Jaybird Run XT is a good Bluetooth headphone for running. And that’s it. The Jaybird Run XT is terrible for everything else. They fall out oof your ears, they’re expensive and are terrible to use outside of the gym. We’ve spent hours working out with these Bluetooth workout headphones and it wasn’t pleasant. More in our Jaybird Run XT Review!
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Score
1.9 Eh’s out of 5
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PROS:
- Good for running exercises
- Good for isolation exercises
- IPX7 rated
CONS:
- Falls easily
- Charging case is too big
- Too expensive for its limited use
At Mobile Reviews Eh!, we do reviews based on actual usage and we also love working out. So with our Bluetooth headphone reviews, we’re going to focus on the fitness portion of the device since most reviewers omit that (we thought it was disheartening that they do).
If you like how we do our reviews, please consider buying the products on the links scattered on this article. With each set of Bluetooth headphones, we try to design a workout for it. For the Jaybird Run XT, the workout was going to be:
- Buy-in: 100 DUʼs
- 5 Rounds for Time
- 10 kettlebell hang power snatch w/ 60lb kettlebell
- 10 kettlebell facing burpees
- Buy-out: 10 cartwheels/forward rolls
However, we didn’t finish this workout because we just got tired of having to pick up the bluetooth buds after they fell out.
Now we will admit that we might be reaching with the Jaybird Run XT since they seemed to be marketed only for running BUT Jaybird’s marketing fluff doesn’t explicitly state that. And the product page also shows models doing other things other than running.
Exercising with the Jaybird Run XT
Exercising with Jaybird Run XT was painful. We honestly couldn’t remember the last time we were this frustrated with an accessory. The main problem with the Jaybird Run XT is that we could never find the right fit for the buds.
And it wasnʼt like we didnʼt try. After having the wireless buds fail multiple times during our workouts, we decided to spend as long as it took to find the perfect fit by trying out all the fins and plugs. We couldn’t find a combination that worked well.
We take working out pretty seriously and having to think about whether or not your headphones are going to fall out during your next rep is brutal. Technology is suppose to make our lives easier and better. Not fustrate us to the point where we might consider dropping a kettlebell on them because they’re terrible to use.
Check out the review video to see how poorly the headphones perform. Our Instagram feed also has a video involving a series of dumbbell exercises where the Jaybird Run XT’s performed terribly.
But if all youʼre doing is running, the Jaybird Run XT will be fine. But thatʼs a really low bar for a product that costs over $200 dollars.
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Sweating with the Jaybird Run XT
If you have a set of ear canals that are conducive to the Jaybird Run XT and can actually keep them in your ear while you exercise, youʼll be glad to know that the Jaybird Run XT is rated to IPX7.
However, thereʼs an odd thing about this rating because IPX7 indicates that it can be submerged unto 1m for 30 mins. But the “X” in that code indicates that there is no data for dust protection. Which means Jaybird didnʼt get dust protection tested? Not a deal breaker since you ~could assume that if something is waterproof, it would most likely be dust proof?
Now would we go swimming them? No. Because they don’t float.
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Jaybird Run XT at the office
In general, we found that the Jaybird Run XT was annoying to use outside of the gym. Sitting in our relatively quiet office space, we became quite annoyed at the fact that we could hear/feel our heartbeat against the buds of the Jaybird Run XT. We could also feel the footsteps when walking around. Does anybody else have this issue with in-ear headphones?
The tight fit of the Jaybird Run XT might be great for working out for some people and the heartbeat issue isnʼt a big deal since thereʼs a lot of stuff going on at the gym but we had a hard time using Jaybird Run XT anywhere else.
Another annoyance of the Jaybird Run XT is the charging case. Itʼs quite bulky when compared to other products. When it comes to wireless headphones, portability of the charging case is a must. Nowadays, when it comes to tech if itʼs annoying to use, it getʼs left at home.
If we were to grit our teeth and power through those annoyances and use them while we worked, the Jaybird Run XT did fine as a pair of Bluetooth headphones. But like other in-ear headphones, our ears started to hurt after an hour.
When it comes to watching anything video related, the lag between the video and the audio was very noticeable. Watching videos through VLC was unbearable and trying to edit video with them was equivalent to getting your daily amount of vegetables by eating kale raw. All of this is most likely due to the BT 4.1 connection being slower than the BT 5.0 connection or the W1 chip of the AirPods.
At the end of the day, for a pair of $229 dollar headphones, you get an old, crappy, Bluetooth connection, a product thatʼs hard to use outside of the gym, a product that only works well for one or two exercises and is a pain to carry around. The Run XT’s are at the higher limit of bluetooth headphones and they are just terrible. We’re having a hard time conveying how fustrated we are with these wireless bluetooth workout headphones.
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Jaybird Run XT vs. Jabra Active Elite 65t
- Jaybird Run XT falls a lot while Jabra Active Elite 65t does not fall no matter what exercise you do
- Jaybird Run XT uses Bluetooth 4.1 while Jabra Active Elite 65t uses 5.0
- Jabra Active Elite 65t has Hear Through feature for safety purposes
- Jabra Active Elite 65t’s noise cancelling feature made it somewhat bearable to use outside of the gym
- Jaybird Run XT is rated IPX-7 while Jabra Active Elite 65t is only rated IP56.
Jabra Active Elite 65t
The Jabra Active Elite 65t has better technology, is easier to use on a day-to-day basis and doesn’t fall out when you work out.
And they’re 30 dollars cheaper.
Jaybird Run XT vs. Apple AirPods
- When it comes to exercise, can be used Jaybird Run XT is only good for running while Apple Airpods 2 can be used in ANY exercise by buying a $10 headband
- Apple Airpods 2 runs WH1 chip while Jaybird Run XT runs the old 4.1 Bluetooth version
- Jaybird Run XT has an oversized charging case
- Despite the size of the charging case, Jaybird Run XT charge slower than the Apple Airpods 2
- Jaybird Run XT is rated IPX-7. Very water resistant!
So this is our Jaybird Run XT Review! Have any questions? Leave them below! Definitely SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel to stay on top of all the new things we are reviewing!
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