SoundPeats RunFree headphones review

In these post-pandemic days, people are more on the move than ever before. Working from home has become working from the cafe, or the park bench, or the garden at the very least. The onus on getting fit and staying fit means more people are in the gym or running. There’s a podcast for everything, and we all have playlists to cater to our every musical mood. And of course, we’re gaming more, on handheld devices, mobiles, tablets. It all means that there’s more demand than ever before for solid audio options when you’re out and about, and Chinese manufacturer SoundPeats aims to deliver that on an affordable budget with devices like their RunFree Open-Ear headphones.

Weighing in at a super-light 31g, these gorgeous phones intend to give you high-quality sound as well as spatial awareness at the same time. They’re ideal for when you’re out running, or need to keep one ear on your music and one on the kids. You get the best of both worlds here, with crisp output and the ability to monitor your surroundings. The downside is, of course, that you lose the immersion of noise-cancellation and, yes, you can drop some sound while you’re moving around, but the other features make up for it.

Also, there is an element of noise-cancelling when you’re on a call, but they’re really not the clearest device for chatting. The function is there and it works, but the audio isn’t nearly as sharp as it needs to be when you’re in a busy area. They do pick up ambient noise, too, which isn’t great for your caller.

But they look and feel fantastic to wear. The silicone-coated band is titanium memory alloy, so you can sling them in a bag or a pocket and they’ll spring back when you need them. They come in a range of colours but the matte black look lovely, and they sit very comfortable over the ear. I have worn mine when sleeping, under a cap, with my glasses, when running, walking, and working. They’re waterproof, too, and will withstand rain and sweat thanks to the IPX4 rating.

As for the audio output: it’s very, very decent for this price point (£50 at time of writing). The bass boost is noticeable, and whether listening to music, podcasts, or game audio, they deliver very consistent sound quality. Controls are built into the back of the right-hand earpiece that sits right behind your ear, and are easy to find and use.

Ultimately the SoundPeats RunFree open-ear headphones are just great to use. They’re so light you really won’t get fed up with wearing them, and they sound good enough to compete with any other earbuds or headset in their price range. It doesn’t hurt that they look lovely too, and will sit just right under a hat or headband or whatever you rock at the gym.