There’s nothing better than a good pair of headphones, except a good pair of wireless headphones. I’ve tested several brands over the years, but there is one that really stands out: Jabra. I’ve actually ruined two pairs of the Jabra Sport Pulse (it was devastating) by wearing them in the rain. When Jabra offered up the chance to review their *waterproof* Elite Sport headphones, I jumped at the opportunity.
So these aren’t just any wireless headphones, these are cord free earbuds. I’m talking no wires at all. Nothing connecting the two earbuds, just two pieces of plastic you tuck away in your ears. I was really nervous they would pop out mid-run, but Jabra has done a phenomenal job with the fit. You can choose from several ear gel and ear wing sizes to make sure they fit specifically to your ear size and shape. I should note these suckers aren’t small. They sit in your ear canals and push the heart rate monitor against your skin in order to get accurate heart rate readings. Yes, these headphones have a built-in heart rate monitor (and a coach!).
One of my favorite features of the Jabra headphones is the “coaching.” The in-ear heart rate monitor and TrackFit motion sensor feed biometric data to the app, which then is delivered to you in real-time by a delightful British woman. “You are greatly improving your fitness,” is one of my favorite lines. I haven’t taken advantage of all the coaching features yet. For example, the app offers a Race Time Predictor and a Recovery Advisor. You can perform fitness tests like VO2max, Cooper Endurance and resting heart rate, which allows the coaching to be tailored specifically for your goals and fitness level.
The battery life on these earbuds is only 3 hours, however, the charging case provides an extra two full charges, so Jabra claims “up to nine hours” on the packaging. Honestly I don’t really need them for more than three hours. I don’t race with headphones.
The audio is quality. You can listen to music or easily take a phone call out on the run. They cancel out some of the noise, but not everything. Jabra calls it “passive noise canceling.”
The only real complaint I have about the Jabra earbuds is that you have to remove the ear wings after every workout. The charging station doesn’t work with them on. It’s by no means a deal breaker, but it’s a pain to constantly take them on and off and adjust them to fit before each run. I’m also nervous that I’m going to lose them.
And, these guys aren’t cheap: $249.99.
The Jabra Elite Sport are true wireless headphones with some pretty awesome technology. The sound quality is great, the controls/buttons are easy to use and they just disappear out on the run. My Garmin doesn’t monitor heart rate, so I was excited to see this data without having to wear a chest strap. I still have to take some of the endurance tests to really take advantage of the coaching, but from what I’ve seen, the App is impressive. To get the full rundown of features or to purchase a pair, check out the Jabra site. I can easily recommend them.
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