Beats Powerbeats Fit Review: Apple's Compact Workout Earbuds Revamped
Apple's revamped Beats Powerbeats Fit earbuds present a compelling option for fitness enthusiasts and everyday users alike, blending a secure fit with advanced features. Priced at £200 (€230/$200/A$330), these earbuds serve as the direct successors to the popular Beats Fit Pro from 2022, positioning themselves alongside the redesigned Powerbeats Pro 2 as Apple's fitness-focused alternatives to the AirPods.
Design and Comfort
The Powerbeats Fit feature a unique design that incorporates a flexible silicone stabiliser wing, which curves around the inside of the concha rather than the outside of the ear. This results in a more compact and discreet earbud, particularly in subtler colour options, and enhances comfort for users who wear glasses. The wing is slightly more flexible than its predecessor, ensuring a secure fit without sacrificing stability during vigorous activities like running or gym workouts.
Once twisted into place, the earbuds remain firmly seated, even when exposed to rain or intense head movements. However, some users may experience discomfort after extended wear, with pressure occasionally felt in the inner ear after about an hour.
Features and Performance
Each earbud includes a single button for playback and noise-cancelling controls, with options to adjust volume via press-and-hold gestures. Call quality is impressive, delivering natural and clear audio even in quiet environments, with minimal background noise intrusion on busy streets.
The battery life offers up to six hours of playback with active noise cancellation enabled, extendable to 24 hours with the charging case, which is 17% smaller and lighter than previous versions for enhanced portability. Charging is facilitated via USB-C, adding to the convenience.
Connectivity and Compatibility
Equipped with Apple's H1 chip, the Powerbeats Fit provide seamless connectivity to iPhones and other Apple devices, supporting features like spatial audio, music sharing, and Siri. For Android users, the Beats app delivers many advanced functionalities, including instant pairing, customisation options, updates, and battery widgets, making these earbuds highly cross-compatible and ideal for multi-platform users.
Sound and Noise Cancellation
The earbuds deliver superior audio quality compared to typical workout buds, with balanced sound, powerful bass, good tonal separation, and detailed mids and highs. They excel with genres like rock, pop, hip-hop, and electronic music, though they fall slightly short of the AirPods Pro 3 in overall performance.
Active noise cancellation effectively dampens road noise and commuter sounds, though it struggles with higher-frequency noises like clicks and chatter. The transparency mode is natural-sounding, aiding awareness during outdoor activities, but it's best used in safer environments like parks.
Sustainability and Pricing
Apple does not specify an expected lifespan for the batteries, but they are designed to last over 500 full-charge cycles while retaining at least 80% capacity. The earbuds are not repairable, but Apple offers individual replacements for lost or damaged parts, including a £69 battery service. Environmental impact reports are not published for accessories, though trade-in and recycling schemes are available.
At £199.95, the Powerbeats Fit are positioned against competitors like the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 (£250), Beats Studio Buds+ (£180), Beats Solo Buds (£80), and AirPods Pro 3 (£219).
Verdict
The Beats Powerbeats Fit represent a minor yet effective update to the Beats Fit Pro, aligning them with Apple's broader earbud lineup. While they may not match the comfort or audio prowess of the AirPods Pro 3 or the running-specific features of the Powerbeats Pro 2, they excel as versatile workout buds that double as daily earbuds. Their secure fit, good sound quality, solid noise cancellation, and cross-platform compatibility make them a standout choice for users seeking a reliable and feature-rich audio solution.
Pros: secure fit, good sound, solid noise cancelling and transparency modes, decent battery life, good case, good call quality, spatial audio, cross-platform compatibility with enhanced features for iPhone and Android.
Cons: expensive for workout buds, no multipoint connectivity, ear hook can be uncomfortable after a while, battery can’t be replaced making them ultimately disposable.
