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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, sustainable pair of everyday earbuds with preset sound modes and a simple touch interface, choose Skullcandy Smokin Buds; if you need active noise cancellation, a much longer battery reserve and a secure ear-hook fit for hard training, choose Poounur Active Noise Cancelling.
• Skullcandy Smokin Buds — biggest strength: a tidy, low-hassle everyday earbud with 20 hours of total battery, Rapid Charge, three preset EQ modes and a 50% renewable-plastic build.
• Skullcandy Smokin Buds — biggest trade-off: only passive noise isolation, IPX4 splash resistance, and a 6 mm driver, so it is not built for loud commutes or heavy sweat.
• Poounur Active Noise Cancelling — biggest strength: dual-mic active noise cancellation with a Transparent Mode, 60 hours of total battery, IPX7 waterproofing and a 14 mm dynamic driver for deep bass.
• Poounur Active Noise Cancelling — biggest trade-off: an on-ear ear-hook shape that is bulkier and more specialised than a plain in-ear bud, plus physical buttons instead of touch.
• Who each is for: the Skullcandy is for casual listeners who want a simple, comfortable all-rounder; the Poounur is for runners, gym users and commuters who want quiet and endurance.
The Skullcandy Smokin Buds is a straightforward in-ear true wireless earbud that leans on comfort and simplicity rather than headline features. The rounded-tip earpiece is designed to sit in the ear canal, and Skullcandy pairs that with passive noise isolation — the seal does the blocking, not a chip. That is a meaningful distinction. In a quiet office, on a walk or on a train where you mostly want your own music at a reasonable level, passive isolation is genuinely enough. In a roaring carriage or next to a spinning washing machine, it will not do what active cancellation does.
Battery is the practical story here: up to 20 hours total, split as 8 hours in the earbuds and another 12 in the case, with a 10-minute Rapid Charge giving you 2 hours of listening. The case itself recharges in about 6 hours. For most people that means charging the case once or twice a week and rarely thinking about it. The three preset EQ modes — Music, Movie and Podcast — are a nice touch for a bud at this level, since you can shift the tuning with four taps rather than digging into an app. Touch controls handle volume, calls, EQ and your phone's voice assistant.
The sustainability angle is unusual and worth noting: 50% renewable plastics in the build, a bioplastic case, fully recyclable packaging, and a deliberately modest battery capacity. If that matters to you, it is a real differentiator.
Poounur Active Noise Cancelling: Who It's For
The Poounur Active Noise Cancelling earbud is built around one idea: keep the outside world out while you move. It uses a dual-mic active noise cancellation chip that the brand says blocks around 90% of low-frequency ambient noise — traffic rumble, office chatter, crowd noise. There is also a Transparent Mode when you want to hear what is happening around you without pulling a bud out. That is the single biggest functional gap between these two products, and it is the reason most people will end up on this side of the fence.
The second pillar is fit. This is an ear-hook design with a hollow open-ear structure, and each earbud weighs just 4.2 g. The curved hook is adjustable and wraps the ear contour, which is exactly the shape you want for running, cycling, jumping and gym work where a plain in-ear bud works loose. The trade-off is that hooks are more visible and take a moment more to seat correctly than a simple push-in bud.
Battery is the other headline: up to 8 hours on a single charge, up to 60 hours total with the case, and a 20-minute quick charge for 3 hours of playback. That is a genuinely long reserve — enough that a heavy user could go a week or more between proper charges. The case itself tops up in about 1.5 hours. Audio comes from a 14 mm dynamic driver with HiFi tuning aimed at deep bass and a low-latency response, which suits gaming and video as well as music.
Then there is durability and control. IPX7 means it is rated to survive full immersion, not just splashes — a big step up from IPX4 when you are sweating hard or caught in real rain. And it uses physical buttons rather than touch, so you can pause, skip and change volume mid-stride without accidental taps. Bluetooth 5.4 and a 15-metre range round it out. The warranty terms are a 30-day return/exchange window and 180 days of customer service support.
Buy it if you want active noise cancellation, run or train seriously, want maximum battery life, or hate touch controls. Skip it if you prefer the smallest, most discreet bud possible or you want a simple in-ear fit with no hook.
• Best for noise blocking → Poounur Active Noise Cancelling. Active cancellation with dual mics and a Transparent Mode versus passive isolation only on the Skullcandy.
• Best for battery life → Poounur Active Noise Cancelling. Up to 60 hours total versus up to 20 hours on the Skullcandy.
• Best for quick top-ups → Poounur Active Noise Cancelling. 20 minutes for 3 hours of playback, against the Skullcandy's 10 minutes for 2 hours — both are good, the Poounur edges it.
• Best for workouts and rain → Poounur Active Noise Cancelling. IPX7 waterproof against IPX4 sweat and water resistance.
• Best for a discreet, simple everyday bud → Skullcandy Smokin Buds. A rounded-tip in-ear shape with touch controls and no ear hook.
• Best for preset sound tuning → Skullcandy Smokin Buds. Three EQ modes (Music, Movie, Podcast) switchable with four taps.
• Best for sustainability-minded buyers → Skullcandy Smokin Buds. 50% renewable plastics and recyclable packaging.
• Best for bass-heavy listening → Poounur Active Noise Cancelling. A 14 mm dynamic driver tuned for deep bass, versus the Skullcandy's 6 mm driver.
In my opinion, the Poounur Active Noise Cancelling is the stronger buy for most people shopping this comparison. Active noise cancellation, IPX7 waterproofing, 60 hours of total battery and a secure ear-hook fit cover the three things that actually break the earbud experience — noise, sweat and running out of charge. I would pick the Skullcandy Smokin Buds only if you specifically want a small, no-fuss in-ear bud for quiet environments, value touch controls and preset EQ, and care about recycled materials. Both are legitimate choices; they just solve different problems. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since that is the one variable that can flip this decision.
For running, yes in my view. The Poounur uses an adjustable ear hook, weighs 4.2 g per bud and carries an IPX7 waterproof rating, while the Skullcandy is a push-in in-ear bud with IPX4 splash resistance. If you sweat heavily or run in the rain, the Poounur is the safer pick.
They have passive noise isolation, not active noise cancellation. The seal of the rounded-tip earpiece reduces background sound, but there is no ANC chip and no Transparent Mode, which is the main functional difference from the Poounur.
The Poounur, by a wide margin. Skullcandy lists up to 20 hours total (8 in the buds, 12 in the case); Poounur lists up to 60 hours total (8 per charge, 60 with the case). Poounur also charges its case faster, about 1.5 hours versus 6 hours.
It comes down to preference. The Skullcandy Smokin Buds uses touch controls for volume, calls and EQ, which feels modern but can trigger by accident. The Poounur uses physical buttons, which are harder to mis-press mid-workout. In my opinion, buttons win for sport and touch wins for casual daily use.
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