5 TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE BEST HEADPHONES FOR RUNNING

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The perfect soundtrack makes an okay run into a great one, but not without the right equipment. Our fan in the UK, Will Tottle, shares some of his expertise in a guest post about choosing the right headphones.

Choosing headphones for working out and running can be pretty tricky and require a lot of thought, especially considering the number of factors that could affect your headphones and overall experience. Things like the sounds quality, price, and durability are things that can make the decision process that much harder.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way. All you need to do is think about the kind of headphones you want: the style, the fit, everything that would make them perfect for you. Don’t be afraid to test some out.  Your perfect pair of headphones are waiting, and here are a few tips to help you through the decision process.

#1 Buds or phones?

The first question you need to ask yourself is whether you want earbud or headphones for working out and running. Some people find headphones a bit sweaty and slipper, while others find that extended use of earbuds can cause discomfort and an increased risk of spots as a result of the collection of sweat. Try on a few pairs of each type to figure out what you like best.

#2 Bluetooth

You need to ask yourself if you want Bluetooth or not. It really is paving the way for the future with its wireless headphones and ear buds. The best part is that they sit really comfortably and you don’t need to worry about the wires hitting your chest as you run.

Not only this, but there are no longer any reasons for you to stop and fiddle with your phone as they come with remotes on the side so that you can control music/volume and even answer calls.

#3 Resistance

Waterproof, water resistant, and sweat proof headphones can be a really integral part of the headphone selection process. If you are triathlon training or bound to be running in pouring rain, then you will need a pair of these.

Sweat proof ones are less likely to fall out of your ears/off your head while you run and are protected from any damage that could be caused by your sweat. They are a safe and sensible purchase to make.

#4 Sound Quality

The headphones you choose should have a clear sound, and if you feel like spending a little extra, come with a smooth bass. Good sound is vital to a good run, the music is what helps to motivate you and keep you running to a steady beat. Clear sound means an effective and worthwhile workout.

#5 Durability

A final word of advice is to buy a pair of headphones that you know will last. It’s all well and good to buy a cheap and easily breakable pair, but you end up spending more in the long run. A good pair of headphones will cost a little extra, but you know they will last you years as opposed to six months.

A pair of headphones that are durable and sturdy should be able to survive life in a gym bag and being thrown around a little without an effect on their overall performance.

How to choose the best printer

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Printers don’t last forever. Ink splashes collect and coagulate, bits of paper gather, rollers wear out, and ink cartridges become ever more expensive. Buying a new printer every few years can become a bit of a pain, and that’s before you even start looking at the current prices.

But you don’t have to spend a ton of money to get a reliable and versatile new printer.

By knowing exactly what you want, the features you need, the print quality you expect, and the budget you have; you’ll find that buying a new printer isn’t the money pit you thought it was.

A New Printer for the Price of Some Ink?

Unless you’re looking for a color laser jet printer for bulk document printing, it’s unlikely that a new printer will cost you any more than the price of a pair of ink cartridges. It’s a strange idea that the hardware that uses the ink through a combination of mechanical and digital processes should cost less than the total volume of ink needed to print, say, 250 sheets of paper, don’t you think?

This is largely due to the manufacturing costs of the cartridges, particularly from an environmental point of view, but there is, of course, an element of targeting customers with inflated prices.

Avoid Reconditioned/Fake Cartridges

Buying a new printer is a little bit like buying a car. You wouldn’t spend money on a new motor only to put the wrong fuel in, would you?

Similarly, it’s a bad idea to put reconditioned/refilled ink cartridges into your printer, new or otherwise. Although, of course, you should get as much use out of them as possible!

While they might be more economical compared to official/approved ink cartridges, this is a false economy. Sure, some of these cartridges mightwork, but the following might also happen:

• The cartridge leaks
• Ink cartridge isn’t detected
• Cartridge displays as incompatible

So, you’ve saved money – but you’re not printing (although our own Kannon Yamada has used recycled ink cartridges without any problems).

Therefore, it is in your interest to purchase only the approved ink cartridges. It’s good to get these things sorted out, isn’t it? Let’s move on, then, to the task of finding the right printer, one that will give you the results you want without breaking the bank.

Laser Printer or Inkjet Printer?

While a laser printer is considerably more expensive than an inkjet printer (perhaps 10 times more), you need to ask yourself what print quality you expect, and what volume of printing you’ll be outputting.

Those laser jet printers that can be found in offices around the world are expensive, but they’re almost always network printers, serving two or three (or many more) users at a time. This saves space and money, and is therefore efficient.

You probably don’t need this type of printer at home.

Brother HL-L2340DW Compact Laser Printer, Monochrome, Wireless, Duplex Printing, Amazon Dash Replenishment Enabled

Upon activation, the Amazon Dash Replenishment service measures the toner level and automatically orders toner from Amazon when low. This ensures that you never run out again.
Price: $85.78

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Additionally, some laser jet printers employ a secondary replaceable component, the imaging drum, which is an important part of the print process. These can be around twice the price of a replacement toner cartridge.

An inkjet printer will be far more affordable, and with cheaper ink, and no imaging drum.

Canon PIXMA MX922 Wireless Office All-In-One Printer

AirPrint: Print wirelessly and effortlessly from your compatible iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch- no drivers needed!
Price: $69.79

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Black Ink or Color? Photo Printing Required?

Planning on any color printing? Want to print your photos?

If you only want to print in black, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a black-only inkjet printer. While they do exist, you might find it easier to load a standard color printer with only black ink, which some manufacturers support.

For photo printing, you will often find that the device manufacturer specifies particular ink and photographic paper for success here. As before, it’s a good idea to stick to this advice; the wrong photographic ink and paper combination will result in quite poor quality photos that will fade.

Wi-Fi Enabled Printing or Cabled?

There was a time when choosing a wireless printer would set you back around twice the price of a standard device, but those days are long since passed. You can now purchase a wireless printer for well under $100, which is a difficult price to turn down (of course, you could alwaysconvert your old printer into a wireless printer with the help of a Raspberry Pi).

With wireless printing, you gain the ability to print direct from your iPad, iPhone or Android device, as well as any PCs on your network. Because the printer connects wirelessly to your router, you’ll be able to print to it from a computer connected with an Ethernet cable or over Wi-Fi.

Put simply, if you have wireless devices, you need a wireless printer.

Do You Need an All-in-One?

It looks and feels high-tech, but do you really need an all-in-one printer/fax/scanner? Opting for such a device can double the price you might be expecting to pay at this stage, but if you don’t really need a scanner (a smartphone can be used instead in most cases) then you can discount this from your plans.

And few people use physical fax machines these days, preferring instead to use the Internet fax services.

All-in-ones also have a key support issue: if a feature breaks, and you send it away for repairs, you’re without the rest of the unit. So if the scanner broke and went away for servicing, you wouldn’t have a printer any longer. It is certainly worth keeping this aspect of all-in-ones in mind before opting to purchase such a device.

Make Your Mind Up Time

So, you now know what sort of printer you need. All you need to do next is place the order, whether online via Amazon, or at your local, reputable, electronics retailer. Just make sure the printer comes with ink, and that it is compatible with your operating system.

Do you need help buying the right printer? Have you had trouble finding a printer, or are you still using a really old device with no sign of it breaking down? Tell us in the comments.