The best headphones for working out in 2025, tested and reviewed

Using headphones for working out can transform your frame of reference and put you in the mood to grind like nothing else. Of course, exercise can be strenuous and involve tons of movement, so it’s essential to find a pair that leaves you unencumbered by wires and fit securely enough that they won’t be flung to the ground every time you move your head. In this list, we’ll break down the best headphones for working out—like our best overall, the Apple Beats Fit Pro—and optimizing the circuit(s) with your favorite music and podcasts.

• Best overall: Apple Beats Fit Pro
• Best splurge: Apple Powerbeats Pro 2
• Best on-ear: JBL Live 670NC
• Best bone conduction: SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2
• Best earbuds for running or cycling: Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
• Best budget: soundcore by Anker Sport X10

How we chose the best headphones for working out

The best headphones for working out are wireless, and Bluetooth requires power. And, in all honesty, the best headphones for working out are earphones, which is why they make up the majority of our selections. We picked pairs that offer at least five hours of single-charge battery life, and all of the earbuds include charging cases. Considering the battery life of your audio device is extremely important for keeping the flow going—you wouldn’t want the music to stop mid-workout. All of the selections on our list fit securely around the head or in the ear to ensure that they move very little or not at all during workouts. Everyday headphones made for walking or when you’re stationary aren’t typically designed with extreme movement in mind.

Sound quality was also a big factor in considering headphones for this list, and many of the earbuds we picked either come with a full and balanced sound profile or offer the option to adjust their sound via an app. Staying aware of the activity around you is always important while wearing headphones, especially if you’re on the go. For our list, we picked headphones/earphones that either feature a transparency mode or are completely open-ear.

The best headphones for working out: Reviews & Recommendations

Prepping for a workout is all about getting your mind and body in the right place, and apart from stretching, putting on the right clothes, and making sure you have a favorite water bottle and your fitness tracker, pumping up the jams properly can pump you up for a regular training run. One of our choices is sure to put a spring in your step the next time you go for a jog or lift weights.

Best overall: Apple Beats Fit Pro

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Pros

• High-performance active noise canceling in a compact earbud design
• Secure design stays in ear when running or working out
• Compatible with dynamic head tracking on iOS devices
• Includes pocket-sized travel case and three eartip options

Cons

• No wireless charging
• iOS device required for full functionality
• Not protected against water immersion
• No multipoint pairing

Why it made the cut: The Apple Beats Fit Pro features a snug fit, balanced sound, and seamless iOS connectivity that make them easy to add to any workout routine.

Specs

• Weight: 0.2 ounces/earbud; 2.3 ounces with case
• IP rating: IPX4 (splash-resistant)
• Battery life: 6 hours single-charge; 24 hours with case

We’ve thoroughly reviewed the Apple Beats Fit Pro, and they take the best overall award on this list thanks to their sound quality, workout-friendly design, and fantastic iOS compatibility. They contain the same proprietary H1 chip found in Apple’s AirPods, which enables near-instantaneous pairing and steady, reliable connections to iOS devices along with battery life optimization. Like AirPods, the Beats Fit Pro earbuds are also fully compatible with iOS head-tracking and spatial audio features for simulated surround sound and immersive media listening. Their inclusion of active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes make them equally useful on the road and at the gym. We also love the range of colors these buds come in.

The Beats Fit Pro earbuds are designed to sit securely in your ears using small rubber wings that rest comfortably against your outer ear along with three sets of variously sized ear tips. A quick optional setup step uses the earbuds’ onboard microphones to test your fit for sound leaks. Once your optimal fit is achieved, the Beats Fit Pro can endure almost every exercise imaginable, including rowing, without budging. They’re some of the best running headphones around. The earbuds’ conveniently pocked-sized charging case brings their total battery life to around 24 hours. While it would be nice to see wireless charging in a product with this price tag, we appreciate that the case is chargeable via USB-C rather than Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector.

While the Beats Fit Pro earbuds are unmistakably great for iPhone users, it’s unfortunate that the instant pairing and steady connectivity of the earbuds’ H1 chip aren’t extended to Android users. For their price, it would also be nice to see features like multipoint pairing and more robust weatherproofing rather than the same IPX4 rating found in standard AirPods. Still, if you work out regularly and are an iPhone user, you’d be seriously hard-pressed to find a better in-ear option. If you’re sold on the Beats features but are looking for an option with earhooks, the Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds below are a solid choice.

Best splurge: Apple Powerbeats Pro 2

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Pros

• Built-in heart-rate tracking
• Includes AirPods Pro features like Spatial Audio and transparency mode
• Fantastic fit makes them nearly impossible to shake out
• Five tip options included in the package

Cons

• Expensive
• Earhook may chafe when wearing for several hours at a time

Why it made the cut: With built-in ear hooks and five different tip sizes, these high-end buds fit perfectly and stay in no matter what kind of workout you’re doing.

Specs

• Weight: 2.2 ounces
• IP rating: N/A
• Battery life: 10 hours with ANC on (45 hours with charging case)

When it comes to earbuds, nothing keeps them in place during a workout better than a full-on hook. Thanks to that form factor, the Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds reach over the back of the ear and lock in place for your workout. I had some of my fittest friends try them during exercises like burpees and pull-ups and no one could shake them loose (though they did get them very sweaty). The box includes five different tip sizes from which a hearing test helps you choose the right one for your specific ear holes.

From a sound performance standpoint, the Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds offer many of the same qualities found in the AirPods Pro 2. You get active noise canceling, which works very well in most settings. Transparency mode, on the other hand, allows sound to come in from the outside world. That’s important if you’re working out in public or running on a road. The transparency isn’t quite as effective as an open-back or bone-conduction option that doesn’t obstruct the ear canal at all (for those, see below), but it’s a closer battle than it seems.

The onboard media controls rely on physical buttons, which are easier to press than touch-based controls during exercise. They can trigger some accidental inputs, though, until you get used to putting them in without accidentally hitting a button.

Despite a few quirks, these are S-tier workout earbuds. They sound great. They fit impeccably. And the case isn’t quite as chunky as the previous model, which felt like carrying a plastic Uncrustable around in your pocket.

Best on-ear: JBL Live 670NC

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Pros

• Long-lasting 65-hour battery life
• Quick charge gives 4 hours operation in 5 minutes
• Adaptive noise cancelling
• JBL app offers EQ and other advanced features

Cons

• Variable fit affects noise cancellation performance
• Integrated voice assistant button is easy to press accidentally
• No IP rating

Why it made the cut: The JBL Live 670NC boasts full, energetic sound with up to a 65-hour battery life, making them perfect for spur-of-the-moment workouts.

Specs

• Weight: 9.3 ounces
• IP rating: N/A
• Battery life: Up to 65 hours (50 with ANC)

If you prefer the fit and look of over-ear headphones for working out, the JBL Live 670NC’s are worth considering, thanks to their snug fit and battery life. They offer up to 65 hours of operation on a single charge (50 with ANC, but aided by auto play/pause), a full recharge in two hours, and a burst charge for four hours of operation in 5 minutes, so they’re almost always ready to go on a moment’s notice. The 670NC’s also feature noise-canceling and ambient-aware modes fed by four noise-sensing mics, making them equally suitable for use in noisy gyms and on busy streets. We had inconsistent results with their noise-canceling abilities due to the on-ear earcups sealing differently on different peoples’ heads, so if the best noise-canceling is an absolute must in your book, you’ll want to consider noise-canceling over-ears or earbuds instead. But the 670NC is easy to pull off if you need situational awareness (or you can keep them on with Smart Ambient activated).

Thanks to their 40mm drivers and Bluetooth 5.3, the sound of the JBL 670NC is energetic and immersive with a pronounced “Pure Bass” response that makes them great for listening to pop, dance, and other beat-heavy music while working out. The JBL Headphones app offers further sculpting of the 670NC’s’ sound with EQ (including Personi-Fi 2.0 custom sound profile) and ambient-aware level adjustments, as well as access to battery life indicators and more. The headphones also feature their own onboard suite of control buttons. Still, they require a bit of studying to master, and the voice assistant button that covers the entirety of the left earcup is easy to press accidentally.

Lastly, the 670NCs have no official IP rating, and while we didn’t experience any technical issues from getting them a little sweaty, you’ll still want to be mindful of using them in heavy rain or other settings where they might get doused. If you absolutely need to work out with water-resistant over-ear headphones, the Treblab Z2 headphones are a uniquely light, comfy option with IPX4 and a long battery life that makes them great for taking on a run.

Best bone-conduction: SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2

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Pros

• Highly sweat- and weather-resistant for high-impact workouts
• Open-ear bone-conduction + air-conduction design for improved situational awareness
• Long battery life with quick charge function

Cons

• Less bass response than a traditional earbud, but more than previous models
• Not completely silent—others may hear what you’re listening to

Why it made the cut: The unique design of the SHOKZ OpenRun 2 keeps your ears fully open so that you can stay aware of your surroundings and your motivating sounds.

Specs

• Weight: 1.06 ounces
• IP rating: IP55 (dustproof, waterproof for 30 minutes)
• Battery life: 12 hours

The SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 is an open-ear headphones that sports a unique design that allows you to listen to music and podcasts while maintaining full situational awareness. Unlike traditional headphone designs, bone-conduction headphones employ a clever hack of human anatomy to transfer sounds directly to the inner ear by gently vibrating your facial bones from the outside in, leaving the entire ear canal unobstructed.

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Author Of article : Julian Vittorio

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