 Plantronics BackBeat FIT Bluetooth Stereo headphones in ‘lime pop’ and ‘electric blue’, are for fitness fanatics and are designed to be seen while pounding the pavement.
Designed for people who train, these Bluetooth babies are sweatproof, dustproof (to standard IP54) and are also waterproof although it does not officially meet any H2O resistant standard, says Peter Petrides, National Retail Sales Manager, Plantronics ANZ, who unveiled FIT yesterday in Sydney.
“We are big advocates of a healthy lifestyle and the Backbeat FIT headphones are protected against sweat and moisture by its superior design and technology,” Petrides says.
The beauty of these brightly coloured Bluetooth (V3.0) headphone is there is no wires to worry about – pair it to your smartphone, stream tunes and off you go. Plantronics promises music of ‘rich bass and crisp highs’ on your ears.
These ultra bendy, light headphones have an eight device memory and a battery indicator for iPhone and iPad, although it is built for all mobile devices including Androids.
But the brightly coloured BackBeat FIT also has style and comes with an arm band inside the (supplied) carrying case.
They fit around the back of your head but are sturdy. In fact, the case also serves as a case for your phone while exercising – a Samsung S3 fits neatly inside – even with a mobile case on.
BackBeat FIT are the lightest Bluetooth headphones on the market.
Fitness is the hottest tech category right now and something Plantronics, as the maker of the biggest selling Bluetooth headset globally, is looking to tap into. 80% of people listen to music and a large proportion listen to music while exercising.
Probably the biggest thing about FIT is the super flexiblity – any amount of bending and twisting won’t cause them to break, a common complaint of sometime fragile earphones.
They come with a P2i military grade coating similar to Plantronics BackBeat GO 2 headphones, which protects from corrosion and water damage.
The headphones also double as a (low/medium quality) microphone and there’s a button on each ear to control the tunes and activate the mic. Good audio is the main purpose of FIT, says its maker.
Plantronics new BackBeats are not sound isolating, but considering their main use is exercising this highlights the importance of safety and keeping your senses about you while running in public places.
Its safety-oriented eartips lets you hear your surroundings and super reflective ‘lime pop’ or ‘electric blue’ finishes makes you more visible.
Plantronics FIT’s have up to 8 hours of listening time and goes into DeepSleep hibernation mode which keeps the headphones charged and ready to use for up to six months. So, if you get a notion to go for a run out of the blue these headphones will be ready.
At $159 they’re not cheap but have similar pricing to other sport headphones and may well be worth it if you are looking for a good reliable earphone while training.
They go on sale July 1 at Rebel Sport first and after to Officeworks, JB HiFi, selected Telstra and Optus stores.
Petrides says he is “very proud” of being selected a gung-ho fitness device by the sporting retailer.
Over-the-air firmware updates will be available via Plantronics smartphone app.
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