Jabra specializes in audio and visual equipment to help you stay connected to your colleagues. Their headphones tend to be designed for taking calls, so their integrated mics generally perform better than other Bluetooth competitors. That said, they gradually expanded the variety of their products and now have a solid lineup of in-ears and over-ears for casual use and sports. However, that lineup won't be added to: on June 12, 2024, Jabra announced that it will cease making consumer audio products. However, while their consumer audio product inventory will gradually decrease, their newer earbuds will still be available through 2024 and beyond.
We've tested over 25 Jabra headphones and earbuds, and below are our best recommendations from the manufacturer.
Updates
- 09/30/2024 Jabra Elite 10 True Wireless updated
- 09/10/2024 Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless reviewed
- 09/05/2024 Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 True Wireless reviewed
- 10/20/2023 Jabra Elite 8 Active True Wireless reviewed
- 08/03/2023 Jabra Elite 7 Active True Wireless updated
Best Jabra Headphones
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Best Jabra Earbuds
Neutral Sound7.8Commute/Travel8.5Sports/Fitness8.5Office7.9Wireless Gaming6.2Wired Gaming6.5Phone Calls7.8Type In-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless Truly WirelessTransducer DynamicNoise Cancelling YesMic YesThe best Jabra earbuds we've tested are the feature-packed Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless. These high-quality buds have Spatial Sound with head-tracking for an immersive soundstage. While they don't have the same Dolby Atmos spatial audio as the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 True Wireless, unless that's an absolute must for you, the Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are otherwise better for most people with superb ANC performance and a battery that reaches nearly eight hours of playback. Their microphone is a solid performer for calls, and there are sidetone and call-centric controls.
The buds' IP68 rating, combined with a silicone exterior and IP54 rating for the case, means they are durable against water and dust. Plus, their fit is secure and comfortable, so they can go with you to the gym, on your commute, and in the office. Their companion app covers control remapping, EQ for fine-tuning, listening mode adjustments, and Spatial Audio. One novel feature is the 'smart case', which allows you to use the case as a Bluetooth transmitter for analog and USB-C audio sources, and they support multi-device connectivity via standard Bluetooth. By default, they sound quite balanced, with a somewhat brighter treble response on harmonics for cymbals. You can also easily tune the sound with the companion app. These are a fantastic option if you want a pair of buds that can do it all, and they make a good alternative to Apple's AirPods.
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Best Mid-Range Jabra Earbuds
Neutral Sound7.5Commute/Travel7.9Sports/Fitness8.2Office7.3Wireless Gaming5.8Wired Gaming5.6Phone Calls6.8Type In-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless Truly WirelessTransducer DynamicNoise Cancelling YesMic YesCheck out the Jabra Elite 4 True Wireless if you want many of the brand's features without Spatial Sound from the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless. They're a step up from the Jabra Elite 3 True Wireless and have more features, like ANC and multi-device pairing. Their ANC isn't as good as the Elite 8 Active Gen 2, but it does a better job than their sportier sibling, the Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless, cutting out more mid-range and high-frequency background noise, like ambient conversations and whiny AC units. That said, they can't isolate you as well from the low rumble of a bus or plane engine.
Fortunately, their stable in-ear fit and IP55 rating for dust and direct water resistance make them a good choice for runs and hikes, though they'll likely fall out during a more intense workout. Out of the box, these earbuds have a neutral sound profile. It's versatile enough to listen to all kinds of audio content, but you can also change the mix to suit your needs using the companion app's graphic EQ and presets.
However, our unit suffers from a high noise floor, and some audible distortion affects the right driver more than the left, which hurts the clarity of vocals and instruments. Their battery life is also only decent at five and a half hours, meaning they can't last through a standard workday without needing a recharge. Fortunately, there are three extra full charges in their case, and their fast charge feature gives you an hour of playback time after a 10-minute charge.
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Best Budget Jabra Earbuds
Neutral Sound7.4Commute/Travel7.9Sports/Fitness8.3Office7.4Wireless Gaming5.9Wired Gaming5.8Phone Calls6.6Type In-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless Truly WirelessTransducer DynamicNoise Cancelling NoMic YesIf you want straightforward earbuds and don't care for too many additional luxuries, the Jabra Elite 3 True Wireless do the job. Unlike the Jabra Elite 4 True Wireless, these don't have ANC. On the other hand, their passive noise isolation still manages to dampen some low rumbles of bus engines and especially blocks out high-pitched noise like dish clatter, which makes these an affordable pick. Plus, they also feature a HearThrough mode in case you find them a bit too isolating by default. The aptX codec is also a nice inclusion for higher bitrate audio, which doesn't compress your audio as much as the SBC codec. Unfortunately, iOS doesn't support aptX, so if you have an Apple device, it defaults to SBC. They also don't support multi-device pairing, which can be annoying if you often want to swap between your phone and your laptop for audio.
An IP55 rating against dust and water ensures these buds can go with you to most places, but you'll need to look to the other tiers, like the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless, for a higher rating that includes one for the case. Meanwhile, over seven hours of continuous playback means they'll keep you going through long stints out of the house. The included app has a graphic equalizer if you want to adjust the slightly bassy default tuning. They deliver audio with some added boominess but otherwise sound fairly balanced through the mids and highs.
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Best Over-Ear Jabra Headphones
Neutral Sound7.3Commute/Travel7.6Sports/Fitness7.3Office7.6Wireless Gaming6.9Wired Gaming7.5Phone Calls7.5Type Over-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless YesTransducer DynamicNoise Cancelling YesMic YesIf you prefer the plushy comfort of over-ears, then the Jabra Evolve2 85 Wireless are the best Jabra headphones with this design. Unlike the previous picks on this list, they're optimized for either Microsoft Teams (MT) or United Communication (UC) for a seamless experience during your workday. They also have a decent noise isolation performance, thanks to their ANC system, which can help block out chatty coworkers and the hum of your office's AC unit. With their ANC on, they last over 30 hours continuously. You can also customize their well-balanced sound via their companion app's graphic EQ and presets.
If you take a lot of calls, you'll appreciate their boom mic. It offers decent overall performance, so you'll be easily understood, even if your office gets noisy. You can also use their integrated mic for a less noticeable look if you want to keep your headphones on when you leave the office. These headphones support multi-device pairing, too, so you can stay connected to your PC and smartphone simultaneously. Bridging the gap between casual use and productivity tasks, in addition to Bluetooth, you get a wireless dongle to pair to your PC directly, but this connection has high latency. That said, your audio and visuals will fall out of sync, which can be a deal-breaker when working with video.
If the best Jabra headset is overkill and you want a simple mono earbud, the Jabra Talk 45 Bluetooth Headset is a basic single earbud with a mic for addressing calls without the distraction of too many features at a low price. Its mic is unremarkable at handling environmental noise, and the sound profile is best limited to phone calls rather than music. You can always use any of the other Jabra earbuds in this article in mono mode with more use case flexibility.
Compared To Other Brands
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Model variety.
While most of Jabra's headphones are designed for taking calls, they still make many types of models, from sports-oriented to truly wireless earbuds and mono headsets for truckers or office workers. -
Multi-device pairing.
Most Jabra headphones can be paired with up to two devices at a time, which is handy if you like to switch audio sources between your phone and laptop. -
Great mobile app.
The Jabra Sound+ app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you adjust their sound to your liking. You can also access features like talk-through or adjust their standby timer.
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Recording quality is okay.
For headphones designed for calls, their microphones tend to offer an okay overall performance. However, while speech is still understandable, it may sound thin and muffled. -
High PC latency.
Many of Jabra's Bluetooth headphones have high Bluetooth latency, which can be disappointing if you take many video calls. -
Lackluster active noise cancelling (ANC) performance.
Jabra has a few different strengths of ANC. In the case of the Jabra Elite 4 Active, their ANC scarcely improves on their passive noise isolation performance. That said, the company's top-of-the-line earbuds have remarkable ANC performance, even beating some of the Bose and Sony flagship models.
Jabra vs Anker
Anker and Jabra both have a range of in-ear and over-ear headphones with good performance at the mid-range and upper mid-range price points. While Jabra's offerings are more comfortable and have a more neutral default sound, they tend to be pricier overall. Anker's headphones cost less and feel cheaper, but they have more over-ear options, better mic performance, and ANC. To know more about Anker's lineup, check out our article on the best Anker headphones and earbuds.
Jabra vs Sennheiser
Sennheiser has a much more diverse lineup of headphones than Jabra, who mainly focus on in-ear and call-center headphones. Most of Sennheiser's headphones and earbuds occupy the mid to upper mid-range price point, and some of Jabra's earbuds are cheaper with similar features. Sennheiser also tend to have better ANC, with the notable exception of Jabra's flagship models like the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 True Wireless and Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless. High-quality noise isolation can be a particularly important factor for commuters and office workers. For more info, check out our article on the best Sennheiser headphones.
Jabra has a broad lineup of headphones that cater to the needs of both business professionals and casual users. Their office headsets focus on microphone performance and call-related features. The mics on their truly wireless headphones generally deliver a better performance than others on the market. Features like spatial audio are reserved for higher-tiered products, and the Elite Active earbuds tend to have higher IP ratings against dust and water than equivalent tiers in the Elite line. However, mics on their call center or trucker headsets still struggle to reproduce speech clearly, even in moderately noisy environments. In general, Jabra's active noise cancelling system also only offers a small improvement over the headphones' passive isolation abilities, with the notable exception of the top-tier models like the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless and Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 True Wireless.
Jabra has different lineups for both casual and office use:
- Evolve2 = Over-ear, in-ear, and on-ear headsets designed for office use.
- Elite = Truly wireless in-ears + wireless over-ears/on-ears. Designed for casual use.
- Elite Active = Truly wireless in-ears with silicone coatings intended for exercise and casual use.
- Engage = Lightweight on-ear headphones and mono headsets with boom mic. Designed for use in call centers.
- Talk = Mono headsets designed for taking calls on the go.
Recent Updates
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Sep 26, 2024: The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless have replaced the Jabra Elite 10 True Wireless as the top pick. We removed the sports pick because the top pick is also the sports pick. Otherwise, minor text revisions have been made.
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Jul 31, 2024: We didn't change any of our picks, but we updated the Jabra Elite 10 True Wireless' text to reflect Test Bench 1.7, which updates the way we measure noise isolation.
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May 10, 2024: No changes were made to the picks; minor text improvements were made for better clarity.
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Feb 07, 2024: We updated our picks to include the Jabra Elite 3 as the 'Best Budget Earbuds,' moved the Jabra Elite 4 to the 'Best Mid-Range Earbuds,' and added the Jabra Elite 8 Active as our pick for sports due to their IP rating and features. We removed the Jabra Talk 45 but mentioned it in the Jabra Evolve2 85 section. Small text changes have been made throughout the text.
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Nov 09, 2023: We've replaced the Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless with the Jabra Elite 10 True Wireless. The Elite 10 offer better overall performance, are more comfortable, block out more background noise, and support Dolby Atmos.
Conclusion
Jabra makes professional headphones in a variety of different types. They're well-built, are compatible with the Jabra Sound+ app, and support multi-device pairing. Their call-oriented headsets tend to have better microphones than other Bluetooth competitors, and some models are even among the best Bluetooth headsets for phone calls we've tested. Their features, like active noise cancelling, offer a marginal improvement compared to their passive noise isolation abilities.