H20 Audio RIPT Lite Headphones

Compact, featherweight headphones.

Designed for use during exercise, H20 Audio’s RIPT Lite Headphones are sweatproof, hold a charge for five hours, and pair easily with my mobile phone (or Apple Watch). The “ear bud” style headphones offer noise cancellation with “30dB of active isolation,” have six speakers, and employ “13mm composite drivers” to deliver a rich sound experience.

Designed With Care

Starting with the packaging, I really love the H20 Audio products I’ve tested. Maybe that is a strange thing to start with, but I love opening the boxes. They’re attractive, very sturdy (I end up using them to store all my cords and chargers and other small devices), and contain compact instruction manuals that help me get a quick view on charging and using the items. This level of quality and care with the packaging gives me an idea of what to expect from the prize inside.

Like the other H20 Audio headphones I’ve reviewed before, the H20 Audio RIPT Lite Headphones come with their own carrying case and a charge cord. They are simple to prepare for use; I just plug the cord into the USB-C port on the bottom of the case, then plug the other end into a USB-A port. A tiny screen on the front of the case provides a digital read-out to let me know the current percentage of battery charged. It takes about an hour to fully charge the headphones, but I rarely need to spend that much time. I plug in the case here and there for ten minutes while I’m doing something else, and I get enough of a charge to get me through most activities. (Once charged, the case can hold the charge for up to 30 hours, so the headphones charge when I put them into the case for storage.)

Compact Size, Easy to Use

I love that the RIPT Lite Headphones’ black storage case doubles as a charger so I don’t have to use any additional gear. The hard black plastic case stays shut, keeping my headphones safe, and it protects against impact. I am not that careful with these headphones, so I appreciate that once I put them in their case I’m not likely to lose them or break them.

The bold blue contrast case interior makes the mostly black headphones stand out. Plus, it just looks cool. Blue and black together look bold and sporty. Removing the headphones from the case helps me know which “bud” goes in which ear. The buds are marked with tiny grey “R” and “L,” respectively, but I wish the markings were bigger and bolder. I had a hard time finding them. Since I don’t often use this style of headphones I needed a bit more help.

The headphones come with a set of rubbery black covers, but I don’t ever use them because I will likely lose them instantly if I remove them. They add a bit of grip, so if your ears get really sweaty when exercising they could be helpful. 

Quick Pairing, Big Sound

Bluetooth pairing has been simple with all of my Apple devices: laptop, iPhone, iPad, and watch. Sometimes I have to turn off Bluetooth on one or more devices to pair the headphones so the devices don’t compete for the pairing. 

I’ve been very happy with the H20 Audio RIPT Lite Headphones’ sound quality. My music sounds full and balanced, with enough bass to give it the stereophonic sound I want. Since I’ve been wearing full-sized headphones a lot lately it’s been fun to experiment with these tiny headphones. I think the headphones deliver a clear, high-quality sound. I’ve also been surprised that the headphones stay in my ears during aerobic workouts like power walking and hiking. 

I tend to wear the H20 Audio RIPT Lite Headphones around the house, too, because they are so lightweight that I forget they’re in my ears. I like listening to music while cooking and cleaning, and the headphones are ideal for both activities, although, they’re not great for activities where I’m moving my head a lot (like cleaning the tub) that might cause them to fall out. Still, it’s nice to have a pocket-sized option.

I didn’t like wearing the H20 Audio RIPT Lite Headphones for long walks next to busy streets because the car noise and wind impacted my ability to hear my music. I use the noise-cancelling feature when I’m in a room with others who might be talking or watching tv. It doesn’t eliminate the noise, but it does dampen it so that I can hear what I want to listen to on my headphones. 

Small Learning Curve

Operating the controls on the H20 Audio RIPT Lite Headphones was a bit tricky for me because I’m not used to using “ear bud” style headphones. With a bit of practice I got used to using taps to change volume, tracks, and pause the music. It was a wee bit harder to learn the phone controls (which work the same on both buds), but I’m enjoying being able to take and make calls using the headphones. Hands-free! (Follow care instructions that come with headphones. Not for use during swimming.)

Bottom Line

I love using H20 Audio’s RIPT Lite Headphones. They require more care and more frequent charging than my other headphones, but the compactness and portability make them my first choice when packing light. Discounts available for first purchase on the H20 Audio site.

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