I got the Arriva Leo Bluetooth Sports Headphones recently as a birthday gift, and I figured I should put up a review for those of you still looking for Christmas gifts for your headphone-loving loved ones in your life (which should be a lot of people, honestly; these things rock!). I really like these a lot, maybe even as much as I love my perrenial favorites, the Motorola S10-HD. As far as water-resistant sports headphones with bluetooth capabilities go, these have some really great features that put them at the head of their class!
Pros:
- GREAT sound, especially for a bluetooth headset; Deep bass and crisp treble
- Awesome wrap around, flexible fit
- Sweat and water resistant, of course
- Probably the most convenient button design I've found among any bluetooth headphones
- No sound drop-outs (so far!)
Cons
- Earbuds are a little hard and won't appeal to everyone (ships with 4 sizes, though)
- Lackluster battery life, about 4 hours of listening time
Click HERE to check the current price and see other user reviews!
What Makes The Arriva Leo Headphones So Special?
The first thing you'll probably notice, and the first thing I noticed straight out of the box is the unusual wrap-around-the-head design of the Arriva Leos. Unlike your typical wraparound type phones, these are flexible. What this means is that the fit will be customized by you to fit your exact head.
It took a little getting used to, and I actually have to adjust the fit each time I put them on, but they stay on even when I'm jogging hard. Since figuring out how to make them fit my noggin well, I haven't had any trouble keeping them on.
These are great if you run with glasses or sunglasses, because they don't fight your ears for space. They'll also work under a helmet or hat without and difficulties.
I also really LOVE the button design. Most bluetooth headphones have you fumbling about, trying to find the right button for what you're trying to do, but the Arrive Leo have big buttons on the back of your head. As you can see from the pic, there's no confusion as to which is skip forward and which skips back. Answering calls and pausing isn't a problem, either.
As far as the sound goes, make sure you choose the right fit from the 4 sizes of earbuds they send you. The right fit goes a long way in making sure you have deep bass, probably some of the best I've heard in these type of headphones. The treble sounds great, too; it's absolutely crisp and clear.
Putting Them To The Test
If you're a returning reader, you know I started this site because frankly, I sweat like a pig when I'm working out really hard, but I need a good soundtrack to keep me going. I've had these a couple months now, and used them probably almost 50 times or so, working up a good sweat most of the time. I've never experienced any problems due to getting them wet. I even ran with them in the rain a couple times!
Another thing I noticed, and I think this may be due to the receiver being at the back of the head, is there are no random drop outs that you often experience when your body gets between the headphones and your phone.
I had no problem at all connecting this to my iPhone 4S, and the mic works well. I had no problem asking Siri for help, and phone calls are good and crisp, though sound becomes mono rather than stereo when using the mic. No big deal at all, though. I've also used these paired with my computer for making Skype calls, and they're great for that, too.
If I have any complaints, it's that the battery life is not the greatest. They say you'll get 5+ hours, but I found it's more like 4. These isn't a big deal if you live somewhere besides a tent in the wilderness, though. I guess you'll also find this frustrating if you go jogging for days at a time.
Overall, I'd say if you were looking for a new pair of waterproof bluetooth headphones, THESE ARE SOME OF THE BEST ON THE MARKET! I'd recommend them to any active music listeners who don't want to be tethered by wires when they're getting good and sweaty, and they're also good enough to stand on their own even if you're not using them for sports.
The lowest Arriva Leo price I've found is over at Amazon.com, check it out here!
Vickie on February 10, 2013 at 10:21 pm said:
These look great. I'm in need of a good bluetooth water-resistant headset here in the snowy midwest. Would love to find a pair I can take into the shower, too, but that's probably asking a bit much…
Cary Hughes on March 4, 2013 at 3:44 am said:
Do u think these would work well in the pool for a swimmer?
admin on January 28, 2014 at 6:15 pm said:
No, Cary, as much as I wish they would, the technology actually isn’t quite there yet. Check out my article on swimming with headphones for more info on the subject.
Gabriel on March 16, 2013 at 6:03 pm said:
Which bluetooth headphones do you recommend the most for a casual runner, the Arriva Leo or the JF3, do you compare both products? I like the looks of the JF3 better, but I obviously want the better product. I'm not so interested in using neither of them for long conversations but just to answer the ocasional phone call.
admin on January 28, 2014 at 6:14 pm said:
It’s a tough choice, but if I had to pick one I’d probably choose the JF3.