JLab is a budget brand that sits easily on the tip of my tongue. If you need a cheap pair of wireless Headphones, Jlab is a company you can easily trust. Products like the JLab Go Air and JLab Go Tones are cult classics because they provide such phenomenal value.

JLab is no stranger to imagining and testing new ideas. The leather-toned JLab Go Air Tones were so successful that beauty mogul Kim Kardashian and Beats shamelessly dropped the idea. As they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery.

It’s very difficult to innovate and create something unique in a cluttered space like truly wireless headphones. Bravely, JLab put it to the test with the newly released JLab Work Buds, a pair of buds equipped with a detachable microphone. You may have heard of detachable microphones on wireless headphones, but this has never been done before with wireless in-ear buds.

The effort to do something that has never been done before is commendable. It’s not just because it’s exciting to see something new, but more because the idea is just brilliant. You can remove the microphone in JLab Work Buds and store it in the carrying case. The microphone fits in both earpieces, making it even more practical.

• JLab Work Buds (Black) for $79.99 at Amazon

Price and availability

JLab released the in-ear JLab Work Buds on May 2, 2023. You can buy these wireless headphones with a detachable microphone directly from JLab or head over to retailers like Amazon and Newegg.

The JLab Work Buds are available in a single black shade. A pair of these buds will cost you about $80. If you’re lucky, you might find them on sale on Amazon Prime Day 2023, as JLab takes part in the annual shopping festival with gusto.

There’s a lot to like

There are already a million wireless headphones, earphones and all kinds of headphones. I try one or two new headphones every week, so it’s even harder for something to make a lasting impression on me. JLab Work Buds are completely unique because they don’t follow the norm.

This cool and quirky pair of TWS buds have an ace up their sleeve, and that ace is the detachable microphone. This interesting feature takes you back to the early 2000s, when Bluetooth headphones were all the rage. JLab has very cleverly designed the Work Buds so that you can attach the detachable microphone to the headphones. The microphone uses Environmental Noise Cancellation, or ENC, to eliminate background noise, while the directional microphone amplifies your vocals and improves clarity.

In addition, the detachable boom microphone is flexible. You can twist it into any shape you like. For superior call quality, when you’re done using the ingenious microphone, you can store it in the carrying case, or as JLab calls it, the “USB-C charging dock.”

It is very clear that JLab Work Buds are designed for long-term use. With additional silicone inserts to cushion both earcups, you get an extremely comfortable fit. Even with the mic on, it’s easy to forget you have something snuggly inside your ear. This is because the detachable microphone is very light and compact.

Then there’s the durable battery life. JLab promises 55 hours including the USB-C dock, and you can easily achieve close to 50 hours with moderate to heavy use. The headphones themselves work for 10 hours on a single charge. If you run out of juice, a 15-minute quick charge gives you two hours of playback.

Aside from the microphone, the JLab Work Buds have a number of great features that you won’t find in sub-$100 headphones. The pair uses Bluetooth 5.3 for seamless connectivity and Google Fast Pair for a lightning-fast setup experience. You also get Multipoint connectivity, so you can easily use JLab Work Buds with multiple devices at the same time. I found it very convenient.

The fun doesn’t stop there, because this is JLab we’re talking about. The company took advantage of the major improvements Google announced at I/O 2023 to its Find My Device network. Yes, the JLab Work Buds are some of the first wireless earbuds to support the Find My Device platform.

This means for users like you and me, we can easily find our Job Buds when they are in range. All you have to do is add the headphones to your Find My Device app. When you need to find your headphones, you can click on either the left or right bud and listen to the loud ringing sound.

JLab offers a very powerful utility for android and iOS. You can enable, disable, or customize the Be Alert noise cancellation mode, adjust microphone settings, customize touch controls, create and save custom EQ profiles, and set limits for safer hearing.

There are two more extensive usage modes, one is Music mode and the other is Movie mode. If you don’t like the touch controls, you can even turn them off completely.

Some things could be better

JLab designed the Work Buds primarily for office use, so they are not intended for outdoor use. Most people don’t want to or can’t afford to buy a second-rate pair of buds for outdoor use. Also, the lack of any IP rating makes no sense when you consider the $80 price tag. These wireless headphones aren’t waterproof, so they’ll fry like sunny-side-up eggs in the oven when they get wet.

Even wireless headphones in the sub-$50 category boast wireless charging these days. The JLab Work Buds also don’t charge wirelessly. In a world where $30 headphones like the TOZO T6 have wireless charging and IPX8 waterproofing, JLab has no excuses. You pay close to a hundred dollars for these headphones.

Other problems are not so big, but they cause some irritation. As you can see from the pictures, the USB-C charging port of the JLab Work Buds is very large, which is not pocket-friendly or portable. Also, touchpads are very sensitive and sometimes misread taps, sometimes interpreting a tap as a long tap.

Almost all the downsides of these fantastic headphones from JLab are easy to live with, but their biggest drawback is the lack of any input protection.

Alternatives

Almost every one of the best cheap wireless headphones and earphones tie the JLab Work Buds for durability. That’s not to say these buds aren’t well built, but the lack of an IP rating can be a deal breaker. On the other hand, many headphones don’t have removable flexible boom microphones—at least not wireless ones. If you want to go wireless, there are plenty of great headphones with this feature.

If you want wireless headphones with a detachable microphone, you’re out of luck. The closest you’ll find is the Shokz OpenComm, a wireless open-ear Bluetooth headset that uses bone conduction. The microphone is similar in shape and size to the one on the JLab Work Buds, but it is not removable. Making matters worse, the Shokz OpenComm headphones cost $160.

For the wireless form factor, on-ear headphones are your only option. You can choose from the $75 HyperX Cloud 2, the $80 Razer BlackShark V2, or the less expensive $65 SteelSeries Arctis 1. These epic wireless headphones all embody the phrase “oldie but gold” and all come with detachable microphones.

You can always grab a USB-C headphone adapter and use a pair of wired in-ear headphones with detachable microphones. Although it may seem like a hassle, wired headphones sound better and are incredibly cheap. High-end options like the SteelSeries Tusq or Turtle Beach Battle Buds have detachable boom mics and can be had for less than $40.

Should you buy these headphones?

You should buy them if…

• You need a high quality call
• You want a detachable mic but hate over-the-ear headphones
• You need long battery life
• You tend to misplace your goods
• You want something extremely comfortable
• You’ll love the adjustable noise cancellation

You should not buy them if…

• You are likely to get your headphones wet
• You want to charge wirelessly
• You need something small and portable

While I can understand why JLab couldn’t make these headphones waterproof, such a major drawback cannot be ignored. We are very used to waterproof electronics. It feels like everything from foldable phones to Bluetooth trackers is somewhat resistant to splashes and sweat.

There are cheaper wireless headphones out there that are comfortable to wear for long periods of time, support wireless charging, sound great, and have great battery life. One of my favorite headphones this year comes to mind. EarFun Air Pro 3 can do all this and more. For around $64, you get six microphones using CVC 8.0 and ENC technology, as well as IPX5 water resistance. They sound much, much better and look good.

The real attraction of the JLab Work Buds is the detachable boom mic, which fits both over the earcups and can be bent. Now this is a unique feature that you won’t find in any other wireless headset. If this niche is very important to you, JLab Work Buds are perfect. But the lack of IP rating makes me reluctant to easily recommend it to anyone and everyone.