Urbanears’ new Stadion neckbuds are very ugly, but probably useful

Urbanears has a new pair of headphones in its Active line, the Stadion. It’s a neckband style pair of Bluetooth headphones that’s — like other models in the Active line —meant for exercise and fitness, with a sweatproof design that can be simply wiped off after use.

The Stadion might be the best example of function over form that we’ve seen in wearables in a while. Sure, all the pieces make sense on paper – the thick plastic neckband is durable and holds important hardware like the battery, the stretchy coiled cords should make it easier to get a comfortable fit that stays in your ears, and the bizarre stripes are reflective so cars can see you at night. Unfortunately, the entire package together just looks kind of ugly.

That said, the Stadion is designed for fitness, so the toy-like design may work better in that context than as a day-to-day pair of headphones that you’d wear in a more formal setting.

When it comes to actual hardware, the Stadion connect over Bluetooth, have a three-button controller hidden on the back of the band, and are estimated to get up to seven hours of battery life. The Stadion is available now for $99, in a variety of different colors.