The 5 Best Workout Headphones (2024)

Whether for spirited walking through your local megamall or a tranquil heli-skiing run down a random Alp, the right pair of workout headphones can alleviate boredom, keep you motivated and even elevate the experience. Listening to some upbeat dance music, or just distracting yourself with a true-crime podcast, can be the difference between staying fit and staying on the couch.

That’s not just anecdotal. People are “hard-wired to produce, appreciate and move in time to music,” says Costas Karageorghis, a professor at Brunel University London and author of “Applying Music in Exercise and Sport.” “Appropriate music selections can result in enhanced mood that is accompanied by greater work output…and a reduction in perceived exertion,” says Karageorghis. Carefully chosen music can reduce your perceived exertion by about 12%, he notes, and even arbitrarily selected tunes can have an 8% impact.

The right features are key. But even a cursory glance at Amazon will reveal more headphones for the gym than it seems there are actual gyms. Finding the right secure-fitting, water-resistant, lightweight wireless earbuds is not easy.

So we’ve done the heavy lifting (pun intended) for you, narrowing the list and then testing the contenders to make sure they’d hold up to some vigorous, or at least lively, activities. Overall we looked at models that had secure-fit options and water resistance. In addition, we checked out several models that allowed ambient sound to pass through, for people who want some security while running in public.

• Best overall earbuds for working out
• Best open workout headphones
• Best bone-conduction workout headphones
• Best workout headphones with long battery life
• Best lower-price workout headphones
• Others you should know about
• How we picked

Best overall earbuds for working out

Pros

• Multiple wing sizes
• IP68 water resistance
• Decent noise canceling

Cons

• Sound quality could be a little better

The JBL Reflect Aero TWS earbuds offer the best combination of fit, water resistance and sound, making them the best earbuds for working out. Like most earbuds, they come with three sizes of silicone ear tips, but they also come with three sizes of silicone “wings”—extended pieces that wedge into the ear’s concha—that help keep them secure. No matter how much I shook my head, I couldn’t get them to budge.

These headphones are rated IP68, which means they offer the most protection against dust and water of any earbud we tested; they can be submerged in fresh or saltwater for up to 30 minutes at depths of up to 5 feet. Only one other pair we tested matched them in this regard. With this level of water resistance, they’ll stand up to even the sweatiest or rainiest workouts.

The JBL’s battery life is rated for eight hours per charge, average compared with the earbuds we tested. However, you can get an impressive four hours of playtime after just 15 minutes of charging. The small case can recharge the earbuds from empty twice. It also closes securely, and has a nylon wrist strap for easy carrying.

The Reflect Aeros have noise-canceling technology that reduces low-frequency sounds like the roar of an airplane cabin or the tires on a highway, and they do a better job than most workout headphones at reducing these sounds. The performance isn’t as good as what you would get from a dedicated pair of noise-canceling headphones, but it’s a nice added feature. If you’d prefer to hear the world around you, the earbuds can reproduce ambient sound using built-in microphones.

The Reflect Aero’s sound has a lot of midrange, where voices primarily are. There’s a reasonable amount of bass for those pounding dance tracks to keep you moving. The high-frequency treble sounds, like cymbals and percussion, are clear without being harsh. This pair is not the absolute best sounding in our tests, though. The Jaybird Vista 2s, for instance, had better, fuller bass. Even using the excellent JBL app’s adjustable equalization, or EQ, we weren’t quite able to dial in the ideal sound we wanted. But we could get close, and considering the Reflect Aero’s other positives, this was close enough in our book.

In another subjective area, we weren’t able to get quite as comfortable a fit as with some of the others. Again, there are more fit possibilities here than most earbuds offer, so this is hardly a negative.

Best open workout headphones

Pros

• Unique wraparound open design
• Great sound
• Very comfortable

Cons

• Secure, but shuffle a little with heavy activity
• Only IPX4 rated
• Microphone performance is abysmal

It’s rare to see a truly new, unique design in the true wireless headphone world, but that’s exactly what the Bose Ultra Opens Earbuds offer. Unlike most headphones, they don’t fit into your ears, nor do they loop above and over them. Instead, like a sort of silicone jewelry, they grip your ear, wrapping around the helix. A cylinder that holds the battery sits behind your ear, like the back of an earring, and the body of the earbud grips the back edge of your concha (the cup part of your outer ear). They’re connected by a silicone band. It’s difficult to describe and fully appreciate the design without interacting with them in person. Nothing goes into your ear canal, so you can still hear the world around you, making these earbuds an ideal accessory for any sort of workout where you need to be aware of your surroundings.

This unusual design works surprisingly well. The Ultra Opens gently grip your ears and stay in place, but are light and comfortable enough that it’s easy to forget you’re wearing them. Also surprising is how good they sound considering they sit outside the ear canal and not in it, with lots of bass, clear midrange and clean, smooth treble. They actually have a better balanced sound than many traditional Bose earbuds and headphones. They also have Immersive Audio, Bose’s name for spatial audio.

Battery life is fairly average for true wireless earbuds, with a claimed 7.5 hours of playtime and an additional 19.5 from the case. The earbuds fully charge in about an hour.

The Ultra Opens feel secure clipped to your ears, and even shaking around headbanger-style, I couldn’t dislodge them, although they move just enough to be noticeable. They’re not as confidence-inspiring as the Shokz OpenFits mentioned below, which loop around the tops of your ears, but we wouldn’t worry about the Ultra Opens falling off even during vigorous activity. Their design takes a few tries to get mounted properly, though that’s true of the loop designs as well.

There are some drawbacks: Few earbuds have high-quality microphones for calls, but the Ultra Opens are especially bad. Possibly due to how the buds sit on your ears, they pick up the room and world around you far more than your voice, making it difficult or annoying to be heard on calls and video chats. Avoid these for Zoom meetings.

The only other obvious negative about the Ultra Opens is their IPX4 rating, which is lower than other options on this list. IPX4 means they’re water resistant to splashes of water, but not streams of water. Some rain is probably OK, but you shouldn’t run with them in a storm and they may not be the right pick for people who get very sweaty.

Best bone-conduction workout headphones

Pros

• Nothing in or on your ears at all
• Design feels secure
• Mini option for smaller heads

Cons

• Sound quality is just OK
• At higher volumes you can feel them on your temples

The Shokz OpenRun Pro give a new meaning to the term “headphones.” They don’t go in or on your ears at all, instead gripping your head in front and behind your ears, with a thin band connecting the two sides. Almost magically, the pads in contact with your head vibrate, sending sound only you can hear directly through your skull (this type of audio is often referred to as “bone conduction”). It’s a peculiar effect, since you can hear what’s going on around you somewhat normally, but also hear the sound from the Shokz. Sound quality is surprisingly good for something that directly vibrates your skull. There’s not much low bass or high treble, but we’ve heard worse sound from traditional-design headphones. Also unique: Shokz offers a “Mini” version for people with smaller heads (and a sizing guide to help you figure out which is the best fit).

The OpenRun Pros are IP55 rated, which means they’re better protected against dust than the Bose Ultra Opens, and have slightly better resistance to water—blasts of water and sweaty workouts are OK, but submersion is not. Battery life is a claimed 10 hours. The large carrying case, roughly the size of a big stack of CDs or a small stack of pancakes, offers no additional charging. In fact, you can only charge them via a proprietary magnetic cable with USB-A on the other end. They have a microphone that’s better than Ultra Open’s, but still not great.

We’re very impressed with how well these unconventional earbuds work, and the downsides are minimal. With tracks that have a lot of bass you can feel the headphones vibrating a bit, but it’s not unpleasant, just a little odd. We preferred the simplicity and sound of the Bose Ultra Opens, but the OpenRun Pros feel very secure and leave your ears totally free, for about half the price.

Best workout headphones with long battery life

Pros

• Very long battery life
• Over-ear loop design
• Great price

Cons

• Sound isn’t as good as others
• Over-ear loop design

The JLab Epic Air Sport ANC (2nd Gen) earbuds have a loop design that goes over your ears. This is even more secure than the wing design of our top picks, though some people might find the design mildly uncomfortable. The headphones come with six pairs of ear tips in the box, including foam and tall options, so you should be able to find a pair that fits your ears. The earbuds are IP66 rated, which means you can rinse them off in running water, but don’t submerge them; they’ll stand up to most sweaty exercises. They might be uncomfortable for some glasses-wearers, though.

The battery life is the most impressive aspect of these workout headphones. They get 15 hours of playtime per charge, with the case charging them 3.5 times from empty. Fifteen minutes of charging will get you an hour of playtime. The case has a built-in USB-A connector with a short cable, so you can plug directly into a charge port without additional wires. However, it doesn’t have any USB-C connector, the newer but increasingly more common standard. The case can wirelessly charge on any Qi charger, though, which is a nice bonus.

The JLab’s sound is OK. There’s a fair amount of bass, with less nuance and a more “thump thump” than our other picks have. You can dial it back somewhat using the EQ in the app. For the price and considering all the other features, the sound is fine; it’s just not going to win any awards. The noise canceling isn’t quite as good as the JBL’s, but roughly on par with that of most other sports headphones. They can reduce ambient sound somewhat, say, to isolate you a bit if you want to concentrate on your workout. If you want to hear around you, a Be Aware feature mixes in ambient sound picked up by the built-in microphones.

The Epic Air Sport’s over-ear loop design can be seen as both a pro or a con; it’s a love-it or hate-it feature. It’s very secure, but it takes an extra moment to put the earbuds on, and they can rub against some glasses frames. We found the Epics quite comfortable, and didn’t have an issue with our glasses.

One small note: The sensors on the earbuds can have a strange interaction with the sun, causing the music to pause when exposed to direct sunlight. A firmware update was released recently to help with this, and you can disable the sensors that typically cause the issue in the app (though you’ll lose the earbuds’ proximity-sensing features).

Best lower-price workout headphones

Pros

• Great price
• Over-ear loop design
• Good sound

Cons

• Only three ear tip sizes included

The Soundcore by Anker Sport X10s offer nearly all the same features and performance of our top picks, but cost about half as much. They’re rated for IPX7, so you can submerge them in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes. They have a secure, over-ear loop design that’s softer and more comfortable than the JLabs’. There are only three silicone ear tip sizes included, which is a bit of a bummer, but not a deal breaker.

Soundcore claims about eight hours per charge, with the case recharging them from empty three times. That’s one more charge from the case than our top picks. Ten minutes of charging gets you two hours of playtime.

The sound quality of the X10s is quite good, better than the JLabs’ but perhaps not quite as good as that of the Jaybirds we mention below. There’s a lot of bass, but it’s well controlled and not as boomy as the JLabs’ sound. They’re not quite as clear and open as the JBLs, but the high frequencies aren’t harsh or biting. The app has a customizable EQ to help you tweak the sound more to your preference. The noise canceling is roughly the same as the JLabs’, but all our picks are in the same ballpark on that front, and that ballpark’s name is “average.”

The X10’s over-ear design is a bit different than the JLab’s. The semirigid, over-ear loops—Soundcore calls them “ear hooks”—pivot. They look like coiled tadpoles when stored in the case, and when unfurled, more like fancy question marks. This allows the charging case to be far smaller than the JLab’s. It does take an extra moment to put them on, however, and it’s a little fiddly to do with one hand. Because of the pivoting nature of the loops, the earbuds move around a tiny bit during rigorous head movement. They don’t feel like they’ll fall out, and never did in our testing, but there’s more motion than with the well-planted JLabs.

Others you should know about

Best open earbuds for vigorous activity

The Shokz OpenFit are open true wireless earbuds (much like the Bose Ultra Opens) that feature a loop design that fits over the top of your ear. This feels extremely secure while still remaining comfortable. They’re IP54 rated, with a claimed 7 hours listening time and the case adding three full charges. While the sound quality of the Bose Ultra Opens were fuller, with better bass and slightly louder, the OpenFits felt even more secure. Those with larger ears might get better bass from the Cleer ARC II Sports mentioned below, due to the shape of the earbuds and how they fit. For activities more vigorous than running, the OpenFits will likely inspire more confidence that they won’t fall off.

The smallest option (that’s also open)

The Sony LinkBuds were a former pick, and we still like them a lot. They’re fantastically small and include a tiny carrying case. The “bean and donut” design is very comfortable and thanks to the multiple sizes of silicone wings included, they feel very secure. Their sound is above average for an open design. Sony claims 5.5 hours per charge for the buds, with an additional 12 hours from the case. That’s on the low end of what we tested, but 10 minutes of charge will get you 90 minutes of audio. The IPX4 water resistance is lower than some options, but the same as our new open pick, the Bose Ultra Opens. The Bose sound better, but if you want something tiny that fits securely in your ears, the LinkBuds are great.

Long battery life and an optional neckband

If you’d prefer the security of a neckband to keep your earbuds attached to each other—making it more difficult to lose them—the Soundcore AeroFit Pros feature a secure over-ear loop design and come with a removable and adjustable neckband. They also have a claimed 14 hour playtime (46 hours total, when you factor in the additional charges from the case) that’s almost as long as the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC. The Shokz OpenFits and Cleer ARC II Sports mentioned above have a similar open design to the AeroFit Pros and sound better, but both have significantly shorter battery life and neither has a neckband.

The second-generation Apple AirPods Pro are incredibly popular and instantly recognizable. They’re IPX4, so you could technically work out with them. They don’t have any loops or wings, however, so they won’t stay as secure in most ears as our other options here. The regular, non-Pro, third-generation AirPods offer the same level of sweat resistance, but they’re one size only, making them less likely to stay in your ears.

The Cleer ARC II Sport are open headphones with an over-ear loop design, similar to the Shokz OpenFits mentioned above. They’re larger, slightly heavier and sound a little worse overall, though they have slightly more bass and play a little louder. Their carrying case is nearly twice the size of the one from Shokz and is one of the largest true wireless earbud cases we’ve seen. They’re a totally fine option, but were simply outperformed by the Shokz and Bose.

The Mojawa Run Plus are bone-conduction headphones similar to the Shokz OpenRun Pro. Their fit might be a little tight for average male heads and larger, and they don’t play as loud, or sound as good, as the Shokz OpenRun Pros. If you’re a swimmer though, they might be worth considering as they’re IP68-rated, meaning they can survive a workout in the pool, and have internal storage so you can listen to music or podcasts without needing a phone or smartwatch (Bluetooth doesn’t work through water).

The Sony Float Run are open headphones with a neckband design. They look better than they sound or fit. The sound is fairly average and the fit is awkward, especially if you wear glasses or sunglasses glasses. If you want the security of a neckband, check out the AeroFit Pros mentioned above.

The Soundcore AeroFit are lower-price versions of the AeroFit Pros mentioned above. They have a similar, albeit smaller, design. They don’t sound as good as the Pros, which for just a little more money also provide longer battery life.

There is a lot to like about the Jaybird Vista 2 earbuds. They have a comfortable fit thanks to their small size and silicone wings, they sound great with strong bass and clear treble and they share the impressive IP68 water resistance of our top pick, the JBL Reflect Aero TWS. Unlike the JBLs, the Vista 2’s wings and ear tips are one singular unit, and only three sizes are available, so there’s less chance of getting as perfect a fit compared to the JBLs. However, they should still fit most people really well. We also liked the sound of the Vista 2s better than that of the Reflect Aeros; they had tighter, more punchy bass, clear highs and less of a pronounced midrange. They were almost a runner-up pick to the JBLs.

Why aren’t the Vista 2s a pick? There are two main reasons. Technically, they have the same IP68 rating for water resistance as the JBLs. In practice, if you get them wet, either with water or if you sweat a lot, the fine mesh behind the ear tip covering the internal components gets saturated, severely muffling the sound. The other reason is reliability: There are many reports on Amazon and on Jaybird’s own website of the Vista 2s having issues. It’s nearly impossible to say if they have more problems than other brands or models. We can’t compare them yet to the JBLs, for instance, since those have only been available for a few months to the Vista 2’s year and a half, so there are just fewer out there. Even so, these factors bumped them out of contention.

The Aukey EP-T32 earbuds are even less expensive than our lower-price pick. They have a loop design and an IPX8 rating. Their fit and sound are just OK, and the case is relatively bulky. They’re good for the price, but if you can spend a little bit more, the Soundcores are better.

The Beats Fit Pro are small, lightweight and comfortable, but they have a few negatives that prevent them from being one of our picks. While the tips have different size options, the wings are part of the earbud, so they might not fit as comfortably if you have larger- or smaller-than-average ears. There’s a surprising lack of bass, and there’s no EQ option in the app. They’re also priced higher than any of our picks.

The Bose Sport Earbuds were very close to being a pick. They’re fairly comfortable, with a similar single-piece ear tip/wing design as the Jaybirds. The earbuds themselves are far larger, however, as is the case. They’re only IPX4, which means a little sweat is OK but running water isn’t, so you need to be careful cleaning them. Their battery life is also shorter than the others here, at five hours per charge, with the case charging them twice from empty. The sound was neither impressive nor disappointing. What was disappointing: a series of connection issues, including and especially to the Bose app.

With a price similar to the JBLs and the Jaybirds, the Bose set is a step back feature-wise. They also lack noise canceling, but if that’s what you’re looking for, Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II offer the best noise canceling you can get in an earbud. They’re twice the price of our top picks, and are still only IPX4, but if you’re looking for NC first, only occasionally using them to work out, and don’t mind spending $300 for something that might get knocked, wet or otherwise damaged, check those out.

The Jabra Elite 7 Active are excellent and full-featured true wireless earbuds. In fact, they have some features most others here don’t, like multipoint Bluetooth, allowing you to pair them to multiple phones at once. They’re IP57-rated, meaning they’ll be protected against temporary submersion, and they have a great app with lots of options. The sound is good too, with tight, controlled bass. If they fit in your ears, they’re light and comfortable. However, they lack any wings or loops, so you might not get as secure a fit as with our other picks. If you’ve had true wireless headphones before and have never had any issues with fit, these are worth checking out.

The Jabra Elite 85t and the company’s other true wireless models have various features, battery life and IP ratings, similar to the Elite 7 Active. Our advice is largely the same: If they fit you, they’re great earbuds. In a non-workout guide, we’d rate one or more models quite highly. If you’ve ever had a true wireless earbud randomly fall out while moving around, these might not be the best option.

The Shokz OpenRun Pro give a new meaning to the term “headphones.” They use “bone conduction” technology to create sound only you can hear. They don’t go in your ears at all, instead gripping in front and behind, with a thin band connecting the two sides. Almost magically, the pads in contact with your head vibrate and you hear the sound. It’s a peculiar effect, since you can hear what’s around you somewhat normally, but also hear the sound from the Shokz. Sound quality is surprisingly good for something that directly vibrates your skull. There’s not much low bass or high treble, but I’ve heard worse “real” headphones. With tracks that have a lot of bass you can feel the headphones vibrating a bit, but it’s not unpleasant. I preferred the simplicity and size of the Sony LinkBuds, which are traditional earbuds but are open to let in ambient sound. If you want to combine being able to hear the world around you with not having something in your ears, the Shokz are great.

How we picked

Trust us

I’ve been reviewing audio products for two decades for multiple print publications and websites including CNET, Forbes, and Sound & Vision magazine. For its first five years, I was the A/V editor of Wirecutter, where I tested and reviewed countless headphones and other audio products. Among other tech and travel writing, I’m currently reviewing headphones for SoundStage! Solo. I’m never more than arm’s length from at least one, probably several, pairs of headphones. I also interviewed Costas Karageorghis, a professor at Brunel University London and author of “Applying Music in Exercise and Sport,” and Latoya Shauntay Snell, founder of Running Fat Chef and sponsored global athlete ambassador for HOKA.

We tested

“Whenever I go out for a short solo [run], I love wearing headphones with a long battery life, a great Bluetooth connection and the option to use one ear exclusively,” says Snell. “In the age of runner safety, I want to enjoy my music and audiobooks while being present with the outside world.”

Technically, you could use your current headphones to work out. It’s probably not a great idea for several reasons, and those reasons are what’s behind some of our key testing criteria. Chief among them are waterproofing and fit. The last thing you want is for your headphones to fall out while you’re jogging, or worse, for them to stop working after they get a bit of sweat in them. If your headphones aren’t rated against water ingress, it’s only a matter of time before your sweat shorts them out. Here’s what we looked for to make our initial list:

• Waterproofing: Sports headphones must be rated for some amount of water resistance. This is listed as an IP number like “IP68” or “IPX5.” The first number represents protection from dust, and the second, liquids. Generally speaking, the higher the number, the better. We didn’t include any options that weren’t at least IPX4, which means they can be splashed, but should not be subjected to strong jets of water or submersion. To put it another way, sweat should be OK, but don’t shower with them. For even greater protection, IP68 means they’re sealed against dust and they can survive being submerged in more than a meter of water for more than 30 minutes. These aren’t specifically “swim” headphones, but close to it. All our picks specifically said they’re OK with sweat as well, which is important.
• Fit: The whole point of sports headphones is to use them while you’re being sporty. Everyone’s ears are different, so finding a pair that fits you well is crucial. Otherwise you’ll spend more time trying to keep them in your ears than actually working out. That’s why we largely focused on designs that have wings (which brace within your ear cup) and loops (which go around the outside of your ear). These will offer the best fit to the widest variety of ears. Maybe you can get a great fit with an earbud that has neither of these features, like the Jabra, but not everyone can.
• Noise canceling: Many of the options we considered have some amount of active noise canceling. This technology reduces low-frequency droning sounds—think loud air conditioners, tires on a road or airplane engine noise. The amount of noise reduced is far less than with dedicated noise-canceling headphones, but the best options here do at least take the edge off, making the world a little quieter. This may or may not be a good thing, depending on your workout. The models that have noise canceling have modes to let in ambient sound, and we also list a fully open pick that lets you hear everything around you while you’re exercising.

Testing was multipart. First, I connected each headphone to my Pixel 7 and tried out the companion app. I listened to my standard playlist of test tracks, with varied genres, to get a sense of how they sounded. Great sound is important, of course, but given their intended use I didn’t weigh this factor significantly higher than fit, features and water resistance. I tried the different tips, wings or other fit options. Points weren’t given if I got a great fit specifically, since mine are just two ears out of billions. Instead, I’d give extra points if there were more fit options than average (the average being the small, medium and large ear tips that come with nearly every earbud). I then exercised with them, making note if they felt secure. Lastly, I showered with them to test their claimed water resistance. I didn’t splash models with lower IP ratings directly, but those with higher ratings, I did.

One last tip for whatever workout headphones you choose: Despite their water resistance, if you get any earbud wet with water or sweat, clean them gently and let them air dry before you put them back in their case to charge. This is crucial for their longevity.

Our experts

• Costas Karageorghis, professor at Brunel University London and author of “Applying Music in Exercise and Sport”
• Latoya Shauntay Snell, founder of Running Fat Chef and sponsored global athlete ambassador for HOKA