Bluetooth in ear for running - Do they really exist?

jakspyder · 13 Feb 2017 at 16:55

Hey guys,

I'm sick of breaking earphones, im sick of cables and connectors etc breaking so I'm wanting to go for a bluetooth pair, a major use is for daily runs to keep pace.

Even looking at £170 pairs of bluetooth in ears, when you check amazon reviews 15-20% of reviews say cant cope with sweating, dead within weeks or days.

Does a product actually exist which can remain connected smoothly, play decent sound quality and survive more than a few months?

If not what are my wired options? My last pair were soundmagic E50 (few years, nice) and E50S (bought 23rd dec) which are now dead unsure why.

I like the wing hook design of something like the jaybird X3s and find over ear clips uncomfortable so i'd prefer something with those wing clip thingies.

Ultimately I feel like im stuck with a wire if i want in ear buds, but im so sick and tired of killing headphones. It costs an absolute fortune to keep going.

tom_e · 13 Feb 2017 at 16:57

Mpow Swift Bluetooth 4.0 I've used a pair of these for months in the gym, don't fall out and no problems with sweat. Sound quality is decent as well.

I need a replacement pair after my house mate stood on my old pair and snapped them

jakspyder · 13 Feb 2017 at 17:00

These also seem to get reviews saying only a few months usage.

I should also add i use my earphones for a run in the morning, then for most of the day too. Heavy usage.

Craig321 · 13 Feb 2017 at 17:01

I have these for gym and they're perfect https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B017I9CBPC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Stayed in through running, cycling, rowing, crosstrainer, weights, etc.

Pointless spending more. They sound good and stay in. They provide 3 different ear bud and ear hooks so you can get the perfect size.

Not sure what the battery life is like as I'll only use them while in the gym, so an hour a day, but they last all week and have never run out (I charge them over the weekend). Not sure if they'd last all day every day. I have some E10S wired earphones which I use at my desk.

If you do only get a few months usage out of them, just return to Amazon, no hassle really.

rids57 · 13 Feb 2017 at 17:10

If you would prefer a more reputable manufacturer the 1MORE iBFree are £55 on the rain forest

Craig321 · 13 Feb 2017 at 17:14

Those look the same as the ones I linked. Bet they are, just slightly different casing and brand

jakspyder · 13 Feb 2017 at 17:22

Tbh they all look the same and all get the 100+ reviews saying lasts 3 months, falls app art, dies from moisture.

Maybe i should stick with wired but im so sick of crappy cable quality, i get that im a heavy user but im fairly careful!

Just frustrating constantly forking money out and being without headphones.

Craig321 · 13 Feb 2017 at 19:44

Have you tried some swimming ones maybe? Maybe your just have very moist ear holes

jakspyder · 13 Feb 2017 at 20:34

Its not sweating i've damaged them with, but thats a common issue with many others which puts me off purchasing.

I break mine usually at the phone port, or where the buds split.

Craig321 · 13 Feb 2017 at 20:35

I reckon try the ones I linked. They're cheap enough & you always have Amazon returns if they don't last at least a year. The rubber tips are replaceable as well.

AiiR · 13 Feb 2017 at 23:53

Craig321;30499659 said:
I have these for gym and they're perfect https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B017I9CBPC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Stayed in through running, cycling, rowing, crosstrainer, weights, etc.

Pointless spending more. They sound good and stay in. They provide 3 different ear bud and ear hooks so you can get the perfect size.

Not sure what the battery life is like as I'll only use them while in the gym, so an hour a day, but they last all week and have never run out (I charge them over the weekend). Not sure if they'd last all day every day. I have some E10S wired earphones which I use at my desk.

If you do only get a few months usage out of them, just return to Amazon, no hassle really.

These look good, whats the noise cancelling like? The ones I currently have are great for running but no so great in a crowded gym as I can hear everyone over my music unless I turn the volume up, which I obviously avoid doing for hearing preservation!

Craig321 · 14 Feb 2017 at 09:38

The noise cancelling is really good. As long as you use the right size rubber tips that form a proper seal in your ear, then you can't hear anything else at all.

elrasho · 14 Feb 2017 at 12:55

Craig321 said:
I have these for gym and they're perfect https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B017I9CBPC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Stayed in through running, cycling, rowing, crosstrainer, weights, etc.

Had the same ones for a year and they are brilliant. Sound quality is really good too, not as good as my SoundMagic E10 but then again they are £20 more and aren't bluetooth.

DanF · 16 Mar 2017 at 11:16

rids57 said:
If you would prefer a more reputable manufacturer the 1MORE iBFree are £55 on the rain forest

I'm just returning a set of these. The sound is ok but I find the weight of them and the remote design makes them go lopsided and tug out of my ears. Also the signal range is really low, stood 2m from phone and get audio drops.

Royal Fleet · 16 Mar 2017 at 11:22

I accepted a compromise to get robust running earphones and went for these - Plantronics.

They don't sit completely in your ear so when you sweat they have airflow around them a bit to stop them getting too wet. They also don't block out all noise around you which I prefer when I am outside running. I like to be able to hear a bit of what is going on.

As such the sound quality is not top notch. It is good enough for running but I have another pair of in ear ones for proper listening.

Personally I don't think there is a headphone form factor that suits all use cases. Hence I have about 4 pairs.