JLab JBuds Air Sport True Wireless earbuds, Trust Eaze Bluetooth Wireless Over-ear headphones
Sturdy wireless earbuds for exercise
£49.99 FROM JLab Audio, jlabaudio.com
FEATURES Bluetooth 5.0, AAC support, IP66 water-resistance
Ordinary wireless earbuds might be fine for sitting at home during Zoom calls. But they’re not ideal for more vigorous activity, so many people prefer earbuds such as JLabs’ Air Sport for exercise and outdoor use.
Like many sports earbuds, the Air Sport are held in place by a large ‘hook’ that wraps right around the back of your ear. We found that they stayed comfortably in place during chilly dashes around our local park, and their IP66 rating for water-resistance is ideal for exercise and outdoor use. Battery life is a healthy six hours on a full charge, and the included charging case can take that up to a full 34 hours as well.
Sound quality is something of a mixed bag, though. The Air Sport supports Apple’s AAC codec for Bluetooth streaming (but not AptX for Android users), and they produce a detailed sound that copes well with the clashing guitars and synths on Planetary (Go!) by My Chemical Romance. The bass is a bit on the boomy side, and sometimes leaves the higher frequencies sounding a little thin. But, of course, many people like strong bass – especially when they’re exercising – and there are three EQ modes that you can use to adjust the sound as well. So while the sound quality is fairly average, the Air Sport earbuds do manage to provide good battery life and a sturdy design for exercise, at a very competitive price.
Cliff Joseph