If you’ve been considering buying Apple’s AirPods Pro, but have remained hesitant because of their relatively high price, 1More has a possible solution. Its ComfoBuds Pro true wireless earbuds provide a virtually identical feature set for $95 — that’s $154 less than the AirPods Pro’s regular $249 price.
Available in a satin-finish black or matte white, the ComfoBuds Pro use the same elongated stem shape as the original ComfoBuds, which debuted earlier this year, but they provide a better seal with your ear canal thanks to the use of silicone eartips. But their key feature is hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC), which makes them an interesting alternative to the much pricier AirPods Pro.
The ANC function has five modes: Strong, mild, off, passthrough (transparency), and an interesting setting called wind noise resistance. We’ve noticed that some true wireless earbuds with excellent ANC, like Sony’s $200 WF-SP800N, can sometimes struggle with the wind as the ANC mics attempt to cancel it out.
Battery life is decent — 1More claims six hours per charge with ANC turned on, and eight hours when it’s off. The charging case increases these numbers to 20 and 28 hours, respectively. The quick-charge function is also respectable, with a claimed 15 minutes getting you an additional two hours of use. Unfortunately, one AirPods Pro feature 1More chose to leave out is wireless charging — the case only charges via USB-C.
Speaking of the charging case, the ComfoBuds Pro are the first true wireless earbuds we’ve come across that ship with their own case protector. Many earbuds come with a carry bag (which 1More also includes), but the ComfoBuds Pro also come with a set of thick, silicone shells that let you wrap the charging case in a protective skin.
Each earbud is equipped with a wear sensor, which lets them auto-pause and resume your music when you remove or replace them. By default, the touch controls give you access to play/pause, ANC modes, call answer/end, and voice assistant triggering, but you can use the 1More Music app to customize other functions like volume or track skipping.
Finally, the ComfoBuds Pro are IPX4-rated for water resistance, just like the AirPods Pro. This should be more than enough protection for workouts, though it remains to be seen if the ComfoBuds Pro sit securely enough in your ears to handle this kind of activity.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated the price of the ComfoBuds Pro as $100.
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