Rulefiss i25 Wireless Earbuds Review: cheap sports buds that actually stay put

I’ve been using these Rulefiss i25 wireless earbuds for a couple of weeks now, mainly for running, the gym, and some calls during the day. I picked them because I wanted something with earhooks that wouldn’t fly out mid-sprint, but I didn’t feel like paying the price of the big brands. On paper you get Bluetooth 5.x, long battery life, earhooks, IP7 water resistance, and a charging case with an LED display. Looked a bit too good for the price, so I was curious if they were just another random Amazon gadget or actually usable every day.

In practice, they’re better than I expected, with a few quirks. They’re clearly not high-end, but for what they cost, they get a lot of things right: they stay on your ears, the sound is decent, and the battery just keeps going. You do feel that some corners are cut in small details, like the touch controls being a bit sensitive and the so-called "noise cancelling" being basically just passive isolation, not real active cancellation.

I’ve used them on runs in light rain, in a noisy gym, on a long train ride, and for a bunch of calls on my Android phone and my laptop. Connection stability has been mostly solid, with just a couple of brief hiccups when I walked far away from my phone. For the price bracket, that’s pretty acceptable. The big question for me was: are these the kind of earbuds you throw in your bag and forget about, or the kind you regret buying after three days? Honestly, they lean more towards the first option.

They’re not perfect, and if you’re picky about sound or want perfect call quality in a busy street, you’ll notice the limits. But if you just want something cheap that’s comfortable, sticks to your ears when you’re sweaty, and lasts the whole week on and off without stressing about the charger, these are pretty solid. I’d call them good value with realistic expectations, not a miracle product.

Let’s be honest: the main reason to look at Rulefiss instead of the big brands is the price. These sit in the budget range, often with discounts, and for what they cost you get a lot: earhooks, long battery life, water resistance, a proper battery display, and decent sound. If you compare them to something like AirPods or Beats with hooks, they obviously don’t compete on finish or brand status, but they cost a fraction. For someone who mainly wants reliable sports earbuds and doesn’t care about logos, that’s hard to ignore.

In day-to-day use, they feel like good value. You’re not paying for an app, fancy ANC, or a premium unboxing experience. You’re paying for something you can sweat in, drop occasionally, and not cry if you lose it. Sound is better than the really cheap no-name earbuds I’ve tried before, and the comfort for sports is genuinely better than many non-hook designs, even some more expensive ones. The main compromises are on polish (touch controls a bit too sensitive, no app, average call quality outdoors).

If you’re extremely picky about sound, or you want perfect microphone performance on the move, you might be better off saving more and going for a higher-end model. But if your priority list looks like this: 1) stays on during workouts, 2) doesn’t die after two hours, 3) doesn’t cost a fortune, then these check all three boxes. I’d happily recommend them to someone who wants a backup pair for the gym or a cheap main pair for running, especially if they catch them on discount like some of the Amazon reviewers mentioned.

So overall, for the price bracket, I’d say they’re pretty solid value. You clearly see where the money went (hooks, battery, water resistance) and where it didn’t (fancy features, premium materials). If you’re okay with that trade-off, you’ll probably feel you got your money’s worth.

The design is clearly focused on sports and staying on your ears, not on being tiny and discreet. Each earbud has an earhook that goes over your ear, plus the in-ear tip that goes into the canal. Compared to classic little earbuds that just sit in the ear, these are bulkier, but they feel more secure. The black-grey colour is pretty neutral, nothing flashy. The plastic is matte, which I prefer because it doesn’t look greasy after a workout. The case is a bit bigger than a standard earbud case, but still fits in a pocket or a gym bag without issue.

The LED display on the case is actually useful, not just a gimmick. You get a big percentage for the case in the middle, and small indicators for each earbud on the sides. When you drop the buds in, they snap into place with magnets and you see the battery status right away. It’s more practical than the usual 3 or 4 dots that tell you almost nothing. The hinge of the case feels okay — not premium, but not super flimsy either. Time will tell if it holds up, but after a couple of weeks of daily opening and closing, it hasn’t loosened.

On the ears, they do stick out more than compact earbuds. If you wear glasses, the combo of glasses arm + earhook + mask band (if you still use one) can feel a bit crowded around the ear. It’s manageable, but it’s something to keep in mind. I did a few runs and a gym session with glasses on and it was fine, just slightly busy around the ear area. The earhooks are flexible enough to bend without feeling like they’ll snap, and you can adjust them a bit to sit how you like.

From a purely aesthetic point of view, they’re functional, not stylish. They look like sports earbuds and they don’t try to hide it. If you want something tiny and barely visible, this is not it. If you want something that clearly says “I’m ready to sweat and jump around”, they fit that role. The main thing for me is they feel thought out for movement: big enough to grab easily, hooks that work, and a case that makes sense in real life, not just in photos.

Battery is one of the nicest surprises on these earbuds. The brand claims around 6 hours per charge and up to 48 hours with the case. In real life, at about 60–70% volume, I got roughly 5 to 6 hours of continuous playback on a single charge, which is pretty close to the claim. That’s enough for several gym sessions, a few commutes and some calls before needing to put them back in the case. For normal use, I was recharging the case maybe once a week, sometimes even less.

The charging case itself is what makes the difference. You can recharge the earbuds multiple times (they say about 7) before the case runs out. The dual LED display really helps to see where you stand. Instead of guessing with three vague dots, you see an actual percentage for the case and bars for each earbud. It sounds like a small detail, but in practice it’s handy: you know if you should top up before a long trip or if you’re fine.

Charging the case via USB‑C takes about an hour or so from low to full, which is decent. There’s no wireless charging, but at this price I don’t expect it. More important for me is that you don’t have to babysit the battery. I basically used them freely for several days, then at some point saw the case drop below 20% and plugged it in overnight. No stress, no constant battery anxiety. Compared to some older cheap earbuds I had that died after two hours, this is a big improvement.

One thing to note: like with most earbuds, battery life will probably drop a bit over months of use, but starting from around 6 hours per charge, you have some margin. For sports and everyday use, battery life is more than enough, especially if you’re not blasting them at max volume all the time. If long trips and long workout weeks are your thing, these won’t leave you hanging.

Comfort is honestly where these earbuds make the most sense. I bought them mainly because I was tired of normal earbuds falling out when running or doing burpees. The earhook design makes a big difference. Once you’ve found the right tip size, they just stay there. I did a 10 km run, some interval sessions, and a couple of sweaty leg days at the gym. No slipping, no constant readjustment, and no fear of one popping out and bouncing under a treadmill. That alone is worth a lot for me.

Out of the box, they come with medium tips installed, plus small and large tips in the box. It’s worth taking 5–10 minutes to try all sizes properly. With the wrong size, you either lose bass and isolation or you feel pressure in the ear. With the right size, the sound improves and the comfort is much better. Once I switched one ear to a different size (one of my ears is weird), I could wear them for a couple of hours without feeling sore. They’re not weightless, but the weight is spread between the ear canal and the earhook, so it’s not all pressing in one spot.

For long sessions, like a full workday of calls and music, I start to feel a bit of fatigue around the top of the ear where the hook sits, but nothing dramatic. For workouts and commutes, it’s totally fine. Compared to classic in-ear buds that rely only on the ear canal, I actually find these less tiring over time because they’re not stuffed so aggressively in the ear to stay in place. Also, because they’re IP7 water resistant, I didn’t stress about sweat or light rain, which helps you forget you’re wearing something "fragile".

One small downside: the touch controls are on the outside of the earbuds, and they’re quite sensitive. When you try to readjust them or scratch near your ear, you often pause the music or skip a track by accident. You get used to it and learn where to touch (or not touch), but the first days it’s a bit annoying. Overall though, for sports and movement-heavy use, comfort and stability are a strong point. If you’ve had earbuds hurt your ears or fall out constantly, this design is a clear upgrade, even if it’s bulkier.

In terms of build, these feel like mid-range plastic, not premium, but not toy-like either. The earhooks are flexible and don’t feel like they’ll snap the first time you bend them. The earbuds themselves have a solid click when they go back in the case, and the magnets keep them in place even if you shake the case. I tossed the case in my backpack and gym bag several times, and so far there are only small surface marks, nothing worrying. The lid hasn’t loosened yet, which is usually the first weak point on cheap cases.

The IP7 water resistance is one of the selling points. I obviously didn’t dunk them in a bucket for fun, but I used them in light rain and heavy sweat sessions, and they didn’t complain at all. I also wiped them with a damp cloth a few times to clean off sweat and dust, again with no issue. As long as you don’t deliberately shower under the full water flow with them or drop them in the pool, they should handle normal sports use just fine. The seal around the charging pins seems well done; I didn’t see any corrosion or weird behaviour.

Where you feel the price is in the finer details: the plastic of the case is a bit on the light side, the hinge doesn’t feel bulletproof, and the glossy parts can pick up scratches if you’re rough with it. I wouldn’t sit on the case or throw it around. If you treat it like a normal electronic device and not like a rock, you’ll be okay. The earbuds themselves feel more solid than the case, especially the hooks, which is good since they’re the parts that move the most.

Long term, it’s hard to judge after just a couple of weeks, but based on the feel and the IP rating, I’d say they’re built to survive regular gym and outdoor use, not to be pampered. If you want something ultra-premium in the hand, this isn’t it. If you just need something that can handle sweat, being grabbed with wet hands, and tossed in a bag every day, they seem up to the task so far.

Sound-wise, these are clearly tuned for casual listening and workouts, not for audio purists. There’s a clear emphasis on bass, which is fine for running and gym playlists. With a good seal, you get a punchy low end, voices stay clear enough, and the highs are acceptable. It’s not super detailed, but for the price and the use case, it’s honestly decent. If you listen to podcasts, audiobooks, or pop/EDM at the gym, you’ll be happy. If you’re into detailed jazz or classical and you sit still analysing soundstage, you’ll hear the limits.

The product page talks about "Hi-Fi" and big drivers, but in practice I’d call it solid everyday sound. I did notice that I had to tweak the EQ on my phone a bit depending on the app. For example, Spotify sounded fuller out of the box, while Amazon Music needed a small bass and treble bump to feel similar. Once adjusted, they were enjoyable to use for several hours. Maximum volume is high enough; I never felt I needed more, even in a noisy bus.

For calls, the microphones do a decent job indoors. People could hear me clearly in quiet rooms and on normal indoor calls. Outside, it’s hit and miss. In light traffic, they handle it okay and filter some background noise, but in heavy traffic or strong wind, the person on the other end hears more of the environment. It’s usable, but not great. If you take a lot of professional calls on the street, you might want something better focused on call quality. For occasional calls, it’s fine.

Bluetooth connection (5.3/5.4 depending on which spec you believe) is pretty stable. I tested them within the usual 5–10 metre range from my phone and only had a couple of short dropouts when I went behind a couple of walls. For watching videos on YouTube and Netflix, the delay is minimal; lip-sync looked fine to me. For gaming, there’s a small delay like with most Bluetooth earbuds, but casual mobile games are okay. Overall, performance is decent for the price: nothing mind-blowing, but no major deal-breaker either, as long as you’re not expecting premium sound or pro call quality.

On paper, the Rulefiss i25 pack quite a lot: Bluetooth 5.3 (the spec sheet even says 5.4 in one place, which is a bit confusing), earhooks, IP7 water resistance, about 6 hours per charge and up to 48 hours with the case, plus a dual LED display on the case that shows the battery level for each earbud and the case itself. Inside the box you get the earbuds, the charging case, a short USB‑C cable, two extra pairs of silicone tips (small and large), and a basic manual. No app, no fancy ecosystem, just straight Bluetooth pairing.

Pairing is simple: open the case, they pop up in your Bluetooth list, tap, done. After that, they reconnect automatically most of the time. I tried them on an Android phone, an iPad, and a Windows laptop. Switching between devices is manual — you have to disconnect from one and connect to the other — but that’s normal at this price. There’s no multipoint connection, so don’t expect to be connected to laptop and phone at the same time.

In terms of features, you get touch controls on both earbuds: play/pause, skip, volume up/down, answering calls. There’s no app to customise anything, so you’re stuck with the default control scheme. They claim “ENC” and “CVC 8.0” noise isolation for calls, but it’s basically just decent microphones with some background noise reduction, not magic. For music, it’s passive noise isolation from the in-ear design, not real active noise cancelling. If you go in expecting full ANC like on expensive models, you’ll be disappointed. If you just want some isolation in the gym, it’s fine.

Overall, the feature set is pretty straightforward: sports-focused, long battery, very simple to use. No extra software, no weird account sign‑ups, nothing fancy. That’s actually refreshing. You open, pair, and use. Just be aware that some of the marketing buzzwords on the product page sound bigger than what you actually get, especially around "noise cancelling". Functionally, though, the basics are covered and they do the job for everyday use and workouts.