As part of his daily ritual, even before his first cup of coffee, our staff editor sets out for a local track every morning. His phone slips in a special pocket in a pair of Surenow running shorts, eyes narrowed, and he slips on a comfortable pair of running headphones, determined to lap the track four times.
That same workout loving editor, now after his first coffee of the day, has asked us to review the best headphones for running and working out. It seemed like an easy enough proposition at first, but this kind of gear is expected to cope with a number of challenges. From falling out due to a heavy running stride to being impacted by sweat or outdoor jogging rain, they need to shine both sonically and performance-wise.
Out to make the most of his workout jams and running playlist, our editor is keen to see which devices made our shortlist. They’ll need to be built tough, durable and sweat-proof. More challenging still, they’d better impress our audiophile experts, no compromises allowed, even if they’re booming out a playlist while drenched in perspiration.
A Lexicon of Listening Language for Active Listeners
It’s tempting to start the ball rolling right away, especially with our editor looking over our shoulders, but we took a beat to talk about a few important factors. IP ratings are going to be important. Ingress Protection is directly related to how well or poorly headphones work when impacted by sweat or rain, after all.
Other terms to familiarize yourself with would be ‘wingtips’ and noise cancelling technology. For the tips, allowances are made to the physical design so that they’ll stay put, no matter the workout or the user’s ear shape. Noise cancelling is self-explanatory, with the devices muting ambient sounds so runners and gym rats can stay focused on their fitness playlist, not the sounds of traffic or your gym buddy’s grunting.
Activity-specific material durability is arguably an even greater headache when shopping for sports oriented gear; no one wants a material that’ll crumble after being exposed to salty perspiration for hours on end. Battery life, Bluetooth stability and reliability, all of these factors and more need to line up and be accounted for when researching the best headphones for running and workouts.
Best Headphones for running – Our recommendations
Beats Fit Pro Wireless Earbuds
Still thinking about comfort, Beats Fit Pro earbuds showcase their comfort-fit wingtips. On testing, their secure grip locked tight but without hampering comfort. The experience while our reviewer was active was very pleasant. As for sound quality, the design engineers for Beats seem to have placed a great deal of emphasis on sports endurance, yet the earbuds still provided a remarkably crisp and balanced sound.
Active noise cancelling and a good transparency mode are both ably taken care of in the design as well. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to spot a workout buddy when he was calling for help on the bench press. But it was the IPX4 rating that brought most comfort, as did the sweat proof S/M/L tips included with the lozenge-shaped charging box. Tips are more important than ever here, working with the wingtip flexible fins to make sure the buds stay put.
Gym audiophile insights – The fins work well when engaged in jogs and bench presses, although a little effort was needed to get them to sit well in different ear profiles. We also enjoyed the spatial audio, which uses head tracking, a wonderful feature when pushing through on a tough leg of a jog. An Apple H1 processor is inside the earbuds, actively cancelling outside sound and channeling the 3D audio.
The multi-function buttons were also a joy to work with, triggering transparency mode or taking a call. By the way, two beamforming mics and a wind cancelling feature are in-built, keeping voice calls crystal clear, even if the athlete in question is fighting against a tough breeze.
With built-in voice assistant control and reliable Bluetooth connectivity, we instantly felt like giving the Beats Fit Pro earbuds a positive review. A 6 hour noise cancelling battery life, 18 hours when the case is pocketed, was also borderline satisfactory, as was iOS and android compatibility.
Jabra Elite 8 Active Wireless Earbuds
A slight frown was on the face of our intern tester as she put the Jabra 8 Active Wireless Earbuds to work. This was caused by the lack of any form of fit-securing fins. Instead of this conventional design, their grippy credentials are made possible by a special tip coating known as ShakeGrip. No complaints, however, the buds did stay in place when athletic activities were undertaken. All the same, we couldn’t help wondering whether larger ear anatomies might create a looser fit.
Call quality, usually lower on our list of test criteria, was impressive, and this was down to the presence of six built-in microphones. Active noise cancelling also worked like a charm, with mid-amplified 6mm speakers and in-ear pressure released bass pounding dynamically from the comfortable silicone tips. Spatial sound took advantage of these crisply delivered tones, adding depth and dimension so as to widen audiophile-quality sound stages.
Gym audiophile insights – Locked inside two attractive IP68 enclosures, Dolby Audio and super quiet ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) are matched by sweat and waterproof shielding. The sound booms and cracks from the twin drivers, yet there’s no muddiness in the tones, ensuring great cross-genre compatibility. Sound leakage also wasn’t an issue, not with the ShakeGrip coating doing its thing.
It was interesting to review an outstanding set of athlete-oriented earbuds, knowing they really could top our best headphones for running and working out shortlist without using some weird form of ear hooking mechanism or fin. What was even more interesting, though, was the hi-fidelity audio, rich and balanced. For more practical considerations, the dropout resistant Bluetooth 5.3, featuring multipoint connectivity, kept our tester on her toes, connecting to second devices around the office.
A pleasantly extended 8 hour battery life made it possible for us to do all of our tests in one day. That feature goes up to 32 hours when the compact little charging case is taken along to the gym or put in the second pocket of a pair of workout shorts. Without ANC activated, those figures rise even higher.
Sony WF-SP800 Sports Wireless Earbuds
One of the best sets of athletic wearables on the market right now, no one was surprised to see Sony WF-SP800 Sports Wireless earbuds make the this list. Their consummate all round, on-the-go audio performance, delivering punchy bass and driving mids, made the grade alongside a whole smorgasbord of sport-ready features. From IP55 rated sweat and splash resistance to adaptive noise cancelling, Sony engineers have your workout covered.
Some of the fins and fittings used to secure earbuds can be a bit hit and miss. With the Sony WF-SP800 earbuds, we didn’t experience any questionable comfort concerns. The pliable arc supporters contoured to our reviewer’s ear, never scratching, never causing pain or pressure. A fast-paced run around our office complex while taking perfectly audible calls served as an initial test, then it was time to turn up the volume with some Skrillex produced dubstep.
Gym audiophile insights – The deep bass rumbles of Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, a Skrillex favorite, boomed from both dome-type 6mm speakers without distortion, working in tandem with adaptive noise cancelling to create a bubble of on-the-move dubstep. The environment adjusted to traffic and gym noise, muting all ambient sound with great gusto. What’s more, thanks to Bluetooth improvements, the audio was arriving independently, creating a stable connection between the source—an Android smartphone—and the L and R buds.
Speaking of, the touch controls on both buds were responsive. Playback and track control to the right, noise cancelling modes on the left, our tester could hold a conversation then slip back into his music playlist without any effort whatsoever. Tests of 360° audio and the ambient sound mode, even attempts to push low frequency responses higher on the Sound Connect App (iOS), we really put these headphones through the proverbial wringer.
With an extra-long 9 hour battery life, these buds kept right on performing. Finally, two sizes of hook-shaped arc supports are included alongside five sets of sized silicone tips and that all-important charging case.
Sennheiser Momentum Sport Wireless Earbuds
When activity lifestyles collide with hi-fidelity listening habits, buyers find themselves turning to Sennheiser Momentum Sport earbuds. In terms of aesthetics, their form factor looked a little too full-bodied, but the fins attached to the earbuds maintained a solid seal between ear and gear. Even so, the slight bulk was hard to account for, then we read the brochure and discovered their full Sporting pedigree.
Besides iconic Sennheiser studio quality audio, mixed with a pleasingly wide sound stage, the earbuds are on sensory overload. That’s just a colorful way of saying they’re as capable as any smart watch, with a heart rate sensor and core body temperature sensor monitoring key body metrics. Bluetooth does the rest, hooking up the headphone sensors to smartphone or fitness watches, or even to wireless-capable gym equipment.
Gym audiophile insights – Essentially, we were left wondering whether this was an activity tracker with aspirations of being a hi-fidelity set of headphones, or were they headphones with augmented lifestyle tracking talents? In the end, we decided they were simply one of the best headphones for running and working out, monitoring cardio while jogging uphill, recording workouts with core body temperatures flickering through an app.
What we did test, besides their Sports tracking features, was sound quality. Sennheiser tuned frequency profiles, and the earbuds’ dynamic 10mm drivers, rocked our tester’s workout playlist, adding depth to Queen’s We Will Rock you, a popular motivational track among our senior staffers. Of some interest, their design is semi-open, likely to accommodate gym buddy conversations. Going outside, adaptive noise cancelling modes really muted ambient sounds, intelligently adjusting to the rise and fall of street clatter when long jogs were undertaken.
Hovering around the 6 hour mark, battery life wasn’t amazingly long. Activity sensor drain is probably responsible for this average performance. A stable wireless connection never faltered, however, nor did the included charging case, although it was a little on the large side. Incidentally, for those more interested in their sporting credentials, check out the Polar App, a natural body metric partner to the premium earbuds.
Bose Ultra Open Wireless Earbuds
Several in-depth reviews have already been crafted concerning various noise cancelling Bose headphones. What hasn’t received a great deal of coverage is the Bose Ultra Open earbuds. Let’s face it, they look a little unconventional; they don’t stick to the familiar earbud and stabilizing fin design that’s gained so much traction. Instead, situational awareness has been prioritized, leading to a quirky build. And yet they’re comfortable, never giving off the vibe that they’ll fall out after a few moments of workout activity.
Audiophile music quality walks arm in arm with innovative form factor design here, with a dedicated band clipping behind the ear to create a secure fit. Whereas our testers sometimes doubt ‘wingfins,’ constantly adjusting them and fiddling, the unique open ear fit delivered by this activity gear was something special. When considering how some gym goers dislike the intimacy involved when wearing in-ear gear, these over ear devices really do feel more like traditional headphones, minus the headband.
Gym audiophile insights – Don’t expect active noise cancelling if these Bose earbuds are your chosen workout listening companions; they’re open design devices, built to sit a short distance from the ear while a cuff-like band gently braces itself over an outer ear edge. What you do get is immersive, superbly detailed sound, as played on our Rolling Stones playlist. Mick Jagger never sounded so good.
Other notable features, of which there are quite a few, begin with spatialized sound, then we have Bose OpenAudio technology, based on tiny but powerful dipole transducer tech. From a no-name brand, that might sound like a gimmick. From Bose, it’s a promise of iconic, full-bodied audio radiating out of a deceptively small package. A little tuning on the Bose App EQ raised their performance even higher, empathizing motivational bass beats on our Rocky IV soundtrack. Don’t hate, it’s a classic workout album.
An 8.5 hour battery life kept gym sessions long and musically active. As for the outer ear cuffs, they were adjustable, so much so that our reviewer forgot they were wearing our loaner Bose Ultra Open earbuds.
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds
Even relatively unknown vendors can make it onto a best headphones for running and workouts review if they have a product capable of impressing sporty types. Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphones fall into this category, promoting best-in-category audio performance and powerhouse bone conduction technology. Now pushing 10th generation bone cheek mids and air-delivered bass through dual-driver speakers, a nuanced listening experience is promised.
The wraparound form factor felt a little awkward at first, but the narrow rear band rested comfortably on the back of our staffer’s scalp. The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphones task an air driver with the delivery of crunchy bass, leaving mids and highs to the care of the bone conduction driver. While different from other operating principles explored in this review, this novel approach really does work very well indeed, producing outstanding musical tones.
Gym audiophile insights – Rich audio reproduction was one thing, but what about their sweat absorbing talents? Not to worry, sweat-busting IP55 rated materials earned them a workout badge of honor. Call quality, letting the gym fade into the background while a call to remember the milk on the way home, was also crisp and detailed. Wind reduction microphones even kept voice whine to a minimum as our reviewer took a call while whizzing by on her bicycle.
Review concluded, we could see how these headphones have become a part of gym culture. There’s no in-ear pressure to contend with, no sweating into silicone tips while adjusting a rubberized seal that messes with traffic awareness, either. The air conduction and bone conduction drivers just gently hug the scalp, conducting sound through a listener’s cheek bones via that colorful unibody frame.
Connected by wireless Bluetooth 5.3, the Shokz headphones can last a full 12 hours on a single charge. Granted, made bigger to accommodate the unibody enclosure, the included case is large and not exactly pocket-sized, but it does a fine job of cradling these devices when they’re not in use.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS Earbuds
This trial by combat review placed two of our reviewers in contention, each wearing a pair of JBL Reflect Aero TWS headphones. Black and blue variants were not available, so they decided on the last remaining colors, mint and white. Opting for two different music genres, R&B and hip hop, it was Drake VS Usher, winner takes all. First up on the test schedule was adaptive noise cancelling, as aided by four inbuilt microphones.
It was a slam dunk for noise cancellation, making gym goers look like silent movie actors. The addition of six beamforming mics, three on either earbud, further rammed home their tech credentials, backing ANC quality with superb voice call fidelity. Hip hop or R&B, Drake or Usher, they both faded away as incoming calls were received. By the way, not necessarily as a treat, we took our reviewers to the beach for the day, and the IP68 enclosures didn’t have any trouble with the water or sand.
Gym audiophile insights – Large 6.8mm drivers reproduced every Drake bass note and richly delivered Usher lyric with authenticity, widening the sound stage to make both artists seem as if they were on the beach with our sunbathing reviewers. Also, having the aptly labelled ‘powerfins’ stabilizing both earbuds, there was no scrambling to find one if it became dislodged after a beach run. Points awarded to both reviewers, they downloaded the JBL Headphones App, taking time during the commute to the beach to adjust the EQ and select their preferred voice assistant.
Wireless Bluetooth 5.2 and multipoint connectivity were the last two ingredients in a device package that rose to our test challenges in the most dynamic manner. After a smartphone had run out of juice for the day, still beached, we used multipoint to hook up a second device. Then it was into the warm water, because we just had to test their 5 feet waterproofing. Spoilers, they performed without issue, although a quick rinse was used to wash of salty deposits.
Battery life sits around 7 hours, 8 when ANC is turned OFF. Then, for different ears, three differently sized tips are securely packed inside the JBL Reflect Aero AWS (True Wireless Stereo) box. Adding stability to that comfort-designed fit, three sets of Powerfins, each sized according to ear size, are also included. The compact pill-shaped charging case adds 14 more hours of sound canceled listening convenience, perfect for those long workout sessions that really push stamina.
Apple AirPods Pro 2
With IP54 splash and sweat resistance, AirPods Pro 2 earbuds aren’t quite waterproof, so we asked our tester not to shower with them after their sweaty workout session was over. They do, however, hit a performance sweet spot, making them ideal for indoor gym workouts and rainy jogs. Two big features hit hard at this point, and these were the powerful adaptive noise cancellation and user tailored spatial audio, creating an immersive music listening experience, no matter the activity.
Other than the under-the-hood H2 processor boosting noise cancelling performance and 3D sound reproduction, we were smitten with the deep, booming bass, which arrived with crunch and low-frequency resonance thanks to the Apple engineered signature vented earbud design. Pressure equalization vents are a fine feature, one that exists to eliminate that ‘plugged ear’ feeling that can cause in-ear listener fatigue.
Gym audiophile insights – There’s a real depth and presence of acoustic warmth when music streams out of Apple AirPods. Better yet, the refreshed Pro 2 series scores big when it comes to processing lossless audio in real time. Going deeper into their glossy white bodies, 11mm drivers add a heavy thrum during a session on an elliptical machine, with Bluetooth delivered streams using reliable AAC and SBC audio codecs to get the distortionless best out of gym playlists. Also, as expected, touch controls on either earbud were incredibly intuitive.
For Apple-designed features, expect plenty of sensors and touch responsiveness. The transparency mode cleverly fades out a music stream, isolating voices while keeping loud machines silenced. Dolby Atmos is present, as added by supported audio services, and head tracked spatial audio works quite well, using head tracking sensors to adjust audio dynamics. The only issue we found of concern was the 5.5 hour battery life, but this is possibly due to a trade-off caused by the densely packed sensors and super-advanced H2 chip.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 earbuds don’t pull a punch when it comes to performance. Four pairs of silicone tips are included in the box, as is the MagSafe charging case. Call quality, tested during a tester’s jog down a busy main street, was also stellar, using dual beamforming mics to establish crisp conversations or ‘Hey Siri’ queries.
Hit the Finish Line with the Best ANC Fitness Headphones
Scores of Hi-Fi listeners, especially those with prestige-earning iPhones, are going to pick AirPods. And why not? They have great spatial audio and superb adaptive noise cancellation technology, too. Consider JBL Reflect Aero TWS earbuds, assuming you’re going to be in a shower after your workout and want uninterrupted listening. We’ve referred to the IP (Ingress Protection) standard when reviewing most of these headphones, so do know what these numbers mean. A click over to this link will help you out. Basically, the higher the number, the better.
For every top-notch adaptive noise cancelling mode, adjusting audio dynamics on-the-fly as you enter different environments, there’s a similarly advanced transparency mode to learn about. At the most basic level, this mode restores all ambient sound, returning the sound of a busy gym or outdoor traffic. Other models, equipped with advanced algorithms and AI features, pull out voices, leaving loud machinery and traffic muted.
Battery life is the other important feature no one can afford to ignore. The AirPods Pro 2 have a lower lifespan, the Bose set, at 8.5 hours, is firmly in the middle, and the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 earbuds keep right on working for 12 whole hours.
The above figures assume you’re using ANC, which is as it should be. No one wants to hear the grunts and groans of a nearby fitness enthusiast when they’re caught up in their exercise routine, right? Without active noise cancelling turned on, these best headphones for running and working out activities automatically gain a lifespan boost, streaming rich, audiophile grade music through their wingtip stabilized forms, straight into your ear for several extra hours.
Blocking out packed gym grunts or cranking up the tunes on a jog, these headphones all let you focus on your workout—no distractions, just comfort-fit, high-quality listening on-the-go
