Why You Can Trust CNET Save $66 on the new Wearbuds fitness watch with built-in wireless earbuds
The 'buds are surprisingly good, but the watch needs a little work.
Tired of forgetting your earbuds? That can't happen if you wear a Wearbuds.
The Aipower Wearbuds is a flawed product, but it's also a pretty cool one -- and right now it's available at a hefty discount. For a limited time, Cheapskate readers can score the Aipower Wearbuds for $113 with promo code CNET66. Regular price: $179. It's available in your choice of four colors. If you want the black one, it's the same price at Amazon when you clip the on-page $40-off coupon and apply promo code 5ZGEJ8GY.
The Wearbuds is a chunky, oversize fitness watch hiding a special secret: true-wireless earbuds that dock and recharge inside. It's a clever idea -- one less thing to keep in your pocket, one less thing to forget to bring, one less thing to keep charged. (You need to charge the watch, obviously, but you get my meaning.)
I've been test-driving the Wearbuds the last couple days, and wish I could say it's a home run. It's not, because the watch itself isn't great. I don't mind the size, because it looks both futuristic and retro, but it offers only the most rudimentary fitness features. Yes, it can do heart-rate monitoring, but only on-demand (not throughout the day), and my results were wildly inconsistent.
The real bummer? Notifications arrive only in the form of a "new message" message. I can't actually read an inbound text -- I have to pull out my phone. That defeats roughly 93% of the purpose. The thing is, the tiny display has the space and resolution to show text, tiny though it would be, so I'm not sure why Aipower pulled this punch.
But here's the thing: The earbuds are pretty damn good. AptX-enhanced and IPX6-rated sweatproof, they pop out (and back in) with a satisfying click and pair instantly with your phone, same as other 'buds. The sound is rich and balanced, way better than you'd expect from a Frankenwearable.
So here's my suggestion. Ignore the fitness features. Pretend this is a glossy wristwatch (which it is) that stows a pair of genuinely decent true-wireless earbuds (which it does). Those attributes alone might make this a worthwhile purchase for some, especially if you can save $67 on it.
Your thoughts?
Read more: The best smartwatches for 2020
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