Adidas' FWD-02 Sport earbuds are now available for $170
The IPX5 earbuds come with multiple ear tips and wings and a mesh case for faster drying.
Last October, Adidas partnered with Swedish headphone maker Zound, best known for its work with Marshall, to announce three sets of new true wireless earbuds. One of those was the FWD-02 Sport earbuds, which were supposed to launch last year. Following a delay, however, they’re finally available starting this month.
As a refresher, the FWD-02 Sport are a pair of runner-friendly earbuds with swappable ear tips and wings, and a force sensor so you can control them while wearing gloves. They’re also IPX5 certified so they’re resistant to sweat and water. Adidas and Zound claim you can expect up to 6 hours of playtime from the earbuds, with the charging case providing another 19 hours of battery life before you need to head to an outlet.
The case features a mesh top layer, which Adidas said helps the buds dry faster when you need to store them. The FWD-02 also include an Awareness mode that allows ambient sounds to filter through so you can stay safe while using them for outdoor workouts.
At $170, the FWD-02 earbuds face some stiff competition, particularly from Apple’s Beats Fit Pro. While they’re $30 more expensive, they include active noise-cancellation, a fit a lot of people like and Apple’s H1 chip for hands-free access to Siri, one-touch pairing and other iOS-specific features. The lack of ANC isn’t a dealbreaker for a pair of sport-focused earbuds like the FWD-02, but it’s a feature that more and more people are looking to get on their next pair of headphones.
