With wireless communication technology, JBL is a professional sports headphone brand familiar to consumers. As the world’s most influential audio and headphone manufacturer, JBL has been updating its products in recent years and has been selling its classic model: the JBL Reflect Flow true wireless earbuds, which are deeply loved by many runners. I believe many people have seen relevant reviews of this product by professionals or third-party partners online, but some users are still hesitant to buy this wireless earbuds. This article will be from a different perspective: from the real reviews from users, to answer your questions.
Product information about JBL Reflect Flow:
JBL Reflect Flow reviews from users
Product name: JBL Reflect Flow
Price: $170
Rating: 3.9 (out of 5)
Where to buy: Amazon.com or JBL Official Website
Review 1: ★★★★★
“I’ve run with wired. Unwired. More recently with the Plantronics Backbeat Fit after older Jaybird, Jabra and other wireless sport earbuds I can’t even remember. Fit and sound have always been disappointing.
These are the best fitting sport earbuds, for me, yet. They sound great because they are truly in-ear, unlike the Plantronics Backbeat Fit 3100. Because they sit solidly in-ear, they do block much of the outside world so be aware of your surroundings while running. You’ll want to use the Ambient/Talk Through feature at times.
The wingtip inner ear support (others have adopted this approach) is brilliant and comfortable. This may be the first sport earbud for me that doesn’t require constant resealing during a run.”
Review 2: ★★★★☆
“So far so good. Bass isn’t great, but it’s not terrible. Case is good, charging is simple. Pairing was easy. Had these for about a year for runs now. Charging in the case is hit and miss. Buds have to be in a certain position, you can’t just drop them in and charge. Which is super frustrating to come back and find one or both not charged. I wouldn’t buy these again. When they charge, they’re good ear buds.”
Review 3: ★★★☆☆
“Construction-wise, these are excellent for my runs. As a sound quality snob-lite, the sound is very sharp. It’s to be expected of JBL. However, I don’t rate these perfect, and indeed I can’t use them, because I have small ear canals. I always have to use the small ear fittings with buds, and when fitted for re-usable hearing protection I’m on the smallest gauge. The speakers are very wide for an ear bud and even with the small cushions, these are very uncomfortable for small ear canals like mine while running. If you don’t have my problem then you’ll probably love these, but if you likewise always use the small fittings, you may want to steer clear.”
Review 4: ★★☆☆☆
“I wanted to love these. I love my other JBL products. Unfortunately they didn’t cut it. The battery life is outstanding. The waterproofing is top notch. The sound quality is just okay with the power for volume surprisingly lacking. They are not too comfortable on the ears for runs and you have to push hard on the buttons and therefor plunge your ears with every command.
Most disappointing is the controls. There is no volume control in the ears. Also, there are redundant control options: one side will pause the music with a tap while the other will mute the audio and keep it playing. “Ambient awareness,” mode is just a volume cap. I got a set of Sennheisers for $20 more. All the world of difference.”
Review 5: ★★★★☆
“Sound quality is amazing. Battery life is amazing. Noise canceling is very good. Only issue I have with these is sometimes if they’re not put in my ear perfectly, they cause tenderness in my ears and it can become uncomfortable while running. It only happens on the left side. I don’t know if my ear is slightly smaller on the side or if the fit. End of the left earbud is very slightly larger. But other than that I would definitely recommend these and I would definitely buy another pair.”
Review 6: ★★★☆☆
“I bought these with the intent of using them running and walking. My first time using them while walking I noticed the sound would cut out to the point where I couldn’t even use them. After trying them with different devices, only my newest android phone would have decent reception. If I turn my head or swing my arm to far back, the sound will cut out. I find myself holding my phone in different positions just to keep the reception decent. If I put the phone about 10 feet away, I have no problems at all. I wouldn’t recommend these for any person who plans to not have their device 1 foot away.”
Review 7: ★★★★☆
“Overall I really like these buds as when they are charged they last far longer then any other brand or type of tried in the past. I go on a 4–5 hour bike ride and they are still at 70%. However, I give a 3 for battery life as there is a problem the ability of the case to charge the left bud. When I place them in the charger the left often will not fully charge, there appears to be a problem with the charging case and its ability to adequately charge this left bud thus I have to take an extra pair of another type on my runs so when the left bud goes out.”
Review 8: ★★★☆☆
“Was disappointed with these earbuds. Not a fantastic fit in my ears for run. Base heavy sound with weak mids and highs. Fit into charging case is poor; don’t always connect to charge and you need to wiggle them into place. Bluetooth was dropping out on some of my devices and also lost connection on the left hand bud a couple of times. Lack of a volume control is baffling.”
Review 9: ★★★★★
“I used the JBL Reflect Mini (original and 2.0) for several years because they had good sound quality, were not super expensive and most importantly, stayed in my ears while running. Now that they are no longer available I tried the JBL Reflect Flow because the price was right and the ear inserts (the part that looks kind of like half a propeller and sits in the outer part of your ear) looked very similar to those in the Reflect Minis.
After more than a month using them I really like them. I have had no problem with battery life, the sound quality is fine for Sirius XM or Spotify while I am running and they stay in my ears very well. I run for about 35 minutes 3 days per week and they seem to last for up to 3 weeks before I have to plug the case in to charge them back up. (I don’t let them get super low so they might go longer.)
The 3-star rating on the noise cancellation is because in order to get the ear buds deep enough in my ear so that they stay in I am using the smallest ball-like cushion which means some sound can get past them. But that is fine with me because I actually like to be able to hear cars, bikes, people nearby as I’m running. I didn’t buy these for noise cancellation. Bottom line for me is that these are a very good value.”
Review 10: ★☆☆☆☆
“I can’t say anything about the sound quality, noise cancellation or battery life because I have never managed to connect via Bluetooth this with my phone properly while I am running. The first time it connected, the left and right sides were not in lynch, the second time only the right side connected, and then neither sides have connected ever since!! I want to return it but found that I had inadvertently thrown out the box it came in. I am so upset with myself for wasting money on these!”
To summarize, despite the fact that users are satisfied with the wonderful sound quality and adequate battery life of these earbuds, there are some reasons why users give critical rating. This is because the material made from the surface of these earbuds makes them uncomfortable for the users and their Bluetooth connection is very unstable, which is disappointing for runners.
Therefore, for runners, it is not recommended to spend about $170 to buy these earbuds. If you in need of a wireless headphone for running, we have found a couple of recommendable products in our review of headphones, among which the Wissonly Hi Runner has a very high cost performance.
Reasons for recommendation:
Wissonly is the brand with the best experience among the bone conduction headphones I have used this year. It is one of the best in terms of sound quality, wearing experience, configuration, etc., and performs well in terms of product quality and hearing protection effect.
Wissonly Hi Runner bone conduction headphones support dual playback in Bluetooth mode and MP3 mode, which provides great convenience for running fans. If your smartphone doesn’t receive a signal or you can’t carry it conveniently when run, you can enjoy the music in the MP3 mode.
It is the wireless and ear-hanging headphones, having 32GB build-in memory is one of its main features, which can store 5000 songs. In addition, its weight is very light, only 28 grams, wearing it will not have a sense of burden during your runs. And the surface of the headphones is made of soft and skin-friendly silicone material, which is safe and comfortable to wear.
These bone conduction headphones are ideal for someone looking for a pair of headphones to take from the office to the outdoor runs. They have an IPX8 rating, making them waterproof and sweatproof. It allows you to have a better experience while running as the headset will not malfunction due to rain or sweat erosion.
Integrated is Bluetooth 5.0 technology, plus there is easy compatibility with IOS and Android systems. With a 230 mAh battery, these headphones will give you 8 to 10 hours of talk and listen to music time, which is suitable for hours and hours outdoor runs. Plus, its overall frame is made of adjustable aviation-grade titanium steel material, which can be adapted to different sizes of head circumference and wear firmly while running. It also can cooperate well with the sunglasses and sun cap used for your runs.
Their open-ear design makes them a great choice for someone who wants to be as aware of their surroundings while they stream content. While the sound quality on the Hi Runner headphones was outstanding, it is easy to hear the wind noise during running. However, most users comment on the headphones as high quality and affordable price and safety is the most important option for runners.
If you are on a budget, the Hi Runner headphones are the best bone conduction headphones you can buy. At under $100, these lightweight wireless headphones are made for the active lifestyle, whether you run or ride. Enjoy premium sound and complete with simple controls that allow you to easily switch from music to phone calls without hassle.
