We have just received the latest shipment of the Jabra Sport Pulse and the Jabra Sport Coach from Jabra Singapore and I'm very excited to share how these excellent, high quality headphones are designed to complement your workouts. In this review, I will talk about the my own personal experience of using them in the gym and outdoors.
Jabra promotes these wireless ear buds as being ideal for workouts. The Sport Pulse comes with a heart rate monitor that is part of the product and this will continuously keep a check on your pulse when you are working out. Sport Pulse Jabra headphones combine great audio quality with a lightweight design, which makes them very convenient for indoor gym use and for outdoor exercise.
Design and Appearance
Jabra SG is known for edgy designs and the Sport Pulse is no exception. The gels in the ear buds are of the brightest neon yellow, which contrasts with a matte black background. Each bud is shaped to match the contours of the inner ear, so they stay securely in place. When you want to remove them, the ear buds hang conveniently around your neck.
On the right ear bud, below the ear wing cover, the micro USB charging port is kept well hidden.
There is a button in the left part to control the heart rate monitor and on the inline remote there is a rocker switch for volume control and a multi-function button.
Ear Fit and Comfort
With four sizes to choose from for the ear inserts and wings, it is not difficult to find the best fit. I tried them all and when I had found the right ones for my ear size, the buds felt very secure and all background noises were shut out.
More importantly, during workout sessions the buds stayed firmly in place and there was no noticeable shake.
Audio Quality
When wearing these Jabra headphones there is no background noise to disturb you during a workout. The music comes through the ear buds very clearly. The sound is well balanced and is consistent in quality. For a pair of wireless earbuds, the sound quality is excellent.
Heart Rate Sensor
When I switch on the heart rate monitor and open up an app that searches for a pulse, it usually finds my heart beat within fifteen seconds. The Jabra Sport app allows me to view all data readings in real time and in my ear I can hear the changes to my heart rate.
When working out on an elliptical machine, I discovered that the heart rate measurements I could hear through the Sport Pulse ear buds did not match the readings I could see on the machine. On a strenuous workout it showed my heart rate as being much slower than the measurements which were shown on the elliptical machine. At other times the there was a difference of about 3bpm between the measurements on the elliptical machine and in the ear buds.
I have questioned Jabra in Singapore about this issue and was told that the accuracy of the heart rate monitor is affected by the fit and size of the ear inserts. However, when I tried other sizes of ear insert, it did not seem to make much difference.
Jabra Sport App for iOS and Android
The app’s home screen provides a range of activities so you can choose to track your progress when cycling, skating, walking, running and during other activities. The app allows you to sync your heart rate data with any other apps you might be using, such as Map My Fitness or the Run Keeper app.
The Jabra Sport app has a useful feature called Just Track Me. This monitors calories burned, distance covered and duration, as well as your heart rate. This program can also track your speed and pace in outdoor fitness activities and can also be linked to the GPS on your smart phone.
Another feature of the Jabra Sport app is the audio updating system which guides you through interval training and reports your heart rate during every workout. It automatically reduces the music level to inform you verbally about your current heart rate, distance covered, calories burned and any other reminders you have set it to monitor.
The default setting on the app feeds music from iTunes, but this can be changed to stream from Google Play, Spotify or any another “Current Active” choice.
The Fitness Tests on the app allow you to measure your resting heart rate and test your endurance capabilities. Knowing your resting heart rate will help you to know when you start pushing yourself too much with your training.
The app also makes it easy to check your previous achievements and past workout sessions.
Battery Charging
A full charge should give you at least five hours of battery life. There is an indicator on the home page of the app that will shows you at any time how many more hours the battery will last before it needs a charge.
A single battery charge gave me enough time for a workout session at the gym, the journey home and my commute to work the following day.
Pros and Cons
The best thing about these Jabra headphones is that they are comfortable to wear and the sound quality is what you would expect from Jabra in Singapore. The ear buds are stylish in appearance and their wireless connectivity can be used with third-party apps.
The downside to these Jabra headphones is that they require charging after five to six hours of use, and the heart rate monitor, when compared to other chest straps, may have a slightly higher margin of error.
Verdict
The sound quality on the Sport Pulse is superb and the design of the ear buds makes them great for comfort and for listening to music. Regarding fitness tracking, the app has some great options and provides important data through the ear buds. The built in heart rate monitor is a great addition to these pair of headphones and ideal for the average gym goer and runner, and as for elite athletes, nothing beats the accuracy of heart rate data coming directly from a chest strap.