone and its design philosophy. Earlier, we collaborated with them on the Fairbuds XL, a large set of headphones. That was a great success and even won a Gold Award at the Henry van de Velde Awards last year. So when Fairphone asked us to collaborate with them again, we were immediately enthusiastic. It was a challenge to fit everything into such a compact design, but we feel that both the collaboration and end result are once again successful. Being back among the winners is simply icing on the cake.

What makes your project so special?

Most earbuds are completely glued close. This makes them compact, but as soon as something breaks, they can go in the bin. Various parts of the Fairbuds, such as the battery, can be easily replaced by the users themselves. This makes the product last longer. It’s been recognised for this by the independent website iFixit, which gave the Fairbuds a perfect score of 10/10 for repairability.

How does it contribute to a better world?

Not only do Fairbuds boast a longer lifespan, but the materials used are also recyclable and ethically sourced. But that’s not all: Fairphone is also doing something about the wages of the workers who produce the earbuds. For instance, it pays a bonus of 55 US cents per pair produced so that these workers ultimately receive a higher wage and can therefore also enjoy a better standard of living.