Jabra’s range contains some of the best workout headphones available and there are options to suit all budgets, especially in the Black Friday sales with two standout sets of buds significantly reduced at Amazon.
The top-of-the-range Jabra Elite 8 Active are £129 down from £199.99, which make them easy to recommend if it weren’t for the fact the Jabra Elite 4 Active are reduced by 42% from £119.99 down to £69 in the sale. Both are among the best running headphones, but is it worth spending extra on the Elite 8 Active?
I’ve tested both sets of headphones extensively, and the choice mainly comes down to how much value you place on sound quality and active noise cancellation, both of which are better on the Elite 8 Active.
If you’re often using the buds for traveling or just have high audio-quality standards, the difference will be noticeable. However, the Elite 4 Active still offer good sound quality and ANC, and I wouldn’t pay an extra £60 for the upgrade.
Another difference is that the Elite 8 Active have Jabra’s ShakeGrip coating, which makes the fit a little more secure than with the Elite 4 Active. I found both sets of buds stayed in my ears fine during runs and other vigorous workouts, but given that they don’t use wings, any extra features to make the fit more secure are useful.
Other differences include that the Elite 8 Active are a little hardier, with an IP68 rating compared to the IP57 of the Elite 4 Active. A higher rating is always a good thing, but I have no concerns about the durability of the Elite 4 Active either.
Both are great sets of headphones and although the Elite 8 Active are certainly better on several fronts, I’d still grab the Elite 4 Active for £60 less, but there’s also value in picking up the Elite 8 Active at such a significant discount in the sales.
