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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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 Jabra Evolve2 85 Wireless are better office headphones than the Jabra Evolve2 65 Wireless. The 85's over-ear design and ANC feature block out more ambient noise than the on-ear 65. The 85 are also more comfortable and have more features in the Jabra Sound+ companion app. That said, the 65 have much longer continuous battery life and a better-performing boom microphone.
The Bose 700 Headphones Wireless and Jabra Evolve2 85 Wireless are evenly matched over-ear office-oriented headphones. The Jabra have more intuitive controls, a longer continuous battery life, and are easier to carry around. However, the Bose are better-built, and have an integrated microphone that's more effective at filtering out ambient noise than the Jabra's boom mic.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 Wireless are better on-ear headphones for most uses than the Beats Solo3 2019 Wireless. The Jabra are more comfortable and have a more neutral sound profile as well as an ANC feature that helps reduce ambient noise. Their mic performs better, and their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets so that you can customize their sound profile. However, the Beats have a more stable fit and a longer continuous battery life.
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.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 are very similar in appearance to the Jabra Elite 85h Wireless, except for their flippable boom microphone. They're mostly made of premium-looking plastic and feature a monochrome color scheme that's available in either black or beige. Overall, they're understated and probably won't stand out in an office environment.
Update 10/19/2020: The 'Weight' field has been updated to reflect the correct weight of the headphones.
These are very comfortable headphones. They feature generous amounts of soft padding on the ear cups and headband, so their weight is evenly distributed across your entire head. You should be able to wear them for extended periods without experiencing any fatigue.
These headphones have an impressively comprehensive and easy-to-use control scheme. The volume buttons also serve as playback controls, as you can hold the volume up button to skip forward and hold the volume down button to go backward. Holding both at the same time turns the busy light on to show that you're on a call. You can answer and reject calls via the multi-function button, which is also used to cycle through the ANC and talk-through functions. You can flip the mic up to mute it or press the voice button near the right hinge, which also turns on your phone's voice assistant when you're not on a call. Most button inputs come with audible voice prompts, so it's easy to know when you've made a command.
A Microsoft Teams-certified variant is available, which has a multi-function button that provides more functionality with that app, but we didn't test it.
Update 05/28/2021: We have tested these headphones for breathability.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 have alright breathability. Their ear cups trap in some heat, which can cause your ears to feel warm over time. While it shouldn't be too bothersome if you're using them at your desk, you may notice a difference in temperature if you're wearing them while running or working out.
The Jabra Evolve2 85's portability is acceptable. While they're somewhat bulky, they do fold into a more compact shape to reduce their footprint. Their microphone also swivels into a groove on the right ear cup, which reduces the chances of having it snag on something if you toss them into your bag.
These headphones come with a great zippered hard case made of faux leather. It's very similar to that of the Jabra Elite 85h Wireless and should protect them from drops, bumps, and minor water exposure.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 are well-built. They feel quite sturdy, with a premium-looking silicone and high-grade plastic construction. The padding on the ear cups and headband is lined with faux leather. While they don't feel quite as premium as the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless, they still feel fairly sturdy and should survive a couple of minor drops and bumps without an issue.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 are decently stable. Any sudden shakes of the head may cause them to slip off your ears, but they should stay on with gentler movements. Since these are wireless headphones, there's little chance of having an audio cable snag on something and then having them pulled off your ears.
These over-ears have a reasonably well-balanced sound profile overall. The bass is quite even, which should give mixes adequate thump and body. The mid response is quite neutral, which is important when talking over the phone, as speech should sound present, detailed, and clear. Unfortunately, the treble response is just a little uneven, which may make some voices sound a bit harsh. If you're the type who likes to fine-tune your listening experience, the Jabra Sound+ app features a five-band graphic EQ.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 have mediocre frequency response consistency. Bass and treble response is quite sensitive to their fit and positioning, so if you have long hair or glasses, you may have trouble achieving a consistent listening experience.
The Jabra Evolve2 85's bass accuracy is good. There's a slight dip in the low-bass range that may result in a little bit of missing thump, and a bump in the high-bass range that makes some mixes a little boomy. However, since their bass response is heavily dependent on their fit and positioning, your own experience may vary.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 have excellent mid accuracy. It's very neutral across the entire range, resulting in full-bodied, present, and clear speech as well as vocals and lead instruments.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 have decent treble accuracy. The entire low-treble range and part of the mid-treble range is overemphasized, which can make some voices sound a little harsh and piercing. However, since the treble response is heavily dependent on their positioning and fit, your own experience may vary.
These headphones have satisfactory peaks and dips performance. A dip in the low-bass range makes some mixes lack a bit of thump and kick while the following extended bump creates a little boominess. The spike in the low-treble range makes some notes sound somewhat harsh, and the drop in the mid-treble range makes some voices sound dull.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 deliver mediocre stereo imaging performance. Their weighted group delay falls beneath the audibility threshold, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble. The L/R drivers are also very well-matched in regards to amplitude response and have minor frequency response mismatch. However, there's a significant deviation in phase response. This has an impact on their ability to generate an accurate representation of the placement of objects in the stereo image. These results are only valid for our test unit, and yours may perform differently.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 have a poor passive soundstage. Like most closed-back headphones, they create a closed-off, unnatural soundstage that causes sound to be perceived as coming from the inside of your head rather than speakers placed in front of you.
These over-ears don't have any virtual soundstage features.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 have great weighted harmonic distortion performance. The entire frequency range falls within good limits, resulting in clean and pure audio reproduction.
These are the settings used to evaluate the Jabra Evolve2 85. Our tests were completed using their proprietary USB-A wireless dongle. The results obtained are only valid when they're used in this configuration.
These headphones have good noise isolation performance. While their ANC system slightly struggles when it comes to reducing the volume of low-frequency ambient noise, like bus engines, they're quite effective when it comes to filtering out the chatter of nearby coworkers or the high-pitched hum of an AC unit.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 have decent leakage performance. The bulk of escaping audio occurs mostly in the mid-range, so it should sound fairly full-bodied. If you listen to your music at really high volumes, people nearby may hear what you're listening to.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 have a boom microphone and an integrated microphone that you can switch between using in their companion app. However, the integrated mic's performance wasn't evaluated as expect users to use the boom mic.
The Jabra Evolve2 85's boom microphone has very good recording quality. Your voice should sound natural and mostly distortion-free to people on the other end of the line.
The Jabra Evolve2 85's boom microphone delivers impressive noise handling capability. Even if you're making a call from a fairly loud environment, those on the other end of the line shouldn't have too much trouble understanding you.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 have excellent battery performance. They offer 31.7-hours of continuous battery life with ANC activated, which is outstanding. You can use them as they charge, so long as you're connected over Bluetooth or via their proprietary dongle. They have a standby timer that automatically turns them off during periods of inactivity, which can be adjusted in their companion app.
The Jabra Evolve2 85's Jabra Sound+ companion app is great. It gives you access to audio presets, a five-band graphic EQ, microphone sidetone adjustment, and a menu to change the duration of their standby timer. You can also toggle their ANC system on and off, check their battery life, and update their firmware.
Update 10/25/2021: These headphones were updated to Test Bench 1.5 and their latency values have changed. Our previous Test Bench 1.4 measurements reported 'PC latency' at 234 ms, 'iOS latency' at 137 ms, and 'Android Latency' at 165 ms. However, our new test bench uses an average of three measurements instead of one, resulting in different values. As a result, we have updated our text to better reflect test bench 1.5 measurements.
Update 09/22/2021: We have retested 'Multi-Device Pairing'. These headphones can connect to two devices at once by sliding the power button towards the 'Bluetooth' label on the headphones to enter pairing mode. The headphones give you an audible confirmation that you have two devices connected. However, you can only hear audio input from one device at a time. Unfortunately, you can't play audio from a console and a Bluetooth device at once. There hasn't been a change in our results.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 have great Bluetooth connectivity. They're Bluetooth 5.0-compatible and can pair with two devices simultaneously, which is handy if you tend to listen to content on both your phone and computer. Unfortunately, their latency on PC as well as Android and iOS devices is a little high to make them suitable for playing video games or streaming movies. That said, some apps compensate differently, so your real-world experience may vary.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 come with a USB-A dongle that can be plugged into your computer to allow for quick and seamless device pairing. However, their latency is quite high, which can result in a delay between your audio and visuals.
Another variant is available with a USB-C dongle that plugs into USB-C ports, but its performance wasn't evaluated.
Update: 06/11/2021: We have changed USB Audio to 'USB Type A' to reflect the source port instead of the headphones' port. When using their USB cable, the USB-A connector can be connected to any device with a USB-A port. We have also changed Connection to '1/8" TRS' in order to prioritize their analog connection instead of USB. The scoring of this box hasn't changed.
Update 05/28/2021: A firmware update has added USB audio compatibility when using their USB-C to USB-A cable. We have updated our text and the scoring of this box has changed.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 come with a 1/8" TRS audio cable that allows for passive audio playback, but no microphone compatibility. They also come with a USB-C to USB-A cable that you can use to receive audio, but you also won't be able to use their mic.
Update 05/28/2021: Jabra has added USB audio compatibility when using their USB-C to USB-A cable. We have tested these headphones' compatibility on Xbox One and Xbox Series X consoles using this connection and updated our text.
You can only receive audio when you plug the Jabra Evolve2 85's 1/8" TRS audio cable into an Xbox One or Xbox Series X controller. You won't be able to connect these headphones to your Xbox console using their wired USB cable or USB dongle.
The Jabra Evolve2 85 come with a proprietary Bluetooth 5.0 USB-A dongle that's paired with the headphones out-of-the-box. Another variant is available with a USB-C dongle, but we didn't get this variant. They can also be purchased with a charging base, but that dock represents an added cost.