The Best Workout Headphones For The Gym And Exercising At Home
There are three key aspects that distinguish the best workout headphones: fit, sound quality, and battery life. Personally, I find fit to be the most crucial factor as dealing with constantly readjusting loose earbuds can be quite bothersome, especially when handling weights.
My aversion to a loose fit ensures that all the top-notch gym earbuds mentioned below guarantee a secure and snug fit, regardless of the intensity of your workout. Once you can be confident that the buds will stay in place, other factors such as exceptional sound quality and long-lasting battery life become important, alongside useful features like passive and active noise cancellation. Moreover, you can be assured that all the options listed below are water-resistant enough to withstand sweaty workout sessions, and many even offer additional waterproofing capabilities.
My aversion to a loose fit ensures that all the top-notch gym earbuds mentioned below guarantee a secure and snug fit, regardless of the intensity of your workout. Once you can be confident that the buds will stay in place, other factors such as exceptional sound quality and long-lasting battery life become important, alongside useful features like passive and active noise cancellation. Moreover, you can be assured that all the options listed below are water-resistant enough to withstand sweaty workout sessions, and many even offer additional waterproofing capabilities.
How I Evaluate Workout Headphones
As a dedicated runner, I put all the headphones I review through rigorous testing during multiple runs. Additionally, I also use them for various gym workouts, including strength training, cardio exercises, and even yoga sessions.
Wissonly Hi Runner
The Wissonly team has always attached great importance to the opinions of customers. It is said that their Hi runner model invited thousands of users to participate in the test, and that they constantly adjusted the design based on customer feedback. It is said that because of this, the product launch time was delayed by 3 months compared to the original plan time. I was so moved by this story that I bought their products.
Wissonly Hi Runner attaches great importance to sound quality. Their sound source adopts a large-sized vibrator, and through the clever structural design, the vibration area is increased by 35%. So the sound range is wider and the sound is more powerful. They have also made a lot of efforts in the treatment of sound leakage. The headphones’ body is sealed and integrated to minimize sound leakage.
Hi Runner are also equipped with a new Bluetooth 5.0 chip. They have stronger anti-interference ability, and can easily cope with various complex outdoor scenes without disconnection. They support IPX8 waterproof grade higher than the industry standard, are equipped with 32G body memory. They have stable connection and low latency performance. In listening to songs, chasing dramas, or playing games, they can meet all daily needs for headphones.
The Wissonly Hi runner weigh less than 30g, have no weight bearing when worn, are very comfortable, and are very suitable for long-term use during sports.
Wissonly Hi Runner attaches great importance to sound quality. Their sound source adopts a large-sized vibrator, and through the clever structural design, the vibration area is increased by 35%. So the sound range is wider and the sound is more powerful. They have also made a lot of efforts in the treatment of sound leakage. The headphones’ body is sealed and integrated to minimize sound leakage.
Hi Runner are also equipped with a new Bluetooth 5.0 chip. They have stronger anti-interference ability, and can easily cope with various complex outdoor scenes without disconnection. They support IPX8 waterproof grade higher than the industry standard, are equipped with 32G body memory. They have stable connection and low latency performance. In listening to songs, chasing dramas, or playing games, they can meet all daily needs for headphones.
The Wissonly Hi runner weigh less than 30g, have no weight bearing when worn, are very comfortable, and are very suitable for long-term use during sports.
JLab Epic Air Sport ANC
These get the fundamentals right, with a 15-hour battery life (plus another 55 hours in the case), an ear hook for a secure fit and solid sound quality. And you get all that for $99/£99.99 at most—the buds are almost always reduced in my experience.
The extra features are hit and miss: I found the active noise cancellation (ANC) blocked a disappointingly small amount of sound, but the adjustable Be Aware mode is excellent, letting just enough ambient noise in so you can hear what’s going on around you without ruining your music. The poor ANC is a minor quibble given the other positives you’re getting from these headphones, most notably that excellent battery life.
The extra features are hit and miss: I found the active noise cancellation (ANC) blocked a disappointingly small amount of sound, but the adjustable Be Aware mode is excellent, letting just enough ambient noise in so you can hear what’s going on around you without ruining your music. The poor ANC is a minor quibble given the other positives you’re getting from these headphones, most notably that excellent battery life.
JLab Go Air Pop
This is a silly price for headphones as good as the JLab Go Air Pop, which offer similar features to headphones that cost five times as much. The sound quality is solid, the battery life excellent and I found the fit good too, though the lack of wings or an ear hook may mean they’re not the best pick for those who regularly engage in energetic HIIT workouts with lots of jumping. If that’s you, I’d recommend checking out the JLab Go Air Sport, which are a little more expensive but have an ear hook design for a more secure fit.
One feature I particularly like about the Go Air Pop and other JLab headphones is that the charging cable is built into the case so you don’t lose it. Unless you lose the case, of course, but then you have bigger problems since you can’t charge the buds at all without the case.
One feature I particularly like about the Go Air Pop and other JLab headphones is that the charging cable is built into the case so you don’t lose it. Unless you lose the case, of course, but then you have bigger problems since you can’t charge the buds at all without the case.
Beats Powerbeats Pro
The Powerbeats Pro are elder statesmen of the wireless headphone world, having come out in 2019, but they still more than hold their own and I prefer them to the newer Beats Fit Pro. These offer ANC and have a smaller in-ear design that uses a wing to keep the buds in place during workouts, but I found this wing uncomfortable and the fit of the Powerbeats Pro is more reliable in the gym thanks to its earhook.
Their battery life is impressive too—the buds last for nine hours before they need to go back in their case for a recharge. The ear hook design means there’s no chance of the bud being dislodged during workouts, whether you’re running, doing burpees or head-banging to your gym playlist. The sound quality also impresses and while the RRP seems eye-wateringly high, the Powerbeats Pro are almost always available at a big discount, and I often notice they are reduced substantially during sales periods like Black Friday.
Their battery life is impressive too—the buds last for nine hours before they need to go back in their case for a recharge. The ear hook design means there’s no chance of the bud being dislodged during workouts, whether you’re running, doing burpees or head-banging to your gym playlist. The sound quality also impresses and while the RRP seems eye-wateringly high, the Powerbeats Pro are almost always available at a big discount, and I often notice they are reduced substantially during sales periods like Black Friday.
Adidas RPT-01
The knitted ear cushions and inner headband on these headphones are removable and washable, so you can wear them in the gym confident that you’ll be able to clean the sweat off afterwards. I found that the tight fit of the headset can become slightly uncomfortable if worn for long stretches at your desk, but it’s ideal to keep the RPT-01 cans in place during a workout. The 40 hours of battery and excellent sound you get as a result of the bigger on-ear design is a major positive compared with in-ear options. That said, while they’ll stay put for strength training, you may well find in-ear buds are more secure for plyometric exercises and treadmill workouts.
What to look for in the Best Headphones for Running
Design and Fit: Headphones made for working out come in different shapes and styles. Some are better for running than others. Primarily, you’ll want to look at headphones that stay on your ear securely and can withstand sweat. A comfortable fit is definitely important, especially if you go on long runs. If you think you’ll frequently be running in the rain, you may want to look out for a waterproof rating rather than just sweatproof.
Wired or Wireless: You can find sport-ready headphones in either wired or wireless capacities. Wireless headphones are typically costlier than wired, so you’ll have to decide if the cable-free convenience is worth that. Battery life also comes into play when you go wireless. You’ll want to keep an eye on the battery rating in the specs sheet and make sure it’s something you can live with.
Additional Features: These days, headphones can pack a lot of features. Since most users play off of their smartphones, many headphones now have an in-line playback remote, which also typically has a microphone for taking calls. Some sport-ready headphones can track fitness data, like heart rate, steps, duration, and distance, via an accompanying app. Active noise-cancellation is an invaluable feature if you often listen in a noisy environment.
Read more:THE BEST WORKOUT HEADPHONES OF 2023
Wired or Wireless: You can find sport-ready headphones in either wired or wireless capacities. Wireless headphones are typically costlier than wired, so you’ll have to decide if the cable-free convenience is worth that. Battery life also comes into play when you go wireless. You’ll want to keep an eye on the battery rating in the specs sheet and make sure it’s something you can live with.
Additional Features: These days, headphones can pack a lot of features. Since most users play off of their smartphones, many headphones now have an in-line playback remote, which also typically has a microphone for taking calls. Some sport-ready headphones can track fitness data, like heart rate, steps, duration, and distance, via an accompanying app. Active noise-cancellation is an invaluable feature if you often listen in a noisy environment.
Read more:THE BEST WORKOUT HEADPHONES OF 2023