Our Verdict
The small dimensions are what makes the 1More ComfoBuds Mini stand out and help create a comfortable and secure fit, but they also deliver powerful sound and have extra features such as a transparency mode and multiple ANC modes.
For
- Comfortable fit
- Good value
Against
- Can get longer battery life elsewhere
- ANC isn’t strong
- Hit-and-miss controls
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Billed as the smallest set of active noise-cancelling truly wireless headphones on the market, the 1More ComfoBuds Mini really are tiny. The fact that the small design doesn’t reduce the quality of the other features is even more impressive and they match up well with the best sports headphones available.
1More ComfoBuds Mini Review: Price And Availability
The 1More ComfoBuds Mini are available on Amazon and cost £92.99. They are more expensive than the 1More ComfoBuds Pro (available on Amazon for between £64.99 and £89.99), which offer longer battery life but aren’t so delightfully dinky.
Design And Fit
The ComfoBuds Mini weigh 3.7g apiece and are noticeably smaller than other buds. In comparison, the Jaba Elite 4 Active buds are 5g each and the Apple AirPods Pro are 5.4g.
This small size isn’t a gimmick either. It means the buds can sit comfortably in the ear for long periods and in my testing, the light weight helped ensure they don’t come loose during runs, indoor bike rides and strength sessions. The fit is not as secure as you’ll get from in-ear wings with wings or an earhook, but it’s more comfortable and I didn’t have trouble with the buds falling out during exercise.
The buds connect via Bluetooth 5.2, have a touch panel on the outside for controlling playback, and have a 7mm driver and four mics inside. They have an IPX5 water-resistance rating, which means that sweat and rain won’t prove a problem. The case can be changed wirelessly via a Qi pad.
Sound Quality
As much as I liked the small size of the 1More ComfoBuds Mini, I worried that the sound quality would suffer as a result. That isn’t the case. The buds are powerful and the sound quality is clear across the audio spectrum, even when the volume was approaching the max.
You can’t tinker with the EQ, but instead take a test to set up your own SoundID, which you can then enable. The test has a series of A or B questions where a track is played with two sound profiles, and you pick the one you prefer, or say there’s no difference. At the end of this I found my SoundID matched up to my preferences for the type of music I listen to most and I left it enabled at all times. It’s a good system for most people who don’t want to change settings all the time, though being able to easily change the EQ for different types of music would be a bonus.
The buds have three active noise cancellation (ANC) settings – strong, mild and a wind-noise reduction – as well as a transparency mode. I didn’t find the ANC particularly strong in any mode, and when running I found that turning the ANC off reduced the sound of the wind better than the wind-reduction mode. When travelling, the ANC will take the edge off the low-level hum of trains and planes, but the passive noise cancellation you get from the in-ear fit does most of the work.
The transparency mode does its job in filtering in external sounds well, which can be useful when running or cycling in busy areas. It does bring in wind and reduce the sound quality of the buds, though, so I didn’t like to leave the mode on throughout a run.
Overall I was impressed with the sound quality of the 1More ComfoBuds Mini for sub-£100 headphones. You can get better audio on pricier headphones, but it’s not a substantial upgrade. These tiny buds punch above their weight on sound.
Controls
The downside of the small size is that using the touch panel controls is difficult. Holding your finger on the panel will switch the sound mode between ANC, transparency and off, and this was the one command that worked reliably for me. You can also set up double and triple taps to control playback or your phone’s voice assistant, but getting these taps to register reliably was hard when sitting at a desk, and nigh-on impossible when running and during workouts.
Battery Life
The ComfoBuds Mini last five hours with the ANC on and six hours with it turned off, which is again impressive given their size. There are truly wireless in-ear buds that last up to eight or nine hours, and ear hook headphones that offer double-digit battery life, but up to six hours is creditable and the case adds another 15-19 hours of battery, depending on your use of ANC.
You can also get 60 minutes of playback from a five-minute charge, and the headphones work independently, allowing you to extend overall playtime further by using one at a time.
Are the 1More ComfoBuds Mini Worth It?
I often struggle with the comfort of in-ear headphones and the design of the 1More ComfoBuds Mini makes them better than most on this front. They are remarkably full-featured buds given their size and the sound quality is great. If they match your budget they are definitely worth buying, especially if you have found larger buds uncomfortable to wear for long periods.
At £92.99, they are not that much cheaper than the Jabra Elite 4 Active at £120, which I consider the best-value sports headphones if you can get on with their wingless design. The Jabra buds offer even better sound, plus more impressive ANC and longer battery life.
