Jabra Sport Pace Wireless Headphones Review

When I work out, I perform better with music. With my power playlist, I can go faster and further, and somehow work through the pain better. Having made do with standard earbud headphones and dangling cords for years, I didn’t think wireless headphones would make that much of a difference until I tried them. After testing the Jabra Sport Pace Wireless Headphones, I’m hooked!

The Jabra Sport Pace headphones have eargels (soft earbuds), plastic loops that fits snugly over your ears (one on each side), and a single reflective behind-the-neck cord with control buttons on one side. It took a couple minutes to get the right fit, but once I changed the eargels, the headphones were comfortable and secure and connected quickly and easily to my cell phone. My husband and I have tested these headphones indoors and out while cleaning, cross country skiing, walking, running, and cycling and have enjoyed good sound quality and being wire-free.

What We Liked

Wireless

During testing, we noticed that the headphones work over a pretty long range so if you’re worried about damaging your phone in your pocket (while lifting weights for example), you can leave your phone in your bag on the other side of the room, and still listen to music! I was able to stream music to my Jabra headphones from the other side of the house when my phone was downstairs!

Compatibility

The Jabra Sport Pace Wireless Headphones connected to all devices in our home. While I was happy at how quickly they connected to my phone,  my husband went a little crazy testing these headphones and tested them with every device in our house. I’m happy to report that the Jabra headphones connect well to our Moto X smart phone, Asus laptop, Mini Mac, Samsung Galaxy S3, iPhone 3, and hp Pavilion laptop. 

The Jabra Pace headphones come with a fitness app (Jabra’s Sport Life), but also work with popular apps like MapMyFitness. I use the latter and was pleased to get my pace and distance updates while cross country skiing and listening to music.

Ease of Use

I was able to connect the headphones to my phone and use them without referring to the instructions. Once your headphones are charged via USB cable, put them on so you can hear the setup prompts, but don’t turn them on yet. Next, turn on Bluetooth capability on your phone, THEN turn on your headphones. Hold the multi-use button down for 5 seconds (until it is blue) and within seconds, your phone should detect the headphones. Select the Jabra headphones on your phone. Some phones may require a password; follow the voice prompts from your headphones.

The multiuse button allows you to turn music on or off, or answer the phone. A double tap allows you to redial the person you spoke to last.

Volume controls are on either side of the multiuse button. Double tapping them allows you to go to the next or last track in your playlist.

Cross Country Skiing with the Jabra Sport Pace Wireless Headphones

Battery Life

The battery life is listed at 5 hours on a full charge. For my use in moderate temperatures, this sounds about right. My husband, however, listens to music at a higher volume, so he was getting less battery life on one charge. I also found battery life was shortened when I worked out in cold weather (below 0C), but this is typical of any battery in cold temperatures. A micro USB cable is included with the headphones for easy charging.

If you don’t have time to fully charge your headphones, a 15 minute charge provides 1 hour of battery life. I like this as I am quite last minute when I decide to go for a run or bike ride!

The box says standby time is 10 days. I cannot confirm this as the headphones have not sat unused for 10 days yet!

Weight

The Jabra headphones are light (only 22 grams!) and comfortable despite being bigger than earbuds. I hardly notice them!

Durability

The headphones are shock, dust and water resistant, so they can handle sweat and being tossed in a gym bag. I would still recommend putting them in a cloth bag to keep the eargels clean. A bag is not included with the headphones.

Fit

The Jabra PACE wireless headphones come with 3 sets of eargels (small, medium and large) so you can get the perfect fit. Since I have tiny ears, the mediums wouldn’t stay in my ears, but after changing to size small, the eargels stayed where they were supposed to be. The loops fit comfortably over my ears and held the headphones in place even when I was wearing sports sunglasses and a toque. Sweat and moisture resistant materials prevent slippage for a secure fit throughout your workout.

Sound Quality

I did a sound test of the Jabra Sport Pace Wireless Headphones against the other headphones in my house and was pleased with how they performed. As expected, the Jabra headphones weren’t as good as my high end over the ear headphones, but they also cost only half as much. Compared to my Apple and Samsung earbud headphones, I liked the sound of the Jabras more. The sound is fuller and the bass is enhanced, but I like this when working out.

Appearance

I love the look of these headphones! The reflective strip across the back is a nice safety feature. Choose red, blue, or yellow for a pop of color!

Jabra’s Sport Life App

After downloading the app for Android or iPhone and setting it up on your phone, you can activate the app by pressing the button on the left earpiece. Select your workout type and subworkout to receive in-ear coaching, or simply track your movement. You can listen to music concurrently and turn Sport Life App voice prompts off at any time. While it’s a pretty cool app, I didn’t use it a lot as I already use another fitness app.

The Verdict

I’d happily recommend these headphones to an active person who requires sturdy but light, wireless headphones that stay on well and have good sound quality.

Giveaway

Please note that this giveaway is open to Canadian residents only. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Where to Buy

In Canada, Jabra products are available at Best Buy, Walmart, and many cell phone retailers.

Disclosure

I received a free pair of Jabra Sport Pace Headphones to test and review, but all words and opinions are my own.