Listening to your favorite tunes or podcasts on a pair of the best workout headphones can provide extra motivation, make the time go by faster, and help you lose yourself in the moment. Being able to drown out background noise and even take phone calls without stopping to pick it up are just a few extra perks.
We tested dozens of headphones (in-ear, over-ear, and bone conduction styles) to find out which pairs truly deserve the title of best. Read on to discover all our top picks, or jump straight to the headphones that win in the category that's most important to you:
Wissonly Hi Runner
Wissonly team has relatively strong technical strength. They have 10 years of experience in bone conduction product research and development, which is the basis for making good products. Wissonly focuses on the concept of healthy enjoyment of good sound quality. The headphone brand features no harm to the ears, and it is also the first brand to propose the concept of not listening to songs in the ear. Wissonly’s completely not-in-ear design reduces the damage to the eardrum. Its surface is made of silicone skin-friendly material, which is very safe and comfortable to wear.
Wissonly Hi Runner bone conduction headphones have made a lot of improvements in sound quality and anti-sound-leakage. The official claimed that its sound quality has reached the Hi-Fi level. I have measured it and think that the sound quality is indeed good, but that it does not really reach the Hi-Fi sound quality, and that it can only be said it is very close the level. Such sound quality,in the field of bone conduction headphones,it is good enough that I have not yet encountered a product that can surpass it in sound quality. In order to solve the problem of sound leakage, Wissonly developed fully closed anti-sound-leakage technology. It improved the vibration unit, body design, software optimization and other directions, and finally it reduced the sound leakage effect by 90%.
Other configurations are also very good, such as its 32G memory, IPX8 waterproof level, 5.0 Bluetooth connection protocol, 10 hours of ultra-long battery life, etc.. You can go to its official website for this.
Wissonly Hi Runner bone conduction headphones have made a lot of improvements in sound quality and anti-sound-leakage. The official claimed that its sound quality has reached the Hi-Fi level. I have measured it and think that the sound quality is indeed good, but that it does not really reach the Hi-Fi sound quality, and that it can only be said it is very close the level. Such sound quality,in the field of bone conduction headphones,it is good enough that I have not yet encountered a product that can surpass it in sound quality. In order to solve the problem of sound leakage, Wissonly developed fully closed anti-sound-leakage technology. It improved the vibration unit, body design, software optimization and other directions, and finally it reduced the sound leakage effect by 90%.
Other configurations are also very good, such as its 32G memory, IPX8 waterproof level, 5.0 Bluetooth connection protocol, 10 hours of ultra-long battery life, etc.. You can go to its official website for this.
Jabra Elite Active 75t
The Jabra Elite Active 75t earbuds are our top in-ear choice, and they’re the very best earphones for intense workouts. Equipped with six-millimeter drivers and four built-in microphones, it’s easy to hear your favorite tunes and phone calls loud and clear. The earbuds have Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) technology, but you can also use the “hear through” mode when you need to be aware of your surroundings. With an IP57 rating, they’re protected against dust, sweat, and water (they can withstand fresh water up to three feet for half an hour). They’re also among the best running headphones. A single charge provides 5.5 hours of listening time/28 hours with charging case, which uses a USB-C port (though they’re also compatible with QI–enabled wireless charging pads).
The fit is superb—secure and comfortable, because the earbuds have a special dry film coating. There are also various sizes of ear gels included. The true wireless earbuds use Bluetooth 5.0, and are compatible with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. Since the durable earbuds have physical controls (as opposed to touch-activated buttons), they’re easier to control with sweaty fingers. In addition, the Jabra Sound+ App provides personalized settings and profiles. Our choice for the best workout headphones is available in copper black, mint, navy, sienna, gray, and titanium black.
Amazfit Powerbuds Pro
These forward-thinking earbuds can actually monitor your health. The earbuds are like a smartwatch for your ears. They can monitor exercise heart rate, they can track calories burned, speed, and distance when a user is walking, running, or cycling. If an abnormally high heart rate is detected, the earbuds will send an audible warning. The battery life is nine hours (30 with the case, via USB-C cable), and the earbuds also have active noise cancellation. Seen here in racing yellow, the headphones are also available in dynamic black (with red accents), frost white, and active white (with pink accents).
Shure Aonic 215
Depending on your workout routine, keeping your earbuds securely yet comfortably in your ears might be a problem. However, the Shure Aonic 215 (Gen 2) True Wireless Earbuds are designed to provide the ultimate fit. With three sizes of soft flex sleeves, two pairs of foam sleeves, and an adapter set, they provide a firm fit over my ears that doesn’t start to hurt after a period of time. With an IPX4 rating, they’re designed to handle sweat. They also have a noise-calling environment mode that lets me control how much outside noise I want to hear. The earbuds provide eight hours of battery life and up to 32 hours with the charging case and USB-C charging cable. Seen here in blue, they are also available in all-black.
Jabra Elite 7 Pro
Although we rightly think the Jabra Elite Active 75t earbuds are the best overall earbuds, the Jabra Elite 7 Pro are the best earbuds for taking phone calls. Using Jabra’s multi-sensor voice technology, the earbuds combine a four-microphone system with bone conductions sensors. I use the earbuds (or sometimes just one) with both my iOS and Android devices, and the wireless earbuds have adjustable active noise cancellation. The earbuds use Bluetooth 5.2, and have a battery life of eight hours, or 30 hours with the charging case. They have an IP57 waterproof rating, have Alexa built-in, and are compatible with Google Assistant. These earbuds are available in titanium black, gold beige, copper black, and gray.
What to Look for in the Best Workout Headphones
As we went about testing more than 40 pairs of headphones, we kept several factors in mind including sound quality (of course), design, fit, noise cancellation, battery life, and more. Here's a deeper dive into why these matter and what we were thinking about when it came to each.
Sound Quality
Sound quality is the most important factor when choosing the best workout headphones (or any headphones, for that matter). Sound quality sets the tone for any workout. Clear, dynamic, and incredibly detailed audio quality is what you’ll want to bring your music or audio to life as you exercise. One indicator of sound quality is the driver diameter, which measures the strength of the sound waves. In-ear headphones typically have a range of 8 to 15 mm and over-ear headphones have a rage of 20 to 50 mm.
Design and Fit
The design of workout headphones is also important. “Typically for higher impact workouts like HIIT, running jump rope, etc., snug fitting earbuds are the best options as they allow you the most flexibility of movement,” advises Alison Roessler, strength and conditioning specialist and CEO and founder of Truve. She explains that you don’t have to worry about them falling out while you jump up and down during burpees. But for other types of workouts like walking or weight lifting, Alison believes it’s probably just a personal choice. “Over-ear headphones may be more comfortable for those who have a small ear canal or don’t like things inside their ears,” she says.
Chris Pabon, a virtual personal trainer on FlexIt, tells us that he uses both over-ear and in-ear models. “For traditional strength training, I’ve found over-the-ear is king. When I’m doing something more high intensity in nature (burpees, air bike, even some Olympic movements), the in-ear seem to work better for me.”
However, he says there are caveats to both. For example, when he works out for a long time with an over-ear model, they tend to hurt his ears. “With the in-ear models, they can tend to fall out and even into a machine—I lost my first earbud that way,” Chris says. Fortunately, many in-ear models have rubberized tips to help them stay in place better. “They generally come in packs of three to five, so try them all on and see what fits best.”
Whether the workout headphones go in or on your ears may be the most important decision you make. “You may love the big headphones, and the sound might be great, but if you are mountain biking, you can’t wear those under your helmet,” Bill says. “Conversely, you don’t want little earbuds that fall out every time you move your head.” In fact, he says, nothing is more annoying than uncomfortable headphones when your hands are full of weights. “You don’t want to constantly adjust them. Exercise requires movement, and if that movement is knocking your earbuds out, then they aren’t right for you.”
Noise Cancellation
A pair of headphones with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) reduces background noises. If you can’t reduce these sounds, you’re more likely to turn up the volume in your headphones, which is bad for your ears. With ANC, sound quality stays high—without the need to crank up the volume (and potentially damage your ears). ANC headphones are great choice when you need to stay in the zone at the gym.
Chris believes that noise-cancellation is a great feature, but offers this advice: “If you’re working out and using noise cancelling models, just be aware of your surroundings.” He says he tends not to keep the headphones in full noise-cancellation mode unless he’s working out in a controlled environment by himself.
Again, it comes back to the type of workout you're doing. In some situations, you need to hear ambient noise. “With outdoor workouts such as running or cycling, it can be dangerous to use noise canceling headphones as being aware of your surroundings can help you avoid everything from a bad encounter with an off-leash pet, injury due to a run in with a clueless drivers, or abduction,” Alison says. Some headphones even have an optional setting called transparency which allows the outside noise to be amplified some.
Bluetooth Connectivity
Another important consideration is how your headphones will connect to your music. “When selecting headphones for the gym, a Bluetooth-enabled set is best—you don’t want cords getting caught on equipment or in your way, which could lead to injury,” Alison says.
Ashley Hiben, a fitness coach at Future, believes this decision will probably be made based on your workout regimen. “Wireless allows you to move freely and not have something stuck to the back of your neck, it also can’t get caught on anything,” she explains. “However, it does mean you have to be extra careful to not drop your headphones because it could mean bye forever.” With a cord, she says it’s easy to keep track of your headphones, and you can simply drape the headphones around your neck when you’re not using them.
Battery Life
Most headphones last for several hours, but some last two or even three times as long. “Whether you are running a marathon or need a couple of motivational tunes, you’ll want your earphones to have a good battery life as some last up to nine hours,” Corey says. He also likes headphones that can recharge quickly. “I love this feature because I sometimes forget to charge my earphones, and it’s good to know that while I’m tying my shoelaces, my earphones are fast-charging and will soon be ready to go.”
Water Resistance
Most headphones are rated for how well they're protected against liquids and even solids like dust or debris. This measurement is known as ingress protection, or IP. “As some workouts can be more intense and rigorous, having sweat and water resistance is a good feature to also look out for,” Corey says. Alison agrees. “You want a set that won’t get ruined after a few super sweaty workouts, or if it starts to rain while you are on a run or walk,” she says.
The International Electrotechnical Commission has developed IP ratings to refer to an item’s level of protection against dust and water. The first number refers to dust protection on a scale of 0 to 6 with 5 being dust-protected and 6 being dust-tight. The second number refers to water protection on a scale of 0 to 9:
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