Disclaimer: I was sent these Tribit Flybuds C1 True Wireless Bluetooth earbuds to review free of charge, but words and pictures are mine. This post contains affiliate links, see more information here.
One of my promises to myself this year (I don’t call them resolutions!) was to get fitter and stronger, and I try to get to the gym 4 or 5 mornings a week whenever possible. At the very least, I try to drag myself 5k on a treadmill at least a few times a week, and the only thing that keeps me going is listening to podcasts while I’m doing it.
My current favourite is Drunk Women Solving Crime, which is usually just long enough for me to finish the 5k, do a warm down and get to the showers.
I’m not entirely living in the past; I have some Bluetooth wireless earbuds, but they were quite cheap. They do the job but the sound quality isn’t great, and they’re not the best at staying in if you’re too active. Some better quality earbuds suitable for running (and generally avoiding people talking to me) have been on my wish list for a while now and these Tribit Flybuds C1 True Wireless Earbuds looked like they would do the job.
I’ve worn them for a few weeks now – So what did I think? Are they Tribit Flybuds C1 True Wireless Bluetooth earbuds any good for exercise?
Tribit Flybuds C1 True Wireless Earbuds Review
What is the Bluetooth like on the Tribit Flybuds C1?
I had no problems connecting the these Tribit Flybuds C1 True Wireless earbuds to my Android phone right out of the box, following the instructions. There’s not a lot else I can say on that one! When you take them out of the box and pop them in your ear after pairing, they should connect automatically and you’ll know because you’ll hear a voice telling you that they’re connected.
These earbuds have an increased connectivity, with a powerful Bluetooth chip which means you can stay connected from up to 30m away.
Are these earbuds comfortable?
The earbuds are comfortable enough to wear and not too big; they also come with five additional pairs of rubber ear tips if you want to change the size/shape of the bit that goes into your ear.
What about sound quality and noise cancellation?
My immediate thoughts on sound quality is that these earbuds are great; everything was really clear – much more so than my cheapy Amazon pair. This is apparently because of the “advanced, high-resolution Qualcomm aptX decoder, it allows for 16bit audio support with a 48Khz sampling frequency” however I will have to take their word for this, as none of that means a lot to me. However, I can definitely tell the difference whether listening to podcasts, music or a phone call.
The Tribit Flybuds C1 True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds come with noise cancellation so you can concentrate on what you’re listening to and not whatever salacious gossip Maureen and Barbara are discussing on the treadmills next to you, although don’t forget this if you are running on the road as traffic noises will be drowned out thanks to the technology.
How long does the battery last on the Tribit Flybuds C1 earbuds?
The Tribit Flybuds C1 True Wireless Earbuds re-charge in the box, which takes about 90 minutes to charge them fully. You can tell they’re charging as the LEDs at either end (there are four in total) will be on to indicate which earbud/s is/are charging, like in the picture below.
The box is charged with a USB-C charger for around two hours. Once charged up, the earbuds will give you up to 12 hours of listening time, and 50 hours if total if allowed to recharge in the case. That means that I should only have to remember to charge them once a month, if that, with normal daily use.
To see how much battery is left, press the little button on the back of the case; each lit LED indicates 25% battery level.
Are the Tribit Flybuds C1 True Wireless Earbuds good for exercise?
The earbuds stayed in comfortably during a fairly vigorous 5k run. Annoyingly, I forgot I had them in and pulled my top over my head half way through and they both pinged off; fortunately they both went under the next treadmill and were easily retrieved.
If you’re the sweaty type who often finds yourself removing layers in the gym, then the over-ear earbuds like the Movebuds (which I had the chance to try and then went missing in the move – I live in hope that I’ll find them one day!) which are designed specifically to be worn during sports might be better suited to you.
They’re waterproof to IPX5 which means they’re resistant to sweat, but not entirely waterproof like, for instance, the Movebuds mentioned above, however they are less bulky both to wear and to carry around.
Button functionality of the Tribit Flybuds C1 True Wireless Earbuds
One difference between the Tribit Flybuds C1 True Wireless Earbuds and previous Bluetooth wireless earbuds that I’ve tried is that they have physical buttons on both sides which you can press to pause music, accept calls etc rather than tapping them, which often happens by accident for example when tucking my hair behind my ear.
To power the earbuds on, you press in the button for a few seconds. Holding the button for 6s will turn them off. To answer a phone call, play, or pause, click one of the buttons. To reject a call, double click. If you’re listening to music, you can go back a track by double clicking on the left and skip to the next by double clicking on the right earbud. You can also increase and decrease the volume by holding the buttons in while music is playing, which means you don’t have to get out your phone if you want to change something mid-run, which again makes them really good for exercising.
Anything else to note?
This model of Tribit earbuds are particularly recommended for people who make and take a lot of calls and need to hear everything in crystal clear detail. As someone who stares at my phone in abject horror if it rings, this isn’t something I’ve managed to test, but I can imagine they’re great if you need a pair of reliable earbuds for work calls etc. I may begrudgingly gift them to my partner, who does take a lot of calls, and treat myself to the sportier Movebuds. May.
How much and where to buy
Tribit Flybuds C1 True Wireless Earbuds have an RRP of around £49.99, and can currently be bought directly from their website for under £50. Alternatively, you can get them delivered from Amazon here; at the time of publication their price was £39.99.