Pictured: me working in a coffee shop today at a very flattering angle.
I’m a huge fan of technology and gadgets. I’ll admit it.
When there’s a new shiny toy, my brain goes, Heyyyyyyy, let’s check it out! That would be perfect for us!
But wireless earbuds were something I resisted for some time. I am a runner, so part of the problem was simply fit: what if an earbud fell out? Surely they would fall out, right? And what if I lose one and can’t find it? How inconvenient!
Still, the idea held my curiosity. After a brief period of refusal, I wound up buying a $30 pair of wireless earbuds just to test out the concept.
At first, the fit was awkward. The cheap earbuds didn’t have very good tips on them. They were constantly jostling loose while I ran.
But… I also kinda loved them.
It was so easy to pop one in if I wanted to listen to something while doing dishes or whatever. And I replaced the cheap tips with memory foam ones that secured the fit, so I could run all over the place with them. It was great.
Despite my new pleasure in wearing them, they were still cheap. The sound quality was okay (not a huge concern for me, but something to consider), and the new tips made the earbuds really hard to cram into the charging case. Sometimes one didn’t charge because I couldn’t close the case all the way. And the battery life was not great.
I hunted around for an upgrade.
Why not just get the Apple AirPods?
I looked into the AirPods. As anti-Apple as I can be sometimes, I knew that the AirPods seemed to be the industry standard.
But I didn’t like the design of the AirPods. The little sticks hanging down weren’t attractive to me, and I didn’t want them sticking out. I wanted them in my ears, and that’s it.
Plus, being able to customize the fit is important. I have weird ears. Yes, I could get other tips, but if I’m dropping that kind of money on earbuds, I want that option right out of the gate.
The price was another sticking point. AirPods are expensive. Not that I mind paying for quality, but if I’m making concessions like these, I don’t want to pay that.
After much research, I went with the Jabra Elite 75t earbuds.
Why the Jabra Elite 75t Earbuds are perfect for me…
These are the greatest.
They have a small form factor, so I can tuck them in my ears and they barely stick out.
Plus, they offer a number of features that have come in handy:
- Active noise canceling (ANC). This actually was added in with a software update to the earbuds a few months ago. The buds on their own are pretty good at shutting out the noise of the outside world, but this gives it that extra little oomph when I need it.
- The ability to use one earbud. This is not unique to these earbuds, of course, but the ability to just stick one in and not use the other one is easily a Top 3 Benefit of wireless earbuds.
- The physical buttons. You know what’s great when I’m running? The ability to change tracks on my phone without pulling it out. Two clicks of the left earbud and I can skip to the next track.
- Hearthrough Mode. One click of the left earbud and I can cycle through Hearthrough Mode and ANC. Hearthrough uses the microphones on the earbuds to pass outside sound through the earbuds without stopping the music. Great for when you don’t want to stop the music or podcast, but you need to be able to hear what’s going on around you.
- Strong battery life. Being able to listen pretty much all day on a single charge is fantastic.
- Multiple device support. As I type this, I have my earbuds in, listening to music streaming from my MacBook Air, but it’s also connected to my phone. If I get a call, I can just pause the music and answer the phone through my earbuds without taking them out or switching anything. Wonderful convenience.
- Instant connection. Again, not unique to these earbuds, but still awesome. All I have to do is pull them out of the case and put them in my ears. They automatically connect to my laptop and my phone, so I can just start the music or the podcast right away. No muss, no fuss.
When I like to use my earbuds
Short answer: any time I possibly can.
I always have a boatload of podcast clips to listen to, and I have fantastic music playlists built in Plex, so whenever I can put something in my ears, I’m going to.
- The #1 reason: putting instrumental music in my ears so I can focus while working out of my home office. I have three children. I need these.
- Zoom calls
- Mowing the lawn
- Snowblowing the driveway
- Washing dishes or cooking at night (single earbud, when the kids are in bed and my wife is watching TV in the other room)
- Vacuuming
- Running
- Lifting weights
You can use a different set of earbuds, sure. But for comfort, value, convenience, and features, I love the Jabra Elite 75t Wireless Earbuds. They are so easy to use and they work so well. They’ve replaced every other headphone and earbud I’ve ever used.
Click here to get them. No, I wasn’t paid to review them. I just really, really like them.