Skullcandy EcoBuds review: Solid, sustainable, cheap earbuds with an odd case

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Strong low-stakes earbuds are an underrated item to have at the prepared.

Even if you have your good noise-cancelling ones to rely on for the fitness center, extended flights, or other chaotic environments, there are lots of circumstances exactly where an high-priced or bulky pair like that are overkill. Among Amazon and the checkout line at Target, there is no shortage of low cost wireless earbuds that sound decent. But ahead of you just choose some and go, there is a new $40 pair from Skullcandy that deserves consideration for becoming low-stakes in additional techniques than price tag.

Released proper ahead of Earth Day in 2024, the Skullcandy EcoBuds are composed of 65 % post-customer recycled plastics and are constructed with about 57 % significantly less heavy metals than competitors. Skullcandy says these components-conscious alterations reduce the EcoBuds’ carbon footprint in half (compared to related headphones on the marketplace). As the resident sucker for eco-friendly swaps in my household and pal group, I had to see what was up with these.

Skullcandy downsizes the environmental influence of the EcoBuds in two major techniques. The majority of the plastic employed to construct the case and earbuds is recycled post-customer plastic that most likely would have otherwise ended up in a landfill or the ocean, and the EcoBuds omit a battery in the storage case to reduce back on the use of heavy metals like lithium.

Allegedly, this method cuts the carbon footprint of the EcoBuds by 50 % compared to related headphones on the marketplace. It may possibly not really feel super impactful when isolated in the palm of your hand, but no electronics brand’s focus to e-waste must be downplayed. A UN report released in March 2024 states that, in 2022, persons across the planet dumped a 137 billion pounds of e-waste, and significantly less than 25 % of that 137 billion pounds was recycled. The recycling price of plastic in the U.S. is similarly abysmal.

If you happen to be reading a critique on eco-friendly headphones, you happen to be possibly currently comparatively nicely-versed in the environmental impacts of each manufacturing plastic and mining the metal that tends to make batteries, or the havoc they wreak on the earth when they are tossed. The ultimate turnaround remedy is a far additional corporate 1 than an person individual 1, but minimizing our personal private influence is a step in the proper path nonetheless.

Anyway, most of the EcoBuds’ eco-conscious alterations take location in the case. One particular distinction compared to other earbuds is physically noticeable: The earbuds are not enclosed. They do snap in with magnets, but it does not take a great deal bumping about for 1 to pop out. As you could assume, these buds surely do not have any variety of device-getting app help if 1 falls out and gets lost.

Although you must be secure against rain or sweat droplets with the EcoBuds’ IPX4 water resistance rating, the lack of a lid indicates practically no protection against dirt or sand or other outdoors grime.

But the major alteration to the case is that it does not charge the earbuds. Skullcandy was in a position to lessen its use of metal in the EcoBuds by totally ditching a battery in the case, so the case definitely is merely for storage. That’ll be a dealbreaker for some, but I will say that the battery in the EcoBuds themselves does stretch for an impressively extended time.

Skullcandy EcoBuds comfort and controls

The wireless stemmed earbud style itself is quite regular, comprehensive with 3 sizes of rubber ear strategies in the box to customize a snug match. I am quite neutral on the “rubber strategies versus the plastic strategies of non-Pro AirPods” debate for the quantity of time I commonly put on headphones, but did notice the EcoBuds’ rubber strategies building a pressurized plugging sensation when left in for also extended.

Every single EcoBuds stem functions a tiny version of Skullcandy’s skull logo and a tiny light bulb that serve as your major controls for the buds, simply because there is no companion app. In a uncommon turn of events, I in fact discovered myself reading the paper guidelines, simply because there are really a handful of gestures and light flash combinations to memorize: Tap twice on each earbuds to skip forward, thrice on each to backtrack, 4 occasions promptly on the proper bud to switch involving EQ modes, and so on. The list of gestures is fundamentally low-level Morse code. The EcoBuds have been also a tiny also responsive to taps, consistently pausing my song when I was just readjusting a falling earbud.

Case qualms aside, can I hear a tiny commotion for the blue and white swirls? My very best pal, who was sitting beside me at the airport when I got the EcoBuds out to use for the initially time, quickly mentioned, “Dude, what are these? These are so cute.”

Battery life: The case does not charge them, but they final for days

So yeah, the elephant in the space is that the EcoBuds case does not charge the EcoBuds. Having said that, this will not be the largest inconvenience in the globe unless you happen to be wearing them actually all day each day.

Officially, Skullcandy says that the EcoBuds have a battery life of eight hours. In my knowledge, that tracks. Through a standard operate week, I’d use the EcoBuds on and off all through the day (averaging 1 to 3 hours per day), and I was commonly in a position to go practically the complete week ahead of the voice assistant gave me a low battery warning. On my trip to Vegas, which consisted of a 5 hour flight there and back, I employed the EcoBuds for about half of every single flight (switching to my Beats Studio Pro when I wanted to attempt to sleep), as nicely as in the airport and in the course of packing beforehand. I did not require to charge them till my initially day back to operate.

An amber light indicates low battery even though a strong white light indicates a complete charge.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

That is 1 significantly less cord I have to be concerned about tying itself in a knot.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Charging the EcoBuds is the most simple feasible method. The constructed-in cable is perhaps an inch extended, does not pull out any farther, and folds back into the back of the charging case when not in use. I was pleasantly shocked to come across that the port is USB-C, not micro USB — which means you can reverse charge the EcoBuds straight from your telephone if your telephone has a USB-C charging port.

Charging the EcoBuds on my laptop felt like it took forever, but only requires about an hour with a normal wall brick. In a hurry, just ten minutes of wall charging gets you about two hours of battery.

Skullcandy EcoBuds sound high-quality

Among minimal components employed and the super low price tag point, you’d be valid to count on the EcoBuds to sound like glorified radio static. But when the ’80s-reminiscent synth and reverb guitar waves hit in the initially song I played — “The Other Side” by Drab Majesty — I was genuinely impressed by the immersive sound these tiny buds have been in a position to make.

Raw, emotional vocals, like these in “Rainbow” by Kacey Musgraves and Alice In Chain’s efficiency of “Down in a Hole” on MTV Unplugged have been especially pronounced and crispy, and it did not look that any of the harmonies or person guitar twangs got lost. Some Slipknot songs did get a tiny muddied, but weren’t almost as cacophonous as you’d count on from $40 headphones.

As a palate cleanser immediately after these tear jerkers, I tested out some lighter choices. The EcoBuds have been hit or miss with selecting up on critical background echos that make or break a song with a lot going on: I did not get goosebumps from “I Am Moana” like I do when listening on my Beats, but they did grab Chappell Roan going off in the polyphonic ending of “Red Wine Supernova.”

My third-gen AirPods honestly do not sound a great deal superior than the $40 EcoBuds.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Though the bass in normal music mode is currently quite punchy, any person who likes a beat that feels like it vibrates will appreciate that these spending budget earbuds in fact present a hearty bass enhance mode. “Ps and Qs” by Lil Uzi Vert and “Ocean of Tears” by Caroline Polachek sounded amazing.

I was quite indifferent about podcast mode, as I felt like voices in the episodes I listened to have been fine in music mode. Likewise, voices on the other finish of any telephone calls I took sounded fine indoors, and I did not get any complaints about my microphone. I certainly could not have a productive conversation on the EcoBuds even though walking about outdoors, even though.

Downsides: Not perfect for extended days and loud environments

I currently know the entire “no charging case” point possibly had numerous readers X-ing out of the critique way earlier than this section. And for any person who definitely is purchasing for their sole pair of go-to headphones — and definitely is listening to a thing or making use of headphones on calls all day — it’s valid to only be thinking of pairs whose instances can supply backup juice. It is certainly a bummer that skipping a battery in the case is so inherent to the eco-friendliness that sets the EcoBuds apart, also.

The case’s lack of a lid is a misstep that’ll be annoying to any user, and 1 that I feel could have been remedied even though nevertheless remaining conscious of the components employed. I see the vision of maintaining the EcoBuds as minimalist as feasible, but the earbuds becoming so exposed feels dirty and risky, in particular when traveling. Also, could not a bigger case with a lid just also be composed of recycled plastic and do additional diverting from a landfill?

The final “downside,” no active noise cancellation, is quite anticipated in this price tag variety. (Apple charges way additional for its normal AirPods that nevertheless do not have ANC.) Having said that, I’d be remiss if I did not mention that the lack of ANC did make me intentionally not attain for my EcoBuds for a fitness center session or in the course of operate when there was building taking place at my apartment.

As with any headphones without having ANC, the EcoBuds rely on a seal and sheer volume to drown out these distracting sounds. That is just not comfy for longer than like, 20 minutes, and I know my audiologist good friends would roast me for blaring that straight into my eardrums.

The competitors

Admittedly, the EcoBuds are going to have a tough time competing with pairs like the Anker Soundcore Life P3i. As Mashable’s present choose for the very best spending budget wireless earbuds, these packed earbuds have a charging case and ANC for just $ten additional than the EcoBuds.

The EcoBuds stand a a great deal superior opportunity against Apple. Look at that the least expensive AirPods with ANC go for $189.99 on sale — the other AirPods, all of which are way additional high-priced than the EcoBuds, also do not have ANC. Although AirPods do come with a charging case, the battery life of the headphones themselves maxes out at about 5 or six hours, so you’d nevertheless be charging comparatively frequently either way.

If I had to close my eyes and choose a pair of earbuds at random to be stuck with for a stroll or a quick flight, I would not be mad if I grabbed the EcoBuds more than my AirPods. The only cause I’d opt for the AirPods is if the duration in this hypothetical life or death predicament was numerous hours, just for comfort purposes. (And in that case, I’d want my Beats Studio Pro more than either of them.)

Are the Skullcandy EcoBuds worth it?

For $40, the EcoBuds are a seriously impressive pair of low cost earbuds. In spite of paring back on plastic and metal to reduce the influence their manufacturing has on the atmosphere, Skullcandy nevertheless managed to arm the EcoBuds with higher-influence sound and bumping bass that does justice to a ton of songs.

Opting for these will ask you to sacrifice some functions that a handful of similarly-priced pairs present, like active noise cancellation and a charging case. If you require a pair of fitness center headphones or all-day operate headphones, these will not be it. But if you require a pair of effortless-to-grab earbuds to supplement your heavy duty more than-ear pair or a cute, low-stakes initially pair of headphones for little ones, there is tiny cause to not prioritize the atmosphere and take into consideration the EcoBuds.

And if you happen to be finding rid of an old pair of headphones, recycle them at Greatest Obtain as an alternative of trashing them.