In the Ideal Gifts series, The Next Web team shares personal recommendations for gifts to give this holiday season.
Convenience might not sound like the most exciting reason to give a gift, but the gadget I’ve had the most use out of this year is undoubtedly the Sol Republic Tracks Air wireless on-ear headphones. And what could you want more than the person receiving your gift actually using it.
Announced in the US around this time last year, the Tracks Air headphones then made their way into Europe and onto my ears in around April 2014. Since then, I’ve worn them pretty much every day.
While the sound quality isn’t as good as you’d find on more expensive, wired studio headphones, it’s still pretty darn good – and offers some kick across the range without becoming too ‘muddy’ sounding.
However, probably my favorite thing is the battery life. I’ll easily get multiple sessions out of a single charge (the company claims 15 hours, but I’d say closer 12, depending on volume), and when the battery does run down, a few minutes plugged into the wall gives me enough juice to keep going for another few hours. If there’s no power socket available, you can still use them as regular wired headphones too.
It’s the combination of being wireless and the battery life that really drives the overall convenience. They’re easy to use for short stints and comfortable enough for longer ones. Plus, when I’m doing the dishes in the kitchen, I don’t even need to find my phone (let alone take it) to continue listening to a podcast, as the Bluetooth range is pretty good too.
They’re not perfect, but all-in-all, the Sol Republic Tracks Air headphones are easily one of my favorite gadgets this year and one that I’ve used the most.
➤ Tracks Air [$199 – Sol Republic]
You can see the rest of the Ideal Gifts in this series here
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