Wireless Earbuds
 

What do you think are the best wireless earbuds for cycling? I have the Jabra 65Ts but the left one is not working from falling out of my ear several times. Trying to decide to get another set of Jabras or something else. I have no issue with them other than I have problems with the left one failing out occasionally.

Just use the right one. Keep the left ear open so you can hear "On your left" and other sounds from behind you!

Back Bay Audio makes great ones and boy are they durable and inexpensive.

They sound phenomenal at a fraction of the price. Boston company.

https://www.backbaybrand.com/

The new AirPods Pro are good. You can turn on noise canceling or switch over to ambient where it brings to life your surroundings while still hearing music. I would recommend a tether in case they did happen to fall out.

I'm not a fan of anything that reduces your situational awareness, but since you asked, you should look into these.

Can only compare two sets
 

My first Bluetooth set were on sale cheapo from B&H. Think I payed $15 for them, No water resistance. Destroyed ‘em in four months + they wouldn’t stay in my ears either.

Replaced them with beatsX, now in their second season, and they work for me.

I picked up a pair of Jaybird Tarah Pros about a month ago and really like them. They’re the type that have a cord connecting them. With the correctly sized silicone ear pads they stay in place very nicely, sound great and the battery lasts about 14 hours.

I’ve had a couple of pairs of Jabra Elite 25e, which I like, but they are apparently not sweat-proof. I’ve gone through three pair (warranty) in one year.

We could just allow the OP to determine for him or herself what is safe. Some of us have ridden tens of thousands of miles whilst using both earbuds.

I bought several sets off the bay. Only paid $5.US from China for the first set. They worked for working out but I couldn't hear them when I rode my bike due to wind noise. Then I bought some for $10.US that are connected by the wire which also works as an antenna. The sound quality isn't the greatest, but I can work up to 50 feet from the player without losing signal. My last pair were $18.US from the bay and they do everything with just a touch and the sound is great, they stay in my ears, they silence the wind, and they came with a charging box that will charge them up 4 times without needing to plug in. The only drawback is the voice that tells you when your pairing or connected keeps reverting back to Mandarin. I did something the other day out on the bike and the Mandarin voice gave me a lecture. Not a clue what I did. I've had them about 6 months now and have used them in all kinds of weather. Water doesn't seem to bother them. I figure for the price I can justify replacing them every year if I have to and I'm still ahead of the game vs buying those $200.US ones that aren't getting the greatest reviews on Utube.

As a former police officer and traffic homicide investigator, I think wearing earphones is a great way to shorten your life. In most places riding while wearing earphones is illegal, and this for good reason. I am especially against it because my brother was wearing earphones on a bike ride, and was hit and killed by a car. Had he not been wearing them, he might have heard the car coming.

Of course there are fools out there who say it's no ones business if you want to wear earphones while riding, that is,until you manage to get yourself hurt or killed. Then it becomes the business of lawyers, insurance companies, law enforcement, and your family when they come to visit you in the hospital or in the morgue.

What it is about people that they must be entertained at all times? Have they really become that infantile? Perhaps instead of carrying phones to stare at every two or three minutes, and listening to a constant barrage of music, we can simply implant devices into our brains.

One thing I like about riding my bike is that I get to unplug for little while. "Silence is Golden," especially today when you are bombarded constantly by audio and video information, listening to prepackaged music, listening to propaganda and advertisements disguised as news and entertainment.

How about getting on your bike, and listening to nothing? You might find the sounds of nature relaxing. You might enjoy the sound of the chain turning the gears, and your tires on the pavement, and you might hear the tires of a car as it swerves out of its lane because its driver is distractied by a text message or email.

Oh, how I wish there was an "unlike" button. People came in here for answers to a simple question, not a sermon. Whenever I see anything about the unplugging nonsense, I can't even hope to stop my eye-roll.
Here's some friendly advice a whoooole lotta members here can use:
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2650c1de2e.png

It's tough finding ones that fit good & perform good. If they are meeting the two then they usually last a while. I used to use LG then noticed that they degraded after a few months. Then right after warranty ended, they acted up. 30 dollars to 50 dollars is the price point that seems like it'll be worth the experience. Make sure the specs are matching to your bt requirements & they have a hassle free return policy for at least a year.

Im sorry about your brother. That sucks. I don’t personally have the skills to swerve out of the way of a car coming from behind me. I’d have to pull over for every passing car.

I’d like to correct one statement you made. Riding with headphones is not illegal in most places. Not in the US, anyway. Perfectly legal in at least 40 states.

Whatever brand, I’d want them in both ears, so as to not hear that diesel dually before it drills me. I like surprises! Of course we’re being trolled, unless talking indoor trainer. However, common sense has become the uncommon virtue, so who knows.
Tim

hands down, these are,

I paid 35 for refurbished, $20 is a steal!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079X5JL7G

It can’t answer the op question, but I have an opinion. I really don’t like wireless earbuds, just one more thing to charge or die in the middle of using.

For cycling I like to use a stereo to mono wired right ear bud. That way left ear is free to hear everything. I set the volume so that anything speed over 18-20 I can’t hear the music.

As for the earbud falling out ever wonder why the pros have theirs taped in?

Beats Powerbeats Pro are the best for me, they don't fall out. I only wear these on bike paths/trails and never when riding on roads.

I

Have you considered either Comply foam tips, or some of the cheap "earhooks" for BT earbuds? If you're happy with the Jabras, no sense replacing them.

I use the ones that are connected to each earbud by a volume monitor. I clip that to my sport shirt. There's no wire to my phone. About12 bucks. I don't know what you call them, (maybe semi wireless).
But I won't invest in the complete wireless earbuds for fear of one falling out like yours did.
I think the ones I use are best for cycling because I press the buttons for volume, mute, power off/on, answer phone, and I can just take them out with out fear of losing them. I just hang them over my shoulder while I listen to my bike.

My wireless have better battery life than my garmin unit!!! so they both just get charged together, charging is a deal, but not that bad. maybe someday I can ditch the garmin too?

As for hearing, Over the Ear flush mount earbuds have been the best thing ever for my cycling! the biggest perk is Less wind noise, which equate to better hearing while riding (even with music on). And it also means less hearing loss over a lifespan of riding bicycles.

My assumption on earbud tape is to keep them from falling out. Most of us mortals just stop to adjust or put back in, but for a pro that move would be devastating in a race. I know I have came to love my over the ear memory wire ear buds. I no longer have to worry about cables sticking to my sweaty skin and pulling them out.

I commute and listen to spoken word podcasts, one ear, curbside. I purposely use "wired" ear buds and run the right one under the chin strap, so that if it slips out of my ear, it doesn't drop to the street. I also tuck the cord again so that the microphone is by my mouth . One click of the button on the cord lets me make and answer calls, texts (voice to text/text to voice) send myself reminders, and google stuff.

I don't feel comfortable listening to music while biking in traffic, not even one ear.

In the car...no problem listening to music over the speakers, but definitely not earbuds or headphones.

I have a few pairs of these. they are great after i tried different types. i use them at work almost 100% of the day, while riding, and while doing whatever (podcast addict :-). unlike other models they:
- they turn on and off quickly and connect reliably
- last over 12 hours easily (never timed them, they claim 16 hours)
- good microphone when making calls
- good controls (I use "Player FM", which lets me program the skip button to fast forward... that way I skip commercials in podacsts and doing that with the button is easy when riding)
- stay reliably in the ear, or magnetically attach around my neck when not used. that way you don't lose them.

I haven't tried out the IPX rating on these specifically, but older models dipped into my coffee, or accidentally went through the washing machine and worked.

Other models had much less battery (3-4 hours), took some more seconds to connect.
I also tried the "just buds" without wiring. But they suck when making calls, have shorter battery life, are easily lost and require the charging pod. and when you don't use them, you can't just hang them around your neck. Just didn't seem practical.

There are days i have them in for maybe 16 hours on and off.... trust me, if they wouldn't be usable and comfortable, I would look for better alternatives. And at the price I have a separate pair at work so i never forget the one at home.

As for riding and safety, when no one is around, i put both in. when I'm on busy trails, I only insert one.

The irony of this post coming from somebody that apparently jumped out of a perfectly good airplane is rich.

+1 Comply Foam Tips