Pump Up the Jams During Your Workouts With These Headphones

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Having a great pair of headphones for working out can make a huge difference when you’re training. Forty-three-time marathon finisher Kieran Alger wrote in Runner’s World that the “right backing tracks can delay fatigue, boost mental toughness, distract you from discomfort, elevate your mood, reduce perceived effort, and even support recovery.”

Picking a great pair of workout headphones differs a bit from picking one for everyday listening. You want them to sound good, but fidelity isn’t necessarily the most important factor. Instead, you need headphones that will stay in place even when you’re moving fast–that generally means earbuds.

0You also want the ability to block external noise with active noise-canceling, safety features like transparency mode, and a certain amount of water resistance, among other things. If you’re thinking about buying a new pair of headphones specifically for working out, whether you’re training for a marathon or simply hitting the gym, we can help you find the right pair.

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Best Workout Headphones

What to Consider When Picking Headphones for Working Out

Fit

When you’re working out, fit is the most important factor. Changeable ear tips are a must if your ears tend to ache after wearing earbuds, or if they often fall out. I prefer a looser fit when exercising outdoors and need to be aware of my surroundings. If you’re unsure of how to get a perfect fit, some earbuds, like Apple’s AirPods Pro, offer an “Ear Tip Fit” test to help find the right tips for your ears. With the AirPods Pro, the test uses the microphones inside and sound output from the drivers to determine whether a tip is creating a tight seal.

Ultimately, an earbud that fits should stay in place and feel comfortable in your ear over long stretches of time. If your earbuds pop out, get covered in wax, or you feel like you have to push them deep to keep them in, you should start trying different ear tips until you find a pair that feels right.

Sweat And Water Resistance

If you’re running, you’re also going to be sweating, which means you need headphones that can stand to get at least a little bit wet. Most electronic devices made for outdoor use, including headphones, receive a standardized score to indicate their ability to resist water and dust called an “Ingress Protection” rating.

The score reads as “IPXY”–“IP” for Ingress Protection, then the X and Y are single-digit numbers indicating dust, then water resistance. Headphones that are rated IPX4 or higher are best for handling sweat and rain. To wear your headphones underwater, they should be rated IPX7 or higher.

Sound Quality

Sound quality is every headphone’s most fundamental mark of quality, but it may not be the most important thing when you’re working out. It’s hard to pay close attention to the nuances of a song when you’re running, so you only need to make sure that the sound quality is clear.

That means avoiding headphones with excessive distortion (rattling or anything that isn’t in the original recording), tonal-balance errors (such as too much bass or treble), hisses, and hums. All but the absolute cheapest earbuds should do a satisfactory job.

That said, sound quality is often the difference between good workout headphones and the very best. If you plan to use your headphones before and after your workouts, it pays to spend a little more and get a pair that you’d be happy listening to all the time.

We look for an earbud that creates a balanced, natural sound. If there’s too much bass, voices will sound boomy. If there’s too much treble, voices sound shrill and hissy. Some headphones feature a customizable equalizer, allowing you to adjust the audio mix to your liking.

Noise Cancellation & Ambient/Transparency Mode

Active noise-canceling (ANC) and Transparency or “ambient” mode are two features that use the microphones in your headphones to help you hear. Active noise-canceling uses the microphones to identify ambient noise around you, like sound of an air conditioner or a car engine, and creates an inverse sound wave to cancel it out. As a result, you don’t hear as much of the outside world, so you can focus on whatever you’re listening to.

Transparency mode, on the other hand, is a safety feature that uses the microphones to enhance outside ambient noise, so you can clearly listen for passing cars, or hear when someone’s talking to you. Transparency mode is important for runners and cyclists who may not hear oncoming traffic if they’re too dialed in with headphones that block out street noise.

Onboard Controls

Many earbuds feature some onboard controls, either on the charging case or on the earbuds themselves, like starting and stopping your music, taking a call, and controlling volume, so you don’t have to take a phone or use a smartwatch. Some earbuds will also pause an active track when you remove your earbuds and start it again when you put them back in. In addition to basic actions, many high-end headphones and ear buds also provide advanced customization features and other settings through their connected smartphone apps.

Battery Life

Having a pair of wireless earbuds that will last through your workout is obviously very important. True wireless earbuds, including most of the options on this list, feature a two-tiered battery life. The buds themselves can last for a decent amount of time–usually between 4-8 hours. The battery case, which comes with the buds, will charge them whenever you put them away, extending the battery life of the buds to an average of 25-40 hours before you need to recharge both the buds and case.

How We Selected The Best Workout Headphones

To find the best headphones for working out, we interviewed treadmill runners, marathoners, joggers, and trail runners to find out what features they look for in headphones. We researched the recommended workout headphones on the market, analyzed expert reviews, consumer ratings, and the testing performed by the Runner’s World test team to find the best earbuds. Then, we evaluated each headphone by durability, water and sweat resistance, battery life, fit, sound and call quality, ease of use, noise cancellation, and warranty coverage.

Elite 7 Active

The Jabra Elite 7 Active features a small, lightweight design that allows for a comfortable fit while exercising. These are coated in ShakeGrip, a liquid silicone rubber compound engineered to keep earbuds in place during vigorous workouts for long periods of time. They also maintain a great fit thanks to the “EarGel” ear tips, which mold themselves to the shape of your ear.

The sound quality is impressive due to 6mm drivers and various audio codecs. In addition, the ANC is adjustable via the Jabra Sound+ app, which also creates a sound profile based upon a hearing test, tracks the last location your earbuds were connected to your phone, installs the latest firmware updates, and customizes just about anything from in-ear detection to controls.

Go Air Sport

The JLab Go Air Sport delivers quality sound (though heavy on the bass) and long-lasting battery life at an affordable price. Although it does not have ANC or transparency modes, the Go Air Sport delivers above average sound and call quality.

It’s programmed with three sound profiles: JLab Signature (this is the default, mix of crisp mids, punchy lows, boosted sub-bass and upper highs), Balanced (flat bass with boosted upper highs), and Bass Boost (sparkly highs).

The case is outfitted with a short built-in charging cable that requires an USB port. Reviewers found the wraparound ear hooks elegant, smooth, and comfortable, especially in marathons or extensive workouts (assuming you aren’t wearing glasses, of course).

It also comes with three sets of gel eartips (small, medium, and large) and two sets of extra long tips (medium and large). All in all, the Go Air Sport gives you above-industry standards in battery life and comfort for a fraction of the price.

AirPods Pro (2nd generation)

You may not be able to see it at a glance, but Apple’s current “Pro”-grade earbuds feature some strong upgrades over their predecessors. First, the new H2 chip enhances the Pros’ signature active-noise canceling, blocking twice as much ambient sound as the original AirPods Pro.

Thanks to recent iOS updates, they support spatial audio with dynamic head tracking when paired with an iPhone or iPad, enabling digital surround sound that adjusts when you move your head.

Other features include easy pairing (once initially paired to an Apple device, you won’t need to pair and re-pair again) and the ability for the iOS FindMy app to locate your lost case and/or buds. The case has a tracker and built-in speaker now, making it easier to find in a pinch.

They also come with a set of four silicone ear tips (offering a XS option in addition to your usual S, M, and L), thus finally providing folks with smaller ear canals a near-perfect fit.

If you’re primarily using your headphones to listen to music coming from an iPhone, the AirPods Pro 2 deliver an incredibly well-rounded and easy listening experience. One of my favorite features is being able to audio share with my iPhone, meaning that I can stream audio to my AirPods and another AirPod user.

QuietComfortⓇ Earbuds II

Bose upgraded its QuietComfort earbuds by making them 30-percent smaller. Instead of StayEar wing tips, Bose provides three pairs of ear tips (S, M, and L) and 3 pairs of stability bands (1, 2,3), specifically designed to prevent soreness. You can also purchase a fit kit which includes XS and XL attachments for small or large ears.

Bose’s personalization tool is called CustomTune. When you insert the buds into your ear, a chime is released. A built-in microphone measures the chime sound in your ear canal, then adjusts and optimizes a balanced sound for your eardrums.

Reflect Aero TWS

The JBL Reflect Aero boasts the highest dust, sweat, rain, and water resistance rating of any earbud we tested. With an IP68 rating, it can operate for up to 30 minutes, up to 5 feet underwater in salt or freshwater.

That’s right, it can handle saltwater. Just remember to rinse it off afterwards.

If you hold down the outer panels of each headphone, you can activate either Google Assistant or Alexa for voice assistance. It also has multipoint connectivity, meaning you can pair it with two or more devices such as a laptop and a cell phone.

The JBL Reflect Aero comes with three pairs of silicone eartips (S, M, and L) and three pairs of removable ear fins (S, M, and L) that keeps the earbuds stable. The JBL Headphones app even has a “Check My Best Fit” feature.

Fit Pro

Since Apple and Beats are sister brands, they both make iOS-optimized earbuds, and there are multiple pairs of Beats earbuds that are perfect for workouts. While reviewers are divided over which is the best, I personally prefer the Beats Fit Pro for its more pleasing range of colors, like Sage Grey and Stone Purple, and its superior fit, which stays firm when running or doing high intensity workouts.

To secure the earbuds, push the attached wing tip under the antihelix, a Y-shaped cartilaginous ridge on your ear. This is sometimes known as the “twist and lock” mechanism.

Like the AirPods Pro (2nd generation), the Beats Fit Pro offers a range of advanced features, including adaptive ANC, transparency mode, and spatial audio.

While more of these features are available outside of iOS through the Beats Fit Pro app, some are still exclusive to iOS. Given that, we recommend them specifically for iPhone owners.

Tri-Multisport

Designed by athletes for triathletes and runners, the H20 Audio Tri-Multisport can withstand submersion up to 12 feet underwater. It features Bluetooth support for when you’re on land, and 8GB flash memory–enough to hold roughly 1500-2000 mp3 songs–for when you go for a swim.

Unlike most of the earbuds we recommend, these are connected wraparound earbuds, which you wear around your neck. In this case, H20 Tri-multisport needs that extra support to accommodate its bone-conduction technology, which vibrates your inner ear.

Bone conduction headphones may also work well for runners, who want to listen to music without it interfering with their ability to hear their surroundings.

Frames Tempo

Audio smart glasses like Bose Frames feature small speakers in each temple that play music that only you can hear (for the most part) without covering your ears. They offer runners the ability to workout with music, podcasts, or audiobooks without anything inside or on your ears.

They also feature beamforming microphones, allowing you to take phone calls without a mouthpiece. It’s a very casual way to bring some tunes with you on a run.

The Frames come in three different styles–Tempo, Tenor, and Soprano. While style matters, we prefer the Tempo for its longer battery life and deeper sound. You can buy interchangeable colored lenses (sold separately), or add prescription lenses.

Q+A With Our Expert

RW: How do I make my earbuds last longer?

LHO: There are several simple things you can do to extend your earbuds’ lifespan. Most of them revolve around preserving their batteries, as they tend to degrade more rapidly than other components and usually cannot be replaced.

Store them at room temperature, away from moisture and extreme temperatures. Keep them inside their charging case with the cover closed when not in use. Avoid overcharging by removing them from the charging cable or pad when fully charged. Clean the wireless charging contact points inside the case occasionally.

Check your manual for specific instructions on storing batteries because some prefer to be stored between 30-70% charged. Also, be aware that using a laptop to charge your earbuds instead of the charger that came with the earbud could result in loss of battery capacity.

RW: How do I clean my earphones?

LHO: Scientific studies suggest that the humidity inside your ear canal makes it a ripe breeding ground for bacteria. Get in the habit of cleaning your earbuds once a week. You should also try to clean them after every workout to get the sweat out of them.

To clean, Disconnect your earphones from all devices, then wipe them down with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.

You can soak the ear tips and covers for 30 minutes in a solution made up of one part dishwashing liquid and five parts lukewarm water. Dip a cotton swab into the soap mixture and clean tips or cover, then air-dry. Make sure the tips or cover are completely dry before reconnecting.

If the earbud has a mesh cover, hold the earbud with the mesh facing down then use a toothbrush to brush out any earwax. You can also use tweezers to remove hair or fibers. To disinfect the mesh cover, dampen a cotton swab with isopropyl alcohol and wipe the mesh. Make sure you don’t drip any of the alcohol inside the earbud.

RW: How long will my earphones last?

LHO: My drawers are littered with broken, inexpensive earbuds. There are even more that I can’t find, which were lost or stolen or destroyed by my laundry cycle. A good pair of earbuds should last two to three years, but not as long as a pair of high-quality over-ear headphones.

To be clear, in most cases, your earbuds will “die” when their batteries lose capacity and stop holding a charge. Many people continue using their buds longer than they should because they haven’t stopped working entirely. Trust us: You’ll be happier replacing them than sticking with a pair that only lasts 20 minutes.

Do not throw earbuds (or any electronics with an internal battery) in the trash. They may catch fire. Make sure to dispose of them properly through your local e-waste disposal facility.

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