It's been a while since we've seen a pair of truly smart wireless earbuds for workouts, but that's exactly what Sennheiser has brought to the floor at CES 2024.
Announced as part of a new range of ANC earbuds, the Momentum Sport can track the wearer's heart rate and body temperature during exercise.
They launch on 9 April for $330 and are available in black, green, or graphite.
The company notes that users will be able to send heart rate data from the Momentum Sport to third-party apps Apple Health, Strava, Garmin Connect, and Peloton, meaning workout insights will be possible without the need for a sports watch or smartwatch.
Most interestingly, though, it's with Polar that the Momentum Sport's integration is strongest.
Not only can users link their HR data with Polar Flow, but it's also the only app of those supported to get access to the body temperature data tracked by the earbuds.
In fact, the earbuds are the first non-Polar device to get full access to the Flow app - and that's big.
It means training analytics metrics such as Training Load Pro, Training Benefit, and more are all accessible through the Momentum Sport, while all this data can also link up with a Polar sports watch, like the Vantage V3, in real-time when connected.
It means Polar's platform is broadening once again, just as we saw when it announced it was licensing its algorithms out to Casio last year.
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Elsewhere, Sennheiser has included a few neat design tricks to make these more suited to exercise.
The Momentum Sport buds feature a 10mm transducer to deliver characteristics - like strong bass - that people typically desire in workout music, while an 'acoustic relief channel' is also included to help ease that feeling of your ears being plugged.
A design that Sennheiser has worked on for three years, it says, will also work to reduce noises that would typically plague a pair of wireless earbuds during workouts - things like loud footsteps and heavy breathing.
As you would expect, there are also plenty of different active noise cancellation (ANC) modes on offer for tinkering with your listening experience from the Sennheiser Smart Control app, while the IP55 rating ensures that they're able to survive a bit of moisture.
In terms of battery life, you can expect up to six hours from the Momentum Sport, with the wireless charging case providing three more full charges.
We look forward to testing this one out in the spring - and particularly seeing just how seamless that integration with Polar proves in everyday use. Stay tuned until then.
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Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.
Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides.
He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror.