BlueAnt Pump HD Sportbuds

BlueAnt’s Pump HD Sportbuds wireless headphones look a bit bulky, almost like “funked up” hearings aids, attached by a cord that slips around the back of your head. Those of us who are suckers for a pair of ergonomic, stylish headphones might be a bit disappointed.

Nevertheless, the Pump HD Sportbuds are solid. The manufacturer, BlueAnt, describes the design as “military-grade”, which protects the headphones from the elements, and this is mainly due to the construction materials that have been used: Kevlar and Teflon. BlueAnt even claims you can rinse them under the tap after a workout.

The headphones connect over Bluetooth, and can be used with any Bluetooth-enabled PC, laptop, smartphone, tablet, or even Apple’s iPod Nano. We charged the headphones over a couple of hours through the USB connection on an Apple Mac and connected them to an Apple iPad.

The retail pack comes with a set of six interchangeable earbuds, which are very useful considering human ears come in all sizes, and it can often be quite difficult to get the right fit, particularly if you’re a runner.

But if you have small ears, you may find them a tad uncomfortable as they are quite rigid and bulky at the back. Again, they look at bit like your standard hearing aids due to the bulky bits at the back, though they are just a bit cooler.

The headphones have a very clear and clean sound, which often isn’t the case with sports earbuds, let alone wireless ones. They produce plenty of bass and high frequencies are crisp.

The Pump HD Sportbuds are very likely to suit walkers — those of us who simply want to listen to music while walking around the house or connected to our smartphones when outside. Gym-goers who like to listen to tunes on their iPods or smartphones while working out will also benefit from using these wireless headphones; there’s nothing worse than cables getting in the way when you’re lifting weights or using the rowing machine.

However, we feel that they may not be suitable for runners who are more familiar with small earbuds that are not as bulky. Even small earbuds with cords would be better suited to running; it’s easy enough to slide the cords down your shirt so they won’t get in the way. We prefer the Monster iSport Victory headphones for running, even though they are slightly more expensive at $189 — they hook on the front inside rather than over the back of the ear.

The Pump HD Sportbuds will play music for up to eight hours and they take around two hours to charge. Standby time is two weeks, according to BlueAnt. They also ship with a 12 month warranty.

Ultimately, if you don’t mind a bulky pair of headphones and cordless sound is an attractive feature, they are definitely worth a look. They cost $150 in Australia, and $159 in New Zealand.