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The JLab Go Sport+ offer exceptional value to runners as headphones with a secure fit and solid sound that cost just £30/$30. They’re the best running headphones you can get if you’re on a tight budget, and have thoroughly impressed us throughout testing.
Design & Key Stats
- Price: £30 / $30
- Water resistance: IP55
- ANC? No
- Transparency mode? Yes
- Battery life (buds): 9 hours
- Battery life (case): 35 hours
JLab Go Sport+ review
The Run Test: Likes
You have to start with the price when talking about what we like about the JLab Go Sport+, because these are exceptional value headphones. Not only is their full price of £30/$30 very low, they’re often in sales for £20/$20.
That low price wouldn’t mean much if they didn’t perform on the run though, but they absolutely do. The fit is secure and comfortable thanks to the earhook design, even though the hooks is not as flexible as on some buds, like the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2. We could wear them with hats and glasses without problems on the run.
The sound quality is also pretty good, and a lot better than you’d expect for the low price. The bass is punchy, and there’s no real distortion at high volumes. JLab has a great record of producing good sound quality in budget buds, and that continues here.
When running in busy areas the Be Aware mode works well in making you aware of your surroundings without just becoming a wind mode, though things do get a little breezy at times.
The battery life is good on the buds as well, with nine hours of playback on the headphones themselves. A 10-minute quick charge gets you an hour of playback, too.
The Run Test: Dislikes
The touch controls on the headphones can be quite fiddly and hard to use on the run, especially if you have sweaty fingers or are wearing gloves. We much prefer button controls in general on running headphones, but these are just about useable.
While the buds have fit us well, the fairly stiff design means that if you they don’t slot perfectly into place for you then it’s hard to adjust the fit. In general earhook buds are a little more fiddly than in-ear headphones too, especially if you plan to use these outside your running as well.
It’s not really a criticism, since we wouldn’t expect these features at this price, but the JLab Go Sport+ don’t offer ANC, and you can obviously get better sound quality by upgrading to more expensive buds.
Finally, at times Nick did notice that the connection from the buds to his phone would stutter a bit on runs if he had his phone in a thigh pocket on his shorts. It never completely cut out and wasn’t a regular enough occurrence to be a problem, but it might affect where you position your phone during runs.
Verdict And Alternatives
If you need running headphones that stay in place, sound good and don’t cost the earth, the JLab Go Sport+ are a great option. While they’re not the best-sounding buds on the market, you’ll be paying three figures to make a significant upgrade on that front, and the earhook fit is very reliable for running.
Those who do prefer earhook buds and want ANC and better sound could look at the JLab Epic Sport ANC 3 or the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, if you’re prepared to spend a bit more.
If you don’t generally need an earhook to keep headphones in place during your runs then you could look at the JLab Go Air Pop+, which are even cheaper than the Go Sport+. We rate the Pop buds very highly and they are ludicrously good value, but the more secure fit of the earhook is usually handy for running.