I’m a running coach and five-time marathoner who averages greater than 1,300 miles every year, however I’ve a secret: I don’t all the time enjoy running. Yes, I do know. I’m a fraud! But even on my worst days, when each step seems like I’m trudging via quicksand, I do know I can depend on my favourite music and podcasts to assist me get by. Because of this, I’ve tested many running headphones to seek out the most effective ones that ship stable sound high quality, constant consolation and security options like situational consciousness and quantity management.
I’ve tried wireless earbuds throughout marathons, bone-conducting and wraparound types for lengthy runs, and budget-friendly choices for monitor exercises. Over the previous few years, I’ve worn shut to twenty fashions. After all that point and effort, I’ve discovered 4 pairs that I feel are the very best headphones for running.
Best running headphones
Best open-ear running headphones
Best ear-hook running headphones
Best wi-fi running headphones
There’s nothing worse than having to consistently push headphones again into your ears all through a run. It’s distracting, annoying and a complete buzzkill. Luckily, Apple prolonged its ear tip sizing (now from XXS to massive) for the AirPods Pro 3 to forestall any loose-bud mishaps. These wi-fi headphones have remained in my ears all through wet runs, sweat periods and every part in between.
The AirPods Pro 3 are my go-to pair for marathons as a result of, in contrast to different Bluetooth choices, these don’t lose connection to my cellphone mid-race after I’m surrounded by hundreds of different runners and spectators. I’m undecided precisely what causes this, nevertheless it’s common to experience connectivity issues throughout massive races, particularly in cities. With the AirPods Pro 3, that subject is nonexistent.
The headphones’ battery life is tough to beat too. These have as much as eight hours of nonstop play, and when you think about the case, you may get a full 24 hours out of them. Yes, whilst you’re running a race, you’ll seemingly have to hold the case with you from the beginning line to the end, nevertheless it’s sufficiently small that you just gained’t discover it tucked away in a facet pocket.
While the AirPods Pro 3 have spectacular noise cancellation, runners ought to keep away from utilizing this operate for security, particularly when jogging in high-traffic areas. Instead, take a look at the headphones’ Transparency mode. I solely use this after I’m running outdoors, because it lets me hear my music and what’s happening round me. For added security, I by no means flip my quantity up too loud, maintaining it at about half capability.
The coronary heart fee and workout-tracking capabilities are value testing too. I’ve checked out my stats on Apple’s Health app after my runs and in contrast them to my Garmin and Oura Ring information, and all of them present across the identical HRV. I’ve seen my coronary heart fee from the earbuds is often decrease than that of my different wearables, however regardless, it’s enjoyable to test your information post-run to see if that straightforward jog was very easy or when you have been mendacity to your Strava viewers.
When you’re understanding indoors on a treadmill and can crank your quantity up safely, the sound high quality is superior. Apple gives immersive 360-degree Spatial Audio on supported apps akin to Apple Music, so you’ll be able to select your individual journey to boost your exercise. Just observe that this, and many different options, are unique to iPhone house owners; whereas the headphones pair simply fantastic with Android telephones, you’ll miss out on most of the particular perks Apple gives.
I all the time advocate my athletes wear dependable shoes for their runs, however having a reliable pair of headphones you recognize gained’t fall out, glitch or die can be necessary, particularly for people like me who depend on Harry Styles’ catalog to get them via a monitor exercise. With the AirPods Pro 3, you will have a pair of buds you’ll be able to throw on and neglect about, which once you’ve bought a tempo to stay to or a future to perform, is of utmost significance.
Open-ear headphones are an ideal security measure for runners who need to get pleasure from their music whereas nonetheless being conscious of their environment. These Shokz pair wraps round your head and ears, and makes use of bone-conduction expertise to ship audio by way of vibrations that journey via your cheekbones to your ears. Because of this methodology, the unique OpenRun mannequin felt a bit jarring, with the headphones consistently trembling. Luckily, the newer variations minimized this sensation, although I nonetheless really feel it at occasions when my quantity is at capability and a tune options heavy bass. These headphones are proof against heavy water and sweat, and boast a 12-hour battery life, so when you’re planning a future within the rain, they’re exhausting to beat.
When it involves sound high quality, you’re by no means going to get something wonderful with bone-conducting open-ear headphones, and I accepted that way back. The audio is okay, however that’s actually all I care about since security is my precedence after I put on these. I can hear music and podcasts decently effectively, however as soon as an ambulance is on the road, that’s what I’ll be listening to till it passes. Again, this can be a good factor as a result of listening to what’s happening round you is crucial! Given that, I wish to put on these after I know I’ll be running in extremely populated areas, just like the Brooklyn Bridge Park, the place I’m surrounded by vacationers who like trying down at their telephones greater than trying as much as see what’s happening round them.
These, for my part, are the most secure headphones to put on when running outdoors. I’m by no means taken abruptly by different runners or walkers who out of the blue enter my area, and I really feel extra conscious of my environment after I’m carrying them. I additionally like that after I put on these for races, I can hear the regular hum of runners round me, the electrical energy of the group and the bands or cheerleaders alongside the route. This type of power is tough to beat, and it carries me for miles even after I’m drained.
While the headphones have by no means fallen off my head throughout a run, I’ve seen the again tends to bounce a bit, particularly after I’m going slower and my stride isn’t as clean. This isn’t a giant annoyance, nevertheless it’s actually one thing value noting. What’s extra, the semicircular wire design that’s constructed to suit across the head will get caught in my hair after I put on ponytails. Again, not a deal breaker, nevertheless it’s one thing to think about you probably have lengthy hair like me. I often put mine right into a bun to keep away from this, and all’s effectively.
In my expertise, workout headphones often prioritize ergonomic and security options over modern expertise, however that’s not the case with these Suunto ear-hook headphones. They have the identical situational consciousness as different open-ear fashions, but in addition supply helpful settings that you just’d see from non-running-specific fashions. For instance, when you’re an audiophile who likes to combine and match audio settings, the headphones supply booster modes you’ll be able to change on to amp up the bass, treble or vocals once you take heed to your favourite music or podcast.
Don’t just like the tune on rotation mid-sprint? No worries. With these, you’ll be able to merely shake your head to get to a brand new one. Use the identical gesture to disclaim incoming calls or nod to select up the cellphone. These hands-free settings have been supremely helpful all through my testing as a result of they allowed me to hit my groove with out sacrificing my type by transferring my arms into my pockets or up towards my head. However, when you favor contact settings, you’ll be able to merely faucet your headphones to manage the identical capabilities.
I like that, although these are open-ear headphones, they’ve environmental noise cancellation to cut back background noise with out eliminating all of the sound round you. This helped after I was passing noisy run golf equipment or needed to listen to much less barking from the canine park 50 yards away from the monitor the place I work out.
If you’re into analytics throughout and after runs, Sport Mode may be very cool. This tracks your floor contact to investigate your stride and velocity, in addition to your cadence and vertical oscillation. So, when you really feel such as you’re overstriding or not hitting the bottom and taking off shortly sufficient, you should utilize this information to (hopefully) make some enhancements. If you will have a Suunto running watch, you’ll be able to pair it with the Spark headphones and get voice updates in your tempo, laps or coronary heart fee all through your exercise, which may be very useful once you’re making an attempt to hit a goal time or distance.
All in all, I used to be impressed with these ear-hook headphones for running. Did the match take some getting used to? Of course. I additionally felt that the speaker on the entrance of every ear was a bit heavier than that of related fashions, leading to a bit extra bounce throughout runs. The headphones by no means fell off or misplaced their spot on my head, although. In my opinion, all of the superior audio and information options, plus the seven in-use hours of battery life, make this a stellar choice for runners who need a pair of headphones with tons of bells and whistles.
If I had to decide on between the OpenRun Pro 2 and the OpenMatch Pro, I’d select the latter each time. Instead of utilizing bone conduction, these Shokz use good old school air conduction, so I don’t really feel any vibrations when carrying them. The ear-hook design additionally doesn’t tangle in my hair, stays bounce-free throughout runs and is way simpler to throw right into a gym bag (the OpenRun Pro 2 case is fairly massive). The largest promoting factors, nonetheless, may be the headphones’ Wear Detection and Noise Reduction options.
Wear Detection pauses a tune, name or podcast once you take away the headphones out of your ears. This may not sound like essentially the most modern characteristic (and the AirPods Pro work equally), however once you’re running outdoors, it is useful when you hear a siren and need to know what path it’s coming from. This characteristic can be helpful throughout races. I’ve worn these for half-marathons, and I like that I can take a headphone out of one ear to take heed to the group of spectators after I want encouragement.
The Noise Reduction characteristic on these is nice too as a result of it doesn’t totally block out audio out of your environment however fairly muffles the annoying stuff. For instance, after I put on these in Central Park, I gained’t hear the honking of vehicles a couple of blocks outdoors the park, however I can nonetheless hear runners, walkers and cyclists inside 10 ft of me.
Other options of observe embody a whopping 12 hours of playtime on a full cost, 50 hours of battery life and a water resistant end that retains the headphones secure to make use of within the rain and on sizzling, sweat-inducing days.
Aside from logging tons of of miles carrying these running headphones, I additionally ran a couple of particular checks on every mannequin to evaluate which was greatest. Here’s what I particularly regarded for whereas testing:
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Comfort: I wore every pair of headphones for no less than 25 miles of running, each indoors on treadmills and outdoor in varied settings, from trails to tracks. I analyzed how they slot in or round my ears and in the event that they irritated my pores and skin throughout use.
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Bounce or slip: Some open-ear or wraparound headphones are likely to bounce or shift as you run, and different in-ear fashions can slip out of the ears once they get moist from sweat or rain. I famous which pairs remained in place all through my runs.
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Ponytail check: Many runners put on their hair up in ponytails, buns or braids throughout their cardio exercises. I tested the headphones whereas carrying my hair on this model to see if the design would tangle in my tresses and tracked which did.
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Waterproof or water resistant design: The greatest running headphones needs to be proof against rain, sweat, snow and sleet. I solely tested fashions with water resistance and wore these headphones within the rain, snow and throughout sweaty periods to make sure they remained useful and didn’t glitch or reduce out when moist.
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Bluetooth connection: Bluetooth connection is nice till you’re lining up for a marathon surrounded by hundreds of people who find themselves additionally counting on this connectivity, which, in flip, results in many outages. To guarantee connectivity remained, I wore these headphones throughout 5K, half-marathon and marathon races, and famous any points.
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Sound high quality: Being conscious of your environment is essential for running security, however audio high quality shouldn’t take a again seat. I tested sound high quality outdoors for each quantity stage and tried out settings like Spatial Audio at loud volumes when understanding on a treadmill.
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Battery life: I famous if any headphones died sooner than the model promised.
Safety and safety
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Sound consciousness: I stored monitor of which headphones supported situational consciousness via open-ear designs or different audio settings that permit me hear what was happening round me.
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Tracking: Some headphones characteristic coronary heart fee monitoring or a location system that permits you to discover the pair if misplaced. I tried out these options to make sure they labored effectively.
The greatest running headphones make you neglect you’re carrying headphones. By this, I imply they’re snug, safe and don’t trigger any irritation to your psychological or bodily state. When running, even the smallest inconvenience, akin to a bouncing pair of headphones that don’t keep put in your head, can set off a psychological spiral and result in poor efficiency. Ensure your headphones match securely earlier than buying a brand new mannequin; you’ll be able to usually take benefit of return insurance policies in case your pair doesn’t match proper.
Whether you run in a giant metropolis or a rural surroundings, guaranteeing the Bluetooth connection stays robust in high-traffic areas is essential, particularly when you’re planning to race a preferred 5K or marathon. This is the distinction between music reducing in and out throughout your first few miles and constant audio that guides you towards your new private greatest. As such, you’ll need a pair of running headphones with no less than Bluetooth 5.0 or newer for dependable connectivity.
An extended battery life is critical for lengthy runs, commutes and journey. I all the time advocate fashions with no less than six hours of in-use battery life as a result of this timeframe often permits for commuting to and from a race or future, and the run itself.
Consider in order for you options like coronary heart fee monitoring, bone conduction or spatial audio. These functionalities can enhance your efficiency, security and leisure expertise.
While I used to be in a position to get used to the Suunto and Shokz ear-hook types, the Beats design by no means meshed effectively with my ear form. I struggled to maintain them on throughout runs and usually discovered myself adjusting their positioning to seek out some consolation, however to no avail. This may very well be a me downside, although. After all, our tech editors love them. I’d advocate making an attempt these on earlier than shopping for them so that you don’t battle like me.
Aside from the wonky match, I believed the sound high quality was nice, the spatial consciousness was satisfactory and the fee was on par with competitor types. The vibrant colour choices are enjoyable too.
There’s nothing particular about these headphones, and that’s the wonder of them. They’re useful, match effectively and have six stable hours of nonstop battery life (24 hours when you’ve bought the case readily available). There are buttons on all sides to manage music, and the sound high quality is okay. The audio is a bit decrease high quality than that of the opposite headphones on this listing, however with the fee financial savings, that’s fantastic with me.
The greatest running headphones that keep in your ears are the Apple AirPods Pro 3. These include an prolonged dimension vary of ear suggestions, so you’ll be able to correctly match the buds to your distinctive ear form. I discovered that even after I was sweating or running within the rain, these headphones stayed in place.
Bone conduction is an audio supply methodology usually utilized in open-ear headphones like Shokz. While the audio high quality is not so good as that of in-ear buds, the spatial consciousness and security that include open-ear headphones are nice for runners who jog outdoor.
Choosing between wi-fi and wired headphones for running is a matter of private style. In my opinion, wi-fi headphones are rather more snug to run with as a result of I don’t have to fret about wires getting tangled or caught in my arm motions.
NCS Underscored editors and writers guarantee each product included in an article is totally vetted and one thing we ourselves would really feel snug shopping for and utilizing. Our workforce has many many years of collective expertise researching, testing and recommending merchandise throughout each class — from style and meals, to house items and well being, to electronics and every part in between — and we’re dedicated to utilizing that experience that will help you take advantage of of your cash and stay a greater life.
For this text, NCS Underscored well being and health editor Summer Cartwright, an RRCA-certified running coach, tested varied running headphones over the course of a 12 months. She wore them throughout 5K, half-marathon and marathon races, all through three cycles of marathon coaching and in each kind of climate you’ll be able to think about, from rainstorms and blizzards to blazing warmth and humid mornings.