Here’s the problem, the EarPods that came with my iPhone are hard plastic. They tend to get a bit slippery when I sweat. They aren’t exactly the most comfortable either. The hard plastic can start to bother smaller ears, and they aren’t particularly good at isolating sound, either. This means users have to turn them up a bit more if they want to hear their own tunes over the music pumping through the gym’s PA. (No more Taylor Swift or 90s ‘nu metal’ please.) Headphones aren’t necessarily known for be good for anyone’s ears, so cranking the volume up too loud is never a good idea. That’s why I always enjoy it when the buds have the small silicone tips that help reduce outside noise. I can keep the volume relatively low while still being able to hear my music or Podcast and block outside noise.
Soul Pulse Earbuds
The Pulse by Soul is a set of earbuds designed for folks who like to sweat. They’re lightweight and constructed of silicone, making them easy to clean if need be. Water doesn’t hurt them, so sweat isn’t an issue, and users can literally dunk them in bowl of water after a workout to get all that leftover funk off of them. They ship with a little fabric pouch (which seems to be microfiber) so they’re easy to carry along in a gym bag or backpack without fear of them being easily damaged by other contents in the bag. Their design allows for the wires to loop over the top of the ear, ensuring that they are secured in place. This is great for making sure they don’t fall off, but it can make for a few seconds of awkwardly trying to figure out how they go on during those first few uses. It’s not a huge issue, but it can be a little weird at first for those used to most other earbud designs. Also nice is that they don’t easily tangle. With fairly regular use, they won’t seem to mysteriously become a huge lump of spaghetti noodles. This is because they are rubbery. It’s somewhat similar to the wires on Apple’s EarPods, but slightly thicker, and get tangled up less frequently. After a few trips to the gym, some intense street workouts and a lot of sweat, the headphones haven’t fallen off. Of course, this is with reasonable use. Don’t get it snagged on something, and there should be no problems. The Pulse does have a small remote that allows for answering calls or stop/start of music. The built-in microphone makes it possible to talk without having to grab the phone. If there’s one feature of the Soul I’m not a fan of, it’s the headphone jack. It’s one of those L-shaped jacks, that — in my experience — seems easier to accidentally jostle loose. It’s only happened a few times, but I was wearing jeans that day and trying to do jump squats. In most other cases, they should be just fine. Sure, there are newer headphones made for folks who don’t like a wire (Bluetooth). Still, they tend to be a little pricier. Comment
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