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Yurbuds hug the inside of your ears gently, but firmly

Yurbuds Ironman series of earbuds is designed to hold up to the rigors of athletic workouts. They are guaranteed not to fall out. That's a claim worth testing.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
2 min read
Yurbuds
The rubbery red earbud coverings are the secret to Yurbuds. Amanda Kooser/CNET

LAS VEGAS--I am the earbud killer. They fall out. They are uncomfortable. They don't last long in my hands. So far, a set of $60 Ironman series Yurbuds is beating out its predecessors.

Yurbuds earbuds were invented by triathlete Seth Burgett, so overachievement comes naturally. He wanted to design earbuds that wouldn't fall out and wouldn't press on sensitive nerves. That's a tall order.

Yurbuds started out as semi-customized creations. The company matched a photo of your ear to the right earpiece. The new Ironman series contains two different sizes of earbuds. If neither fit right, you can still send in a pic of your lovely ears to get the proper size.

Yurbuds
This close-up shows the volume control. (Click to enlarge.) Yurbuds

Let's get to those claims about comfort and staying put. I picked up a pair at CES and quickly put them to work. You don't just pop them into your ear. You angle the horn and twist it into place.

The Yurbuds don't feel like much. There are no uncomfortable pressure points. Usually, that's a sign of earbuds that are going to jump ship as soon as you turn your head.

I bounced around. I jumped up and down. I even head-banged. The Yurbuds hung on. The sound quality is decent enough for a workout with lots of background panting.

Time will tell how well the Yurbuds hold up to a regular exercising regimen.

I'm assuming the Ironman Yurbuds won't magically turn my 4-mile afternoon runs into epic marathons. But even if I can't run like an Ironman, I can listen to music like one.