And then there’s the Helix Cuff by Ashley Chloe. The Helix Cuff is more than a set of earbuds; they are a multi-tool fashion accessory in a way, because the Helix Cuff is literally a fashionable cuff that you wear around your wrist. That is until you decide it’s time for some tunes. All you have to do is slide the cuff off your wrist, pop out the headphones from inside and stick them in your ear. You can continue wearing your cuff while you listen, as they separate completely. Why are these cool? Well, because yes, they are classy and fashionable, but they’re streamlined for discretion.
I’m used to traveling the world with a large rucksack strapped to my back and shoulders, where every ounce and every item I carried mattered a great deal. So I rarely carried creature comforts, nor unnecessary gear, but one item I always made an exception on was headphones. I personally love the atmospheric effect of writing with over-ear headphones on, but when you’re traveling a bulky set like that will no doubt take up too much room, and easily become broken, so I always preferred to bring earbuds. That’s why Ashley Chloe’s design is so useful for travelers, because they sound great, but also save you space even if you have to toss them in your pack, or the best feature is how they can be worn on your wrist when they’re not in use. Simply pop the top of the cuff, pull the earbuds out, and no matter where you are, you can be transported away with music or an audio book.
Overall, I’d rate the sound quality as a seven out of ten, which for an earbud is surprisingly high. Only over-ear studio quality headphones get rated higher by me. The only thing holding back the sound quality is its subtle stifling of the mid-range, and larger lack of true bass. Otherwise, the sound is trebly, and clear, and loud enough to hear over a lot of external sounds. The bass isn’t inexistent, by any means, but it does not have that smooth, powerful sound I prefer in my headphones. But then again, few earbuds achieve such a difficult sound quality. All in all, I like the Helix Cuff, especially for women, because the design of the cuff itself is stylish and shiny, but it’s not necessarily meant for most guys to wear. But I do see the market for the fairer sex. I found the Helix Cuff to be a solid earbud, inside of a classy and flashy cuff.
If you would like to find out more about the Ashley Chloe and the Helix Cuff, click here.
Article written & Photo by Brandon Scott / Eye & Pen – Product photo © Ashley Chloe.