Soundpeats RunFree Lite Bluetooth Air Conduction Sport Headphones Review
If you are a runner or biker who likes to wear headphones while working out or riding, it's challenging to find a pair of earbuds or in-ear headphones to stay on your ears. Also, you have to ensure you have a sweatproof pair. One solution is to get a pair of wrap-around earbuds like Apple's Powerbeats Pro. Their earhooks help you get a secure fit so your earbuds won't come out of your ears. But these earbuds are very expensive. What if you could get a less expensive headphone that provides a secure fit and quality sound for less than $40? Well, there is such a headphone, and Soundpeats make it. They sent us their new RunFree Lite Conduction Sport Headphones to test, and here is what we learned.
What are RunFree Lite Bluetooth Air Conduction Sport Headphones?
Soundpeats' new headphones, RunFree Lite Bluetooth Air Conduction Sport Headphones, are air-conduction headphones designed specifically for working out. They feature the company's Air Conduction Technology, a microphone, and an open-ear format with a secure fit. The headphones are also lightweight (only .99 ounces) and have a 16.2mm significant driver and bass enhancement technology. These sports headphones work on a 5.3 Bluetooth wireless connection and will give you up to 17 hours of music and talk capabilities on a single charge.
How does air-conduction technology work? Soundpeats has developed a way to combine their open-ear design with working with a unique directional sound transmission technology to minimize sound leakage and provide users with privacy while speaking on a phone call and the ability to hear what is going on around you while they are out and about or in the gym.
Another nice feature of RunFree headphones is their Multi-Point Connection. Using Bluetooth connection, users can pair two different devices to the headphones allowing them to switch between them with just the touch of a button. How would this work? Imagine working out on a stationary bike and having your headphones connected to a tablet, and you get a phone call. The Multi-Point Connection technology allows you to answer your call with RunFree headphones even though you watch something on your tablet.
An important feature to have with sports headphones or earbuds is sweatproof. RunFree Lite headphones are IPX4 waterproof rated, which means they can resist light rain and sweat. Also, the neckband, which helps keep your earphones secure on your head, is made of skin-friendly liquid silicone. So, feel free to use these sports headphones while jogging, running, driving, cycling, and hiking. You will not damage them if raining outside or if you sweat a lot.
The last feature we want to highlight with RunFree Lite is the Soundpeats app and how to activate the Adaptive EQ to get the perfect sound out of your Soundpeats headphones. Most good wireless headphones and earbuds connect to an app that you can adjust the sound mix. With the Soundpeats app, users can see the headphone's battery life, access any Soundpeats headphones or earbuds product page on the main website and customize the sound mix from the headphones. Users can adjust the volume levels in this section and pick between Adaptive EQ and an Equalizer. The Equalizer section has presets to choose from that are designed for your listening pleasure. There are nine presets that range from bass boost ( mix with a lot of bass) and Treble enhancement (a setting for the person who likes more Trebel sounds in their mix.)
The Adaptive EQ was our favorite setting because it gave us the best sound. How did it do it? You must take a 3-minute guided sound test with the headphones on. Once completed, the app shows you the sound test results, giving you the ultimate customized sound for your ears.
How do the controls work on Soundpeats RunFree Air Conduction Sport Headphones?
RunFree comes with touch controls on the right side of the headphones. There are three buttons: a main one with two volume control buttons. Here is how these buttons function:
- Power On: manually press for 3 seconds the power button.
- Power Off: RunFree will automatically turn off if not connected to a device for over 3 minutes.If you want to turn them off manually, press the power button for 3 seconds. The headset will announce it is turning off.
- Play/Pause: short press the power button
- Increase Volume: short press the "+" button
- Decrease Volume: short press the "-" button
- Play Next: Long press the "+" button
- Play Previous: Long press the "-" button
- To Enter Game Mode: Triple tap the power button
- Answer and Hang up phone call: short press the power button
- Reject a phone call: Long press the power button for 1.5 seconds
- Switch Between two calls: Double tap the power button
- Activate voice assistant: Double tap the power button
How much do Soundpeats RunFree Air Conduction Sport Headphones cost?
The RunFree sport headphones have an MSRP of $49.99 but are listed on the Soundpeats website for only $39.99. They are also available on Amazon for a lot less. As of this writing, the open-ear headphones were listed for $29.99, 25% off $39.99. This is a great deal if you are in looking for Bluetooth open-ear headphones. The other well-known and good-sounding open-ear headphones have more features and longer battery life but range from $70 and up. When you factor in the sale price of RunFree on Amazon, they are worth the cost for a trial run.
Testing
We've tested the RunFree Sports Headphones for the past few weeks and like the headphones' weight and fit. They are lightweight and fit comfortably and securely on our head while we exercise inside and out. The sound quality was what we expected from an open-ear headphone. You can hear the sounds around you, which is important if you are out for a run on a busy street. And you will hear the wind on those windy days, which will distort the sound a little, but not as much as we have heard when wearing wireless earbuds.
As I have said in my other reviews of headphones and wireless earbuds, I like playing around with the sound mix coming out of the headphones. This is mainly done by using the headphone maker's app. Soundpeats app is easy to use and straightforward. It works for iOS and Android mobile devices and provides easy access to their website for customer service help or product information. But customizing the sound experience out of the headphones when using the app was the best feature we liked. When we switched over from one of the preset sounds mixed in the EQ setting to the Adaptive EQ feature, the sound was noticeably different and excellent.
When testing these new headphones, there were a few issues we discovered. The first was the fit of the headphones. Yes, they are lightweight, but we found it difficult to put them on the first time. We have used sports-oriented headphones like Jaybird X4, and they just had a wire connecting the earphones. RunFree Lite's neckband doesn't stretch, so if you have a big head, you will have issues with how the open earphones sit on your ears.
The other issue with the RunFree Lite headphones was the loudness or volume levels. You really have to ensure the earphones are in the right place on your ears to get a decent sound level. When we put the sound level to its highest setting while out for a run on a windy day, we could hear the sound, but it wasn't as loud as what we got out of earbuds. We did notice the headphones were louder when we had them on the Adaptive EQ setting versus one of the presets. This is something for you to be aware of when you try them on for the first time.
Who do we think can benefit from these sports headphones? Anyone who likes to hear quality sound out of lightweight open-ear headphone, which has earhooks to fit on your head while working out securely, the RunFree headphones are ones to consider. The cost is great, and you can easily find the right mix based on your workout environment.
Summary
If you are in the market for a lightweight Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) pair of headphones that will not fall off your head while jogging or biking outside, RunFree Sports Headphones are not for you. But if you want a good-sounding headphone that can securely fit on your head using earhooks and allows you to find the perfect mix with a simple ear test, RunFree would be a great pair for your next workout. And remember, RunFree has many decent sound features, 17 hours of battery life, and costs less than $30. Not a bad deal.
Pros
- Price
- Adaptive EQ
- Lightweight
Cons
- Neckband doesn't expand to fit larger heads
- Volume limited
Remember to use The GearBrain, our compatibility find engine, to help you find other types of headphones or any other smart device to work with your new headphones.
