If you have an actively lifestyle and enjoy listening to music while you’re working out or on-the-go, then you should get a pair of earbuds that’s rated to be waterproof and also built to last. In comparison to wireless earbuds designed for casual-use and work environments which typically are only rated to be water-resistant, waterproof earbuds are capable of withstanding even the most extreme conditions, making them safer to wear while running or doing other activities. Whether you’re an avid runner, a fitness enthusiast, a gym rat, or even if you enjoy exploring the outdoors, having a pair of waterproof earbuds will allow you to enjoy music, podcasts, and make calls with crystal clear sound without having to worry about them getting damaged from sweat or harsh weather conditions like heavy wind, rain, and snowfall. In case you’re looking for a decent pair of wireless earbuds rated to be waterproof that are comfortable to wear and also capable of delivering great sound, then check out the Jabra Elite 8 Active Earbuds, which the company proudly labelled as “the world’s toughest earbuds”.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active are in-ear true wireless earbuds which feature a special ergonomic design based on Jabra ShakeGrip technology for a secure fit, an ultra-durable construction tested against military standards, a IP68 Waterproof Rating, an outstanding sound quality with immersive Spatial Sound powered by Dolby Audio technology, Adaptive Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation for filtering background noises, and support to voice calls with windproof HearThrough technology, while also boasting built-in button controls, Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity with Bluetooth Multipoint, 8 hours battery on a single charge and up to 32 hours battery, 5 minutes Fast Charge for 1 hour battery, USB-C and Qi Wireless Charging, plus sound and control settings via the Jabra Sound+ App, and also Voice Assistant support to Google Assistant and Siri.
These true wireless earbuds have been thoroughly designed for an active lifestyle. They deliver a premium sound quality at all times, even while wearing them during the toughest workout sessions, all while also featuring a long-lasting battery life for all day listening.
Now, let’s have a more detailed look at the Jabra Elite 8 Active and check out everything that these in-ear true wireless active earbuds have to offer you.
DESIGN & SPECS
Starting with the earbuds’ dimensions, the Jabra Elite 8 Active come at a very compact size, with each earbud measuring just 0.8 inches long by 0.8 inches wide by 1.1 inches tall (19.7 x 19.7 x 29 mm). The earbuds are also rather lightweight, as each earbud only weighs 0.17 oz. (5.6 g).
Furthermore, these true wireless earbuds also feature a special ergonomic design that works based on Jabra ShakeGrip technology, which ensures a super-comfortable and very secure fit all day long, while also preventing the earbuds from ever falling out.
Still in the topic of wearing the Jabra Elite 8 Active, it’s also worth noting that these wireless earbuds also come with three (x3) sets of removable eargel eartips of different sizes (S, M, and L) included in their package, so users can choose the eartip size that best fits them so that they can have the most comfortable and secure fit possible.
The earbuds’s eargel eartips are made of a high-quality liquid silicone rubber material that makes them very comfortable to wear, even during long periods of time.
In regards to the earbuds’ design, the Jabra Elite 8 Active also sport a super-modern design, as these earbuds come in a single solid color that gives them a stylish and discreet look, making it easy for you to match them with just about any clothing style.
For our review unit, we got the Navy Blue color model, which looks super cool with any clothes, but goes especially well with workout clothing.
Moreover, these earbuds also pack an ultra-durable construction that was even tested against military standards (MIL-STD-810h), which qualifies them as being drop-resistant and capable of withstanding drops from as high as 3.28 ft. (1 meters) without suffering any damage to their outer shell and their internal components.
In addition, they’re also rated to have an IP68 Waterproof Rating, rating them as dust-proof, sweat-proof, splash-proof, and waterproof, for which they’re capable of withstanding being submerged underwater at depths up to 4.92 ft. (1.5 m) of fresh or salt water for up to 30 minutes. As such, you can take wear them on a run at the beach without worrying about them getting damaged.
Lastly, these earbuds also come together with a dedicated wireless charging case, which, similarly to the earbuds, is also reasonably compact, measuring just 2.6 inches long by 1 inch wide by 1.8 inches tall (65.4 x 24.4 x 46.9 mm), and also quite lightweight, weighing just 1.63 oz. (46.4 g).
The earbud’s case also comes in the same solid color as the earbuds, and also features a very durable construction, for which it is rated to have a IP54 Water-Resistance Rating, qualifying it as being both dustproof and splashproof.
AUDIO SPECS & AUDIO QUALITY
Moving on to the earbuds’ audio specifications and audio quality. For reproducing their outstanding sound quality, each earbud comes equipped with a powerful 6mm (0.2 inch) Speaker Driver that’s powered by Dolby Audio technology (a special 2D audio that makes subtle enhancements to whatever you’re listening). This results in a unique Spatial Sound audio profile that brings users a truly immersive listening experience.
That said, you can expect the Jabra Elite 8 Active to deliver a premium sound quality with a crystal clear treble (high-frequency sounds), crisp mids (mid-frequency sounds), and a deep and punchy bass (low-frequency sounds).
The earbuds’ 6mm Speaker Drivers are rated to have an Audio Bandwidth (i.e. a Sound Frequency Range) that ranges between 20Hz and 20000Hz (when using them in Music Mode) and a Audio Bandwidth varying between 100Hz and 8000Hz (when using them in Speaker Mode for voice calls or to interact with your smartphone’s Voice Assistant).
Moreover, each earbud also comes equipped with a 6-microphone array that makes these wireless earbuds capable of intelligently distinguish between your voice and potential background noises to ensure a crystal-clear voice quality from your end when using them to perform voice calls.
Each earbud’s 6-microphone array also utilizes a proprietary windproof HearThrough technology, which consists of a wind-protecting mesh that’s covering their microphones in order to block out wind noises from being captured, even when wearing them in heavy-wind conditions.
Notable Audio Features
Adaptive Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation
On top of their premium sound quality, the Jabra Elite 8 Active also feature Adaptive Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation, which is automatically adjusted according to the environment you’re currently in, filtering out unwanted background noises, even in windy conditions.
INTERFACE & BUILT-IN TOUCH CONTROLS
Then, in terms of controlling the earbuds’ different functionalities, the Jabra Elite 8 Active also integrate built-in button controls (located on the outer side of each earbud) that make controlling the earbuds easy and intuitive.
Performing a single tap on the left earbud (when not on a call) lets users turn On and Off their HearThrough function and their ANC function, while performing a single tap on the right earbud allows users to Play/Pause the current soundtrack.
Pressing once and holding the left earbud allows users to turn the Volume Down, while pressing once and holding the right earbud allows users to turn the Volume Up, which works both for listening to music and also for voice calls.
Double tapping the right earbud lets users Skip to the Next Track, while double tapping the left earbud lets users enable their smartphone’s Voice Assistant (either Google Assistant or Siri, depending on your smartphone’s Voice Assistant).
Triple tapping the right earbud once lets users Restart the Current Track, while triple tapping it twice lets users Skip to the Previous Track.
For the earbuds’ call controls, know that tapping once on either earbud allows users to Answer an Incoming Call, while double tapping either earbud lets users End/Reject a Call. During a call, users can also tap either earbud once to temporarily mute their mics.
We’d also like to note that the Jabra Elite 8 Active also boast Auto-Pause and Auto-Resume functionalities for their music, which is powered by built-in in-ear detection sensors, enabling these earbuds to automatically pause or resume their music when you put them on or take them off.
Furthermore, these true wireless earbuds can also be used in Mono Mode, allowing users to keep one ear free for listening to their surroundings, which also helps saving the battery life from the other earbud, thus extending their total listening time.
On a side note, know that users can customize the earbuds’ button control functions to their personal preferences via the Jabra Sound+ App.
CONNECTIVITY
For their wireless connectivity, these in-ear true wireless earbuds utilize Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, featuring support to A2DP v1.3, AVRCP v1.6, HFP v1.8, PBP V1.0, and TMAP V 1.0 Bluetooth profiles, and support for AAC and SBC audio codecs.
The earbuds support a maximum wireless range up to 33 ft. (100 meters).
What’s more is that the earbuds also boast Bluetooth Multipoint, for which they can be paired wirelessly over Bluetooth with up to 10 devices in simultaneous, allowing you to seamlessly switch between different Bluetooth-enabled devices without needing to re-pair them.
Best of all, these earbuds also boast Smartwatch connectivity (compatible with smartwatches supporting HFP, A2DP, and AVRCP Bluetooth profiles), allowing users to go out on a run without having to bring their smartphone just to be able to listen to music while running.
BATTERY & BATTERY LIFE
When it comes to the earbuds’ battery life, know that the earbuds themselves can offer you up to 8 hours of battery on a single charge for listening to music (with their ANC turned On) or 14 hours of battery (with their ANC turned Off).
On top of that, the earbuds’ dedicated wireless charging case provides you with an additional 24 hours battery (with their ANC On) for a total of 32 hours of battery life, or an additional 48 hours battery (with their ANC Off) for a total of 56 hours of battery life.
To recharge the Jabra Elite 8 Active and their charging case, you simply have to place the earbuds in their case’s respective magnetic-pin charging slots, and then connect the included USB-C to USB-A charging cable to their case’s USB-C port. In addition, the earbuds’ charging case also supports Qi Wireless Charging as an alternative to recharging both the earbuds and their case.
THE SMARTPHONE COMPANION APP – The Jabra Sound+ App
Users can also install the Jabra Sound+ App on their smartphone to configure both the earbuds’ sound settings and control settings, which is available to download for free for iOS and Android devices.
Via the App’s MyFit Menu, users can perform a wearing test to ensure that they have the best fit when putting on the earbuds for the first time (can be repeated for future times such as when trying a different eartip-size).
Additionally, users can also access the MySound Menu, which utilizes Jabra’s latest pioneering sound technology to help users test their hearing and automatically tailor the earbuds’ sound to suit each user’s individual hearing profile.
The Jabra Sound+ App also features a music Equalizer that allows users to create their own customized Music EQ preset and adjust that to their own personal sound preferences. The App’s music EQ also boasts a Soundscape function, which allows users to artificially play different types of white noises, such as a waterfall noise, or crowd noises to simulate a busy environment.
As mentioned earlier, users can also easily reassign all the functionalities of the earbuds’ button controls by accessing the MyControls Menu.
Lastly, the App also allows users to check the earbuds’ current battery status.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
Inside their package, users will find: their Jabra Elite 8 Active earbuds, their wireless charging case and its USB-C to USB-A charging cable, 3 sets of silicone eartips of different sizes, and a User Manual.
FINAL THOUGHTS
All in all, these true wireless earbuds are a really nice option for people with an active lifestyle. They’re very comfortable to wear, deliver a supreme sound quality, are easy to operate thanks to their built-in button controls and are also easy to configure via their mobile App.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active are currently available in four (x4) different color models: Black, Caramel (Light Brown), Gray, and Navy Blue.
If you’re interested in purchasing them, know that each pair is priced at just $199.99, and each purchase also comes accompanied by a 2-Year Warranty. You can order yours online, either directly from Jabra’ official shopping page, or alternatively, you can instead get them from Amazon.
