Home / Audio / Buying Guides

The Best Wireless Earbuds for Running and Working Out

Summer is here. Grab yourself a pair of wireless earbuds that can handle sweat and stay in your ears while you exercise.

variety of headphones laying next to shoes and an apple watch Tucker Bowe

By Tucker Bowe

Published

·

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Not all headphones can take a beating. If you have a pair that isn’t sweatproof, there’s a good chance they’ll die on you if halfway through a run or workout. And if they don’t fit your ears, well, they’re not going to stay in while you exercise.

Sport headphones add a new dimension to your workout. They’re light, comfortable and designed to stay securely in your ears during high-intensity intervals. So if you often find yourself lifting weights, running on the roads or trails or doing a total-body workout, it’s time to swap out your basic buds for a pair that goes the extra mile.

The Best All-Around Workout Earbuds

tech roundupJaybird

Jaybird Vista 2

Specs

Water resistance IPX7
Noise-cancellation Yes
Wireless charging Yes

Pros

  • Extremely rugged
  • Excellent and secure fit
  • Support for premium features like active noise-cancellation and wireless charging

Cons

  • Sound quality and noise-cancellation isn't on par with other pricer competition
  • Fairly expensive

The Vista 2 are the next generation of the Vista, which were our previous pick for “best overall” wireless earbuds for running. The Vista 2 look basically identical to their predecessors, but Jaybird made them better in just about every way. They have noise-cancellation and transparency modes, improved battery life and they’re even more rugged; the Vista 2 are fully dustproof and fully waterproof. Jaybird made the charging case more durable, too. Like before, the Vista 2 are compatible with a companion app that allows you to change the EQ settings.

The Best Workout Earbuds for iPhone Owners

Beats Fit ProBeats

Beats Fit Pro

Specs

Water resistance IPX4
Noise-cancellation Yes
Wireless charging No

Pros

  • Excellent and secure fit
  • Sound and work very similar to AirPods Pro
  • Available in several fun colors

Cons

  • Fairly expensive
  • No wireless charging
  • Don't work well with non-iPhones

Released in late 2021, the Beats Fit Pro are the company’s sport-focused wireless earbuds – and they actually have a lot in common with Apple’s AirPods Pro. They are powered by the same H1 chip (which helps them quickly pair to any iPhone), have the same active-noise-cancellation and transparency modes, and support spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. And they sound almost as good. The big difference from AirPods Pro is that the Fit Pro have an all-new flexible earwing tip design to help them better stay in your ears. The only real downside is that they don’t have a case that wirelessly charges.

The Best AirPods for Running

white airpod proApple

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen)

Specs

Water resistance IPX4
Noise-cancellation Yes
Wireless charging Yes

Pros

  • Excellent sound quality
  • Drastically improved noise-cancellation and transparency modes
  • On-ear controls for volume

Cons

  • Still pretty expensive
  • Only a good option for iPhone users

The newest AirPods Pro — which are the only AirPods Pro that Apple now sells — are the same size, shape and design as the original AirPods Pro. They also have the same IPX4 rating, making them safe for workouts. Compared to its predecessors, Apple has given these new models its H2 processing chip, which significantly improves the quality of their sound, active noise-cancellation, and transparency. The only truly meaningful difference is that they charge via USB-C instead of Lightning.

Read our review of the AirPods Pro 2 here.

The Best Open-Ear Workout Earbuds

Bose earbuds in a caseBose

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

Specs

Water resistance IPX4
Noise cancellation No
Wireless charging No

Pros

  • Truly unique design
  • Excellent at eliminating sound leakage
  • Lightweight and comfortable for runs and bike rides

Cons

  • Open-ear wireless earbuds aren't for everybody
  • Lack quite a few premium features for the price

Released in early 2024, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are the company’s new open-ear wireless earbuds — their “open” design doesn’t cover your ear completely, allowing you to listen to music while also hearing the world around you. While open-ear wireless earbuds have been around for some time, these standout because of their unique approach to fit: Rather than going in your ears, they clip to the outside of them, sort of like earrings. And they in your ears really well. They’re also the best-sound open-ear wireless earbuds we’ve tested.

Read our review of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds here.

An Affordable Alternative That Fit Similar to AirPods

tech roundupSoundcore

Anker Soundcore Life P3

Specs

Water resistance IPX7
Noise-cancellation No
Wireless charging No

Pros

  • Relatively affodable
  • Fit very similar to the original AirPods
  • One of the more rugged wireless earbuds

Cons

  • Sound quality isn't the best
  • Lack premium features

The Soundcore Life P3 is our pick for the best budget wireless earbuds for running. They cost less than $100, which is cheap for wireless earbuds in general, but they deliver significantly more. They have an IPX7 water-resistance rating, which is pretty much the best you’ll get, and they have excellent battery life. They also charge via USB-C.

Rugged Workout Earbuds with Premium Features

a pair of black earbudsAmazon

Jabra Elite 8 Active

Specs

Water resistance IP68
Noise-cancellation Yes
Wireless charging Yes

Pros

  • Super rugged design
  • Packed with premium features sucks as ANC and wireless charging
  • Available in multiple colors

Cons

  • No ear wing or ear tip design
  • On the expensive side

Released in August 2023, the Elite 8 Active are Jabra’s most rugged wireless earbuds. They have an IP68 water-resistance rating and meet the Military Standard 810H, meaning they can survive extreme temperatures and hard impacts. They boast a bunch of premium features, such as active noise cancellation, Bluetooth multi-point, and wireless charging. And despite not having any wing tip or ear hook, each earbud has a special proprietary coating (called ShakeGrip) that helps them stay in your ears while working out.

Affordable Workout Earbuds with Ear Hooks

wireless earbuds with ear hooksJBL

JBL Endurance Peak 3

Specs

Water resistance IP68
Noise-cancellation No
Wireless charging No

Pros

  • Ear hooks create a really snug and secure fit
  • Really water-resistant design
  • Surprisingly good transparency mode

Cons

  • Charging case is huge

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 is one of our favorite wireless earbuds with ear hooks. Released in early 2023, they have a tight fit and a high water-resistance rating (IP68), which is great for runners. Their companion app is fairly limited but still allows you to tweak settings, adjust the EQ, and even customize an ambient sound (a.k.a. transparency) mode. At $100, these are also a really good value.

Custom-Fitting Workout Earbuds

tech roundupUltimate Ears

UE Fits

Specs

Water resistance IPX4
Noise-cancellation No
Wireless charging No

Pros

  • Custom mold creates a secure fit specifically for your ears
  • Solid sound quality

Cons

  • Not a lot of premium features other than custom fit
  • Fairly expensive

The UE Fits are different from all other wireless earbuds because they give you a completely custom fit. They use what Ultimate Ears calls its Lightform technology where each earbud has built-in LED lights and a big gel-filled eartip. You place the earbuds in your ears, connect them to your smartphone and then you trigger a custom molding process via a companion app. The LED lights heat up the gel and, after 60 seconds, the earbuds are perfectly molded to fit in your ears and cannot be unmolded. The UE Fits don’t have a ton of other features, but if you’re looking for wireless earbuds that will absolutely fit in your ears, this is them.

Read our review of the UE Fits here.

Jabra’s Best Workout Earbuds Under $100

tech roundupJabra

Jabra Elite 4 Active

Specs

Water resistance IP57
Noise-cancellation Yes
Wireless charging No

Pros

  • Fairly affordable
  • Available in several different fun colors
  • Has active noise-cancellation and transparency modes

Cons

  • Sound quality and features aren't as good as Jabra's more expensive earbuds
  • No wireless charging
  • No multi-point Bluetooth

The Jabra 4 Active are a budget alternative to the company’s higher-end Elite 7 Active wireless earbuds. They have a similar design and sound quality, and they have similar features, including active noise-cancellation. However, the 4s lack some premium features. They don’t support wireless charging and don’t have in-ear proximity sensors that automatically start and pause your music. They don’t support multi-point Bluetooth and have slightly worse battery life.

Workout Earbuds with Ear Hooks for iPhone Owners

beats powerbeats proBeats

Beats Powerbeats Pro

Specs

Water resistance IPX4
Noise-cancellation No
Wireless charging No

Pros

  • Excellent and secure over-ear fit
  • Works very similar to AirPods
  • Available in several different fun colors

Cons

  • Charging case is huge
  • No noise-cancellation or transparency modes

The Powerbeats Pro are similar to the AirPods Pro because they’re both made by Apple and have the same H1 chip that makes it easy to pair with an iPhone. Runners, in particular, will appreciate the large ear hooks that grip and hold the earbuds in place. The nine-hour battery life — with up to 20 extra hours from the carrying case — is unmatched, though said carrying case is huge, making these less than ideal for everyday wear. Also, Beats has since released a different wireless workout earbuds, the Beats Fits Pro , which have a new design and newer features.

Read our review of the Beats Powerbeats Pro here.

Stunning yet Pricey Workout Earbuds

mw08 sportMaster & Dynamic

Master & Dynamic MW08 Sport

Specs

Water resistance IPX4
Noise-cancellation Yes
Wireless charging Yes

Pros

  • Made of high-quality materials
  • Excellent sound quality
  • Packed with premium features like noise-cancellation and wireless charging

Cons

  • Very expensive
  • Fit isn't as secure as other options

Released in mid-2021, the MW08 Sport are slightly higher-end versions of Master & Dynamic’s MW08 wireless earbuds. The “sport” versions look, fit and work mostly the same — yes, they still have active noise-cancellation — but they add a couple of improvements to justify the price bump. They support wireless charging (a first for M&D). The earbuds are made out of more scratch-resistant sapphire glass (rather than ceramic). And the charging case has a Kevlar finish. The only other difference is that they come with foam tips (as well as silicone tips) to provide more fit options. Funny enough, the “sport” versions have the same sweat-resistance rating as the regular MW08. They also don’t come with silicone earwings like the company’s previous sport-focused wireless earbuds, the MW07 Go.

Anker’s Affordable Earbuds with Ear Hooks

wireless earbuds with ear hooksAmazon

Anker Soundcore Sport X10

Specs

Water resistance IPX7
Noise-cancellation Yes
Wireless charging No

Pros

  • Ear hooks help the earbuds fit snug and secure
  • Ear hooks help the earbuds fit snug and secure
  • Ear hooks help the earbuds fit snug and secure
  • Pretty affordable

Cons

  • Charging case is quite large
  • Swiveling ear hooks makes docking a little more time consuming

The Anker Soundcore Sport X10 are the only wireless earbuds with ear hooks that also have active noise-cancellation — granted, don’t expect its ANC to be as effective as more expensive wireless earbuds. Their ear hooks have a tight-fitting design similar to the JBL Endurance Peak 3, making them comfortable to work out with. The difference is that the ear hooks twist up and down, which helps the earbuds be more compact when in their charging case; however, it also makes placing them back in the charging case a little more of a process.

Klipsch’s Adventure-Ready Workout Earbuds

tech roundupKlipsch

Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Sport

Specs

Water resistance IP67
Noise-cancellation No
Wireless charging Yes

Pros

  • Extremely rugged design
  • Secure fit thanks to earwing design
  • Unique charging case that dries out earbuds
  • Effective transparency mode

Cons

  • No noise-cancellation
  • Charging case is quite bulky

The Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Sport still are some of the best-sound wireless earbuds you can buy, but these “Sport” versions have been designed with a new earpiece and come with several new eartips and earwings to better fit in your ears. Maybe the most striking feature is its charging case; it’s water-tight and basically drop-proof, but more importantly, it’s integrated with little gel beads to soak up moisture; you can place your earbuds right back in the case after your workout, and they’ll dry themselves out.

Read More

,