5 things you need to know about the Huawei FreeLace

An arms race to create the definitive wireless headset is well underway. From massive bass pumping, ear smushing units to delicate earbuds, every consumer tech company is building something to help you block out everyday life.

The latest set to land in our laps is the Huawei FreeLace. It's a lightweight, wraparound number that the Chinese company claim to be your "new workout buddy". So naturally we put it to the test across various activities.

Here are five things you should know about Huawei FreeLace.

1. It's comfortable

At 27g, the Huawei FreeLace is barely noticeable when worn. It hugs your neck and shoulders gently whilst allowing the earbuds to sit tight without pulling at them. It even survived a vigorous HIIT session at the gym, even if we barely did.

2. Sound quality is outstanding

It has a nice bit of bass to it that's often lost in similar wireless earbuds. And the in-ear placement feels snug enough to eliminate any background noise. We managed to listen to a podcast very clearly while cycling against harsh winds at Dubai Autodrome.

3. It has super-fast connectivity

No need to worry if you don't have a Huawei smartphone, FreeLace connects to any Bluetooth device in seconds. It's a simple case of holding the power button until an LED flashes then locate FreeLace in whatever you want to hook it up to. We had it paired to our iPhone in no time.

4. Charge levels are a mystery

Although it boasts a whopping 18 hour battery life from a single charge (4-hour playback on five minute charge), there's no indication as to what level it's at. If you're a regular gym goer, you'll have it plugged in overnight without any issues. But it's a slightly odd design decision to omit any battery level indicator.

5. Button commands are hit and miss

By and large, controlling Huawei FreeLace is straightforward and does work. But we found that button presses were occasionally missed or slow to react. Triple-tapping to return to a previous track had us scooping our iPhone out of a pocket to perform the function. It certainly put us off our jogging stride when it happened.

In summary, Huawei FreeLace is a winner for us.

As with any new device, you'll soon get to grips with the design quirks after a while.

The fantastic sound quality alone is worth the AED 299 price alone. Add in the fact it can withstand all manner of physical activities and still deliver comfort and clarity, and it's hard to argue against Huawei FreeLace being your new workout buddy.