Google Store now sells individual Pixel Buds, saving you from yourself

Google’s been working to gradually make its hardware products a little less wasteful: its latest Pixel 10 is more repairable than previous models, and after three generations of smartwatches that more or less couldn’t be repaired at all, Pixel Watch 4 repairs can even be done at home.

Tiny earbuds are a little trickier to service, but Google’s taken a step to make sure you don’t have to throw out a whole set of Pixel Buds if you lose any individual piece of it. 9to5Google has spotted that replacement parts for Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Pixel Buds 2a are now available on the Google Store, replacing a more cumbersome self-service support form.

You can now buy single earbuds, charging cases, or eartips for both of Google’s latest pairs of earbuds. One earbud costs $70 (Pro 2) or $55 (2a); a case is $95 (Pro 2) or $55 (2a). A replacement set of eartips costs $20 for either pair.

There doesn’t seem to be a landing page for these replacement parts specifically, but they’re all listed alongside other Pixel Buds accessories on the Google Store.

Pricing isn’t too far off from what Apple charges for single AirPods and charging cases, which are still gated behind a clunky support page. You’ll pay $89 for an individual AirPod Pro 3, or $69 for one AirPod 4. Their charging cases go for $99 and $69.

Offering easy access to replacements for individual earbuds and charging cases helps ensure that one piece breaking down or going missing doesn’t mean the entire set ends up in the trash. It’s a solidly pro-consumer move from Google — but here’s hoping more companies take inspiration from Fairphone’s repairable Fairbuds sooner than later.