Bluetooth earbud headphones with long battery life

August 26, 2021 12:29 PM

After many failures, I finally found some Bluetooth earbud-style headphones that suited my needs (Anker SoundBuds Slim), only to have them be discontinued. Now I'm looking for a replacement that has the same qualities.

Anker has moved to only selling "true wireless" headphones - and the battery life on those is really short (only 4-6 hours).

I've looked at other makes, but I struggle to distinguish good from bad, expensive-because-they-are-good from expensive-because-they-are-fashionable, and the choices are overwhelming.

Here's what I loved about my headphones, and what I'm looking for in new ones:

- Bluetooth connection, but I'm skeptical about "true wireless"
Wired headphones break quickly and can't be used when my phone is in a waterproof pouch. I don't mind true-wireless if they have a long enough battery life (because maybe they are more durable - it's the wires that break first), but I will be immediately be buying/making a string for them so that I can hang them around my neck.

- long battery life
My Anker headphones played for 10 hours. I need at least 6 hours battery life to get through the day, preferably at least 8.

- good sound isolation
My old headphones were airtight, similar to an internal ear monitor. I could listen to quiet things in loud places (subways, busy streets) without increasing the volume too much. I've tried other headphones that claim to be sound-isolating, but they don't "suck into the ears" like airtight ones do, and therefore block very little outside sound.

- waterproof (I miss that more than I realized) - I don't want to go swimming with them, I just want them to not die if I drop them in the bath for a second

- microphone (I use them for phone/video calls)

- durable (it's not the cost, I hate sending electronics to poison the landfills - and I'll pay >$100 if they will last for years)

- available in Canada (many items available in the US may not be here)

(also, sorry for yet-another-headphone question, but the closest to my question was from a couple of years ago - and that's a few decades in headphone-time. 2 years ago, I would have recommended that I get the Anker Soundbuds Slim).

posted by jb to Technology (10 answers total)

I've had pretty good luck with SoundPEATS brand, but I haven't tried their Q35, which is equivalent to your Anker model. It's $50 on Amazon US.
posted by kschang at 12:34 PM on August 26, 2021

I got these from Staples. I got them because they were the easiest/quickest to get on short notice when my old ones broke. But they're fine. They don't have magnets like your old ones. They have a little clip instead. They have a microphone. I've worn them in the shower. ANd look! The box says you're not allowed to throw them in the trash, so you know they won't end up in a landfill.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 12:37 PM on August 26, 2021

I just bought these mifo earbuds for my son, and they're ridiculously good. The reviews have all been very good. They're waterproof too.
posted by pipeski at 12:52 PM on August 26, 2021

Here are the ones I got on amazon.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 12:57 PM on August 26, 2021

Not exactly in the ballpark you're aiming for but I do have two suggestions:

1. AirPods pro, or similar Active Noise Cancelling options with a charging carrying case. I can always find a few minutes here and there to put them back in the case for a charge top-up. Water resistant enough to exercise in. Lasts all day with intermittent charging which (for me) is generally good enough
2. A bone conduction headset with regular 'ol ear plugs. In my case these aftershocks and these Etymotic earplugs.

I do admit though that both of these options are, umm, not inexpensive.
posted by mce at 2:48 PM on August 26, 2021

I’ve been happily using Skullcandy earphones for years. They’ve also sadly discontinued my favourite model, but these Ink’d are the ones I’ll try next. The sound insulation with those funny shaped buds is AMAZING, and the battery life is also impressive because of the neck ring. They’re sweat proof - not sure if drop in the bath proof tho!
posted by ClarissaWAM at 4:25 PM on August 26, 2021

I had the same problem you did, trying to replace my SoundBuds Slim. I ended up buying Boltune's Wireless Sports Headphones, which were $28 on Amazon, but Amazon no longer sells them. To compare them to the SoundBuds Slim: they sound just as good, the battery supposedly lasts twice as long (they definitely last longer than the SoundBuds Slim - I have yet to have them shut down on me due to losing the charge), instead of having tones for power on/off and connection on/off, it's done with a voice saying "Power on", etc. The only issue I've had is they don't fit my ears as well as the SoundBuds Slim, and will occasionally slip out while using them in bed (but that may not be an issue for your ears).
posted by ShooBoo at 9:23 PM on August 26, 2021

After many unsuccessful headphone trials I have landed on these Anker Soundcore Life U2s for now.

They are at least somewhat waterproof, they sound decent enough, they definitely last all day long, they do seal up pretty tight and stay in your ear well with the two-piece sizeable ear pieces, and most important for me, they seem to have lasted a lot longer than any other similar ones I've tried.

I won't guarantee they will last forever but they are doing way, way better than any other similar ones I've tried.
posted by flug at 1:05 AM on August 27, 2021

I feel the Jaybird Vista hits all these marks. I've had mine for 2-3 years now and I'm still so pleased with them. They are also the only earbuds, wireless or otherwise, that stay in my ears even while running. In the past I've had ones that supposedly had great sound but I couldn't really hear it because they sat too far out of my ears.
posted by roadrunner9 at 6:33 AM on August 27, 2021

Sony-WF-1000XM4 are expensive but so so good - not sure about the waterproof aspect though
posted by burr1545 at 3:34 PM on August 27, 2021