I don't like the Nintendo Switch 2's speakers — but this $27 Turtle Beach headset offers a fantastic solution

Tom's Guide

18 hours ago

Full disclosure: as a Nintendo Switch owner, I don't like the built-in speakers on the OG Switch or the Switch 2. I might not be the only one who feels that way, and what's better than a gaming headset that elevates the sound? A very cheap one, like the Turtle Beach Airlite Fit.
For a set of cans that costs less than $30, I wasn't expecting much, and I was pleasantly surprised by the Airlite Fit's comfortable design and outstanding sound quality. Its 40mm drivers create immersive soundscapes, and its flip-to-mute mic is a nice touch — and it makes you sound loud and clear. The Airlite Fit's whimsical design is a stunner, too.
Is there anything wrong with it? Not much, really. Is this the best cheap gaming headset for you? If you own any of the Switch models, yes. Read my full Turtle Beach Airlite Fit review to find out more.
Specs
Turtle Beach Airlite Fit
Price
$27 / £19
Colors
Neon Blue and Red, White and Black, Ghost Purple
Platforms
Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo Switch Lite, Nintendo Switch
Connectivity
3.5mm wired
Frequency response
20Hz-20KHz
Drivers
40mm neodymium magnetic
Paired devices max
1
Multipoint connectivity
No
Microphone
Yes, flip-to-mute
Weight
8.04oz
From its colorful and comfortable design to its audio performance across Nintendo Switch titles, the Turtle Beach Airlite Fit is a fantastic gaming headset.
The Turtle Beach Airlite Fit is one of the most colorful headsets I've tested (so far)... as long as you get it in the Neon Blue and Red colorway. There are three in total: Neon Blue and Red (to match the OG Nintendo Switch's Joy-Cons), White and Black and Ghost Purple. I tested the most colorful variant and, while I was skeptical at first, I quickly came around to it. My colleague Harry remarked, 'It looks like you have a Joy-Con slotted onto each ear.' And you know what? I kinda dig it.
The design is very minimalist, too, with subtle branding. Two Turtle Beach palm tree logos grace both earcups while the headband sports the official Nintendo Switch logo (as the headset is officially licensed by Nintendo). Having tested the headset with the Nintendo Switch 2, which, as you may have noticed, sports a mostly black design, I think the Airlite Fit complements the console's playfulness well.
The Turtle Beach Airlite Fit is the most lightweight gaming headset I've tested (yet), weighing just 8.04oz. To put that into context, the Turtle Beach Stealth 500 ($79) weighs 8.28oz, the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 ($50) weighs 9.7oz and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 ($129) weighs 9.34oz.
Having worn the headset for four consecutive hours, I never felt weighed down. Adding to the comfort is the headband's foam cushioning, which not only ensures you don't feel any pressure on top of your head, but it also keeps the headset firmly in place. I shook my head and it took a lot of force before the Airlite Fit fell off.
The Airlite Fit's earcups are made of the same foam cushioning, and they're very comfortable, too. They fit snugly around my ears, creating a great seal that helped with noise isolation (which I'll discuss in detail very soon). Even when the weather was humid and hot, I never felt like my ears were too hot or sweaty.
When you buy a gaming headset, you obviously want it to make games sound amazing, almost like you're the main character. I'm not a fan of the Nintendo Switch 2's built-in speakers — they aren't loud enough and don't sound very crisp. And, of course, I don't want to disturb my partner when I'm playing games while she's sleeping (I'm not a monster).
The Turtle Beach Airlite Fit provides a great yet affordable solution: it makes games sound superb. It's fitted with 40mm neodymium magnetic drivers and has a frequency response range of 20Hz-20KHz. This means that I could hear the loudest of engine revs in Mario Kart World and the whistling of the wind in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
To test the Airlite Fit, I played Mario Kart World on the Nintendo Switch 2, and Tears of the Kingdom and Untitled Goose Game on the OG Switch. Across all titles, the Airlite Fit performed exceptionally well, especially for a budget headset.
I really like the headset's directional audio. In Tears of the Kingdom, anytime I activated Tulin's gust power while diving off a Skyview Tower and I changed the camera angle, I could clearly hear the audio traveling from one earcup to the other. This worked well in towns, too, where I could hear NPCs chatting in the left earcup and sounds of construction materials hammering in the right.
In Untitled Goose Game, I enjoyed the pitter-patter of my goose's webbed feet and its wings spreading and flapping. The backing soundtrack in Mario Kart World sounds fantastic, too. The game, I believe, boasts lovely sound design and the Airlite Fit does it justice. But the music never overpowers or overwhelms the sounds of my vehicle or character whooping and exclaiming. The sound of my vehicle's engine was loud and clear, and I really enjoyed my Cow character moo-ing when performing a stunt.
The Airlite Fit, like I said, created a good seal around my ears, so when I was playing a game, I couldn't hear the music playing through my Bluetooth speaker. This will vary from game to game, though, depending on how loud the in-game music or dialogue is. Any external noise was hardly noticeable while playing Mario Kart World.
The Turtle Beach Airlite Fit headset has a flip-to-mute mic located on the left earcup. As the name suggests, the mic automatically mutes itself when flipped up to sit next to the headband, and unmutes when it's brought down to your mouth.
The clip above demonstrates what the mic sounds like when there isn't anything else playing in the background. As you can hear, my voice sounds loud and clear, with every word sounding crisp. The performance is comparable to more expensive headsets, like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 and the Asus ROG Pelta ($129), honestly.
It's also a bi-directional mic, which means it picks up audio from behind and in front of the microphone. Bi-directional and unidirectional mics are usually better than omnidirectional ones for gaming, as they are better at isolating a specific sound source and minimizing background noise.
To test this, I put 'Parks and Recreation' at around 60% volume on my phone to see if the Airlite Fit's mic isolated my voice. In the clip above, you can hear Kathryn Hahn's character speaking, but it's very quiet. My voice is still loud and easily discernible, which is fantastic.
If you're on the hunt for a headset that sounds good but doesn't break the bank, the Turtle Beach Airlite Fit should be right up your alley. It retails for just $27 / £19 at Amazon, making it the cheapest headset we've reviewed at Tom's Guide. It's even cheaper than all other headsets on our best cheap gaming headsets buying guide. However, the trade-off is that there's no wireless connectivity (more on this soon).
There isn't much wrong with the Turtle Beach Airlite Fit, but it's worth noting that it has a non-folding design, and it's wired only.
While I really like the Turtle Beach Airlite Fit's design, I wish its earcups were foldable. Since they aren't, it's difficult to carry the headset in your backpack if you're short on space. The Turtle Beach Recon 70 ($39) has foldable earcups, and it costs just a little more than the Airlite Fit, if you really want to save some space. I'm currently testing the Recon 70, so keep your eyes peeled for my verdict.
This isn't a major shortcoming, but it's worth noting that the Turtle Beach Airlite Fit is a wired-only headset, featuring a 3.5mm jack for audio input. There's no Bluetooth or 2.4GHz connectivity, which also means that you can't use the headset with your Nintendo Switch when it's docked.
You'll need to spend a little more money on wireless connectivity. Both the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 and the Turtle Beach Stealth 500 are great alternatives if it's a wireless headset you're after.
I'm no stranger to cheap products not always being up to scratch, as I've reviewed a few budget headphones that I promptly boxed up after I finished testing. The Turtle Beach Airlite Fit isn't one of those — in fact, it's the complete opposite. This is a fantastic headset for those who don't want to spend too much money on one.
I've thoroughly enjoyed using it, and I really like its whimsical, colorful design. The Airlite Fit is extremely comfortable, too, enabling you to game for hours on end. Its 40mm drivers are powerful and create immersive soundscapes, while its bi-directional mic makes you sound loud and clear when playing online. Its wired-only and non-folding design presents some very minor challenges, which are quickly compensated for by its low, low price.
If you've just got a Switch 2 or own an older model and need a headset that adds to your gaming experience, the Airlite Fit warrants a recommendation. It's fun and a little silly, and I think it has the perfect playful energy that the Switch does.