The Jabra Evolve2 85 are versatile professional headphones. They're comfortable, well-built, and have excellent battery performance, not to mention a highly customizable user experience courtesy of their feature-packed companion app. Their boom mic makes your voice sound clear, natural, and mostly free of background noise. Meanwhile, their ANC system allows you to stay focused on what's being said on a conference call, even when you're in a loud environment. Their control scheme is also very easy to use, which is handy for when you're on the go but don't want to miss any important calls. Unfortunately, they have high wireless latency and a fairly bulky design, which makes them a little bit of a nuisance to carry around.
Our Verdict
The Jabra Evolve2 85 are okay for neutral sound. They have a fairly well-balanced sound profile out-of-the-box that's versatile enough for all sorts of audio content. You can also adjust their sound profile via presets or an EQ in their companion app. Unfortunately, they provide a somewhat inconsistent listening experience, a closed-off soundstage, and mediocre stereo imaging performance.
- Comfortable fit.
- Well-balanced default sound profile.
- Premium build quality.
- Closed-off soundstage.
- Mediocre stereo imaging performance.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 are good for commuting and traveling. Their ANC system might struggle to reduce the low rumble of bus engines, but it should be quite effective in filtering out the chatter of other commuters. They're very comfortable and deliver amazing battery life, so you should have no trouble wearing them throughout long cross-country flights or long train rides.
- Comfortable fit.
- Intuitive control scheme.
- Premium build quality.
- Good noise isolation performance.
- Bulky design.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 are decent for sports and fitness, despite not being intended for this kind of use. They have a comprehensive control scheme that's easy to use when you're on the move and feel sturdy enough to take a few minor drops and bumps. While they should stay on your head during light workouts, they might slip off with more intense movements, and they aren't especially portable either.
- Intuitive control scheme.
- Premium build quality.
- Bulky design.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 are good for office work. They have a very comfortable fit and enough battery life to get you through your 9 to 5 without an issue. Their ANC system is very effective in reducing the volume of ambient chatter, and they do a decent job of preventing audio from escaping their ear cups. They can also pair with two devices simultaneously, which is useful if you listen to content on both your phone and computer.
- Comfortable fit.
- Intuitive control scheme.
- Feature-rich companion app with graphic EQ.
- Premium build quality.
- Good noise isolation performance.
- High wireless latency.
- No microphone compatibility when using their analog connection.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 are satisfactory for wireless gaming, though it should be noted that their audio latency is too high for them to be an ideal pick for this use. They also have no microphone support on PS4 or Xbox consoles. However, their USB dongle offers full compatibility on PS5 consoles. These headphones offer a well-balanced sound profile that's well-suited for a variety of games and a high-quality mic.
- Boom microphone has good recording quality and noise handling capability.
- Premium build quality.
- High wireless latency.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 are very good for wired gaming, so long as you aren't planning on using a mic, as their included 1/8" TRS or USB-C to- USB-A cable doesn't offer microphone support. They're comfortable enough to wear through long gaming sessions and have a well-balanced sound profile that ensures both in-game dialogue and sound effects are heard clearly.
- Comfortable fit.
- Well-balanced default sound profile.
- Premium build quality.
- No microphone compatibility when using their analog connection.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 are very good for phone calls. Their boom microphone makes your voice sound natural, clear, and mostly free of background noise, so people on the other end of the line shouldn't have trouble understanding you. They also block out quite a bit of background noise with the ANC system, so you should be able to hear what's being said. Unfortunately, you can't use their microphone when using the included 1/8" TRS cable.
- Boom microphone has good recording quality and noise handling capability.
- Premium build quality.
- Good noise isolation performance.
- No microphone compatibility when using their analog connection.
Changelog
- Updated Oct 22, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Sep 22, 2021: We've retested 'Multi-Device Pairing'.
- Updated Jun 11, 2021: Changed USB Audio and Connection results for clarity.
- Updated May 28, 2021: We've retested 'Bluetooth' and 'Non-Bluetooth Wireless' using Jabra firmware update 1.3.8. We have tested 'Breathability', updated 'USB Audio', and tested their USB-C to USB-A cable for 'PC/PS4 Compatibility' and 'Xbox Compatibility'.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Jabra Evolve2 85 comes with a good selection of configuration options. You can select them with either built-in Microsoft Teams or Unified Communication (UC) optimization, a USB-A or USB-C wireless dongle, and purchase them with a charging dock, though only the latter represents an added cost. If you're buying them directly from Jabra's website, they're available in either black or beige.
| Color | Optimization | USB Dongle | Charging Stand |
| Black | Microsoft Teams | USB-A | Yes |
| Beige | Unified Communication (UC) | USB-C | No |
We tested the 28599-989-999 variant, which are UC-optimized stereo headphones with a USB-A wireless dongle, a black color scheme, and no charging stand. While we haven't tested the other variants, we expect them to perform somewhat similarly overall. If someone comes across a Jabra Evolve2 85 that's differently configured from the above table of options, let us know in the discussions so we can update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Jabra Evolve2 85 are premium professional headphones that are versatile enough for a wide range of uses. They offer a comfortable fit, premium build quality, and generous battery life. They also provide a highly customizable listening experience as well as good noise isolation capability. Unfortunately, they're bulkier than on-ear options like the Jabra Evolve2 65 Wireless and have a marginally less impressive microphone than the Bose 700 Headphones Wireless. If you're looking for more options, take a look at our list of recommendations of the best office headphones, the best over-ear headphones, and the best Bluetooth headsets for phone calls.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 Wireless and Jabra Elite 85h Wireless are very evenly matched over-ear headphones. The Evolve2 85 are meant for professional users, block out more ambient noise, have a better-performing microphone, and charge slightly faster. The Elite 85h are designed for more casual use and have a more neutral sound profile out-of-the-box. They also last longer on a single charge.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless and Jabra Evolve2 85 Wireless have different strengths and weaknesses. The Sony are slightly better built, provide a more consistent listening experience, are more effective in blocking out ambient noise, and last longer on a single charge. The Jabra headphones' boom microphone provides superior recording quality and noise-handling capability. The Jabra headphones' physical control scheme is also easier to use and offers more functionality.
The Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless and Jabra Evolve2 85 Wireless have different strengths and weaknesses. The Sony block out more ambient noise, feel better-built, and offer a more consistent listening experience as well as a broader range of configuration options in their companion app. However, the Jabra support multi-device pairing, last longer off of a single charge, and have an easier-to-use control scheme. The Jabra's boom mic also has superior recording quality and noise handling capability.
The Bose QuietComfort 35 II/QC35 II Wireless 2018 and the Jabra Evolve2 85 Wireless have different strengths and weaknesses. The Bose are more comfortable, deliver audio more consistently, block out more ambient noise, and have lower wireless latency, especially on iOS devices. Meanwhile, the Jabra have a more comprehensive control scheme, last longer off of a single charge, and have a more feature-packed companion app. Their boom microphone also outperforms the Bose's integrated unit.
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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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