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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 lightweight, simple on-ear pair with fast top-up charging and wired backup, choose Skullcandy Riff; if you need marathon battery life, a bigger over-ear fit and active noise cancellation, choose iJoy ISO.
Both are Bluetooth foldable headphones in the affordable end of the market, and both give you a 3.5 mm jack as a fallback when you don't want to run wireless. That's roughly where the similarities stop. One is a stripped-down, style-first everyday headphone. The other is a feature-stacked travel and commute headphone built around battery life and noise blocking. Here's how I'd sort them out.
• Skullcandy Riff — biggest strength: simple, soft-touch on-ear design with 10-minute quick charge giving 2 hours of listening, plus touch controls and assistant access.
• Skullcandy Riff — biggest trade-off: no noise cancellation, older Bluetooth 4.1, shorter battery life and a smaller on-ear fit that won't suit everyone.
• iJoy ISO — biggest strength: up to 30 hours of battery, Bluetooth 5.0, over-ear cushioning and active noise cancellation for blocking out the world.
• iJoy ISO — biggest trade-off: a much longer 2.5-hour full charge, and a bulkier over-ear build (even though it folds).
• Buy Skullcandy Riff if you want a light, casual, grab-and-go headphone for short commutes, calls and everyday listening.
• Buy iJoy ISO if you want long listening sessions, plane or train travel, and active noise cancellation without paying flagship money.
The Riff is the "keep it simple" option. The spec sheet reads like a checklist of everyday usability rather than a feature arms race: 32 ohm dynamic drivers covering 20Hz–20KHz, Bluetooth 4.1 with a 10-meter range, touch controls on the earcup, and a no-slip headband. It's an on-ear design, meaning the pads sit on your ears rather than around them, and it's built from a soft-touch finish with plush ear pads. In my opinion that's the whole pitch here — it feels approachable and it's easy to live with.
The standout detail is the rapid charge. Ten minutes on the charger gets you two hours of listening, which is genuinely useful if you're the kind of person who remembers to charge things only right before you walk out the door. The full battery is listed at up to 10 hours, with a 12-hour figure also cited, and a full charge takes about 10 minutes per the charge-time field — so plan on shorter sessions between top-ups rather than a week of listening. You also get tap/touch media controls, the ability to trigger your phone's assistant for navigation or dictation, and a 3.5 mm jack so you can plug in when the battery dies.
Who should buy it: casual listeners who want a light, comfortable, no-fuss on-ear headphone for walks, short commutes, desk work and phone calls, and who value fast top-up charging over maximum runtime. The four color options and soft-touch look matter if you care about style. Who should skip it: anyone who needs noise cancellation, long-haul battery life, or the fuller sound and isolation that an over-ear seal provides. If you fly often or wear headphones for eight-hour stretches, the Riff's on-ear fit and shorter battery will frustrate you.
The ISO is the practical workhorse of the two. It's an over-ear, foldable headphone with Bluetooth 5.0 and a 33-foot range, which is a noticeably newer wireless spec than the Riff's 4.1. The headline number is battery: up to 30 hours of talk time and 26 hours of playtime on a full charge, which takes about 2.5 hours. That's a huge step up in runtime, and it's the reason I'd point frequent travelers here first.
The second big differentiator is active noise cancellation. This isn't passive isolation from a tight seal — the ISO actively works to cut background noise, which matters on planes, trains, buses and in open offices. It's paired with soft cushioned ear cups and a cushioned headband for all-day wear, and the over-ear design naturally blocks more sound than an on-ear fit even before ANC kicks in. You also get touch controls and a built-in microphone for hands-free calls, plus the same 3.5 mm jack fallback. The foldable design is called out specifically as a travel feature — it collapses to save space in a bag.
There are a couple of honest caveats. A 2.5-hour full charge is slow by modern standards, so you can't rely on a quick top-up the way you can with the Riff. And over-ear headphones with ANC are simply bulkier and warmer to wear than a light on-ear pair. Who should buy it: commuters, students, gym-goers and travelers who want long battery life, noise blocking and hands-free calling from one headset, and who don't mind a bigger foldable frame. Who should skip it: anyone who wants the smallest, lightest possible headphone or who hates waiting on a charge.
• Best for battery life → iJoy ISO. Up to 30 hours of talk time and 26 hours of playtime versus roughly 10–12 hours on the Riff.
• Best for fast charging → Skullcandy Riff. Ten minutes gets you two hours of listening; the ISO needs about 2.5 hours for a full charge.
• Best for noise blocking → iJoy ISO. Active noise cancellation plus an over-ear seal is a different league from the Riff's on-ear design with no noise control.
• Best for wireless reliability and range → iJoy ISO. Bluetooth 5.0 with a 33-foot range beats Bluetooth 4.1 at 10 meters.
• Best for all-day comfort on a bigger head → iJoy ISO. Over-ear cushioned cups and headband are built for long sessions; the Riff is on-ear and lighter.
• Best for portability and simplicity → Skullcandy Riff. On-ear, soft-touch, no extras to think about, and easier to stash.
• Best for calls → iJoy ISO. A built-in microphone is a listed feature; the Riff's controls are more about media and assistant access.
• Best for plugging in when the battery dies → both. Each offers a 3.5 mm jack as a wired fallback.
For most people shopping these two, I'd buy the iJoy ISO. In my opinion the combination of up to 30 hours of battery, Bluetooth 5.0, over-ear comfort and active noise cancellation simply covers more real-world situations — travel, commuting, studying, long workdays — and the foldable design keeps it packable. The Riff only wins if you specifically want a light, casual on-ear headphone and you value that 10-minute/2-hour quick charge over everything else. If your priority is a simple everyday pair you barely think about, the Riff is the friendlier pick; if your priority is getting through a long day with the noise turned down, the ISO is the one I'd reach for.
FAQ
For most commutes, yes. The ISO gives you active noise cancellation, over-ear isolation and up to 30 hours of battery, which is better suited to noisy buses, trains and planes. The Riff is lighter and simpler, which some people prefer for short walks.
Yes. Both list a 3.5 mm jack, so you can plug in and listen wired when the battery runs out or when you want zero wireless latency.
The Skullcandy Riff supports rapid charging — about 10 minutes for 2 hours of listening — and its charge time is listed at roughly 10 minutes. The iJoy ISO takes about 2.5 hours for a full charge, which then yields up to 30 hours.
The iJoy ISO has a built-in microphone and touch controls for managing calls, so it's the more natural choice for hands-free talking. Both connect over Bluetooth and can trigger voice features, but the ISO is the one designed around call handling.
If price is the deciding factor for you, check the current price on Amazon for both before you commit — the button on this page will take you there.
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