JLab Go Air Pop review

Our Verdict

The JLab Get Air Popular offers impressive sound and durability at an unbeatable price.

For

Versatile sound
Sweat and h2o-resistant
Aplenty battery life
Built-in EQ settings
Compact, sleek, and durable design

Against

Poor call quality
No companion app or extra features
Finicky controls

Tom's Guide Verdict

The JLab Go Air Popular offers impressive sound and immovability at an unbeatable price.

Pros

+
Versatile audio
+
Sweat and water-resistant
+
Ample battery life
+
Congenital-in EQ settings
+
Meaty, sleek, and durable pattern

Cons

-
Poor telephone call quality
-
No companion app or extra features
-
Finicky controls
-

JLab's popularity has skyrocketed over the past two years. Hit that sweet spot between affordable and highly functional, this American-based audio brand continues to release some of the best cheap wireless earbuds on the market, including the all-new $20 Go Air Pop. Wait a minute. Surprisingly good $20 wireless earbuds from a reputable proper name? That's right.

JLab Go Air Pop specs

Colors:Black, Lilac, Rose, Slate, Teal

Battery life (rated): eight hours, 32 hours (with charging case)

Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.ane

Processor: Not stated

Size: 0.ix x one x 0.ix inches (per bud), two.4 x i ten 1.6 inches (charging case)

Weight: 0.1 ounces (per bud), 1 ounces (charging case)

Just when we idea the $25 Skullcandy Dime laid claim to the best true wireless value, in comes this bargain gem with strong audio, steady battery life, and a durable design. Of class, an MSRP this low presents compromises, which in this case is bad call quality and no companion app with extra features. Are these bargain-breakers? Read our total JLab Get Air Pop review to notice out.

The best wireless earbuds overall
Read our full Apple AirPods review
…and our Sony WF-1000XM4 review

JLab Go Air Pop review: Toll and availability

$20 from JLab
Five color options

Yous can pre-order the JLab Go Air Popular for $20 from JLab, with shipping starting in late August. It is sold in five colors: Black, Lilac, Rose, Slate, and Teal. You get a charging instance with integrated USB charging cablevision, quick commencement guide, and three unlike sizes of ear tips with the purchase.

We already mentioned the Skullcandy Dime, merely at that place are several worthy competitors available at depression price points, including the $80 Anker Soundcore Life P3 and sporty sibling $99 JLab Epic Air Sport ANC, ii well-received models that come with lively sound and dissonance cancellation. There's ever the popular $159 Apple AirPods as well.

If you're looking for top-dollar performance, bank check out the $249 AirPods Pro or $279 Sony WH-1000XM4, every bit well as newly-announced Samsung Galaxy Buds ii, which costs $149.

For all of the latest wireless earbuds sales, bookmark our all-time headphones deals page.

JLab Go Air Pop review: Blueprint and comfort

Pocket-size, lite and reasonably comfortable
IPX4 protection

JLab knows all virtually constructing small, sturdy, and aesthetically appealing buds. The Become Air Pop is no dissimilar, maintaining the make's bold-colored, minimalist-appearing pattern, while being shrunk downward 15% compared to previous releases.

JLab Go Air Pop review — (Prototype credit: Regan Coule/Future)

These buds come up with IPX4 sweat and water resistance and a body composed of hard plastic. In other words, these are some tough in-ears that won't cleft when hitting the concrete or damage easily when exposed to moisture. The debossed logo doubles as a touch pad, too.

JLab also managed to scale downwardly the charging case. Information technology is xl% lighter, incredibly small and pocket-friendly. The coolest element is the built-in USB cablevision that is stored underneath the example, letting you accuse on the go with compatible devices or accessories. The magnetic lid does feel flimsy, but I guess something had to requite when accounting for cost. I would have loved to see the example receive IPX4 protection every bit well.

Condolement is moderate. The buds rest gently on the concha for about 2 hours earlier fatigue sets in, and the sound port seamlessly inserts into the canal. Fit is where I institute some issues, as the crenel doesn't shape to the inner office of the ear as well as another models, resulting in looseness. Furthermore, the silicone tips lack grip and don't course a tight seal, which can affect audio functioning (more than on that subsequently). I recommend purchasing the make's $10 Deject Foam Mnemonic Universal Earbuds Tips for a more secure fit.

JLab Go Air Pop review: Controls and digital assistant

Controls are unreliable
Siri and Google Assistant buggy as well

Kudos to JLab for programming a full suite of media controls on such express hardware. You tin can manage calls, playback, book, EQ activation, and digital help at the tip of your finger. On-ear detection for auto-pause/play didn't make the cut.

The control scheme is unique, but not the almost reliable, particularly on the correct bud. Play/pause (double tap) doesn't answer well to its assigned input and gets mistaken for volume upwardly (single tap) nigh xc per centum of the time. Multi-taps didn't annals well either, requiring several attempts to burn down upwards Siri/Google Assistant or cycle through the EQs.

Speaking of Apple and Google's AI bots, both are buggy on the Become Air Pop. When working, they respond quickly to inquiries. JLab's mics also demonstrate slap-up speech recognition. Information technology's getting the feature to work properly. For some odd reason, these buds accept some kind of glitch where tasks tin can't be executed if another program is in use. Examples: My Google Pixel 3 XL wouldn't execute the "Open Gmail" command while Spotify was in utilize and my MacBook Pro wouldn't acknowledge me enabling Siri during Google Meet conferences.

JLab Go Air Pop review: Audio quality

Mostly good for the price, with custom profiles
Noise isolation could be better

The Go Air Pop is scarce on features, but at least information technology offers some audio personalization through EQ settings that don't require a companion app to enable. You can do this manually on either bud via triple-tap gesture. The iii EQs on hither are JLab Signature, Balanced, and Bass Boost, and each ane has been vastly improved from when the company start introduced them on their earlier creations.

JLab Signature is considered the flagship betwixt the three and suits most music genres. I immediately noticed the distension in vocals and bass when switching to it, which complemented the energetic resonance on Mary J Blige's "Family Affair." The infectious snares knocked hard, and the queen'southward silky singing shined over the funky production. I was satisfied with the frequency response equally well.

Switching to Balance provided neutral audio, resulting in an equal mix of lows, mids, and highs. JLab suggests using this preset for audiobooks, podcasts, and classical music, and I completely concord. The instrumental separation and reproduction on Ahmad Jamal's "The Awakening" were stellar and had me feeling similar I was sitting front row at a live performance at the Blue Note. Popular records also performed well, as exhibited on the Backstreet Boys' "I Desire It That Way," where the vocals were articulated and crisp.

Lastly, there is Bass Boost, which is self-explanatory. This preset emphasizes the low end and provides some room for mids to breathe, though highs are nearly phased out. Pressing play on Busta Rhymes' "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See," that monstrous bassline bounced hard off my eardrum and sent a surge of electricity through my body with every drum strike. Since bass dominated the unabridged soundscape, the tambourine jingling in the groundwork barely had whatsoever presence.

Racket isolation is mediocre due to ear tips not creating a tight seal, significant ambience noise will creep in during listening sessions. Agile noise counterfoil would have helped blocked out and minimize certain distractions.

Codec support is limited to AAC and SBC. No aptX, which would have improved the sound transmission and grant lossless sound when streaming from hi-fi platforms like Tidal.

JLab Go Air Popular review: Bombardment life and charging example

Respectable longevity
Case has user-friendly built-in cable

To become 8 hours of playtime from a pair of $20 wireless earbuds is exceptional. Realistically, it is most 7 hours when factoring in volume, streaming, and the EQ modes, but that's notwithstanding longer than both the standard AirPods and the AirPods Pro: 5 hours without ANC. I got about four days of moderate apply (2 hours daily) before tossing them in the charging case, which holds upwards to 32 hours total when fully charged.

The integrated USB cablevision is an awesome bonus to have when you want to power upwards the buds at abode or in an office setting; information technology's practically designed for charging on desktops and laptops. At the aforementioned time, you may need to go along a power adapter with a USB connectedness on hand, should you need to charge via wall outlet. Otherwise, the just disappointment here is the lack of wireless charging.

JLab Go Air Pop review: Telephone call quality and connectivity

Call quality is the buds' biggest weakness
General connectivity much better

I didn't wait much from the call quality on these buds, but goose egg this bad. When taking calls indoors, there were several complaints from friends about my voice cutting in and out, forth with some muffling. Outside was worse because the slightest ambience noise (generally wind) interfered with every conversation. My wife also complained about how I sounded hollow at times. Being in a completely quiet room and speaking loudly was the merely time she could understanding anything I said.

Strangely, the Go Air Pop performs much better on video calls. I have no clue why this is the example, but my feel during Zoom chats was enjoyable, as family members and clients praised the clarity and book on my stop.

In amend news: Bluetooth has always been a hallmark for JLab and that hasn't changed on the Go Air Pop. Range is advertised at xxx anxiety, though it's college when using the buds in widely open up spaces: 35 feet max. Going from room to room does cause some dropout around the 25-foot mark. JLab's Auto On & Connect applied science is yet astonishing, instantly paring to devices and making the switch from ane recognized device to another an effortless task.

JLab Go Air Pop review: Verdict

Had y'all told me that JLab planned on launching even cheaper wireless earbuds that would deliver nifty functionality in a tinier bundle, I would accept chosen BS. Well, colour me convinced considering the Go Air Pop mostly lives upwards to the hype. Sound solitary makes the buds worth owning, thanks to properly engineered EQs that match dissimilar types of content. Playtimes are sufficient for all-day listening. Build quality is on bespeak as well.

I had reservations virtually the controls and call quality before testing, two categories that oasis't always performed well on previous JLab products, and my gut was right. Unless you're taking video calls in a quiet room, there is no fun to be had using the Go Air Pop as a calling headset. The controls can be frustrating to operate too due to weak touch on accuracy.

The lack of features might plow some consumers off, but what more should you expect from a pair of $20 wireless earbuds? Exactly. Await by these drawbacks and yous'll detect the Become Air Pop is the all-time $20 you lot tin spend right at present.

More than: The all-time Apple AirPods alternatives — similar styling at lower price

A lifestyle journalist with an affinity for consumer products, Alex has over a decade of experience and has worked with popular publications such equally Circuitous, Thrillist, Men'southward Health, Gear Patrol, AskMen, and Hoop Magazine. He currently focuses on audio, reviewing the nigh coveted headphones in the market for both Tom's Guide and Laptop Magazine.