My sweat is kryptonite to earbuds that claim to be water-resistant and designed for fitness.
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In the past few months, I’ve gone through a review unit pair of PowerBeats 3 (sorry Apple) and a set of Jaybird Freedom 2s that I purchased myself — and quickly returned after they malfunctioned within two gym visits. Finding the ideal gym/running headphones is a frustrating quest that never really brings me any gratification or sense of accomplishment. Just a lot of wasted money and, at best, a feeling of "well, I guess these will do for now."
I know this preference is a bit unusual, but if given the choice, I like wearing full-size headphones at the gym and on the treadmill more than I do earbuds. If my good friend The Rock can wear his Beats Solo wireless headphones during sweaty sessions at his “Iron Paradise” gym, then why can’t I manage to make any of my headphones last at Blink Fitness? Lauren Dragan has done a lot of great research on workout headphones for The Wirecutter. I’ve tried some of their recommendations, but still haven’t ever experienced that big “eureka, these are the ones!” moment.
My old Beats Solo 2s did a respectable job, but sound stopped coming out of one ear cup after a few months. V-Moda’s Crossfade Wireless headphones, which aren’t even meant for running, actually did the best job of all, lasting well over an entire year before they shorted out just a couple weeks ago. But I perspired on them so much that the metal inside was totally rusted and started to smell. (That’s gross, and I immediately regret sharing.)
So two weeks ago, in my latest attempt to unearth gold, I bought the new Plantronics Backbeat Fit 305 earbuds. They’re the ones pictured above and cost $80. So far, they’re holding up to my undiagnosed hyperhidrosis just fine. The 305s are rated IPX5 water resistant, which seems to be where most fitness headphones top out. There’s a little, very flimsy door that covers the USB port to keep liquid out. https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/10/15/16476218/workout-headphones-plantronics-backbeat-fit-305-sweat
