AirDrives Headphones

I've been on a mad search for the perfect workout headphones. For the longest time, I’ve been using your standard cheap ear buds that come with whatever music device I happen to be using (which for the longest time has been the ipod shuffle). I’m not saying that the ear buds they come with are bad. But if you’re into high intensity exercise like I am, there are a few issues at hand: (1) They’re white and get dirty easily. (2) I sweat a lot, so they don’t last because I guess the sweat keeps them from working. (3) Though the sound is okay, I like to hear what’s around me – especially when I’m running. Those noise canceling headphones aren’t the smartest thing when you’re running because you can’t hear an attacker or oncoming traffic. DANGEROUS! For safety reasons, I tend to only wear the ear buds on one ear.

It finally dawned on me that replacing my headphones every few months is not a normal thing. After giving it a lot of thought, I realize that there are a few things that I require of my dream sport headphones. (1) I need a set that are sweat proof or can handle the high intensity stuff I like to do. (2) I like clear sound, but I need to hear what's going on around me. (3) It has to feel comfortable on my ear and NOT fall off (which is what most ear buds do).

After doing some online searching, I thought these Sennheiser headphones were going to be the one. MacWorld just happened and I thought I would check out the Sennheiser booth and test out my desired headphones.

Um. I'm sure these are nice headphones. But the people at the booth were unhelpful. I’m not even sure if the guys at the booth could even do a sit-up, let alone understand what I needed in a sport headphone. Frustrated, I just left and looked around the showroom floor.

Lo and behold, I ran into these:
The AirDrives booth was really small and I was drawn to the sign that read: The recommended headphones of the San Francisco marathon. I went over and started chatting the guy there (sorry dude, I so don’t remember your name). I asked him what makes his product so different from the Sennheiser ones across the way. He basically described all the things that I was looking for: sweat proof, can still hear what’s going on around you, and is comfortable. I tried them on and they were as perfect as he described them! They were having a show special and the pair I bought was a charity item, so I won either way!

I’ve been using them for about two weeks now and I must say that I really like them. They are definitely worth the every penny! Margaret even bought a pair that same day and says it works well since she runs in the busy San Francisco streets.

Here are some things that make the AirDrives cool:

- The chord is short, which means you won’t get into a tangled mess. This is a total godsend to me because during CrossFit, the long chords disrupt my ability to lift weights because they get in the way.

- There is a volume adjustment bar on the chord. Therefore, I can clip my shuffle anywhere (I usually clip it at the base of my neck) I want and don’t have to dig it out to adjust the volume. I just reach towards my chest and viola! The adjustment bar is there. Totally sweet! - They’re sweat proof, so I don’t have to feel guilty for my body’s natural fuctions!

- The earpieces are completely bed-able, and easy to clean. They fit securely on your ear with no fuss. They’re really comfortable. Since it sits outside your ear, you’re aware of your surroundings while you workout. This is really important because you can run safely. When I CrossFit, I can pretend that I’m focusing in my WOD when what I’m really doing is listening to other people’s gossip! Ha ha!

A special note: Read the directions carefully because some people have a hard time figuring out how to wear the earpieces. Just remember that they sit outside the ear and not inside the ear canal. This is what it should look like:
The AirDrives come in different variations. I actually tried on the men’s pair and didn’t like them because they were a tad big for my ear.

Finally, it’s important to note that these headphones are designed so that you can wear them for a long period of time without running the risk of hearing damage. Sweet!

**FYI I am in no way paid or compensated for sharing my opinion about the AirDrives or any of the products I feature in “fierce products.” These are just things that I personally like. However, if you are from AirDrives and you want to shoot a gal some stuff to try out, I’d have absolutely no objections to that. I promise to share an honest opinion about it!