It’s fair to say none of the discounts on sports headphones in the lead up to Black Friday wowed us, but fortunately it just takes one cracking deal to ensure you net a top-notch set at a price you can be pleased with. We reckon £159 for the Beats Powerbeats Pro is that deal.
Even with the £60 that John Lewis has knocked off the price, the Beats Powerbeats Pro truly wireless buds are dear, but for that you’re getting a set of sports headphones that excel on every front.
The ear hook design of the Powerbeats Pro means that they provide a secure fit for all ear sizes and shapes, and if you’ve struggled to keep sports headphones in place during a HIIT session or when running, the extra security of the Pro’s hook will be most welcome.
The Powerbeats Pro are slightly larger headphones than most other truly wireless options, which has the drawback of meaning the carry case is large too, but that extra size is put to good use in the form of nine hours of battery life, significantly more than you’ll find on smaller options. The case then adds another 15 hours of juice, and a fast charge feature means that popping the headphones in it for five minutes will deliver 90 minutes of playback.
As you’d expect from an Apple/Beats product, the headphones connect without fuss with Apple products, and reliably with non-Apple gear as well, including Garmin watches with music features. Each headphone can be used independently, and both have the same controls, including volume and a multifunction button to play/pause or skip tracks.
The sound quality is also very good, with well-balanced bass, treble and vocals, though the bass isn’t quite as beefy as on other Beats headphones which aren’t designed to wear while exercising.
Every colour of the Beats Powerbeats Pro headphones has been reduced in the John Lewis sale, including our favourite glacier blue design, and you’re also getting a two year warranty if you do get the buds from there.
Buy from John Lewis | £159 | Beats Powerbeats Pro review
Amazon has a few colours of the Powerbeats Pro for the same price or slightly cheaper at £154 – the cheapest we’ve ever seen them on Amazon – but you won’t get that useful John Lewis warranty.
