Skip to main content

The House of Marley Liberate Air are eco-friendly true wireless earbuds

House of Marley has always put a special emphasis on using materials in its products that leave a small environmental footprint. And while no electronic products can be said to be genuinely environmentally friendly, some are clearly much friendlier than others. Such is the case with the company’s latest headphones, the $150 truly wireless Liberate Air earbuds, which the company previewed at CES 2019.

Recommended Videos

The Liberate Air (which we are testing right now for a soon-to-be-published review), offer the kinds of features that are now becoming standard on true wireless earbuds, like a long, nine-hour battery life, a charging case that extends this playtime to 32 hours total, and touch-sensitive controls for play/pause, track skipping, and answering calls. They’re also compatible with both Siri and Google Assistant, either of which can be summoned via a tap on an earbud.

However, it’s House of Marley’s extensive use of bamboo, recycled plastic, and recyclable aluminum that help the Liberate Air stand out from the increasingly large true wireless earbud crowd. The bamboo is especially prominent in the design of the Liberate Air, gracing both the outer surface of the earbuds and the interior of the charging case.

We’re all for audio products that take a smaller toll on the environment, and the Liberate Air are a welcome choice in the true wireless category. What’s still unknown though, is how (or if) House of Marley will be able to address the biggest environmental problem associated with these devices: The fact that the internal rechargeable batteries may not be able to retain a charge after a few years of use, and that when they do die, some can’t be easily replaced at all.  Apple’s AirPods are currently retaining less than 50% of their stated battery life after only two years of use, which is not a good sign for the category as a whole.

Still, while the Liberate Air’s use of sustainable materials may not save the world, they definitely help make a problematic audio product better for the planet. The fact that they happen to look good too is a bonus.

You can buy the House of Marley Liberate Airs right now for $150 on thehouseofmarley.com, Amazon, and other retailers.

Updated July 30, 4:50 PM ET: We previously stated that the Liberate Air worked with Alexa and Google Assistant, however it actually works with Siri and Google Assistant, not Alexa.

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…
Apple’s newest AirPods 4 add affordable ANC and wireless charging
The AirPods 4.

Apple's annual fall event (or close enough to fall, anyway) has arrived. And with it we have the iPhone 16, of course, a new version of the AirPods Max — and new entry-level and midrange AirPods (to go along with new features for the existing AirPods Pro).

Apple has said goodbye to the original long-stem AirPods design, with the new AirPods 4 looking a lot like the third-gen AirPods. It has also created a separate version called the AirPods 4 with ANC.

Read more
These AirPods alternatives from 1More are impossibly cheap
1More TWS Q10 wireless earbuds.

It won't come as a surprise to anyone that you don't need to spend Apple AirPods-equivalent money (about $130) to get a decent set of comfortable wireless earbuds. But I'll bet most folks will be stunned to learn that you can buy a set of AirPods alternatives for just $17.

Buy at 1MORE

Read more
Apple AirPods Pro will get head gestures and better calling with iOS 18
A person wearing the Apple AirPods Pro 2.

Along with a slew of new features for iOS 18, Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference keynote has given us a sneak peek at how the AirPods Pro will evolve come the fall.

One of the big changes is how you can respond to Siri's verbal options. For instance, when a call comes in and Siri asks if you'd like to accept, you can nod your head to do so or shake it to decline.

Read more