If you want compact earbuds for zoom calls, choose Altec Lansing Nanobuds; if you need a smartwatch with earbuds built in, choose Desong Watch. The Nanobuds keep the focus on wireless listening and calls, while Desong combines earbuds with a touchscreen watch and fitness features. For a call-first setup, I’d lean toward the dedicated earbuds; for an all-in-one wrist device, the Desong has more going on.
• Altec Lansing Nanobuds: Compact, truly wireless earbuds with touch controls and a charging case; the trade-off is up to four hours of listening per charge.
• Desong Watch: A smartwatch that stores and recharges its included earbuds; the trade-off is that its earbud playback is listed at up to 3.5 hours per charge.
• Call setup: Nanobuds are designed as standalone Bluetooth earbuds with a microphone; Desong adds watch-based call handling alongside its earbuds.
• Water resistance: Nanobuds are rated IPX5, while the Desong watch is rated IP67; these labels apply to different products and shouldn’t be treated as interchangeable.
• Choose Nanobuds for: A straightforward earbud option for calls, travel, or workouts.
• Choose Desong for: A watch-centered setup that combines notifications, fitness tracking, and earbuds in one device.
Altec Lansing Nanobuds are the simpler choice if your priority is carrying earbuds for listening and calls. They connect over Bluetooth 5.0, use touch controls, and come with a charging case. Their in-ear design is intended to stay in place during activities such as running, travel, or relaxing at home. The listed wireless range is up to 50 feet.
For remote meetings, that focused design is appealing: there’s no watch interface to navigate before you use the earbuds. They’re a plausible option for someone searching for the best in ear headphones for zoom calls, especially if the main need is a compact Bluetooth headset rather than a new wearable. The product information also identifies a built-in microphone. Still, the data doesn’t specify call-specific features such as noise cancellation or microphone performance, so I wouldn’t assume those.
How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Battery life is the main practical compromise. The earbuds are listed for up to four hours on a single charge, with the case providing up to 16 additional hours. That gives you more listening between access to a charger, but a long day of calls may require returning them to the case between sessions. The fit matters, too: the product notes that poorly fitting tips can affect sound and call performance. I’d skip these if you want a smartwatch, or if you specifically need a documented call-noise feature or a longer continuous earbud session.
The Desong Watch is for someone who wants more than earbuds. Its 2.02-inch touchscreen watch includes features such as step counting, heart-rate monitoring, sleep tracking, alarms, music control, weather, and more than 100 sports modes. It can also receive notifications and support calls, while its included Bluetooth earbuds sit in a compartment beneath the screen.
That built-in storage is a distinctive convenience. The earbuds are kept with the watch rather than in a separate charging case, and the watch recharges them when they’re put back. The listing gives the earbuds up to 3.5 hours of continuous music and says the watch can provide two to three full earbud charges. The watch itself has a 300 mAh battery and a stated standby time of up to 12 days; standby time is not the same as active-use battery life.
The main trade-off is that the product is a combined wearable, not a dedicated earbud set. Buyers should be comfortable with the watch serving as the hub for storage and charging. Its call and notification features may suit someone who wants to handle basic communication from the wrist, but the specifications don’t establish that its earbuds have a particular microphone quality or call-noise system. I’d pass if I wanted the simplest earbud-only setup or the longer stated listening time per single charge offered by Nanobuds.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for a simple earbud setup → Altec Lansing Nanobuds. They’re standalone wireless earbuds with touch controls and a charging case, without the smartwatch features.
• Best for longer stated playback per earbud charge → Altec Lansing Nanobuds. The listed figure is up to four hours, compared with up to 3.5 hours for the Desong earbuds.
• Best if you want earbuds stored in a wearable → Desong Watch. Its earbuds are housed beneath the watch screen and recharge when returned to the compartment.
• Best for a stated IPX5 earbud rating → Altec Lansing Nanobuds. This rating is specifically given for the earbuds, and the design is described as suitable for sweat and light rain.
• Best for a watch with a stated IP67 rating → Desong Watch. The water-resistance specification belongs to the watch; it does not mean its earbuds have the same rating.
• Best for a call-first, in-ear product → Altec Lansing Nanobuds. The listing describes them as earbuds with a microphone, though it doesn’t specify advanced call features.
• Best for activity tracking and wrist notifications → Desong Watch. Its listed functions include step and heart-rate tracking, sleep tracking, sports modes, and message notifications.
For Zoom, the important distinction is whether you want a dedicated pair of earbuds or a broader wrist device that happens to include earbuds. Nanobuds make the more direct choice if calls are the main reason you’re shopping. Desong makes more sense when the watch functions matter as much as listening.
I’d choose Altec Lansing Nanobuds for Zoom calls because they keep the setup focused on in-ear listening, and the listed single-charge playback is slightly longer. Their case also adds up to 16 hours of stated battery time. If I wanted a watch with notifications, tracking, and earbuds stored inside it, I’d choose Desong instead—but for headphones for zoom calls, I prefer the simpler Nanobuds.
FAQ
Nanobuds are the more straightforward earbud choice, with a built-in microphone and touch controls. Desong also supports calls, but its main appeal is combining earbuds with a smartwatch and fitness features.
Neither product is described as bone-conduction headphones, and neither has an IPX7 rating. Nanobuds are rated IPX5, while the Desong watch is rated IP67; those specifications do not make either one an IPX7 bone-conduction headset.
That depends on which features you’ll use. Nanobuds provide a dedicated earbud setup with a charging case; Desong combines earbuds with a touchscreen watch, notifications, and fitness tracking. Check the current price on Amazon using the page’s button, then weigh it against the features you actually need.
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