I tried one on for a few hours to see how it would be to wear them all day at work. By the end of the evening (about 4 hours) they were making my ears a little sore because the elastic cord is a bit tight, but at least they give me another option besides wearing the mask ear piece over my ear all day. At worst, I can switch between the two options when one starts to hurt. Outside, they should definitely keep my ears warm, and maybe the elastic will relax a little in time. They are cute.