Are you tired of your over-ear headphones slipping off when you go for a jog? Or fed up of getting your arms tangled up in your earphones cable when you do your yoga workouts? While you may enjoy your big expensive over-ear headphones or your Airpods when you’re lounging around at home or sitting still at work, you will want to choose a more suitable pair of earbuds or wireless headphones for your sports and active leisure activities. You’ll need a high quality pair that won’t cause you endless frustration with tangled cables (after all, you’re here because you want the best workout headphones – not the best “headphone workout”).
When it comes to more energetic and dynamic activities, your best bet for complementary earphones will be wireless ear buds designed to handle everything your workout could throw at them. Wireless earphones won’t get tangled on a run and are specially built to stay put in your ears whilst you go about your daily routine.
The fact is, there’s a lot of choice on the wireless workout headphones market. This is both a blessing and a curse: a blessing because you aren’t limited to one model, but a curse because not all model options will be of the highest quality. Thankfully, we’ve done the leg-work (if you’ll pardon the pun) for you! We’ve compiled a list of the brands and makes that have produced high quality wireless earbuds that are specially designed to endure the toughest of workouts.
When you’re in possession of a pair of the best headphones, working out will feel even more invigorating. Leave the Apple Airpods at home and get yourself a more durable pair of earbuds perfectly tailored to intense workouts. Keep on reading whilst we detail our top 10 best earbuds to workout in. We will also give you a comprehensive list of important qualities to look out for in the best wireless workout headphones so you can figure out what wireless headphones will best fit your requirements.
Considerations When Choosing Best Wireless Ear Buds for Working Out
Good Sound Quality
This one is fairly obvious! You want good quality wireless headphones that will sound great so that your tunes come out rich and clear and you can enjoy your music the way that your artist intended. However, the most important thing is to have wireless workout headphones that can block out annoying and repetitive noises from the gym, your home workout studio, or outdoors.
If the sound quality isn’t quite as high as that of the expensive over ear headphones that you keep at your computer desk, it doesn’t matter too much. Good sound quality, a decent volume scope, and maybe some inbuilt noise cancellation will be ideal.You don’t need to waste money on the most expensive workout headphones models for the slightly better audio quality, especially since you will only be using them for quite a small chunk of each day.
They Stay In Your Ears
This is extremely important. Since you’ll be on the move the whole time you’re wearing them, you don’t want to invest in headphones or earbuds that will keep slipping off or popping out during strenuous exercise. Leave the over ear headphones in your bedroom. Keep an eye out for earbuds which incorporate a great pair of soft, ergonomic earhooks. These will keep them attached to your ears in a way that is both secure and comfortable.
Additionally, ear tips with vents can help regulate the pressurization between the inside of your ear and the earbuds. This will help them to stay in your ears for long periods of time without dislodging. The best headphones for working out will come with multiple eartip sizes so you can find your perfect fit for your ears. A poorly-fitting eartip is a recipe for discomfort and dislodged earphones.
Wireless Headphones or True Wireless Headphones?
This is entirely up to you as both kinds are equally as suitable for exercise. You can find excellent sport headphones that are both wireless and true wireless.
Wireless headphones will come with a cable connecting the two earbuds. The cable works as a kind of neckband and drapes around you. This cable will often have inbuilt audio controls. Some of these come with handy rubber or metal clips that will hold the cable in place when you are wearing the earbuds. This will stop the wires from bouncing up and down and whacking your head as you run.
True wireless headphones have no connector between them and any audio controllers and on/off switch will be built into the earphone’s housing case. The best ones will have multifunctional buttons built in, so you won’t have to constantly pull your device out of your pocket when working out.
Water Resistant and Sweat Resistant
The best headphones to workout in to be able to withstand downpours and sweat (and potentially a quick rinse under the tap if the earbuds become end up dirty or covered in sweat). Opt for headphones or earbuds with a mid-to-high IPX rating. IPX is the rating system used to determine how water resistant something is.
A lot of the best sports earbuds have an IPX rating of IPX7, which is ideal as it means they will easily withstand torrential weather or getting dropped in a puddle or shallow pool. This rating of earbuds won’t suffer water damage easily, and can withstand submersion up to 1 meter/3 feet for around 30 minutes. However, a lower IPX rating such as IPX5 will be able to survive small splashes of water and sweat.
Consider what kinds of sports activities you will be doing and choose your level of water resistance accordingly.
Battery Life
As you’ll be using your sports earbuds when you’re out and about (potentially for whole days at a time) you need to look for wireless ear buds that have a great battery life. The best workout headphones will come with around 6+ hours of battery life, which is ideal. Anything extra is a bonus.
Some earbuds will come with a case that can actually recharge the earbuds when you’re not using them. If you’re planning to be out for a long hike, youmight want to look for something like this.
Top 10 Best wireless earbuds for working out
1. VISSLA S7 Wireless Sport Earbuds
Rather than having a connector between the earbuds, this pair of headphones is completely wireless and free. This is great for those of you who go running with a friend or a partner and want to share your tunes. Keep your joint workouts sounding great with true wireless earbuds!
The VISSLA S7’s sound quality is a huge draw. These sports headphones play your MP3s distortion-free and have an excellent clear bass sound. They sit snugly inside your ear which not only stops them from falling out during a run, but also adds an extra noise-cancelling effect. The VISSLA S7 comes with ear tips in a range of sizes so you can find your perfect secure fit.
They are Bluetooth-enabled and connect to your device wirelessly with ease. They’re compatible with most Bluetooth-enabled devices including Apple and Android.
Each earbud has buttons that allow you to control playback, so you won’t constantly need to whip out your smartphone if you want to skip a song, pause, or alter the volume. You can also take calls with the inbuilt stereo binaural phone call technology.
The VISSLA has a 110 mAh capacity li-ion battery built into each side of the earphone set. This will last you up to 8 hours of battery life on just a single charge. Their carrycase houses a 500mAh charging station, so whenever you’re not using them you can keep them fully charged. This is perfect for someone who is likely to be out and about at all hours of the day.
Best Features
- Long single-charge battery life (8 hour battery life)
- Control playback directly from earbuds
- No connector wires
- Noise cancelling effect
- Carry case is also a charging station
2. TBI Power Pro Earbuds
The TBI Power Pro earbuds are totally wireless workout headphones, and they’re perfectly suited to outdoor activities thanks to their waterproof capability. They have an IPX7 rating waterproof standard meaning that they’re fully sweat resistant and water resistant and can be submerged in up to 3 feet of liquid without suffering damage. Their internal hydrophobic layer of nano-coating adds an extra layer of water protection, so you can run in torrential weather without fear!
These true wireless, cordless, Bluetooth 5.0 sport headphones are sleek, stylish and lightweight. The soft silicone earhook matches the natural curve of the human ear. This will keep them secure over your ears whilst still maintaining maximum comfort.
This headphone set is also perfect for taking phonecalls on the go. Its inbuilt microphone is able to eliminate any back ground static. This helps to cut out any disruptive noise and keep the sound of your voice crystal clear – so you can run and chat on the phone without worrying about your conversation being affected.
The included protective case can provide these earphones with over 50 hours of total backup battery life. A mere 1 hour of charging via USB or 2 hours of charging using the charging case will give your headphones up to 10 hours worth of battery life and playback time. The convenient charge indicator will allow you to keep track of how much charge your headphones have.
Finally, its sound is not to be sniffed at. The specially designed driver has a diameter of 11mm, and is perfectly optimized for a highly accurate, rich reproduction of sound. This sound production system has been expertly crafted by the TBI sound engineers to give you a delicious rich bass, high fidelity and high quality.
Best Features
- 2 layers of waterproof protection
- Sleek, comfortable style
- 50 hours of backup battery life
- static-cancelling microphone
- Rich, high-quality sound
3. Back Bay American EQ 30 Bluetooth Earbuds
Boston-based Back Bay should definitely be on your radar if you’re an audio enthusiast. Their American EQ30 Bluetooth earbuds have a unique audio quality inspired by classic American hi-fi with crisp sounds and a deep booming bass. You really can’t find this sound anywhere else in the world!
These wireless headphones have an IPX7 rating and are waterproof up to 3 feet due to their advanced nano-coating, making them the ideal water and sweat resistant headphones for runs in rainy weather or sweaty workouts. Their comfortable over-ear hooks are flexible and will stop the earbuds from becoming dislodged mid-activity. The Back Bay American EQ30 comes with a cable adjuster clip accessory which will stop the connector cable from bouncing around on your neck. These earbuds also come with differently sized ear tips.
The 8 hour battery life is more than enough for anything from a quick yoga session to an all-day hike. The earbuds come with in-built buttons so you can change the volume, skip songs or pause your podcast.
Best Features
- IPX7 waterproof
- Long battery life (8 hours)
- Comes with convenient adjuster clip
- Won’t dislodge during exercise
4. MPOW Flame Workout Earbuds
This is a particularly budget-friendly option perfect for runners trying to save some cash. The MPOW Flame has the latest Bluetooth 5.0 inbuilt and can stay connected to two phones or tablets at the same time. This is fantastic for those of us who have multiple phones. Its 11mm drivers, built-in cVc6.0 noise canceling microphones, and chip of SBC & AAC audio make the MPOW Flame’s sound quality a force to be reckoned with. This proves that you don’t need to spend a fortune for your music to sound great.
The MPOW flame is also IPX7 waterproof with nano-coating making it both weather-proof and sweat resistant. They’re ergonomically designed with soft earhooks and memory foam ear tips, so you can have a perfect secure fit. The wire clamp is used to adjust the length of the neckband to keep it comfortable and held firmly in place.
Its polymer lithium battery allows for up to 9 hours of playback time for marathon workouts, and the remaining battery life of the earbuds is displayed directly on your phone. This makes desperately hoping you still have another few hours of battery left in your wireless earbuds a problem of the past.
The MPOW Flame earbuds also come with a handy EVA pouch!
Best Features
- Extremely budget-friendly
- Secure, comfortable fit
- 2 layers of waterproof
- Stays connected to multiple smartphones
- Long battery life (9 hours)
- Convenient neckband adjuster clamp
- Handy storage pouch
