REVIEW – Spring is almost here and it’s time to get outside! I’m testing the Oladance OWS Sport headphones which claim to bring a combination of water resistance, ergonomic design, and optimized audio quality to keep you moving and sweating. How do they do? To the review!
What is it?
The Oladance OWS Sports are wireless open-ear headphones designed for sports activities with optimized sound quality.
What’s included?
You’ll get the Oladance OWS Sports headphones, a storage case, and a USB charging cable. Printed instructions are also included.
Tech specs
Click to expand
IPX8 water resistance
15 hours of battery life
Multiple device connectivity
Design and features
The Oladance OWS Sports headphones come with a nicely appointed kit, starting with a sturdy hardshell case covered in a felt-like material. This 6″ by 4.5″ by 2″ case keeps both your headphones and charging cable in one place when not in use, and provides more than enough protection stow them in your bag for travel or commuting. It is a chunky case, however.
Your charging cable is 24″ long and draws power from a USB port. The cable uses a proprietary magnetic jack to connect to the headphones for charging. Your headphones can go for up to 15 hours between charges.
This all sets up the star of the show, and it’s a beauty! The ergonomics have been tuned for use in sports/active use, professing maximum comfort while staying in place during rigorous activity.
As opposed to in-ear or bone conduction style headphones the Oladance OWS Sports headphones leverage an “open-ear” design. The main speakers sit in those wedge-like protrusions you see below, projecting the sound into your ear canal. The goal is to optimize sound quality while still allowing some outside noise to give you a sense of your surroundings.
The whole build is wrapped in silicone for durability and water resistance. It’s also super flexible, bending and twisting to adapt to your head and ear size.
The controls are real buttons (as opposed to tap pads) that provide tactile feedback so that you know you have activated them. The right-ear pod has two buttons that you’ll use to power on/off the headphones and to adjust your volume.
The left-ear pod is a single multifunction button. This is where you can pause/resume play, answer calls, or activate your voice assistant. This button is also programmable with the app, which we’ll get to in a moment.
The Oladance OWS Sports headphones also support multipoint device connection. This feature allows you to connect to two devices simultaneously and/or to switch between the two paired devices.
Setup and App Controls
Oladance offers an app for managing your headphones. This particular app is a rarity in that it does not require you to create an account to use the app. You can load up the app and pair it right with your phone!
Once you’re in and paired (the process is simple), you get a basic dashboard that shows you the remaining battery life and allows you access to customization controls. The app only works when the headphones are powered up.
Tap that pointing finger icon to access the multipurpose button customizations. You can set the single, double and triple-tap options for when you’re playing music and/or when you’re managing calls.
Tap the equalizer button (it looks like a set of sliders) on the home screen to bring up the equalizer options. The three preset options are standard, a “surging bass” option tuned for bass-heavy music, and “pure voice” mode tuned for audiobooks and podcasts. You also have the option to customize the equalizer however you like, which is saved as your fourth option in the menu.
Finally, there’s a general settings menu where you can combine all the other bits and access support and device information.
This is all an extra bonus, by the way. You don’t need the app to use the headphones, but it does enhance your device control. You also don’t need the app running all the time. You can set your preferences, shut down the app, and the headphones will retain your choices.
Performance
I love the self-contained nature of the Oladance OWS Sports headphone kit. The case is pretty chunky, but the hardshell is great for protecting your headphones while they’re in your bag. I also love that the charging cable has a compartment in the case, especially because its a proprietary magnetic plug. You don’t want to lose that thing. I do wish the charging cable was USB-C rather than USB to line up with all my newer devices, but I usually have a multiport adaptor with me when I travel.
The battery life is excellent on these headphones, and I can confirm that the professed 15 hours of life between charges is accurate. I’ll go for 8-10 days of daily use during my workouts, walks, and whatnot between charges. You’ll also get enough juice to get through a day of activity. There is no speed-charging option, however, so expect a 60 minute+ charging period to get back to 100%.
The Oladance OWS Sports headphones are super comfortable. I have a big head, small ears, and I wear glasses all the time. The fit is so good and the build is so light that I barely feel them on my head.
The deep curves of the pods keep things in place when you’re active; I find that the yoke wire just sort of sits on the back of my neck and keeps the headphones from falling off if brushed.
While the comfort is amazing, the design can be a little twitchy if you’re wearing headgear. When I was rucking in the colder weather I found that I could not pull a skullcap down over my ears or I would knock them loose. Same with pulling up or down a hood on a sweatshirt. It is manageable, but that wire yoke can get in the way. I don’t have any issue with it if I am working on a weight bench, however.
Sound quality is some of the best I’ve heard. I’m continually impressed with newer earbud designs and how they improve the little details around audio quality. The range and depth of tone on these headphones are not only impressive, but Oladance states that they use some additional tricks to optimize sound quality in loud/windy environments. It’s very good, but you still get enough ancillary noise to be aware of your surroundings. Call quality is also excellent.
The app functions are simple, meaningful, and effective. I particularly love the ability to customize that multifunctional button based on your preferences rather than forcing you to learn a specific set of combinations to get what you want. The equalizer actually produces a noticeable difference between the modes that I have been taking advantage of as well. You don’t need the app, but it definitely enhances the experience.
What I like about Oladance OWS Sports Headphones
- Durable, flexible, ready for all sorts of action
- Outstanding sound quality
- Excellent battery life
What needs to be improved?
- Fit can be tricky if you’re wearing headgear like a skullcap or a hooded sweatshirt
- Travel case is excellent, but chunky
Final thoughts
The Oladance OWS Sports headphones displaced my previous headphones as my go-to option for walking, rucking, weightlifting, and the other assorted exercises. I use them at the office as well. While they’re a bit more expensive than some other models in this category, I believe the sound quality, long battery life, and super-comfortable fit are worth the extra bucks.
Price: $179.99
Where to buy: Oladance and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Oladance. Oladance did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
