Pros

Unique Control Location.  This is the first pair of workout headphones we’ve seen where the controls are nowhere near the ears.  Some will like it, some will hate it.  We thought it was innovative.

Secure Fit.  You can instantly tell these headphones were built to fit securely.  The question becomes, are they a little too snug?

Cons

Short Battery Life.  We hate to be picky because we don’t foresee any 5+ hour workouts in the near future, but these headphones will only last that long on one charge, 2-3 hours short of the usual average for Bluetooth sports headphones.

Awkard Earbud Fit.  These earpieces are very similar to the iLuv FitActive, only they seem to be made with a material that doesn’t flex very well and is a bit uncomfortable.

Note: Arriva has addressed this issue by including Acoustibuds (which work great)

Our Review

The Arriva Leo is straight up funky.

This is a very unique pair of workout headphones, visually, but how do they stack up?

It’s pretty clear from the get go that Arriva is marketing these headphones for extreme sports, but we found it a bit odd that their web page clearly goes out of the way to state these are not waterproof and then accompanies that with a photo of a guy skiing.  No big deal, there’s very few headphones outside of H2O that are 100% waterproof anyways.  They are however water-resistant, which should be enough for most (good) skiers or snowboarders.

The sound quality was average, nothing great, nothing horrible, so not a lot of comments there.

Out biggest hang up was on the most obvious feature, the noodle like arms.  Arriva did a great job in creating a frame that stays put, but at the same time we found 2 problems with that frame:

1. It’s not all that comfortable, until you break them in for a bit
2. It doesn’t hold it’s shape

Attached to those arms, on the very back of the headset, are the controls which we actually did like.  We tested these with a few different style helmets and didn’t have a problem getting them to fit, so that was definitely a plus for bikers or snowboarders.

Overall we like the idea behind the Leo and could see a use for them if were were having difficulty with other style headphones staying fit.  But we feel as though they definitely have some room for improvement, so hopefully we’ll see some LEO 2.0s in the future.

Specifications

• Bluetooth 2.1
• Charge time: 1.5 hours
• Music time: 5.2 hours

What’s in the Box

• Arriva Leo Bluetooth headphones
• (1) pair Acoustibuds
• (4) different size earpieces
• Micro USB wall charger
• Carrying case

Where to Buy

Click here to get the Arriva Leo Bluetooth Headphones

Whether you’re skiing, snowboarding, snow blading, or even snow mobiling, you’ll probably want a decent pair of sports headphones.  We personally spend a couple weeks out of each year on the slopes, and while we spend half our time talking to friends as we cruise down some easy greens, we spend the other half of the time shredding some blues and blacks, and without some tunes to keep us motivated we probably wouldn’t make it through those 6-8 hour slope days.

General Criteria

We previously outlined our general criteria for best sports headphones here.

Skiing Criteria

1. In-line Controls.  If you’re going to be bringing an MP3 player with you while you hit the slopes then you’ll definitely want in-line controls on your headphones so you can toss your MP3 player in your pocket and forget about it.  If you find a decent in-line player you’ll even be able to change songs or volume with your gloves still on.
2. Water Resistant.  We know, you never wipe out and go crashing head first into the snow.  But in the event that you do, you may want to look into grabbing a pair of earbuds that are water resistant.

Best Skiing Headphones of 2011

A lot of people may disagree about wearing headphones on the slopes, and while we don’t think beginner skiers should be flying down the slopes with Eminem pumping in their ears, we don’t see a problem with people who have been skiing for years enjoying their favorite tunes as they weave and wind down through some fresh powder.  However, regardless of what level skier you are always make sure you’re aware of your surroundings, headphones or no headphones.

Number 1 – Klipsch Image S5i Rugged Headphones

The name says it all, rugged.  Klipsch designed these headphones to be put to the test in any environment.  Their in-line controls featuring larger volume and play controls are perfect for changing songs on the ski lift without having to take your gloves off.  What’s even better is their standard 2 year warranty, which is rarely matched in their industry.  And let’s just say you won’t be hurting for sound with these earbuds either.

Read the full review here

Number 2 -Shure SE115-k

You may have noticed the Shure SE115-k on another one of our “Best of 2011″ lists, but the thing is these headphones are just to sweet to keep off another list.  Hands down the best quality is their sound.  But what makes the sound so great is the comfort.  After a few minutes you probably won’t even notice the earbuds in your ears.

Read the full review here

Number 3 – Etymotic Research HF2 Earphones

When we researched what a lot of other skiers were using or recommending we found the Etymotic were very near the top of the list.  Their earbuds have a tapered style, which is fairly unique, but the main feature that we liked was the “Awareness” factor.  Essentially these headphones are designed to allow certain ambient sounds in, such as a truck honking or a skier yelling.  Pretty cool idea.

Read the full review here

What to expect in 2012?

It’s hard to say what we’ll see in terms of headphones for skiing or snowboarding in 2012.  The market is quite a bit smaller than the typical sports market, such as running headphones or general sports headphones.  You may be seeing the headphones on this list stay on this list for a while, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

In order to find the best headphones and audio helmets to bring to the slopes we asked as many year in, year out skiers and snowboarders as we could find.  Oddly enough, most of them responded with the same answer.

Here’s what they had to say:

• You have 2 options: in-ear headphones and headphones built into your helmet, don’t even bother trying neckband headphones or vertical headphones, and especially stay away from over the ear headphones.  Why?  Because they’ll just get in the way and end up broken.
• Stick with these 3 brands for in-ear headphones: Sennheiser, Shure, or Etymotic.  We were a little shocked with this response, as we don’t know that much about Etymotic.
• While in-ear headphones will work fine, the better choice is to grab a helmet with built in headphones.  The top picks were Giro and Smith, hands down.

What else should you look for?

If you ski with a helmet, then obviously the most important thing is to have sports headphones that fit comfortably underneath your helmet.  You want the headphones to be of good enough quality that they have a slight noise cancelling effect to block out wind and other ambient sounds.  However, you don’t want the best noise cancelling headphones around, then you’ll just end up not paying attention to your surroundings and hurting someone around you.  Last, but not least the cord should include a volume device so you don’t have to reach into your pocket with your gloves on and try to change the volume or song.

One other thing we didn’t put much emphasis on (frankly because we hope it is obvious), your headphones should be waterproof.  We know, we know, you’re a world class skier that never falls and snow won’t be anywhere near your awesome skiing headphones.  But just in case.

Based on all the above criteria here are our top picks:

In-ear Sports Headphones

1. Shure SE115-K Sound Isolating Earphones
2. Etymotic Research HF5 Portable In-Ear Earphones
3. Sennheiser Adidas CX 680i Sports Headset

Audio Sports Helmets

1. Far and away our number 1 pick is the Smith Optics Variant Brim Snow Helmet + Smith Skullcandy Bluetooth Helmet Audio Kit.
2. A more affordable option is the Giro G10MX Snow Helmet + Giro TuneUps with Bluetooth Helmet Audio Kit.

Where to Buy

You can grab all these awesome skiing headphones on Amazon for great prices.

Pros

Sound Quality.  Non stop music whether ABOVE or BELOW water.

Comfort and Fit.  Ergonomic fit means comfort and staying power, and absolutely no leaks.

Price.  Still unsure how H20 Audio can offer such a cool product at such a low price.

Cons

Before we move onto the cons we want to add a couple sentences of disclaimer.  These are one of the best swimming headphones on the market currently, but if you’re not planning on using them for swimming only there are definitely better workout headphones available.  With that said, while we listed a few pros above, the product has similar cons that we’ve mentioned so that people’s expectations aren’t let down.  The end result is we still think these are great swimming headphones or we wouldn’t have put them on the site.

Comfort and Fit.  Some consumers have complained of the earbud loosening up, but that’s another reason they give you 5 pairs.

Sound Quality.  There are better quality headphones for workouts that don’t involve water, for cheaper.

Our Review

If you love to swim for one of your workouts during the week, but hate not being able to listen to music, these will be perfect for you.  The first time you go under water with your favorite tunes pumping in your ears is truly awesome.  The great thing about the H20 Audio Surge 2G is the sound quality doesn’t change whether you’re performing underwater laps or running through a series of strokes taking your in and out of the water.

The only drawback we had was using these headphones consistently out of the water did not compare to the sound quality of other workout headphones like the Bose IE2.

We recommend these for people including a swimming workout at least once a week in order to get your money’s worth.  These will also be perfect for any triathlon trainers or surfers.  Just make sure you take care of the earbuds by cleaning them if exposed to saltwater.

One last question you may want to answer before buying, “Want to be like Mike?”  Michael Phelps that is.

Specifications

• 100% waterproof (up to 15 feet deep)
• Warranty: 1 year
• Weight: 0.5 ounces
• Noise-cancelling
• Cord length: 44 inches
• Dynamic drivers for improved sound while underwater
• Standard 3.5mm headphone jack

What’s in the Box

• H20 Audio Surge 2G
• Personalized fit – includes 5 sets of elastomer earplugs

Where to Buy

Amazon is your best bet for sure.

Click here to get the H2O Audio Surge 2G