The Bose SoundSport Free earbuds are fantastic, except for one minor flaw

THIS product from an established brand promises and delivers a great experience. There is just one potential dealbreaker.

WHAT would you sacrifice to have a truly wireless, high-quality audio product you could use for workouts or commutes?

The answer is a sleek, sexy and subtle design if you’re judging by the Bose SoundSport Free earbuds.

Questionable design aside, here is what you need to know about Bose’s first truly wireless earbuds.

DESIGN

The Bose SoundSport Free earbuds use a bright mix of plastic and metal to offer a sporty design, which also has an IPX4 water-resistance rating — which means it protects agaisnt water spray and sweat so you can workout in the rain if you so please.

As mentioned, the buds are quite bulky when compared to other competitors on the market, with each measuring 3.12 cm x 2.5 cm x 3 cm.

While this might not sound large, the problem is most of the 3cm thickness is on the bulk hanging outside your ear.

Despite this looking a little strange, Bose’s StayHear+ wingtips hook onto your outer ear to anchor the headphones in place, with three different-sized tips included to ensure you get the perfect fit.

The headphones can protect agaisnt sweat, which I found welcome news.

During my runs and gym workouts the earbuds remained perfectly in place and this is coming from a sweaty human.

Like most similar products, the headphones feature integrated media control buttons to help change tracks or volume without having to reach for your device.

These are rather small and difficult to press - especially while out for a jog — although I am not one who ususally uses this feature so it was not a deal breaker for me.

In terms of the plastic charger-case, it uses LED lights to convey the battery status on the front.

While the case itself has a nice quality build, it’s also very bulky when compared to other cases on the market, which would be a concern for people carrying it around in their pockets.

An app can help you find your lost ear bud.

SOUND QUALITY
The Bose SoundSport Free earbuds can be used with either Android or iOS devices, with the product offering a high-quality, balanced sound that the company has become known for.

Most audio on the device sounded great and offered plenty of mid and treble detail, although it was slightly lacking in terms of bass and isolation of outside noise.

The impressive sound quality can be attributed to Bose’s on-board volume optimised equaliser.

During my testing I experienced little to no lag or disconnection from the device.

You have the option to download the Bose Connect app to help connect the buds to your mobile device, with the app also having a feature to help you locate a bud if you happen to misplace it — I would recommend to do this first and save yourself the stress of trying to track down a lost earbud (speaking from experience).

You can expect around five hours battery life before needing to charge the products, with the case offering around 10 hours worth of additional battery.

Impressivly, a quick 15-minute top-up will give you around 45 minutes of listening time, which is great if you forgot to charge before the gym.

The bulky charging case uses LED lights to tell you how much battery is left.

VERDICT

The Bose SoundSport Free earbuds offer a truly wireless experience, secure fit and impressive sound quality for audiophiles looking for a workout solution.

However, the bulky design might be a little too much for those who feel self concious on their morning commutes.

At just $299.95, the earbuds are a little on the expensive side considering the design, but for audio the money seems fair.

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