HolyHigh Wireless Earbuds

The HolyHigh Wireless Earbuds are light, comfortable and impressively waterproof – this, plus long battery times and a solid Bluetooth connection, makes them ideal for cyclists. Their in-ear design inevitably blocks ambient sound, which won't suit everyone, though they do support mono should you choose to just run one.

At first glance the HolyHigh earbuds seem like a premium set, and I'm genuinely surprised at the features given the price. They come fitted with black earhooks, plus a pair of fluorescent yellow spares. You also get three sizes of rubber grommet to match to the holes in your head, and the buds live inside a clever charging case.

The earbuds' waterproof rating of IPX7 means they can survive being submerged in a metre of water for 30 min, which is impressive. They easily stand up to sweaty turbo sessions and even hot showers afterwards.

Open the charging case and the HolyHighs switch on automatically, then pair with the last known device – it's incredibly quick and easy. The case itself has the latest USB-C connection, a magnetic lid, and a row of small white LEDs to indicate battery level.

The case is capable of replenishing the earbuds five or six times on a single charge, so as well as acting as convenient storage, it means they're always topped up and ready.

The distance they stay connected is impressive. It's a good twenty metres – I can even leave the phone in the house and stay connected in the garage on the turbo with no dropout.

Curiously, the black ear hooks are slightly more flexible than the florescent ones, and I prefer them as they feel a bit more snug around the ear. Like the case, the earbuds have LEDs to show charge – blue when good, red when low.

To be clear, I don't normally ride with headphones as they block out external sounds, and these are no different – I find myself constantly checking over my shoulder for cars. You can ride with just one as they work in mono mode, too.

Controls

Each earbud has a multifunction button to control features such as on/off, volume, call answering, next track, or Siri and Google Search. Unfortunately, it's rubberised and rather stiff, and leads to you just jamming the bud into your ear... I ended up using my phone controls instead, or taking a bud out to press it.

Both buds feature mics for calls, too – again you lose nothing by running just one, which is a neat bit of design.

Sound quality is perfectly acceptable for both music and calls, and the more snug the fit, the bassier they get. I used these during sweaty Zwift races to communicate with team members, and found them excellent... although I'm not sure the others appreciated my heavy breathing.

Value

Despite this niggle, the performance, features and quality are impressive, especially for the price. There's not much out there that's really competing.

Dave tested the Kitsound District True Wireless Earbuds last year, which have a similar charging case, but had to 'hack' the eartips with Sugru and the Bluetooth connectivity wasn't great. And they're £70.

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The Aftershokz Aeropex would be a good alternative if you are looking to do more riding with music, as they're bone conducting and don't block external sounds – however, they're £150. Aftershokz' new OpenMove model (review to come) is cheaper at £70, but showerproof rather than properly waterproof.

Overall

The HolyHigh Wireless Earbuds are comfortable for hours, last ages on a charge, connect extremely well and offer an impressive, waterproof build. The price is extremely competitive too – really only the stiff button lets them down, and even that can be worked around.

Assuming you're okay with riding without ambient sound, or just wanting something for the turbo trainer and online chat, they're easy to recommend and a very strong option.

Verdict

Good sound, impressive waterproofing and generally great design – only the button disappoints