Freestyle Wireless
Sol Republic's new Freestyle Wireless earbuds are designed to provide the ultimate, secure and comfortable fit for even the most rigorous of workouts while not sacrificing on design and aesthetics. The Freestyle earbuds blur the line between sport and lifestyle and feel With an eight-hour battery life and IPX5 certification for sweat and water resistance, they provide the best experience for exercise rain or shine.
Sol Republic came to MAST a few years after their original lineup was released to design a series of new products for their big comeback in 2020. The Freestyle wireless earbuds were part of the revamped lineup.
Client: Sol Republic
Lead Industrial Designer: Alejandra Castelao
Summer Intern: Ben Hoffman
Studio Principals: Greg McNamara & Shady Shahid
Multifaceted Design
A removable, behind the ear hook provides added stability for high activity settings. With an integrated USB-C port they allow for rapid charge between uses. These earbuds also feature four button controls for easy use.
Thinking in Color
MAST developed a brand new CMF strategy after an extensive trend exploration and research phase. The selected color ways were rolled out on other Sol products in the new lineup.
Ergonomic Studies
Ergonomics and fit were a fundamental part of the design exploration. A series of models and prototypes were created and tested to assure the perfect fit. By keeping all of the internals inside the earbud housing the cable is kept free of any added weight and a cable management clip keeps the buds balanced and in place no matter the activity. The in-cable microphone allows for better clarity of sound due to its close proximity to the mouth. The first pre-production samples were delivered and shown at CES 2019.
