I have a huge collection of headphones (I seem to buy new ones every year for my marathon training). So far, it's a tie between these Trekz Aftershokz Mini's and my Jaybird X3s as my favorites (although the X3s hurt insides of my ears after a couple hours). Here are my pros & cons of my experience with the Trekz Aftershokz Mini:
Pros: 1. Bluetooth connection is the farthest of any of the headphones I currently have! When paired with my Garmin 645music (worn on my left), the connection has never broken! Unlike some other headphones I have. 2. These seem to pair very easily with many devices. I've use them with my phone, computer, Garmin, and other music players. 3. The sound is amazing for not being inside your ear! 4. Much more comfortable than having buds inside your ear. 5. You are able to hear cars, dogs, people approaching, etc. Although, if you turn these up too loud, they can still drown out outside noise, so you'll want to be careful if you need to hear what's going on around you. 6. The control on the left ear is in a very convenient place for playing/pausing your music. 7. These seem to stay on/connected to my Garmin longer when music is paused. Other headphones I've had just timed out and shut off after a while. But these don't which is great, because then you don't have to try to connect them again if you pause them for a long time. 8. Since I use these mainly for running, I can tell you they are defintely sweatproof. I am a very heavy sweater (with very salty sweat), and these headphones clean up very well with a damp paper towel. 9. I like how when I take them off I can just put them around my neck, without worrying about losing them. 10. They charge pretty quickly, and really hold a charge! Mine are still at "battery high" after a few weeks.
Cons: 1. They are not adjustable at all. I wish they were. These are the MINI ones, and they still don't seem small enough. I would like them to fit across the back of my head, without hanging down at all. My head is smaller (probably same as a kids size! lol), and they hang down on back of my neck a bit. This forces them to move out of place if I tilt my head upward toward the sky. So if I have a hat or visor, I have to tuck the back up into the hat to keep them more comfortable. 2. I wish these were bendable! Especially the earpiece (the part that goes over your ear). I also wish that piece was thinner and flexible so it could be bent to the exact shape of your ear. I find that these don't stay where I initially put them, and they just sort of settle into their own spot over my ear. And they are comfortable for a while.. But when running with them for 2-3 hours, they start to dig into the top of my ears (where my ears meet my head), and cause some soreness. 3. The part that goes over your ear is a flat, rubber-coated hard plastic that can dig in after a while. If it could be thinner, and a softer rubber type material that could bend/shape, it would be more comfortable. 4. The controls are easy enough to operate, but are not in a very convenient to reach spot. They seem too close to the ear, and it moves the headphones out of place when trying to find the button for volume or to change a song. They just seem like they should be more toward the back a little. 5. These could be a tad big lighter in weight. They feel about the same as my Plantronics Backbeat Fit wireless headphones. 6. I wish the battery indicator was more specific -- like on some others I have it says "battery 80%". These just say high, low, etc. 7. The carrying bag is barely big enough to hold the headphones, making it hard to stuff the charging cord and earplugs in as well. You would think for paying this price, you'd get a nicer bag.
So there you go, my full unbiased review. Hope you found this helpful!
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