Details
Brand
Fitbit
Model
Flyer
Battery Life
5 hrs
Latest Version
Yes
Key Features
• Multiple ear tips for a customizable fit• Average battery life of five to six hours• Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity• Two different colorways• Two different EQ settings
Comfort
Right off the bat, the Fitbit Flyer has a bit of a disadvantage in terms of comfort. Since earbuds are designed to be housed directly inside the wearer’s ears during use, they tend to cause discomfort and soreness if they are used for too long. Fortunately, Fitbit allows for some customization in terms of ear tips that can accommodate different sizes of ears. However, the fact remains that the nature of this product’s design causes it to be more uncomfortable than a pair of standard over-the-ear headphones.;Aside from this unfortunate caveat, the Fitbit Flyer is a fairly comfortable portable listening accessory. They weigh very little due to the minimal amount of material used for their construction and they only have one cord that connects each bud and contains the inline remote. This means that there is no risk of having excessively long cables becoming tangled or wrapped around the wearer’s neck, freeing up a considerable amount of space for a plethora of physical activities. This is the benefit held by earbuds over headphones: the fact that they are almost always less heavy due to the lack of large ear cups or headbands.
Style
The Fitbit Flyer has a minimalist design aesthetic mostly out of necessity. The fact that they are wireless earbuds means that there isn’t much material to work with, in the first place, which ultimately lends itself to a design that focuses on simplicity. The most visible portion of the Flyer is the small plate made from plastic and aluminum added to the other side of each earbud. These offer a two-tone color scheme in one of two possible colorways: Nightfall Blue and Lunar Grey. Confusingly, Lunar Grey is actually white and gold, with the first choice having gray alongside a dark blue.;In all honesty, there isn’t much that can be said about this product’s sense of style since its entire layout is so rudimentary. However, what can be said is that the Fitbit Flyer is subtle and won’t draw any attention to the wearer. Anyone looking to make a fashion statement with their music listening accessories should consider something from Beats instead.
Activities
The main draw to this Fitbit product is its ability to function as a simple and convenient music listening accessory for individuals who regularly engage in a variety of exercises. Since they take the form of earbuds over traditional over-ear headphones, the way in which the Flyer attaches to the wearer’s ears is more secure and won’t shift or fall out when performing sudden movements. And since these are wireless earbuds, it’s even easier for individuals to wear these while performing a variety of strenuous tasks without losing connection to their listening device of choice. Finally, the sweat-resistant coating means that these earbuds will continue functioning as intended even while the wearer is perspiring excessively which means that high-intensity exercises can be accommodated as well.;With all of these features in mind, the list of potential activities that can be performed while wearing the Fitbit Flyer is numerous. As with most headphones and earbuds, many different forms of running can be performed with this product, ranging in intensity from casual jogging to intense sprinting and even hardcore trail running. Additionally, these wireless earbuds are an excellent choice for most forms of gym-based training, such as weightlifting, gymnastics, and calisthenics. However, these earbuds aren’t going to work for swimming or other water-based exercises since they are only sweat-proof and not fully waterproof.
Basic Features
The main draw to this Fitbit product is its ability to function as a simple and convenient music listening accessory for individuals who regularly engage in a variety of exercises. Since they take the form of earbuds over traditional over-ear headphones, the way in which the Flyer attaches to the wearer’s ears is more secure and won’t shift or fall out when performing sudden movements. And since these are wireless earbuds, it’s even easier for individuals to wear these while performing a variety of strenuous tasks without losing connection to their listening device of choice. Finally, the sweat-resistant coating means that these earbuds will continue functioning as intended even while the wearer is perspiring excessively which means that high-intensity exercises can be accommodated as well.;With all of these features in mind, the list of potential activities that can be performed while wearing the Fitbit Flyer is numerous. As with most headphones and earbuds, many different forms of running can be performed with this product, ranging in intensity from casual jogging to intense sprinting and even hardcore trail running. Additionally, these wireless earbuds are an excellent choice for most forms of gym-based training, such as weightlifting, gymnastics, and calisthenics. However, these earbuds aren’t going to work for swimming or other water-based exercises since they are only sweat-proof and not fully waterproof.
Advanced Features
The aforementioned inline remote included on one side of the Fitbit Flyer’s connecting wire comes with a dual microphone. This allows these earbuds to provide greater audio quality when using them to make phone calls since the extra microphone can identify background noise that is later eliminated to improve speech clarity. This noise isolation functionality can also be applied to regular headphone use and will allow the wearer to hear their music, audiobooks, or podcasts without being distracted by noise in their vicinity. On the subject of sound quality, the Flyer also comes with the ability for wearers to switch between one of two preset audio equalizations. The standard format, known as Signature mode, provides a decent level of fidelity, but the Power Boost option emphasizes bass and a few other attributes to provide a more adrenaline-pumping music listening experience.;Something that is conspicuously absent for this product considering that it was created by Fitbit is any sort of fitness tracking or health monitoring feature. Many modern headphones and earbuds, wireless or otherwise, will include the ability to track the wearer’s heart rate among other health-related functions. Unfortunately, the Fitbit Flyer has no such functionality, although it can be connected to Fitbit Ionic devices to accommodate any users who already own this particular form of fitness tracker.
Connectivity
Since these are wireless earbuds, the Fitbit Flyer can only connect to listening devices that are compatible with its form of connective technology. Fortunately, this product uses Bluetooth, which is a technology with near-universal adopting by modern music listening devices and smartphones. The audio quality of Bluetooth streaming is impressive, especially when it comes to the 4.1 version with which the Flyer is compatible. However, there are still two downsides to this form of connectivity. The first negative is that Bluetooth is prone to signal interference if there are other Bluetooth devices in its vicinity. This shouldn’t be an issue when using this device for a jog or trail run outside but it may lead to issues when wearing them in a gym if other people are also listening to their music via Bluetooth. The second issue is the fact that Bluetooth will increase the power drain for both the earbuds and the connected device, which will inevitably cause the user’s need to charge both devices to increase. Still, many users will attest that the positives to this form of wireless functionality far outweigh its negatives.
Ease of Use
One on hand, the Fitbit Flyer is an incredibly easy to use accessory for any fitness-focused individual looking to listen to their music on the go. For example, the fact that it uses Bluetooth means that it can easily be connected to a variety of listening devices. Additionally, this device still has a wire that prevents the two buds from separating which will certainly make it easier for absent-minded individuals to keep close tabs on it. Finally, the Fast Charging feature along with the lack of any companion app or software means that the Fitbit Flyer can be operated almost as soon as it’s taken out of the box.;On the other hand, many of these features which improve the Flyer’s utility can also impede it. Some individuals dislike Bluetooth functionality because it can be difficult to pair with some listening devices, it won’t work at all with legacy hardware, and it will cause the paired device’s battery to drain at an accelerated rate. Furthermore, the lack of a companion app makes it next to impossible for users to adjust features such as EQ or power consumption. At the end of the day, whether or not this product is easy to use will boil down to personal preference.
Power Source
The way in which the Fitbit Flyer draws power is different from traditional wired earbuds and headphones. Instead of being able to draw the power it needs to function from the device it is attached to through a headphone or Lightning cable, these wireless earbuds must be charged separately before they can be used. A USB port has been added to one side of the Flyer’s inline remote, which can then be plugged into a computer or wall outlet in order to charge.;On a full charge, these wireless earbuds can be used for around 5 hours before needing to be recharged. This is decent and will suffice for most active individuals who want to use them for regular exercises, but there are many other headphones and earbuds on the market that have much better charge times. The good news is that this Fitbit product comes with a Fast Charging feature, meaning that it can reach a functional level of charge in a very short period of time. The bad news is that because these earbuds use Bluetooth to connect to a listening device, it will increase the drain on said device and shorten its battery life.
Sound Quality
As was previously mentioned, the Fitbit Flyer allows wearers to choose between one of two preset EQ settings. The Signature option set as the default is designed to offer an even range of lows-mids, and highs, which makes it serve as a good all-around sound setting for listening to many different forms of audio. The Power Boost option, on the other hand, is designed to offer a bass-heavy experience with the intention of giving the wearer’s music a boost in energy, hopefully driving them to exercise with similarly amplified intensity. It’s nice for Fitbit to include this option, but it would be much nicer if it included some way for listeners to fine-tune the EQ settings to their exact specifications like many other high-end headphone manufacturers provide. However, this is a missing feature that should really only concern hardcore audiophiles, the casual listener will most likely have no problem with the stock features offered by these earbuds.
Durability
Since this product is so small, it stands to reason that they would be fragile. In truth, the Fitbit Flyer certainly isn’t something that you would want to step on with any significant amount of force since its construction has no way to provide any form of defense against this kind of trauma. However, there are some features present in its design that help to extend its longevity when used as intended.;For starters, these earbuds still have one cable that connects each bud despite not necessarily requiring them. In addition to allowing these Bluetooth-enabled earbuds to place an inline remote within reach of the wearer, this cable makes it impossible for these two buds to separate, eliminating any possibility of misplacing one of the buds. The second major durability feature found in the Flyer’s design is its sweat-proofing. Although it doesn’t provide enough moisture resistance to accommodate activities that involve partial or complete submergence in water, it does provide enough protection to ensure that they will work to their fullest ability for a long time, no matter how sweaty the person wearing it becomes. As a result, customers should expect this product to last for a few years before needing to be replaced at the very least.
Price
The average price for a decent pair of wireless headphones or earbuds is usually around $200. This is more or less the acceptable cost for this product, although some higher-end models can easily cost more than $300, such as those by Bose or Beats. However, the Fitbit Flyer bucks this trend by coming with a price tag that is far below this average at just under $150. When considering how affordable it is in comparison with many similar products on the market, some of the Flyer’s shortcomings, such as its lack of a companion app and its shorter battery life, become easier to understand and justify when making a purchasing decision.
Bottom Line
The Fitbit Flyer has many features that make for an excellent entry level pair of wireless earbuds. They’re designed with a certain simplicity that makes the experience painless and stress-free but audiophiles with a preference for high-end consumer electronics will likely be disappointed with what it has to offer. There are quite a few features absent in this product’s design that can be found in other headphones and earbuds with only a minimal price difference. However, this product from Fitbit is still valuable on its own and can certainly accommodate many individuals as they conduct a variety of exercises.
