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Title: The best wireless workout headphones for 2025

Date: Mon, 02 Jun 2025 09:00:35 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/bes...

Regardless of what kind of exercise youΓÇÖre into, if youΓÇÖre working out,
youΓÇÖll want a pair of wireless workout headphones. They allow you to be
free and untethered during a serious weight-lifting session, a 5K run, an
hour at the skate park and everywhere in between where youΓÇÖre moving and
sweating a ton. There are dozens of great wireless headphones and wireless
earbud options out there, but for exercise in particular, there are
additional factors to consider before picking one up like water resistance,
battery life and overall comfort.

At Engadget, weΓÇÖve tested a bunch of fitness-ready headphones and earbuds
to come up with our top picks, plus some advice to consider before you pick
up a pair. All of our top picks below will work in and out of the gym, so you
can invest in just one pair and make those your daily driver. If youΓÇÖre
primarily a runner, check out our list of best headphones for running.

Best workout headphones for 2025

Others wireless workout headphones we tested Apple AirPods Pro

The Apple AirPods Pro have an IP54 rating, which protects them from brief
encounters with dust and splashes. While thatΓÇÖs more dust protection than
many other earbuds we tested, itΓÇÖs the same level of water resistance that
most exercise-specific competitors have. We generally like the AirPods Pro,
but the Beats Fit Pro offer many of the same features and conveniences
(namely good transparency mode and the H1 chip), with a design thatΓÇÖs more
appropriate for working out.

Beats Powerbeats Pro

The Powerbeats Pro are a good alternative to the Beats Fit Pro if youΓÇÖre a
stickler for a hook design. However, they cost $50 more than the Fit Pro
(although they often hover around $180) and donΓÇÖt offer any significant
upgrades or additional features aside from their design. TheyΓÇÖre also quite
old at this point (launched in 2019) and it appears Beats is putting more
effort into upgrading and updating its newer models rather than this model.

Anker Soundcore AeroFit Pro

The Soundcore AeroFit Pro is AnkerΓÇÖs version of the Shokz OpenFit, but I
found it to be less secure and not as comfortable as the latter. The actual
earbuds on the AeroFit Pro are noticeably bulkier than those on the OpenFit,
which caused them to shift and move much more when I was wearing them during
exercise. They never fell off my ears completely, but I spent more time
adjusting them than I did enjoying them.

JBL Endurance Peak 3

The most noteworthy thing about the Endurance Peak 3 is that they have the
same IP68-rating that the (now discontinued) Jabra Elite 8 Active do, but
they only cost $100. But, while you get the same protection here, youΓÇÖll
have to sacrifice in other areas. The Endurance Peak 3 didnΓÇÖt blow me away
when it came to sound quality or comfort (the hook is more rigid than those
on my favorite buds of a similar style) and their charging case is massive
compared to most competitors.

What to look for in workout headphones Design

Before diving in, itΓÇÖs worth mentioning that this guide focuses on wireless
earbuds. While you could wear over-ear or on-ear headphones during a workout,
most of the best headphones available now do not have the same level of
durability. Water and dust resistance, particularly the former, is important
for any audio gear you plan on sweating with or taking outdoors, and thatΓÇÖs
more prevalent in the wireless earbuds world.

Most earbuds have one of three designs: in-ear, in-ear with hook or open-ear.
The first two are the most popular. In-ears are arguably the most common,
while those with hooks promise better security and fit since they have an
appendage that curls around the top of your ear. Open-ear designs donΓÇÖt
stick into your ear canal, but rather sit just outside of it. This makes it
easier to hear the world around you while also listening to audio, and could
be more comfortable for those who donΓÇÖt like the intrusiveness of in-ear
buds.

Water resistance and dust protection

Even if a pair of headphones for working out arenΓÇÖt marketed specifically
as exercise headphones, a sturdy, water-resistant design will, by default,
make them suitable for exercise. To avoid repetition, hereΓÇÖs a quick primer
on durability, or ingression protection (IP) ratings. The first digit
youΓÇÖll see after the ΓÇ£IPΓÇ¥ refers to protection from dust and other
potential intrusions, measured on a scale from 1 to 6. The second refers to
water resistance or even waterproofing, in the best cases. The ratings for
water resistance are ranked on a scale of 1 to 9; higher numbers mean more
protection, while the letter ΓÇ£XΓÇ¥ means the device is not rated for
protection in that regard.

All of the earbuds we tested for this guide have at least an IPX4 rating,
which means thereΓÇÖs no dust protection, but the buds can withstand splashes
from any direction and are sweat resistant, but probably shouldn't be
submerged. For a detailed breakdown of all the possible permutations, check
out this guide published by a supplier called The Enclosure Company.

Active noise cancellation and transparency mode

Active noise cancellation (ANC) is becoming standard on wireless earbuds, at
least those above a certain price point. If youΓÇÖre looking for a pair of
buds that can be your workout companion and serve you outside of the gym,
too, noise cancelation is a good feature to have. It makes the buds more
versatile, allowing you to block out the dull roar of your home or office so
you can focus, or give you some solitude during a busy commute.

But an earbudΓÇÖs ability to block out the world goes hand-in-hand with its
ability to open things back up should you need it. Many ANC earbuds also
support some sort of ΓÇ£transparency mode,ΓÇ¥ or various levels of noise
reduction. This is important for running headphones because exercising
outdoors, alongside busy streets, can be dangerous. You probably donΓÇÖt want
to be totally oblivious to whatΓÇÖs going on around you when youΓÇÖre running
outside; adjusting noise cancelation levels to increase your awareness will
help with that. Stronger noise cancelation might be more appealing to those
doing more indoor training if they want to block out the dull roar of a gym
or the guy exaggeratingly lifting weights next to you.

Battery life

All of the Bluetooth earbuds we tested have a battery life of six to eight
hours. In general, thatΓÇÖs what you can expect from this space, with a few
outliers that can get up to 15 hours of life on a charge. Even the low end of
the spectrum should be good enough for most athletes and gym junkies, but
itΓÇÖll be handy to keep the budsΓÇÖ charging case on you if you think
youΓÇÖll get close to using up all their juice during a single session.

YouΓÇÖll get an average of 20 to 28 extra hours of battery out of most
charging cases and all of the earbuds we tested had holders that provided at
least an extra 15 hours. This will dictate how often you actually have to
charge the device ΓÇö as in physically connect the case with earbuds inside
to a charging cable, or set it on a wireless charger to power up.

How we test workout headphones

In testing wireless workout headphones, I wear them during every bit of
exercise I do ΓÇö be it a casual walk around the block, a brisk morning run
or a challenging weight-lifting session. IΓÇÖm looking for comfort arguably
most of all, because you should never be fussing with your earbuds when you
should be focusing on working out. In the same vein, IΓÇÖm cognizant of if
they get loose during fast movements or slippery when IΓÇÖm sweating. I also
use the earbuds when not exercising to take calls and listen to music
throughout the day. Many people will want just one pair of earbuds that they
can use while exercising and just doing everyday things, so I evaluate each
pair on their ability to be comfortable and provide a good listening
experience in multiple different activities.

While I am also evaluating sound quality, IΓÇÖm admittedly not an audio
expert. My colleague Billy Steele holds that title at Engadget, and youΓÇÖll
find much more detailed information about audio quality for some of our top
picks in his reviews and buying guides. With these headphones for working
out, however, I will make note of related issues if they stood out (i.e. if a
pair of earbuds had noticeably strong bass out of the box, weak highs, etc).
Most of the wireless workout headphones we tested work with companion apps
that have adjustable EQ settings, so youΓÇÖll be able to tweak sound profiles
to your liking in most cases.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/bes...
191517835.html?src=rss

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