In the grand scheme of annoyances encountered while running, headphone wires aren’t comparable with such things as people stepping out in front of you without looking where they’re going; or finding the only public toilet in your local park has shut early; or even all those annoying people that finish ahead of you in a race. But they are annoying all the same.
If the cord is too long it flaps around like a thin fish getting in your way, if it’s too short it tugs on your ear like a strict aunt telling you off and dragging you off to your mother. That’s fine for a couple of miles, but after 26.2 of them, these little things can drive you to distraction.
But what’s this? A wireless set of headphones? No wire between your headphones and your music playing device (note; does not work with gramophones), and earpieces which lend themselves to pretending you’re a news reader – ‘over to you Mitch’. Now I’m interested.
The picture may look like a bionic set of ovaries but it is in fact the Jabra SPOT Bluetooth (wireless) headhones. They allow you to listen to music and take calls during workouts – though how hard you’re breathing during your run may determined whether the later of these is much use to you.
I tested these out on my 15 mile run at the weekend and the comfort was tip-top. Unfortunately I’d neglected to charge them fully before I headed out so within the first hour they had run out. I did find, though, that I had about 25 minutes from when the woman’s voice started informing me that the battery was low until it actually packed in.
Test two was a four-mile run home. The Jabra SPORT recommends you download the Endomondo Sports Tracker app, which has features designed specifically for Jabra SPORT. This means you’re able to get a quick status update on speed, distance and lap time by tapping the headset. A big advantage over my old headphones.
The headphones recommend that you use them with your iPhone attached to your upper arm and they come with their own armband. This was was too big for my tiny biceps though so I stuck to my Belkin Running Armband. I also tested out the reception with my phone in my hip pocket and found it just as good.
All in all I thought they were pretty good. The only down side is that it’s another piece of equipment to have to remember to charge before you head out the door. And you may want to spend a little longer on the instructions than I did – apparently randomly stabbing at buttons as you run along makes it dial that boy you fancy. I don’t know how it knows, but it did.
Jabra SPOT Bluetooth (wireless) headhones £99.99 Available from Amazon.co.uk
Again an interesting post from you. Although I am way older than you and way under your running distance I still enjoy reading about your reflections on running and running gear. Also, I have been looking for a headset that does not make my ears ache. It seems that this Jabra headset might be the answer to my prayers. I’ll start looking in Denmark, where I live, and hope to find them here.
Check out the iT7s Wireless Sport headphones by former footballer Ian Taylor.
They’re fantastic!
I completely disagree.
Headphone wires are the single most annoying thing about running ever, far more so than people, pot holes or pets. Trying to catch a flying earbud that’s been pulled out by the cable rubbing on your jacket can ruin your running flow like nothing else, fact.
“The picture may look like a bionic set of ovaries” – Laughter is healthy too, thanks for the chuckles and the review.
I recently bought some Plantronics bluetooth headphones for my jogging. They were so annoying I gave them away after 3 runs. Thanks for posting about these – I will give them a go.
Looks like a nice set of earphones you have here. They’re not the type of earphones I use when I work out though; I guess I’m used to making do with wrapped-up headphones attached to an arm-strapped ipod (not too proud of my macgyver skills there). Maybe I should go pick this up and give it a test run.
I’ve heard some pretty good reviews about the jabra sport, and I must admit I can’t wait to try them soon. I just need to scour the local electronic stores to see if they have it already, first.