After trying out plenty of wireless sports headphones and earbuds over the years, I've found that some models are better suited for workouts than others. The best workout headphones should be wireless -- and ideally, true wireless earbuds -- to avoid having a cable restrict your movement in any way.
Here are the best workout headphones:
1.Beats Powerbeats 4 - Best Workout Headphones for the Money
Pros:
Extremely comfortable
Secure fit
Good fit options
Incredible built-in microphone
Detailed audio quality
Sweat-resistant
Apple H1 chip
Durable and great build quality
15-hour battery with quick charge
Cons:
Light on bass
Multi-function button should be on both buds
Pairing can be glitchy from time to time
No configuration or tuning options
No auto-play/pause
If you’re not ready to cut the cord with true wireless, or you can’t stand a bulky charging case, or you don’t want to spend the extra money, then Apple’s PowerBeats 4 may be the ultimate gym headphones, offering the best of all worlds.
The Powerbeats lineup has been arguably the best gym/everyday headphones for years now. PowerBeats 3 were great, but the PowerBeats Pro were the first in the series to look and sound like Apple headphones. Powerbeats 4 combines the best of all worlds: incredible battery life, they’re ultra-portable, they offer great usability, water and sweat resistance, an Apple H1 processor, and they’re packed with Apple’s emphasis on speaker and microphone quality.
2.Jabra Elite Active 75t - Great Workout Headphones for Most People
Pros:
Smaller more compact design
IP57 water-/sweat-/dust-proof design
HearThrough transparency mode (lets ambient noise in)
Solid construction
Better battery life: 7.5 hours of use between charges
Autopause/play
Compatible with the Jabra+ Sound app
Cons:
Lack of active noise canceling
No wireless charging
Button actions can't be customized (Yet - promised feature via update)
Mic quality good, but not fantastic
Except for the lack of wireless charging and active noise canceling, there isn't much to complain about. Like the Elite 75t, this is an excellent true-wireless headphone that's easy to recommend. Whether it's worth the extra $20 over the standard version is debatable, but a touch more ruggedness never hurts.
3.Voonex Sound Element Duo - Best Budget Workout Headphones
Pros:
IPX7 Water Resistance Rating
Bluetooth 5.0
Charging case with 2000mAh battery
Siri integration
Cons:
No Active Noise Cancelation
Only 5 hours of playback
The Voonex Sound Element Duo truly wireless earbuds have a compact design, with touch controls and audio output that is above par with other brands in a similar price range. These truly wireless earbuds could well be the best-selling budget buds in the market.
4.Beats Powerbeats Pro - Best Overall Workout Headphones
Pros:
Better sound than the AirPods
Phone call quality is excellent
Sweat and water resistance
Epic battery life for the category
Apple H1 chip is a workhorse for headphones
Ambidextrous controls are amazing
Cons:
More expensive than AirPods
May not fit all ears perfectly
Not the most discreet look for office or casual environments
Charges via Lightning and not USB-C
Beats took its time building a true wireless option for its headphone line, but the wait was mostly worth it. The Powerbeats Pro is a great all-around option for workout headphones, and the features, reliability and sound quality make it a solid choice for everyday use too.
5.Apple AirPods Pro - Best Noise Canceling Workout Headphones
Pros:
Great audio quality
Long battery life
Modern design
Comes with a portable charging case
Have an excellent noise cancellation technology
Cons:
Quite costly
Lack of companion app
At $249, AirPods Pros cost $90 extra,are they worth the money if you’ve been waiting on Apple to deliver on great sound. Sony’s $229 WF-1000XM3 were the best wireless earbuds with noise cancellation, but Apple just dunked on them with comparable (if not better) sound quality inside of smaller and lighter buds that fit in a tinier charging case. For the whole package, AirPods Pro are worth the extra $20 over Sony’s buds.