The Jabra Elite 85t Truly Wireless are semi-open headphones with a comfortable, stable in-ear fit. Their default sound profile is slightly bass-heavy, with a touch of extra thump and warmth, though you can use the Jabra Sound+ app to customize their sound to your liking. They're also equipped with active noise cancelling (ANC) and can block out higher-frequency noises typically found in an office. However, they struggle to isolate against bass-heavy sounds like bus and plane engines. While their 6.5-hour continuous battery life may not last through your workday, their portable charging case offers about 3.5 extra charges if you need it.
Our Verdict
The Jabra Elite 85t are good for neutral sound. They have a slightly bass-heavy sound profile that delivers a touch of extra thump and warmth. However, their treble range is veiled, so vocals and lead instruments lack detail. Luckily, you can customize their sound profile using the graphic EQ and presets in the Jabra Sound+ app. Also, provided you get a tight seal, they should deliver audio consistently across different users.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
- Very consistent audio delivery.
- Terrible passive soundstage.
The Jabra Elite 85t are good for commute and travel. These comfortable headphones are easy to bring with you on the go. While their ANC feature can block out higher-frequency noises like chatter from other passengers, they struggle to block out bass-heavy sounds like bus and plane engines. Also, their 6.5-hour continuous battery life may not last through long days out of the house.
- Well-built, portable design.
- Stable fit.
- Very consistent audio delivery.
- 6.5-hour continuous battery life.
- ANC struggles to block out bass-range noise.
The Jabra Elite 85t are impressive for sports and fitness. These well-built, comfortable in-ears have a portable, lightweight design. They're stable enough to stay in your ears during your workouts. However, they don't have stability fins, so they may not stay put during more intense exercises.
- Well-built, portable design.
- Stable fit.
- No stability fins.
The Jabra Elite 85t are good for office use. These comfortable headphones don't leak much noise, so you can listen to your music at loud volumes without bothering your coworkers nearby. Their ANC feature can block out typical office noises, like ambient chatter. However, their 6.5-hour continuous battery life may not last through your workday without pausing to recharge them.
- ANC can cut down ambient chatter.
- Well-built, portable design.
- Very consistent audio delivery.
- 6.5-hour continuous battery life.
The Jabra Elite 85t aren't compatible with PS4 or Xbox One, and their latency with Bluetooth-enabled PCs is likely too high to be suitable for gaming.
You can't use the Jabra 85t with a wired connection, so they aren't suitable for wired gaming.
The Jabra Elite 85t are fair for phone calls. Their integrated microphone has an okay recording quality, so your voice is understandable but thin and muffled to those on the other end of the line. The mic also struggles to separate your voice from background noise, so they're best-suited for making calls in quiet environments. These in-ears can block out some background noises so you can focus on your call. At the same time, their semi-open design can also help you hear your voice during calls.
- ANC can cut down ambient chatter.
- Okay microphone recording quality.
Changelog
- Updated Oct 03, 2024: A note about reports of inconsistent microphone
- Updated Sep 14, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Jun 29, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Dec 15, 2020: Review published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Jabra Elite 85t are available in several color variants: 'Titanium Black', 'Grey', 'Gold Beige', 'Copper Black', and 'Black'. We tested the 'Titanium Black' variant and you can see our model's label here.
If you come across another version of these headphones, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Jabra 85t are semi-open, truly wireless in-ears with a comfortable fit. Their default sound profile is very balanced and neutral, and their companion app offers lots of sound customization options. Unlike the Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless, they have an ANC feature, but it struggles to block out bass-heavy noises like bus or plane engines.
See also our recommendations for the best wireless Bluetooth headphones, the best noise cancelling earbuds and in-ears, and the best earbuds and in-ear headphones.
Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless are better for most purposes than the Jabra Elite 85t Truly Wireless. The 7 have longer continuous battery life and much better mic recording quality. They also have a more neutral default sound profile, which some may prefer. You can also use one bud while the other charges in the case.
The Jabra Elite 85t Truly Wireless are better overall headphones than the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless. While both in-ears are well-built, the Sony have a significantly better noise isolation and battery performance. However, the Jabra have a more neutral default sound profile, which some users may prefer, and more comfortable.
The Jabra Elite 10 are better than the Jabra Elite 85t Truly Wireless. The Elite 10 offer a better noise isolation performance and a longer battery life. They're rated IP57 for dust and water resistance, while the 85t are only rated IPX4 for water resistance. While they both have in-app sound customization features, the Elite 10 support Dolby Atmos for virtual surround sound.
The Jabra Elite 7 Active True Wireless are better than the Jabra Elite 85t Truly Wireless for most purposes. They have much better noise isolation, mic performance, and longer continuous battery life. They're also rated IP57 for dust and water resistance, while the 85t are rated IPX4 for water resistance only.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
Test Results
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