BudFits

by Diane Petersen, Kachemacs

Manufacturer URL: www.budfits.com
Distributor: Amazon
Price: $8.99

Pros: Makes better use of an item most people already have. Discreet.
Cons: Takes up all the slack in the cord so built in microphone is behind the ear. Difficult to place around ear.

Anyone who has an iPod or an iPhone knows about those headsets you get with them. They look okay until you try to use them. They don’t even come with the foam earbud protectors anymore. They’re not cheap to buy, on the Apple website they cost $29 to replace. I always hate to throw them away, so they end up in a drawer somewhere. They would make good spares, I guess.

Now, before everyone gouges out their ear canals, there’s a new product which might make these headphones usable. Innovelis has come out with a new product called BudFits. The BudFits are silicone ear clips which hook to the earbuds in order to loop them around the ears and secure them snugly. They come in various colors; mine are white to match the white of the earphones. They look a lot like the earpieces of some of the fancy Bluetooth headsets they make for cell phones. But do they work?

The BudFits were rather easy to attach to my earbuds. The piece just clicks over the stem of the earbud and holds the cord within a groove. With some effort, the assembly can be maneuvered around the top ear lobe and the earbud can be fit into the ear. Once in place, the BudFits and earbuds do not seem to budge. The BudFits certainly alleviate the problem of the sharp edges of the earbuds being crammed into the ear canal. They seem a lot more comfortable than the earbuds alone.

On my spare set of Apple earbuds, which I keep in my car, I use a set of clip-on silicone in-ear adapters. These needed to be removed before the BudFits would seat properly. The jury is still out on which assembly is more comfortable, however, the BudFits take more effort in getting them situated properly.

If I’m going to be using my Apple headset for an extended period of time the BudFits will definitely make that time bearable. If I will be taking the headset on and off frequently, the BudFits will get in the way. For the price, the BudFits are an economical way to make the stock Apple headphones useful.

I give the BudFits by Innovelis a rating of 4.