Removing the wires to allow for uninhibited performance during periods of exercise, in principle the Jabra Sport Bluetooth Stereo Headset is a must-own gadget for any music loving sports enthusiast, in practice, however, the device fails to meet performance expectations on almost all fronts.

Designed for intense activity and capable of allowing users to make and receive calls whilst on the move, the Jabra Sport is an in-ear headset which can be hooked up to your smartphone of PMP via Bluetooth allowing you to listen to your favourite tunes or app-based performance guide whilst you pound the streets or treadmills at the gym.

Jabra Sport: Design

Neither ghastly nor inspiring in design the Jabra Sport headset adds colour and character through its black and yellow aesthetic, following the in-ear wraparound trend in a manner that proves clumsy to put on and one which offers little support or reassurance whilst in motion. Whilst the device never once fell from our ears during testing, there was always a nagging feeling that it was but a heavy step from coming loose.

A plus of the Sport’s design is its robust construct meaning you can freely toss the device to the bottom of your gym bag without the fear that when you go to retrieve it there will be more than one piece to fish out.

Jabra Sport: Features

The inclusion of an inbuilt FM radio is one that is warmly welcomed, or at least would be if it worked with any sort of quality or consistency. Used in suburban and city areas the Sport’s FM player is patchy at best offering distorted playback that is difficult to tune to desired stations and which drops in and out whilst on the move. Attempt to use the radio in any sort of indoor environment and you are faced with endless static.

With iPhone and Android specific models available, integration with fitness app Endomondo is a pleasing addition with the package working well to supply distance and calorie updates and a tap of the headset’s play button.

Jabra Sport: Performance

A claimed battery life of 4.5 hours of talk time, 3 hours of continued music playback or four days of standby time sadly far exceeds the actual performance offering. Three sub 40 minute sessions using the music or radio features and a rather chirpy woman will be instructing you to charge the device before it cuts out.

Whilst it is understood that Bluetooth requires relatively close quarters for full connection, the Sport struggled maintaining a sturdy relay to our devices resulting in patchy audio playback and repeated loss of performance whilst using in conjunction with a training application such as Endomondo.

On the plus side, audio quality on the headset is more than passable for such a device with a wide range of tones being supplied with crisp notes and varying levels of base, assuming you are able to keep it within Bluetooth range or gain radio signal that is.

Jabra Sport: Verdict

From a device that offered so much the Jabra Sport is very disappointing. A company renowned for its headset and Bluetooth ear piece capabilities has failed to produce with this wireless active-based headset. The Sport’s half-hearted efforts across all features and functionality are sure to see it go down as a little talked about blemish on an otherwise strong track record.

Jabra Sport availabilty: Out now

Jabra Sport price: £99