Haylou PurFree BC01

£99.99 Safer sounds as you ride, in a practical package

UNLIKE TRADITIONAL EARBUDS, which fit into your ear canals, blocking sound and limiting spatial awareness, the Purfree heads sit on your cheekbones, conducting vibrations straight into your inner ear so you can hear your surroundings at the same time.

Shokz (formerly Aftershokz) was the originator of this technology, but the Haylous definitely rival this brand’s offerings. I like how you can connect to two devices at once using Bluetooth 5.2. If I’m out riding, I like to have a well-charged phone in case of emergencies so I usually use an iPod for my media needs. The BC01’s simultaneous connection means I can take calls on my ride (with a quick press of the multi-function button on the left-hand head) then resume playback on the second device once the call’s finished. With twin inbuilt microphones, the call quality is excellent too.

Run time is also impressive. I regularly get 7.5 hours’ playback (with a few calls thrown in) and the charge time is two hours to 100%, but a quick 10-minute charge will get you two hours’ playback time. I didn’t expect hi-fi-quality range, but these headphones reproduce music well and sound quality is more than ample for podcasts. The lightweight (28g) BC01s are rated to IP67 so they’re waterproof enough to withstand sweat and wet rides with ease.

The titanium alloy band grips your head well and sits on the nape of your neck, looping over your ears and working fine with your helmet and glasses. You’ll get a mag charger cable (that works off any USB source), a pair of earplugs (should you wish to noise cancel) and a one-year warranty. There’s no carry case though.

Overall, the BC01s impress: the sound quality is ample, the dual connectivity is useful and the price is very competitive.