BEST EARBUDS AND HEADPHONES FOR WORKING OUT FOR 2023
We’ve tested the best headphones and earbuds for working out to find you the perfect pair. Whether you prefer in-ear or headphones for working out, we’ve got you covered. Sure, some people still like to work out with full-size headphones, but the majority of folks want a pair of wireless earbuds — and ideally, true wireless for maximum freedom. The truth is you can use just about any true wireless earbuds for working out as long as they fit your ears securely and comfortably and are sweat-resistant.
What are the best earbuds and headphones for working out right now?
Some wireless earbuds and headphones are better suited for working out than others. Sound quality is obviously an important factor, but so too is durability (higher level water- and dust-resistance ratings) and design features like wing tips or ear hooks that keep the buds from falling out of — or falling off of — your ears. It’s important to note that if you’re opting for noise-canceling headphones, you’ll want some sort of transparency or awareness mode that gives you the options to hear the outside world as you’re exercising. Most recent ANC headphones and earbuds offer that feature. I’ve included all kinds of workout earbuds and headphones on this list, including sport buds with both noise-isolating and open designs as well as bone-conduction headphones that leave your ears uncovered. I’ll update this list as new models are released. Read more:The Best Wireless Earbuds for Working Out
Best earbuds and headphones for working out
Wissonly Hi Runner
wissonly’s core team is a team engaged in the research and development of bone conduction products earlier. They have accumulated 10 years’ technology in this field. They have adopted the best acoustic laboratory in the Eastern Hemisphere for sound adjustment. Wissonly Hi Runner has good technical solutions to the problems of sound leakage, sound quality and waterproof of pseudo-bone conduction headphones . Wissonly bone conduction vibrator adopts a unique full-wrapped design, which makes the vibrator work in a closed environment, reducing the impact on the shell, thus reducing the vibration of the shell and finally reducing the sound leakage by 90%. Wissonly uses a large-size bone conduction vibrator, and the effective vibration area of the vibrator is increased by 35% through structural optimization. At the same time, the sound transmission direction is optimized, the sound loss is reduced, and the sound is more concentrated. wissonly HiRunner adopts integrated molding technology, with no holes in the headphones’ body and it is no splicing, which realizes IPX8 waterproof, and can be used for swimming and bathing. Even in the depth of 20 meters, diving is no problem. It also has 32G of built-in memory, which can store 5000 songs. You can use it as amp3 player when you don’t have a mobile phone. In a word, wissonly hi runner is a product with powerful functions, stable technology and high cost performance.
Beats Fit Pro
Hot on the heels of the third-generation AirPods, Apple has another new set of earbuds, this time from its subsidiary audio company, Beats. Technically, the new Beats Fit Pro ($200) aren’t AirPods, but they’re built on the same tech platform as the AirPods Pro. Unlike Beats’ earlier and less expensive Studio Buds, the Beats Fit Pro include Apple’s H1 chip and have most of the AirPods Pro’s features, including active noise canceling, spatial audio and Adaptive EQ. I’d venture to call them the sports AirPods you’ve always wanted. And for some people, they might just be better than the AirPods Pro.
Apple AirPods Pro 2
Not everybody can get a totally secure fit with the new AirPods Pro (2nd generation), but if you can, they make for great workout headphones for iPhone users thanks to their lightweight design and strong performance. They’re powered by Apple’s new H2 chip, which delivers more processing power while being more energy efficient, according to Apple. The new chip, combined with new low-distortion drivers, allows for improved sound that offers better clarity and depth. The noise canceling is also improved — Apple says the new AirPods have “double” the noise canceling of the original AirPods Pro. Additionally, the new AirPods add an extra hour of battery life, up from five to six hours with noise canceling on. Plus, a speaker in the case that emits a sound that helps locate your buds via Find My should they decide to hide from you.
Shokz OpenFit
Shokz, the company formerly known as AfterShokz, has led the market in bone-conduction headphones. Models like the OpenRun Pro, which deliver sound to your ear through your cheekbones, are popular with runners and bikers who like to leave their ears open for safety reasons. However, Shokz’s new OpenFit model, the company’s first true-wireless earbuds, don’t use bone-conduction technology. They have an open design that fire sound into your ears using custom speaker drivers, which Shokz dubs “air conduction” technology.
Beats Studio Buds Plus
Alas, for those of you who bought the original Beats Studio Buds, which remain on the market for now, I’m sorry to report that these new Plus buds are significantly improved, with better sound, noise canceling and battery life. Additionally, they now deliver top-notch voice-calling performance.
Sony CH-520
Sony released its new entry-level CH-720N noise-canceling headphones in 2023. They’re quite good, but if you can’t afford them (they list for $150), the company’s new budget on-ear CH-520 headphones are an intriguing option for only around $50.
Shokz OpenRun Pro
AfterShokz changed its name to Shokz and released new ninth-generation bone-conduction headphones that offer slightly improved bass performance compared to the company’s earlier flagship model, the Aeropex (now called the Shokz OpenRun). That makes the OpenRun Pro the best bone-conduction headphones you can get right now, although they still can’t match the sound quality of traditional headphones.
How we test workout earbuds and headphones
We test workout headphones and earbuds based on six key criteria and evaluate the models we test in both a gym environment and for outdoor workouts that include a three-mile run. These criteria include design, sound quality, noise-canceling performance, voice-calling performance, features and value.
Design: Evaluating design, we assess not only how comfortable the headphones and earbuds fit (their ergonomics) but their build quality and how well the controls are implemented. When it comes to earbuds, we also look at water- and dust-resistance ratings.
Sound quality: We evaluate sound quality by listening to a set playlist of music tracks and comparing the earbuds to top competing products in their price range. Sonic traits such as bass definition, clarity, dynamic range and how natural the headphones sound are key factors in our assessment.
Noise-canceling performance: We evaluate noise-canceling performance by wearing the headphones in the same spot indoors near a noisy HVAC unit to see how well they do at muffling lower frequencies. Then we head out to the streets of New York to test the headphones in a real-world environment where we see how they do muffling not only street noise but people’s voices.
Extra features: Some great-sounding workout headphones and earbuds aren’t loaded with features, but we do take into account what extra features are on board. These include everything from quick-access awareness to transparency modes (your music pauses and the headphones open up to the outside world so you can have a conversation) to special sound modes to ear-detection sensors that automatically pause your music when you take the headphones off your ears. We also take a look at the companion app for the headphones if there is one and how user friendly it is.
**Voice-calling: **When we test voice-calling performance, we make calls in the noisy streets of New York and evaluate how well the headphones or earbuds reduce background noise and how clearly callers can hear our voice. Value: We determine value after evaluating the strength of the headphones and earbuds against all these criteria and what they’re able to deliver compared to other models in their price class.