Plantronics Backbeat Fit Review

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Plantronics Backbeat Fit headphones are colourful with solid battery life and decent, if not spectacular audio quality. I don’t feel any more fit after using them, though.

Plantronics Backbeat Fit: On the plus side

Plantronics latest sports-centric headphones are the very brightly coloured Backbeat Fit Headphones. They’re rated by Plantronics for up to eight hours of listening time, which for most of us is probably all the workout time we can muster in a week. If you’re an ultramarathon runner, sorry, you’re still going to have to wait for batteries to get better.
Like most sports bluetooth headphones, the Backbeat Fit headphones aren’t much more than a pair of buds with a connecting cable between them that loops around the back of your neck. Plantronics has opted to go for a bright design with the Backbeat Fit headphones, largely so that runners at dusk or dawn can be seen more easily. That’s also the thinking behind the carrying case, which in a neat trick, reverses out to form an armband case for your paired mobile phone.
Pairing is a simple enough process to a supported phone. From there, it’s time to get exercising and listening to your music.
Plantronic’s pitch is that the open ear bud is better for sporty types, because you’ll be able to hear oncoming vehicles or people shouting that they’re about to drop a barbell on your head or whatever. That is what happens at gyms, right? In any case, the tradeoff there is that these aren’t headphones with complete immersion in mind. To put this to a solid test, I tried doing some gardening work with a leaf blower while using the Backbeat Fit headphones. I could certainly hear the Backbeat Fit, alongside some Suzanne Vega singing in the background. It certainly made the work easier.

Plantronics Backbeat Fit: On the minus side

The most obvious negative is that issue of sound quality, and in this the Backbeat Fit are hardly alone. I’ve never tested a sports-centric set of buds that I’ve been entirely happy with in this regard, but then I’m fussy. Your tastes might vary, and I do like the fact that some outside noise leaks in, as it does aid in keeping you aware of your surroundings.
The fit of the Backbeat Fit (pun not intended) is reasonably good. I’m usually stuck with over-the ear type buds because they just won’t sit nicely on my ears, but here the Backbeat Fit stayed comfortable over several hours of mixed activity. I did notice the rear cable rubbing against the back of my neck after a while in the direct sun, and I could imagine that being irritating over a longer period, although that’s not a unique problem for the Backbeat Fit.
It’s a neat trick that the carrying case for the buds also doubles as a armband carrying case, but it is bright and won’t suit extroverts. I also wonder if you’re not trading visibility in bright light with visibility to muggers, as you’re basically shouting “my phone is RIGHT HERE”. At least you’ll be able to hear them coming.

Plantronics Backbeat Fit: Pricing

Plantronics’ retail price for the Backbeat Fit headphones is $159.

Plantronics Backbeat Fit: Fat Duck Verdict

I’m not a gym junkie, in case that wasn’t apparent already, so I’m not exactly the target market for the Backbeat Fit. Still, there’s a good offering to be had here, with solid if not exceptional audio quality, decent battery life and an armband thrown in to boot.

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