This review is a long time coming… I wanted to really give the iLive Waterproof Truly Wireless Earbuds a solid test after I was sent these headphones, but the first hurdle in getting this posted is the battery lasted a really long time. (I mean, is that really an issue to complain about?) The battery lasted so long that it took me a couple of months before it drained and needed to be charged so I could test that.

But before we get to the charging, let’s talk pairing… I tried to pair these to my iPhone and it worked. They display a bluetooth name of several numbers/characters, so it’s one of those things that if you have several items connected to your device via bluetooth, it can get confusing what item is what if they don’t have a name. I believe the bluetooth name on these is the SKU for the product.

That said, I didn’t intend to use these with my phone most of the time, so after I connected and made sure it worked by starting a podcast playing… I then went into the settings and promptly told my device to forget them.

Instead, I connected them to my Nordictrack bike. And honestly, this has worked out beautifully! I have tried other bluetooth headphones on my fitness machines (treadmill, bike) and it seems like I have to go through the connection process repeatedly. Nearly every time I want to use them, headphones would stop connecting. But not these. Ever since I connected them to my bike they re-connect immediately upon taking them out of the case. It’s amazing how a little convenience like that can make or break your day when you’re trying to slip workouts in for your lunch hour 30 minutes. (I work too much, telecommuting is hard for someone who is a people pleaser and wants to be available all the time.)

As the name clearly states, these are waterproof. But since I’m not in the habit of squirting my face with water as the picture on the packaging shows (especially indoors) I have not tested that. Maybe I should have taken a shower with them? I’m sure my ears have sweat some and they haven’t broken in the time I’ve used them, so sure… we’ll call them waterproof for me there!

Eventually, the battery finally drained. So I plugged them in with the provided USB-C cable to charge them back up and NADA. Nothing happened. And I was super concerned by this. “Wait, are these one-use only?” I switched to a different USB-C cable I had and again, nothing happened. And when I was about to reach out to the company, my IT brain kicked in and I remembered I should try a different port. I was plugging it in on an old USB hub I have in my home gym. And guess what that taught me… apparently that hub is not well. Once I plugged it into a USB outlet on the wall, they charged right up. No matter what cable I attached to them, they achieved a full charge.

So overall I am really happy with these. I use them for bike rides on my indoor bike, but also to connect to the strength training and stretching programs through iFit on my bike while doing exercise off the bike. They stay in my ears, they provide sufficient sound (I’m not using these to be an audiophile), and, as mentioned before, they hold a charge for a long time. A really long time. I have yet to charge them a second time, they’ve been trucking along for months.

We bought an elliptical a while ago and I would consider buying another pair of these to pair specifically with that. And then maybe another pair to go with my treadmill to replace the other ones I use there that have to reconnect every… single… time.

My only real complaint isn’t actually a functional one, it doesn’t impede my use. It’s just a weird thing that makes them feel awkward. I will show you with a photo… which I will explain to those who can’t see the photo. But first, the photo…

I’m curious if you’ll see the issue immediately. Pretend you hear Jeopardy music for a moment while you inspect that. (or use the alt text)

See the earbud on the right side of the case? That’s the left earbud.

And that earbud on the left side of the case, that’s the right earbud.

Clearly, this isn’t world-ending nor is it destroying the functionality of the earbuds. It’s just awkward. I would call this a poor user interface. The core features of them work completely, it’s just awkward and against the norm of all other wireless earbuds I’ve used.

But aside from the backward case, they have been reliable headphones and I’m happy I have them. I realize I sound very “extra” in that I want separate earbuds for each of my exercise machines, but my time is precious and extra minutes count. So when I know I can rely on these and get straight to work, it matters.

* I was sent the earbuds free for the purpose of review. All opinions are clearly my own.