I got about 18 months out of my first pair of AirPods before I lost them and while battery life wasn't great at the end, it was mostly tolerable. Seems like 18 months - 2 years is the typical lifespan of headphones for me. They they get lost, batteries die, the earbuds wear out, cables get broken, take a bath, etc.

I bought a second set of AirPods after losing my first and when these die/ get lost/ take a bath/ whatever I'll either buy another pair or maybe upgrade to the $250 ones... with the expectation that they will last 18-24 months. For me, the form factor is worth it.