If you want an over-ear-style fit with up to 40 hours of listening time, choose Beats Solo3; if you need open-ear awareness for running, choose Raycon Essential Open Ear. For running, my pick is Raycon because its lightweight ear-hugging design is built around movement while leaving your surroundings audible; Beats is the more versatile everyday headphone if battery life and a cushioned on-ear fit matter more.
Beats Solo3 vs Raycon Essential Open Ear at a Glance
• Beats Solo3’s biggest strength: Up to 40 hours of listening time, plus a quick-charge feature for when the battery is low. Its trade-off is the on-ear design, which does not leave your ears open to nearby sounds.
• Raycon Essential Open Ear’s biggest strength: An open-ear, hook-style fit intended to stay secure during movement while letting you hear your surroundings. Its trade-off is a shorter stated battery life of 36 hours.
• Choose Beats Solo3 if you want foldable, cushioned headphones for everyday listening and long stretches between charges.
• Choose Raycon Essential Open Ear if you want lightweight, sweat-resistant earbuds for running, workouts, and situations where awareness matters.
Beats Solo3 is for someone who wants a familiar headphone format rather than separate earbuds sitting in or around each ear. Its adjustable fit and comfort-cushioned ear cups are designed for everyday use, while the foldable construction makes it easier to tuck away when you are done listening. The design is streamlined, but it still takes up more room than a small pair of earbuds.
Battery life is the standout practical feature. Beats lists up to 40 hours of listening time, so the Solo3 suits long listening routines and people who would rather charge less often. If the battery is low, Fast Fuel is designed to provide up to three hours of playback after five minutes of charging. That can be useful when you are about to head out and realize you forgot to plug in.
The Apple W1 chip and Class 1 Bluetooth connectivity are part of the wireless design, and the headphones are compatible with both iOS and Android devices. That makes them a reasonable choice for someone who may use different devices, rather than a single phone platform. The built-in microphone also supports calls, so the Solo3 can serve as an everyday listening headset rather than being limited to music.
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-23 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
For running, the key question is not simply whether the Solo3 is wireless. It is an on-ear headphone, while the Raycon is designed with an open-ear hook that is specifically oriented toward movement and awareness. The Beats may suit a runner who prefers cushioned on-ear headphones and does not need to hear as much of the surrounding environment. But the product details do not describe it as sweat-resistant, and the ear cups cover the ears rather than leaving them open.
Who should skip this: Skip Beats Solo3 if an open-ear fit, sweat resistance, or a compact earbud-style design is central to your running routine.
Raycon Essential Open Ear is made for listeners who want sound without sealing or covering their ears. Its hook-style earpiece sits around the ear, and the open design is intended to keep nearby sounds audible. That is useful for a run where you want to hear what is happening around you, or for errands and commutes when you do not want music to shut out every outside sound.
Its lightweight, ear-hugging design is intended to stay in place during movement. Raycon describes it as sweat-resistant and suited to activities such as running and workouts. Those details make its fit and use case a closer match for active listening than the Solo3’s cushioned on-ear format. Still, the sheet does not give a specific fit guarantee for every ear, so comfort will naturally depend on how the hook sits on you.
Raycon lists 36 hours of battery life and includes a charging case. That gives you a long overall listening window, though the stated figure is below the Solo3’s up-to-40-hour claim. The charging case is described as portable, but no charging speed is specified. If quick top-ups are important to you, Beats has a stated Fast Fuel feature; Raycon’s available details do not provide an equivalent timing claim.
The Raycon connects wirelessly over Bluetooth and uses touch controls. It has no headphone jack, so it is intended for wireless listening rather than a wired fallback. Its open-ear design also has an inherent trade-off: because it does not block the environment, it is not the pick for someone who wants to shut out surrounding noise. That same openness can be a genuine advantage on a route or during daily multitasking.
Who should skip this: Skip Raycon Essential Open Ear if you want a more enclosed listening experience or your priority is the longest stated battery life between these two.
• Best for running while staying aware → Raycon Essential Open Ear. Its open-ear design leaves nearby sounds audible, and the hook-style fit is intended for movement.
• Best for sweat-resistant workout use → Raycon Essential Open Ear. Sweat resistance is stated in its product details; it is not listed for Beats Solo3.
• Best for longer stated battery life → Beats Solo3. It offers up to 40 hours, compared with Raycon’s stated 36 hours.
• Best for a quick battery rescue → Beats Solo3. Fast Fuel is specified as providing up to three hours of playback from a five-minute charge when the battery is low.
• Best for a cushioned on-ear fit → Beats Solo3. Its adjustable fit and comfort-cushioned ear cups are designed for everyday wear.
• Best for a lightweight hook-style fit → Raycon Essential Open Ear. Its open-ear earpiece uses a hook design intended to hold during activity.
• Best for a foldable headphone design → Beats Solo3. The headphones fold for carrying, while Raycon is an earbud-and-case format.
• Best for hearing your surroundings during everyday tasks → Raycon Essential Open Ear. Its open design is the defining difference if awareness matters more than blocking environmental sound.
For a runner choosing between these two, the difference is more about how you want to listen than about wireless connectivity. Both are wireless, but only Raycon’s listed design is explicitly open-ear, hook-style, and sweat-resistant. The Beats has stronger stated battery endurance and a quick-charge feature, yet its on-ear cups create a different experience from open earbuds. If your route involves traffic, other people, or simply a preference for hearing ambient sound, Raycon’s design aligns more directly with that need.
First, decide whether you want awareness or isolation from your surroundings. Raycon’s open-ear design is intended to let outside sound remain audible. That does not mean it cancels noise; the listed noise-control field is “None.” Beats Solo3 also has no listed noise-cancellation feature in the provided details, but its ear cups cover the ears. Neither should be mistaken for a product with a specified active noise-canceling system.
Next, consider how you prefer headphones to sit. Beats uses adjustable, cushioned ear cups that rest on the ears. Raycon uses a small hook-style earpiece that wraps around the ear while leaving the ear open. These are quite different fits, so a preference for a headband and ear cups versus separate earbuds may settle the choice before battery life does.
Think about charging habits, too. Beats has the higher stated maximum listening time and a clearly specified rapid top-up feature. Raycon lists 36 hours and a charging case, but does not provide a specific short-charge playback claim. If you often head out with little warning, the Beats charging detail is especially relevant. If you charge between workouts and value the earbud format, Raycon’s case may fit your routine.
Finally, match the product to the kind of running you do. Raycon is explicitly described for running and workout use, with a lightweight design and sweat resistance. Beats may still appeal if you prefer on-ear headphones for a run, but the supplied details do not specify sweat resistance or an open design. Neither product’s stated facts establish that it will fit every person or suit every route. Focus on the fit and listening style you will actually want to wear.
For running, I would choose Raycon Essential Open Ear because its open-ear hook design is purpose-built around movement and awareness, and its sweat resistance fits that use case. The Beats Solo3 is the stronger choice if I wanted cushioned on-ear headphones, up to 40 hours of listening, and a fast charging option. But for a runner comparing Raycon vs Beats earbuds, Raycon’s specific design advantages matter more to me than the four-hour difference in stated battery life.
Raycon is the more directly running-focused option in the listed details: it has an open-ear hook design, is described as sweat-resistant, and is intended for movement. Beats is an on-ear headphone with cushioned ear cups and no stated sweat-resistance feature.
Beats Solo3 lists up to 40 hours of listening time, while Raycon Essential Open Ear lists 36 hours. Beats also specifies a five-minute Fast Fuel charge for up to three hours of playback when the battery is low.
No noise-control feature is listed for Raycon. Its open-ear design is intended to leave the surrounding environment audible, so it is a different choice from headphones designed to block outside sound.
The provided details do not specify a USB-C charging connection for either product, so that feature cannot decide this comparison from the available information. For running, Raycon is the clearer fit based on its open-ear design, movement-focused hook, and stated sweat resistance.
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