After a 6-hour workout one Saturday back in 2007, Ironman triathlete Seth Burgett had an epiphany — his ears hurt more than his legs.
Burgett and his partner, 24-time marathoner Richard Daniels, set out to create a new kind of earbud. Sure, headphones had come a long way since they were first developed in 1910. But even though they had gotten to be small, earbuds never quite fit right and often fell out. Sometimes, as Burgett learned firsthand, they were painful. But studies have shown that music can increase the intensity and duration of a workout by as much as 15% — music is a big component of athletic performance.
To fill a hole in the marketplace, the partners' ergonomically designed Yurbuds hit shelves in 2008, and they've resonated with the right audience. Yurbuds are designed by athletes, for athletes. The headphones are sweat-proof and water resistant, and while they provide great audio quality, they let ambient noise — like a passing car — be heard.
The St. Louis-based company won a 2013 International CEA Innovations Design and Engineering Awards. But what really keeps the team excited to innovate is the fact that Yurbuds are the best-selling sport earphone in the U.S., and more than half of the top triathletes are Yurbud wearers, says a rep for the company. Though the headphones have changed the game — and improved performance — for many athletes, the Yurbuds team continues to develop new products, like pair of cordless wires. Like any athlete, the company pushes itself to new heights.
Watch the video above to see founder Seth Burgett explain Yurbud's exciting story of growth in a crowded industry.
Image: Yurbuds