Top pick
Waterproof and sweatproof, these earbuds provide good sound, a secure fit, and a helpful hear-through mode. But the touch-based controls have some limits.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS earbuds are petite, completely wireless, and waterproof, so they’re great for workouts and beyond.
This IP68-rated pair can handle a lot of sweat. The high IP68 rating means these earbuds can withstand immersion in 5 feet of water for 30 minutes. JBL says the Reflect Aero TWS earbuds can even take a dunk in salt water, as long as you rinse them off in fresh water and dry them before putting them away to charge. If you take a spill off your paddleboard, these earbuds should be fine, but don’t go swimming with them.
The fit is secure and comfortable. These earbuds are lightweight, sleek, and petite. The package includes three sizes of pliable, gripping wings and three sizes of eartips to help you get the most secure fit. Oftentimes when I grit my teeth during high-impact workout moves, earbuds work their way out of my ears. But the Aero TWS didn’t budge when I did a series of box-jump burpees.
The large, touch-based controls are easy to find and use without looking. You can assign two sets of controls, covering the playback controls, ANC/hear-through controls, or volume controls—but not all three at the same time.
The sealed design and adaptive noise cancellation block distractions very well. In our tests, the active noise cancellation reduced treadmill hums and traffic noise, and the silicone eartips significantly blocked higher-pitched sounds like voices. You can see how the Reflect Aero TWS pair stacks up against other noise-cancelling earbuds in our ANC headphones guide.
When you want to hear what’s going on around you, whether you’re in the gym or on the track field, these earbuds offer a hear-through mode and allow for single-earbud use. We were impressed by the hear-through mode, which avoided the tinny or muffled quality found in much of the competition. It’s also adjustable, so you can choose how much of the outside world you want mixed into your music.
Eight hours of battery life is above average. The charge case holds 16 hours of additional power, is small enough to fit in the key pocket of most running shorts, and has a permanently attached lanyard wristlet. Plus, the case has quick-charge capabilities; with 15 minutes of fast-charging in the case, you get four more hours of playtime. Be aware, however, that frequent phone calls, higher volume, and ANC use may affect your run time.
This set sounds good right out of the box. Many folks will likely enjoy the default sound profile, which has added oomph in the bass and extra energy in the frequency range where consonants sit. We preferred doing a little EQ tinkering in the app to get a more neutral presentation.
Phone calls sound great, too. The six-microphone array ensures that your voice is clear. Dual-device capability means you can stay connected to two devices simultaneously without having to fuss with Bluetooth settings. And if anything goes awry, JBL covers the Reflect Aero TWS set with a one-year warranty.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
We’d prefer a complete set of controls. You can assign only two sets of control, and you must choose between playback controls, ANC/hear-through controls, and volume controls. Alexa and Google Assistant fans may not mind this limitation, since they can pull up their preferred digital assistant and execute commands using their voice. Apple users can access Siri, but it involves a tap-and-hold on one of the touch controls. If that’s a dealbreaker, consider the Beats Fit Pro instead.
We also know that some people prefer physical buttons over touch-based controls, which can be more fussy in everyday use. Since the touch panels are large, and JBL did a good job of dialing in the sensitivity, this pair isn’t as prone to misfires as others we’ve tested.
The stabilizing wings may bother wearers with sensitive ears. These winged earbuds can be fatiguing to wear for hours on end. So if you dislike the feeling of pressure in your ears, or you have very small ear canals, you may prefer workout earbuds that hook over your ears, such as the JLab Go Air Sport set or the Tribit MoveBuds H1 pair.
Alternatively, if your heart is set on the Reflect Aero’s features, the JBL Endurance Peak 3 set has a lot of similar bells and whistles in a hook-over-the-ear design. You can read more about the Peak 3 pair in our Competition notes.
The case doesn’t support wireless charging. USB-C charge ports deliver power faster than wireless, but having a cable-less charging option would be nice.
The manual isn’t the clearest we’ve read. For example, we wanted to do a factory reset as part of our testing, and the diagram was less than accurate on how to accomplish the task. We managed to figure out the most important instructions, but the lack of clarity was a little annoying.
Phone calls lack adequate sidetone (when you hear a bit of your own voice). Not being able to hear yourself may make you feel the need to speak louder. If that bothers you, we recommend checking out the Beats Fit Pro.
