For the sake of your earbuds' health, you may want to curb the habit. Using one earbud more than the other creates an uneven usability balance, leading to quicker wear and tear on the frequently used bud. Beyond physical wear, charging cycles are limited; when one bud drains faster due to more frequent charging, its overall battery life diminishes sooner.
Even if both buds charge in the same case, imbalanced battery levels require more power to equalize, further impacting longevity. Some wireless earbuds use a master/slave setup where only the master bud can connect primarily to the phone. In these cases, mono mode is limited to one bud.
However, most newer models support role-swapping, allowing mono playback from either bud. This includes popular models like Samsung Galaxy Buds and Google Pixel Buds. To even out usage, alternate between buds regularly.
Wearing a single bud often consumes more power per use due to Bluetooth transmission. Removing one bud frequently from the case can also cause charging imbalances. When listening with both buds, the more-used bud may die first, forcing mono mode.
If transparency or ambient mode is available, activate it to hear surroundings while using both ears. For driving, use speakerphone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto instead of a single bud. The best way to avoid these issues is to stop wearing just one bud regularly, limiting use to occasional calls or translation needs.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing