We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-19 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a single set of earbuds that keeps itself topped up from ambient light and runs for days between charges, choose Urbanista Solar Powered Hybrid; if you need to turn any airplane seat-back screen, hotel TV, or gym machine with a headphone jack into your own private Bluetooth audio feed, choose Avantree Relay.
• Urbanista Solar Powered Hybrid — biggest strength: a self-charging case built on Powerfoyle solar cell material. It reloads from any light, natural or artificial, while the buds sit inside it. Add 8 hours of playback per charge and a 34-hour reserve in the case, and you rarely think about a wall outlet.
• Urbanista Solar Powered Hybrid — biggest trade-off: it's an in-ear-only solution with no wired output. If your source device has no Bluetooth, it simply can't help you.
• Avantree Relay — biggest strength: it is the bridge. It takes audio out of any 3.5mm AUX jack and transmits it over Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX-Adaptive, so wired-only hardware becomes wireless to whatever earbuds or headphones you already own.
• Avantree Relay — biggest trade-off: it isn't really a standalone music product in the same sense. The bundle centers on the adapter plus the Clan N1 earbuds, and the adapter's value depends entirely on you having AUX devices and Bluetooth listening gear worth pairing.
• Who each is for: Urbanista for the commuter, gym-goer, and traveler who wants one self-sufficient pair of ANC earbuds. Avantree for the frequent flyer and home-theater tinkerer who wants to liberate every headphone jack they encounter.
The headline idea here is genuinely unusual. The charging case carries integrated Powerfoyle solar cell material and recharges whenever it's exposed to light — sunlight, office lighting, a lamp on a nightstand. That's the "infinite playtime" claim, and it's supported by real numbers underneath: 8 hours of continuous playback in both buds, plus a 34-hour battery reserve in the case. In practice that means you can treat the case as a slow trickle charger that works passively while you're sitting at a desk or riding a train, and only reach for a cable on a genuinely heavy week.
The rest of the spec sheet holds up as a modern daily driver. Hybrid active noise cancellation with noise-reducing microphones handles the drone of an airplane cabin or a bus engine, and transparency mode feeds outside sound back in so you can order a coffee without pulling a bud out. Bluetooth 5.2 with multipoint lets you stay connected to two devices at once — laptop and phone, say — and switch between them without repairing. The 10mm dynamic drivers cover a 20 Hz to 20 kHz range at 32 ohm impedance, which is a standard, sensible tuning target for bass-forward listening. In-ear detection pauses automatically when you remove a bud and resumes when you put it back, and touch controls plus Siri and Google Assistant support round out the interface. An IPX4 rating means sweat and light rain aren't a problem, and three sizes of silicone tips are included so you can get a real seal.
Buy it if you want one pair of earbuds that handles commuting, workouts, and travel, and you like the idea of a case that fights its own battery drain. Skip it if your audio sources are wired-only, or if you already own premium headphones you'd rather keep using — the Urbanista is a complete system, not an accessory.
The Relay is a different kind of product entirely, and it's worth being clear about that before comparing them head to head. This is an airplane Bluetooth adapter bundled with the Clan N1 active noise-canceling earbuds. The adapter's job is to take audio from anything with a 3.5mm AUX output — plane seat-back entertainment, a hotel TV, gym cardio equipment — and rebroadcast it over Bluetooth to whatever headphones or earbuds you're wearing. The included dual 3.5mm adapter is the practical detail that matters most on long-haul flights, since it covers both the single-plug and twin-plug connector layouts you'll run into.
On the transmission side you get Bluetooth 5.3 for stable, reliable connections and aptX-Adaptive codec support, which is aimed at high-quality audio with low latency when your listening device supports it. Low latency is the whole ballgame for watching a movie on a seat-back screen; drift between lip movement and dialogue is what makes wireless airplane audio unusable, and aptX-Adaptive is the feature designed to prevent that.
The Clan N1 earbuds that come with it handle the listening end. Hybrid ANC blocks up to 24dB of environmental noise, and Ambient Mode flips the built-in mics on so you can hear what's happening around you without removing a bud. A battery display on the case lets you monitor charge level and charging status at a glance instead of guessing. Compatibility is broad — the OS list spans Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows — which makes sense for a product whose entire premise is working with whatever gear you already own.
Buy it if you fly regularly, you've got wired audio sources you want to cut the cord on, or you want to keep using your existing Bluetooth headphones on planes. Skip it if you never touch a 3.5mm jack and just want a single pair of earbuds to carry — the adapter would sit unused.
• Best for battery independence → Urbanista Solar Powered Hybrid. The solar-recharging case plus 8 hours per charge and a 34-hour case reserve means fewer cables in your bag.
• Best for airplanes and wired audio sources → Avantree Relay. Nothing in the Urbanista spec sheet turns a seat-back screen into a Bluetooth signal. The Relay does exactly that.
• Best for using your own headphones → Avantree Relay. The adapter transmits to any Bluetooth headphones or earbuds, so your existing pair stays in the rotation.
• Best for all-in-one daily earbuds → Urbanista Solar Powered Hybrid. Multipoint Bluetooth 5.2, in-ear detection, hybrid ANC, transparency mode, IPX4, and three tip sizes make it a complete standalone package.
• Best for watching video without audio lag → Avantree Relay. aptX-Adaptive is the feature built for low-latency transmission, which matters most for movies and shows.
• Best for workouts and sweaty commutes → Urbanista Solar Powered Hybrid. IPX4 sweat and water resistance is explicitly part of the design.
• Best for noise blocking on a commute → a close call, but Urbanista Solar Powered Hybrid. Avantree quantifies its ANC at up to 24dB; Urbanista describes hybrid ANC with dedicated noise-reducing microphones but doesn't publish a figure, so I'd treat the Avantree number as the more concrete claim on paper.
• Best for travel-light minimalists → Urbanista Solar Powered Hybrid. One case, two buds, no adapter to lose in a seat pocket.
My Verdict
That said, the Avantree Relay wins outright for a specific buyer, and it's not a consolation prize. If you fly often or own wired audio gear you want to make wireless, the Relay does something the Urbanista simply cannot, and it does it with Bluetooth 5.3, aptX-Adaptive, and a dual 3.5mm adapter that covers real-world connector layouts. Frequent flyers should buy the Relay without hesitation.
They solve different problems, so "worth it" depends on your sources. If you want one self-charging pair of ANC earbuds for commuting, gym, and travel, the Urbanista is the more complete daily product. If you need to convert wired audio to Bluetooth, the Avantree is the only one of the two that can. Check the current price on Amazon for both before deciding — that's the button on this page.
Per the spec sheet, yes — it connects to any Bluetooth headphones or earbuds, and it works with any device that outputs audio via AUX, including planes, TVs, and gym equipment. The bundled dual 3.5mm adapter also covers different flight connector types, so it isn't limited to one airplane layout.
Avantree publishes a figure: hybrid ANC blocking up to 24dB. Urbanista describes hybrid active noise cancellation with noise-reducing microphones but doesn't publish a dB number. Both offer a transparency or ambient mode so you can stay aware of your surroundings. On paper, Avantree's claim is the more specific one, but the real-world result also depends on how well the tips seal in your ears.
Yes, as long as your source is Bluetooth. The earbuds are wireless with no headphone jack, so they pair directly to a phone, tablet, or laptop. If you want to listen to a seat-back screen that only has a 3.5mm output, you'd need something like the Avantree Relay to bridge that gap.
The spec sheet lists 8 hours of continuous playback in both buds, a 34-hour battery reserve in the carrying case, and an 8-hour charge time. The solar element works as a continuous top-up from any light source while the buds are stored in the case, rather than a fixed extra number of hours.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.