Jabees 7Seven swimming headphones review: light, high-performing and affordable bone conduction headphones

As a budget-friendly pair of bone conduction headphones, the Jabees 7seven have a lot going for them. They’re suitable for running and swimming, capable of the stronger Bluetooth 6.0 connection rather than the usual 5.2 or 5.3 plus multipoint connection to link to multipoint devices. It’s also got an impressive 32GB storage. There are slight sound and fit issues, but these are a steal at this price.

Jabees 7Seven headphones: One minute review

The Jabees 7Seven swimming headphones pack some features you don’t even find on their contemporaries at Shokz for around half the price. For many, that’s plenty of reason to buy. The 7Sevens are light as a feather at 28g and packs an ample 32GB of MP3 storage, essential for underwater listening where Bluetooth connectivity is weaker. This storage space outdoes quite a few older bone conduction headphones sets that have retained their price over the years, and puts the 7sevens in the same league as the Nank Runner Diver2 Pro and H20 Audio Tri 2 Pro.

Multipoint connectivity and Bluetooth 6.0 are great quality-of-life upgrades we wouldn’t expect on cheap headphones, allowing you to link to multiple devices and switch between them seamlessly. This is nice to swap between the phone for running and commuting and laptop for work, and works well in practice. Phone calls with the built-in microphone are, unfortunately, a bit tinny: the recipient of my test calls could hear me fine outside on a rainy run, but even at max volume the other person’s voice wasn’t great.

Music fared much better. Regardless of whether it was streamed via Bluetooth or loaded onto the headphones via the MP3 storage feature, quality was good, especially considering these are cheap bone conduction headphones. The transistors do vibrate at higher volumes during bassy tracks, which is especially noticeable above-ground on runs and in the office. However, in the water during swims, the vibrations are greatly reduced.

Controls are simple and intuitive, with volume up and down also allowing you to skip tracks as usual. Everything else is handled by the multifunction power button with a variety of long and short presses, and it’s generally easily remembered, although I kept the manual to refer back to.

Generally speaking, the Jabees 7Seven headphones offer good quality that bely their price, but there are still some niggles here and there that have been ironed out in more expensive offerings. The fit around the ears isn’t adjustable: instead, the 7Sevens are packaged with a “secure fit loop”, a little piece of elastic common in bone conduction headsets that are supposed to tighten the band around the head. The battery only covers five hours of playback time, so they’ll need to be quite frequently charged. And then there are the high vibrations from the transistors at full volume and slight call quality issues.

However, none of these annoyances are enough to reduce the 7Seven’s status as a value-for-money alternative to the likes of Shokz and H20. It’s got some great features, stores a ton of music, and that five-hour playback will be enough for several pool sessions and a run. They won’t last all the way through an ironman event, but if you’re into that, you’re probably opting for the more expensive headphones anyway.

Jabees 7Seven headphones: Price and availability

• $59.99 / £47.99 / AU$99
• Cheaper than most high-quality swimming headphones
• Same 32GB storage as more expensive brands

The Jabees 7Seven bone conduction headphones are available for $59.99 / £47.99 / AU$99, and bundle deals on multiple headphones can be found on the Jabees’ website. Considering some of their competitors are double, sometimes triple the price, you’re getting a lot for your buck with 32GB storage

Jabees 7Seven headphones: Scorecard

Jabees 7Seven headphones: Should I buy?

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How I tested

I tested the Jabees 7Seven underwater and on various runs. I drained the battery down, tested onboard MP3s and Bluetooth streaming alike, and adjusted the fit using the included secure fit loop.