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There’s a problem when reviewing any set of in-ear headphones. It doesn’t matter how spectacular they sound or how long the battery life is; if the earbuds don’t fit comfortably in your ear they are completely useless. Unless, that is, you discard the buds that come with your headphones and buy a pair of Snugs custom fit moulded eartips.
To start the Snugs process you need to have your ear scanned. Once you place your order the Snugs team will either come to you to scan your ear, or book an appointment for you at one of their partners. If you’re in London you also can get the scan done at Selfridges. The procedure takes about ten minutes and involves a Snugs-approved expert moving a scanner around the inside of your ear. The scanner doesn’t go too deep and doesn’t hurt at all.
Once Snugs hasan impression of your ear you can choose whether to get headphones plus your customised buds, or just the buds themselves designed to fit a pair of headphones you already own. I went for the Snugs True Wireless, which use Jabees Beebuds completely wireless buds. You also choose the colour buds you want (I, somewhat unadvisedly, went for turquoise and glitter green) and pop your initials on them too so they don’t get mixed up with your friend’s turquoise and glitter green pair.
It takes eight to ten days for the headphones to arrive, but once they do the advantages of using Snugs are immediately clear. The fit is supremely solid, no matter what activity you do while wearing them, and the noise isolation of the full Snugs bud increases the clarity of your music.
However, it’s not all good news. It takes a few days to get used to the Snugs buds and your ears might feel a little sore after wearing them at first. I had to get one bud replaced because it was making my ear ache, but Snugs did this readily and rapidly (you can get the buds remade or adjusted within 60 days of buying them). Once I got used to them, I found the Snugs very comfortable to wear for long periods.
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The Beebuds come with a case that accommodate the Snugs tips, but other truly wireless headphones won’t have cases large enough for the Snugs as well, so you’ll have to accept the hassle of storing your Sungs separately.
Another thing to consider with Snugs is how much noise they block out – I wouldn’t wear them for cycling and made sure I kept looking around when running outside. They are fantastic for tuning out the world and focusing on your workout or work, but it’s all too easy to become completely unaware of what’s going on around you.
In my opinion, it’s far better to get a set of Snugs made for headphones you already like, or get different truly wireless buds. The Beebuds aren’t terrible, but the battery life is only three hours and the sound quality is subpar compared to more expensive buds like the Bose SoundSport Free, Jaybird Run or Apple AirPods. If you’re splashing out £169.95 on the Snugs themselves, it’s worth pairing them with a top-quality set of headphones.
That high price is the major sticking point of Snugs. They are clearly better than going with the earbuds you get with a set of headphones for blocking out external noise and never ever falling out during exercise, but as someone who doesn’t have huge issue using standard size buds I wouldn’t consider the extra outlay on Snugs worthwhile. However, not everyone is so lucky. A Coach colleague has odd ears (they are odd, I see them every day) and doesn’t get on so well with standard buds, so wearing Snugs could be a transformative experience. If you’ve never found a pair of earphones that stay in when you’re running or moving in the gym, a set of Snugs could well be the solution.
Snugs Only from £169.95, Snugs True Wireless from £269.95, snugs.com
