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