While premium brands fight it out with built-in heart rate sensors and high-end noise cancelling at over €250, plenty of runners just want earbuds that stay put on the run, survive sweat and don't empty their wallet. The Jabra Elite 4 Active targets exactly that runner: a sport in-ear design, hybrid active noise cancelling and a list price of €99.99. RunMorph tested it over several weeks of easy runs and interval sessions to see if the compromise holds up.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active is a pair of in-ear sport earbuds with hybrid active noise cancelling, IP57 and Bluetooth 5.2, selling for around €99.99. It targets runners who want reliable, secure and affordable earbuds without the premium features of €250 models. It largely delivers on fit and battery life, with decent but unremarkable sound and water resistance that falls short of the full submersion protection of high-end models.
The sport earbuds market has split in two in recent years. On one side, €250-300 flagships pile on the tech: a built-in heart rate sensor from Beats, premium bone conduction from Shokz, Dolby spatial audio from Jabra itself on its Elite 8 Active Gen 2. On the other, a much quieter segment that sells far more: sport earbuds under €100 that simply need to stay in place, handle sweat and last several years without any marketing fanfare.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active belongs to that second group. Launched in 2021 and kept in the lineup with regular price cuts, it's still one of the few models with hybrid active noise cancelling under €100, while most rivals at this price settle for passive isolation. The "Active" name isn't just marketing: the compact hookless shell, the IP57 rating and the four microphones built for calls mid-effort are clearly aimed at runners, not just commuters.
The question is whether this positioning holds up on the road once you get past the price tag. That's what this review is about.
| Brand | Jabra |
| Model | Elite 4 Active |
| Type | True wireless in-ear, no ear hook |
| Noise cancelling | Adaptive hybrid active + HearThrough mode |
| Bluetooth | 5.2, aptX codec |
| Microphones | 4, with wind noise reduction |
| Earbud battery life | Up to 7 h (ANC on) |
| Total battery life with case | Up to 28 h (24 h with ANC on continuously) |
| Water resistance | IP57 (fully dust-tight, temporary submersion up to 1 m) |
| Weight | About 4.5 g per earbud, compact case about 34 g |
| App | Jabra Sound+ (EQ, ANC levels, firmware updates) |
| Color tested | Black |
| Street price | €99.99 |
Adaptive hybrid active noise cancelling is the headline feature here. In practice, each earbud pairs an internal feedback microphone with external feedforward microphones to adjust cancellation in real time to your surroundings: city traffic, wind, the crowd at a race start. On the road, the effect is real on low, steady noise (engines, constant wind) but weaker on sharp, sudden sounds (car horns, barking dogs), the classic ANC limit in this price range. HearThrough mode, one tap away, lets ambient sound back in without taking the earbuds out, a handy reflex for crossing a road mid-session.
On durability, the IP57 rating covers full dust protection and accidental submersion down to one meter for thirty minutes. That's more than enough for sweat and a rain shower, but it's one class below the IP68 of some direct rivals like the JBL Endurance Peak 3, built for prolonged submersion. For road running and easy runs around town, you'll almost never notice the gap. For a trail runner who regularly runs in pouring rain or fords streams, the safety margin is thinner.
RunMorph tip: after a wet or very sweaty run, leave the case open for a few minutes before putting the earbuds away. IP57 protects against water during the effort, but quick drying limits residual moisture in the charging case over time. The same habit applies to other models RunMorph has tested, like the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2.
We wore the Elite 4 Active on about fifteen runs, from easy runs at 5:30/km to short intervals at 3:50/km, in the city and on the track. First finding: with no ear hook, fit relies entirely on the shape of the shell and your choice of ear tips, which come in several sizes. Once you find the right tip, the earbuds stay put even through abrupt pace changes like 30-30s, without the constant readjusting you sometimes get with general-purpose in-ears that weren't designed for sport.
Sound is decent but unremarkable: bass is present but lacks depth, mids are clean enough for a podcast or a running playlist, and the dynamic ceiling shows as soon as a track gets dense. Nothing that gets in the way on a run, but an audiophile used to premium earbuds will hear the difference right away. Call handling, tested mid-run, proved solid thanks to the four microphones: your voice stays intelligible even into a headwind, which matters when a call comes in mid-session.
On battery life, the claimed 7 hours with ANC on held up to within 20 minutes over several full charge cycles. That covers a big long run or several easy runs in a week without going back to the case. Fast charging gives you about an hour of listening from five minutes on the charger, handy when you head out on short notice.
At almost the same price, the JBL Endurance Peak 3 is the most obvious direct rival to the Elite 4 Active. Both target the same budget with different philosophies: a Powerhook ear hook and full IP68 on the JBL, a hookless shell and hybrid ANC on the Jabra.
| Criterion | Jabra Elite 4 Active | JBL Endurance Peak 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Secure fit | Hookless shell, good once you find the right ear tip | Powerhook ear hook, very secure even on trails |
| Water resistance | IP57, temporary submersion 1 m | IP68, full submersion 1.5 m / 30 min |
| Noise cancelling | Hybrid active + HearThrough | None, Ambient Aware mode only |
| Total battery life | 28 h with case | 50 h with case |
| Street price | €99.99 | €70 to €90 |
Bottom line: the Elite 4 Active wins on silence and call comfort in the city thanks to ANC, while the Endurance Peak 3 wins on raw battery life and secure fit on wet trails. For a road runner who switches between easy runs and public transport, the Jabra has the edge. For a trail runner who never wants to think about battery or rain, the JBL remains the pick of the pair.
The Elite 4 Active works best for runners who want versatile earbuds that can handle a weekday easy run, a work call between two meetings and a subway ride, with no compromise on the silence ANC delivers. It's also an excellent first pair for a beginner who doesn't want to spend €250 on sport earbuds before a consistent training routine is in place.
It makes less sense for trail runners who demand serious waterproofing, or for runners who live on bass-heavy tracks: both are better served by more premium models. Either way, adding reliable earbuds to your routine doesn't replace a structured plan. Whether you're training for a 10K, a half marathon or a first long run on the road to the marathon, the right gear supports your progress, it doesn't replace it.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active delivers on the essentials: affordable, secure sport earbuds with active noise cancelling that's still a rarity at this price. The sound can't match premium models, and the IP57 rating sets a clear limit against rivals built for submersion. But for road and city use, those reservations weigh little against value for money that remains among the best in the sport earbuds market. RunMorph score: 7.8/10.
Yes, it's actually an excellent first pick: affordable, with a reliable fit and active noise cancelling to help you focus on how your body feels, without investing in a premium model in your first weeks of training.
Yes for a typical shower, thanks to its IP57 rating, but it isn't designed for prolonged submersion. Trail runners who regularly run in heavy rain or ford streams should go for an IP68-rated model.
The Jabra bets on active noise cancelling and a hookless design. The JBL bets on longer battery life, a secure Powerhook ear hook and a higher IP68 rating. The choice mostly comes down to your terrain and how much you need silence in the city.
Yes. Once you've picked the right ear tip, the fit stays stable through abrupt pace changes, and the four microphones let you take a call and stay intelligible even when you're out of breath.
Up to 7 hours of continuous listening with active noise cancelling, and up to 28 hours in total with the charging case, including 24 hours with ANC on the whole time.
