How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want earbuds that stay locked in your ears through sweat, rain and a long trail run while still juggling two devices at once, choose Skullcandy Push Play Active; if you need an on-ear pair that folds flat for a commute week and gives you an app to remap controls and shape EQ, choose JLab.
• Skullcandy Push Play Active — biggest strength: True-wireless in-ear fit with flexible over-ear hangers, IP55 sweat and water resistance, Multipoint pairing, and up to 34 hours of total battery with a Rapid Charge top-up.
• Skullcandy Push Play Active — biggest trade-off: It's an in-ear bud, so you're relying on sound isolation rather than full noise cancellation, and the fit depends on those ear hooks feeling right for your ears.
• JLab — biggest strength: On-ear Cloud Foam comfort with a foldable design, 40+ hours of playtime, Bluetooth 5.3 Multipoint, Google Fast Pair, and a companion app for control and EQ tuning.
• JLab — biggest trade-off: It's a wired-feeling on-ear headphone, not a bud — so it's bulkier to carry and more of a sit-and-listen companion than a gym accessory.
• Pick Skullcandy Push Play Active if you train, run outdoors, or want something tiny that clings to your ears.
• Pick JLab if you want to wear headphones for hours at a desk, on a train, or through a full commute week.
The Push Play Active is built around movement. The flexible over-ear hangers are the defining design choice here — they're meant to hold the earbuds comfortably in place whether you're at the gym, on a trail, or upside down mid-air. The buds themselves are IP55 rated for sweat and water resistance, so rain, sweat and dusty trails aren't a dealbreaker.
For connectivity, this is a true multipoint set: connect to two devices at once and switch between them without re-pairing. Bluetooth 5.3 keeps the link current, and the range is listed at 10 meters, which is plenty for leaving your phone on a bench while you wander the weight room.
Who should buy it: runners, gym-goers, and anyone who wants compact buds that won't fall out and can hop between a phone and a laptop.
Who should skip it: if you want over-ear comfort for marathon desk sessions, or you want active noise cancellation rather than isolation, this isn't the shape for you.
JLab: Who It's For
JLab's Studio+ Gen 2 is a different animal. These are on-ear headphones with Cloud Foam earcups, and the point of that design is long, cushioned listening sessions. The foldable build collapses flat so they travel easily in a bag or backpack — a genuinely useful trait if you're moving between home, train and office.
Battery is rated at 40+ hours of Bluetooth 5.3 playtime, and the description notes that figure is based on music at medium volume. For most people that's a full commute week on a single charge, and USB-C charging keeps it simple.
Multipoint is here too: connect to two devices simultaneously — phone, laptop or desktop — and move between them. Google Fast Pair makes Android pairing quick, and it's compatible with iOS, Android and PC. There's a MEMs microphone for hands-free calls, which matters if you take meetings on the move.
The JLab App is the real differentiator. It lets you remap the touch controls and fine-tune EQ, on top of the three onboard EQ3 presets — JLab Signature, Balanced and Bass Boost. You also get a 2-year warranty.
Who should buy it: commuters, students, and desk workers who want comfort, a foldable frame, and app-level control over how things sound and behave.
Who should skip it: if you need something for sweaty workouts or you want buds that disappear into a pocket, on-ear headphones are the wrong tool.
• Best for workouts and running → Skullcandy Push Play Active (IP55, over-ear hangers, in-ear fit).
• Best for all-day comfort → JLab (Cloud Foam on-ear earcups built for long sessions).
• Best for total battery → JLab, with 40+ hours versus Skullcandy's up to 34 hours.
• Best for a quick top-up → Skullcandy Push Play Active, thanks to Rapid Charge (2 hours from a 10-minute charge).
• Best for portable carry → Skullcandy Push Play Active — buds in a case beat a folded headphone for pocket space.
• Best for control customization → JLab, since the app lets you remap touch controls and tune EQ.
• Best for hearing your surroundings → Skullcandy Push Play Active via Stay-Aware mode.
• Best for quick Android pairing → JLab with Google Fast Pair.
• Best for warranty length → JLab, backed by a 2-year warranty versus Skullcandy's 1-year limited warranty.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to where you'll wear them, not which spec list is longer. If your listening happens while moving — running, lifting, riding — I'd buy the Skullcandy Push Play Active. The IP55 rating, ear-hook fit and Rapid Charge are exactly what that lifestyle needs, and multipoint keeps your phone and laptop connected.
If your listening happens while sitting — commuting, studying, working — I'd buy the JLab. The Cloud Foam on-ear design, foldable frame, 40+ hours and app control make it the better long-session companion. Both handle multipoint pairing well; the fit is what separates them... Check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
You don't pair two headphones to each other — you pair each one to your source device separately. Both the Skullcandy Push Play Active and the JLab support Bluetooth Multipoint, which means each can stay connected to two devices at once and switch between them. Pair each headphone normally, then enable multipoint in its settings if required.
On iPhone, go to Settings → Bluetooth and connect each headphone one at a time. The JLab is compatible with iOS, and the Skullcandy Push Play Active uses Bluetooth 5.3, so both will show up as available devices. Once paired, multipoint lets a single headphone hold two connections, so you can move between your iPhone and another device.
The process mirrors the iPhone: open Settings → Bluetooth on the iPad and select each headphone to pair it. Both products here are wireless Bluetooth only — there's no headphone jack on either — so every connection goes through Bluetooth. Multipoint then lets one headphone stay linked to your iPad and a second device simultaneously.
Pair each set individually through your device's Bluetooth menu, since most phones and computers only output audio to one headphone at a time. Where multipoint helps is switching — the Skullcandy Push Play Active and JLab each connect to two devices and transition between them. For true multi-headphone audio sharing, you'd need a transmitter or app designed for that, which neither spec sheet lists.
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