- Kyle Chua
Adidas Unveils Solar-Powered Headphones That Can Charge Using Artificial and Natural Light
Adidas and Zound Industries want you to be able to enjoy your music regardless of where you are or what time of day it is, with the brand's new solar-powered, on-ear headphones being capable of charging with either artificial or natural light.
The new Adidas RPT-02 SOL, the follow-up to 2019's RPT-01, boasts a whopping playback time of up to 80 hours, which is double that of its predecessor. That's more than three days' worth of use, and once the battery runs out, you can easily just charge it by exposing the cans to some light.
The headband is built in part from recycled plastic combined with a material called Powerfoyle, a flexible light-cell developed by Swedish solar company Exeger that converts all forms of light into energy. So, whether you're out for a run or at the gym, you can expect your headphones to continuously charge. Notably, this isn't the first pair of headphones to feature solar-charging capabilities, but they are still relatively rare in today's market.
The material itself is IPX4-rated, letting you enjoy some resistance to sweat and splashes, though it's not waterproof.
Meanwhile, if you want to get the best charge possible, you simply need to check the headband itself, which comes equipped with a light indicator to help you find the strongest light sources. You can also use the companion app for the headphones to keep track of the charging and battery status in real-time. Apart from the light indicator, it also has built-in controls for changing songs and toggling the volume, along with a USB-C port.
"Light is such a powerful and positive form of energy and it’s extremely exciting that we can now use it to power headphones," said Anders Olsson, Product Manager at Zound Industries. "Through our partnership with Exeger, we’ve been able to develop a product that’s truly best-in-class."
The RPT-02 SOL will be available for purchase via adidasheadphones.com starting 23 August for a retail price of US$229.
The new Adidas RPT-02 SOL is a pair of solar-powered, on-ear headphones that can charge with either artificial or natural light and boasts up to 80 hours of playback time.
The headphones are able to do this thanks to a material called Powerfoyle, a flexible light-cell developed by Swedish solar company Exeger that converts all forms of light into energy.
It will be available for purchase starting on 23 August for a retail price of US$229.