Running, as voluntary activities go, can be undesirable unless you’re being chased by a bear and/or an angry Chris Brown. Exercising is hard enough, let alone when you’re approaching mile 3 and one of your earbuds keeps popping from the confines of your ear canal.

At that point, you have two options: continue running while futilely attempting to reposition the earbud (making you look like the world’s dorkiest Secret Service agent with one finger pressed to your ear); or stop running, which, though it may be all your body could ever want at that moment, is regarded as “sub-optimal.” 

RELAYS solves this problem through a novel concept: “an in-ear headphone designed to actually fit inside a human’s ear.” Seriously. Through a dynamic series of "a-ha!" moments, the design engineers at SOL REPUBLIC developed the patent-pending FreeFlex Technology that gives RELAYS a comfortable, adaptable fit that stays put and won't fall out.

Previously, the only solution was to order custom headphones through a home-fitting kit, which besides being an eminently screw-up-able process, costs a ton of money. If you have that kind of “f-you” money, it might be better spent on something more productive (like paying Chris Brown to flagellate you).

RELAYS, on the other hand, cost less than $80. You just can’t get this many good feelings in your ears for $80 anywhere else (outside of maybe a VERY specific fetish club). 

Once your RELAYS are (firmly) in place, the good times keep rolling. The i5 sound engines provide a shockingly rich, nuanced listening experience for such a tiny package. RELAYS are also sweat and water resistant, which you might recognize as a good feature for sweaty activities like sports and workouts. Available in black, white, horizon blue and lemon lime, RELAYS are stylish enough to keep up, no matter where the day takes you (or whoever you are running from).

At $80 for headphones that sound great, look amazing, AND stay-put, the only thing you have to lose is your sanity -- which will only happen if you continue to toil with uncomfortable, out-of-date earbuds.

By Ian Lang