- The Liberate Air are wireless headphones from a company called House of Marley.
- These headphones are made out of recycled materials with a bamboo finish.
- They cost $150 and we break down how they compare to Apple's AirPods and the Jabra Elite 65t.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Following is a transcript of the video.
Narrator: This is the Liberate Air, and it's a very environmentally friendly headphone. Just about everything is made out of recycled materials, but that doesn't mean these headphones come cheap. They cost $150. But are they worth it?
The Liberate Air headphones were created by a company called House of Marley. Just about everything is made out of recycled materials. Let's start with the case. The top has a soft fabric material that is made out of recycled plastic and recycled cotton. The bottom is made out of recycled wood. The clasp and the hinge are made out of recycled aluminum. Then, when you open the case, you'll see a nice bamboo finish on the case and on the headphones. The ear cushions and the bottom of the headphones are made out of recycled silicone. Then we have the charging cord, which is partially made out of recycled polymers. It even comes with a tie that is made out of recycled paper fiber. And lastly, even part of the packaging is made out of recycled kraft fiberboard.
But how do they sound?
They sound pretty darn good, and by good, I mean the sound is very clear and they have a decent bass. It sounds better than AirPods but not as good as the Jabra Elite 65t, which is considered one of the best wireless headphones of 2019. These headphones are also really great at noise-canceling. I couldn't hear anyone talking around me or the noise on the street, and even the sound of the subway was faint.
But the wildest thing about these headphones is that they have up to nine hours of listening time on a single charge and a whopping 32 hours with the charging case. That's a lot. AirPods and the Jabras only have up to five hours on a single charge and 15 to 24 hours with the charging case. These headphones connect via Bluetooth, but the connection isn't as fast as the AirPods or Jabras.
I've also experienced Bluetooth interference a few times, which is common with most wireless headphones, especially in crowded areas. To navigate music and answer phone calls, you'll need to tap two or three times. There's a groove on the headphones where your fingers need to tap, but sometimes it doesn't register my tap because the surface is quite small.
I also don't really like how you can hear a beep right before it does a command. That sound makes it feel slow, delayed, and distracts from a seamless playback experience. There's also no volume control on the headphones, which is a bummer but not a major deal breaker. However, they are splash- and sweat-resistant, so you can work out with them.
As for comfort, they sit nicely in my ears. There are different-sized ear attachments available as well, and they didn't feel heavy or uncomfortable after wearing them for a long time. They're super soft and light, and I love how the silicone material is easy to clean. I can wipe off any residue, no problem.
The retail price for the Liberate Air is $150, which is cheaper than the latest $180 AirPods model and the $170 Jabra Elite 65t. I think these headphones are worth the price if you're looking for a solid set of nice headphones that sound great. Just keep in mind, they are regular Bluetooth, so you won't have the seamless experience of the AirPods, and you may experience Bluetooth interference, but again, that's common on almost all Bluetooth headphones.
House of Marley wants its offerings to last longer than its competitors so fewer products get sent to landfills. The company was started in collaboration with the Marley family to create products that embody Bob Marley's love for music and the planet. So you can definitely say that if you're looking for the most sustainable headphones in this trio, these take the win. Plus, it also doesn't hurt that they're super stylish.