JBL REFLECT FLOW
The new Reflect Flow earbuds have a massive 10-hour battery life and improved Bluetooth, and its portable charging case will add another 20 hours of charge time.
As the name suggests, the Reflect Flow are also designed to be excellent workout buds, offering IPX7 waterproofing — meaning they can actually be submerged in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes — ambient sound to keep you aware of your surroundings, and what JBL calls an “ergonomic fit.” At just $150, these could be a very compelling pair of true wireless buds. They’re slated to arrive in summer 2019.
JBL ENDURANCE PEAK
The Endurance Peak are another sporty pair of true wireless earbuds from JBL that also offer IPX7 waterproofing, as well as JBL’s PowerHooks, which are designed to keep them in place in virtually any workout situation. With a listed 28 hours of total playback time — and 24 in the case — the Endurance Peak take a big step down in battery life, offering just four hours of playback per charge. But if you just need a pair of fully wireless earphones that’ll stay put through any and all of your workout regimens, these could fit the bill.
UA TRUE WIRELESS FLASH
This pair of Under Armour-branded headphones are “engineered by JBL” and geared toward those “looking to push themselves to the limit.” The limit, in this case, appears to be five hours of playback time, along with 20 hours from the charging case, but again, that’s more than you’ll need for all but the most intense workouts. Other features include three different fit options with JBL’s Sport Flex Fit eartips, ambient sound to keep you aware of your environment, and IPX7 waterproofing, along with sweatproofing, which the company is calling UA Storm Proof technology. The UA Flash are available January 8 for $170.
JBL TUNE120TWS
At just $100 ($59 below Apple’s AirPods) the best feature of the Tunew120TWS may be the price. These appear to be a rather frill-free pair of true wireless earbuds, with minimal features and heavy tuning in the low-end thanks to JBL’s Pure Bass Sound.
Available in a wide array of colors, the earbuds offer a somewhat middling four hours of playback time per charge, along with three extra charges in the charging case for a total of 16 hours on the go. If the juice does run low, JBL claims you can get about an hour of playback time with 15 minutes of charging time, and the buds also connect to Google or Apple voice assistants with a touch. The Tunew120TWS earbuds are slated for availability this spring.
