Wireless bluetooth earphones are becoming increasingly common, but a good set is still a great thing to find. The Jabra Sport Pulse fit into that category. They are easy to use, have decent sound and are compact, consisting only of ear buds and inline controls, connected by a small cable that sits comfortably and discreetly around the back of your neck.
The earphones will function perfectly well on their own as a simple audio device, or connected to apps like Map My Run or RunKeeper; Jabra’s own app is well worth considering though.
Optimised for running, the app will function as a personal trainer of sorts, barking at you to speed up when you need to pick up the pace, or to keep going if your goals are more endurance based. You can also take fitness tests periodically to see how you are progressing. It integrates with your music, whether you opt for tracks stored on your device or through your streaming service.
It’s more effective than the standard running app at monitoring fitness for one reason: the Sport Pulse, as the name suggests, monitors your heart rate. It does it through your inner ear and, according to the company, does it with clinical grade accuracy.
The headphones come with four sizes of ear gels and four sizes of “wings” to make sure they fit securely in your ears. This, for me, is an ongoing challenge with earbuds – trying to find ones that fit my ear comfortably. Immediately, I had to swap the “wings” for a smaller size, the standard just didn’t stay in my ears.
However, once the change had been made it was almost impossible to shake them out. And I tried. They lasted a run of a couple of kilometres with only one minor adjustment, and even managed to stay in through a couple of vigorous interval training sessions.
They need to fit snugly for two important reasons. First of all, the pulse monitor won’t measure accurately if the earphones are bouncing around your ears. Secondly, if they don’t fit properly, they’ll fall out as you run. Given that their primary use is for fitness, it would make them useless.
But Jabra has built these to last. The headphones are made to withstand dust, sand, rain and even shock – so if they do manage to shake loose, they should survive the subsequent fall. I’m usually pretty tough on headphones – there are several pairs lurking around the house that have only one earbud working – and although I haven’t had them long enough to do any damage, they feel sturdy enough without being too bulky.
So the Sport Pulse earphones pass the test on remaining in your ears. What about sound? Jabra has included Dolby sound technology in the Sport Pulse, making the audio quality better than I expected.
They don’t completely block out background noise, but for running that’s a benefit rather than a problem. Being able to hear traffic approaching is a good thing.
Charging the headphones fully will get you about five hours of use. It doesn’t seem like a lot and it would be nice if they lasted a little longer, but take into account that most people will cut off their daily jog or gym session before they hit that point.
The good
Compact and easy to set up, the Jabra Sport Pulse will keep you on the straight and narrow when it comes to hitting your fitness goals. The earphones support NFC for easy pairing with compatible devices – slide your phone along the NFC point and they’ll pair automatically.
The not so good
They can’t be used passively – with nowhere to connect a cable – so if the battery is dead, you’re done. And if you’re a Windows Phone user, there is no Jabra app.
The rest
You can also take phone calls or control your music through the earbuds.
The verdict
At €180, these are pricey for the average user, but the addition of the heart rate monitor makes them a good choice for people who want to keep an eye on their improving fitness.
