Elite 85t Jabra Earbuds, reviewed

We look at the Elite 85t Jabra Earbuds which you can buy here, part of their growing range of products aiming to engage with sustainability goals in both the packaging and production methods.

Elite 85t Jabra Earbuds, reviewed

This is one of a series of Jabra products we have looked at recently, and all the recent ones have changed their packaging and presentation to reflect environmental concerns. Only last year the Jabra headset we bought did not have any of this messaging or packing qualities, so it does seem like quite a recent move by the company.

This is no bad thing, though as always it is always important to then assess if it is just window dressing or part of a deeper holistic change to the way they do business. Time will tell on this question but taking the packaging at face value it has been done well and does seem to espouse the values they wish to embrace.

The product itself is aiming at the higher quality end of the market. Road testing it in the office, once you have installed the app to enable your phone to connect with the speakers the sound quality is good. In terms of the physical fit of the earbuds they do sit in the ear, but some other products we have reviewed recently do have an additional   hook to snag onto the ear, whereas these ones do not. This would raise some concerns about if it would remain snuggly in your ear the whole time. They do have a good feel to them though, and the auto pause and auto resume features are cool, logical and good to have.

The battery life is pretty decent and you should expect to have well over four hours usage from it, which would work for most long-is rides, or trips, especially as fewer of us are doing long haul these days. They are at the higher end of the price for this type of product, but they are well designed and deliver a good quality product, so it would suggest that you are getting what you pay for.

More about the product

Jabra’s Green Initiative 

Jabra’s sustainability efforts do not stop when the product has reached its new owner. Jabra has product take-back schemes in several regions known as Jabra’s Green Initiative. Through this scheme, people who want to trade in their existing Elite product for a newer model receive a discount when they send their old product back to Jabra. Jabra then recycles the device under the European WEEE Directive.

Jabra uses its existing business processes to drive sustainability as an integral part of how the company is run. In the 2020 Sustainability | ESG Report (February 2021), Jabra’s parent GN Group outlined the key areas where the company is setting new goals and can make a true impact over the next few years: climate change, sustainable products and packaging, and health. By 2025, the group:

Aims to be climate neutral in its own company activities, while also reducing its indirect emissions , and will use at least 50% sustainable material in new products, having truly sustainable packaging across GN, launching take-back schemes for all relevant products and regions, and repairing or refurbishing more products per year
“We have made real progress with these initiatives for Jabra on our journey to a more sustainable future”, says Maurits Hekking, Head of Sustainability at GN. “We have high ambitions, and the evolution of our packaging is a huge step in the right direction. In order to keep progressing, we will continue to consider sustainability in everything we do, whether it’s our operations, our products or our packaging.”

Active Noise-Cancellation (ANC) cancels the noise you don’t want to hear. HearThrough (our word for transparency mode) lets in the sounds you do. With 11 levels of sound – from full ANC to full HearThrough – perfectly engineered for the way your ear perceives changes in volume, you’ll never miss a beat.

About Jabra

Jabra is a world leading brand in audio, video, and collaboration solutions – engineered to empower consumers and businesses. Proudly part of the GN Group, we are committed to letting people hear more, do more, and be more than they ever thought possible. Jabra engineering excellence leads the way, building on 150 years of pioneering work within the GN Group. This allows us to create integrated tools for contact centres, offices, and collaboration that help professionals work more productively from anywhere; and true wireless headphones and earbuds that let consumers better enjoy calls, music, and media.

The GN Group, founded in 1869, operates in 100 countries and delivers innovation, reliability, and ease of use. GN employs 6,500 people and in 2020 reported annual revenue of DKK 13.4bn. The Jabra brand accounts for approx. DKK 8.7bn and employs 1,900 people. GN makes life sound better and is Nasdaq Copenhagen listed. www.jabra.com

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