Planet-conscious music lovers rejoice – House of Marley has just released its first pair of true wireless earbuds to rival the Apple AirPods, and in keeping with the company's ethos, they're made from sustainable materials.
The House of Marley Liberate Air true wireless earbuds were designed as "an eco-conscious alternative to the sea of plastics on the market", and are made from a mixture of "bamboo, recyclable aluminum, natural wood fibre composite made from sawdust" and the brand's signature fabric, which is composed of recycled plastic bottles.
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It's not all about the materials though – these earbuds boast an impressive battery life too, surpassing the Apple AirPods, and our current favorite true wireless earbuds model, the Sony WF-1000XM3.
You get nine hours of playback from the buds themselves, while the charging case gives you an additional two-and-a-half charges, for a total of 32 hours of battery life.
Workout-friendly
Like the AirPods, the Liberate Airs are designed with a seamless pairing experience in mind; House of Marley says that once you've first paired them with your device, they'll automatically connect as soon as you open the charging case.
The outer housings of the earbuds feature touch controls, which allow you to control your music playback, calls, and summon your device's voice assistant, whether you use Google Assistant or Siri.
The Liberate Airs should be suitable for working out with an IPX4 water-resistance rating; that's enough to get you through a sweaty run, but you won't be able to take them in the shower with you once you're done.
One cool feature for working out is the ability to use each earbud independently; if you run or cycle on a busy street, you can use one earbud at a time, leaving one ear free to hear your environment.
How do they sound?
What about the sound? Well, House of Marley hasn't offered much information about the audio quality provided by these earbuds, aside from saying that the Liberate Airs provide "smooth, powerful bass, energized mids, and highs with a sound that can be heard above the beat of the city".
Without knowing about the kind of drivers that are being used inside the Liberate Airs, it's hard to say whether they will pose a true rival for the Apple Airpods, at least in terms of sound quality.
Still, the use of eco-friendly materials is bound to appeal to a growing number of young people who care deeply about the environment, but still want to get their hands on the latest tech.
They are also slightly cheaper than the Apple earbuds, costing $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$249.95, and they are now available to buy from Amazon or directly from House of Marley.
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