Earbuds or headphones? The audio devices tend to have staunch supporters on one side or the other.
While AirPods are ubiquitous, we’ve noticed a recent influx of over-ear options dominating London’s streets. The latest wireless models from Apple, Bose and Sony adorn the heads of tech-savvy Gen Z and millennial commuters, demonstrating their enduring popularity among consumers.
Yet, these cans are far from ideal for those who are forever forgetting to charge them. Most require ample time to juice up which results in tangles of cables and cords.
So when Swedish-based company Exeger became the first company to release commercially available solar-powered headphones, forgetful tech owners breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Exeger invented and manufactured solar cells that made light-powering a reality. These cells, called Powerfoyle, are integrated into consumer tech and can charge them in low artificial or natural light. Light is converted into electrical energy which powers the products for a supposedly infinite amount of time, offering users a long-lasting music experience free from cables.
Not only are such solar-powered gadgets highly innovative, but take a sustainable step towards the production of mindful technology through environmentally friendly solar cells.
Powerfoyle has been incorporated into designs by Adidas and Urbanista who have partnered with Exegar to expand their cutting-edge audio collections. Such examples include the Adidas RPT-02 SOL, the Urbanista Phoenix and the Urbanista Los Angeles, the very first set to be released. All models are designed for gym use and come with noise cancellation.
Solar-powered headphones provide a convenient, eco and user-friendly alternative to earphones that charge from a plug socket. At a time of soaring energy prices, we have witnessed an increase in economic demand for non-grid-dependent appliances. This is reflected by the substantial growth of the wireless earphone and headphone market. According to a report by Market Research Future, the sector is set to see a compound annual growth rate of 15.20 per cent during the forecast period of 2023 to 2032 and is estimated to reach $156.511 billion by 2032.
Up your gadget game and explore the world of solar-powered headphones which promise a sustainable, smooth audio experience.
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Adidas RPT-02 SOL
Key features:
- Up to 80 hours of battery reserve without any addition of light
- Close to unlimited playtime when exposed to light
- 2-hour charging time
- Microphone and remote
- 10m Bluetooth range
- Phone voice command
- Mobile application for iOS and Android
Back in August 2022, Exeger and Adidas Headphones announced the launch of their collaborative self-charging headphones that promise consumers a long-lasting music experience free from cables. Crafted from 87 per cent recycled plastics, the headphones utilise Powerfoyle, Exeger’s groundbreaking solar cell technology, that converts all forms of light into energy.
Consumers are offered all the playtime they need to charge up or recharge. Sweat-proof and splash-proof, the product can wick sweat during your toughest workouts or become a trusty companion for relaxed walks in the park. Regardless of the occasion, the headphones continuously charge.
The Adidas RPT-02 SO headphones boast several elements of note in addition to their light-harvesting capabilities. These span a light indicator on the headband which helps detect the strongest light source to generate the best charge and a companion app so that users can track charging and battery status in real-time.
Once you’ve worn the headphones for a significant amount of time, remove the inner headband and ear cushions which can be washed and give them a good clean.
Buy now £200.00, Adidas
Urbanista Los Angeles
Key features:
- Virtually infinite playtime
- Always charging when exposed to light
- 80-hour battery reserve
- Hybrid active noise cancelling
- Ambient sound
- On-ear detection
- USB Type-C charging
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Siri and Google Voice Assistant
- Compatible with iOS & Android
We present to you, the world’s first self-charging wireless headphones: the Urbanista Los Angeles. Like their Adidas contemporaries, the headphones incorporate Exeger’s Powerfoyle into their cutting-edge design. The solar cell material converts all forms of light into electrical energy, powering the product to play your favourite tunes for hours on end. Indoor and outdoor light from your surroundings is used to charge and power the headphones, which come in timeless black, sand and grey colourways for all genders and ages.
The launch of the headphones marked the beginning of a new era for wireless tech following a decade of research and development at the Exeger facilities in Stockholm. Exeger and Urbanista’s partnership, which birthed the Los Angeles cans, prioritises user experience via the lack of faff required to use the product. Simply switch on, switch off and go.
For the fashion followers among you, be sure to check out the BOSS collaboration too.
Buy now £169.00, Amazon
Urbanista Phoenix
Key features:
- Always charging when exposed to indoor and outdoor light
- Hybrid active noise cancelling
- Transparency mode
- Playtime 8 hours
- 34 hours battery reserve
- Noise-reducing microphones
- Automatic in-ear detection
- Water-resistant IPX4 earphones
- Bluetooth
- App support
Another technological brainchild of Exeger’s founder Giovanni Fili (who won ‘European Inventor of the Year’ a couple of years ago), the Urbanista Phoenix is another solar-powered product to have on your radar. How is the Urbanista Phoenix different from the Urbanista Los Angeles? While the Los Angeles adopts a headphone design, the Phoenix are earphones. This makes them the world’s first solar-powered earphones with a streamlined charging case, which like their West Coast counterparts, also feature Powerfoyle.
Released just a year after the Los Angeles, the Phoenix earphones continuously recharge when stored in the self-charging case and exposed to any light, whether natural or artificial. They are inspired by the desert scenery of Arizona, one of America’s most sun-drenched states and come in black, sand and grey tones ripe for your picking.
Other features to highlight are the advanced hybrid active noise cancelling technology and noise-reducing microphones that filter out ambient sounds so you can revel in crystal clear audio.
With a reasonable price point of £139, the sustainable gadgets are ideal for musically inclined eco-warriors.
Buy now £119.00, Urbanista
