by Team Hargrave on May 24, 2010
One of the best things about the running community is product reviews from people you trust. With the increased adoption of social media, more and more are heading to Twitter, Facebook, or their favorite blog before trusting a multimillion-dollar ad campaign. We love to experiment with new gadgets and wanted to share some of our favorite products with you. We hope you enjoy and want to hear your feedback!
A while back we posted a blog on whether or not runners should wear headphones during races and training runs and received a lot of great feedback. For those of you who do choose to wear headphones, and do so safely…do we have some headphones for you. We have been using the Sennheiser MX 85 Sport II headphones for almost a year and love them! While I rarely wear headphones while running, Isis is a huge advocate (except during races). You might ask what kind of strenuous testing we put products through and why I can’t tell you all, I will tell you the biggest test of all…the ILR. The ILR makes products shiver in their tracks. This is what we do…we put the product on Isis for a long run (aka the Isis Long Run test) If she doesn’t pull at it, get angry or annoyed, and runs well…the product passes with flying colors. If not, on to adjustments and further testing.
The Sennheiser MX-85 headphones passed the ILR easily. Out of all the headphones we have tried, these are the best by far. Here’s why we love the MX-85s:
No adjustments. There is nothing worse than having to continuously adjust your headphones on your run. You already have enough to think about (form, pace, heart rate, etc.). The MX-85s uses the Sennheiser twist-to-fit system to secure the earbud. Worried that your ears may be a little smaller/larger than others? Sennheiser includes adjustable rings so you can find your perfect fit.
Cord management. While most companies are doing this, it is a very nice feature to have. The MX-85 has a single cord that that splits right before the earbuds. One of the earbud cords is made a little longer to go around the back of the neck and minimize the amount of cord in front of you. To make it even easier to manage your cord, Sennheiser has added a clip to secure the cord to your shirt.
Waterproof/Sweatproof. Love this feature. Headphones all sweaty after a hard workout? You can put the MX-85s under running water and rinse off. Just make sure to let them dry completely before plugging them back in. Worried about the durability? Don’t be…these little babies come with a 2-year warranty!
Sound. Yes, this is pretty important… While these may not have the quality of sound of your high end headphones you love rocking out to your iPod, the sound is pretty great when compared to other sport-related headphones. Plus, I don’t recommend you crank the volume up to 11 while you are taking a run outside.
While these retail for about $60, I did a quick search and found them for $25 at Best Buy and $30 at Amazon. Have you used the Sennheiser MX 85s or use another pair of headphones that you love? Please leave your comments below!
