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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a low-cost way to keep the earbuds you already own from slipping out mid-workout, choose Far End Gear BudLoks Earphone Sport; if you need a complete wireless earbud setup built around long battery life and simple pairing, choose SOAR NCAA.
• Far End Gear BudLoks Earphone Sport — biggest strength: it's a fit accessory, not a new pair of earbuds, so it upgrades earphones you already like by locking them in place during activity. It ships with six pieces (two each of three sizes) for a near-custom fit.
• Far End Gear BudLoks Earphone Sport — biggest trade-off: compatibility is narrow. It won't fit earphone bodies that are too large (most IEM designs), bodies smaller in diameter than the eartip, or earphones with no area next to the eartip to secure to.
• SOAR NCAA — biggest strength: a full true-wireless package with a claimed 32 hours of total battery life, Bluetooth 5.0, auto-pairing, silicone in-ear gels and a charging case.
• SOAR NCAA — biggest trade-off: no active noise control, and its extra audio options (FM radio, USB, AUX) are aimed at sports-fan listening rather than critical sound quality.
• Who each is for: BudLoks for people who already own compatible wired or wireless earbuds and just want them to stay put; SOAR NCAA for anyone who wants a self-contained wireless pair for game days, the gym and commuting.
Think of BudLoks as a small silicone-style grip that slides onto the body of your existing earbuds. They're made of plastic, weigh about 4.5 g for the set, and measure roughly an inch across — the kind of thing you'd forget is even in your bag until the moment your earbud tries to escape during a run. The whole point is mechanical: they "comfortably lock earbuds in place during general activity or vigorous exercise," according to the manufacturer. If your current earbuds sound good but won't stay seated when you move, that's exactly the problem this product exists to solve.
The fit story is the part that matters most. You get six pieces — two each in three sizes — so you can experiment until one size feels right on each ear. And because they install on the body of the earbud rather than over the eartip, they don't replace your existing tips or change how the nozzle seals. That's a meaningful design choice for anyone who has already found tips they like.
Who should skip it? Anyone expecting a universal fit. Far End Gear is unusually direct about the limits: BudLoks won't work on earphone bodies that are too big (most in-ear monitor designs), on bodies smaller in diameter than the eartip, or on earphones with no area to secure next to the eartip. Apple's AirPod and EarPod shapes need a different BudLoks variant entirely. So before buying, look at your earphones and check the compatibility guide — this is a product where five minutes of measuring saves a return.
The SOAR NCAA is a different animal: a complete pair of true-wireless in-ear buds in a team-color finish, model NCAA-TWS6-OK, sold under the NCAA brand by Prime Brands Group. The headline number is battery: 32 hours of total playtime, which in practice means the buds plus the charging case carry you through a long game day, a week of commutes, or a string of gym sessions without hunting for a cable. The included charging case is what makes that portable.
Connectivity is straightforward and current enough: Bluetooth 5.0, auto-pairing so you're not fiddling with settings menus, and a 3.5 mm jack listed among its connectivity options for wired listening. The audio extras are where this pair shows its personality — FM radio for live game commentary, plus USB and AUX inputs for other sources. That's a genuinely unusual feature set. Most budget wireless buds give you Bluetooth and nothing else; these are built for someone who wants to hear the broadcast, not just a playlist.
On comfort, SOAR uses silicone in-ear gels and a bud-shaped housing, and the manufacturer describes the fit as comfortable and secure for the gym, the field or home. One honest limitation: noise control is listed as "None." There's no active noise cancellation here, so if you want to mute a noisy gym or a plane cabin, this isn't that product. There's also a one-year manufacturer warranty, which is a reasonable safety net at this tier.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for keeping earbuds you already own in place → Far End Gear BudLoks Earphone Sport. It's an accessory, so your existing sound signature stays exactly as it is.
• Best for a complete out-of-the-box setup → SOAR NCAA. Buds, charging case, silicone gels and wireless pairing are all in the box.
• Best for compatibility flexibility → SOAR NCAA. It works with any Bluetooth device; BudLoks only works with earphones that meet specific body-size criteria.
• Best for live game audio → SOAR NCAA. FM radio, USB and AUX options are aimed squarely at sports fans.
• Best for minimal cost of entry → Far End Gear BudLoks Earphone Sport. It's a small accessory, not a full electronics purchase, so it's the cheaper way to solve a fit problem.
• Best for noise isolation → neither, strictly speaking. SOAR lists no noise control, and BudLoks is a grip that doesn't change your eartips' sealing.
• Best for Apple AirPod/EarPod owners → neither as listed. Far End Gear directs those users to a separate BudLoks model for Apple shapes.
In my opinion, the right buy depends entirely on what's broken in your current setup. If your earbuds sound fine but won't stay in during a run, I'd buy the Far End Gear BudLoks Earphone Sport — it's a focused fix for a specific, annoying problem, and the three-size kit gives you room to dial in the fit. If you don't own a suitable pair of earbuds yet, or you want one purchase that covers game days, workouts and commutes, I'd buy the SOAR NCAA instead. The 32-hour battery, auto-pairing and FM radio make it the more complete product; just go in knowing there's no noise cancellation and the sound is tuned for everyday listening, not audiophile duty.
how to wear sports earbuds
For in-ear designs, seat the eartip in your ear canal and then secure the body so it rests against the curve of your ear — that contact point is what stops movement. With BudLoks, the grip installs on the earbud body next to the eartip and comes in three sizes (two pieces each) so you can match your ear. The SOAR NCAA uses silicone in-ear gels, which the manufacturer describes as providing a comfortable and secure fit.
how to connect bose sports earbuds
I can't cover Bose pairing here — these are Far End Gear and SOAR products, and Bose has its own procedure. For the SOAR NCAA specifically, it uses Bluetooth 5.0 with auto-pairing, which the manufacturer says simplifies setup so you can connect to your device without a lengthy manual process. BudLoks isn't a wireless product at all, so there's nothing to pair.
how to pair bose sports earbuds
Same answer as above: Bose earbuds follow Bose's own pairing steps, which aren't part of this comparison. If you're pairing the SOAR NCAA, enable Bluetooth on your phone or tablet, and auto-pairing handles the handshake. For BudLoks, no pairing exists — it's a physical grip that fits onto compatible earbud bodies.
how to reset bose sports earbuds
Bose reset procedures are brand-specific and outside the scope of these two products. The SOAR NCAA is covered by a one-year manufacturer warranty, so if it misbehaves, that's your first route. BudLoks has no electronics to reset — if it isn't holding, the fix is switching to a different size from the six-piece kit.
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