The Jabra Sport Pulse does away with the need for a bulky and uncomfortable heart rate monitor, but battery life could be better

I get a lot of emails about what I think the best wireless sports headphones are, and it's always a difficult question to answer. The Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless are the best-selling headphone in the category and offer decent fit and sound, but not everybody likes them for the price. The Plantronics BackBeat Fit is a better value and tends to get high marks from users (and me, too), but they aren't perfect either. And then there are a wealth of budget options that work OK, but they usually leave something to be desired, usually sound quality and durability.

If you prize its built-in heart-rate monitor over top-notch sound quality, the Jabra Sport Pulse one of the better wireless sports headphones out there, particularly in terms of fit and features.

The Jabra Sport is a wireless Bluetooth headphone that offers a secure; comfortable fit; is water; shock; and dust resistant; and has built-in heart-rate monitor that works well.

Could sound better for a $200 headphone; battery life is only 4.5 hours.

If you prize its built-in heart-rate monitor over top-notch sound quality, the Jabra Sport Pulse one of the better wireless sports headphones out there, particularly in terms of fit and features.

The Jabra Sport is a wireless Bluetooth headphone that offers a secure; comfortable fit; is water; shock; and dust resistant; and has built-in heart-rate monitor that works well

Could sound better for a $200 headphone; battery life is only 4.5 hours

THE BAD

great sound; comfort and connect quickly and easily

Don't work for more than a couple of months before a replacement is needed and the battery life is really poor

The Jabra Sport Pulse headphones are designed to appeal to those of us who like to walk, run, or hit the gym as part of an exercise program. They use a wireless Bluetooth connection rather than a cord, and they also have a built-in heart-rate monitor that negates the need for an extra strap.

Well designed with an excellent fit; Good sound quality; Wireless; Pouch for easy storage; Built in heart-rate monitor

Expensive; Need to carry a smartphone to get the most of out them; May not suit many athletes; Needs to be charged

Jabra's Sport Pulse Wireless is a bit of an odd product; Jabra has built a fitness tracker right into a pair of headphones. But unlike a Fitbit or Jawbone fitness tracker, the Pulse isn't meant be used all the time, it's designed to be used when you're working out.

Great motivator during workouts; Detailed analytics; Good sound quality

Battery life isn't great; Lack of bass; Dependant on a phone

Most wearable products today are heavily focused on fitness and activity tracking. From counting calories to monitoring heart rate, these specialised fitness bands can do quite a lot. Even smartwatches today try to do at least some of these things.

Accurate heart rate sensor; Decent bass; Superb fit

Shrill treble; Expensive; Low volume; Average sound quality

While activity trackers are becoming readily available, heart rate monitors remain relatively rare, and seeing a solid monitor built into a $199.99 pair of wireless earphones is impressive.

Heart rate monitor is functional; App offers useful features for workouts

Sound profile lacks a sense of warmth or bass presence; Short battery life

If you'd rather your fitness wearable live in your ear than on your wrist, the Sport Pulse SE are the premiere choice.

Similar design; yet better fit; VO2 Max level testing; Comply Foam included; Improved audio quality; Three-year warranty

A little more bass would be welcome; Terrible pouch for transport; Battery life still average

While activity trackers are becoming readily available, heart rate monitors remain relatively rare, and seeing a solid monitor built into a $199.99 pair of wireless earphones is impressive. Jabra managed to pull this off with the Sport Pulse Wireless, a pair of Bluetooth earphones that lets you craft your ideal workouts and make sure you reach the heart rate you want for the best results. Unfortunately, the Sport Pulse Wireless forgets the most important part of any earphones: how they sound. They aren't terrible by any means, but they don't sound remotely close to what a $200 set of earphones should. Unless an integrated heart rate monitor is so important that you can overlook mediocre audio performance, you would likely be better off with a less expensive, better-sounding pair like the Plantronics BackBeat Fit ($69.95 at Amazon)  or BackBeat Go 2 ($28.99 at Amazon) and a standalone heart rate monitor like the MIO Link. DesignThe Sport Pulse Wireless ($94.20 at Amazon)  is a si...

Jabra can't make up for mediocre sound performance, even with the unique, handy heart rate monitor built into its gym-friendly Sports Pulse Wireless Bluetooth earphones.

Heart rate monitor is functional; App offers useful features for workouts

Sound profile lacks a sense of warmth or bass presence; Short battery life