Are you after the tiniest wireless earbuds to carry around in your joggers, gym shorts or gym bag? Well, Beats has you covered with its latest launch: the Solo Buds.
With a budget price of £79 and a great range of colours, these newest Beats headphones have a comfortable in-ear fit, come in an ultra-tiny storage case, work just as well with iPhones as they do with Android handsets, and deliver a whopping 18-hour battery life.
The downside? While most wireless earbuds have a charging case that tops up the battery, keeping you on 100% when you return to your buds at your next gym session or commute, the Solo Buds carry case is simply just that.
On the plus side, that means that 18-hour battery life is possible from a single charge, but it also means that’s the total battery. Once it’s gone, you need to recharge them properly with the USB-C cable.
Not sure whether to invest? Read on to find my thoughts on these tiny buds after a week of testing.
Pros
- Great single-charge battery life
- Comfortable and convenient
- Easy to connect to Apple or Android
- Super-slim and portable case
- Four ear tip sizes for a good fit
Cons
- Not water or sweat-resistant
- No extra case battery
- No noise-cancelling
- No ambient mode
- Sound quality is average
| Type | In-ear (true wireless) |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | Up to 18 hours on one charge |
| Noise Cancelling | No |
Beats Solo Buds Review
Where these do well is with the basics. If you’re just after reliable buds that slip into your pocket, I recommend them.
They’re compatible with iPhones and Android devices, so it doesn’t matter which camp you’re in – you’re getting easy one-step pairing that connects them to all the devices in your account.
They also support finding features through Apple’s “Find My” and Android’s “Find My Device,” so that’s reassuring if you’re worried about misplacing them.
But beyond that, the features are minimal. There’s no in-ear detection or auto-pausing when you take one out, no spatial audio, no noise-cancellation, no transparency mode and no IP rating for water resistance. For several of those features, I’d recommend upgrading to my consistent favourite Beats buds, the Beats Fit Pro.
Beats Solo Buds Design
It’s evident the top priority with the design of the Beats Solo Buds is portability. Beats says this is “the tiniest case” it has ever made, and I can’t deny that makes them especially appealing for on-the-go use. The buds are more compact than the majority of other earbuds I’ve tried — and I’ve tried a lot of what’s out there.
For smaller buds, you’d have to pick something like the JLab JBuds Mini, and even then the Beats case is more compact. The Solo Buds themselves are perhaps a little chunky, and somewhat stuck out of my ears, but they’re not the worst for this.
One of the main positives I can say about them is that Beats has honed the fit and comfort compared to its older Studio Buds and last year’s Studio Buds +. These feel much more soft and comfortable to wear for hours at a time – a major benefit.
Beats Solo Buds Features
I’ve already gone through the device finding support and simple Apple and Android connectivity above, and beyond that there isn’t a lot to talk about feature-wise. Each bud has a single button for control and this is simple and intuitive to use. You press it in once for play/pause, twice to skip forward and three times to skip back.
By default, a long hold of this button triggers your voice assistant (either Siri or Google Assistant), although it can be set to handle volume – holding the left side to decrease and holding right to increase – and this is what I set mine to during testing. Pressing the buttons is a little finicky, but easy once you get the hang of it. Some may prefer touch controls but this works for me.
The buds do also make some audible alerts, letting you know when they’re low on battery with an in-ear chirp and a sound once they’re back in the case with less than 10% battery too. When they’re on charge, you’ll also hear a little beep to let you know it’s happening successfully.
If you were hoping for anything smarter than these features, though, you’ll be disappointed. I would’ve liked if there were some noise-cancellation or ambient awareness modes, but the lack of these juice-draining extras is what allows the Solo Buds to have their excellent battery life.
Beats Solo Buds Sound Quality
Every person’s sound quality experience will differ, and it’s such a subjective part of headphone testing. The key point is that the audio performance is solid and will be impressive compared to older Beats models. For the size and price, it’s competitive, but I’ve also heard better.
To evaluate these buds, I listened to pop music, rock, dance tunes and soundtracks, as well as my podcast queue. This included Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Daft Punk and the Dune soundtrack. The Solo Buds do a good job with the detail in the highs and punchy bass notes but don’t always feel like they have the most depth or nuance in the mid-range. They’re a fun listen for most playlists, and sound great for podcasts.
For most listeners, they’re more than enough. But you might also want more from your experience. I’ve tried competitor buds like the Final ZE3000 and Sony WF-C500 and these sound better for around the same price or less. Spend a little extra cash and you could get noise-cancelling from the likes of the Nothing Ear (a), Soundcore Liberty 4NC or Sony WF-C700N.
Beats Solo Buds Battery Life
The battery is one area where these are genuine winners.
Of course, the downside is that there’s no battery within the case, meaning the overall listening time is depleted. But, the buds lasting for up to 18 hours on a single charge is unheard of – these are going to be the go-to buds for those of you who live in your earphones (you know who you are).
In my testing, this longevity lives up to the claim and I was able to get a few days of use out of them in the office, at the gym and while walking around. When it comes to recharging, you can use any USB-C cable (but one isn’t included) and connect it to a wall adapter, portable charger or even your compatible phone or laptop for a refuel.
Beats Solo Buds: The MH Verdict
You might wonder if you’re going to need the noise-cancellation and smart features like “spatial audio” and hands-free Siri, but in my experience with the Beats Solo Buds, I haven’t missed those features and have instead been much happier with the fact that these are so small, convenient and comfortable.
The 18-hour battery life is a relief and, while there’s loads of strong competition, the sound is solid with a well-rounded bass and decent detail and texture.
It is a shame, though, that there’s no IP rating for water and sweat resistance. You could get away with using them for certain workouts, but there are probably better options for running or intense sessions.
I haven’t missed the noise-cancelling because the passive seal is very good, though. It’s impressive enough to keep out the roar of the London Underground.
Overall, these deliver a lot of value for £79. Want good all-around earbuds that focus on comfort, convenience, portability and battery life? These are a worthwhile pick.
Simon Cocks is Hearst UK’s Technology Ecommerce Editor, overseeing tech shopping content and strategy across a range of titles including Good Housekeeping UK, Esquire UK, Digital Spy, Men’s Health UK and Women’s Health UK.
Simon specialises in testing the latest smart gadgets, home entertainment gear, headphones, speakers, portable chargers, radios, ebook readers and smartphones. He's reviewed top tech products from brands including Google, Apple, Amazon, JBL and Bose.
A magazine journalism graduate from Kingston University in 2014, Simon also worked on the Discovery and Silkroad inflight magazines. He then gained experience writing about entertainment at SFX and Total Film. He also contributed reviews and interviews to TwitchFilm (later ScreenAnarchy), CultBox and Frame Rated.
He joined Good Housekeeping UK as the Editorial Assistant for Special Projects and was part of Good Housekeeping’s Consumer Affairs Team between 2014 and 2019. In this role, he conducted price comparison research, wrote detailed household and money-saving advice guides and edited thousands of in-depth reviews for the Good Housekeeping Institute.
He has focused on technology and gadgets since 2020, where he started by testing out power banks and instant cameras. He writes reviews, roundups, news articles and deals updates, and also covers top tech deals during sales like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
When not testing out the latest gizmos, you’ll find Simon either catching up with the newest releases at his local cinema or out shooting with his beloved compact camera.
You can follow Simon on Instagram at @simonrcocks, on Threads at @simonrcocks, and on Twitter/X at @simoncocks.
