Summary
Never thinking that clip-on earbuds would be anywhere near comfortable, I made sure to avoid the category like the plague. But after using theSoundpeats Pop Clip, I’m actually convinced that the form factor makes sense. Add in nice sound quality for a budget-minded price, and it’s a winner.
Soundpeats Pop Clip
The Soundpeats Pop Clip provide open-ear sound with a unique clip-on design. Each earbud weighs 4.73 g and clips onto your lobe. The earbuds can provide up to 8 hours of playback on a single charge with up to 30 hours when using the including charging case. The earbuds are IPX5 waterproof rated and also feature a microphone for taking and placing calls.
Price and Availability
The Soundpeats Pop Clip are available for $39.99 and can be found at a number of retailers, including Amazon and directly from Soundpeats. You can choose from black, beige, or purple.
A Unique Design That Actually Works
If you’ve never seen a pair of clip-on earbuds, the design is a fairly new innovation in the world of open-ear headphones. Instead of bone conduction or other types of earbuds that sit on top of your ear and point down to provide sound, clip-ons live up to their name.
One end of the earbud with the battery attaches to the back of your ear while the other side sits near your ear canal. Since this was my first clip-on earbuds experience, I was a bit worried I might not know how to fit the Pop Clip correctly. But that wasn’t an issue.
I was immediately able to figure out how to place both sides of the earbuds. And I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable each one was. A single earbud weighs 4.73g. I was able to wear the earbuds for a significant amount of time, up to three hours long, while running, working out, and doing general outside chores. The earbuds stayed in place the entire time.
As a big plus, the earbuds are IPX5 water-resistant, so you don’t need to worry about getting caught in a rainstorm or a sweaty workout.
On a single charge, the earbuds can provide up to 8 hours of playback. I got around that during my testing. Using the charging case can add another 22 hours of battery life. You can juice up the case, and earbuds, via a USB-C cable. There’s no wireless charging, which at this price point isn’t the end of the world.
Unlike Apple’s AirPods case, the Soundpeats Pop Clip case is matte black and much easier to hold. It did take me a bit of time to get used to the design with the hinge and top flap being the larger part of the case, the exact opposite of any AirPods.
Good Sound and a Helpful App
One of the most important parts of any set of earbuds is the sound quality. And the Pop Clip excels, especially for its price. I listened to a wide variety of audio, including music, TV shows, podcasts, and more. The earbuds provide an overall strong soundstage to enjoy. Dialog was easy to understand while the bass and mids sounded natural and strong.
Open-ear headphones will never be able to offer as strong sound quality as in-ear options, but the trade-off is that you can better understand what’s happening around you. However, the Soundpeats provide a great option that comes pretty close to matching the quality of theShokz OpenFit 2I’ve previously reviewed that retail for four times more.
Make sure to download the companion PeatsAudio app for iOS or Android. The major feature is the ability to play sounds in each earbud if they’ve been misplaced and are still in Bluetooth range. You can also see the last place they connected to your phone.
The app is also the place to go to customize the small control button on each bud. I tried to like the very small button, but it was one of the least appealing parts of the headphones. It’s so small, I had a problem locating it on the back of my ear. And the button at times was hard to push fully.
With the app, you’re able to also quickly glance at battery levels and customize the adaptive EQ.
Just like with other earbuds, the Pop Clip does feature a built-in microphone to take phone calls. The experience was just OK. While callers could understand me, they reported that it sounded like I was very far away.
Should You Buy the Soundpeats Pop Clip?
For just $39.99, theSoundpeats Pop Clipis a great first step into the world of open-ear headphones. The sound quality excels for the price range. And most importantly, the design is actually great and will stay completely secure in your ears, even with the most strenuous activity.
While you can spend a lot more for a bit better open-ear sound, the Soundpeats Pop Clip is one of the best budget-friendly options out there.
