While there's no shortage of gym-focused Bluetooth earphones on the market, there's certainly a dearth of options if you're looking for accurate bass response versus, say, super-mega-overkill bass response. JBL's $99.95 Reflect Mini BT walks the fine line between solid bass depth and seriously boosted lows, leaning toward the more restrained side of the spectrum. So if you've been waiting for a sweat-resistant, secure-fitting in-ear Bluetooth option that can withstand your tough workouts but doesn't boost the bass to insanely high levels, this is the pair for you, and our Editors' Choice.

Design
Available in black, blue, pink, or teal, the Reflect Mini BT is worn with the cable behind the neck. As the name implies, the cable has a reflective strip, so you'll always be seen when jogging at night. It comes with two styles of eartips—standard silicone in-canal tips, and tips that are outfitted with fins that help create a more secure fit. (There are two pairs of each: small and medium.) With an IPX4 rating, the earphones are sweat- and water-resistant, and can be cleaned with water, though full-on submersion isn't recommended.

The inline mic and remote control is located closest to the left earpiece. It has three buttons—a multifunction central button that handles playback, a call management button which (with multiple taps) tracks navigation, and Plus and Minus buttons for adjusting volume. (The volume controls work in conjunction with your mobile device's master volume.)

Other than the eartips and a micro USB-to-USB charging cable that connects to a covered port on the inline remote, the Reflect Mini BT doesn't ship with any accessories. At this price, a carrying pouch would've been a nice inclusion, especially considering the amount of time these earphones will spend in sweaty gym bags.

JBL estimates the Reflect Mini BT's battery life to be roughly eight hours, but your results will vary based largely upon your volume levels. One downside: The earphones don't go into sleep mode after a long period of inactivity, so if you forget to turn them off, expect to lose some battery life.

Performance
On tracks with powerful sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the Reflect Mini BT delivers intense, deep bass response. However, the lows aren't widely boosted—it's more that they are reproduced with enough depth for the frequency range. At top (unwise) volumes, the Reflect Mini BT doesn't distort, and at moderate volumes the sense of bass presence is still strong—and thankfully paired with a solid presence in the high-mids and highs to keep things from sounding too muddled or bass-heavy.

See How We Test Headphones

Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track that lacks a tremendous bass presence, sounds pleasantly balanced through the Reflect Mini BT. Callahan's baritone vocals have a strong low-mid richness to them, but also receive plenty of high-mid presence to give them some treble edge. The drums on this track, which can often sound overly thunderous and unnatural on bass-forward earphones, are full and powerful here, but not pumped up in the lows the way they could be. If anything, this is a balanced, but sculpted sound—the attack of the guitar strums and percussive hits stand out a bit more than usual, and Callahan's voice seems to have plenty of boosting in both the low-mids and high-mids.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop gets plenty of that same boosted high-mid presence, allowing its attack to retain a sharp contour and cut through the layers of the mix. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are delivered with reasonable power, but we hear just as much of the high-mid, raspy top notes as anything else—although the general sound projects a strong bass presence, we have definitely heard earphones that pump up the sub-bass far more significantly. It's nice to see an exercise-oriented earphone pair that doesn't obliterate the mix's balance with bass overkill.

There's no discounting the mysterious motivational powers of mega-bass sound at the gym. If serious low-end presence in a Bluetooth, exercise-friendly earphone pair is what you're after, you have plenty of options. We like the Jabra Sport Pace, the Skullcandy XTfree, and the JayBird X2 in this price range. If you're looking to spend slightly less on a quality, gym-friendly Bluetooth option, you have fewer options—the Plantronics BackBeat Fit is the best we can currently suggest. For $100, the JBL Reflect Mini BT is an easy-to-use, secure-fitting, well-balanced Bluetooth earphone pair. It's especially appealing if you're seeking to dial back the bass without sacrificing the exercise-focused design, and so it earns our Editors' Choice.

Best Headphone Picks

• Cheap AirPod Alternatives: The Best True Wireless Earbuds Under $130
• The Best Gaming Headphones for 2020
• The Best Audiophile Headphones for 2020
• The Best Studio Headphones for 2020
• More Headphone Reviews
• More from JBL

Headphone Product Comparisons

• Dampen the Din: Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 vs. QuietComfort 35 II
• AirPods 2 vs. Beats Powerbeats Pro: Which True Wireless Earbuds Are the Best?

Further Reading

• Report: Apple's Over-Ear AirPods Feature Modular Magnetic Parts
• How to Listen to TV With Your Headphones
• Apple Powerbeats 4 Leak, Promise 15-Hour Battery Life
• Save $130 on Rose Gold Bose QuietComfort 35 II Headphones
• Apple AirPods Pro Back at Their Black Friday Price on Amazon