If the fastest man in the world tells you that the Gibson Trainer headphones are well-designed for running you've got to take them seriously.
The new Trainer headphones from Gibson Innovations are dedicated sports headphones, targeting a healthier lifestyle over performance. They've been inspired by Usain Bolt and created in partnership with the speedy fellow to be the ideal fit for active people.
“You see a lot of people using headphones for sport,” said Michael Davies, UK and Ireland Marketing Lead at Gibson Innovations, “but not a lot of people are actually using sports headphones.”
And, because they come from Gibson, you'll get the same vanilla essence smell when you open the box as you do when you pick up a lacquered Gibson guitar. Nice touch.
But the main innovation is the Aeroflex headband.
At the press of a button a spring-loaded second band pops out of the single main headband. This allows for a tighter, more secure fit on the head, without them feeling too much like a clamp.
They've also got a handy Nav Light feature; an LED which sits on the rear of the left ear cup and flashes so that the late night/early morning runner can be easily spotted. It's a neat little safety feature for these Bluetooth headphones, and when they've also got an eleven hour battery life, that LED isn't going to be a huge drain on resources.
Safety is going to be an important concern when you're making on-the-go headphones like the Trainer, and they also come with a Safe Sound feature. At the touch of a button the headphone alters the sound curve by changing the EQ settings, allowing more ambient noise in.
So if you're running up to a busy road crossing, or even running through some dodgy area of town, and want a little more awareness of your surroundings, you can let more of the outside world in.
Space race
Gibson has also used some space-age materials in the design of the new Trainer headphones. The 'Outlast' fabric coating the washable ear cushions was developed by NASA and is designed to help dissipate heat, something that's going to be seriously useful for the sweaty sports type.
And because they're going to be dealing with hot, sweaty heads - as well as often adverse British weather conditions - the Trainers are also weatherproof.
The drivers themselves are covered in a hydroscopic mesh which is transparent to sound but repels water.
The Gibson Trainer on-ear headphones are going to be available first at John Lewis in mid-September for the princely sum of £199. Maybe that's why not a lot of people are using sports headphones right now…
There will also be a pair of Bluetooth in-ear Trainers coming a few weeks later into October, with the same sports-focused feel and feature-set.
