11 Dec
Blog

Halo View Review: An Affordable Fitbit Alternative

Amazon Halo View lineup.

Halo View Review: An Affordable Fitbit Alternative

RRP $ 79.00

"The Halo View competes with Fitbit and offers robust functionality and a price that doesn't break the bank."

benefits

  • Inexpensive

  • Affordable membership

  • Easy

  • Focus on wellness

disadvantage

  • No GPS

  • Not as durable as others

Amazon unveiled its Halo fitness band in 2020 to mixed reviews. While many liked the simple design and abundance of wellness features, the voice tracking and fat scanning features caused quite a stir. The company has listened to this feedback and is back with its second iteration of the fitness tracker. The new Halo View takes the best features of the original Halo, removes the controversial ones, and adds an important feature that is missing from the Halo band. Is this new band keeping their promise to "build a healthier lifestyle right from the wrist?" We tested it to find out.

Fitbit-like and feature-rich

When I first saw the new Halo View from Amazon, my first thought was, "This looks like a Fitbit". The Halo View features Fitbit's traditional rectangular case, soft elastomeric strap, and a bright, colorful AMOLED display. It's a bit more boxy than the current-gen Fitbit Charge 5, but the similarity can't be denied.

Halo View's feature set is very competitive. It has a battery life of seven days and has withstood this claim in my tests. It's also equipped with an optical heart rate sensor, a pulse oximeter that can take both background and on-demand measurements, and a temperature monitor for your skin. Thanks to its 50-meter water resistance, you can wear the Halo View in the shower and while swimming.

Person wearing the Amazon Halo view.

Light as a feather

The Halo View looks like a Fitbit but doesn't have the same feel as a Fitbit. Compared to most other fitness bands with a weight of 30 grams, the Halo View is incredibly light at 20.6 grams. The View is so light that I've often forgotten I'm wearing it. It's also very comfortable on the wrist with an easy-to-close strap that doesn't pinch or, at least to me, irritate my skin.

If you want a fitness band that won't weigh you down, the Halo View should be your first choice.

The Halo View doesn't feel as solid as a Fitbit, either. While it feels cheap, it doesn't work like a cheap device. The Halo View exceeded expectations during the test. The battery life was up to a week and the sensor readings were accurate. Although the tape is awkwardly attached to the top of the sensor unit, it held it securely on my wrist and the screen remained scratch-free during the test.

Fitness tracking falls short in one area

Weekly goal for Halo view

Amazon is new to fitness tracking, but you wouldn't know. The Halo app is surprisingly designed with a user interface that makes it easy to find the information you need. And that information is abundant. Amazon's Halo View gathers all of the common health metrics you need to track your fitness, like step count, heart rate, calories, and more. The View uses a weekly scoring system to measure your activity level, which is perfect for busy people. Instead of cramming thousands of steps each day, you can take a day off, exercise when you have more time, and still meet your fitness goals. GPS is the only blatant omission. The View has no built-in GPS and does not use your phone's GPS. As a result, it will not display distance or pace during an outdoor activity. Most people probably won't care, but runners and bikers alike will be disappointed.

Temperature tracking while you sleep

Halo View automatically tracks your sleep every night and is great at knowing when you fall asleep and wake up. It also calculates a sleep score, which is a quick and easy way for you to gauge your sleep quality without digging deep into a variety of metrics. If you want to explore the details, you can too. The Halo app divides sleep into deep, light REM sleep, as well as number of disturbances, awake time, and more.

Not only does Amazon Halo View track your nightly heart rate and movement, it also measures your skin temperature at night. This adds another metric that you can use to diagnose sleep problems or to monitor your health. Do you wake up tired but have slept eight hours? You can check the temperature stats to see if temperature played a role in your insomnia. You may need to shed a layer or add a blanket to keep yourself comfortable at night. Temperature can also be used to diagnose illness, track your menstrual cycle, and monitor other changes in your body or around you.

Halo Fitness brings the burn

Halo fitness

Halo View integrates with Amazon's Halo Fitness, which provides access to a growing library of on-demand workouts led by professional fitness instructors. You can choose between cardio, outdoor, strength, yoga and mobility courses. And there are workouts for all fitness levels. Like Apple Fitness and iFit, the workouts are mostly bodyweight exercises, but that doesn't mean they were easy. The classes I took were strong enough to make me sweat and left me sore the next day. Most of the exercises take less than 25 minutes, so you can easily do them even on a busy day. Although I used Halo View to track my workout, the tracker stats don't integrate with Halo Fitness in the Halo app. I had to look at my watch to check my heart rate instead of seeing it on my phone's screen.

Decreased creepiness

Amazon raised some eyebrows with its tone voice analysis and the photo-based body fat analysis it added to its original Halo fitness band. Even though it removed Tone from the Halo view, Amazon kept the body fat measurements that require you to take a photo of yourself in your Skivvies. Measuring body fat using photos may be more accurate, but not everyone will use this feature.

Same goes for Halo View's new Movement Health, which uses the camera to assess your ability to make five simple movements. The data collected by the camera is then analyzed and used to improve your mobility, stability and posture. Fortunately, these features are optional and disabled by default. I turned it on for testing but didn't use it much after initial setup. Step count, activity score, and the weekly goal were my main motivators for keeping moving.

Diet adds a new dimension

View Hale nutrition recipes

Step count, heart rate and sleep tracking are only half the story. The Halo View is packed with a variety of health and wellness features that complement the fitness metrics gathered by the band's built-in sensors. Diet is one of the newest additions and shows promise. The Nutrition section in the Halo app contains customized single meal recipes as well as long-term nutrition programs to help you build healthy eating habits over time. I signed up for "Have a Glass of Water Before Every Meal" and cherished the daily reminders that encouraged me to improve my hydration each day. In the future, Amazon plans to offer instructions for meal planning and shopping lists that will be synchronized with Alexa.

Affordable monthly membership

Amazon nailed the membership options on Halo View. Some companies cripple their devices for non-subscribers, but Amazon gives you basic metrics like steps, heart rate, and sleep times for free. You do not need to purchase this additional subscription to take advantage of the device's minimal fitness tracking capabilities.

Those who want advanced metrics like daily activity results or personalized insights can sign up for a Halo membership. Amazon cost its membership at an affordable $ 3.99 per month. The View comes with a 12 month free subscription to Halo membership so you don't have to pay that fee right away.

Person wearing the Amazon Halo view.

Our opinion

The Halo View is a great value for those looking for an affordable alternative to the more expensive trackers from Fitbit and Garmin. It has more than enough metrics and wellness features to keep most users at ease. The Halo View might not have enough bells and whistles to draw people away from Fitbit or Garmin, but it's a great starting point for those new to fitness tracking.

Is there a better alternative?

The Halo makes a great entry-level fitness attacker, but there are better alternatives. With sleek, rounded lines and a beautiful AMOLED display, the Charge 5 is a worthy competitor to the Halo View. At an MSRP of $ 129, the Charge 5 is more expensive but offers the distance and pace metrics not found on the Halo View. Another option is Garmin's Vivosmart 4, which has a sophisticated design and loads of smart features to keep you both connected and healthy.

How long it will take?

Amazon Halo View is a budget fitness tracker, so don't expect it to last five years. Most users will be able to use Halo View for a number of years with normal usage. Adventure athletes or hand-working people such as mechanics or carpenters may find the View too sensitive for their harsh lifestyles.

Should you buy it?

Absolutely. With fitness tracking, sleep tracking, nutrition, and access to instructor-led workouts, the Halo View is ideal for someone who wants a fitness tracker but doesn't want to spend a lot of money.

Editor's recommendations



25 Nov
Blog

The Barbell Squat and Deadlift Alternative

If we've learned anything from our time in quarantine when the gyms were closed, we've learned that we can do without a gym. We can exercise to get stronger and fit in our living rooms, backyards, or garages without machines or even dumbbells.

We can use bodyweight exercises and something simple like a medicine ball for a great workout.

The medicine ball clean and squats are powerful and athletic movements that you can use in place of single barbell movements like deadlifts and squats.

Why does the medicine ball clean and squat?

This exercise saves time by linking some basic compound lifts that you normally do separately into one smooth motion.

This is a handy way to train your general condition and develop strength and ability to exercise.

This is a result of the dexterity you develop as you move through the cleaning and squatting repeatedly.

Grabbing and moving a heavy object that is not easy to grasp can quickly stabilize your trunk. You don't always train this with traditional barbell lifts.

You can learn this pretty quickly and easily with this exercise if you understand the basics of balance, stability, and movement. And if you don't, check out my course.

Doing a similar move with a barbell takes more skill and a lot more time.

But with the clean and squat med-ball, you can build full body strength, improve endurance, and practice two basic compound movements.

Who could use this?

It's a good choice for::

  • Anyone who still can't go to the gym
  • Someone who prefers to exercise at home
  • Someone who doesn't have room for a barbell and rack like you need to do would be doing squats.
  • Anyone who doesn't want to worry about what type of surface they're training on.

Even the heaviest medicine balls won't do much damage to a floor if you drop them.

Medicine balls are sold in many sizes and weights. You can start fairly easily and buy heavier ones over time, so you can slowly but steadily progress as you would with a barbell if you added more plates.

They're also great alternatives for anyone who doesn't like the idea of ​​lifting a barbell. Dumbbells don't go well with some.

Some have an exercise practice that doesn't quite fit barbell lifts, and there's really nothing wrong with that.

You can still do resistance exercises. Resistance doesn't mean barbells or dumbbells. We need to remember what we really do with barbell lifts.

It's a charged movement and it doesn't matter where or what the load is.

You may be more comfortable with the idea of ​​pressing a heavy medicine ball close to your chest than balancing a bar on your shoulders. It may seem more intuitive to you.

And that's fine, because exercises like this can do just as much good for you, maybe even more.

Target muscles

I call this exercise neat and stocky to draw attention to the two separate movements.

This exercise actually trains three different movement patterns::

  1. Deadlift or Hip Joint Pattern – We need control and strength in our hips and hamstrings to pivot, support, and lift the ball.
  2. Fast upper body scoop or rowing – We need a strong grip and supportive back muscles to lift and pull our body close to it, an object that is difficult to hold.
  3. A squat pattern – To clear the ball off the floor at chest level, we train a quick athletic movement of the upper body.

This means that we create coordination in our body and develop the timing.

We also train our core muscles in ways that a barbell or dumbbell often cannot.

When you hug something near your body and prevent your upper back from curving forward, you need to fully engage your core and build stability and strength.

How to Clean and Squat a Med Ball

Place the medicine ball on the floor between your feet a little closer to your toes than to your heels.

Make sure your feet are wide enough to squat without your elbows touching your knees.

The alternative to barbell squats and deadlifts - fitness, endurance training, strength training, body weight exercises, squats, medicine ball, power clean, dynamic balance, hip joint, deadlift, movement patterns, stability ball, barbells, training at home, core stability

Stick to keeping your back flat like you would on a deadlift.

You need to drop your hips a little lower than a traditional barbell deadlift so that your hips don't shoot up and your chest can fall on the clean side.

The alternative to barbell squats and deadlifts - fitness, endurance training, strength training, body weight exercises, squats, medicine ball, power clean, dynamic balance, hip joint, deadlift, movement patterns, stability ball, barbells, training at home, core stability

  • Breathe, hold on, grab and walk. When you are crouching with the ball in your hands, first bend your elbows and use your upper back to pull the ball close to your hips.

  • If you continue to stand, shrug your shoulders and shoot up with your elbows. Hold the ball close enough that you can feel it lightly brush against your body.

  • Take a break at the top before you crouch to make sure your elbows are high, balance, and support.

Complete the squat and focus on keeping your elbows high and making sure they fit between your knees at the bottom of the squat. Drop the ball if you can or crouch down and lower it in a controlled manner.

Variations

There are several reasons you might want to make changes.

  1. You may not have the mobility to get into a good position and pick the ball off the floor. It's lower than a loaded barbell. If you have problems there, put the ball on a small box or something similar to increase the height of the starting position.
  2. You might want to train your hip muscles a little more. If so, you can do the exercise from the slope. With your arms straight, lift the ball up, then pivot it across the floor and float it above the floor before cleaning.

Keep it smooth

A heavy medicine ball can be difficult to move. It's oddly shaped and difficult to grasp. Hence, it is important to keep the movement fluid so that it doesn't get injured. After grabbing the ball, make sure you keep your back in a good position and drive it up with your legs.

The closer you hold the ball to your body, the more efficient the exercise will be.

Too much space between your body and the ball and you will catch it in a poor position, putting unnecessary strain on your back.

For the more experienced lifter

If you've done quick dynamic exercises like this before, try doing a full cleanse instead of separating the movement.

You may want to do the exercise this way at first, but really should consider this to be progress if you have never practiced any other load-bearing movements like this.

We want to separate the two movements on the first practice, as it is important that we are balanced and tense before crouching with the ball at chest level.

It's not easy to release the tension in your body first, just enough to jerk a ball up explosively and then immediately stiffen under its weight to return to the crouch.

But when you're ready, try the heaviest medicine ball you can find.

23 Nov
Blog

The Barbell Squat and Deadlift Alternative

If we've learned anything from our time in quarantine when the gyms were closed, we've learned that we can do without a gym. We can exercise to get stronger and fit in our living rooms, backyards, or garages without machines or even dumbbells.

We can use bodyweight exercises and something simple like a medicine ball for a great workout.

The medicine ball clean and squats are powerful and athletic movements that you can use in place of single barbell movements like deadlifts and squats.

Why does the medicine ball clean and squat?

This exercise saves time by linking some basic compound lifts that you normally do separately into one smooth motion.

This is a handy way to train your general condition and develop strength and ability to exercise.

This is a result of the dexterity you develop as you move through the cleaning and squatting repeatedly.

Grabbing and moving a heavy object that is not easy to grasp can quickly stabilize your trunk. You don't always train this with traditional barbell lifts.

You can learn this pretty quickly and easily with this exercise if you understand the basics of balance, stability, and movement. And if you don't, check out my course.

Doing a similar move with a barbell takes more skill and a lot more time.

But with the clean and squat med-ball, you can build full body strength, improve endurance, and practice two basic compound movements.

Who could use this?

It's a good choice for::

  • Anyone who still can't go to the gym
  • Someone who prefers to exercise at home
  • Someone who doesn't have room for a barbell and rack like you need to do would be doing squats.
  • Anyone who doesn't want to worry about what type of surface they're training on.

Even the heaviest medicine balls won't do much damage to a floor if you drop them.

Medicine balls are sold in many sizes and weights. You can start fairly easily and buy heavier ones over time, so you can slowly but steadily progress as you would with a barbell if you added more plates.

They're also great alternatives for anyone who doesn't like the idea of ​​lifting a barbell. Dumbbells don't go well with some.

Some have an exercise practice that doesn't quite fit barbell lifts, and there's really nothing wrong with that.

You can still do resistance exercises. Resistance doesn't mean barbells or dumbbells. We need to remember what we really do with barbell lifts.

It's a charged movement and it doesn't matter where or what the load is.

You may be more comfortable with the idea of ​​pressing a heavy medicine ball close to your chest than balancing a bar on your shoulders. It may seem more intuitive to you.

And that's fine, because exercises like this can do just as much good for you, maybe even more.

Target muscles

I call this exercise neat and stocky to draw attention to the two separate movements.

This exercise actually trains three different movement patterns::

  1. Deadlift or Hip Joint Pattern – We need control and strength in our hips and hamstrings to pivot, support, and lift the ball.
  2. Fast upper body scoop or rowing – We need a strong grip and supportive back muscles to lift and pull our body close to it, an object that is difficult to hold.
  3. A squat pattern – To clear the ball off the floor at chest level, we train a quick athletic movement of the upper body.

This means that we create coordination in our body and develop the timing.

We also train our core muscles in ways that a barbell or dumbbell often cannot.

When you hug something near your body and prevent your upper back from curving forward, you need to fully engage your core and build stability and strength.

How to Clean and Squat a Med Ball

Place the medicine ball on the floor between your feet a little closer to your toes than to your heels.

Make sure your feet are wide enough to squat without your elbows touching your knees.

The alternative to barbell squats and deadlifts - fitness, endurance training, strength training, body weight exercises, squats, medicine ball, power clean, dynamic balance, hip joint, deadlift, movement patterns, stability ball, barbells, training at home, core stability

Stick to keeping your back flat like you would on a deadlift.

You need to drop your hips a little lower than a traditional barbell deadlift so that your hips don't shoot up and your chest can fall on the clean side.

The alternative to barbell squats and deadlifts - fitness, endurance training, strength training, body weight exercises, squats, medicine ball, power clean, dynamic balance, hip joint, deadlift, movement patterns, stability ball, barbells, training at home, core stability

  • Breathe, hold on, grab and walk. When you are crouching with the ball in your hands, first bend your elbows and use your upper back to pull the ball close to your hips.

  • If you continue to stand, shrug your shoulders and shoot up with your elbows. Hold the ball close enough that you can feel it lightly brush against your body.

  • Take a break at the top before you crouch to make sure your elbows are high, balance, and support.

Complete the squat and focus on keeping your elbows high and making sure they fit between your knees at the bottom of the squat. Drop the ball if you can or crouch down and lower it in a controlled manner.

Variations

There are several reasons you might want to make changes.

  1. You may not have the mobility to get into a good position and pick the ball off the floor. It's lower than a loaded barbell. If you have problems there, put the ball on a small box or something similar to increase the height of the starting position.
  2. You might want to train your hip muscles a little more. If so, you can do the exercise from the slope. With your arms straight, lift the ball up, then pivot it across the floor and float it above the floor before cleaning.

Keep it smooth

A heavy medicine ball can be difficult to move. It's oddly shaped and difficult to grasp. Hence, it is important to keep the movement fluid so that it doesn't get injured. After grabbing the ball, make sure you keep your back in a good position and drive it up with your legs.

The closer you hold the ball to your body, the more efficient the exercise will be.

Too much space between your body and the ball and you will catch it in a poor position, putting unnecessary strain on your back.

For the more experienced lifter

If you've done quick dynamic exercises like this before, try doing a full cleanse instead of separating the movement.

You may want to do the exercise this way at first, but really should consider this to be progress if you have never practiced any other load-bearing movements like this.

We want to separate the two movements on the first practice, as it is important that we are balanced and tense before crouching with the ball at chest level.

It's not easy to release the tension in your body first, just enough to jerk a ball up explosively and then immediately stiffen under its weight to return to the crouch.

But when you're ready, try the heaviest medicine ball you can find.

03 Nov
Blog

Jabra Elite 85t Review: The Best AirPods Pro Alternative

Jabra Elite 85t

"Small but powerful, the Elite 85t offers impressive performance across the board."

  • Very convenient

  • Excellent sound quality

  • Excellent noise cancellation

  • Customizable controls

  • Excellent call quality

  • Wireless charging

  • Average battery life

  • No aptX or LDAC

Jabra's $ 180 Elite 75t and $ 200 Elite Active 75t are two of the best true wireless earbuds you can buy. They're comfortable, they sound great, they have decent battery life, and they can withstand a lot of water and dust. Active noise cancellation (ANC) will also be available from October.

Who could ask for more?

Yet more is precisely the goal of the new $ 230 Jabra Elite 85twhich, thanks to a new hybrid ANC system, promise better sound and improved noise suppression. They also aim to end occlusion – the feeling some people get when wearing in-ear earphones, that their ears are filled with cotton.

High goals indeed. Has Jabra succeeded? Let's find out.

What's in the box?

Jabra Elite 85tSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

First, praise for Jabra: The Elite 85t ship in a very small and fully recyclable box. A few tiny plastic labels are left over, but for the most part, it's an exceptionally eco-friendly package.

This box contains the Elite 85t, which is already contained in the charging case, a USB-C charging cable, two sets of silicone earplugs and a small brochure with a security and guarantee print.

design

Jabra Elite 85tSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra knows that if something isn't broken, you won't fix it. Rather than reinventing the wheel, the hugely successful design of the Elite 75t has been adopted and simply enlarged to accommodate some of the new technology and features.

The charging case is more portable than ever, but now weighs a little more. That's likely because Jabra had to find room not only for the larger 85t earbuds, but also for the wireless charging capability. It's a handy feature that is showing up on more and more real wireless earbuds at varying prices from $ 50 to $ 350. So it's good to see that Jabra hasn't ignored them.

Little known fact: You can actually buy these Elite 75t or Elite Active 75t with a wireless charging case, but only from Jabra.com.

The USB-C port for wired charging is located under the hinge on the back of the case. However, Jabra made a careful decision to move the case's LED display to the front to make it easier to see.

Despite the extra bulk, the earbuds are still amazingly compact. The same single physical button – which I think is the best control system you can find – also returns. Unfortunately, due to its semi-open design, Jabra has not been able to maintain the amazing IP55 and IP57 ratings of the Elite 75t and Elite Active 75t, respectively. The 85t are still IPX4, however, which is good enough for all but the wettest situations and is identical to the AirPods Pro.

Convenience, control and connections

Jabra Elite 85t "class =" m-Karussell - Bild dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn2.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/jabra-elite-85t-00003-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Jabra Elite 85t (left) and Elite 75t Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra Elite 85t "class =" m-Karussell - Bild dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn3.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/jabra-elite-85t-00005-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Jabra Elite 85t (right) and Elite 75t Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra Elite 85t "class =" m-Karussell - Bild dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn4.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/jabra-elite-85t-00004-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Jabra Elite 85t (right) and Elite 75t Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Elite 75t sets a new standard for comfort and fit for true wireless earbuds. The 85t are just as comfortable, but their slightly larger shape means they don't fit quite as securely. I've always been very happy with how deep I can put the 75t in my ear canals thanks to its small body and tall tower, but the 85t sits a hair flatter.

The oval-shaped earbuds feel great, but their asymmetrical shape prevents you from twisting the earbuds in your search for the best fit. Oval earplugs can be hit or missed. They're fantastic on the AirPods Pro, but I found them challenging on the 1More Air ANC.

The choice of tip size is therefore even more important, and Jabra only offers three sizes in total. Media usually suits me best, but I've jumped on the big ones to get a better seal.

Switching back and forth between ANC and the HearThrough environment modes can be done instantly.

A good seal is crucial for both sound quality and noise cancellation. It is therefore a bit surprising that Jabra did not offer a test for fitting the earplugs in the Sound + app. These tests that Apple and Amazon use on their earbuds provide an extra level of reassurance that you have the right earbuds for your ears.

The 85t use a semi-open design that allows a small amount of air between your inner ear and the outside world. According to Jabra, this improves comfort by eliminating the pressure build-up that can occur with fully enclosed structures like the Elite 75t. This is also why the 85t is larger than the 75t – semi-open designs require a little more internal volume.

Since air travel is a bit hard to come by at the moment, I couldn't put this special claim to the test. What I can confirm, however, is that the 85t feels a lot more airy than the 75t, and they definitely reduce the feeling of having something in your ear.

As I said above, the controls are amazing. There's a click combo for every function imaginable, including volume and voice assistant access. Switching back and forth between ANC and HearThrough environmental mode can be done instantly with a single click. It's a faster transition than any other ANC earbud I've tried.

Not a fan of how Jabra mapped the controls? Simply jump into the Sound + app and rearrange it as you wish.

My only small point of criticism: With the Elite 75t, pressing buttons is practically powerless and happens regardless of where you place your finger. In contrast, the 85t uses an offset switch. You have to press the part of the button that is closest to the small triangular microphone slot for it to click as effortlessly as the 75t.

Like the Elite 75t before them, the Elite 85t has wear sensors and can automatically pause and resume music if you remove or paste it. It's accurate and incredibly fast.

Pairing the Elite 85t is a breeze. However, if you're an iPhone user, do yourself a favor: don't try to pair them through the Jabra Sound + app as stated in the box. I've never found this technique to work. Instead, just pair them normally in the Bluetooth section of the iOS Settings app and then open the Sound + app.

After pairing, I was surprised to have some really terrible connectivity issues. The left earbud sounded like it had an electrical short circuit, and the right bud wasn't much better. DT Senior Editor Caleb Denison experienced the same thing with his review unit. Oddly, however, it seems very specific in terms of location.

It only happened in my office, where I am surrounded by wireless devices and metal cabinets, and even then only sporadically. I'm pretty sure this won't be a problem for most people, and I expect Jabra will be releasing a firmware fix for it soon.

As with the Elite 75t and most other Jabra wireless headphones, you can pair the 85t with two devices at the same time. It's a great convenience for those of us who hop back and forth between computers and phones, but very few companies offer it (it's called Bluetooth Multipoint). The next thing you'll find is Apple's auto-toggle feature on the AirPods. However, it only works when transferring between two different Apple devices.

Sound quality

Jabra Elite 85tSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

With the Elite 75t models you have the choice between different sound signatures. The normal 75t are huge on bass, while the Active model offers a much more neutral EQ. Both sound really good, but their soundstage is pretty tight and creates a sound that is more “in your head” than outside.

The Elite 85t are simply some of the best sounding true wireless earbuds you can buy right now.

The Elite 85t are much more expansive and also have more details. They offer greater accuracy across the entire EQ spectrum, which allows instruments to be separated from one another. A good example of this is Thomas Newman's Dead Already from the American Beauty Soundtrack. With the Elite 75t, the multiple percussion layers are clear and full, but it's only when you use the Elite 85t that you will notice how tightly the 75t packs these layers. In contrast, the 85t open them directly, letting them take up a much larger space. With that extra space, you can really appreciate Newman's selection in the studio and the textures that selection created.

By default, the 85t have a relatively neutral EQ. You can pump up the bass in the Sound + app for a thunderous low end or increase the highs for more vocal clarity, but I didn't find a need for that either.

Our benchmark for actual wireless performance is the Sony WF-1000XM3. I spent a lot of time hopping back and forth between these earbuds, the AirPods Pro and the 85t. The Elite 85t are incredibly close to the Sony XM3 from an acoustic standpoint, and I think they beat the AirPods Pro in terms of warmth and resonance. In other words, the Elite 85t are simply some of the best sounding true wireless earbuds you can buy right now.

The only thing that could have improved the sound of the 85t would be adding higher quality Bluetooth codecs like aptX, aptX HD or LDAC.

Noise cancellation

ANC on the Elite 85t is excellent.

Since both the Elite 75t and Elite Active 75t have ANC thanks to a recent firmware update, you may be wondering if the 85t is worth spending the extra cash on. In a word: yes.

ANC on the Elite 85t is excellent. It uses a hybrid system of feedforward and feedback microphones (as opposed to the 75t models which only have feedforward microphones). You can use the Sound + app to select exactly the noise cancellation you want. When this setting is set to the maximum, it's just as effective as the AirPods Pro and better than the WF-1000XM3.

But what sets the Elite 85t apart is the complete absence of any floor noise. If you listen carefully when no music is playing, you can usually hear a faint hiss when using ANC. It's noticeable on the WF-1000XM3 and even the AirPods Pro, but the 85t are completely silent.

It also needs to be repeated how quick and easy it is to switch between ANC and HearThrough modes – it's almost instantaneous. The AirPods Pro must be held down to toggle while the XM3 forces you to toggle between ANC on, ANC off, and ambient mode.

Battery life

Jabra Elite 85tSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The only area that hasn't improved much on the Elite 85t is battery life. It's essentially unchanged from the Elite 75t: you get about seven hours of operation with the ANC off and 5.5 hours with the ANC on. In fact, if you want to be picky, this is 30 minutes less run time than the 75t with ANC off.

Fast charging also remains unchanged. A 15-minute charge adds just one hour to playtime.

By today's standards, these statistics are not much to write home about. However, when you factor in the capacity of the charging case, you can still get a full day out of these buds (19.5 hours with the ANC on, 24 hours with the ANC off). And, to be fair, you have to spend a lot more money to get a lot longer battery life with a set of true wireless earbuds with ANC and great sound.

Call quality

Jabra has always had a reputation for making Bluetooth headsets with great call quality, and the Elite 85t maintains that credibility. The calls were crystal clear and only the loudest traffic or construction noises could keep up with my voice.

HearThrough mode (known as sidetone for phone calls) made my voice sound completely natural at the end of the conversation, which is very important for longer calls as it reduces fatigue.

Our opinion

With the Elite 85t, Jabra has taken its proven wireless earbud formula and made some big improvements. The result is a premium set of noise canceling earphones with premium sound quality and features that make them ideal companions for work, leisure, or travel.

Is there a better alternative?

At that price I don't think so. Sony WF-1000XM3 offer slightly better battery life, but are much larger and bulkier and cannot be charged wirelessly.

While iPhone users may prefer that AirPods Pro I think the Elite 85t sounds better and costs less because of its tight integration with the Apple ecosystem and hands-free Siri access.

How long will they last?

Jabra's products are very well made and the Elite 85t seems no exception. With only IPX4 protection, they won't withstand as much water or dust as the 75t series, but Jabra still gives them a two-year warranty in case something happens. I suspect the 85t will last for many years if used carefully.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Elite 85t will satisfy your need for comfort, tranquility and sound quality for less money than its closest competitors.

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