Jabra Elite Sport, which was first released in 2016, is still one of the best wireless sports earbuds with a heart rate monitor and audio coaching.
This sports earbuds guide explains everything you need to know about the Jabra Elite Sport: the outstanding (and unique) features (a no-nonsense review of Jabra Elite Sport), items in the box, the layout of the Jabra Elite Sport buds and the charging case/base, how to use the buttons to control Jabra Elite Sport, how to charge the buds and charging case, how to wear the earbuds properly, how to pair the buds with mobile devices, how to reset the earbuds, how to use HearThrough and SideTone.
For owners of the Jabra Elite Sport, this guide will show you how to use the main features properly and answer questions you may have about the earbuds. For readers who are considering this product, this guide will help you make informed decisions when purchasing a new pair of sports earbuds.
Fitness-focused features of Jabra Elite Sport (A concise review of Jabra Elite Sport)
As one of our favourite sports earbuds, Jabra Elite Sport has some outstanding fitness-focused features.
Heart rate monitor
Jabra Elite Sport has a heart rate monitor. Most importantly, it is quite accurate if you wear the buds correctly.
Samsung Gear IconX (2019) removed the heart rate sensor. Galaxy Gear Buds does not have it either. The updated Galaxy Buds+ does not have one. AirPods and AirPods Pro never have one.
So, if you need a heart rate monitor with your wireless earbuds, your choice is actually very limited. And this Jabra Elite Sport wireless earbuds probably is the best choice.
Exercise tracking
Ther built-in tri-axis accelerometer can track your walking or jog very accurately.
Of course, if you want to track or map your run, you need to use GPS on the phone through the Jabra Sport Life app (or some other supported fitness tracking apps).
You can also track reps for some exercises with the Jabra Sport Life app.
Audio coaching
You can get “personalized” real-time audio coaching through the Sport Life app.
You can watch the video illustration for some cross-training activities on the phone. It's beneficial for owners who didn't have a coach before.
VO2 max measurement
The Jabra Sport Life app can estimate your VO2 max based on your heart rate and activities. It uses the technology and algorithm from the First Beat.
The estimation will get more accurate gradually when you use it a few times.
Remember to input the correct age, height and weight if you want to get an accurate measurement.
IP67 rating
As an earbud for sports, sweat-proof is an essential requirement.
Jabra Elite Sport does more. It's IP67 rated. So. The earbuds can survive in 1m-deep water for up to 30 mins. In the market, currently, only Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro offers comparable water-resistant. AirPods Pro and AirPods 3 both only have an IPX4 rating.
Jabra is so confident in their gadget that in most regions they offer a 3-year warranty including water damage.
Decent audio quality
Among wireless earbuds, Jabra Elite Sport delivers outstanding audio quality, which is on par with other top-tier wireless earbuds like AirPods or AirPods Pro, Sony WF-1000XM3, and Bose Sports Free.
Reliable connectivity
Jabra is a trusted brand of Bluetooth headsets. The connectivity of the earbuds is robust.
Decent battery life
There are two generations of Jabra Elite Sport. The first-gen has a 3-hour battery life, and the case offers an additional 6 hours for the buds. So the total battery life is about 9 hours. This gen was in the market before 2018.
The second-gen of the earbuds have a battery life of 4.5 hours and an additional 9 hours from the case. The total battery life is about 13.5 hours. If you bought the buds in 2018 or 2019, very likely, you got the second-gen.
Contents in the Jabra Elite Sport Box
In addition to the quick start guide and a few leaflets, you can find the following six items in the box (corresponding to the numbers in the picture below).
#1. Earbuds
Each of the two buds has a mark of L and R indicating for the left and right ear, respectively.
The one with + and – (volume control) is for the left ear, and the other one (with two dots) is for the right ear.
#2. Charging (and carrying) case
The only way to charge the Jabra Elite Sport buds is to put the buds into the charging case.
The charging case is also a carrying case.
There is a micro USB charging port on the side. You need to charge the case with a USB charger. Your computer or laptop can also charge the case.
#3. Micro USB cable
The micro USB cable is for you to charge the case (and therefore the buds).
You need to insert the smaller end (micro USB connector) into the charging case. The standard USB (USB A) end is for you to connect it to a USB charger or the USB port on your PC or laptop.
The USB cable is more or less universal. You can use any micro USB cable if you lose the original one.
#4. Silicon EarGels
You can use either the silicon EarGels or the foam ones (#5) for the Jabra Elite Sport buds.
For most owners, the foam tip EarGels are more comfortable.
There are three sizes of the EareGels: small, medium and large. You should try them to find the best fit for your ears.
#5. Foam tip EarGels
The foam tip EarGels are thicker and more comfortable for wearing the buds in an extended period. Of course, it depends on individual owners.
Some Jabra Elite Sport owners may still prefer the silicon ones.
#6. EarWings
The Jabra Elite Sport EarWings are designed to help you secure the buds in the ear.
There are two buttons and one LED on each of the earbuds, as shown below.
On the left bud, the two buttons are volume up and volume down. On the right one, the main button is the multifunction button. The other one is the Sports button to launch the Jabra Sport Life app on the connected phone.
For Jabra Elite Sport, the right earbud is the main one. It can be used alone. The left earbud can only be used with the right one.
Now, let's learn to use the buttons to control Jabra Elite Sport. The meaning of LED colours will be explained later in this post.
The multifunction button is the most important one to control Jabra Elite Sport. You can
- Hold down the multifunction button for about 5-7 seconds to turn on (power on) or turn off (power off) the right earbud.
- Hold down the multifunction button for 3 seconds to pair the earbuds with your smartphone (when the Jabra Elite Sport is turned off).
- Hold down the multifunction button for 1 second to activate voice assistant (Siri, Google Assitant, or Cortana depending on the connected device).
- Tap the multifunction button to play/pause music.
- Tap the multifunction button to answer/end a phone call.
- Double-tap the multifunction button to reject a phone call.
- Double-tap the multifunction button to turn on/off HeearThrough (when not in a call).
- Hold down the multifunction button for 2 seconds to put the current call on hold and answer the incoming call when you are already in a call.
- Hold down the multifunction button for 2 seconds to switch between held call and active call when there is a held call.
Please note, the call holding relies on the carrier and phone support. A few carriers may not offer the call holding feature to some mobile plans.
The button requires some force to register the gesture. So, it is different from the touch control on Galaxy Buds devices. But the force needed is not as much as for the Force Sensor on AirPods Pro, or AirPods 3.
The sports button on the Jabra Elite Sport is mainly for sports-related activities.
The functions of the Sports button before and during a workout are different.
Before a workout
When you are not in a workout, you can:
- Tap the Sports button to launch the Jabara Sports Life app on the connected phone.
- Press and hold (hold down) the Sports button for about 1 second to start a workout.
- Press and hold (hold down) the Sports button for about 10 seconds to enable or disable Bluetooth Smart.
During a cardio workout
If you are in a cardio workout, you can:
- Press and hold (hold down) the Sports button for about 1 second to pause/resume the current workout.
- Tap the Sports button to listen to on-the-go updates.
- Double-tap the Sports button to turn on/off on-the-go updates.
During a cross-training workout
- Press and hold (hold down) the Sports button for 1 about second to pause/resume the current workout.
- Tap the Sports button to start the next exercise.
You can:
- Press and hold (hold down) the multifunction button and the Sports button simultaneously for about 2 seconds to enable/disable sidetone.
- Press and hold (hold down) the multifunction button and the Sports button simultaneously for about 5 seconds to reset the pairing list (reset pairing).
Sidetone is a feature that allows you to hear your own voice when you are on a call.
You can also use the Jabra Sport Life app to enable or disable the sidetone on Jabra Elite Sport.
You can:
- Tap volume up button to increase the volume (when in a call or during music playing).
- Tap volume up button to listen to battery status (when not in a call and not during music playing).
- Press and hold (hold down) the volume up button for 1-2 seconds to skip track (forward).
In addition to the similar functions of the volume up button, the volume down button can also be used to turn off or turn on the left earbud.
You can:
- Tap volume up button to decrease the volume (when in a call or during music playing).
- Tap volume up button to listen to battery status (when not in a call and not during music playing).
- Press and hold (hold down) the volume up button for 1-2 seconds to skip track (backward).
- Hold down the volume down button for 5-7 seconds to power on or power off the left earbud.
The meaning of LED colours on Jabra Elite Sport earbuds and the charging case
LED colour meaning on the earbuds
On each earbud of Jabra Elite Sport, there is one LED to indicate the status of the earbud individually.
The meaning of the LED colours on the Jabra Elite Sport earbuds is illustrated in the following picture.
- Green means high battery (more than 75%).
- Yellow means medium battery (about 30% ~75%).
- Red means low battery (less than about 30%).
- Blue means pairing mode or connected to a device.
- White means the left and right earbuds are linking or unlinking.
- Purple means the earbud is being reset.
The LED lights up briefly after you take them out of the charging case (powering on), or when there is a status change.
It is NOT always on.
LED colour meaning on the charging case
On the charging case, there are 3 LEDs, as shown above.
The LED near the charging (micro USB) port indicates the battery status of the charging case. The meaning of the LED colours is:
- Green means high battery, or the charging case is fully charged if it is connected to a charger.
- Yellow means medium battery.
- Red means low battery, or the charging case is being charged (when connected to a charger).
You should charge the charging case if the LED colour is red.
In the front side of the Jabra Elite Sport charging case, there are two LEDs for each earbud.
These two LEDs light up briefly after you open the case or close the case. The meaning of the LED colours are:
- Green means high battery.
- Yellow means medium battery.
- Red means low battery.
- Purple means firmware update in progress.
Please note, the battery status of the two earbuds can be different.
When updating the firmware for Jabra Elite Sport, you should keep the case closed and should NOT open the case when the LED is purple.
How to charge Jabra Elite Sport and the charging case?
The Jabra Elite Sport earbuds can only be charged in the charging case.
To charge the earbuds, you simply place them in the charging case and close the case. It takes about 2 hours to fully charge the earbuds.
The charging case can be charged with any 5V USB chargers or your PC/laptop. You can use the included USB cable to connect the charging case to a USB charger or your PC, as illustrated below.
Unlike Galaxy Buds or Galaxy Buds+, Jabra Elite Sport does not support wireless charging.
Please note, there is no wall charger included in the Jabra Elite Sport box.
When the charging case is being charged, the LED should turn solid red. It will turn green once the battery in the charging case is fully charged. The LED is always on if it is connected to a wall charger.
The charging time depends on the charger used.
Normally, it takes about 3 hours to fully charge the charging case and the earbuds. It takes about 2 hours to charge the charging case fully.
How to wear Jabra Elite Sport properly?
It is important to wear the Jabra Elite Sport properly to get the best sound quality and comforts.
You may follow the 3 steps to wear Jabra Elite Sport properly, as illustrated in the picture below.
Step 1: Insert
You need to insert the buds into the correct ears. L is for the left ear and R for the right.
Step 2: Rotate
You then rotate the buds so that they fit snug in the ear canal.
Normally, it is easier to rotate anticlockwise to “push” it inside.
Step 3: Tuck
It is important to tuck the EarWing tip into the ridge of your ears.
The EarWing can help you secure the earbuds in the ear. If you forget to tuck the tip, the earbuds may fall out during some workouts.
How to pair Jabra Elite Sport with your mobile phone?
The pairing process with your smartphone is slightly different in 3 different scenarios.
Scenario 1: First time pairing out of the box without charging
By default, the Jabra Elite Sport earbuds are ready to use without charging.
If you haven't charged the charging case yet, you can pair the earbuds with the smartphone by following steps:
- Take both earbuds out of the charging case and close the case. The earbuds in this scenario will not be turned on automatically because they have not been charged in the charging case yet.
- Hold the multifunction button on the right bud for about 3 seconds (to enter pairing mode). Then hold the volume down button on the left earbud for about 3-5 seconds to power it on.
- Turn on Bluetooth on the smartphone and search for available devices.
- Pairing. Your smartphone should be able to find the device named Jabra Elite Sport. You just choose to pair it with the smartphone.
Scenario 2: First time pairing out of the box after charging
If you have connected the charging case to a wall charger to charge it, then when you take out of the earbuds, the earbuds are power on automatically and in the pairing mode automatically.
So, in this scenario, step 2 mentioned in scenario 1 is not necessary.
You just need to enable Bluetooth on the smartphone, and the phone should be able to find the Jabra Elite Sport earbuds.
Scenario 3: Pairing with other smartphones (not first-time paring)
If the Jabra Elite Sport earbuds paired with any smartphones before, you need to follow the following steps to pair the earbuds with a new smartphone.
- Take both earbuds out of the charging case and close the case.
- Power off the right earbud (hold the multifunction button for about 5 seconds).
- Hold the multifunction button for about 3 seconds to turn on the right earbud into pairing mode.
- Turn on Bluetooth on the smartphone.
- Pair Jabra Elite Sport earbuds with the phone.
Please note, when you take the earbuds out of the charging case, it will try to pair with the old device. So, you need to turn off the right earbud in step 2.
In step 3, you force the earbuds into pairing mode so that it can pair with a new device.
Because pairing with other devices is controlled by the right earbud of the Jabra Elite Sport, you do not need to do anything on the left earbud in this scenario. The two buds are still linked.
Can I use only one earbud with Jabra Elite Sport?
Yes, you can just use one earbud of Jabra Elite Sport.
But you only use the right earbud as a standalone one.
The left earbud depends on the right one. So, you cannot use the left earbud alone.
How to update Jabra Elite Sport firmware?
You can update the Jabra Elite Sport firmware in the Jabra Sport Life app.
Please refer to this guide (coming soon) on how to use the Jabra Sport Life app.
How to reset Jabra Elite Sport?
You can press and hold (hold down) the multifunction button and the Sports button simultaneously for about 5 seconds to reset Jabra Elite Sport.
How to turn on/off Jabra Elite Sport?
Each earbud of Jabra Elite Sport can be turned off individually.
For the left earbud, you can hold the Volume down button for about 5 seconds to turn it on or turn it off.
For the right earbud, you need to hold the multifunction button for about 5 seconds to turn it on or turn it off.
How to use HearThrough on Jabra Elite Sport?
HearThrough lets you hear ambient sounds (most of which are blocked) through the earbuds while you are wearing the Jabra Elite Sport. So, you are aware of your surroundings without needing to remove the earbuds.
Ambient sounds are picked up by the microphones and transmitted to the speakers directly.
You can use HearThrough all the time if you want. You can double-tap the multifunction button to manually enable or disable HearThrough.
The Jabra Sport Life app is needed to customize and use the HearThrough on Jabra Elite Sport.
How to use Sidetone on Jabra Elite Sport?
Sidetone allows you to hear your own voice in a call.
You can enable or disable it in the Jabra Sport Life app.
You can also press and hold (hold down) the multifunction button and the Sports button simultaneously for about 2 seconds to enable/disable sidetone.
Does Jabra Elite Sport have active noise cancelling?
No, Jabra Elite Sport can only block 50-70% of the ambient sound.
There is no active noise cancelling (ANC) capabilities on Jabra Elite Sport.
How to check the product version of Jabra Elite Sport?
There are two generations of the Jabra Elite Sport in the market.
Please check this guide (coming soon) on different ways to check the product version of Jabra Elite Sport.
How to use the Jabra Sport Life App with Jabra Elite Sport?
Please check this guide (coming soon) on using Jabra Sport Life App with Jabra Elite Sport.
Do you have any questions on Jabra Elite Sport?
If you have any questions or need help on Jabra Elite Sport, you may let us know in the comment box below.
The community will help you.
You may check Headphone 101 for detailed explanations of headphone technologies and terms.
For Bluetooth headphone guides, please check the Bluetooth headphones section.
Sports headphones section is dedicated to guides on sports headphones.
Active noise-cancelling headphone guides can be found in the Noise-canceling headphones section.
Robert Bryan Ellison
Hello
I am experiencing a challenge with my Jabra Elite Sport Bluetooth earbuds. My charging case has the green light that is on at all times whether plugged inor not. When I put the earpieces in to charge the right earpiece flashes a quick series of flashes of the red led. The earpieces are being recognized by the phone when powered up and are connecting as they should. What do you suggest to repair the challenge that is presenting?
simon
There is no way for owners to reset the charging case. If the earbuds are still under warranty, you may claim the warranty. In some regions, Jabra offers a 3-year warranty.
Does the case charge the buds? Can the case be charged? You can check the battery level in the Jabra Sport Life app.