Snugs MD Paul Jobin was at CES Las Vegas last week, offering #SnugsGo as a life-time value proposition to the hearables market.

Paul attended the Wearables Technology Summit and was kindly introduced to all 6 of the outstanding key speakers after the event, who have been gifted a SnugsGo fitting card. We can’t wait to make a set of Snugs for them all as soon as their ear photos have been received.

The hearables market is predicted to reach a staggering $80bn by 2025, driven by our enthusiasm to stream music and learn more about our bodies via the list of ever-growing biometric functions that hearables can offer. During the tech show, Valencell unveiled it’s latest technology which will allow hearables to monitor our blood pressure.

With the increasing functions hearables offer, we mustn’t forget the users experience. Are they comfortable to wear? Do they fit us?

The second biggest announcement within the audio industry was Dirac’s audio enhancement app. The app is designed to pair with your headset and apply specific changes to the headphones, including filter correction and frequency response alterations. We were really impressed by the user experience of their app and think this would be a great partner for Snugs.

Away from our own industry Paul came across loads of marvellous tech. From office bots, a 3D print motorbike, and a hydro-foil bike for cycling on water!

Now Paul’s inner geek has been satisfied, he’s back at Snugs HQ feeling a bit jet lagged but excited for the year ahead…

It’s a New Year, and resolutions have been made. For many, a priority is to burn off those Christmas calories and get fit. Sounds easy in principle, right? However, we know from personal experience this is not the case. Take me for example – I woke up this morning, it was dark, windy and the thought of having an extra half hour in bed snuggled under the duvet seemed very appealing. With great effort, I pushed those thoughts aside, got out of bed and went for a jog. It was only a couple of miles, but it’s a start. And it was made easier by the fact that I was listening to music with my Snugs in, rather than my heavy breathing…

Why we think Snugs are a must-have accessory for exercise

It is highly irritating when your earphones fall out during exercise. You lose your momentum and end up scrambling around in an awkward fashion trying to get the earbud back in whilst still maintaining rhythm. Snugs are the solution to this common problem…as they are custom-fit to the shape of your ear, they will not, and do not, fall out!

Secondly, they are made from a medical grade silicone which is very comfortable to wear in your ear, so ideal for those runners who are training for long hours (hats off to you guys surpassing my two miles!).

If you work out in the gym a lot, you may want to put on your earphones and lose yourself in your music.  SnugsPro offers maximum noise isolation, as these are made from your physical ear impressions, which go deep into your ear canal. Perfect when you want to block out external sound, take on the gym equipment, and not listen to the person puffing away on the treadmill next door.

However, if you are exercising in the great outdoors, which is what I do, then you may want to consider SnugsGo instead (access via your mobile). You will need to take pictures of your ears, which we will match to our database, and make you custom-fit tips from these. However, the difference is they do not go as deep into the ear canal, which means they allow some ambient noise –  important if you are running outside and need to listen for traffic. Or if you live in the countryside, like we do at Snugs HQ on Exmoor, it means you can hear if the cows are following you across the field in a scary fashion (this has been known).

Some earphone recommendations

In order to listen to music, you will of course need a pair of earphones for your Snugs to fit on to. If you already have a pair, you can check compatibility here (insert link).

However, if you are looking to invest in a new pair of earphones, there are some factors we think you need to consider.

When you exercise, you’re going to sweat. You therefore need to have earphones which offer water resistance. Earphones will come with an IP rating which determines how resistant they are to environmental elements. So if you’re going to be sweating it out, you ideally need earphones with an IPX4 and above rating. Although they offer resistance, bear in mind this does not make them waterproof – make sure you wipe down your earphone drivers with a soft, dry lint-free cloth after use.

Other considerations for exercise-suitable earphones are:

• Good battery life
• Whether you want wires or not
• Decent sound quality (which will be enhanced once you have your Snugs on them)
• Sound isolation
• Size of your ears. If you have small ears, a big earphone driver is not going to stay in very well – we can of course make you Snugs to overcome this problem, but bear in mind that if you do not have an awful lot of space in your ears, a big earphone driver is not a good choice

There are lots of choices out there, and depending on what you value the most from your earphones will impact on your purchase decision. Here are 3 of our suggestions which you can order as either SnugsPro or SnugsGo:

RHA True Connect (True Wireless)

• IPX5 water resistance rating
• Great sound for the price
• Good battery life – can last up to 5 hours in between charges
• Retailing on Amazon at £149.95*
• Bundle option available here on snugs.com (earphones and a pair of Snugs) for £279.95

Beats by Dr Dre Powerbeats Pro (True Wireless)

• IPX4 water resistance rating
• Up to 9 hours battery life out of the charging case. Fast fuel charging, 5 minutes gives you 1.5 hours playback
• Good sound quality
• Retailing on Amazon at £219*

Bose SoundSport Free (Wireless)

• IPX4 water resistance rating
• Great option if you prefer to have a wire rather than true wireless
• The remote on the cable is lightweight so will not cause too much movement when exercising
• One of the best wireless earphones you’ll find for under £150 – Retailing on Amazon at £109.99*

We recommend you have a good look around on the market and read lots of expert reviews before you purchase. Once you have your earphones, we can then make you your custom-fit tips…and you’ll be in the best place possible to play some tunes and achieve those New Year resolutions. Let others witness the fitness!

*prices correct at time of publication

It’s that time of year again. The Christmas office parties are in full swing, you’re popping the trousers on with the elasticated waistband and you’ve put your 5-a-day fruit and veg plan on hold. In your head you had bought all your presents, wrapped them and smugly put them under the tree. You can kick back, relax and enjoy the festive season however you please. You’re ready.

If like some of us at Snugs HQ you are not in this blissful position, and you’re starting to get a mild panicky feeling at the bottom of your stomach about what to buy for your loved ones which doesn’t look like a last-minute grab from the shops, then (we think) a Snugs Gift Card is the perfect solution!

Snugs are custom fit tips made to fit your ears and your ears only – by buying someone some Snugs, you are buying them a gift only they can use…a great way to make that person feel special, even if it does mean you are sacrificing the opportunity to borrow their earphones!

With our range of Snugs, you can find a pair suitable for anyone. Know someone who loves to listen to music in the gym but their earphones keep falling out? They won’t with SnugsPro. Have a friend who loves to go kiteboarding but struggles to keep their earphones in whilst doing tricks? Snugs Aqua will be great for them. Are you accused of keeping your partner up at night because of your snoring? Sleep Snugs can help with that*. Explore the website to see which Snug-solution you could be gifting this Christmas.

The minimum value you can put on the gift card is £10, so you can put any money on it within your budget. And they’ll have plenty of time to redeem as the voucher is valid for a year.

Click here and order by Friday 20^th December to guarantee your Gift Card arrives before Christmas. Pop it under the tree knowing you have done good this year!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Snugs Team!

*Do note that they do not completely cut you off from the world and there is no guarantee that you will not hear some external noise! The level of isolation is dependent on a number of factors including thickness of skull and depth of ear impression.