Skullcandy’s new earbuds have a battery-free case to emphasize their ecological features
Skullcandy has launched a new pair of eco-friendly wireless earbuds that take a unique approach to achieving sustainability.
They are called the EcoBuds Sustainable True Wireless earbuds. According to the official product pageThe devices are made from 65 percent recycled plastic and reportedly contain 57 percent fewer heavy metals compared to other products. What’s interesting about the EcoBuds is that they forego the traditional rectangular charging case and instead opt for a charging station. The reason for this, as Skullcandy explains, is that the company didn’t want a lithium battery as part of the overall package. They can be quite bad for the environment. A report from the Institute for Energy Research states that mining and manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries “could be worse for the climate than producing batteries for fossil fuel vehicles.”
Because of this design choice, the only battery the device has is the one inside the earbuds, and it won’t last all day. You get up to eight hours of audio playback. That runtime may be disappointing, but Skullcandy has a solution: reverse charging. Connecting the base station to a smartphone via the integrated USB-C cable may drain the battery of your mobile device slightly. A quick 10-minute charge gives it two hours of juice.
Notable features
As for the rest of the hardware, there doesn’t appear to be any special features or drivers in the EcoBuds. Skullcandy focused on making the construction of the earbuds its main selling point. They are primarily a mid-range pair of earbuds.
The company says the EcoBuds have a “secure, noise-isolating fit” that ensures nothing leaks in, and they contain “expertly tuned” drivers that output high-quality audio. They have a resistance rating of IPX4, which means the devices can survive sweat and water splashes. Additionally, you have access to three preset equalizer modes (Music, Bass Boost and Podcast), which allow you to tailor the earbuds to a specific type of media.
Only available in Glacier Blue, Skullcandy’s EcoBuds are now on sale for $40 USD£30 in the UK, and €35 throughout the EU. No word if they’re coming to Australia, although we asked. This story will be updated at a later date.
If you want something with extra power, check out Ny Breaking’s list of the best wireless earbuds for 2024.