Go the distance with Sony’s new Float Run Fitness headphones

The days of worrying about your headphones falling off or interfering with your exercise will soon be over. To help athletes focus solely on their running training, Sony has introduced a whole new breed of over-ear headphones called the ‘Float Run’. According to the tech company, the new audio devices are designed to help runners “go the distance through an innovative and comfortable design for stress-free listening.” While open-ear headphones aren’t exactly revolutionary, Sony’s new Float Runs introduce some impressive features, starting with how they fit in your ears.

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The Float Run doesn’t need to be placed in your ear canals like most headphones; instead, these headphones stay hanging just outside the ear canal without touching it at all. Sony calls this “a new style of headphone that positions the speaker close to, but not touching, the ear canal, leaving the ear safely uncovered while providing a rich sound experience.”

Design-wise, there’s nothing flashy or drastically different here. The headphones follow the same design language as most other over-the-ear options on the market. The whole thing is super lightweight and held together by a thin neck strap that won’t slip off when you’re running. A small plastic block at the end rests behind your ears to ensure the speaker doesn’t swing out of its intended position and provides a snug fit.

“Float Run headphones focus on the shape of the runner, for a comfortable and stable experience without having to compromise on sound quality,” says Sony. The company even claims that the headphones have been tested on a wide range of head shapes and hairstyles, and even with accessories including hats and sunglasses. Sony promises that “whatever they’re wearing, the stabilizing neckband will keep them secure.”

The headphones feature a “pressure-free design that sits outside the ears,” thus preventing sweat or chafing from hindering your workout session. When it comes to audio and sound performance, the Float Run uses 16mm drivers and precision tuning combined with an over-the-ear style to help give you a premium listening experience. The headphones move over the user’s ear canal and directly deliver sound into a person’s ear without ever making any contact. To further immerse users, the headphones boast an “open-back design” that “eliminates echoes from sounds your body makes, such as footsteps, chewing or heavy breathing, and allows for ambient sound.”

Basically, since the Float Run doesn’t actually cover your ears, it allows the wearer to be aware of their surroundings. The design allows “the music to blend naturally with the surrounding sound and be shaped by the shape of the user’s ear.”

The Float Run comes with an IPX4 water resistance rating and a claimed battery life of up to 10 hours on a single charge via USB-C. There is also a quick charge feature that gives the headphones an hour of power in just 10 minutes. The Float Run comes with a neat carry bag to keep all your gear together in one place.

Sony promises that the headphones will provide continuous, stress-free and clear listening for runners. However, we’ll have to try them out for ourselves to see if they really are the game-changers Sony claims they are. At the price of A$259.95the Sony Float Run headphones will be available in Australia sometime in April.

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