Are Companies Wasting Money Replacing Headsets When They Only Need New Ear Cushions?

Often, yes. When a business headset is retired because the leatherette is peeling or the foam has gone flat, the company is usually throwing away working electronics to fix a part that costs a few dollars. Official replacement cushions from Jabra cost roughly 5% of a new mid-range headset in our listings. Across a 100-seat call centre, that's about S$3,000 instead of S$62,500 (illustrative calculation below). Cushions are not always the answer, though. Replace the whole headset when the battery can't be swapped and has worn out, the model no longer gets firmware for your meeting platform, the dongle is lost, or the microphone boom is damaged. For cheap headsets, replacement pads can cost nearly as much as a new headset.

How much do ear cushions cost compared with a new headset?

Source: SourceIT listed prices including GST (listed 8 Nov 2026). CALC (illustrative): assumes one pair of cushions per stereo headset, and that the headsets, batteries and firmware are still serviceable. Percentages are our arithmetic. Prices change; ask for a current quotation.

Why do headsets get replaced when only the cushions are worn?

Mostly because nobody owns the spare-parts process. A user complains that a headset is uncomfortable or looks worn, the helpdesk has a box of new headsets, and swapping the whole unit is the fastest fix. Cushions are also the most visible part of a headset. Peeling leatherette makes even a working headset look broken, and staff are understandably reluctant to wear someone else's worn pads.

The cost adds up fast in high-use environments. A contact-centre headset worn for full shifts wears out its cushions long before its electronics, a point we touch on in can one headset survive 100 meetings a month? Comfort matters as much as cost. Flattened foam presses on the ears, and staff on eight-hour calls notice, which is why on-ear vs over-ear for 8-hour meetings is worth reading alongside this.

Rule of thumb: if the headset still charges, connects, updates and sounds right, replace the cushions. If any of those four fail, price a replacement instead.

When should you replace the whole headset instead?

Cushions fix comfort and hygiene, nothing else. A full replacement makes more sense when:

• The battery is worn and can't be replaced. This varies even within one family. Jabra says the stereo and mono Engage 55 SE have user-replaceable batteries, while the convertible Engage 55 SE does not.
• The model is out of support. If the manufacturer has stopped releasing firmware for your Teams or Zoom version, new cushions only extend the life of a headset that will drift out of compatibility.
• The dongle or base is lost. Many wireless business headsets pair with a specific dongle or DECT base, and a replacement may cost a large share of a new set.
• The microphone or boom is damaged. Call quality is the job; comfort is secondary.
• The headset is cheap to begin with. In the table above, Logitech H570e earpad covers cost about two-thirds of a new H570e. At that ratio, many teams will simply buy new.

We could not find a manufacturer-published replacement interval for cushions, so we won't give one. Wear depends on hours, sweat, heat and how headsets are stored. A practical approach is to inspect cushions at a fixed point each year, or when a user reports discomfort, and keep a small stock of the right part numbers.

What about hygiene on shared or hot desks?

Shared headsets are where cushions earn their keep. In call centres with rotating shifts or hot desks, the simplest hygiene measure is personal cushions: each agent keeps their own pads and swaps them onto the shared headset at the start of the shift. Another option is personal wired headsets, which are cheap enough to issue to each person, as we discuss in why USB headsets still beat Bluetooth for some call centres. Leatherette can be wiped. Foam is harder to clean, so it suits personal rather than shared headsets.

How do you run a cushion programme without the admin?

• Standardise models. Two or three headset models mean two or three cushion part numbers. A mixed fleet makes the spares shelf as messy as the headset drawer.
• Record part numbers at purchase. Cushion kits are model-specific (Engage stereo vs mono kits are separate SKUs, and BIZ 2400 II comes in medium and king sizes). Note them on the asset record.
• Buy multi-packs. Five-pair packs bring the per-headset cost down. In our listings the Jabra BIZ 2300 leatherette pack works out at S$10 per pair.
• Add a charging stand where it helps. Wireless headsets left on desks get knocked around. We weigh this up in is a headset charging stand worth it?

If staff complain about the headset rather than the pads, the cause may be settings rather than hardware. See why a headset works on Zoom but fails on Teams before replacing anything.

Buying in Singapore

Official Jabra spares are listed in stock, including Engage ear cushions for stereo (5 pairs) and for mono (5 pairs), both S$150; Engage 40/50 II cushions S$20; BIZ 2400 II leatherette (medium, 5 pairs) S$65; and BIZ 2300 leatherette (5 pairs) S$50. We also list the Yealink BH70 ear cushion at S$26.50, Logitech H570e earpad covers at S$29 and Lenovo wireless VoIP headset earcups at S$28. See all Jabra ear cushions. For Jabra Evolve2 or Poly spares, which aren't listed, send us the headset model and we'll check the part. Use Request for Quotation on the product page, call (65) 6978 3502, email Sales@sourceit.com.sg or use our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just replace the ear cushions on a business headset? Yes, on most professional headsets the cushions are designed to be replaced. Buy the official kit for your exact model, as cushions are model-specific.

How much can a call centre save by replacing cushions instead of headsets? In our illustrative calculation, cushions for 100 Jabra Engage stereo headsets cost about S$3,000 against S$62,500 for 100 new Engage 75 SE stereo headsets, assuming the headsets still work.

How often should headset ear cushions be replaced? Manufacturers don't publish a fixed interval, and wear depends on use. Inspect them yearly or when users report discomfort, and replace them when the surface peels or the foam stays flat.

When is a new headset better than new cushions? When the battery is worn and not replaceable, firmware support has ended, the dongle is lost, the microphone is damaged, or the cushions cost a large share of a cheap headset.

Are shared headsets hygienic? They can be with personal cushions per user or wipeable leatherette pads. Many contact centres instead issue each agent an inexpensive personal wired headset.