True Wireless Flash Headphones by Under Armour, Engineered by JBL

Under Armour True Wireless Flash Ear Buds—Engineered by JBL 

Weight: 0.56 ounces
Charging time from empty: 2 hours
Play time: 5 hours
Price: $170
Best Features: Great sound, functional controls on Ear Bud, truly wireless, sweatproof, portable charging case.
Room for Improvement: May be uncomfortable for smaller ears

As someone who doesn’t like running with music typically, it has become so easy to justify having tunes on the trail from because of the simplicity and ease of use of these headphones. The water and sweat proofing on the buds themselves lets the wearer go for hard efforts while enjoying the adrenaline kick from listening to 36 Chambers…again.

The ear buds come with several different rubber attachments to adjust the size of each bud in order to get an appropriate fit. However, these ear buds may be uncomfortable for an individual with smaller ears, regardless of what size tip they use. The rubberized attachment system has expanding spurs in order to fill into the ear and suspend itself. It seems they might be specifically designed for higher volume ears.

Though they may feel somewhat alien to insert, this feeling disappears on the run.  The battery life of the ear buds is about 5 hours outside of the portable charger. It uses Bluetooth and must be constantly connected to a phone or music source. This is not necessarily a drawback since it allows for calling functions and alarms to be heard on the move. It is something to consider if your run is going beyond that, or your phone is not fully charged. One can control song changes and answering calls with the buttons on the buds themselves, making it infinitely easier to change the song without dropping the pace.

Overall, these headphones work very well. They have turned into my daily grind headphones because of how well designed they are. I would reconsider bringing them out on longer efforts because of the five-hour battery life and the inevitable Bluetooth tax on your phone’s battery life. 

—Tim Nooney placed third in the 2018 Grand Mesa 50 Miler and runs 80 miles per week, typically with a new piece of gear that Trail Runner makes him take along and review.