“On the rail trail, I could still make out the sounds of birds flapping nearby,” he said. Whether you’re dodging traffic in a city or avoiding wildlife in rural areas, it’s important to know what’s going on around you. By. The best running headphones for iPhone: Beats Powerbeats Pro Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends. PowerPro Sport 5.0 Bluetooth Headphones - 50 Hours, HD Stereo Earbuds - Powerbeats Pro Style TWS Totally Wireless Ear Buds IPX7 Waterproof in-Ear Buds with Best Mic for iPhone, Running, Gym, Exercise 4.2 out of 5 stars 4,162 $59.95$59.95 $63.95$63.95 Get it as soon as Tue, Sep 15 The Powerbeats Pro is the complete package: both well-rounded as wireless sport headphones and literally a large box that contains the earbuds and an additional 15 hours of juice. The case used for charging the earbuds adds 16 hours of battery life, though it’s a little too big to fit in the key pocket of your running shorts, so you may want to bring your running belt. Fit is an important part of purchasing any set of in-ear headphones, but when you’re logging miles of runs, fit becomes even more critical. The bass isn’t as impressive as offerings from Bose and Sennheiser, but the buds still thump when you’ve established a tight seal and deliver a balanced sound across hip-hop, rock, folk (Fox’s second favorite), and podcasts (his favorite). First we sifted through the offerings of more than 100 headphone companies to see what running headphones they’d recently released. If you run out of power or forget to charge, the quick-charge feature can give you 1.5 hour of play time after only 15 minutes in the case. How an earbud fits affects how much outside sound it lets in, and there’s no ideal balance for everyone. The EP-B60 is IPX6 water-resistant—enough to withstand typical running conditions—and the buds are light enough to stay comfortable on a long run. We also asked testers to evaluate how quickly and easily the buds connected to their phones, and how far they were able to get from their phones before the signal cut out. There’s no cable to bounce, snag, or annoy you, which also means there’s no tugging at your ears. If you want to save a little money and don’t mind using wireless earbuds that are connected by a lightweight, flexible band, the Poly (formerly Plantronics) BackBeat Fit 2100 earbuds are comfortable and easy to use, and they sound quite good. The cable had a grippy quality that snagged on my shoulder as I turned my head, occasionally tugging the earbuds and requiring repositioning. Music sounded clear and balanced. So we factored in each device’s IP, or Ingress Protection, rating. These earbuds are still untethered from your phone, but they use a wire or band to connect the buds and store batteries, microphones, or an antenna. Also, the case is a bit larger than average for true wireless earbuds, and it stores the left earbud on the right and the right earbud on the left. These buds have neither connecting wires nor hooks that extend around your ear; you just push them in and go. If you are curious about a specific model that isn’t mentioned below, feel free to contact us via Twitter, or drop a note in the comments section and we’ll be happy to assist. After six runs and some in-office use, one tester said she’d buy JBL’s Endurance Peak with her own money. Clear sound and a secure fit for less than competitors’ buds. As with the 3150, each earbud is kept in place by an over-ear hook and a small stabilizing wing that rests just inside the outer ear. On a sunny Los Angeles day, I took to the track and ran half a mile with each pair. Learn more about our top picks below, then keep scrolling for more information on what makes an excellent set of wireless earbuds as well as reviews of the 13 great runners-up. We’ll continually update this roundup with our test impressions of the latest wireless earbuds for runners. So we’d keep the Vista earbuds in the gym. None of our testers had issues with water or sweat ruining their buds, but in a longer test scenario, moisture can and will destroy earbuds that aren’t capable of repelling it. Personal data is not sold and it’s not shared with other external parties. We've seen a few very good on-ear headphones designed to handle sweat, and clean up easily, like the Plantronic BackBeat Fit 500. They’re light and comfy, and they have easy-to-use controls. Running headphones are for people who prefer to do their jogging outside and thus need to be able to hear their surroundings to stay safe. Still, we’ve all used earbuds before, and we asked our testers to compare to others they’ve tried and provide specific feedback on the way their test buds made their favorite songs and podcasts sound. And despite being larger than many similar headphones and bearing the “Endurance” moniker, they delivered just four hours of battery life. We found that this didn’t occur with a mist, the equivalent of light-to-moderate rain, or most sweat, but rather if you are running in heavy rain or dump water on your head to cool down. Get these handy budget buds while you still can. Alas, the buds don’t let in much ambient sound. The band between the two earbuds is long enough to accommodate any head size yet short enough that the slack won’t snag or bounce noisily when you’re jogging. The hook can also store antennae or a battery, helping these buds play longer than their truly wireless counterparts. Light rain and sweat shouldn’t be enough to cause this to occur, so we weren’t overly concerned. While the first true wireless running earbuds that the company released (the 3100) had some signal-drop issues, we found that this pair worked very well both outside and in. Tested: Cheap Wireless Earbuds for Runners, Top Pick: Powerbeats Pro Totally Wireless Earbuds, Aftershokz’s Wireless Headphones Are On Sale Now, HearThrough mode allows you to adjust ambient sound, 5-minute quick charge yields 60 minutes of battery, Bigger than other truly wireless buds, requires more adjusting, Smart ear hooks switch buds off when not in use, Most ambient sound of any workout headphones. For dust and water protection, they’re rated IP57, meaning they should withstand a sandstorm or a monsoon. Apple AirPods: These earbuds aren’t sealed, but they aren’t rated as sweat-resistant, either—and because Apple’s warranty doesn’t apply to water or sweat damage, if the AirPods short out, you’re out of luck. Best earbuds for Android: Samsung Galaxy Buds Whether you are training for an event, seasoned athlete, or you love jogging randomly, these earbuds will make a … My articles have been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, the Los Angeles Times, and Time, as well as on Good Morning America, the BBC World Service, and NBC Nightly News. A safe balance of ambient noise and great sound. For the most part, the BackBeat Fit 2100 headphones are fantastic, but we have a few minor quibbles. Wirecutter is reader-supported. I considered wind noise, cable noise, and the ability to hear external noises too. Using the smallest ear tips, the buds stayed in her ears and the hooks didn’t ruin the fit of her sunglasses, staying comfortable after hours of wear. To help you make the right choice, our editors tested 40 pairs for at least two weeks of running and cross-training. The sound quality is crisp, dynamic, and full, rivaling Apple’s AirPods Pro—but these Jabras will cost you less and offer about 90 more minutes of battery on a single charge. Whether you’re prepping for your annual marathon or lacing up sneakers for the first time, the Poly BackBeat Fit 3150 wireless earbuds are the running headphones you should be wearing. The music gets a little hollower, but the awareness means you’ll pick up loud environmental noises like sirens and horns. Being compact makes them lightweight, and their small batteries means shorter runtimes, although all of our test models came with charging cases that allow you to juice them up on the go. The earbuds are lightweight, and the grippy rubber on the hooks and wings holds the buds securely, even when you’re sweating up a storm. Although the sound was okay, with decent mids and highs and slightly blobby bass, the fit and design kept this pair out of the running. If you find that you get a lot of signal drops, before giving up on a favorite pair of earbuds, try wearing an armband or switching your armband or waist pack to the other side of your body. The sound quality is better than you get from a cheap pair of wired Skullcandy headphones, Coulon says, although the SweatGuard could use a bit more bass. The headphones all had that salty, coated feeling like your skin gets after you’ve been in the ocean, but we got some definitive results. Here’s how we evaluated: Our staffers aren’t audiophiles, so evaluating sound quality is largely subjective. The ultimate headphones for urban running awareness. AUKEY B60. After years of testing sports headphones … They also tend to be the most expensive. The JLabs Jbuds Air and Jabra Elite are also Sweat free and water-resistant headphones. Truly Wireless with Hooks. TOZO T10 Bluetooth 5.0 Wireless Earbuds with Wireless Charging Case IPX8 Waterproof TWS Stereo Headphones in Ear Built in Mic Headset Premium Sound with Deep Bass for Sport Black. (It’s smaller than a deck of cards but bigger than a box of dental floss.) The 3150 is available in black (with green buttons) or in the “one blue and one black” option you see in our photos, which makes it easier to instantly distinguish between the left (black) and right (blue) earbuds. We also have come across a small number Amazon customer reviews that mention a hissing sound. 20% coupon applied. If you're after a great true wireless headphones for running, but can't stretch to Powerbeats Pro, Jabra's Elite Active 75t is your new workout bud. The customizable controls are simple to use, and the eight-hour battery life (per charge) will get you through several long runs. They maintain the traditional behind-the … And because isolating you from the outside world should lend a clearer sound, we expected better sound quality from earbuds that fit snug in the ear than we did from earbuds that let in a lot of noise. Expect a battery life of seven-plus hours, but since these aren’t truly wireless, they don’t come with a charging case—you have to charge them with a cable. The InTone Wireless earbuds fit in your ear similarly to Apple EarPods and cost about the same, but unlike the EarPods, these earbuds are wireless and water resistant. They have the same stellar sound quality as … It sounds silly, we know, but it’s just counterintuitive. Big battery, expansive sound, stays put—near perfect. If you’re going for a run or heading to the gym, we like these Jabra Elite... 2. Personal data is used only to deliver, use, and improve the service. They have a... 3. Plus we don’t anticipate that most folks will run in torrential downpours on a regular basis. The control buttons are large, making them easy to use while you’re running. The first indicates dust protection, the second is for water protection. The best earbuds are comfortable with great sound and noise-canceling ability. Finally, we were ready to declare our winners. You can find other true wireless headphones designed to block external noise, which is good for use in the gym, but the lack of situational awareness with those models prompted us to rule them out for this guide. No running headphones we’ve tried have performed better than the Poly (formerly Plantronics) BackBeat Fit 3150. Sometimes the fit affected only comfort, but other times the fit altered the sound too. “Deep bass and crisp high tones. First, we put all of our contenders under the scrutiny of our expert panel. I paid attention to tugging, chafing, and which headphones, if any, fell out. We haven’t had any issues with our test pair, although a worrisome number of Amazon reviews chronicle a hissing noise that develops after a couple of months. The earbuds also sport reflective cables for nighttime visibility, an IPX5 water-resistant rating, and an impressive 10 hours of battery life. Best earbuds for sleeping: Bose Sleepbuds 4. When we tested the line-of-sight Bluetooth range, we got about 100 feet away from our connected iPhone 7. These headphones feature a convenient trick: Separating the magnetic buds activates them and connects them to your phone, and snapping them back together turns them off. If anything does go wrong, Poly backs this pair with a one-year warranty in the US. I repeated this process every 10 minutes for an hour, then I listened to each pair for any negative effects. Competing earbuds from Apple, Bose, Jaybird, and others may offer even better sound or superior comfort or exceptional ambient awareness modes, but none do all of those things better than the 75t. Differences in volume level and the amount and length of phone calls could cause your results to vary. Assistant digital editor Jessica Coulon has been using the Anker Spirit SweatGuard for the past eight months, and the $33 buds haven’t ceased to impress. Credit that to the angular build that nests snugly in the outer ear canal, without giving you that tightly sealed, high-pressure “thud” with each foot strike. However, the buds required continuous adjustment during runs, and the biggest gripe was connectivity. That said, the taps or clicks required to trigger them and the control customization options are largely the same. The Bose SoundSport is among the best in this test because of its superior fit and impressive sound quality. Ambient noise was minimal because of the in-ear fit—you might hear a diesel truck, but a Prius could sneak up on you if you’re not aware. The buttons on the remote also had an odd wiggle when I pressed down; they felt like remote-control toggles as opposed to buttons. Jaybird’s new set of buds has two extra hours of run time over the popular Run XT. But unlike with many unsealed earbuds, the bass notes on this pair were actually audible to us. The best headphones for running should be stable enough to stay on or in your ear, as well as be comfortable, easy-to-use, and portable enough to take around with you.