The Urbanista London earbuds marked a milestone for the Swedish brand: its first true wireless model with active noise cancellation (ANC). Launched at around £129 / $149, they promised the polish of high‑end rivals at a fraction of the cost.
Style With Substance
The London earbuds from Urbanista are as much about fashion as function. Available in Midnight Black, White Pearl, Rose Gold, and Dark Sapphire, the matte finish and stemmed silhouette feel more boutique than budget. They are light, comfortable, and with IPX4 splash resistance, they will handle rain or sweat without complaint. The compact case slips easily into a pocket and supports both USB‑C and Qi wireless charging – a premium touch at this price.
Battery life is rated at five hours with ANC on, with the case providing four extra charges for a total of around 25 hours. That’s competitive, if not class‑leading when it launched in 2020. Bluetooth 5.0 keeps connections stable most of the time, although some may find occasional dropouts, distortion, or lag, particularly with laptops. A reset button in the case makes clearing pairing issues quick and painless.
Features That Matter
Urbanista packs in a solid feature set:
- Active Noise Cancelling to reduce low‑frequency hums
- Ambient Sound Mode for awareness in busy streets
- In‑ear detection that pauses playback automatically
- Touch controls for playback, calls, and voice assistant access.
The controls cover the essentials, although they can be fiddly and lack customisation. Call quality is clear indoors thanks to dual microphones, yet wind noise can intrude outside.
Sound With a Bias
The London earphones lean into a bass‑forward profile. Pop and electronic tracks sound lively, with vocals kept clear, but treble detail and soundstage are limited, leaving acoustic and orchestral music a little flat. Still, for casual listening, they’re fun and engaging. The Urbanista London earbuds are a stylish, feature‑rich package that undercuts the big names. They look sharp, sound solid, and bring ANC and wireless charging to a mid‑range price point. The compromises, fiddly controls, no companion app, and audio that lacks fine detail, keep them from the very top tier. However, as Urbanista’s first ANC true wireless model, they remain a confident debut and a chic alternative to AirPods Pro.
