- Practicality
- Sound Quality
- Value
The consumer electronics market is constantly trying to address the needs of the ever growing athletic community, especially when it comes to manufacturing headphones which match the highly active lifestyle. So today I will be reviewing Jabra’s attempt with the Jabra Sport Bluetooth Headphones. I tested out the Jabra Sport headphones during several of my workouts, taking them to the gym as well as testing them out “in the streets” when I went for a run.
The Skinny
The Jabra Sport Headphones cover all the bases, if not in a remarkable way. The sound is clear but unspectacular. The Bluetooth works well, so long as you wear your paired device on your right side when using the set outside. The battery life will last a good 3 hours, but will also take a comparable amount of time in charging. The headphones themselves are comfortable, if not the most secure.
Full Review
The Jabra Sport Bluetooth headphones stream stereo audio wirelessly and even has a built in microphone for any urgent calls. These headphones utilize a behind-the-ear design. The headphones you place over your ear are the be-all-end-all, meaning that the controls and batteries that power the headphones are contained in the back portion of what fits over your ear. While this feature allows the Jabra Sport to be one “solid” piece with nothing else to take with you to the gym (no external battery backs to attach to your clothes), it does make the headphones rather bulky if not heavy. While wireless, there is a single flat yellow cord which connects the right and left earphones. I didn’t find that they inhibited my head movement during workouts.
Jabra gives you 3 sets of ear tips of varying designs so that you can find the one which suits your ears best but even so, the Jabra Sport headphones are not the most secure. Another thing to think about with these headphones is that the Jabra Sport does not play well will glasses. While adequately comfortable and secure for going on a run or general weightlifting, if you’re one to do a lot of upside down crunches while wearing sunglasses, these may not be the headphones for you.
One of the nice things about the Jabra Sport is that the headset boasts IP54 rugged certification, meaning that it has passed the international standard for tough products. The Jabra Sport will survive splashes of water as well as most “extreme” levels of blowing dust particles. So if you get caught in a light drizzle, these headphones will make it through without a hitch.
Pairing the Jabra Sport Bluetooth headphones with my iPhone 4 was very straight forward and worked every time. The Bluetooth application works quite well in an enclosed space but you will need to wear your paired device on your right side when outside to combat disconnects. That said I never heard any white noise or static. But I wasn’t blown away by the audio either. The sound quality is decent enough to not offend the ears of many audiophiles out there, but they’re nothing spectacular. Suffice it to say that I only wore these headphones whilst running or weight lifting, opting for a higher quality corded pair for just hanging around listening to music. The microphone was not the best either. If you’re looking to carry on long conversations while exercising, these probably aren’t the best but will do quite nicely for a quick chat.
While the controls for the Jabra Sport are simple and easy to access, I found that having to hold down for 2 
seconds to change the track did become annoying after a while. So if you decide to go on a run or a bike ride, you may want to make a custom playlist as opposed to just shuffle your music. And if you don’t have any music with you, don’t fret, the Jabra Sport will pick up FM radio when not paired to a device.
All in all, the Jabra Sport does a pretty good job of addressing the basics of what you’d want in a pair of sport headphones. The wireless Bluetooth is great for getting rid of the frustrations which come from tangled cords and the battery lasts a decently long time, enough to finish any usual workout routine. The sound and microphone quality, while not bad, could be better. If you’re on the lookout for a pair of wireless headphones to accompany you on your workout and don’t mind paying a bit more than most wired headphones, the Jabra Sport Bluetooth headphones will do the trick.
Buy the Jabra Sport Bluetooth Headphones – $69.99
