A traditional debate: to trip with or with out music? For individuals who take pleasure in a podcast or playlist whilst you pedal, there’s no denying that having a “buddy” in your ear makes the miles tick by sooner. What’s controversial, nevertheless, is how secure it’s to trip together with your ears plugged or lined.
Over time, numerous options have emerged to deal with this difficulty, every with differing ranges of success. From wi-fi Bluetooth earbuds, which might be worn in a single ear (and have, on a couple of event, fallen out and disappeared into the roadside abyss), to bone-conduction headphones (one more factor to get tousled with my helmet straps). Enter a brand new choice to the sound smorgasbord: the Aleck Punks.
Aleck, an organization launched in 2014 to carry audio to ski and snowboard helmets, has now packaged its expertise for hotter climes and helmets for biking.
Development
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
Unpackaging the Aleck Punks, the field reveals a left and proper speaker, a twin charging cable and microfiber bag. Every speaker measures 5.7 x 2.7 x 1 cm, which is actually not massive however I wouldn’t describe them as small both. At 16 grams, the load of every speaker is akin to 4 AirPods.
The audio system are mounted to the helmet straps intuitively by slipping the entrance bike helmet strap by way of a “claw” on the prime and backside of every speaker. At first look, this “claw” design appeared fragile but it is confirmed to be fairly sturdy, withstanding common use in addition to being dropped and jostled round in my gear bag. The attachment system has labored properly: I haven’t skilled any mid-ride motion of the speaker, but positioning has is well adjustable.
Every speaker includes a glove-friendly button on the again to show audio on and off. I actually favored the shape issue of an precise button in comparison with the tap-to-control system discovered on some earbuds, which might be tough to make use of with a strap in the way in which or when sporting gloves.
With audio system mounted and helmet on, the Aleck Punks had been very noticeable. Reactions from others observing the audio system have ranged from “what is that?” to “are you sporting these wind block issues?” to “wow, these look…large”. So in case you’re the kind of rider who matches your socks to your vest to your sun shades, these audio system may not suit your glossy aesthetic. That mentioned, regardless of the look, the audio system felt inconspicuous. As soon as I used to be sporting my helmet, I might hardly really feel the Punks in any respect, and my preliminary impression of the hefty hand really feel of the audio system disappeared.
The Specs
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
- Materials: Plastic
- Measurement: 5.7 cm x 2.7 cm x 1 cm (1.25 in x 1 in x 0.5 in)
- Weight: 16 grams for either side
- Helmet compatibility: open face helmets with straps as much as 15 mm extensive
- Headphone model: Open ear
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2 True Wi-fi
- Charging time: 1 hour. 10-minute fast cost offers 1 hour of use
- Battery life: as much as 12 hours
- Climate proofing: IP65 rated. Water-resistant, sweat resistant, mud proof
- Included in field: left and proper Aleck Punks headphones, twin charging USB-C cable, and microfiber drawstring pouch
- MSRP: $79.95 / RRP: £129.99
The Trip
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
The Aleck Punks have been residing on considered one of my helmets for just a few months now, and I’m not mad about it. They’ve been so fast and simple to pair up with my iPhone. And since they’ve been virtually completely connected to my helmet straps, I’ve discovered myself utilizing them for many of my rides, whether or not I’m taking part in only a music or two on a fast journey to the grocery retailer or catching up on hours of podcasts on a protracted weekend solo trip.
The Aleck Punks have an IP65 score, that means the audio system must be dust-tight and waterproof. Aleck markets the Punks as “immune to sweat, mud, and rain”, and as their unique merchandise had been meant for winter sports activities, I’d count on them to know a factor or two about weatherproofing. Within the few months of testing, my Punks had been uncovered to hours of sweat, alpine desert and even just a few good ol’ Pacific Northwest summer season rains. All in all, they’ve held up admirably with no obvious put on or lack of performance.
The sound readability of the Aleck Punks was higher than I anticipated for a near-ear system. You might not get the crispness of a high quality in-ear system, however I feel tradeoffs are very price it. With the Punks, I might take pleasure in my music and podcasts within the rain, over gravel, by way of windy circumstances and descents and, most significantly, close to visitors. I dwell in an city space that turns into rural in a short time, so it’s essential to me to have the ability to hear auto visitors within the metropolis and keep away from being snuck up on in additional distant areas, as properly. Earlier than utilizing the Punks, my most popular technique of tapping into Spotify was to have a single earbud in my proper ear so I might nonetheless hear for visitors with the open ear, however I typically struggled to listen to the audio whereas driving close to highways or descending. The Punks have been nice at providing the most effective of each worlds, permitting me to take pleasure in one thing to take heed to with out sacrificing spatial consciousness on the street or path. And, in contrast to my earbuds, I by no means lose them or neglect them, as a result of they virtually dwell on my helmet straps.
One drawback to the Punks is that they leak sound. Not like a bone-induction system that may sit on or close to your temples, the Punks ‘dangle’ from the helmet strap close to your ear. Whereas utilizing the Punks, individuals close to me might positively take part on my Taylor Swift jamfest. This was not a dealbreaker for me as I typically select to make use of audio after I’m not driving with others, but it surely’s actually one thing to pay attention to.
Worth and Conclusion
(Picture credit score: Anne-Marije Rook)
After I first acquired the Punks to overview, the MSRP for a pair was listed at $149.95 or £129.99, which is a bit steep. They’ve since come all the way down to a new decrease MSRP of $79.95 (within the U.S. anyway), I feel the Aleck Punks are an amazing worth.
Due to the helmet-strap attachment, these audio system can solely be used whereas sporting a helmet. Initially, I used to be skeptical about proudly owning a pair of headphones solely for biking, particularly when there are different choices that work for a number of actions. In consequence, the Punks weren’t one thing I might have thought-about buying for myself. Nevertheless, I’ve been pleasantly shocked by how a lot I exploit them, and I imagine the Punks would make an amazing reward merchandise for the sensible bike owner in your life. If you will get previous their cumbersome aesthetic, the advantages of this near-ear system are price trying out.