Getting the best wireless earbuds takes a lot of work – unless you go and buy AirPods, of course.
For anyone outside the Apple bubble, or who just wants to get a great deal, the offerings from Jabra are worth getting to know, especially the Jabra Elite 85t.
Jabra has come out of nowhere in some regards to make some of the best running headphones, best Bluetooth headphones, and more, challenging the likes of Sony, Marshall, Apple, and others.
The 85t are an update to the excellent Jabra Elite 75t, adding some new features and improving the sound quality by making the drivers larger. The 75t are still excellent earbuds, of course, especially with some good discounts.
So, let's jump into five things to know before getting the Jabra Elite 85t true wireless earbuds, some of the best on the market.
1. AirPods quality, half the price
If you're looking for a pair of earbuds that matches AirPods or AirPods Pro for less money then, well, the Jabra Elite 85t (and even 75t) are an excellent bet.
Everything AirPods can do, the 85t can do, besides the seamless Apple-only connectivity, and they also work with Android devices.
In direct testing, the 85t matches or maybe even betters the AirPods' sound quality, too, so they're level on all fronts.
2. Alexa, Assistant, or Siri? No problem
Jabra products are truly platform-agnostic, which is especially excellent if you want to use a voice assistant. No matter whether you use Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, the Elite 85t has you covered.
Of course, Sony and other non-Apple earbud makers offer the same thing but it's still a really nice touch. The Jabra app makes setting up each assistant really easy, too
3. Battery life is great
Depending on your usage, the Jabra Elite 85t's battery life is excellent and the charging case, which includes a USB-C port (yes!) adds an additional while on top.
In my personal usage I've been getting around 5 hours with the buds alone – and days or weeks with the charging case. Most of my usage is listening to music or podcasts over Bluetooth, not making calls, but the 85t are up to the task.
I find myself charging up the case once every 2-3 weeks. That's going on a month with medium usage and that's, well, pretty elite.
4. A slightly boring design
Nothing is perfect, right?
The only drawback for the Jabra Elite 85t is the design which, at least in my opinion, is slightly boring. Jabra does offer some funky colour combinations – including a striking orange and black design – but mostly you're looking at a pretty nondescript pair of earbuds.
Compared to AirPods and some other earbuds, the design isn't anything special. Of course, how much that matters is up to you because they sound excellent.
5. Wait for some deals
We love a deal here at T3 Towers and very often you'll find a great deal on Jabra products, especially on Amazon.
With Black Friday just a few months away, we'd recommend holding out for a great deal that can sometimes see the 85t's RRP cut in half.
That isn't to say the 85t are worth less than their retail price, just that saving money when there are deals around makes a whole lot of sense.
To see today's very best Jabra Elite 85t deals check out the retailers below.
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