Skullcandy EcoBuds Review: Affordable, Stylish & Surprisingly Good

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Skullcandy’s most affordable earbuds, the EcoBuds, are truly value for money.

I’ve spent the past several days using the EcoBuds as my everyday earbuds—listening on commutes, working out, taking calls, even plugging them directly into my phone to top them up.

And the more time I spent with them, the more I realized these aren’t just another cheap pair of true wireless earbuds. Skullcandy is trying something a bit different here, and surprisingly, it works.

If you’re planning to purchase these budget-friendly buds, you should know exactly what they get right…and where they fall short.

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Also see:

• Skullcandy Method 360 ANC Review
• Skullcandy Grind Review
• Skullcandy Rail ANC Review

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Skullcandy EcoBuds – Specifications

Specification	Details
Price	$25
Drivers	6 mm dynamic drivers
Battery	Up to 8 hours (earbuds only); rapid charge: ~2 hrs playback from 10 minutes
Charging	Battery-free charging dock with integrated USB-C cable
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.2
Water Resistance	IPX4 (sweat & splash resistant)
EQ Modes	Music, Bass Boost, Podcast (on-device presets)

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Design & Build

Straight out of the box, the EcoBuds feel different—literally.

The case is small, soft-touch, open-top, and weighs almost nothing.

There’s no internal battery, which drastically cuts down on e-waste, and the entire setup uses 65% recycled plastic, 57% fewer heavy metals, and supposedly reduces carbon emissions by 50% compared to traditional earbud cases.

Skullcandy clearly wants you to know that these are built with purpose.

And then there’s the party trick:

An integrated USB-C cable that lives inside the case.

No lid to flip open, no separate cable to carry—just pull the cable out and plug it into your phone, power bank, laptop, or even directly into an iPhone 16. It’s one of those “why doesn’t everyone do this?” ideas.

The earbuds themselves have a clean, stemmed design with a matte outer shell and a glossy inner surface.

They’re extremely lightweight, and because the stems are short, they anchor into your ears nicely without any wobbling.

Fit & comfort:

• Incredibly light and easy to wear for long sessions
• Silicone tips included in S/M/L
• Stayed put during jogging and jump-rope sessions
• Needed a quick adjustment only when sweat built up late into workouts

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Controls & Connectivity

The touch controls may take a moment to memorize, simply because the EcoBuds offer more functions than you’d expect: single taps, double taps, triple taps, long holds, even quadruple taps for EQ switching and voice assistant access.

Thankfully, Skullcandy added audible tones for every action, which helps avoid guessing how many taps you performed.

Bluetooth 5.2 may not be the newest standard, but connection stability was consistently strong across both iPhone and Android devices.

There’s no dedicated low-latency gaming mode, so competitive gamers should look elsewhere, but for videos, social media, and casual games, the sync was absolutely fine.

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Sound Quality

Now let’s talk about the part that genuinely surprised me: these sound good. Really good for the price.

I tested them across multiple genres—hip-hop, acoustic, EDM, podcasts, classical—and here’s the breakdown:

Bass

In Bass Boost mode, Skullcandy absolutely flexes its tuning expertise. The low-end hits harder than pricier Skullcandy models like the Sesh ANC and Grind.

You not only get punch, but also that deep rumble many budget earbuds fail to produce.

Mids

Warm, pleasant, slightly forward. Vocals come through clearly without getting overshadowed by the low end.

Highs

Clean, detailed, and never harsh. There’s enough sparkle to keep things lively.

Soundstage & separation

This is where the budget price shows—it’s not audiophile-level separation. But for daily listening, movies, and casual content, it’s more than acceptable.

Overall signature

Warm, bass-forward, energetic—classic Skullcandy, and very fun.

If you’re someone who likes flat, analytical tuning, these aren’t for you.

But if you want an enjoyable, punchy sound profile while spending as little as possible, the EcoBuds deliver far more than you’d expect.

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Call Quality

Call quality is respectable.

In quieter environments, voices stay clean and intelligible. In noisy surroundings, they do a decent job of isolating your speech from background noise.

They won’t replace high-end ANC earbuds for work calls, but they’re perfectly fine for day-to-day use.

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Battery Life & Charging

Because the case has no battery, all of the 8-hour life comes from the earbuds themselves. That’s actually above average in this price range.

Rapid charging is reliable, and plugging the case directly into my phone took some getting used to—but after a few days, I loved the convenience. No cables to forget, no extra brick to carry.

If Skullcandy was trying to make the simplest, most travel-friendly budget earbuds, they pretty much nailed it.

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What Could Be Better

No product is perfect, and the EcoBuds do have trade-offs:

• No ANC or Transparency mode
• No mobile app or custom EQ
• Open-top case can let in dust or pocket lint
• Case cannot store a charge
• No dedicated gaming mode (latency is fine for video, but not ideal for FPS gaming)

But considering the price and sustainability focus, these compromises make sense rather than feeling cheap.

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Final Thoughts

The Skullcandy EcoBuds aren’t trying to be the most feature-packed earbuds in the world. They’re designed to be affordable, great-sounding, and friendly for everyday users

And honestly? They accomplish exactly that.

If you’re okay skipping features like ANC and app support, the EcoBuds offer shockingly good sound, excellent comfort, smart design choices, and a tiny carbon footprint—all for a price that’s hard to argue with.

Best Deal: View on Skullcandy