Hubble MaskFone Review: Purely Unnecessary
Retail Price: $29.99
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2020 brought forth quite a few new products when it came to innovation. With mask-wearing still a regular task for many of us today, a lot of companies have been monopolizing new accessories for the everyday consumer. One of the weirdest items I’ve reviewed yet, the Hubble MaskFone is both a mask and wireless headset. Talk about dual purpose.
Initial Thoughts
Out of the box, it comes with three sets of replacement filters for the mask, a micro-USB charging cable and small travel bag. The headset includes two additional sets of ear wings and ear tips for a more customizable fit. The mask is a black, mesh-like washable material with cloth on the bottom and can be removed from the wireless headset itself. Both pieces are incredibly lightweight with the headset alone weighing at 15.7g. Hubble advertises a 12-hour battery life as well as IPX5 water and sweat resistance.
How Are the Earbuds?
At its core, the Hubble MaskFone’s entire concept is a mask that has earbuds as part of its design. When I took the earbuds out from the mask itself, I realized these are Motorola Verve Loop 105 wireless headphones. These are essentially sport earbuds that back a decent sound and have solid bass. Features are fairly standard and include a microphone and basic skip and rewind buttons. They also have magnetic ends to hang around your neck and are overall solid for the price. There’s nothing over the top about these earbuds and honestly, I have no complaints about them. They’re no frills and easy to use. I can see users wearing these for everyday outdoor activities or commuting.
Mask Off
Where Hubble tries to be unique is the extra layer of cloth on the bottom of the mask so that the wired pair of earbuds can fit under seamlessly. They’ve even added decals on the mask to show earbud functions for power, rewind, and skip. Honestly, I actually don’t feel the control box or the wires from the mask. This is really no different than if I were to wear a mask and put the wires behind my head. In fact, I’d argue that it’s more of a hassle to have everything funneled through the mask, making it heavier just to slim down the design. It’s not comfortable at all. On top of that, since this mask has a pocket for the disposable filter, it’s an added extra layer on the bottom on top of the already annoying layers needed to keep everything together. Hubble has all sorts of headphones and buzz words trying to market this mask and headphone, but it seems like all the functions just get in the way of what the true purpose of this should be. There’s too much going on here and to be frank, it’s utterly unnecessary.
My final verdict? Wear a mask, get some headphones. We’re not at the drive-thru, don’t get the combo.
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Martin
Always in tune with the beat, audiophile doesn’t even begin to describe Martin’s intense passion for music. Whether it be in the front row of an Anderson .Paak show or popping to a Lizzo track in the back of a coffee shop, this Mechanical Engineer is meticulous with what goes through his earlobes simply because he knows exactly what it takes to make a quality headset.