Creative Outlier Sports
Wireless, sweatproof in-ear headphones
£60 FROM Creative, uk.creative.com FEATURES Bluetooth, microphone, compact carry case, USB cable (0.3m)
These wireless earphones are of the behind-the
neck, in-ear, variety. They are pitched at sporty types, meaning that they’re rugged, sweatproof and designed to survive being thrown into a stinky gym bag at the end of your workout.
We’ve dragged these headphones around with us for a solid month now – through sweaty training sessions, endless commutes, bike rides and some rather more mundane hours sitting at a desk – and they’ve held up remarkably well with nary a sign of wear to their exterior. More importantly, thanks to their design they sit nicely in your ear without falling out, and they also sound excellent as well. If you’re looking for a set of wireless headphones that are one tough cookie then look no further.
But here’s the thing: the Outlier Sports go deep into your ear and the silicone tips block out all other noises. The result is that you can hear internal sounds, like your breathing, very loudly, which can be disconcerting. It feels a little bit like being underwater. We can see the appeal if you like to be totally immersed in your exercises or lost in music. That said, we wouldn’t recommend wearing them walking down a busy street or when doing any activity that requires decent awareness of your environment. For enduring a lengthy train journey or spending half an hour on a cross trainer, however, these earphones are perfect.