When you’re paying for a gym membership, Spotify - or other music subscription - and all the rest of it, trying to get fit can feel like it’s rinsing your bank balance. Add in things like resistance bands and headphones, and it feels like you’d be better off taking out a mortgage.
I do absolutely love my Airpods, but there’s no denying that they’re an expensive luxury that I had to save up for. So can you imagine my devastation when, two years later, I accidentally broke one when it fell out as I was running on the treadmill?
As it lay on the carpet having taken a bit of a battering from my trainer, I wondered whether I would replace them, or try out a new, slightly cheaper pair of earphones - or maybe even a pair of headphones to do my Allie Bennett ‘treadmill strut’ workout from TikTok.
The first pair of earphones I tried in place of my Airpods were the JIB True from Skullcandy, which are priced at £39.99 and approximately £100 cheaper than the Apple version.
The wireless earbud comes in a charging case just like Airpods, which offers enough battery life for 33 hours of music, movies and podcasts - I’d better make a longer playlist, since my Airpods only offer around 24 hours with multiple charges.
What’s more is that the earbuds are fitted with a Tile finding technology, meaning I can enjoy my wireless freedom without the fear of losing a bud. If you ever misplace one, you can just 'ring' it from the Tile app, which I thought was quite cool.
The Skullcandy earbuds are a distinctly different shape from airpods, with a rubbery bud that goes in the ear, rather than smooth plastic. Some people prefer this style, but I’m not a huge fan. Plus, the first time I wore them I really struggled to find which way up they were supposed to sit, but once I’d worked it out we were good to go.
Simple, on-earbud controls let you adjust volume, skip tracks, take calls and activate an assistant (like Google or Siri), all without ever touching your phone, which is really handy when you’re running at the gym. There is also a microphone in each earbud, so you can use either one separately to take calls or listen to music or media.
I really liked the affordability of these earbuds, as well as their Tile finding technology as someone who is constantly misplacing belongings, and really appreciated the longer listening times, however, I have quite small ears and didn’t find this pair as comfortable as my Airpods, and still lived in fear of dropping and potentially breaking one of them.
The sound quality is brilliant though, and my Dad - who has bigger ears than I, really liked using the earbuds and found them more comfortable than his wireless earphones - which are a cheap Airpod-style dupe. It’s all down to personal preference, I guess.
I decided instead to try out a pair of overhead headphones, opting for the Skullcandy Hesh ANC Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones, which retail at £119.99 - around £20 cheaper than traditional Airpods, and a whopping £429 cheaper than the new AirPods Max, the new overhead device launched by Apple.
I certainly could never be tempted to spend £549 on a pair of headphones, but may well be tempted to replace my broken in-ear Airpods with a similarly priced overhead set for added security while jogging.
The Skullcandy Hesh headphones offer 22 hours of battery life compared to Apple’s Airpods Max 20 hours. Plus, whenever you get low, the Skullcandy Rapid Charge feature gives you three hours of listening time on just a 10-minute charge.
The most attractive feature on these headphones is that they are noise cancelling, proven by me yelling ‘WHAT?!’ when I could see my dad’s lips moving, but no words coming out.
Noise-cancelling headphones are ideal for blocking out the world around you and help get in the zone at the gym. But sometimes, you need to tune into your surroundings, so Hesh ANC have been designed with Ambient Mode, which means with two quick presses of a button, you can once again hear everything around you and have a conversation.
The headphones offer an ultralight headband and soft pads that fully surround your ears, making them really comfortable to wear, and the anxiety that comes with the idea of one earphone falling out is abolished. They’re super secure and at no risk of slipping off on the treadmill.
Like the JIB True’s, the headphones have intuitive buttons let you take calls, adjust volume, change tracks, as well as the Tile finding technology to help you locate your gear when you’ve put it down and can’t remember where.
What’s more is that, thanks to their hinged design, these headphones both fold flat and collapse, meaning they fit into the smallest of bags, or even a jacket pocket - a feature the Apple Airpods Max certainly doesn’t have.
After using the Skullcandy Hesh ANC headphones, I’ve truly been converted from an earphone to a headphone kind of girl. However, you won’t catch me spending £549 on a pair of Apple Airpods Maxs any time soon, so the Hesh ANC are the ideal option for those who want a great pair of noise-cancelling headphones without breaking the bank.
Of course, they’re still pretty pricey at £119, but with a clear, rich sound and digital active noise cancelling experience, they really do rival the big dogs at a fraction of the cost.
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