Finding a pair of earbuds for casual, everyday listening is not the same as choosing the right earbuds for a workout. You need to hold up to intense exercise, whether you are just in for a quick gym session or drenched in sweat on mile 25 of a marathon. A lively sound that motivates and keeps things moving is what most people prefer when it comes to battery life. It's critical that they stay in your ears during exercise.
If you are looking for a pair of regular, bring-everywhere buds, you should check out our best earbuds guide.
Right now, the best running earbuds are the Beats Fit Pro earbuds. The company's previous Powerbeats Pro were our go-to exercise bud recommendation for years, but the Fit Pros are much smaller, easier to take anywhere, and include active noise cancellation. The ANC can help drown out loud grunters and screamers at your gym. To hear your surroundings, switch to transparency mode. The Fit Pros has a slightly more kick and oomph in the bass than Apple's AirPods, but it's not quite as loud.
Unlike wraparound ear hooks, the Beats Fit Pro earbuds have flexible wings that hook into your ear to keep them secure and anchored in place. These things don't budge, ask anyone that owns them. The difference when you are trying to skip a track while mid-stride is due to the fact that Beats uses button presses instead of tap gestures.
IPX4 is a rating for water and sweat resistance. It is standard for the fitness earbud picks. They will last for up to six hours on a single charge with noise cancellation turned on, which should be enough motivation to get you through a race or workout. For 18 hours, the case is good. With bonus Apple features like spatial audio, audio sharing, and more, the Beats Fit Pro deliver a ton of function and value for their price.
If you want to spend less than $100 and still get a good set of earbuds, the Soundcore brand is the best choice. The Soundcore Sport X10 have wraparound ear hooks that will stay put. Their flexibility makes them even more comfortable. They have a bass-forward sound tuning and IPX7 water resistance, which makes them impervious to rain and sweat.
The slim charging case of the Sport X10s won't take up a lot of space in your gym bag, as they last for up to eight hours on a charge. You can choose between 22 different sound settings in Soundcore's app, and the earbuds have a transparency mode that allows you to use outside sound. There is a lot of value in the Sport X10s.
The Soundcore Sport X10 headphones have an IPX7 rating for water and sweat resistance and flexible ear loops that keep them in place. Up to eight hours of continuous battery life can be provided by them.
$79.99 at Amazon$79.99 at Anker
The Sport Earbuds from Sennheiser are ideal for people who like to exercise and also like to listen to music. They don't compromise on sound and have integrated fins. While technically there is no noise cancellation, Sennheiser took a unique approach and included both closed and open style ear tips in the box, which will make it easier to hear your surroundings and eliminate your own breathing or footstep sounds. The Smart Control app has a feature that adjusts the EQ depending on the style of tip you wear.
The Sport Earbuds have a rating against dust and water and are capable of playing for up to nine hours. There is a lot of bass kick in their sound profile. These earbuds don't have a lot of frills but they deliver.
The sound quality of the Sport Earbuds is top notch. The open and closed ear tips allow you to decide how much ambient sound you want to hear.
$99.95 at Amazon$99.99 at Best Buy
Unlike hooks or fins that some ears don't agree with, Jabra's Elite 7 Active earbuds use a special coating to keep them sturdy regardless of how sweaty your ears get over the course of a workout. You can personalize the level of ANC that feels right for you if you choose. Jabra has more substantial certification against dust, water, and sweat than other competitors. The batteries last up to eight hours.
The same sound quality is provided by these. The Pros are better for voice call performance and everyday use than the fitness ones. You can change that audio profile with the hearing analysis.
Features like multipoint, wireless charging, and the noise cancellation are not included in the Elite4 Active buds. When they are on sale, the Elite 4 Actives can be found for under $100 if you give them up.
Without the help of wing tips or fins, the Elite 7 Active earbuds have a special outer coating that helps them remain in your ears even during vigorous exercise. It's possible to connect them to two devices at the same time.
$179.99 at Amazon$179.99 at Best Buy$179.99 at Jabra
If you need to maintain situational awareness when you run or walk outside, the donut-style hole in the middle of Sony's LinkBuds is unbeatable. The only way to keep your ears open is to wear bone conduction earphones. If it means hearing the world around them at all times, some people prefer that you crank the volume in louder environments.
The LinkBuds have a unique style and shape, but Sony's design helps keep them in my ears. If you want to keep the LinkBuds in place more securely, you can swap between different sizes of supporters. The IPX4 certification can last for up to six hours on a charge.
My favorite thing about the LinkBuds is their Sony wide area controls. You don't need to touch the buds to use these, they allow you to tap your cheek to skip tracks and use other controls. When you don't have to be precise about where you're tapping, this can be a relief mid- workout.
Sony's LinkBuds don't look like any other earbuds on the market. The unique design means you are always aware of what is happening around you, and they rest in your ears with stabilizer arcs.
$178.00 at Amazon$179.99 at Best Buy
While the case is closed and the buds are charging, the UV-C light kills 99% of the germs on the ear gels. The earbuds are capable of a lot of different tricks. Plugging the case into a 3.5mm aux output on a plane or at the gym will allow you to play audio over the earbuds.
Even with the integrated fins, the Tone Free Fit TF8 earbuds are one of the most comfortable fitness buds I have ever worn. They include active noise cancellation, a decent transparency mode, and up to 10 hours of continuous playtime.
When the earbuds are in the case, they can use the UV-C light to clean the ear tips. Plug the case into 3.5mm audio sources and stream the audio directly to the earbuds with the included cable.
$176.99 at Amazon$179.99 at LG
Bose's Frames lineup of audio glasses can be a smart choice in some cases. They keep your ears completely free and shield your eyes from the sun while playing audio directed at your ears from the built in speakers on the temples
Bose has a line of frames that don't look out of place next to a pair of sunglasses. The best bass performance of any of the Frames is provided by them. It isn't going to match the low-end boom of earbuds that are actually seated in your ear canal, but you'll get enough bass to keep it moving during outdoor runs or hikes As long as you don't get a lot of rain, you should be fine.
Chris Welch is a photographer.
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