Neckband-style earphones are becoming more popular. They come in different shapes and sizes, but they all do the same thing – stay put while you’re wearing them. I’ve rounded up eight neckband-style earphones that were released just recently – three of which are available for preorder right now. Each product has its own pros and cons, so let’s take a closer look at each one! Here is my review on the best Neckband Bluetooth Earphones 2022.
Top 4 Best Neckband Bluetooth Earphones in 2022
Table of Contents
1) QY8 Neckband Earphone
The QY8 Neckband Earphone was announced last month during CES 2019, and it’s already up for preorder through Indiegogo at $49 (normal price will be $99). It pairs with both Android and iOS devices via Bluetooth 5.0, and it has 35-hour battery life.
The QY8 uses the new A2DP AAC codec for listening to music wirelessly, as well as using your phone’s voice assistant (Google Assistant or Siri) via touch controls on either earphone. There’s built-in fitness tracking with motion activity monitoring and step counting functionality and even sleep monitoring.
There are different EQ settings that you can toggle through by swiping up and down and tapping one of them: Vibe (enhances bass), Pop (boost treble), Classical (equalizes sound quality), Bass Boost (boosts bass), Live Stream Studio (increases mid-range).
The QY8 is sweatproof, so you can use it for working out, and there are different ear tips included to ensure that you find the best fit.
There’s also a built-in microphone on each side of the neckband so you can take calls seamlessly, as well as an IPX6 water resistance rating if your workout gets really intense!
I’ve spent some time with the QY8 at CES 2019. It has great sound quality, especially considering how small it is. It’s lightweight and doesn’t pull down too much when running or doing other types of exercise, but it isn’t perfect – I found out that sometimes one earphone can fall off without me noticing it – still think this should be improved in future design before launch. Also, the touch controls are pretty sensitive, so sometimes I mistakenly play/pause songs when all I want to do is adjust the volume.
2) Mobvoi TicPods Free
The Mobvoi TicPods Free are neckband earphones that work with both Android and iOS devices via Bluetooth 5.0, have 24 hours of battery life, Touch Sensitive Controls on Both Earbuds, Built-in Microphone for Voice Commands & Calls.
One of the first things you’ll notice about the Ticpods Free is that they look very similar to Apple’s AirPods – but there are some key differences between them… The most obvious difference is that the Ticpods Free uses physical buttons instead of touch controls for controlling your music playback. The charging case also uses a USB Type-C port instead of Lightning. The Tripods Free are sweatproof but aren’t rated for water resistance, so if you work out with them then it’s best to remove them – also the ear tips don’t touch the inside of your ear canal which makes them comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
The sound quality on these is pretty good as well, especially considering that there’s just one driver in each bud. You can equalize the sound through an app that’s separate from either Android or iOS devices. I found some songs didn’t have enough bass, though, and sometimes some high notes sounded shrill/distorted. These earphones pair first whenever you put them on, so it takes a little bit of time to pair them with your device if you’ve turned Bluetooth off on your phone, but they turn off automatically after 12 minutes.
I also realized that these earphones are pretty difficult to put back into the magnetic charging case – it’s either too loose or won’t line up quite right, so be aware of this!
3) Panasonic ErgoFit
The Panasonic ErgoFit are neckband-style headphones that work with both Android and iOS via Bluetooth 4.2, have 13 hours of battery life (and 270 hours in standby mode), Built-in microphone for hands-free calling.
These earphones are made out of plastic, come in five different colors (black, blue, pink green/yellow), and can be at Walmart for around $18. The sound quality is okay but nothing special, and the Bluetooth range isn’t fantastic.
On the other hand, they do have a built-in microphone for hands-free calling – which you don’t get with the Pasonomi QY8 earphones. This means that if you’re going to use these headphones mainly for calls then they’re a pretty good option.
4) Jabra Elite 65t
The Jabra Elite 65t are Bluetooth neckband-style headphones that work with both Android and iOS via Bluetooth 5.0, have 5 hours of battery life (and 15 hours in standby mode), a built-in microphone for hands-free calls & voice assistant access (Siri or Google Assistant).
Though it’s not advertised on their website, I discovered that the Jabra Elite 65t works with Amazon Alexa as well. They also have great sound quality, come in one color (black), and are completely wireless.
These earphones use touch controls instead of physical buttons for both controlling your music playback and accessing Google Assistant/Siri – which is really convenient because you don’t have to pull out your phone to access one of those! I found that sometimes there were some too-sensitive issues with the volume controls, but overall they work just fine.
The touch-sensitive controls on these earphones also let you swipe forward or backward to change songs if you’re listening to music – but this functionality might not work quite right with certain apps like Spotify… it seems like whenever I start my workout playlist on Spotify with these earphones, it starts playing the wrong song!
One of my favorite features about these earphones is that they automatically connect to your phone every time you put them on (the Jabra Sound+ app can sometimes cause connection issues). I also like the charging case that they come with – which is small & compact enough to fit into most pockets. However, I was disappointed that there’s no LED indicator light, which makes it hard to tell if they’re charged or low on battery.
I realize that some people aren’t a fan of neckband-style headphones because it’s an inconvenience for this particular group… But personally, I think everyone will find neckband headphone designs super convenient… especially when exercising outdoors in the summertime!
In fact, neckband-style headphones have been a new trend due to their design being perfect for exercising… so I think the Pasonomi QY8 earphones will soon be a thing of the past.
What do you think about our prediction? Which feature is your favorite? Have you bought any of these products already? Share your thoughts in the comment section!
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