Putting yurbuds Through Their Paces

I don’t know about you but I am a fan of music. I enjoy working out to music and although a lot of people prefer to run without sounds I find my long runs are just a little bit easier when I’ve got some good beats going on.

I use an iPod nano for my sporting needs and have tried several sets of headphones in an attempt to find some that stay put when I’m active. The best I’d found so far were a pair of earphones that hooked over my ears for about £20 in a running store. Nothing special but they stayed put, although I usually only run with one in so that I can hear more of what’s going on around me. Safety first people!

But then I started hearing about a product called yurbuds, a range of in ear buds that have racked up an impressive number of awards. They’ve recently launched a version called Inspire Pro, designed especially for sport and women so I was keen to put them through their paces.

The earphones have been specifically designed for smaller ears and come with two sizes of enhancer, the rubbery bit that slips over the main body of the bud to allow a snug, ergonomic fit in the ear. They claim to be sweat and water-resistant, allow for ambient noise awareness, and are guaranteed never to hurt or fall out.

I’ve tried these on several runs now and have to say I’ve been impressed. I did not expect these to live up to the hype, having have poor experiences with sennheiser earbuds in the past, but the small size fits my ear perfectly, the sound quality is great, they are comfy and do stay put. To get the best fit you twist the bud into your ear and as I prefer to wear the cord to the back of my neck this made them slightly less secure but at no point did I think they were going to fall out.

It was easier to hear ambient sounds but on a particularly dark and foggy morning I still only wore one, as a precaution. The only downside I’ve found is that as well as enhancing the ambient  sounds, they also enhance the sound of the wind which can result in a whistling sound, even when it’s not very breezy but it’s not a big deal.

The cord is nice and long, giving you flexibility about where you thread it and where you carry your music device of choice. You get a little wire clip and a carry pouch in the box to keep it all under control. At the Y-intersection on the cord is a three-button microphone system which allows you to control the volume, skip tracks and answer calls (they are designed to be compatible with Siri on iPhones as well as iPods and iPads).

They aren’t cheap, retailing at about £45, but you’ll get a choice of three colours (aqua, pink and purple) and possibly the best set of earphones on the market at the moment.

Disclaimer: I was sent a pair of yurbuds free of charge to try in return for a review but all opinions are my own.