Beats has announced two new sets of headphones, including a new line called the Solo Buds, which are the smallest and most affordable in-ear Beats headphones. You’ll have to wait until summer to get your hands on the Solo Buds, which will be available on June 6, but the Solo 4 on-ear headphones go on sale from May 2.

The Beats Solo 4 headphones are the latest generation of the popular wireless on-ear line and offer upgrades in sound quality and battery life, with the latter now being 50 hours. They don’t offer active noise cancellation though, a feature you get on the Beats Studio Pro. The price has stayed the same at $199.99 in the US and £199.99 in the UK, and the Solo 4 headphones come in three colors: matte black, slate blue and cloud pink.

An update to the Solo line is exciting, though a new addition is even more so, and the Solo Buds look like an excellent new option for those who want more affordable in-ear headphones. They cost $79.99/£79.99, which is cheaper even than the Beats Studio Buds. Beats promises no compromises have been made on sound quality.

Along with being cheaper than other Beats headphones, the Solo Buds are also smaller and have the smallest case of any of the brand’s headphones. This comes at a cost, however, in that the case doesn’t contain a battery to charge the buds. The good news there is that the buds themselves last 18 hours on a charge, which is impressive given their small size. You can charge the buds in their case by plugging it into a phone or laptop, and five minutes of charging provides an hour of playback.

The Solo Buds are available in four colors—matte black, storm gray, arctic purple and transparent red. The Solo Buds and the Solo 4 headphones don’t have an IPX water resistance rating, but will be suitable for sports as well as lifestyle use.

The Sennheiser Momentum Sport earbuds are an exciting addition to the world of workout headphones, offering the excellent sound quality you expect from Sennheiser’s Momentum line and health monitoring in the form of heart rate and body temperature tracking.

They are very good headphones that I greatly enjoyed testing, but they have a few flaws that mean I don’t rate them as highly as the best workout headphones. The price is also eye-wateringly high, even compared with the top buds from Apple, Bose and Beats, so unless you are dead set on having that Sennheiser sound for your workouts, there are better-value options available.

Sennheiser Momentum Sport: Price And Availability

The Sennheiser Momentum Sport headphones were announced at CES 2024 and went on sale in April 2024. They cost $329.95 in the US and £259.95 in the UK, putting them among the most expensive sports buds I’ve ever tested. Even the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and Bose QC Earbuds II are cheaper, while the Jabra Elite 8 Active are substantially less. There are three colors available: Polar Black, Burned Olive and Metallic Graphite.

How I Tested These Headphones

I used the Sennheiser Momentum Sport buds for several weeks, wearing them to run most days as well as when working and traveling. I also did yoga and strength workouts with the buds. I have tested the Sennheiser Sport True Wireless headphones, as well as a range of the best workout headphones from other brands.

Design And Fit

The Sennheiser Momentum Sport are quite large in-ear headphones secured by one of the three sets of wings they come with. You can also use the buds without any wings, which is more comfortable if wearing them for long stretches at work, but during workouts I needed the wings to hold them in place.

While they did stay put during runs and vigorous workouts, the wings are not that comfortable, and I’d have soreness when I took the headphones out at the end of longer runs. The wings also move around on the buds when taking them in and out of their case, and it’s annoying to have to readjust them repeatedly so they’re in the right spot.

The headphones are IP55 rated, so they’ll withstand sweat and rain without any problems even if they’re not fully waterproof. The case is IP54 rated, which means it’s fine to put into a running belt or shorts pocket where it might get sweaty. It’s not a small case, but quite flat and easy to slip into a pocket.

There are touch controls on the outside of each bud, and they have a heart rate sensor and body temperature sensor on board too. You can link the buds with any watch and app to track heart rate, while body temperature is tracked using Polar tech and only shows in the Polar and Sennheiser apps.

Controls

Along with touching the sensor on each earbud, you can control the Sennheiser Momentum Sport headphones by tapping your cheek. You can customize the controls in the partner app and use them to switch between sound modes as well as to control playback and volume.

You can also set the sensitivity of the touch panels, which is fortunate because to begin with the wind kept setting off the controls during runs. On one run it kept cycling between the buds’ ANC, wind reduction and transparency modes in an infuriating manner, but since turning down the sensitivity this hasn’t happened again.

This may explain why I found the controls a little hit-and-miss, and it took a couple taps on either my cheek or the touch panel before my attempts registered. A successful tap is indicated by a beep, which is helpful since some actions require three taps.

Heart Rate And Body Temperature Tracking

The Sennheiser Momentum Sport paired easily with several different watches and apps to broadcast heart rate, acting like any other external heart rate sensor. The body temperature sensor works only with the Polar app and watches. You can’t show temperature on a Polar watch live during workouts yet, but that is coming and will be the easiest way to keep tabs on the data—I had to look at the Sennheiser app on my phone to see the info during runs and other workouts.

The body temperature tracking was interesting at first, but I was training during a mild spring in the UK and had no real need to check my temperature stats. It will be of more interest when training in hot climates, especially during long workouts when you’re at more risk of overheating.

I found that the heart rate tracking accuracy was pretty poor on the headphones. When comparing their readings to that of a Polar H10 chest strap, the headphones were often wrong, especially in the second half of workouts. On runs they often locked on to my cadence (steps per minute) rather than heart rate, and even now as I sit at a desk and write this the heart rate reading is clearly too high when compared with a chest strap monitor.

If you’re someone who wears a chest strap or armband heart rate sensor and headphones, and were hoping to consolidate those two devices into one, I think you’ll be disappointed because the Sennheiser Momentum Sport are not reliably accurate.

Sound Quality

Despite being in-ear buds, the Sennheiser Momentum Sport headphones have a semi-open design that doesn’t block out your surroundings as much as other in-ear headphones. This reduces the internal thudding you get when running or walking with some in-ear buds, and gives a little more awareness of your surroundings, though you still need to use the transparency mode to really hear what’s going on around you.

There’s a 10mm driver on board to power the sound, and the buds do sound excellent. The vocals and other instruments come through with crystal clarity and listening to a range of music genres during and outside of workouts was a joy. Sennheiser’s headphones have a more natural sound to them and aren’t as heavy on the bass as the likes of Beats, but you still get plenty of power at the lower end. You can adjust the EQ in the partner app and use a bass booster mode if you do want more bass. 

I haven’t come across any sports headphones that sound better than the Momentum Sport—they certainly live up to the standards of the renowned Momentum line.

ANC And Transparency Modes

There are three sound modes on the Sennheiser Momentum Sport: ANC, transparency and an anti-wind mode. I found the latter very useful during runs, especially at windy running tracks, when many buds capture a lot of wind noise in ANC or transparency modes.

The ANC filters out most external sounds well when traveling, though it’s not quite as impressive on this front as the Bose QC Earbuds II or Apple AirPods Pro 2. The transparency mode is handy at times and you can adjust the amount of external noise you want to hear, but while running it does sound very windy at times, to the point where you can’t hear things like traffic around you, negating the point of using the mode.

Battery Life

The battery life of the buds is listed as up to six hours, with another 18 hours of charge held in the case. Those figures are based on a mid-level of volume with the ANC on, and the heart rate and body temperature sensors active. I found that the battery drained a little faster than that for me even when I had the headphones at a fairly low volume, but they were still on track to last over five hours.

A quick-charge feature on the headphones delivers one hour of playback from 10 minutes of charging, and it takes around 90 minutes to fully charge the buds from empty. The battery life is neither a strength or a weakness for the Sennheiser Momentum Sport. They are about par with other top buds, though they do offer less battery life than the Jabra Elite 8 Active.

Are The Sennheiser Momentum Sport Headphones Worth It?

The Sennheiser Momentum Sport are great sports headphones that excel on sound quality, but a few frustrating flaws make them a hard sell at the sky-high price. The fit is secure, but not that comfortable, and the wings are a bit awkward to deal with. I wasn’t impressed with the heart rate tracking either, and the body temperature sensor will be handy for some people, but I’d wager it’s irrelevant info for most.

You can get the Apple AirPods Pro 2 or Bose QC Earbuds II for less, and they are outstanding cross-over sports/lifestyle headphones that offer excellent sound quality. The Jabra Elite 8 Active headphones don’t sound as good as the Sennheiser Momentum Sport, but they still sound great and they’re a lot cheaper, plus the fit is more comfortable.

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are my new favorite running headphones and are among the best workout headphones for any type of exercise. The innovative design creates a fit that’s secure for vigorous workouts without being uncomfortable, and the sound quality is better than any other open or bone-conduction buds I’ve tried.

They won’t suit everyone, because the open design means you don’t get any kind of noise cancellation in loud environments, and that limits their use outside of workouts. The price will also be a stumbling block for many because the Ultra Open Earbuds are more expensive than many excellent sets of in-ear buds.

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds: Price And Availability

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds launched in February 2024 and cost $299 in the US and £299.95 in the UK. That’s the same price as Bose’s top in-ear headphones, the QuietComfort Ultra, and more than the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, as well as being more expensive than other top open headphones, such as the Shokz OpenFit and Cleer Arc II.

How I Tested These Headphones

I tested the Ultra Open Earbuds for two weeks, using them for a variety of workouts but mainly running, since I’m in the middle of a marathon training block for the London Marathon. I have also tested the Bose Sport Earbuds and Bose QC Earbuds II, as well as a range of the best workout headphones from other brands.

Design, Controls And Fit

The Ultra Open Earbuds have an innovative design with a hook that sits in the ear and a barrel that you pull back and wrap around the back of the ear. This clasps the bud in place, and then you can adjust the angle of the speaker to get it into the perfect spot near the ear canal.

Initially, I worried it would be tricky to get the earbuds in exactly the right spot to get the best sound, but they settled in the perfect place naturally, with the speaker hooked in and the barrel wrapping around the ear at an angle. The fit proved to be superb. 

The buds don’t put unwelcome pressure on the ears so you can wear them for hours without discomfort and they stayed securely in place during runs, strength workouts and yoga sessions. I barely felt them during my workouts, including a 2½-hour run, and they fitted well alongside hats and glasses because they don’t go over the top of the ear like most hook-style buds.

Though they aren’t waterproof, the Ultra Open Earbuds have an IPX4 rating, which means they are water- and sweat-resistant. I’ve used other IPX4 buds for years of rainy and sweaty workouts without problems, so don’t expect durability to be an issue, but some other sports headphones are fully waterproof.

Each bud has a button on top of the barrel that sits behind the ear that you can use to control playback and switch between the stereo and immersion sound modes. You can’t turn the buds off with the buttons, though, but have to put them back in the case. The buttons are easy to use during workouts, and I preferred them to the touch controls on the Bose QC Earbuds II.

Sound Quality And Immersion Mode

The main drawback of open headphones compared with in-ear buds is sound quality. The extra awareness you gain from the open design comes at the cost of the passive and/or active noise cancellation (ANC) and more powerful bass you get from in-ear headphones.

However, open headphones are getting better and the Ultra Open Earbuds sound excellent. In quiet environments they’re the match of in-ear buds for overall sound, offering clarity and warmth in the upper ranges and enough punch with the bass. You can also adjust the EQ in the app to increase the bass. 

The buds still don’t deliver as much power as the best in-ear buds for bass, but on tracks like Massive Attack’s “Angel” the Ultra Open headphones were powerful enough that I didn’t miss in-ear buds. The sound was also enjoyable when running outdoors, even in windy environments such as at running tracks. The headphones won’t be drowned out by traffic when running by busy roads, while still giving you an awareness of your surroundings.

However, I missed the noise cancellation you get from in-ear buds when traveling, especially in noisy spots like on the London Underground when it’s hard to hear music and podcasts. It means that the Ultra Open Earbuds have less appeal as lifestyle/sports cross-over buds, though this will depend on your lifestyle. I don’t go into the office or travel much, so the more comfortable open design is preferable for me most of the time.

The Ultra Open Earbuds have Bose’s immersive audio mode, which is its spatial audio setting. It’s designed to make it sound like your music is coming from in front of you and add depth and realism to the sound. There are two settings, still and motion—the latter is better if you are turning your head a lot—and you can also turn it off and use stereo mode for more traditional sound.

At times the immersive audio sounded better to me, especially with soaring tracks from bands like Beach House, but it’s not a big difference and reduces battery life from 7½ hours to 4½ hours. On most tracks I didn’t notice an improvement in sound, and after using it a lot at first I now leave the immersive audio off to preserve battery life.

Battery Life

The Ultra Open Earbuds last 7½ hours on a charge, which drops to 4½ hours if using the immersive audio mode. The case adds up to 19½ hours of battery for a total of 27 hours in stereo mode, and 16½ hours in immersive mode. A quick-charge feature means you get two hours of playback on the buds from 10 minutes in the case.

I found that the headphones lived up to their listed battery life and while they’re not exceptionally long-lasting, with even smaller buds like the Jabra Elite 8 Active lasting longer on a charge, the 7½ hours with the immersive audio off is good and they do charge quickly in the case.

Are The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Worth It?

Can $300/£300 open headphones ever be worth it? Perhaps that’s a valid question because they are, by design, not ideal for traveling and other loud environments, so you may need another set of in-ear or over-ear buds as well for those situations.

However, open headphones are brilliant for lots of other settings, especially workouts, and the Ultra Open Earbuds are the best open headphones I’ve used. They’re now my preferred running headphones, replacing the Shokz OpenRun bone-conduction buds because of the better sound quality and fit.

Compared with the best workout headphones with in-ear designs, like the Jabra Elite 8 Active and Apple AirPods Pro 2, you pay more for the Ultra Open Earbuds, which don’t bring benefits like ANC. If you’re buying one set of headphones for everything then the best in-ear buds, which also have transparency modes for more awareness, are a more practical choice. But the Ultra Open Earbuds undoubtedly deliver a better experience during workouts thanks to the excellent fit and open design.

The Oladance OWS Sports are among the best workout headphones I’ve tested, ticking all the boxes as sports buds thanks to the excellent fit, long battery life, waterproofing and open design, which allows you to stay aware of your surroundings.

For open buds, the sound quality is impressive, even if it’s not as good as the best in-ear headphones. The downsides of open headphones remain, in that they’re not ideal for traveling or general use, and the OWS Sports are expensive for buds you may not want to use all the time.

Oladance OWS Sports: Price And Availability

The Oladance OWS Sports launched in February 2024 and cost $179.99 in the US and £189.99 in the UK. That price is in line with the most expensive open buds like the Shokz OpenFit and Cleer Arc II, but you can get open headphones for much less, such as the 1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30. The Oladance OWS Sports come in four colors: silver, yellow, gray and pink.

How I Tested These Headphones

I’ve been using the OWS Sports headphones on and off for three months, mostly for running and general use. I’ve also tried them during bike rides, strength workouts and yoga sessions. I’ve tested a variety of the best workout headphones, including many open designs, including the Oladance OWS 1.

Design, Controls And Fit

Unlike the other headphones in the Oladance range, the OWS Sports are not individual buds. Instead the headphones are connected by a band that runs around the back of the head. They are light and I found the fit comfortable and secure enough to use the buds for long workouts, as well as throughout the day. However, there are times when it’s convenient to only use one bud to leave an ear clear, or not have the wire running around the back of your head, when truly wireless buds will be a better option. 

There’s a speaker on the inside of the buds that sits in your ear just above the ear canal so you can hear your audio clearly while still also being aware of what’s around you. That’s useful when running or cycling outside, or working out in a gym where you might need to hear what others are saying.

The headphones have an IPX8 rating, which means they’re waterproof and will not be troubled by sweat and rain during workouts. They aren’t suitable for swimming, though, unlike some bone conduction headphones like the Shokz OpenSwim. 

There is a multifunction button on the left bud to control playback and two buttons on the right, which control the volume and turn the headphones on and off. I found these easy to use during workouts, and more reliable than a touchpanel.

Sound Quality

The improved sound quality from the open design is a big reason to opt for the OWS Sports over bone conduction headphones. The OWS Sports buds don’t let in as much external noise as bone conduction buds (which leave the ears clear), but they sound better, with a fuller sound and much beefier bass.

You can customize the EQ in the Oladance app, which allows you to increase the bass further, and whether you’re using the headphones in a quiet gym or office or on a windy running track, you get loud and clear sound. Oladance says the buds reduce wind noise, and this works to some extent: You will still hear the wind when cycling or running, but it’s not as noticeable as with other open headphones. 

I found the buds enjoyable to use for long periods indoors, as well as during workouts, and that’s not the case with bone conduction headphones—I find those don’t have good enough sound quality to use when working out. You’ll still get better sound with passive and active noise cancellation (ANC) from in-ear buds, and for the price of the Oladance OWS Sports you can get excellent headphones like the Jabra Elite 8 Active, which are great for sports and general use. As open headphones, the OWS Sports are also not that great for use on loud trains and planes, when podcasts in particular can be drowned out.

Battery Life

Battery life is a strong point for the OWS Sports, which last 15 hours on a charge (even when using them at high volumes). A quick-charge feature gets you five hours of playback from a 15-minute charge. Since they don’t have a carry case you have to plug the buds in to charge them, and it’s a proprietary cable so you can’t use a generic one if you lose it. Buds that use carry cases that charge them can offer more total battery life, though 15 hours on the headphones themselves is great.

Are The Oladance OWS Sports Worth It?

The OWS Sports headphones are excellent. I prefer them to other open headphones I’ve used for running and workouts, though there are a lot of headphones of similar quality in this category now. The Shokz OpenFit and Cleer Arc II are great options and have individual buds rather than a neckband design, though I found the overall fit of the Oladance buds more comfortable and secure during workouts.

It’s hard for me to say open buds that cost this much are worth it because they aren’t always great to use outside of workouts. The Jabra Elite 8 Active are a similar price, and among the best workout headphones as well, while the Jabra Elite 4 Active are cheaper. They both have an in-ear design and great sound quality and ANC, with a transparency mode that allows for awareness of your surroundings; you can also use one bud at a time.

If you want the extra awareness of open headphones, however, the OWS Sports offer good sound quality. The price is high, though, and there may be better value in getting a cheaper set of open buds like the 1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30—which still sound pretty good—for your workouts and an in-ear set for general use.

Even when buying the best workout headphones, there’s always a compromise to be made somewhere. In-ear buds have a more secure fit and the best water and sweat resistance, and can sound fantastic, but don’t match the sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC) you can get from on-ear or over-ear buds. 

Most over-ear headphones aren’t that comfortable or secure for use during workouts, though, which is why the Beats Studio Pro stand out. Not only are they lightweight, but they stayed in place during a variety of training sessions and are great for outside workouts. However, with no official IP rating you’ll have to be wary of not getting them too sweaty during more vigorous workouts when the heat rises.

Beats Studio Pro: Price And Availability

The Beats Studio Pro launched in July 2023 and cost $349 in the US and £349.99 in the UK. That’s considerably more expensive than Beats’ sports-focused in-ear buds, like the Beats Fit Pro, which are $199.95/£199.99 and the Beats Powerbeats Pro, which are $249.95/£269.95.

How I Tested These Headphones

I’ve used the Studio Pro for a variety of workouts, including weights sessions, core workouts, yoga and indoor runs. I’ve also used them extensively outside my workouts, and have tested a range of the best workout headphones, including Beats’ in-ear headphones.

Design, Controls And Fit

The Studio Pro headphones come in four colors—black, navy, dark brown and sandstone—and have a mostly plastic design, with metal hinges and sliders, and leather ear pads. The mostly plastic build helps keep the headphones light at 9.2oz/260g, which makes them more comfortable during workouts. By comparison, the Apple AirPods Max have a metal design and weigh 13.6oz/385g.

You can adjust the size of the headphones using the metal sliders and once set to the right length, they sit securely on the head during workouts and runs. Despite this tight fit, the headphones don’t become uncomfortable over a couple of hours of use. I found I could wear them with glasses without them putting unpleasant pressure on the top of my ears, which I often get with on-ear and over-ear buds.

The fit isn’t reliable enough for extremely vigorous workouts, like HIIT, where you jump around a lot, but for slow and steady strength sessions and easy runs the Studio Pro stayed in place. I also did a core workout where I had to lie on my side for short spells and while the large size of the headphones made it a bit awkward, they didn’t fall off.

The ear pads aren’t removable so you can’t wash them, and Beats hasn’t given the Studio Pro headphones an IP rating to indicate how water-resistant they are. I’d be wary about using the headphones as they are for sweaty workouts, and even after light training sessions I dried them off carefully. 

You can get silicone covers for the ear pads that I think would be a worthwhile investment if you’re planning to do long workouts in them regularly. The ear pads aren’t the most breathable, so even if you’re doing a low-intensity workout you’ll start to sweat around the ears after a while.

There is a small on/off button on the right side of the headphones, which can also be used to change between ANC and transparency modes, and on the left side is a large button to control playback, plus volume controls. All the buttons are large enough to be easy to use during workouts, and it’s possible to activate your phone’s voice assistant by holding the playback button, or by just saying “Hey Siri” if using an iOS device.

The headphones fold in on themselves and come with a soft carry case that has pockets for the 3.5mm jack cable and USB-C to USB-C cable you can use to listen to music through a wired connection.

Sound Quality

The Studio Pro have custom 40mm drivers powering their sound, which is rich and full and certainly not lacking in bass. The headphones offer Apple’s personalized spatial audio and head tracking (when using compatible audio sources), but you can’t directly adjust the EQ: You have to do so within the app you’re using, such as a music streaming app.

I enjoyed listening to a range of music genres and the sound was balanced and clear, with no distortion in the upper ranges. They’re bass-forward, but not unpleasantly so, and on busy tracks you can hear each instrument and the vocals clearly.

You can use a USB-C cable that comes with the headphones to plug them into devices and enjoy high-fidelity lossless audio, as well as three EQ modes to suit different situations. There’s one for entertainment, like films and games, one for listening to voice calls and podcasts, and the signature Beats profile for music.

ANC And Transparency Modes

The Studio Pro’s ANC mode cancels out background noise effectively, especially when traveling on trains. In the gym they filter out the in-house music and sounds of other users well, so you can focus on your workout—though it means you need to stay aware of others in case someone is trying to get your attention.

If that’s a concern you can use the transparency mode, which uses mics to filter in noise from your external surroundings, so you can hear what’s going on. This transparency mode isn’t as good as the one on the Apple AirPods Pro 2, where other people’s voices sound natural through the mics, but it does help you stay aware of the world.

Battery Life

The Studio Pro headphones last up to 40 hours on a change with the ANC off, and 24 hours with the ANC enabled. If you have the volume set high at all times these numbers come down, but I rarely felt the need to pump up the volume, because the over-ear design and ANC meant the sound was loud enough at mid-volume levels.

If you’re caught short of battery you can get four hours of playback from a 10-minute charge. The headphones are charged via a USB-C cable and you can charge the headphones while listening to certain Apple devices if you plug them in with the USB-C cable.

Are The Beats Studio Pro Worth It?

If you want to use over-ear headphones in the gym then the Beats Studio Pro are a compelling option, as long as you’re careful to clean the sweat off them after workouts—or invest in silicone covers to protect the ear pads.

I prefer a set of in-ear buds like the Beats Fit Pro or Jabra Elite 4 Active for workouts because they have a more reliable fit and durable design for sports, but you don’t get the same sound quality and battery life as you do with the Studio Pro, which are more enjoyable to use outside workouts.

I run almost every day and listen to music or podcasts on most of those runs. When doing training runs I don’t mind carrying my phone with me, but come race day I prefer to be as light as possible so don’t take my phone.

Therefore a set of headphones that offers Bluetooth playback when you do have your phone with you, and then MP3 storage for when you don’t, are ideal, and that’s exactly what the new Shokz OpenSwim Pro offers.

The new buds are essentially a combination of the OpenSwim MP3 and OpenRun Bluetooth buds, and I rate both of those as among the best sports headphones. As with most of Shokz’s range, the OpenSwim Pro are bone conduction headphones, so they leave your ears clear to hear your surroundings.

This awareness is not only good for training runs in busy areas where you need to keep your wits about you, but it’s the reason why bone conduction headphones are the only ones allowed at certain races. The open design means you can still hear the instructions of race marshals and helps you avoid any dangers on the route.

I have used the original OpenSwim headphones for races, transferring a few podcasts and my running playlist to the headphones. However, for day-to-day use I find it easier to use Bluetooth, especially for podcasts that are updated weekly, because remembering to transfer across audio before each run is a hassle.

Shokz are not the first brand to offer headphones with a combination of Bluetooth and MP3 playback, with the Naenka Runner Pro buds being one option from another brand I’ve tested. However, I have tested bone conduction headphones from many brands now and still rate Shokz’s buds as the best in this area, so I’m hoping the OpenSwim Pro will stand out as the best running headphones with a combination of Bluetooth and MP3.

One area I hope Shokz can improve on other brands is battery life when using the MP3 mode, since I found Naenka’s buds offered a lot less playback when playing files stored on the buds compared with Bluetooth mode. Shokz says the OpenSwim Pro will last nine hours on a charge, but that number might come down with real-world use, especially if you have the volume up high.

Of course the music storage is great for swimmers too, since Bluetooth transmission doesn’t work underwater, and are a sure bet for inclusion in Coach’s list of the best swimming headphones. In general they look a top option for sports, with the versatility of storage being handy for those times you don’t want a phone with you.

The OpenSwim Pro have 32GB of storage and an IP68 waterproof rating, so can be submerged for long periods safely when swimming. The buds were launched at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, with the price and release date yet to be confirmed, but with the existing Shokz OpenSwim headphones costing $149.95/£169.95, I’d expect the price for the Pros to be higher than that.

Jabra’s range contains some of the best workout headphones available and there are options to suit all budgets, especially in the Black Friday sales with two standout sets of buds significantly reduced at Amazon.

The top-of-the-range Jabra Elite 8 Active are £129 down from £199.99, which make them easy to recommend if it weren’t for the fact the Jabra Elite 4 Active are reduced by 42% from £119.99 down to £69 in the sale. Both are among the best running headphones, but is it worth spending extra on the Elite 8 Active?

I’ve tested both sets of headphones extensively, and the choice mainly comes down to how much value you place on sound quality and active noise cancellation, both of which are better on the Elite 8 Active.

If you’re often using the buds for traveling or just have high audio-quality standards, the difference will be noticeable. However, the Elite 4 Active still offer good sound quality and ANC, and I wouldn’t pay an extra £60 for the upgrade.

Another difference is that the Elite 8 Active have Jabra’s ShakeGrip coating, which makes the fit a little more secure than with the Elite 4 Active. I found both sets of buds stayed in my ears fine during runs and other vigorous workouts, but given that they don’t use wings, any extra features to make the fit more secure are useful.

Other differences include that the Elite 8 Active are a little hardier, with an IP68 rating compared to the IP57 of the Elite 4 Active. A higher rating is always a good thing, but I have no concerns about the durability of the Elite 4 Active either.

Both are great sets of headphones and although the Elite 8 Active are certainly better on several fronts, I’d still grab the Elite 4 Active for £60 less, but there’s also value in picking up the Elite 8 Active at such a significant discount in the sales.

The Beats Powerbeats Pro were launched in 2019 and aside from the occasional release of new colors the buds are largely the same today. This means they’re out of date in some respects, with the most significant being that the Powerbeats Pro don’t have active noise cancellation (ANC) or a transparency mode. 

These are now standard features on in-ear headphones that cost a lot less than the $249.95 MSRP of the Powerbeats Pro, and you do get both modes on the Beats Fit Pro, which came out in late 2021 and are also cheaper on MSRP at $199.95.

However, one advantage of their age is that the Powerbeats Pro are always reduced during big sales events, and it’s nearly always a $100 discount that brings them down to $150. At this price they’re cheaper than the Beats Fit Pro, which are also reduced in the sales this year but only to $159.

I’ve tested a lot of sports headphones since 2019, and I still rate the Powerbeats Pro among the best, despite their age, because the essentials are done well—they sound great, have a secure fit for any activity, and long battery life.

Aside from the lack of ANC and transparency modes I found little to fault the Powerbeats Pro on when I originally tested them, or indeed when I started using them again lately to update our review on Coach.

In contrast, when I tested the Beats Fit Pro I found them surprisingly uncomfortable to use for anything longer than an hour or so, with the wing-tip digging into my ear. I’ve no such problems with the Powerbeats Pro, and even though the wing-tip on the Fit Pro create a secure fit for workouts, the extra reliability of the hook on the Powerbeats Pro is welcome during HIIT workouts and runs in particular.

Another advantage to the Powerbeats Pro is their controls are easier to use. You can adjust the volume using a separate set of buttons on each headphone—you can’t control volume on the Fit Pro buds—and the multifunction button on the Powerbeats Pro is well-positioned so you only touch it when you want to, whereas I frequently hit the button on the Fit Pro by accident.

Those advantages mean I’d opt for the Powerbeats Pro for $10 less in the Black Friday sales, with an eye to using them mainly as sports buds. However, if you travel a lot the ANC on the Fit Pro may be useful enough to swing the decision in their direction. The passive noise cancellation from the in-ear fit of the Powerbeats Pro blocks some external sounds, but not to the extent that ANC does.

In the UK the equation is a little different this Black Friday, since the Powerbeats Pro have only been reduced to £179 on Amazon from their MSRP of £269.95, while the Beats Fit Pro are £149 down from £219.99. The Powerbeats Pro are great and have advantages, but I wouldn’t pay £30 more to get them over the newer Fit Pro.

To find out more about each of the headphones above, read my guide to the best workout headphones.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II and Apple AirPods Pro 2 are exactly the type of products to look out for in the sales. They are excellent buds: I rate them among the best workout headphones, and they are even better for lifestyle use—but usually come at such a high price there is better value to be found in more affordable alternatives like the Jabra Elite 8 Active.

In the sales, however, you can get both the Bose QC Earbuds II and the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $199. There’s nothing better on the market at those prices for crossover sports/lifestyle use. There’s little between them on features such as sound quality, battery life and ANC, though if you have other Apple products the AirPods Pro 2 offer easy connectivity and smart features, which may swing it, while the Bose buds have a more secure fit for sports.

Head To Head

The AirPods Pro 2 and Bose QC Earbuds II are among the best in-ear buds for sound quality, and I enjoyed both equally on this front. Neither are the bassiest buds, but have enough power and offer exceptional clarity and depth of sound. The Apple AirPods Pro 2 offer spatial audio, which makes for a more immersive listening experience with compatible audio. This is something Bose offers on its QuietComfort Ultra, but not the QC Earbuds II.

I rate both among the best in-ear buds for ANC, though I give the edge to Bose here, with the QC Earbuds II being even more effective in canceling out the sounds of planes and trains in particular. However, it is the AirPods Pro 2 that have the more impressive transparency mode, because it filters out wind better. With the Bose buds I would get wind noise when using the awareness mode on runs and bike rides, which is not a problem with the AirPods Pro 2.

The Apple headphones have handy smart features that kick in automatically. With conversation awareness mode enabled the headphones can detect when you start talking and will turn on awareness mode, reduce the volume of your audio and block sounds from behind you to make talking to someone easier. The adaptive ANC mode also changes the amount of noise filtered out and adjusts the volume depending on your environment.

Suunto’s Wing are the first set of headphones made by the Finnish brand, which is mainly known for making sports watches. 

There’s little to fault about the performance of the bone conduction headphones, and they stand up well against competition from the best workout headphones. Indeed, the headphones have clever features I’ve not seen on other bone conduction sets, like a portable powerbank and flashing light-indicators on the headphones. However, their price is too high. The Shokz OpenRun, in particular, offer better value if you want bone conduction buds.

Suunto Wing: Price And Availability

The Suunto Wing headphones launched in October 2023 and cost $199.99 in the US and £169.99 in the UK. This is more expensive than other bone conduction headphones I’ve tested. The Shokz OpenRun Pro are the most expensive Bluetooth bone conduction buds in the Shokz range and cost $179.95/£159.95, while the OpenRun are $129.95/£129.95.

How I Tested These Headphones

I’ve been using the Suunto Wing as my main headphones for two weeks, and have logged several runs in them, along with a couple of strength sessions and bike rides. I have also tested the entire Shokz range, along with many bone conduction and open headphones from other brands.

Design And Fit

The Suunto Wing are bone conduction headphones that hook over the ear, so pads rest on your cheekbones to deliver audio via vibrations that travel through your bones. This leaves your ears clear to hear external sounds, which is why bone conduction headphones in general have become popular with people who exercise outdoors and want to stay aware of what’s going on around them.

They are fairly light at 33g, with a case made from silicone and titanium alloy, and I found they rested comfortably on my ears throughout runs, even when I was also wearing glasses and a hat. The band sticks out beyond your head, though, which means I pressed against it when I lay on my back for exercises during strength workouts.

The headphones are rated IP67, so they’re water- and dust-proof, although they don’t have internal storage so you can’t use them for swimming. The Wing headphones can support two Bluetooth connections at once, and I found they switched seamlessly between my laptop and phone when connected to both.

There are two buttons on the right side of the headphones that are used to turn them on/off and raise/lower the volume, and a multi-function button on the left pad that you can use to control music and answer calls. 

The Suunto Wing are charged by putting them into a powerbank. This is the first powerbank I’ve seen for bone conduction headphones and it makes them easier to charge on the move. The powerbank itself is IP55-rated, allowing you to put it in a running belt or rucksack without worrying that rain or sweat will damage it. The headphones come with a clip to hold them in the powerbank.

The red LED lights on either side of the headphones are another novel design element, and one that makes you more visible when using them at night. They can be set in the partner app to be on constantly or to flash. You can even set them to flash in the morse code pattern for SOS. They’re turned on or off by holding the volume down button.

Sound Quality

You don’t buy bone conduction headphones for their sound quality, which necessarily suffers from the open design. The Suunto Wing are no exception, and there’s not much bass from the buds, which can also be too quiet to hear when running by busy roads. The clarity isn’t amazing either and there is distortion at high volume—you even get a little cheek tickle from the buds when you raise the volume near the max.

The buds don’t sound bad, and are equivalent on this front to the Shokz OpenRun and OpenRun Pro headphones, but if you want better sound quality you can easily find it on cheaper in-ear buds, or open headphones that have a speaker near the ear, like the Cleer Arc II or Shokz OpenFit.

In the partner app you can choose from two sound modes, normal and outdoor, and the latter reaches a higher volume for noisy environments. The modes didn’t sound different to me, and the Wing headphones are still too quiet for noisy environments in outdoor mode.

For sports use, the Suunto Wing have good enough sound quality with the added benefit of extra awareness. But they’re not headphones I enjoyed using outside workouts, and the open design means they aren’t much use for travel—when external noise often drowns out the audio.

Battery Life

The Suunto Wing headphones last 10 hours on a charge and the powerbank adds another 20 hours. If you’re caught short of battery, give the buds 10 minutes in the powerbank and they will last three hours, which is excellent.

This powerbank is the feature that might make the Suunto Wing worth the extra cost compared with other bone conduction headphones, which need to be plugged in to charge. You could carry a portable battery and a cable to charge the likes of the Shokz OpenRun, I suppose, but Suunto’s powerbank is an elegant solution that rivals the charging cases of wireless in-ear buds. If you regularly tackle long bike rides or run ultra-marathons, the charger will be handy.

Controls

Along with the button controls on the buds, which work reliably and are easy to use during workouts, there are motion controls you can enable on the Suunto Wing. Turn these on and you can nod your head to answer a call, or shake your head to reject it. You can also shake your head twice to skip to the next song. This last control can be useful at times, yet it’s not without its problems. Sometimes it failed to recognise my head shakes despite repeated attempts; at other times it skipped tracks during my runs when I didn’t mean to. Given that you can skip songs by pressing the multi-function button twice, the motion gesture felt too hit-and-miss to me, so I turned it off.

Are The Suunto Wing Worth It?

The Suunto Wing are great bone conduction headphones with some useful features. However, none of these are essential, and you can get bone conduction headphones that fit just as well and sound just as good for considerably less. The Shokz headphones are also lighter and the OpenRun Mini version comes with a smaller band that fits closer to your head, which is useful in strength workouts where you lie down for exercises.

The powerbank is an elegant portable charging solution that will appeal to some, but for most users it won’t be that much more convenient than charging with a cable. If the price drops in sales, the Suunto Wing are worth checking out, but while they’re $200/£170 it’s too easy to find better value elsewhere.

The 1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30 are set to shake up the burgeoning open headphone market, simply because they are so much cheaper than most of the top options, like the Shokz OpenFit and Cleer Arc II buds. 

While they don’t match the sound quality of those headphones, the 1MORE S30 sound pretty good, and they provide a secure fit as well as awareness of your surroundings. They are among the best workout headphones available.

1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30: Price And Availability

The 1MORE S30 headphones launched in September 2023 and cost $69.99 in the US and £69.99 in the UK. That’s considerably cheaper than most sets of open headphones I’ve tested, such as the Shokz OpenFit and Cleer Arc II which cost more than $150/£150. The 1MORE range also includes the Open Earbuds S50, which are more expensive at $149.99/£149.99.

How I Tested These Headphones

I’ve been testing the 1MORE S30 open headphones on and off for several weeks, using them during a variety of workouts, though mainly for running, as well as for general use. I have also tested many other open and bone-conduction headphones.

Design And Fit

The 1MORE S30 headphones have an ear hook that holds them in place during workouts, if not always comfortably—with extended use I found the stiff hook put unpleasant pressure on the back of my ear.

There is a speaker on the large part of the buds that rests inside your ear without blocking the ear canal. They are not as “open” as bone-conduction headphones, and because the buds are larger than those of alternatives like the Shokz OpenFit they block more external noise, though I could still hear my surroundings when running and cycling outside.

With a water-resistance rating of IPX5, the 1MORE S30 headphones aren’t fully waterproof, but they will easily withstand the sweat and rain you encounter during workouts. 

The outside of each headphone is a touchpad that’s used to control playback and answer calls. Each headphone has two customisable controls—one for a double tap, one for a triple tap. The controls aren’t great, however: They often failed to register my taps when sitting at a desk and are even harder to use when training.

Sound Quality

The appeal of open headphones lies in the fact they can offer better sound quality than bone-conduction headphones while allowing more awareness and being more comfortable than in-ear buds, which still offer the best sound you can get in sports headphones.

This is the case with the 1MORE S30, which sound better than even the best bone-conduction headphones like the Shokz OpenRun. You can customize the EQ in the partner app and while you don’t get a lot of bass from the buds—and they can sound a little mushy at times—they are clear and powerful enough to let you enjoy a range of music genres. 

The best-sounding open headphones I’ve tested are the Cleer Arc II, and others like the Oladance Open Headphones and Shokz OpenFit also sound better than the 1MORE S30 buds, with more bass and greater depth. I’ve also been testing the 1MORE Fit Open Earbuds S50, which have a novel open design with a silicone ring that surrounds the ear canal without blocking it. They also offer an improvement in sound quality compared with the S30. 

However, the jump in sound quality from the S30 to those headphones isn’t equivalent to the jump in price in my opinion. If sound is a big priority then in-ear buds with a transparency mode for awareness are a better option, unless you find them uncomfortable.

Battery Life

The 1MORE S30 buds last for 10 hours on a charge and the case adds another 20 hours. These are perfectly acceptable numbers, even if the buds fell slightly short of those times in my testing because I usually had the volume near the max when using them outside. 

However, given that the buds and case are quite large, it would have been good to get more battery life. The 1MORE Fit Open Earbuds S50 are similar in size and offer 11 hours on the buds and another 27 in the case.

Are The 1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30 Worth It?

The 1MORE S30 buds are an excellent option for anyone looking for open workout or running headphones. The combination of price and performance is a winning one, since they are so much cheaper than the top open buds on the market, while still performing well. 

If you want to upgrade the sound quality while sticking with open headphones then the Cleer Arc II are the best option, while the Shokz OpenFit are the most comfortable and also sound great. The 1MORE Fit Open Earbuds S50 have also impressed me so far in my testing, and are cheaper than the Shokz and Cleer buds.

There are three areas in which the best workout headphones need to excel: fit, sound quality and battery life. For me, fit is the most important because continually adjusting a loose bud is irritating at the best of times, but especially hard to do when holding dumbbells.

My dislike of a loose fit means that all the top gym buds below are reliably secure on this front, no matter how intense your workout is. Once you can be sure the buds stay firmly in place, then other factors like great sound quality and battery life come into play, along with useful extras like passive and active noise cancellation. You can also rest assured that all the below are water-resistant enough to stand up to sweaty sessions, and many offer waterproofing beyond that standard.

How I Test Workout Headphones

I am primarily a runner and try all the headphones I review with several runs, but I also use them for a variety of gym workouts, including strength sessions, cardio machines and yoga.

The Best Workout Headphones

There are better headphones than the Elite 4 Active on this list—including Jabra’s Elite 8 Active buds—but the balance of price and features you get from the Elite 4 is outstanding. They offer all the features of more expensive buds, and while their sound and ANC isn’t as good as on other models, they’re solid on these fronts and work well as cross-over lifestyle/sports headphones.

The headphones are contenders for the best-value sports headphones, if the fit works for you—they have no wings or ear hooks, though I found they stayed in place securely during a variety of indoor and outdoor workouts. The Jabra Elite 4 Active are also often in sales, and can be found for less than $100/£100.

The battery life is impressive, at seven hours on the buds, with another 21 in the case. You can adjust the EQ in the partner app, and because they don’t have wings or a hook they’re comfortable to wear for long stretches when not exercising.

Find out what else earns this pair a place on our best workout headphones list in my Jabra Elite 4 Active review

These get the fundamentals right, with a 15-hour battery life (plus another 55 hours in the case), an ear hook for a secure fit and solid sound quality. And you get all that for $99/£99.99 at most—the buds are almost always reduced in my experience. 

The extra features are hit and miss: I found the active noise cancellation (ANC) blocked a disappointingly small amount of sound, but the adjustable Be Aware mode is excellent, letting just enough ambient noise in so you can hear what’s going on around you without ruining your music. The poor ANC is a minor quibble given the other positives you’re getting from these headphones, most notably that excellent battery life.

Read more about my experience with the best value workout headphones in my JLab Epic Air Sport ANC review

The 1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30 offer a cheaper open option than the Cleer Arc II and most bone conduction buds, and are excellent value given that they sound pretty good, fit securely and last 10 hours on a charge. They’re not as comfortable as some open buds with a hook, and the sound doesn’t match the Cleer Arc II buds, but the S30 headphones are less than half the price of top-open options and easily outperform their price.

I’ve used the S30 headphones for runs, strength workouts and a yoga session and they stayed in place reliably. The only fit complaint I had was that the hook dug into the back of my ear after an hour or two of use. That does lessen their appeal for general use alongside workouts, but for those seeking extra awareness during training they are a great value pick.

Read more in my 1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30 Review

This is a silly price for headphones as good as the JLab Go Air Pop, which offer similar features to headphones that cost five times as much. The sound quality is solid, the battery life excellent and I found the fit good too, though the lack of wings or an ear hook may mean they’re not the best pick for those who regularly engage in energetic HIIT workouts with lots of jumping. If that’s you, I’d recommend checking out the JLab Go Air Sport, which are a little more expensive but have an ear hook design for a more secure fit.

One feature I particularly like about the Go Air Pop and other JLab headphones is that the charging cable is built into the case so you don’t lose it. Unless you lose the case, of course, but then you have bigger problems since you can’t charge the buds at all without the case.

Find out more about these best budget workout headphones in my JLab Go Air Pop review

The Elite 8 Active are at the top of Jabra’s range of sports headphones and, given that, you’ll perhaps wonder why I’ve picked the Elite 4 Active ahead of them for best overall buds. That’s down to the balance of value and features on the Elite 4 Active—because the Elite 8 Active are an upgrade in pretty much every way. I rate them better than anything else you can get at their price, including the Beats Fit Pro.

The Elite 8 Active look similar to the Elite 4 Active but they have a ShakeGrip coating that improves the fit and offer Dolby Spatial Audio along with improved ANC. The battery life is also better, especially if you turn the ANC off, in which case you can get up to 14 hours from the earbuds, which is fantastic.

Read more in our Jabra Elite 8 Active review

The QC Earbuds II are Bose’s top-of-the-range in-ear lifestyle headphones, offering best-in-class ANC and terrific sound quality as you’d expect, and the stability bands the buds come with offer a secure enough fit for sports use as well. The headphones come with bands and tips in three sizes, and you can buy a set of XS and XL tips/bands from Bose if your ear holes don’t match that size range. I found that picking up the XL bands was worth doing for sports use, just for the extra security of fit they create.

As a result the QC Earbuds II are fantastic headphones for both general life and the gym. The fit is comfortable for many hours of use even when using the large stability band for extra security during workouts. The headphones also have an awareness mode and last six hours on a charge even with the ANC enabled.

Before you spend that kind of money, we’re sure you’ll want to know more, so read my in-depth Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II review

Sennheiser’s sportiest truly wireless buds offer the fantastic sound quality you expect from the brand. The Focus EQ mode offers clear and natural sound, and the Aware mode powers up the bass.

Unlike Sennheiser’s other truly wireless headphones, the Sport True Wireless have wings to create a secure fit for exercise. I found that these compensated for the chunky size of the buds, though they’re not the most comfortable to wear for long periods. The battery life is up there with the best at nine hours, with another 18 in the case. 

There are no ANC or awareness modes with the headphones, however, and while Sennheiser includes two kinds of ear tips—one to block more external noise and one that lets in more external sounds—I found that swapping between them didn’t make much difference.

Read more about these great-sounding workout headphones in my Sennheiser Sport True Wireless review

The Tribit Flybuds 3 are another top option for bargain-hunters, and they have a more secure fit than the JLab Go Air Pop because they come with wings in three sizes. The sound quality matches that of headphones that cost twice as much, and Tribit continues to improve the buds, which now have more battery life and a better waterproof rating than when I tested them. The battery life in particular is excellent, with eight hours on the buds and another 142 in the case.

Read more about these bargain workout headphones in my Tribit Flybuds 3 review

The Powerbeats Pro are elder statesmen of the wireless headphone world, having come out in 2019, but they still more than hold their own and I prefer them to the newer Beats Fit Pro. These offer ANC and have a smaller in-ear design that uses a wing to keep the buds in place during workouts, but I found this wing uncomfortable and the fit of the Powerbeats Pro is more reliable in the gym thanks to its earhook.

Their battery life is impressive too—the buds last for nine hours before they need to go back in their case for a recharge. The ear hook design means there’s no chance of the bud being dislodged during workouts, whether you’re running, doing burpees or head-banging to your gym playlist. The sound quality also impresses and while the RRP seems eye-wateringly high, the Powerbeats Pro are almost always available at a big discount, and I often notice they are reduced substantially during sales periods like Black Friday.

Discover how outrageously quick they are to charge in my Beats Powerbeat Pro review

If you prefer to use over-ear headphones in the gym, the Beats Studio Pro have a comfortable and secure fit that keeps them in place for a variety of workouts, including weights sessions, core workouts and treadmill runs. They can get a bit hot, and I wouldn’t do my sweatiest workouts in them because the headphones don’t have an IP rating to indicate their water resistance, but for lower-intensity sessions they work well. 

While they are expensive and not as practical for workouts as the best in-ear buds on this list, the Studio Pro headphones deliver better sound and ANC in particular than in-ear buds. They also last a long time on a charge and you can get four hours of playback from just 10 minutes of charging, which is handy if you find they’re out of juice just before a workout or a long trip.

The knitted ear cushions and inner headband on these headphones are removable and washable, so you can wear them in the gym confident that you’ll be able to clean the sweat off afterwards. I found that the tight fit of the headset can become slightly uncomfortable if worn for long stretches at your desk, but it’s ideal to keep the RPT-01 cans in place during a workout. The 40 hours of battery and excellent sound you get as a result of the bigger on-ear design is a major positive compared with in-ear options. That said, while they’ll stay put for strength training, you may well find in-ear buds are more secure for plyometric exercises and treadmill workouts. 

The AirPods Pro 2 sound fantastic and offer exceptional active noise cancellation given how small they are. The battery life has been improved over the original AirPods Pro too: The buds last six hours on a charge even when using ANC, and you can now change the volume by swiping on the stem of the headphones.

I sometimes find the fit of the in-ear buds too loose during workouts, but if you don’t experience this problem then the AirPods Pro 2 are simply top-notch all-round headphones you can also use in the gym. They don’t come cheap, however, and there is better value out there, especially in Jabra’s range of in-ear buds.

Read more in my Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are the most comfortable and best-sounding open headphones, with an innovative design where the buds clip onto the side of your ear, which also means they’re easier to wear alongside glasses because they don’t hook over the top of your ear. 

I found that they were comfortable to wear for several hours at a time, and stayed in place during a variety of workouts, including strength sessions and a lot of running. They’re not fully waterproof but their IPX4 rating is enough to see off sweat and rain without any durability fears.

Where they stand out from other open buds, however, is their sound quality. The speaker that hooks inside your ear without blocking it delivers crisp and powerful sound, with more impressive bass than I’ve come across with other open buds. They’re expensive, but if you’re all in on awareness with your workout headphones, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are the best you can get.

Read more in my Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review

Once known as AfterShokz, Shokz is the dominant force in the bone conduction headphones market, and the OpenRun are the best buds in its range. They’re cheaper than the OpenRun Pro, have a higher waterproof rating, and sound very similar. These headphones have a lightweight open design that allows you to remain aware of your surroundings while still enjoying your audio, which is delivered via your cheekbones.

The sound quality you get from this process is not as good as with in-ear buds, but I found it’s still enjoyable to listen to music and audiobooks and on the sound front the OpenRun are better than cheaper sets of bone conduction buds. The battery life is good at eight hours, and you get 90 minutes of playback from a 10-minute charge.

The OpenRun headphones come in two sizes, and the Mini version has a 0.83in (21mm) shorter band. This means it sticks out less from the back of your head, which is handy when doing exercises where you lie with your head on the floor or a bench. I prefer the snug fit of the Mini in general, and they are identical to the standard OpenRun headphones for features and battery life.

Find out why I think this cheaper pair are better workout headphones than the OpenRun Pro in my Shokz OpenRun review

These bone conduction MP3 headphones don’t have Bluetooth, but they do have 4GB of storage for your music and podcasts, and they’re IP68-rated, meaning they are waterproof enough to withstand two hours of submersion in water up to two meters deep. The bone conduction technology also works wonders in the pool thanks to the special swim EQ setting which is required to reduce the bass because of how well sound travels under the surface. It takes a moment or two to get the headphones positioned with goggles and a swimming cap, but once they’re in place, there are no better buds for swimmers looking to reduce the monotony of logging laps in the pool.

Find out more about our experience with these headphones in the pool in my Shokz OpenSwim review

Workout Headphones Buyer’s Guide

Key features to look out for in workout headphones.

Style

In-ear headphones are the most popular workout buds, with a range of options available to suit all budgets. Open headphones that don’t block the ear canal are becoming more popular, since they allow you to stay aware of your surroundings while listening to your audio. Bone conduction headphones are a popular kind of open bud, while another type is headphones that have a speaker near your ear canal but don’t block it. If you’re sticking to fairly slow-moving workouts, on-ear buds can be a good option too, though they tend to get unpleasantly sweaty or fall off if you’re doing anything too vigorous.

Fit

The number one thing to look for is a secure fit because it doesn’t matter how good the buds are if they fall out of your ears when you get sweaty or start jumping around in workouts. Some headphones use wing-tips or a hook to make them more secure; the downside being this can make them uncomfortable. Others rely on the in-ear tip and a lightweight design, although I’ve found this rarely works for me. I usually need a hook or a wing-tip with my workout headphones to stay in place.

Sound quality

You definitely want workout buds to sound good to help motivate you through your training. In-ear or even on-ear buds usually sound the best compared to open and bone conduction headphones. For the most part, the more you pay the better the sound you get. However, the days of cheap headphones sounding dreadful are over. You can get buds that are enjoyable to listen to for less than $100/£100.

Most headphones now have a partner app that allows you to customize the EQ settings on the buds, which is useful in getting the precise soundscape you want.

Battery life

Even the smallest in-ear buds should last at least five hours on a charge, but some will go for more than 10 hours. The bigger the buds, the better the battery life, usually, and most truly wireless headphones of all types come with a case that doubles as a charger. This means you can go weeks without needing to plug anything in to charge.

Water resistance

The most water-resistant headphones will have an IPX7 or IPX8 rating, which means they’re waterproof. However, you don’t need such a high rating for workout buds. In my testing, I’ve found that any buds with a rating of IPX4 or higher are untroubled by sweat and rain during workouts over long-term use. I’ve tested buds with a rating of IPX2 as well, which have been fine in limited testing, although I’d recommend looking for a minimum of IPX4 with workout headphones.

Of course, that’s for general use, not swimming. If you’re looking for swimming headphones then IPX8 as a minimum is wise, and note that Bluetooth doesn’t work underwater so you’ll need headphones with MP3 storage or a wired connection to a waterproof music player.

Active noise cancellation (ANC)

It’s not essential for workouts, but ANC is a useful extra that can help you focus by filtering out (annoying) gym music, and also makes the headphones more useful outside of training, especially when traveling. ANC is available on headphones at most price points, but as with sound quality the more you pay the better the performance. The best buds for ANC I’ve tested, so far, have been the Bose QC Earbuds II and Apple AirPods Pro 2, which cost more than $200/£200.

Awareness

Awareness comes in two forms. Either buds have an awareness/transparency mode that uses mics to filter in external sounds alongside audio—this is common on in-ear buds—or they’re designed to not block your ear canal, so you can hear the surroundings. This is especially useful for outdoor workouts, but it’s often handy to hear what’s going on around you in the gym too.

Controls

It’s useful to be able to control playback, raise and lower the volume and answer/end calls without getting your phone out during workouts, and most headphones offer a version of this. Buttons are usually more reliable to use with sweaty fingers, in my experience, but touch-panel controls are now more common. These can be fiddly and annoying to use, or well designed, and so it can be a lottery as to which is the case—even expensive headphones can mess this up. I dive into how easy to use the controls are on headphones in my reviews but, in terms of what to look for, it’s handy to be able to customize the controls in a partner app.

It’s always exciting when an Apple product gets a big discount, especially a new one like the 2023 version of the AirPods Pro 2, which have been reduced from $249 to $189 in the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days event.

However, $189 is still a lot of money, especially when you can get my favorite all-round set of sports headphones for just $69.99 in the Prime Day sale (or £66.49 in the UK). The Jabra Elite 4 Active came out last year, but they’re still right up there with the best workout headphones, and this is a huge 42% discount on the $119.99 RRP.

The Jabra Elite 4 Active offer everything you want in sports headphones. The fit is secure, despite not having any wings, and the lack of wings mean they are more comfortable than other buds to wear for long periods. I usually find that in-ear buds fall out of my ears when running, but Jabra’s headphones are the exception to that, and the Elite 4 Active stayed in place for me during a variety of workouts when I tested them.

Along with the reliable fit, you get good sound quality and active noise cancellation from the buds, plus Jabra’s HearThrough mode, which allows you to hear your surroundings, a handy feature when running or cycling outside while using them. 

I’d say the sound quality and ANC are good for $120 buds, so exceptional for $70, but it’s not as good as on more expensive buds like the Jabra Elite 8 Active or AirPods Pro 2, so that might be one reason to spend more. 

Given their small size, the Elite 4 Active headphones impress on the battery life front as well. The buds last seven hours, and you get another 21 hours from the case. They also have an actual button on them to control playback, which is easier to use during workouts than the touch controls on most sports headphones.

You can get better workout headphones than the Jabra Elite 4 Active, but not for $120, and certainly not for $70. This is the best sports headphones deal in the Prime Day sale.

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are among the best running headphones, but whether they work for you depends heavily on the fit. For some people, the in-ear buds nestle comfortably and securely in the ear with no problems, for others, they shake loose when you start running and get a little sweaty.

I’m in the latter camp, unfortunately. I constantly have to prod the AirPods Pro 2 back into place on the run or they’ll drop out of my ears. This is a great shame as they are brilliant buds for running otherwise, largely thanks to the excellent transparency mode which allows you to hear your surroundings as well as your audio. Unlike similar modes on other buds, with the AirPods Pro 2 you don’t just hear wind noise, because it is effectively filtered out.

They are such good workout headphones that I decided to find a solution to my fit woes, and ended up with two. Both involve buying extra accessories, but the good news is these are cheap and widely available.

The first solution I landed on was to buy third-party silicone wings. There are many different options available on Amazon and elsewhere and these immediately create a very secure fit. The downside of using wings is that they don’t fit into the AirPods Pro 2’s case, so you have to put them on and take them off each time you use them which makes them easy to lose.

My second solution is to buy a set of memory foam ear-tips. Again these are cheap and many options are available—Comply’s tips are probably the best known, but I used a cheaper brand I’d never heard of and the tips are fine. You need to buy tips made specifically for the AirPods Pro 2, because of the way they click into the headphones.

I’ve run several times with the memory foam tips, as well as doing a strength workout, and the fit is much more secure than with the standard silicone tips. I found that inserting the buds like earplugs also helped—I pull my ear up and back while putting the headphones in, which seems to make it easier to get them deeper into my ear canal.

The memory foam tips are the same size as Apple’s silicone ones so the headphones still fit into their case, and they are more comfortable than using the wings, even if I don’t find them quite as comfortable for extended use as Apple’s silicone tips. Some people also find that using memory foam tips creates a better seal and improves sound quality, though I haven’t noticed a difference.

If neither solution works for you, then there are many other great sets of running headphones that have a more secure fit. The Jabra Elite 8 Active are in-ear buds that stay in place for me, and the Bose QC Earbuds II come with wings to create a more reliable fit. I also find that the AirPods 3 stay in place for me because they don’t have the in-ear tip.

Jabra has been making some of the best workout headphones for several years, and its Elite 4 Active were my top pick, not only for gym sessions but also in our best running headphones round-up.

I preferred the Elite 4 Active to the more expensive Jabra Elite 7 Active because the extra features on the 7 Active weren’t compelling enough to tempt me. The Jabra Elite 8 Active are a clear upgrade on the 4 and 7 headphones, and are one of the top sets of sports headphones on the market. Even so, there remains the option to go for Jabra’s cheaper buds, or perhaps spend more to get better sound and ANC from the Apple AirPods Pro 2 or Bose QC Earbuds II.

Jabra Elite 8 Active Review: Price And Availability

The Jabra Elite 8 Active headphones launched in August 2023 and cost $199.99 in the US and £199.99 in the UK. The Jabra Elite 7 Active and Elite 4 Active buds are cheaper options in the range at $179.99/£169.99 and $119.99/£119.99 respectively.

How I Tested These Headphones

I used the Jabra Elite 8 Active for two weeks, putting them in for several runs, as well as a strength workout. I also used them when traveling and in the office. I’ve tested Jabra’s other sports headphones, and most of the best workout earbuds on the market from other brands.

Design, Controls And FIt

The Jabra Elite 8 Active have a similar look and feel to other buds from the brand. There’s an in-ear design with a multifunction button on each bud, and Jabra’s ShakeGrip coating to create a more secure fit. This also appears on the Elite 7 Active buds, but not the Elite 4 Active.

Jabra’s earbuds have consistently been the most secure-fitting in-ear buds I’ve tested, while most wingless buds from other brands squirm out of my ears when running. I’ve no such problems with Jabra’s headphones, and the Elite 8 Active remained secure no matter how sweaty I got. This is partly because they don’t have wings. The Elite 8 Active are comfortable to wear for long periods, and I could use them for a run and then a few hours of work without discomfort. 

The Elite 8 Active have an IP68 rating, which means they’re waterproof, sweatproof and dustproof. Jabra says they are drop-resistant and backs up this claim with a two-year warranty against dust and water damage. The case is IP54 rated, so it’s not completely waterproof, but will withstand sweat and rain if shoved into a backpack or running belt. The case is small and pocketable, if not as small as some, such as the case of the Apple Airpods Pro 2.

Jabra deserves credit for the controls on the Elite 8 Active buds. Both have a button that allows you to control playback and volume easily during workouts, and it’s hard to hit this button accidentally—a problem I frequently encounter when using sports headphones with a touchpanel instead of a physical button. You can also turn the buds off without having to put them back in the case, a rare feature with truly wireless in-ear buds.

Sound Quality

The Elite 8 Active are Jabra’s first sports-focused buds to have Dolby Spatial Audio, and this delivers an upgrade in sound quality over the Elite 4 Active and Elite 7 Active buds. It’s not available on all audio, but I tested it with Apple Music and it added depth to all genres of music. You can adjust the EQ in the partner app using five sliders, and save your settings to add to the presets.

Having tested many sets of Jabra buds in the past, the Elite 8 Active are the best for sound quality. I’ve not come across any headphones that sound better for less than $200/£200. If you spend more on the Apple AirPods Pro 2 or Bose QC Earbuds II you get an upgrade in sound quality, with buds that sound clearer and brighter to me. 

ANC and Awareness

Jabra has improved the ANC on the Elite 8 Active buds compared with the Elite 7 Active and Elite 4 Active. I found that the new buds filtered out more sound, in particular when traveling. The ANC is 1.6x stronger than standard Jabra ANC, according to Jabra.

The buds have a button-activated HearThrough feature that allows you to hear external noise when it’s necessary or safer to do so, which is handy when running in built-up areas. Thanks to the ANC and HearThrough modes the buds do a good job of filtering out wind noise most of the time when exercising outdoors, though I’d occasionally get a sudden and strange blast of wind, perhaps owing to the adaptive ANC changing a setting.

As with the sound quality, the Elite 8 Active’s ANC is as good as, if not better than, anything I’ve come across on buds under $200/£200. However, once again, you will get notably better ANC with the Bose QC Earbuds II and the AirPods Pro 2.

Battery Life

The Jabra Elite 8 Active buds are listed as lasting for eight hours with the ANC on and 14 hours with it off. In their case and with ANC off you get 56 hours, which is huge. It’s then 32 hours total if you are using ANC. A fast-charge feature nets you an hour of playback on the buds from five minutes in the case.

I had the ANC or HearThrough mode on throughout my testing and found the battery drained a little faster than the listed numbers—perhaps because I had the volume fairly high with bass ramped up on the EQ. The buds still lasted around seven hours, though. The battery life is an impressive feature, especially with the ANC off.

Are The Jabra Elite 8 Active Worth It?

The Jabra Elite 8 Active are excellent workout headphones. They are the best you can get at their price, with a durable design that fits well, great sound quality and ANC, long battery life and useful controls.

I prefer them to their main rivals at the price—the Beats Fit Pro—which are less comfortable and have annoying controls, though some may need the extra security of fit you get from the wing tip on the Beats buds.

You can upgrade on sound and ANC by going for more expensive headphones like the Apple AirPods Pro 2 or Bose QC Earbuds II, though I prefer the fit of the Jabras for sport, and you get a higher IP rating and longer battery life with them too. For me, the Elite 8 Active were better workout and running headphones, but for cross-over use outside of workouts as well the Apple and Bose buds are tempting.

The harder question might be whether it’s worth getting the Elite 8 Active over the cheaper Jabra buds that are available. The Elite 8 Active buds are better in almost every way, but the price difference to the Elite 4 Active is $80/£80, and the Elite 4 Active are still great workout headphones with similar features. The Elite 8 Active’s ShakeGrip coating helps with the security of the fit compared with the smoother Elite 4 Active buds, but the latter still stayed in place for me during workouts.

In my opinion, open-fit headphones like the Nothing Ear (stick) or Apple AirPods 3 are often underrated for sports use. If the fit is secure—and I acknowledge they fall out of some people’s ears during workouts—they offer a good balance of awareness and sound quality, and are more comfortable to wear for long stretches than in-ear buds.

The Nothing Ear (stick) headphones don’t match the sound quality of in-ear buds, or the AirPods 3, and they also lack noise cancellation. So overall, they’re not as good as the best workout headphones, but if you prefer an open-fit design they are a decent option as a cheaper alternative to Apple’s buds.

Nothing Ear (stick) Review: Price And Availability

The Nothing Ear (stick) headphones launched in October 2022 and have an RRP of $99 in the US and £99 in the UK, though they are currently reduced on the Nothing site to $79/£69. They are more affordable than the Apple AirPods 3, which are $179/£179.

How I Tested These Headphones

I’ve been using the Nothing Ear (stick) headphones frequently for the past couple of months and have racked up many runs while wearing them, along with workouts including a couple of cycles and strength sessions. I have also tested Nothing’s other headphones, the Nothing Ear (1) and Nothing Ear (2) in-ear buds, along with a variety of the best running headphones.

Design, Fit and Controls

Across its range, design is a key part of what Nothing offers—the see-through sections on its headphones and innovative cases catch the eye. I adore the case of the Nothing Ear (stick) headphones, which is a cylinder you rotate to open. It’s small and easy to pop into a pocket or backpack during workouts, and also a lot of fun to fiddle with. 

The headphones have see-through stems and a white bud that sits inside the ear without entering the ear canal. This means that there’s no passive noise cancellation, but also that they’re comfortable to wear for hours since no pressure is applied to the ear.

Owing to this open-fit style, the buds will not be secure enough for everyone to exercise with. I found that they sat in my ear without falling out during runs and cycles, but during strength (and particularly HIIT) workouts the buds shook loose. However, I have bigger problems with the fit of in-ear buds like the Nothing Ear (2), which squirmed loose and dropped out when I got sweaty. Overall, I prefer the fit of the (stick) headphones, especially for running. 

The open-fit design also means you get more awareness of your surroundings, which is handy for outdoor runs and cycles. It’s not as much awareness as you get from completely open headphones like the Shokz OpenRun, but the Nothing Ear (stick) has better sound quality.

With a water resistance rating of IP54 the Nothing Ear (stick) headphones are not fully waterproof, but that’s high enough so that I haven’t any concerns about their ability to shrug off sweat and rain during workouts.

As with the AirPods 3, you squeeze the stem of the Nothing Ear (stick) headphones to control playback. You can customize four controls on the buds, and a single squeeze is locked as play/pause and answer/end calls. The controls are easy to use, even during workouts.

Sound Quality And Awareness

Open-fit headphones can’t match the sound quality of in-ear buds, and the Nothing Ear (stick) headphones also don’t deliver the sound of the much pricier Apple AirPods 3, but you can’t call them terrible. You can adjust the EQ in the app, which can help beef up the bass, though this is lacking compared with in-ear headphones. The sound is clear and bright in the upper ranges, and it’s loud enough to hear even when running by busy roads.

If sound quality is your most important feature in headphones, then the Nothing Ear (stick) buds are not for you. When using them away from workouts I missed the better sound and noise cancellation of in-ear headphones. This was particularly the case when traveling on trains.

However, they deliver OK sound and allow for more awareness than in-ear options, which is important if you exercise outdoors a lot and don’t want to use bone-conduction headphones, which sacrifice sound quality for their completely open design.

You can enable a noise reduction feature with the Nothing Ear (stick) headphones, but this didn’t make a noticeable difference to background noise for me, and it reduces battery life. It’s worth testing to see if it makes a difference for you, since the experience will vary depending on how the buds sit in your ear, but it’s nothing like even the passive noise cancellation you get from in-ear headphones.

Battery Life

The Nothing Ear (stick) headphones last seven hours on a charge, and the case adds another 22 hours. You can also get two hours of playback from a 10-minute charge in the case. In my testing, the buds lived up to the numbers given by Nothing.

Are The Nothing Ear (stick) Headphones Worth It?

Despite my reservations about sound quality and fit, I enjoyed using the Nothing Ear (stick) headphones. They have a charm, thanks to the appealing design, as well as a comfortable fit that was secure enough for me when running and cycling. 

If you like open-fit headphones, then the Apple AirPods 3 are the best I’ve tested, but the Nothing Ear (stick) are a viable alternative at a much lower price. If you don’t have a problem with in-ear buds then the Jabra Elite 4 Active offer better sound than the Nothing buds, as well as ANC, at a similar price. Another appealing option at around the same price are the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC, which have ear hooks for a reliable fit.

The design of the Nothing Ear (2) inevitably draws comparisons with Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, since they’re similar-looking, though the see-through design of the Nothing buds distinguishes them from Apple and other rivals. 

However, you should also think of the Nothing Ear (2) buds as a cheaper alternative to those Apple headphones, because they are—and they have similar features too. However, they don’t match the sound quality and active noise cancellation on the best workout headphones.

Overall, the buds live up to their relatively modest price, although I prefer the fit, sound and battery life of the Jabra Elite 4 Active (and the Jabra buds are cheaper).

Nothing Ear (2) Headphones Review: Price And Availability

The Nothing Ear (2) headphones launched in March 2023 and cost $149 in the US and £129 in the UK. 

Design, Controls And Fit

These Nothing buds come in two colors, black and white, both with a see-through stem. They are small and lightweight, weighing 4.5g apiece, and sit comfortably in the ears for long periods of use, with ear tips in three sizes in the case to help you get a secure fit.

I tend to struggle to keep in-ear headphones like these in my ears during workouts. This was the case with the Nothing Ear (2) buds, which gradually squirmed loose over the course of a run, indoor cycle or strength workout, once I started to sweat.

Many people will find they fit securely enough for sport, but if you don’t, I found I could fix the fit problem with third-party silicone hooks, which are cheap and easy to find (just search Amazon for Apple Airpods Pro wings). I used ones designed for the AirPods Pro 2, and they fitted the Nothing buds perfectly. The case also has enough room to fit the hooks in alongside the buds, though you have to detach them each time.

The stem of the buds can be squeezed to control playback and swap between ANC and Transparency mode. You can choose the controls you want in the Nothing X app, where you can also swap between EQ presets and a customizable EQ option.

While the Nothing Ear (2) headphones are not explicitly designed for sports use, the IP54 water resistance rating is high enough to withstand sweat and rain. The case has an IP55 rating, so you can stick it in a running belt or backpack and need not worry about it getting sweaty.

Sound Quality

I was unimpressed with the sound of the Nothing Ear 1 headphones, but although the new buds have a similar shape Nothing has substantially improved the sound—especially the bass, which is warmer and more powerful.

At the higher ranges the headphones are bright, almost artificially so, and this verges on harshness at times. I mostly listen to alternative music and singer-songwriters and the Nothing Ear (2) headphones lack clarity and depth for this compared with the AirPods Pro 2 and Bose QC Earbuds II. Those are more expensive headphones, but I do also prefer the sound quality of the Jabra Elite 4 Active, which are cheaper than the Nothing Ear (2) buds.

For the price, the Nothing Ear (2) buds are good on sound quality, especially if you mostly listen to bass-heavy music, but they’re not exceptional.

ANC And Transparency Modes

You can choose between three levels of ANC in the companion app but, even when you opt for the highest level, the Nothing Ear (2) headphones don’t excel. On trains and when running by busy roads, the ANC will filter out a bit of noise, but it’s nothing like the silence created by the best headphones, with the Bose buds in particular standing out.

I also found that the Transparency mode was unusable during runs because it became a “wind mode”, with the sound of air rushing past the mics on the headphones blocking out any external noise I would want to hear. It’s not an uncommon problem with in-ear headphones.

Overall, the ANC and Transparency modes on the buds are useful at times, and there’s nothing that betters the Nothing buds at their price, though spending more can get you a more impressive noise-canceling experience.

Battery Life

Credit is due to Nothing for listing the battery life of the buds with and without the ANC activated. Turn it on and you get four hours from the buds, plus 18.5 more from the case. With ANC off you get a precise 6.3 hours from the buds and up to 36 in total with the case.

With the ANC on and the volume at maximum, I found the buds dropped slightly short of four hours, but you rarely need to max out the volume with the ANC on. The buds generally lived up to the battery life listed and it’s a good battery life for such small headphones, though the AirPods Pro 2 last six hours with ANC on.

Are The Nothing Ear (2) Worth It?

I enjoyed using the Nothing Ear (2) headphones and they are a viable alternative to expensive buds that offer similar features and great design, even if you do get what you pay for when it comes to sound quality and ANC. They’re a good-value pick for cross-over sports and lifestyle use, especially if you get on with the fit without the need to add your own wings. 

The main competition comes from the Jabra Elite 4 Active which, while not as stylish, are more practical. The Jabra buds stayed in place for me during workouts, despite the lack of wings, and while they’re similar to the Nothing headphones for ANC and awareness, they have longer battery life and better sound quality.

The original Cleer Arc buds were the first open headphones of their type I’d tested. They hook over the top of the ear for a speaker to rest near the ear canal without blocking it. These open “air conduction” buds rival bone conduction headphones in still allowing you to have an awareness of your surroundings (ie not noise canceling) while sounding better. The approach must work, since even bone conduction titan Shokz has now launched its set of open headphones, the OpenFit.

Cleer has upgraded the Cleer Arc buds for this second version. The case now acts as a charger for the headphones, and the sound and fit have been improved. They are among the best workout headphones you can get based on the sound quality in an open design, though I didn’t find the fit as comfortable as on other buds.

Cleer Arc II Headphones Review: Price And Availability

The Cleer Arc II Sport headphones launched in June 2023 and cost $189 in the US and £199 in the UK. That’s a big jump in price on the Cleer Arc buds, which were $129.99/£129.99, and more expensive than the Shokz OpenFit, which are $180.

Design And Fit

The Cleer Arc II Sport headphones have a similar design to the original Cleer Arc buds, with a hook that goes behind your ear and a hinged panel that “clips” them to your ear. This panel contains the speaker, which rests above your ear canal.

The fit of the buds is more secure, but this comes at a cost. I found that they put pressure on the back of my ears when I wore them for long periods. They’re also quite large and if you wear glasses or sunglasses with them, the hook can get in the way.

The new buds don’t have an on/off button on them, which is annoying at times, since you have to put them back in the case to turn them off. The other control on the buds is a touch panel, which is fiddly to use during exercise without stopping—though for the most part it works well in recognising the right amount of touches and holds to control playback without using your phone.

Head gestures are also used to control the buds. This is not something I’d recommend enabling if you run and cycle with the buds because while doing those sports I managed to repeatedly trigger the controls unintentionally. Outside of workouts, however, the motion controls are useful.

The case on the original Cleer Arc buds didn’t charge them, a criticism that Cleer has acted on with the Cleer Arc II, which comes in a case that contains a battery. It’s also smaller if heavier than the original’s case, though it loses the integrated charging cable for the case itself that I liked on the Cleer Arc.

The battery life of the buds is impressive: eight hours on the headphones, plus another 27 in the case. It’s not the smallest case and won’t be easy to carry in a pocket, but Cleer has put the room to good use with a large battery. The case also has a built-in UV-C light, which reduces bacteria on the buds while they charge.

You can link the headphones to the Cleer+ app to customize the EQ on the buds and check their battery life. However, as with the original Cleer Arc buds, I found that they often failed to connect to the app. The app also shows a step count recorded by the headphones that is delightfully optimistic. On one day it logged 18,000 steps when I’d taken 11,000, many of them when not wearing the buds.

The headphones, while not waterproof, are IPX5-rated, so they can withstand sweat or rain showers during your exercise. They offer multipoint Bluetooth connectivity to switch between two connected devices, and this worked well when moving between my phone and laptop.

Sound Quality

Sound quality is the big strength of the Cleer Arc II headphones compared with other open buds. They have a fuller, more powerful sound than any other open set I’ve tested, clear and bright in the upper ranges while delivering plenty of bass, even if they fall short on this front compared with in-ear headphones.

The volume can go loud, though when running along or cycling on busy roads I struggled to hear some podcasts, and music became more of a background murmur.

You will not be as aware of your surroundings when using the Cleer Arc II buds as when using fully open bone conduction headphones. However, I was comfortable running on quiet roads with them. The headphones find the balance of immersive sound quality and awareness well. Personally, I’d prefer in-ear buds when working out to get better bass and passive noise cancellation, but I was happy using the Cleer headphones.

Battery Life

As with the original Cleer Arc headphones, these new buds last seven hours on a charge, which drops a little if you have the volume close to the max when outside—which I did. Unlike the original headphones, the case for the Cleer Arc II also holds a charge to add another 27 hours of use, which is more than most truly wireless headphones that I’ve tested.

Are The Cleer Arc II Headphones Worth It?

If you want open buds that have the best sound quality available, the Cleer Arc II are the ones to go for. However, they are expensive, and overall I prefer the Shokz OpenFit, which still sound good and have a more comfortable design. The Oladance Open Ear headphones also sound good and have a similar hook design that’s less intrusive than the Cleer Arc II. However, the Oladance buds are even more expensive than the Cleer set.

In-ear buds still sound better. You can get fantastic-sounding in-ear sports headphones for less than the Cleer Arc II, such as the Jabra Elite 4 Active. The passive and active noise cancellation you get with these is ideal for traveling, whereas the Cleer Arc II buds aren’t going to cut it on a noisy train or plane.

Finally, if you’re really concerned about awareness during exercise, then bone conduction technology is still better on this front. The Shokz OpenRun headphones don’t sound as good as the Cleer Arc II, but they are completely open and have a comfortable and secure wraparound fit.

Shokz is the biggest name in bone conduction headphones, and models like the Shokz OpenRun are firmly among the best workout headphones. The Shokz OpenFit are the brand’s first air conduction headphones and are an attempt to rival similar buds, such as the Cleer Arc II and Oladance Open Ear headphones.

For the most part, the Shokz OpenFit are a success. They sound better than bone conduction headphones while offering awareness of your surroundings. I found the fit excellent, though I know others have struggled with that. I consider them among the best running headphones but they are a niche product, since they still aren’t ideal for lifestyle use because the open design can be problematic, particularly when traveling. 

Shokz OpenFit Review: Price And Availability

The Shokz OpenFit launched in June 2023 and cost $179.95 in the US and £179 in the UK. That’s more expensive than any of Shokz’s bone conduction headphones, with the OpenRun Pro costing $159.95/£159.95.

Design And Fit

Unlike Shokz’s bone conduction headphones, which have a band design that hooks over your ears, the OpenFit buds are individual headphones, and each hooks over the top of your ear so that a speaker rests near the ear canal. This is how sound is delivered without blocking the ears, whereas with bone conduction it’s achieved through vibrating pads that rest on your cheekbones. This air-conduction approach isn’t new—others like Cleer and Bose have used it in recent years.

The silicone hook on the headphones is flexible and I found the fit superb. It was secure enough for a variety of workouts including running, while also being comfortable over long periods. The OpenFit are the most comfortable and unobtrusive open hook headphones I’ve tested. Others, like the Cleer Arc II, put pressure on the tops of my ears. However, other reviewers have found the OpenFit loose, and not ideal for sports use as a result.

The buds have an IP54 water-resistance rating, which is not as high as the ratings on the OpenRun and OpenRun Pro headphones, but is still good enough to ensure they will withstand sweat and rain.

There are touchpads on the outside of the headphones that control playback, with taps and holds. You can customize the controls on the headphones with the Shokz app, but you’re limited to two controls per earbud—one for a double tap and one for a hold. These controls can include volume, as well as play/pause and skip, and you can activate your phone’s voice assistant using them.

Sound Quality

The OpenFit introduce Shokz’s DirectPitch technology for audio and have a fuller, more powerful sound profile than the brand’s bone conduction buds, which made it enjoyable to listen to a wide variety of music. You can customize the EQ of the headphones in the app, and that includes a bass boost option that delivers booming bass—or as booming as it gets in open headphones.

They are also loud enough to use when running by or cycling on busy roads, which is not the case with bone conduction headphones in my experience. The trade-off is that you’re less aware of your surroundings than when using bone conduction headphones—the OpenFit sit between in-ear and bone conduction buds in this aspect.

When traveling on trains, however, music and podcasts fade into the background because of the open design. I missed having in-ear buds for these situations. 

Otherwise, I was happy to use the OpenFit as my main headphones all the time because of the upgrade in sound quality they offer—and they don’t leak sound to annoy those around you. More committed audiophiles will miss the extra power and clarity of the best in-ear headphones.

Battery Life

The OpenFit headphones have a carry case that is also a charger and, Shokz says, 28 hours of battery life. The buds hold seven, with a further 21 hours from the case, and a five-minute charge is meant to yield one hour of playback. I found that the actual battery life depends on what you’re listening to, and the EQ you use. When I stuck with the standard EQ and mostly listened to podcasts I’d get the numbers listed by Shokz, but when I turned on the bass boost, increased the volume to the max and listened to music, the battery life fell. 

With a mix of sports and lifestyle use the OpenFit still lasted me a couple of weeks, and the battery life boost you get from having a case-charger means they are more convenient than Shokz’s bone conduction bands—which last longer on charge than the OpenFit headphones, but have to be plugged in directly more frequently than the OpenFit case.

Shokz OpenFit vs Shokz OpenRun Pro and OpenRun

I’ve been using the Shokz OpenRun Mini (which are the same as the OpenRun but with a shorter band, so they stick out less) as my main running headphones this year, and the OpenFit are an upgrade in sound quality. The convenience of having a case-charger is also useful.

When doing hard runs I often go to a flat area that has sections by a busy road where I can’t hear audio on the OpenRun and OpenRun Pro, but this was not a problem with the OpenFit. In fact, I have to turn the music down on the OpenFit when running on a road because I’m less aware of what’s around me than when using the OpenRun buds.

The OpenRun headphones are comfortable and secure and I don’t really notice them when wearing them, but that’s also true of the OpenFit buds for me—even if I know others have found them looser than the OpenRun band design.

Cost is a major factor when comparing the two, since the OpenRun Pro and OpenRun headphones are cheaper than the OpenFit. The OpenRun headphones are $50/£50 less than the OpenFit, and I consider them a better-value pick.

Although the OpenFit are better for lifestyle use, they still fall short on this front in certain situations such as traveling. You may find that  choosing the OpenRun over the OpenFit for situations when you need more awareness and then putting the money you save towards some in-ear buds for situations when those are preferable is a more satisfying all-round solution.

Are The Shokz OpenFit Worth It?

If the fit works for you as well as it has for me, the Shokz OpenFit headphones are excellent for sports and have benefits for general use as well, even though there were times when I craved the better sound and noise cancellation of in-ear buds.

They offer a nice balance of sound quality and awareness that tilts more towards the former than bone conduction headphones, and are the best all-round open headphones I’ve tried. The Cleer Arc II headphones offer marginally better sound, but the fit was uncomfortable for me. That said, if you find the OpenFit loose, the stronger ear clip design of the Cleer Arc II may be better.

The price is high, however, and there is a case for getting the cheaper Shokz OpenRun if you need open headphones. You can also get in-ear buds with great sound and transparency modes like the Jabra Elite 4 Active for less than the OpenFit, though the truly open design of the OpenFit is better for awareness than these transparency modes.

Business is booming in the bone conduction headphones market, with many companies taking their shot at dethroning Shokz and its range. The Mojawa Run Plus have a better claim than most to rival the Shokz OpenRun as the best workout headphones (for those who prefer an open design) because of the dual Bluetooth/MP3 playback and good sound quality they offer.

I found them to be among the best running headphones in my testing, and good for cycling and strength workouts as well. My only concerns with the Mojawa Run Plus were that the fit became uncomfortable when worn for 90 minutes or more and the battery life dropped off faster than advertised.

Mojawa Run Plus Review: Price And Availability

The Mojawa Run Plus headphones launched in June 2023 and cost $159.90, which puts them among the most expensive bone conduction headphones I’ve tested. The Shokz OpenRun Pro are $129.95, though they don’t offer MP3 playback.

How I Tested These Headphones

I’ve been wearing the Mojawa Run Plus for a variety of workouts over the past couple of weeks, as well as for occasional use when not training. I’ve done several runs with them, plus a few indoor and outdoor bike rides and a strength workout. I’ve not tested any previous models from Mojawa, but have tested a range of bone conduction headphones (and other open headphones) from several brands, including the entire Shokz range.

Design And Fit

The Mojawa Run Plus headphones have a thin and flexible titanium alloy frame that feels robust. They are light and fit securely. It’s easy to forget you’re wearing them at first, but over longer periods I started to get discomfort on the top and back of my ear.

That is down to the design. Along with a pad that sits on your cheekbone, there is another pod that rests against the back of your ear, and I found this meant the hook over the top was pulled down on top of the ear. It’s just enough pressure to become mildly uncomfortable over time. It’s not a huge problem and I imagine the skin in those areas would toughen up if using the Mojawa headphones long-term, but they are less comfortable than the Shokz headphones I’ve used.

These are surprisingly small headphones, given that they offer 32GB of storage for audio, and eight hours of battery life (in optimum conditions, this comes down if you have the volume set to 100%). The headphones are IP68-rated, so fully waterproof and suitable for swimming to depths of two meters.

There is a button on the left cheekpad that is used to control playback—as well as turning the headphones on and off—while swiping on a touchpad on the pod behind your right ear raises or decreases volume, along with changing the mode between normal, shuffle and repeat if using the MP3 mode. The controls work well and are easy to use while on the run.

Sound Quality

Bone conduction headphones are unlikely to ever match the sound quality of in-ear headphones, purely because they don’t offer any passive noise cancellation and you can’t get the same bass response. However, the Mojawa Run Plus headphones sound good for open headphones, and offer more bass than I’ve come across before.

That’s helped by them having an adjustable EQ with four modes: balanced, bass boost, vocal and swim. The bass boost makes a noticeable difference and while the bass doesn’t boom with the Mojawa Run Plus, it’s more noticeable and enjoyable than on most open headphones. The only downside of this is that using the boost with particularly bassy tracks results in a lot of “cheek tickle”—a mildly irritating by-product of the vibrations you get with bone conduction headphones in general.

The headphones also have a powerful top volume, which makes them better for use when cycling on or running beside busy roads. Podcasts in particular are not completely drowned out, which I find is often the case with open buds.

Battery Life

Mojawa lists the battery life of the Run Plus headphones at eight hours, though immediately caveats that by saying that’s with the volume at 75%. As with pretty much all bone conduction headphones, I find you have to have the volume at 100% or close to it when outside, so the battery life drops to around five or six hours if that’s all you use the buds for.

There is a quick charge feature that Mojawa says will give you 1½ hours after a five-minute charge, though again this playback time comes down if you have the volume way up.

Are The Mojawa Run Plus Headphones Worth It?

The Mojawa Run Plus are good bone conduction headphones and if you plan on using the MP3 and Bluetooth modes, they are worth their high price. People who swim as well as doing other workouts will find this dual playback mode particularly useful. I like to use MP3 playback during running races so I can leave my phone behind. 

Another set of buds with dual playback are the Naenka Runner Pro, and though they are cheaper than the Mojawa Run Plus they feel less sturdy and sound worse, and the battery life drops to three hours in MP3 mode.

If you only plan on using Bluetooth then the Shokz OpenRun are a better choice, since they’re cheaper and more comfortable to wear for long periods.

I review a lot of running headphones for Coach, and as someone who runs 50-70 miles a week in training I have a lot of running time to test them. When I’m not trying out new gear for reviews, there is one set I go back to time and time again—the Shokz OpenRun Mini.

The Shokz OpenRun are the best bone conduction headphones available, because they’re cheaper than the OpenRun Pro yet offer pretty much all the same features and they actually have a higher waterproof rating. I prefer the fit of the OpenRun Mini to the standard OpenRun, since the band sits closer to the back of my head, and you don’t lose any features by opting for the Mini.

As part of the Shokz Amazon Prime Day sale, the OpenRun and OpenRun Mini headphones are reduced from $129.95 to $89.95, which is the cheapest I’ve seen them on Amazon.

The Shokz OpenRun Mini are also reduced in the Amazon Prime Day sale in the UK, dropping by 30% from £129.95 to £90.95.

As with all open headphones the awareness you get while using the Shokz OpenRun Mini is their key feature compared to in-ear buds, but they stand out from most other bone conduction headphones because they sound a little better, and have a much more comfortable fit. 

The ear hook on the buds is light and unobtrusive, and creates a very secure fit for exercise. I use the OpenRun Mini with a hat and glasses on most of my runs and the thin band doesn’t get in the way. They’re easy to forget about entirely once you put them on, which is exactly the comfort I want from headphones on the run.

Naturally the sound quality doesn’t match in-ear buds, but for listening to podcasts and music on the run it’s good enough, and getting the OpenRun Mini in a deal means that you have a bit of cash spare to also get some top-notch in-ear headphones for when you’re traveling or in the office.

Several other sets of Shokz headphones are included in the Prime Day sale and the OpenRun Pro has been reduced from $179.95 to $124.95. You might be tempted to spend the extra $35 for the Pro in the sale, since it has Pro in the name, but I urge you not to. I didn’t notice any better sound quality with the Pro, and though it lasts two more hours on a charge, the OpenRun still lasts eight hours, and has a higher water resistance rating of IP67, against the Pro’s rating of IP55.

More Prime Day Deals On Running Headphones

You may, of course, be in the market for a pair of wireless earbuds and the good news is there are plenty more excellent options with price reductions. Here they are, along with links to my reviews. 

The OpenRock Pro are open earbuds that aim to provide an awareness of your surroundings alongside solid sound quality, which is a tricky feat to achieve. They are a rival to other open buds, such as the Shokz Openrun, Sony LinkBuds and Oladance Open Ear headphones, and among the best workout headphones you can get, especially for running.

OneOdio OpenRock Pro Review: Price And Availability

The OneOdio OpenRock Pro launched in January 2023 and cost $109 in the US and £102 in the UK.

Design And Fit

The OpenRock Pro headphones have a hook design and sit on top of your ear, with a speaker resting near your ear canal rather than blocking it like an in-ear bud. This allows you to remain aware of your surroundings while listening to audio.

It’s a similar design to that of the Oladance Open Ear Headphones, but I found the fit of the OpenRock buds more intrusive. The hook shape doesn’t have much flexibility and it’s quite large and noticeable during exercise. It’s also hard to fit the headphones around glasses and they sometimes slipped out of position during runs, which moves the speaker away from the ideal position by your ear canal. 

The fit isn’t disastrous, and I ran and worked out many times using the buds without them falling off, but they are less comfortable than the Oladance buds or any of Shokz’s range of ear-hook headphones. With a water resistance rating of IPX5, the OpenRock Pro earbuds will withstand the sweat or rain you encounter in your workouts, though they are not fully waterproof.

There is a multifunction button on each earbud that controls playback. This works well and is easy to use even during sweaty workouts, unlike the touch panels that have become more common on truly wireless headphones.

The OpenRock Pro headphones come with a large carry case that also charges them: with the headphones themselves lasting 19 hours, this brings the total battery life to 46 hours.

How I Tested These Headphones

I have used the Odio OpenRock Pro earbuds for several runs indoors and outdoors, plus a yoga session, one cycle and a couple of strength workouts. I’ve also used them away from my training to check the sound quality for general use. I have also tested the Shokz range of bone conduction headphones, and other open-ear options, including the Sony Linkbuds and Cleer Arc headphones.

Sound Quality

By design, open-ear headphones will struggle to match the sound quality and the bass of in-ear buds, but there have been improvements on this front and the OpenRock Pro headphones provide a consistently reliable sound powered by 16.2mm drivers.

Music is clear and never gets distorted when you ramp up the volume, which can go loud enough for almost all situations. When running or cycling by busy roads the sound is drowned a little, but not nearly as much as with bone conduction headphones.

Of the open headphones I’ve tested, I’d say only the Oladance buds are better than the OpenRock Pro for sound quality, but the Olandace headphones are more expensive. You can also adjust the EQ with the Oladance headphones, though this didn’t tend to make a huge difference in my experience.

In-ear headphones still offer more bass and better sound quality overall, but the OpenRock Pro earbuds deliver a solid performance during outdoor workouts. There is a little sound leakage when using them in quiet environments, which might draw ire from those around you.

Battery Life

With 19 hours of battery life on the headphones, plus another 27 in the case, the OpenRock Pro earbuds offer exceptional battery life, and if you’re just using them for workouts you can go more than a month without needing to plug the case in. The buds also have a quick-charge feature that gets you an hour of playback from five minutes in the case.

This battery life is above average for wireless headphones in general, and given that other open headphones, like the Oladance and Cleer buds, have cases that aren’t chargers, this is an area where the OpenRock headphones stand out.

Are The OneOdio OpenRock Pro Wireless OpenEar Air Conduction Earbuds Worth It?

If you get on with the fit and you don’t wear glasses during workouts – or have particularly small ears – I think you will find the OpenRock Pro headphones an excellent option if you want open buds. 

I prefer the fit and sound of the Oladance headphones, but they are $179.99/£199.99. Even though the Oladance headphones are often in sales, the OpenRock buds are cheaper and their battery life is an upgrade on the Oladance, while there’s not much between the two on sound and fit.

Shokz’s bone conduction headphones offer greater awareness and a more comfortable fit, but are a downgrade in sound quality. The OpenRock Pro buds are reliable enough for sound that you can use them all the time, though you will get better sound from in-ear buds at the same price.

If you want to listen to music or podcasts while keeping your ears clear during workouts, bone-conduction headphones like the Shokz OpenRun are the most popular option available. However, they are not the only option anymore, with innovative open headphones like the Sony Linkbuds popping up, as well as several sets that sit on the top of your ear, such as the Cleer Arc Open Ear buds.

The Oladance Open Ear headphones are an example of the latter design, and the great advantage they have over bone-conduction buds is improved sound. The sound quality of the Oladance headphones is among the best available on open buds, and although expensive they are certainly among the best running headphones available.

Oladance Open Ear Headphones Review: Price And Availability

The Oladance headphones are available now and cost $179.99/£199.99. That’s more expensive than any bone conduction headphones in the Shokz range, and almost as pricy as the Bose Sport Open buds.

Design And Fit

The Oladance headphones hook over your ears and sit so that the speaker rests halfway down your ear, hovering near the ear canal. The fit leaves your ears open to hear external sounds and is more comfortable than using in-ear tips. 

I found the fit secure for a variety of sports. It’s best when you remain upright as in running and cycling, but neither did I have any problems with the headphones slipping off when in inverted positions during yoga sessions. I was also able to wear the headphones along with glasses and under a headband during runs comfortably. 

However, the fit is not completely secure when doing HIIT workouts that involve dropping to the ground and leaping up again. They didn’t fall out but I regularly had to readjust them, so a full earhook would be more reliable for these types of sessions.

There are two large pods on the headphones, which balance the fit well and contain the battery and large 16.5mm drivers. The outside of the pod that sits in the ear is a touch panel you use to control playback through taps and change the volume by swiping up and down. 

These controls are a bit tricky to use during workouts, and I often paused my music when trying to swipe the volume up or down. For the most part I found it easier to use my phone to control the settings.

With a rating of IPX4, the Oladance headphones are sweat- and water-resistant. They’re not fully waterproof like some headphones, including some bone-conduction sets from Shokz and Naenka that you can use for swimming, but IPX4 is a high enough rating that long-term exposure to sweat and rain during workouts won’t be a problem.

The headphones come with a carry case, but unlike most truly wireless earbuds this case does not double as a portable charger. You can get a charging case from Oladance, but it costs an extra $49.99/£49.99.

Sound Quality

The main criticism of open headphones is that they can’t match the sound quality of in-ear buds, or even get close to matching it. That’s been the case for me with bone conduction headphones like the Shokz OpenRun and other open designs like the Sony Linkbuds and Cleer Arc buds.

Though I haven’t tested the Bose Sport Open, the Oladance buds are a clear step up in sound quality on any open headphones I have tried. The sound is impressively full and detailed, and the bass is more powerful than on other open buds. 

You can also adjust the EQ on the headphones in the partner Oladance app, so you can ramp up the bass even more, though this doesn’t have as dramatic an effect as EQ changes do on in-ear buds.

There is still a drop-off in sound quality compared with in-ear buds, especially those at an equivalent price to the Oladance headphones, but the sound quality is good enough that you can use them outside of workouts as well, something I wouldn’t really do with Shokz headphones. The sound doesn’t leak either, so you can use them in the office without annoying your colleagues.

The top volume is also higher than on other open headphones I’ve tested. When indoors and even when out running in quieter spots I could leave the volume at a fairly low level, whereas with Shokz headphones I usually have them at the max at all times when outdoors, which can reduce battery life.

Battery Life

Oladance says these headphones last 16 hours on a charge and I found that tallied with my experience. One  annoyance is that the case they come with doesn’t charge the buds, even though you have to put the headphones into the case and plug it in to charge them – and it takes around two hours to fully charge the phones from empty.  

That said, 16 hours is long enough that you don’t have to think about finding a plug socket every couple of days, even if you’re regularly using the buds outside of workout times. 

Are The Oladance Open Ear Headphones Worth It?

The Oladance headphones are the best open buds I’ve tested, and the impressive sound quality in particular means they can work as your only set for sports and general use. In-ear buds do still offer more impressive sound, including sets like the  Jabra Elite 4 Active which cost far less than the Oladance headphones.

In general the price is a sticking point, since the best bone conduction headphones like the Shokz OpenRun are much cheaper and offer the same awareness benefits and a slightly more secure fit, even if the Oladance headphones sound better and have longer battery life.

If you’re looking for open buds and price isn’t a concern I’d get the Oladance headphones, but there might be better value in finding a cheaper set of open headphones for sports and then getting some in-ear buds for general use where you want better sound.

Apple’s hearing health features might not be the most exciting aspect of the company’s range of smartwatches and headphones, but they can play a big role in protecting your hearing over the long-term. One of the key features available has just been added to the older Apple AirPods Pro and AirPods Max headphones via the watchOS 9.2 software update.

After this update you will be able to see how much external noise is being filtered out by the original AirPods Pro and AirPods Max headphones when using their active noise cancellation or transparency modes.

This feature was available on the Apple AirPods Pro 2 at launch so it’s good to see it rolled out to the older headphones in the range. When using the headphones you can see what the external noise levels have been reduced to in the Noise app on the Apple Watch – a reduction in external sound that can be important in protecting your long-term hearing.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommendations on how much noise you should be exposed to throughout the week. For example, you shouldn’t be exposed to more than 80 decibels, which is the level you might experience in a noisy restaurant, for more than 40 hours each week. 

The time limits drop with higher decibel levels – WHO recommends a maximum of four hours of exposure to 90 decibels in a week, or 24 minutes to 100 decibels. You can monitor the external sound levels live with the Noise app on the Apple Watch, and track your long-term exposure in the Health app and see if you’re exceeding the recommended limits, something that can damage your hearing.

Apple launched a hearing study in partnership with WHO and the University of Michigan in 2019 and it has found that 25% of participants were exceeding the daily recommended noise levels.

Along with monitoring sound levels, Apple’s hearing health features include notifications when your headphones are too loud. You can also set up notifications on the Apple Watch for when external sounds exceed a certain decibel level. 

As someone who loves both running and tech I’m fortunate that my role on Coach allows me to test all of the latest running gear, including the best running headphones from pretty much every brand.

Of all the pairs I’ve tested in the past couple of years I rate the Jabra Elite 4 Active as the best all-rounders, offering the perfect balance of price and features. That means picking out the best Cyber Monday deal on running headphones is easy in 2022, because the Elite 4 Active have been reduced by 40 big ones to just $79.99 on Amazon US and £79 on Amazon UK.

That’s a 34% saving on their RRP and an absolute bargain whichever way you look at it. The Elite 4 Active have a secure and comfortable in-ear fit – they’re one of the only sets of headphones without a wing or hook that I find sit securely in my ears when running – and you can use them for hours without any irritation.

They also offer very good sound quality and both active noise cancellation and a transparency mode that’s very handy when you’re running in places where you want to be aware of your surroundings.

The battery life is also excellent considering how small the buds are. They last seven hours on a charge and the case holds another 21 hours. You can also get an hour of playback from a 10-minute charge – very handy if you realise you’re out of battery just before you start your run.

Amazon UK has also reduced the Jabra Elite 7 Active headphones in its Cyber Monday sale, dropping the price to £119. The Elite 7 Active have Jabra’s ShakeGrip coating which makes the fit a little better, but in truth the Elite 4 Active and Elite 7 Active buds are virtually indistinguishable when using them, so I’d certainly opt for the cheaper headphones in the sales.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are built for general use, rather than sports like the Bose Sport Earbuds, but since they are Bose’s top in-ear buds with the best active noise cancellation going, I was keen to see if they also worked well enough for exercise to be among the best workout headphones.

Overall, the answer is yes. While I had some frustrations around the fit and controls during exercises, the Bose QC Earbuds II are good sports buds while being amazing lifestyle headphones. As well as being great for gym sessions, I rate them as the best running headphones for cross-over use.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: Price And Availability

The Bose QC Earbuds II are available now and cost $299/£279.95, enough to make even the Apple AirPods Pro 2 look cheap(ish) at $249/£249. The Bose Sport Earbuds are a cheaper in-ear option at $149/£179.95.

Design And Fit

I didn’t test the original Bose QC Earbuds, but the new headphones are around a third smaller and have more of a stem design than their predecessors. The fact that they’re smaller and lighter is good news for people who want to wear them during sporting activity, as is the redesigned fit system on the QC Earbuds II, which come with separate ear tips and stability bands.

You get three of each size in the box, and with the largest wing on I found that I could get a mostly secure fit for running and other workouts. A pack of XS and XL sets of tips and bands is available for an extra £9.95/$10, and I found the larger bands did make the fit more secure without significantly reducing the comfort. However, it still rankles that you have to spend the extra money for the bands given the high price of the QC Earbuds II.

All the same, it’s worth spending the extra money for an optimal fit. The buds stayed in place during runs and even sweaty indoor rides when I used the included sizes, but they needed nudging back into place at times. This invariably triggered the touch controls, which quickly became annoying.

Even with the largest available wing in, the buds are comfortable to wear for long periods, and outside of workouts I don’t have to adjust the fit at all. Some might find the stability wings a little uncomfortable for prolonged use, but they are really only necessary during workouts and it’s easy to take them off afterwards if you prefer.

The headphones have an IPX4 rating, which means they are sweat- and water-resistant. They aren’t fully waterproof like some sports headphones, but I have always found IPX4-rated buds perfectly fine for exercise.

For now both Bose buds don’t work independently – you have to have the right bud in to connect to other devices, and the left one won’t work by itself. This is apparently due to be resolved via a future update to the buds.

Sound Quality

They’re Bose headphones and they cost 300 big ones, so you should expect absolutely top-notch sound quality. And the QC Earbuds II absolutely deliver. The sound profile is balanced by default and crystal clear. It’s an open and atmospheric sound, where each instrument and voice can be picked out and enjoyed, rather than being mushed together as on cheaper buds.

You can adjust the EQ in the partner app, and I did so to add more bass especially during workouts, but for the most part the neutral set-up is perfect for a range of music genres. I would like the top volume to be higher, especially for workouts when you want to really crank it up, but for the sake of my long-term hearing it’s probably for the best that it isn’t.

When you put the headphones in your ears a little tone sounds, which the buds use to measure your ear and customise the sound and noise cancellation to your individual ear. It sounds like magic and it’s impossible to ascertain how much of a difference it makes since the buds do it automatically when you pop them in, but I have zero complaints about the sound quality of the headphones. 

ANC And Awareness Modes

The sound quality is great, but you can get other buds that sound as good. The ANC, however, is unrivalled among in-ear buds, according to Bose at any rate. I’ve not tested all other headphones available, but I can say there’s nothing else I’ve tested that is as good, though the Apple AirPods Pro 2 are almost as impressive in cancelling out sounds like trains and planes.

The Bose buds do an amazing job of that, but where they really shine is in blocking out higher-frequency sounds like people talking. If you want the buds that block out the world most effectively during workouts, runs and general use, these are the ones to go for.

However, the awareness mode was less impressive for me. It works brilliantly well in general life, allowing voices and other sounds to pass through, but when running outdoors it picked up a lot of wind. This isn’t uncommon with in-ear buds, but the windy sound makes it harder to hear things like cars. Like I say, this is a problem with most buds with an awareness mode, but it’s not a problem with the AirPods Pro 2, which cancel out wind sound effectively in both ANC and transparency modes.

You can also set up custom modes where you select how much noise you want to cancel out. I rarely strayed from the ANC and aware modes myself, and what I’d have preferred to have available is a simple ‘off’ mode for these features, allowing you to save battery.

Controls

Each of the QC Earbuds II has a touch panel on it, which you can use to control playback with taps and raise/lower the volume by swiping up and down. If you hold the panel on either bud you can switch between sound modes, or you can set it up to activate your phone’s voice assistant.

The controls work well during regular life and most workouts but are hard to use during runs, when swiping to adjust the volume is particularly tricky. I’d have liked the option to turn off the panel at times as well, since I would often pause my music by accident when adjusting the fit during a run.

Battery Life

The Bose QC Earbuds II last six hours on a charge, with another 18 hours of battery in the case. You can get two hours of playback with a 20-minute charge, which is not the most impressive quick-charge feature – the AirPods Pro 2 last an hour on five minutes of charging, for example – but is still handy to have. You can’t charge the case wirelessly, which is a surprising feature for them to lack at this price.

I’ve found that the headphones live up to the battery numbers given by Bose, even when using them at high volumes in ANC mode at all times. This is not exceptional battery life, especially given that the buds and case are both quite chunky, but it’s good enough.

Are The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Worth It?

You can, of course, get great sports and lifestyle headphones for a lot less than the price of the Bose QC Earbuds II. One set worth checking out is the Jabra Elite 4 Active, which are excellent cross-over buds for $120/£120. If you want great sound quality at a lower price, it’s also worth looking at the Sennheiser Sport True Wireless at $129/£119.99, though they are a little chunky and uncomfortable to wear for long stretches.

However, if you can afford them, the QC Earbuds II are superb. The fit is better than I expected for sports, and while the Bose Sport Earbuds do fit better, the sound, ANC and battery life are all much better on the QC Earbuds II. The Sport Earbuds don’t have ANC, for one.

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are serious competitors, though, especially if you get on with the in-ear fit during exercise. I found that the AirPods Pro 2 came loose, but I could fix the problem easily with cheap third-party silicone wings, though the downside is the AirPods then won’t fit in their case, so you have to put the wings on each time you use them. The Bose QC Earbuds II sound better and have more effective ANC, but it’s close, and the AirPods 2 are smaller and – for me – more comfortable.

There are more sports-focused high-end headphones like the Master & Dynamic MW08 buds and the B&O Beoplay E8 Sport, which also sound amazing. The Bose buds have better ANC, though, and I actually found their fit was more comfortable and secure than the MW08 buds, while the Beoplay E8 Sport headphones did fit securely but were uncomfortable to wear for long periods.

Without making a drastic change to the design, there wasn’t a lot that Apple could do to improve the original AirPods Pro, which I rate as among the best workout headphones. All the same, the updates made to the AirPods Pro 2 are impressive: the new headphones last longer, sound better and offer improved active noise cancellation.

If you’re looking for a set of running headphones that are great to use when not exercising as well, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 are a top option. You’ll need to get on with the wingless, in-ear fit though, because I did find the buds could come loose during exercise.

Apple AirPods Pro 2: Price And Availability

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 launched in September 2022, with an updated version released in September 2023. The buds cost $249 in the US and £249 in the UK. This makes them one of the most expensive pairs of truly wireless buds and there are cheaper options worth investigating, such as the Jabra Elite 8 Active, which are $199.99/£199.99, while the Apple AirPods 3 are $179/£169.

How I Tested These Headphones

I’ve used the Apple AirPods Pro 2 regularly since they launched in September 2022, as well as testing the 2023 update. I’ve had the AirPods Pro 2 in during a variety of workouts, including runs, cycles and strength sessions; I’ve tested them out in all weathers, too, during those runs. I have tested the original AirPods Pro, every generation of the AirPods, and a variety of the best workout headphones available.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 2023 Update

Most of the updates launched with the new version of the AirPods Pro 2 in 2023 will be available on the 2022 AirPods Pro 2 buds via a software update. The only hardware change is that the case for the new headphones is charged via a USB-C cable to bring it in line with other Apple products, whereas the 2022 buds are charged via a lightning cable.

The software update makes the AirPods Pro 2 smarter in three main ways. The first is an adaptive audio mode that blends the transparency and ANC modes on the buds to adjust the amount of external sound you hear automatically in different situations. The chief benefit of this is that some sounds in loud environments, like traffic or building work, can be filtered while still allowing in some external noise to increase awareness—as opposed to a simple on/off ANC toggle. 

Conversation awareness is a new feature. Turn this on and the AirPods Pro 2 detect when you start talking and will automatically lower the volume of your audio, while also enhancing sounds from in front of you, and reducing background noise. So, you can have a conversation without having to take your headphones out or turn on the awareness mode manually. I’m still of the opinion that politeness dictates you should take your headphones out to talk to someone even though you can hear them clearly with this feature. 

One downside of conversation awareness is if you, like me, sing along to songs, as at times the volume will automatically turn down. I turned the feature off for this reason.

The AirPods Pro 2 now offer personalized volume, which means they will raise and lower the volume in line with your environment and your preferences, which they learn over time. It works well, with the volume rising when you step into a loud environment and lowering when you move into a quiet one, saving you the minor inconvenience of changing the volume yourself.

Design And Fit

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 have a very similar design to the originals, with an in-ear tip and a short stalk that hangs from the ear and houses the controls on the headphones.

Under the hood the new H2 chip and an updated audio driver deliver improvements in sound quality, and the ANC and transparency modes on the buds. The headphones still have an IPX4 water resistance rating, which means they are not fully waterproof but will withstand any sweat and rain you encounter. The carry case is also IPX4 rated.

Along with the stem squeezes that control playback, you can now swipe the stem of the buds to increase or decrease volume. The carry case has a new lanyard loop (though no lanyard is included with the headphones) and a U1 chip that means you can find the case with the Find My app.

Apple has added XS ear tips to the selection of S, M and L size tips that came with the original AirPods Pro. The silicone tips are comfortable to use for hours on end, but the in-ear fit was not always secure enough during exercise.

I tend to struggle with this kind of fit, especially when running, and frequently had to prod the AirPods Pro 2 back into place. Others won’t have this problem but, if you do, there are a couple of methods I found to solve it. One is to buy a cheap set of third-party silicone wings, which immediately creates a secure fit. The downside of this is that you have to take the wings off to get the buds back in their case.

Another solution is to buy a cheap set of third-party memory foam ear tips. You’ll need to get ones made for the AirPods Pro 2 because of the way tips click into place on the headphones. With these on, I have found the fit to be secure enough for runs and core workouts. For me, the memory foam tips are not as comfortable as Apple’s own, but I still found they were fine to use for hours at a time.

Sound Quality

When you set up the AirPods Pro 2 you can use your iPhone to scan your ears to create a Personalized Spatial Audio profile on the buds. I didn’t notice a huge difference to the sound, aside from beefing up the bass a little.

The headphones have a very balanced sound profile, and those who do enjoy booming bass will perhaps prefer the sound of the Beats Fit Pro in Apple/Beats range. You can’t tweak the EQ to match your preferences either, which is a shame.

I prefer balanced sound myself and the clarity in the higher ranges on the AirPods Pro 2 is excellent, especially when listening to tracks made for Dolby Atmos spatial audio. You don’t need to seek out Dolby Atmos tracks to enjoy great sound with the AirPods Pro 2, though – I enjoyed listening to music from a variety of sources alongside Apple Music, such as a Spotify free account and YouTube music.

The sound quality on the AirPods Pro 2 lives up to the high price, and though there are better-sounding options like the B&O Beoplay E8 Sport and Master & Dynamics MW08 Sport buds, the AirPods Pro 2 are smaller and more comfortable to wear for long periods.

ANC And Transparency Modes

Apple says the ANC on the AirPods Pro 2 cancels out up to twice as much noise as on the original buds, and in tests I found there has certainly been a substantial improvement on this front. The headphones filter out most of the noise from trains and traffic and, unlike many in-ear buds with ANC, you’ll immediately notice how much noise is cancelled out when you turn ANC off.

The transparency mode is exceptional, and I would often use it during runs and other workouts. A common problem with the truly wireless buds I’ve tested is that the awareness mode is essentially a wind mode. However, the AirPods Pro 2 does a fine job of filtering out the sound of wind, even when running, and you can hear your surroundings quite clearly. The AirPods Pro 2 stands head and shoulders above the competition on this front.

Controls

The squeeze controls on the buds work well in all situations, with a small sound and some haptic feedback to let you know how many presses have been registered by the buds. Even while running I could reliably pause or skip tracks, or hold a long squeeze to change between ANC, transparency and off modes.

However, the new volume control is hard to use while active. You have to stabilise the bud with one finger while swiping up and down the inside of the stem. This is easy when stationary, but a nightmare while running, because the surface area you’re aiming for is pretty small and it’s easy to dislodge the headphone in the attempt. Being able to simply swipe the outside of the bud with one finger would be simpler, but it’s still useful to have the volume control added.

Customisation of the controls on the buds is limited to choosing what the squeeze and hold command does, which can be set to changing sound mode or activating Siri.

Battery Life

The battery life has been significantly improved on the AirPods Pro 2 compared with its predecessors. You get six hours of juice on the buds even when listening with ANC on and there’s another 24 hours in the case. That compares with 4.5 hours on the AirPods Pro and 19.5 hours in their case.

I found that even with the ANC on and volume up near the max for long periods, the drop in the battery was in line with the six hours claimed. You can also charge the buds quickly, with five minutes in the case giving you an hour of playback, and the case charges wirelessly. You can even use an Apple Watch charger for this, though it does charge more slowly in this case than when plugged in or using a Qi charging mat.

Are The Apple AirPods Pro 2 Worth It?

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are a notable upgrade on the original AirPods Pro, though if you already have a set of those or spy them in a sale with $100/£100 knocked off the price I’d say they’re still excellent headphones for sports and general use (if you can get on with the in-ear fit).

While I rate the AirPods Pro 2 very highly, there is better value available if you’re willing to take a small hit on the sound quality or ANC. The Jabra Elite 4 Active in-ear headphones are less than half the price and are excellent for sports and lifestyle use, with a more secure fit than the AirPods Pro 2 in my experience and longer battery life, even if they don’t sound quite as good.

Compared with the AirPods 3, these sound much better and offer ANC, but the open-fit design of the AirPods 3 is comfortable and secure in my experience, and also allows in some external noise which is handy for staying aware of your surroundings during exercise.

The AirPods Pro 2 are much more comfortable than the Beats Fit Pro, which do have a wing to create a secure fit, but this wing irritated my ear during use. The Powerbeats Pro are getting on a bit now but their earhook design offers the most secure fit for sports in the Apple/Beats range; however, the smaller frame and better sound of the AirPods Pro 2 makes them more appealing in general.

A pair of headphones can make or break a run. If they’re fiddly, uncomfortable or ill-fitting, or run out of juice before you’ve broken a sweat, they can cause stress and bring your outing to an abrupt, angry halt. But get them right and they can be a core instrument in keeping you motivated, providing the feedback and beats you need to power your runs.

I’ve spent considerable time testing and reviewing all the best workout headphones since 2017, and have whittled them down to this selection of buds that are particularly suited to runners. I’m confident you won’t be disappointed with any of the picks below, but to help narrow it down further I’ve given a select few the Editor’s Choice accolade. These top picks either have something that sets them apart from the pack or are a pair I’ve kept using long after I’ve reviewed them.

How I Test Running Headphones

I’m a running fanatic who usually logs 50-70 miles a week and has a marathon PR of 2hr 28min. I use each set of headphones I review for several runs, as well as other workouts and general use, looking at the fit and sound quality when outside in particular.

The Quick List

You’ll find in-depth reviews of each of my top running headphones picks below, but here’s a quick run-through of the best in key categories. Click on any buds here to jump straight to the full review below.

The Best Running Headphones

Best All-rounder

There are several pairs of excellent Jabra headphones on this list, with the Elite 8 Active buds the stand-out, for those willing to spend $200/£200. However, it’s the Elite 4 Active that I think offer the best overall mix of price and features for runners. The Elite 8 Active buds have better sound and ANC, but the Elite 4 Active headphones are still good on both fronts and are much cheaper.

The wingless fit is secure and comfortable, and the battery life is strong: seven hours on the buds, with another 21 hours in the case. Unless you need wings or a hook to keep buds in place on the run—I normally do but found the Elite 4 Active secure —I believe these are the best all-round buds you can get. They are often in sales, too, which makes them even better value.

Read more in my Jabra Elite 4 Active review

Best Open Headphones

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are expensive, but they’re also the best running headphones I’ve used. I prefer an open design on the run and the Bose buds have the best fit and sound quality I’ve come across in open headphones, with their clasp-style fit being comfortable and secure.

Sound quality is often where open headphones fall down but the Ultra Open Earbuds deliver clear and powerful sound, and can be heard even when running on a windy track or by a busy road. They’re enjoyable to use outside runs, even if they can be drowned out when traveling on loud public transit. The fact they sit on the side of the ear also means they’re easier to wear alongside glasses and other headwear on the run because they don’t hook over the ear.

Read more in my Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review

Best Value Open Headphones

The Shokz OpenFit may be more comfortable and impressive all round, and the Cleer Arc II sound better, but the 1MORE S30 open buds are less than half the price of those headphones and an excellent open option for those who don’t want to spend big. They fit securely, sound good and last 10 hours on a charge.

On longer runs I found the ear hooks dug into the back of my ears, which isn’t that comfortable, but won’t be a major problem if you’re using them just for training sessions. However, it diminishes their appeal as cross-over lifestyle/running buds and, if you want open headphones that can cover both bases, the Shokz or Cleer buds are a better pick because they’re more comfortable and sound better.

Read more in my 1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30 Review

Best Budget Running Headphones

If you can get on with the fit of the JLab Go Air Pop headphones, which don’t have wings or an ear hook to keep them in place, they offer incredible value at just $20/£20. The sound quality is surprisingly good for the price, matching up well with headphones that cost closer to three figures. They offer eight hours of battery life, and the bonus is that the charging cable is built into the case so you’ll never lose it.

I found that the buds stayed in place reliably on my runs, which included a very hot and sweaty marathon. My only mild gripe with the headphones was their unreliable controls, which were hard to use when sitting at a desk, let alone while running. 

Read more in my JLab Go Air Pop review

Best Value Running Headphones

I don’t expect too much from sub-$50/£50 headphones, especially in sound quality, but the Tribit FlyBuds 3 measure up well to headphones that cost twice or even three times as much, setting a new bar in the budget bracket. 

The fit of the buds is secure even on long, sweaty runs, and they offer excellent battery life. When I tested them the battery lasted five hours on the buds with an extra 95 hours in the case, but the headphones have since been updated to offer eight hours plus 142 in the case. The IP rating has also improved since I tested them, the IPX8 rating meaning they are fully waterproof. Now that’s value.

Read more in my Tribit FlyBuds 3 review

Best For Fit

The Powerbeats Pro originally launched in 2019 and are the oldest headphones on this list, but I think they still stand up as one of the best options for runners, and are the best running buds in Beats’ range. That’s largely thanks to the ear hook design, which means that they offer a rock-solid fit for running.

That ear hook means the buds are quite large and more noticeable on the ear than in-ear buds, and also that their case is too bulky to fit in a pocket, but the extra reliability on fit is worth those minor negatives. The Powerbeats Pro also offer an exceptional nine hours of battery life, and five minutes in the case will net you 90 minutes of playback.

Read more in my Beats Powerbeats Pro review

Best Bone Conduction Headphones

Shokz (formerly AfterShokz) is the biggest name in bone-conduction headphones. The OpenRun range has a lightweight, comfortable design—especially the Mini version which has a shorter band, so it sits closer to the back of your head—and solid sound quality, within the limitations of bone conduction tech. It won’t match the sound of in-ear buds but the extra awareness is a boon at times, such as when running on busy roads, and at races where bone-conduction headphones are the only type allowed.

I used the OpenRun for training and races long after I’d finished testing them and I consider them the best option in Shokz’s range. They come in at $50/£30 cheaper than the OpenRun Pro while offering pretty much all the same key features. The Pro headphones last two hours longer on a charge and offer more bass, but have a lower waterproof rating than the standard OpenRun. I found the difference in sound quality negligible during real-world use.

Read more in my Shokz OpenRun review

Best For Sound Quality

I was hoping the fit of the Bose QC Earbuds II would be secure enough for running, because they are sensational headphones to use outside of training, with great sound quality and the best ANC from any buds I’ve tested. Fortunately, the fit is good enough, so you can enjoy that sound quality during your workouts.

Stability bands in three sizes are included with the buds and these are the key to a reliable fit while running. I found the largest ones were good enough for me, but for more security you can buy extra tips and bands from Bose including an XL size. The only real downside is that the awareness mode suffered from wind noise when running outdoors so it wasn’t always easy to hear other sounds. Otherwise these are the perfect cross-over buds for general life as well as running.

Read more in my Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II review

Best For Battery Life

These truly wireless headphones offer an outstanding 15 hours of battery life in the buds, and with another 55 hours in the carry case they will need only rare trips to the socket. And when they do, having the cable tucked into the carry case means you won’t have to hunt for your charger.

The fit is secure thanks to the ear hook design, and the headphones have an adjustable Be Aware mode so you can set how much noise you want let in from your surroundings. The active noise cancellation is unimpressive, barely making any difference, but the overall sound quality is good for sub-$100/£100 buds.

Read more in my JLab Epic Air Sport ANC review

Best On-ear Pair

On-ear headphones bring with them the benefit of more space to cram in bigger batteries and drivers, so they last longer and sound better than small buds, but they don’t tend to do well on runs because they work themselves loose and fall off. Not the Adidas Sport RPT-01 headphones, which have as tight a fit as you can get with on-ear cans, as well as ear cushions and an inner headband that can be removed and washed after a sweaty session. 

I still prefer the smaller, less intrusive fit of in-ear or hook headphones, but the RPT-01 are good for relaxed runs when you really want the extra sound quality of on-ear headphones. The headphones last for 40 hours on a single charge and the lightning-fast charging cable really does live up to its billing.

More Great Running Headphones

The Jabra Elite 4 Active are my top pick overall because they do so much, and at a great price. If you want to upgrade within Jabra’s range then the Elite 8 Active are outstanding. The sound quality and ANC are notably better than on the Elite 4 Active, while the Elite 8 Active buds also have a ShakeGrip coating that makes for a more secure fit, along with longer battery life.

While some will find the wingless fit isn’t secure enough for their workouts, especially HIIT sessions where you jump around a lot, I’ve not had problems on this front—and I do struggle with in-ear buds squirming loose when sweaty. If you really need a wing the Beats Fit Pro are a similar price, though I found the Jabra headphones more comfortable.

Read more in my Jabra Elite 8 Active review

I would expect top-notch sound from Sennheiser and the brand’s Sport True Wireless buds deliver quality audio in a sportier format. The buds are chunky, but the selection of wings in the box ensures a secure fit, though I did find them a little uncomfortable to wear for long periods outside of running.

The headphones come with two types of ear tips, one designed to let in external sounds and one that blocks out noise. Swapping between these tips didn’t make a huge difference to the sounds I could hear, but they each come with an accompanying EQ setting: Focus for the closed tips and Aware for the open ones. Swapping between these settings changes the sound profile on the buds considerably: Focus delivers brighter, more natural sound while Aware pumps up the bass for a fuller sound.

At $129.95/£119.99 the headphones are good value considering the excellent sound quality, reliable fit and nine-hour battery life, but they don’t offer ANC or a proper awareness mode, which you can find on many headphones at the same price.

Read more in my Sennheiser Sport True Wireless review

The key feature on the Mojawa Run Plus bone conduction headphones is that they offer both MP3 and Bluetooth playback. That means if you carry your phone with you on runs you can use Bluetooth, which is more convenient, but when you need to leave your phone behind—perhaps for a race, or when swimming—you can load up the Run Plus headphones with music or podcasts and listen to them directly.

I enjoyed listening to music on the Mojawa headphones too—the sound quality is above average for bone conduction headphones—and they have a very secure fit and a lightweight band. I found them a little less comfortable than Shokz’s bone conduction buds for long runs, but overall they’re a great alternative with the added bonus of Bluetooth/MP3 playback.

Read more in my Mojawa Run Plus review

Running Headphones Buyer’s Guide

Here are the key features to consider when picking out a pair of running headphones.

Wireless Or Truly Wireless?

Now that many phones have dispensed with headphone jacks and an extensive range of excellent Bluetooth headphones are available to suit all budgets, there’s no need for runners to struggle with headphone wires. However, you still have to pick between wireless – where the buds are connected by a wire – and truly wireless, where there are no wires involved at all.

Wireless headphones will generally have longer battery lives, but it can often be harder to maintain a secure fit because a bouncing wire (and in some cases remote control panel) will tug on the earbuds.

Truly wireless headphones come with a carry case that also acts as a portable charger, which can extend the time between plugged-in charges considerably.

Fit

A secure fit is crucial. If the buds continually come loose and require frequent adjusting, they’re more trouble than they’re worth. Unfortunately, you can’t really know if a pair will fit your individual ear shape and canal until you’ve bought them, but there are bundled accessories that make a tight fit more likely. Ear hooks are the most reliable option, but they are bulky. If you’re opting for truly wireless in-ear buds, check if they come with a variety of wings and buds so you can pick the combo that keeps them in your ear when running.

To achieve a genuinely secure fit, you may find you have to use large ear wings that start to irritate your ears after a while, especially if you have smaller ears. This is where more expensive pairs prove their worth: some high-end brands, like Bose and Jabra, excel in making soft silicone tips and wings for their buds that offer both comfort and a reliable fit.

Sound

True audiophiles should prepare to be disappointed. For one, over-ear cans that offer superior sound aren’t suitable for running because they rarely stay in place. For most of us, however, there are plenty of running-specific options that sound great, and the sound quality on some budget sports buds has also improved enough to pass muster.

Buds that sit deep in your earholes to form a tight seal will help with sound quality, but these can block out ambient noise entirely, which means it’s harder to hear traffic around you. However, many headphones now offer an ambient noise setting, where external sounds are filtered through so you do have more awareness when you need it. Then you can turn it off and enjoy better sound quality when it’s safe to do so.

Noise cancellation

Headphones that block your ear canal provide passive noise cancellation, where the ear-plug design blocks out some sound, but you can also buy running headphones with active noise cancellation. These headphones detect external sounds and muffle them, allowing you to hear your music more clearly. This is great when you want to focus on your running, but naturally can make you less aware of sounds like traffic.

Battery

The headline figure is the total battery life. We would expect a bare minimum of six to eight hours of battery life from most truly wireless Bluetooth headphones, and that number can rise well into double figures with some sets. You can definitely expect more than 10 hours from wireless headphones.

A carry case that can recharge your wireless buds several times without needing to be charged itself also adds convenience. Look out for a quick-charge feature too. This will usually net you an hour of power for just ten to 15 minutes of charging, which is perfect for when you realise you’ve run out of juice just as you’re getting ready to run.

Waterproofing

There are some fully waterproof headphones available, but for running you just need to ensure they can withstand an unexpected deluge or an especially sweaty session without packing up. Look for a minimum rating of IPX4 for running headphones that won’t let you down when wet.

Controls

Naturally you want to be able to control your music without having to get your phone or MP3 player out while running, so check out the remote on any running headphones – it’ll either be on the strap between the earbuds or built into the buds themselves. Neither is a great option to be honest. If it’s on the strap it’ll bounce and tug at the bud; if built into the bud you either have to press into your ear, or you may find you inadvertently skip a track while adjusting the fit.

What are bone conduction headphones?

A popular choice among runners, bone conduction headphones deliver audio through vibrations on your cheekbones, leaving your ears entirely clear. This means you are more aware of your surroundings while running, and as a result bone conduction headphones are the only kind of headphones allowed in some races. 

The disadvantages of using bone conduction headphones is that the sound quality is not as good as with in-ear buds, so you are less likely to use them as your main headphones outside of running.

Are there other kinds of open headphones?

Encouraged by the popularity of bone conduction headphones, brands have been seeking other ways to leave your ears clear while still playing audio. The most popular alternative to bone conduction are headphones that you hook over the top of your ear so a speaker rests near the ear canal without blocking it. This allows for better sound quality than bone conduction.

The Sony Linkbuds offer a unique solution with their holey design. The buds still fit entirely in your ear, but the hole in the middle means your ear canal isn’t blocked. The sound of the Linkbuds isn’t amazing, but they are the smallest open headphones we’ve come across.

The JBL Reflect Flow Pro buds are among the best sports headphones I’ve tested and I was also impressed by the JBL Reflect Mini NC buds when I tried them. Given that the Reflect Aero headphones stick to a similar formula, it’s not surprising that I rate them highly too. The Reflect Aero are a little cheaper than the Flow Pro buds, making them the best option for sports use in JBL’s range.

JBL Reflect Aero: Price And Availability

The JBL Reflect Aero headphones are available now and cost $149.95 in the US and £119 in the UK, which is cheaper than the $179.95/£159.99 RRP of the Reflect Flow Pro. However, the Pro headphones are often available for the same price as the Aero – JBL is selling them for £119 in the UK at the moment.

Design And Fit

The Reflect Aero have a similar design to the Flow Pro, but the headphones and the case are smaller. The buds are still fairly big, though, compared with alternatives like the Jaybird Vista 2 or Jabra Elite 4 Active. They have an in-ear tip and a wing, with three sizes of each included in the box.

The headphones sit securely in the ear once you have picked out the correct wing. I did have to go for the largest wing to keep the buds in place during sweaty runs on hot days, and if I wore the buds for longer than a couple of hours this large wing would cause a little pressure on my ear. Overall, though, I’d say the Reflect Aero are surprisingly comfortable for in-ear buds with a wing.

The case has a large loop on it that makes it easier to attach to running belts and backpacks, and though it isn’t as small as others it fits into a pocket easily enough.

Each bud has a touch panel on the outside that you can set up in the app with your preferred controls. These include changing the sound mode from active noise cancellation (ANC) to awareness, playback and volume controls. The panel was responsive and easy to use even with sweaty hands on the run, with a little beep each time you touch it so you can get the right amount of taps to trigger the desired effect. There is also a voice prompt to let you know which sound mode you are in, which is helpful.

The headphones come in four colours – white, black, blue and mint green – and are dustproof. They have an IP68 rating, which means they can be submerged in water up to 1.5m deep for 30 minutes. You need have no concerns about their durability for sports use. 

Sound quality, ANC and awareness

The sound quality of the Reflect Aero is comparable to the Flow Pro’s, which is to say very good. The sound profile is heavy on the bass as standard, though you can adjust the EQ in the app using preset profiles or by creating your own. Even at maximum volume I didn’t experience any distortion and the higher ranges are always clear even if you opt for a bass-forward set-up.

I found that the ANC made a difference, when travelling in particular, though the secure in-ear fit blocks out a lot of external noise passively already. You can choose to set the exact amount of noise cancellation you want or use adaptive ANC, where the buds will automatically adjust the level of ANC based on your surroundings. 

There are two awareness modes on the buds: ambient aware and TalkThru. Both of these allow in more external noise, but TalkThru is designed to allow you to have a conversation without taking your headphones out. You can hear people clearly in both modes. I didn’t notice any real difference in the sounds that filtered through when switching between ambient aware and TalkThru, but both are useful at times. In the app you can set the amount of sound you want coming in when using the ambient aware mode.

Unfortunately, when using the awareness modes during outdoor runs there was a lot of wind noise, to the point where they were not useful in increasing awareness. They are handy when in a gym or office so you don’t miss someone speaking to you, but during runs I found it better just to take one bud out.

Battery Life

The Reflect Aero buds last eight hours on a charge and there is another 16 hours of power in the case, with those numbers dropping to seven and 14 hours if you have the ANC turned on. You can also get four hours of use out of the buds from a 15-minute charge. 

Those are good numbers, though the Reflect Flow Pro last slightly longer (10 hours in the buds, 20 more in the case). Also, in one instance the right bud wasn’t sitting correctly in the case and didn’t charge, which was surprising given the magnets that pull the headphones into the case with a satisfying click.

Are The JBL Reflect Flow Pro Worth It?

The JBL Reflect Aero are great headphones for exercise and general use, and a genuine rival  to the Jabra Elite 4 Active, which I rate as the best sports headphones. The two sets cost the same in the UK – though the Jabras are cheaper in the US at $119 – but the wings on the Reflect Aero provide a more secure fit. I found the Jabras secure enough for sports and more comfortable because of the wingless design, but if you want peace of mind on the fit front then the Reflect Aero offer it.

One thing that does muddy the waters is that if you shop around the Reflect Flow Pro are generally available for the same price as the Reflect Aero. Even on JBL’s UK site at the time of writing, both sets of headphones are £119. The Reflect Flow Pro are similar and offer more battery life, so may be worth grabbing instead if you do find them at the same price.

There are many reasons why people struggle to fall asleep at night, but among the most common are annoying external sounds and stressful thoughts. A set of sleep headphones can block out the former, and many provide soothing audio that may help you manage the latter.

We’ve tested many of the headphones available to see if they can help you drop off and have picked out the best options.

The Best Sleep Headphones

The Bose Sleepbuds II are a design marvel. They’re tiny, and more comfortable than other headphones we’ve worn – so even side sleepers can use them without fear of their ears hurting during the night. The buds link with a partner app that contains a library of sounds designed to help you sleep, including a range of white noise and natural soundscapes. 

The Sleepbuds II last for 10 hours on a charge and can be set to turn off after a certain time through the app, so they don’t play sound all night. Charging takes six hours, though you need to be careful to position them in the case correctly. We found that sometimes they were dead when popping them in at night despite being in the case all day. 

Read more in our Bose Sleepbuds II Review

If you can get on with the fit of the ZenBuds they offer a relatively affordable alternative to the likes of the Bose Sleepbuds II. In our experience, the ZenBuds were too large and uncomfortable to use when side sleeping, so we struggled to get the most out of the buds. They play soothing sounds from the partner app’s audio library, and if you can sleep with them in, they can monitor your sleep as well to provide a sleep-quality score. The ZenBuds can detect when you fall asleep and turn off your audio at that point, or you can set them to play for a certain duration.

Central to the appeal of the Nightbuds is that they can play your own audio, a feature not easy to find on in-ear sleep headphones. If you prefer to listen to podcasts, audiobooks or your own music while drifting off, this makes them the obvious pick over the likes of the Bose Sleepbuds II, especially since you can also use the Kokoon Nightbuds during the day as regular Bluetooth headphones.

If you prefer to drift off to sleep-inducing sounds or guided meditations, the Kokoon app has those too, and you get access to the app for a year when buying the Nightbuds. However, all these benefits might be outweighed by the fit of the headphones, which have a wire in between the buds that curls behind the ear, plus a padded section that sits on the back of your head. We found that they were often uncomfortable when side sleeping – even though the buds themselves are tiny – and had to take them off to fall asleep most nights.

The SleepPhones take a simpler approach than many sleep headphones, opting to use flat speakers within a headband rather than making miniature buds that sit inside the ear. It’s an effective approach, especially for side sleepers, since even the smallest buds are more likely to dig into your ears than the flat speakers used here.

There are other advantages to the headband approach. One is that there is room for a Bluetooth receiver so you can play any audio through the SleepPhones, and the 12-hour battery life also impresses. The SleepPhones are much cheaper than most sleep headphones, and you can remove the Bluetooth unit and speakers to wash the band. 

The only downside is that the headband is bulkier and hotter than sleep headphones that sit inside the ear, which can be a problem on warm nights. The SleepPhones also lack extra features, such as noise cancellation or sleep tracking, which you will find on pricier buds.

Read more in our SleepPhones review

The QuietOn 3 are the easiest sleep headphones to use because they are essentially ear plugs with active noise cancellation (ANC) added. There is no audio playback or a partner app to fiddle with. You just pop the buds in and they block external noise, passively and actively.

They are tiny and we found them comfortable in all sleeping positions. The battery life is impressive: 28 hours for the buds, which can be recharged three times by the case. The ANC does a good job of filtering out sounds like the buzz of traffic or a train when travelling, but high-pitched noises will still be heard.

The downside is the £229 price, especially seeing as simple foam earplugs that cost a few pounds block out noise almost as effectively as the QuietOn 3 buds. They do the job they’re intended for and will be particularly useful for people who travel a lot, but you can find more features on other sleep headphones.

Read more in our QuietOn 3 Review

The Kokoon Relax over-ear headphones are huge and clearly not designed for side sleepers, but they can help you relax and drift off when travelling or if you sleep on your back. The large design makes for better sound quality and they can play your own audio, as well as tracks from the Kokoon app. The headphones come with a wire so you can use them as wireless or wired headphones.

While they do have ANC, we found this underwhelming compared with other over-ear or even in-ear headphones we have tried. However, you can block out external noise with white noise or other audio using the Relax headphones, which also track your sleep.

The headphone pads can be removed and washed, and are made of a breathable material, but they can still get hot if worn for long stretches. In general the Relax headphones are best for helping you to calm down and get ready to sleep, rather than wear in bed.

Read more in our Kokoon Relax Review

Sleep Headphones Buyer’s Guide

What are sleep headphones?

Unlike regular headphones, most sleep headphones don’t play audio from your devices. Instead, they either block external noise or play from a library of soothing sounds, such as white noise or atmospheric soundscapes from the natural world. They are primarily designed to help you get to sleep and as a result have a limited number of features.

Most sleep headphones tend to be smaller than regular headphones, so they can fit in the ear comfortably even if you sleep on your side. There are also bigger options designed for those who sleep on their back or are using them to drop off in a seat when travelling.

What are the key things to look out for?

The size and fit of sleep headphones are the most important characteristics because if they are uncomfortable when you are trying to get to sleep they become counterproductive.

Another important feature is how much external noise they block out, through either passive noise cancellation, as a result of an in-ear bud, or active noise cancellation – where they filter out sound. 

Next, look at what audio can be played on the headphones, if any. Many will link to a partner app to play from a selection of soothing sounds or guided meditation sessions. There are some pairs that are able to play regular audio, too, though these are rare, because having the tech required to do so in the buds can make them too large to wear comfortably while sleeping.

Battery life is another important consideration, since you need the buds for at least one night of sleep. They will often come with a carry case that doubles as a charger, so you can charge them during the day before using them at night.

Finally, some headphones will track the duration and quality of your sleep, which you may find a useful feature. 

How much do sleep headphones cost?

Considering that a set of foam ear plugs will cost a couple of quid, the price of sleep headphones can be hard to stomach. Some cost £300-plus and even the cheaper options are more than £100. Remember, most of these will not play your own audio, so they can’t double up as regular headphones. However, if a set of sleep buds is the difference between you tossing and turning or dropping off with ease, then they may be worth it whatever the price.

Bone-conduction headphones like the Shokz Openrun have become the default solution for people who want to listen to music or podcasts while remaining aware of their surroundings.

The open design is a major reason why I rate Shokz’s buds as among the best running headphones. However, other styles of open headphones are providing legitimate alternatives, such as Sony’s Linkbuds, which are in-ear headphones with a hole to let ambient sound in.

Cleer’s Arc buds offer another route to audio with awareness. They “clip” on to the top of your ear and channel sound in while leaving the ear canal open. It may seem a slightly fussy way to go about things, but it works, and they are among the best workout headphones with an open design I’ve tested.

Cleer Arc: Price And Availability

The Cleer Arc headphones are available now and cost $129.99 in the US and £129.99 in the UK. That’s the same price as the Shokz Openrun bone-conduction headphones, which are $129.95/£129.95. The Arc headphones are cheaper than the Sony Linkbuds, which are $180/£149 and also the Bose Sport Open Earbuds, which have a similar design to the Arc and cost $199.

Design And Fit

The Cleer Arc headphones have an ear-hook design with flexible hinged panels that sit inside the top of your ear. You open these panels to put the headphones on your ears, then close them against the ears to hold the buds in place. It’s a comfortable fit – the panel does not close tightly against the ear – and I had no problems with it shaking loose during runs, cycles, strength workouts or yoga sessions.

It is a little bit of a faff to put them on at times, especially when wearing sunglasses, but I found I could wear them with glasses and a hat while running. I also prefer having two separate buds to the headband design of bone-conduction headphones, and you can use each of the Cleer Arc headphones independently, though the smaller, in-ear Sony Linkbuds are more convenient still.

The panel that sits inside the ear has 16.2mm neodymium drivers in it that channel audio into your ear without blocking the ear canal. It’s basically a speaker near your ear, but is better than that description sounds.

Controls

The power button is on the ear hook stem and that is accompanied by a touch panel. You can play/pause, skip and trigger your voice assistant with either headphone, and turn up the volume on the right side and turn it down on the left. This is done with taps, holds or a combination of both. The combination commands are hard to execute while exercising, but the taps were transmitted fairly reliably. 

It’s also a boon to be able to turn the headphones off without having to put them back into their case, which isn’t all that common on truly wireless headphones.

Sound Quality

Any open-ear headphones will be unable to match the sound quality of in-ear buds, which deliver richer bass and more volume, and the Cleer Arc buds are no exception. However, they sound better than the many sets of bone-conduction headphones I’ve tested, offering fuller bass for one, especially when you adjust the EQ in the partner app (which can be tricky because the app failed to connect to the headphones more often than not).

A lack of volume can still be a problem when running next to busy roads, but they were loud enough to hear music and podcasts on most of my runs.

Overall, the sound quality is good for open headphones, though if it’s a priority you will be better served by in-ear buds, or even open-fit ones like the Apple AirPods or Huawei Freebuds 4.

Battery Life

The Cleer Arc headphones are listed as lasting seven hours on a charge, though as with most open headphones this number drops with real-world use, especially since I had the volume set to max most of the time when outside.

Unusually for truly wireless headphones, the case doesn’t hold any charge itself. You have to plug it in while the headphones are in it to charge them. The case does have a wire that can be tucked around the headphones inside it, so you can plug it into a USB port directly, something I find convenient compared with trying to keep tabs on yet another charging cable. It’s not convenient enough to offset the inconvenience of the case not holding any charge, but it’s a nice touch.

Are The Cleer Arc Headphones Worth It?

I mostly run in a city and listen to podcasts so I find open headphones very useful and it’s great to see another option beyond bone-conduction buds. The Cleer Arc headphones offer slightly better sound quality and a design that some will prefer to a headband, and some will find more annoying and fussy.

Since they are cheaper than the Sony Linkbuds and Bose Sport Open Earbuds (which I am yet to test), I rate the Cleer Arc as the best alternative to the Shokz Openrun, though you can get cheaper bone-conduction headphones from Shokz and other manufacturers like Naenka. 

The Linkbuds are the most convenient option because they are so small and comfortable, but you get more powerful sound from the Cleer Arc headphones. No-one has been to truly solve the awareness/sound quality trade-off yet, but the Cleer Arc buds are another strong open-ear option.

On paper the Bose Sports Earbuds are hard to recommend over the best workout headphones from the likes of Jabra and Beats, which tend to offer more battery life and extra features like active noise cancellation in their buds.

However, I have tested a lot of great sports headphones in recent years and keep on coming back to the Bose Sport Earbuds, with the main reason for that being the comfortable fit they offer. That might not sound like much, but most sports headphones achieve a secure fit via wings, hooks or in-ear tips, and these can start to feel uncomfortable over extended use. That’s never been a problem with the Bose Sport Earbuds and it makes them a pleasure to use.

The comfortable and secure fit is backed up by great sound quality, which you would expect from Bose, and you can now tinker with the EQ on the buds via a partner app. That’s a feature that arrived via an update after the headphones launched, along with other improvements like the ability to change the volume on the buds. Bose continues to develop the Sport Earbuds, which is always a plus when splashing out on a pricy product.

This Prime Day the Bose Sport Earbuds have been reduced to $149 from their RRP of $179. It’s not the biggest discount you’ll find on sports headphones on Prime Day but it’s a welcome reduction to a great set of buds.

It’s not the only deal on Bose products in the Prime Day sales either, with the Bose Frames Tempo reduced to $199 from a RRP of $249. The Frames Tempo are sports sunglasses with speakers built-in the frames so you can listen to audio while keeping your ears completely clear, a bonus when exercising outdoors in busy areas where you need to be aware of your surroundings.

If you’re in the UK the Bose Sport Earbuds don’t seem to be included in the Prime Day sale, but the good news is they are currently either £136.99 or £149 down from £179.95, depending on the colour you opt for.

When I tested the JLab Go Air Pop headphones earlier this year they went straight into Coach’s round-ups of the best running headphones and best workout headphones as the top budget option, costing just $20 in the US and £19.99 in the UK.

The only real concern with the Pop buds was that the fit might not be secure enough for everyone. That’s not an issue with the JLab Go Air Sport headphones, which have ear hooks to guarantee they stay in place. They cost $10/£10 more than the Pop buds, but that’s a small price to pay for the rock-solid fit.

JLab Go Air Sport Review: Price And Availability

The Go Air Sport headphones are available now from JLab and other retailers in the US and third-party retailers like Amazon in the UK and cost $30/£29.99, which is an absolute snip, even if the JLab Go Air Pop buds do undercut them slightly. 

Design And Fit

The ear hooks on the Go Air Sport headphones all but guarantee a secure fit no matter what kind of exercise you plan on doing. I’ve run several times with the buds, and used them for cycling, yoga and strength workouts as well, with absolutely no problems on the fit front.

There are three sizes of in-ear tips in the box, and I found that I could wear the headphones with the tips either inserted into my ear canal or sitting just outside it. Popping them in fully so they form a tight seal is better for sound quality, but being able to unblock your ears and still hear your audio is handy at times to keep tabs on ambient noise around you, especially since there is no awareness mode. The ear hooks mean that even when the tips aren’t fully inserted the headphones stay in place.

The Go Air Sport headphones are fairly light at 0.4oz / 12.3g apiece, but the case is bulky and not very pocket-friendly. That’s a necessary evil with ear-hook headphones as opposed to small in-ear buds, but worth considering if you plan on taking the case with you while exercising.

Another key difference with the Go Air Pop buds is that the Sport headphones have a higher IP rating of IP55 vs IPX4 on the Pops. Both are suitable for sports use, but the extra water resistance of the Sport headphones gives a little more peace of mind when sweating buckets or running in the rain.

The logo on the outside of each bud is a touch panel you can use to control playback through touches and holds. The controls are fiddly even when sitting still, and during workouts it often took a few tries to skip a track or pause my music.

You can each headphone independently, which can extend the already considerable battery life further by using one while the other charges. The Go Air Sport headphones come in six colours – graphite, green, light blue, sand, teal and yellow.

Sound Quality

Having been surprised by how impressive the Go Air Pop buds sounded, I knew what to expect going in with the Sport, but it’s still satisfying to get sound this good from budget headphones. 

The sound profile is bass-forward, which suits sports use, and while the mid and high ranges can be slightly tinny and aren’t as clear as on more expensive headphones, I never found the sound grating or too distorted. 

There are three EQ modes you can switch between using the controls: JLab Signature, Balanced and Bass Boost. I found Signature the best option for the music I listened to. The Bass Boost muddies the higher ranges more, while Balanced is primarily designed for classical music, which I don’t listen to much during workouts.

Sound quality is never going to be the star feature of budget headphones, but the Go Air Sport buds are more than good enough on this front to enjoy using regularly, and they are the match of many sets I’ve tested that cost nearer three figures. 

Connectivity

Although the Sport headphones connected easily to my phone and held that connection well when I had my phone in a waist pocket or running belt, I did find that if I used drop-in pockets on the sides of running shorts for my phone then I would lose the connection to the headphones during runs. We can't say for certain if this is a common problem with these headphones, but it would certainly be annoying if it happened repeatedly.

Battery Life

The Sport headphones last eight hours on a charge, with another 24 hours in the case. That’s the same battery life as the Go Air Pop buds, which is a little surprising given that the Sport’s headphones and case are both larger, but it’s still excellent. 

I’m also a huge fan of the way JLab builds charging cables into the cases of its headphones, which means you don’t have to worry about carrying a cable with you. The built-in cable isn’t the largest, and it would be handy to also have a socket to charge the case with a longer cable if required, but this is definitely a useful feature.

Are The JLab Go Air Sport Headphones Worth It?

With the Go Air Pop and Go Air Sport headphones, JLab has cornered the market for budget buds. The Pop are just as good on every front as the Sport aside from fit really, with the increase in water resistance on the Sport headphones being useful but not essential, so if you don’t find in-ear buds squirm loose during exercise then the Pop buds are better value. 

The Pop buds also have a smaller case and not having ear hooks makes it slightly easier to wear them with sunglasses and hats, though I didn’t have any real issues with this when using the Sport headphones either. However, I would opt for the Sport headphones myself to guarantee a secure fit. 

There’s nothing else I’ve come across for $30/£30 that matches the performance of the Go Air Sport, but the Tribute Flybuds 3 cost around £35-£40 and are another excellent set of budget headphones to consider. They have an in-ear design with wings that create a secure fit, but the battery life is not as impressive as on the JLab headphones.

I recently crowned the Jabra Elite 4 Active as the best running headphones, largely down to them offering the same features as headphones that cost £50 more than their £120 price, including Jabra’s own Elite 7 Active buds.

So, the main question in mind when testing the Jabra Elite 3 Bluetooth buds was whether they could repeat the feat – by undercutting the Elite 4 Active to offer the best value in Jabra’s range and perhaps be the best workout headphones. The answer is… pretty much – though there is still good reasons to upgrade to the Elite 4 Active because of their higher IP rating and active noise cancellation (ANC).

Jabra Elite 3 Review: Price And Availability

The Jabra Elite 3 are available now on Jabra’s website and although they have an RRP of £79.99, they are currently reduced to £59.99. That’s £40 cheaper than the Elite 4 Active headphones, which offer ANC.

Buy from Jabra | £79.99

Design

The Elite 3 have a similar design to Jabra’s other headphones, with no wings or hooks to secure them. Instead, the buds rely on their shape and light weight (each weighs 4.4g) to stay in place. The shape is the same as the Elite 4 Active and Elite 7 Active headphones, but the Elite 7 Active have Jabra’s ShakeGrip silicone coating to make their fit more secure during exercise.

Despite not being designed specifically for exercise the Elite 3 headphones have an IP55 rating that, while not quite as high as the IP57 rating of the Elite 4 Active buds, is still more than enough to reliably resist rain and sweat.

Each bud has a multifunction button on the side that is used to control playback, activate the HearThrough awareness mode and change volume. You can turn the Elite 3 buds off by pressing both buttons simultaneously, which is a rare feature on truly wireless headphones, with most only turning off when placed in their case. The buttons are easy to use during exercise, though holding the buttons down to reduce or increase volume is a little uncomfortable since it pushes the headphone into your ear.

The Elite 3’s case is longer and shorter than the Elite 4 Active’s case and is small enough to slip into a pocket or running belt. The headphones and case come in four colours: navy, dark grey, lilac and light beige.

Fit

Since they don’t have wings or an ear hook to help them stay in place, the Jabra Elite 3 buds may not offer a secure fit for everyone. I have always found that Jabra’s headphones stay put during runs, cycles, strength workouts and yoga sessions, but buds with a wing or a hook will offer a more reliable fit for many people.

The advantage of not having those extra protrusions is that the Elite 3 buds are comfortable to wear for long periods, whereas some wings can dig into the ear after an hour or two. If you have used Jabra’s headphones before you will know if the fit works for you, because the Elite 3 buds feel the same in the ear as the Elite 4 Active buds, and only marginally less secure than the Elite 7 Active with their ShakeGrip coating.

Sound Quality

The Elite 3 buds have the same 6mm drivers you’ll find further up Jabra’s range and they deliver similarly impressive sound quality. You don’t get the hearing test feature that helps customise the sound profile for the Elite 7 Active buds, but you can change the EQ to your own setting or use presets, such as Bass Boost and Smooth – the latter proving my favourite for a balance of warm bass and clear vocals.

The sound quality is good, even without taking price into account, and excellent for headphones that cost under £100. There is enough power in the bass and clarity throughout the range, and even at high volumes I didn’t notice any distortion. On sound alone I’d be happy with the Elite 3 buds if they cost twice as much.

While there is no ANC, the buds do a solid job of blocking out external sounds passively, and I only missed the ANC when travelling on public transport. The HearThrough awareness mode can be activated by clicking the left button once, but I found it let in a lot of wind noise when using it while running or cycling. It’s useful in a gym or an office when you don’t want to miss someone trying to catch your attention, but to stay aware of your surroundings while exercising outdoors, your best bet is to use one bud at a time.

Battery Life

With up to seven hours of battery on the buds and another 21 in the case, the Elite 3 buds once again match up well with headphones that cost twice as much. They also have a quick charge feature that provides 60 minutes of playback from 10 minutes of charging. In my testing I found they lived up to the stated battery life even when having the volume near the max most of the time.

Are The Jabra Elite 3 Worth It?

The Jabra Elite 3 are excellent headphones for sports and general use. I’d rate them as the best-value option in Jabra’s range and the best sports headphones for under £100 in general, as long as you get on with the fit. If you need more security, then the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC has an ear hook and is a great option for under three figures.

If you want ANC then it’s worth the upgrade to the Elite 4 Active, though the tiny 1More ComfoBuds Mini are a solid option with ANC for under £100. If you’re simply seeking the best-value buds on the market, then it’s also worth checking out the JLab Go Air Pop, which are outrageously cheap at £20. 

I consider the Sport True Wireless the first genuine truly wireless sports headphones I’ve tried from Sennheiser. While the CX Plus True Wireless buds were suitable for sport if you could keep them in your ears while exercising, I found them too bulky and loose. There are no such problems with the Sport True Wireless and they immediately became a contender for Coach’s best gym headphones and best running headphones.

They deliver in the main ways you’d hope for: they sound excellent, especially given the price, and the wings provide a secure fit that’s pretty comfortable during extended use. However, the buds don’t offer ANC, and the “adaptable acoustics” feature – where different ear tip designs allow for either more awareness or more passive noise cancellation – didn’t really make a difference in the real world.

Sennheiser Sport True Wireless Review: Price And Availability

The Sennheiser Sport True Wireless were announced publicly on 20th April and can be ordered ahead of the official on-sale date of 3rd May. They cost £119.99, which is the same price as Sennheiser’s CX True Wireless buds and £10 less than the CX Plus True Wireless buds, with the latter having ANC. That price puts them up against the Jabra Elite 4 Active buds, which I consider the best running headphones going, so the Sport True Wireless have their work cut out.

Design

The Sport True Wireless buds are chunky. They weigh 7g apiece and are slightly larger than the CX Plus True Wireless headphones, which are hardly small themselves. Sennheiser has made use of the space by putting in its 7mm TrueResponse transducer to deliver powerful, clear sound.

To ensure they stay in place during exercise, Sennheiser includes four sets of wings, and there are also two sets of in-ear tips in three sizes. The ear tips are designed for different situations: the closed-ear adaptors are suitable for the gym or anywhere you want to block out external noise, while the open-ear ones are better for outdoor exercise when you want more awareness of what’s around you.

Although it’s a bit fiddly to keep swapping ear tips, and a faff to find somewhere to safely store the pair that isn’t currently in use, this sounded like a clever solution to the common problem of trying to balance awareness and sound quality during exercise. 

The open-ear tips have a blue ring inside and an open tip, and are firmer when you squeeze them. The closed-ear tips have a silicone cross through the middle and are softer. Once you’ve selected your tip you can choose either “Focus” or “Aware” mode in the partner app, which will customise the EQ in line with the tips you are using. 

I tried both tips in a variety of situations and my initial excitement quickly wore off. You get slightly more awareness with the open tips, but I didn’t feel any more comfortable using them while listening to music when cycling on the road or running than I did wearing the closed tips. You can hear traffic a little more clearly, but you can get far more awareness simply by taking one bud out. They just don’t compare to in-ear buds with transparency modes which let in more external noise.

Sennheiser claims the open tips will reduce sounds like the pounding of your feet while running, and the buds were noticeably good on this front in Aware mode. You still hear your feet landing, but the noise comes more from outside rather than the internal thump you get with many in-ear buds.

There is no transparency or ANC mode on the headphones either, so you can’t increase awareness or block out more sound as you can with rivals like the Jabra Elite 4 Active. 

Each bud has a touch panel on the outside and you can customise four controls on each side – one, two or three taps, or hold. You can control the volume, activate your phone’s smart assistant and turn the buds off using the panel, as well as the usual play/pause and skip. The controls were pretty easy to use on the move, though I often set off the one-touch play/pause control by accident when taking the buds in and out. You can also turn off the controls if this becomes an annoyance.

The buds have an IP54 rating, which means they aren’t fully waterproof but will resist splashes, sweat and rain. Like the buds it contains, the case is fairly chunky, but it does have a handy plastic loop on one end that you can use to clip it into running belts or onto rucksacks.

Fit

Even with the array of wings provided I was a little sceptical that the Sport True Wireless buds would stay in place during exercise given their size and heft. However, those fears were misplaced. They have a very reliable fit once you find the right wing for your ears, and I didn’t experience any looseness during several runs, a couple of cycles, a strength workout and a yoga session.

They are fairly comfortable to wear for extended use too, though after a couple of hours I did start to feel some unwelcome pressure around where the wing sits in the ear. If you are going to wear them for the duration of the nine-hour battery life I’d take the wings off when you weren’t exercising.

Sound Quality

The sound you get from the Sport True Wireless headphones changes drastically depending on whether you choose the Focus or Aware mode. Focus produces a clear, natural sound profile with brighter higher ranges, while Aware has a fuller sound with punchier bass. 

I tended to use Focus in quieter environments, especially with pop or alternative songs where the vocals could be overwhelmed by the bass-forward Aware mode, then switch to Aware mode when I wanted a motivational push during workouts, or when listening to rock music. 

You can also change the EQ yourself or use other presets which complement music genres, but in general I found that leaving these settings alone produced the best sound profile. There is also a sound check you can use for a customised EQ, which for me produced the exact settings the buds came with.

Overall I love the sound on the Sport True Wireless, and the addition of the bassy Aware mode makes for a welcome alternative to the bright and clear standard sound profile. It’s handy being able to jack up the bass by switching profiles, though it would be even handier to do so using the controls on the headphones – as it is you have to do it in the app.

Battery Life

The Sport True Wireless headphones last nine hours on a charge, and there are a further 18 hours in the case. Nine hours is impressive and up there with the best you’ll find on truly wireless buds, no doubt helped by the larger size of the Sennheiser headphones.

Are The Sennheiser Sport True Wireless Headphones Worth It?

I rate the Sport True Wireless as a qualified success. They deliver Sennheiser’s sound quality in a sporty package, with a reliable fit and a high enough IP rating that you don’t need to worry about getting them wet or sweaty. They are the best-sounding sports headphones you can get for £120, and really only sets that cost near or over £200 match or outdo them.

However, the lack of ANC or a true awareness mode counts against them, and they are also larger and less comfortable than other truly wireless sports buds including the Jabra Elite 4 Active at the same price. The all-round package of the Jabra buds is better, but the fit is more secure and the sound is better on the Sennheisers.

The design concept behind the Sony LinkBuds is that there are many life situations where you may want to listen to music or other audio while remaining aware of your surroundings. That could be because you’re running or cycling in a busy area, or sitting at your desk surrounded by colleagues you don’t want to inadvertently ignore if they strike up a conversation. The LinkBuds present an elegant and effective solution to this, and I rate them among the best sports headphones – though the sound quality is affected by the emphasis on awareness.

Sony LinkBuds Review: Price And Availability

The LinkBuds are available on the Sony website for £149, which is £50 cheaper than Sony’s top-of-the-range WF-1000XM4 truly wireless buds, which have an in-ear fit and active noise cancellation.

Buy from Sony

Design And Fit

The stand-out feature of the LinkBuds’ design is the hole in them. The open ring leaves your ears clear so you can hear sounds around you. Although the level of awareness is not as high as when wearing bone conduction headphones, I found it similar to options such as the Shokz OpenRun.

There’s a 12mm driver in the ring to power the sound and the LinkBuds come with five sets of silicone wings for a secure fit. I opted for a large set of these to ensure the headphones wouldn’t budge during runs and cycles and was pleased to find that even though the wings did press into my ear they didn’t become uncomfortable, even when wearing the LinkBuds for several hours at a time.

The fit is a strong point for the LinkBuds, which have a barely-there feel while staying in place reliably. That’s helped by the lightness of the buds, which are 4.1g apiece. The case is also pleasingly small, and one helpful feature is that you push to click the headphone into place within it, so you know they are seated properly and charging. Sometimes truly wireless buds don’t sit properly in their case and so don’t charge ahead of their next use.

The LinkBuds have an IPX4 water resistance rating, which means they are splashproof and won’t break in the face of sweat and rain during workouts, but they are not fully waterproof like some sports headphones.

Sound Quality

Before the LinkBuds, there were a couple of ways to stay aware of your surroundings while using headphones: an in-ear pair with a transparency mode that filters in external sounds or bone-conduction headphones that leave your ears clear.

Both have drawbacks. In my experience, transparency modes don’t create as much awareness as open designs and they can end up sounding “windy” when running or cycling. Bone-conduction headphones are great for awareness, but the sound quality is often relatively poor.

I was hoping the LinkBuds would offer a middle ground, with more awareness than from transparency modes and better sound quality than bone conduction headphones. The good news is they do; the bad news is while the awareness is great, the sound quality is closer to bone-conduction headphones than in-ear ones.

When outside in particular you don’t get much bass, even with the bass boost EQ mode activated in the partner app. It can also be hard to hear lower ranges in loud environments, whether you’re on a busy road or at a windy running track.

The sound is clear and rich, and the LinkBuds are enjoyable to use in general life as well as during workouts, but it does lack power. In fact even much cheaper in-ear headphones outperform the LinkBuds because they’re able to offer a tight seal and passive noise cancellation: the Apple AirPods 3 have better sound and their design allows you to hear a good amount of external noise, though not as much as the LinkBuds.

There are many occasions when the awareness you get is a worthy trade-off for the reduced sound quality, though, and I’d rank the LinkBuds among the best running headphones because of the secure fit, open design and better-than-bone-conduction sound quality.

Controls

I often complain about controls on truly wireless headphones, so it’s worth highlighting when a brand does them well, and Sony has done so here by acknowledging that it’s hard to create buttons or touchpanels that are easy to use on small buds. These headphones will register when you tap on your cheeks near your ears – you don’t have to hit the buds themselves.

This works well, and the LinkBuds also quietly beep two or three times to register your taps so you know they’ve landed. Each headphones has two control options – for two or three taps – and you can choose what these do in the partner app. I have play/pause for two taps and skip for three on the right bud, and volume up/down for the taps on the left bud, for example.

There are automatic options you can use, including adaptive volume control that will adjust volume based on how noisy your environment is and automatic play/pause when you take the headphones in and out. Another great inclusion is speak-to-chat, where playback automatically pauses when you talk. This is effective when starting up a conversation, though I kept setting it off when singing along to music, so I had to turn it off.

Battery Life

The LinkBuds provide 5.5 hours of battery life, with another 12 in the case. The latter is below par for truly wireless headphones cases, but the LinkBuds case is tiny and therefore it’s understandable. A 10-minute charge will net you 90 minutes of playback in a pinch, and you can get notifications from the partner app when the case drops below 30%.

It would be great to have more battery life because you can wear these headphones all day given their comfort and the awareness they offer, but 5.5 hours is enough for general and sports use.

Are The Sony LinkBuds Worth It?

The design of the LinkBuds will make them perfect for some people, and I think runners and cyclists who want open headphones that are smaller and sound better than bone-conduction headphones will love them. As a keen runner I think they’re terrific and have them as my go-to option for daily training in the city, especially as I often listen to podcasts on the run where the drop in sound quality isn’t so noticeable.

But there’s no doubt you’ll be compromising on sound quality, so if awareness isn’t a priority there are better and cheaper options like the £120 Jabra Elite 4 Active. They offer great sound and ANC, plus a transparency mode to hear your surroundings when needed.

I’d also consider the Apple AirPods 3, which offer a balance of awareness and sound quality that’s tilted more towards the latter than the LinkBuds. You don’t hear as much of the sound around you with the AirPods, but they don’t block out as much as in-ear buds.

The JLab Go Air Pop headphones have no right to be as knockout as they are for £20. In many ways they are a match for sports headphones that cost four or five times as much. If you’re just looking for the best-value buds going, you can stop reading now and go and pick up a pair of the Pops.

They’re not perfect, but the performance exceeds expectations to such a degree that it’s easy to forgive the flaws.

JLab Go Air Pop Review: Price And Availability

JLab’s Go Air Pop are available now and cost £19.99, which is the cheapest I’ve seen for wireless buds from a major brand, and £10 less than the original Go Air headphones cost. The Pop buds come in five colours: black, lilac, rose, slate and teal.

Design And Fit

These new buds are 15% smaller and 40% lighter than the original Go Air headphones and sit inside the ears without protruding. The logo on the exterior of each bud is also a touch control, and you can use each by itself to leave one ear clear or extend overall playtime by swapping between them.

The headphones are IPX4-rated, which is the same as Apple AirPods and means they are splashproof. While many sports headphones offer higher ratings and some are waterproof, I have always found IPX4 to be sufficient for withstanding sweat and rain.

I was surprised at how compact the case is, and delighted to see it had a built-in cable that you can plug into a USB port to charge it. This is a feature I’ve loved on other JLab headphones, because it’s convenient to not have to remember a cable, especially when travelling.

The fit of the buds is just OK, though. There are three sizes of in-ear tip in the box, but no wings, and the tips provided don’t create an especially tight seal. I have been able to run and cycle with the buds, but did have to tinker with them regularly on the run in particular to make sure they stayed in place. The lack of a tight seal also affects the sound quality. Overall, I’d say the fit is reliable enough to use for sports, but if you regularly struggle with in-ear buds squirming loose, as I do, you may need to prod them back in at times during activities.

Sound Quality

Traditionally the weakest feature of cheaper buds, I had low expectations of the sound quality on the Go Air Pop. They smashed those expectations. And, after using them for a couple of weeks, I’d say they are easily the match of many sets of wireless headphones I’ve tested that cost more than £100.

The bass is powerful and the clarity in the higher ranges is impressive, and you can even switch between EQ modes on the buds by triple-tapping the touch panel. I found JLab’s Signature sound setting to be the best for most types of audio, but there is a balanced option that works well for classical music and a bass-booster mode, though the latter tended to muddy the audio overall.

While a little distortion does creep in when you push the volume to the max, and you don’t get the same spacious, clear sound profile that you will from some pricier headphones, the sound quality is undeniably impressive at this price.

One problem that can arise with the sound during long workouts is that the buds can slip a little and lose the in-ear seal, which lessens the bass in particular. However, even when this happened to me during the later stages of a marathon the sound was still loud and clear enough to enjoy music and podcasts alike.

Controls

The weak spot of the JLab Go Air Pop headphones is the controls, which are a nightmare to use when sitting calmly in the office and essentially impossible to use during exercise. 

A single tap on the right bud increases the volume, and a tap on the left decreases it, and then there are commands for play/pause, EQ change and skip tracks that involve multiple taps or holding the touch panel for a set time. However, most of the time, whatever command you attempt on either side the only thing that will register the first time is a volume change. Keep at it and you can control playback via the panels, but it’s generally easier to get your phone out and do it there.

Battery Life

Given the diminutive size of the buds, the eight hours of battery life is great, and the case adds another 24 hours. With the volume ramped up, I found the Pop headphones drained at a rate that would see them empty a little short of eight hours, but they still offer plenty of juice for workouts and general listening. It takes more than two hours to charge the buds from empty – there is no quick-charge feature.

Are The JLab Go Air Pop Worth It?

The JLab Go Air Pop headphones would be a worthwhile purchase at £40 or £50, so they’re definitely worth it for £20. The only other cheap headphones I’ve tested that come close are the Tribit Flybuds, which cost £40 and have less battery life – though the fit of the Flybuds is more secure due to the supplied wings.

You can, of course, find better headphones, but to find ones that are a definitive step up on the Pop buds I’d be looking at the likes of the Jabra Elite 4 Active, which cost £120. The JLab Go Air Pop simply offers better value than anything else out there.

Billed as the smallest set of active noise-cancelling truly wireless headphones on the market, the 1More ComfoBuds Mini really are tiny. The fact that the small design doesn’t reduce the quality of the other features is even more impressive and they match up well with the best sports headphones available.

1More ComfoBuds Mini Review: Price And Availability

The 1More ComfoBuds Mini are available on Amazon and cost £92.99. They are more expensive than the 1More ComfoBuds Pro (available on Amazon for between £64.99 and £89.99), which offer longer battery life but aren’t so delightfully dinky.

Design And Fit

The ComfoBuds Mini weigh 3.7g apiece and are noticeably smaller than other buds. In comparison, the Jaba Elite 4 Active buds are 5g each and the Apple AirPods Pro are 5.4g. 

This small size isn’t a gimmick either. It means the buds can sit comfortably in the ear for long periods and in my testing, the light weight helped ensure they don’t come loose during runs, indoor bike rides and strength sessions. The fit is not as secure as you’ll get from in-ear wings with wings or an earhook, but it’s more comfortable and I didn’t have trouble with the buds falling out during exercise.

The buds connect via Bluetooth 5.2, have a touch panel on the outside for controlling playback, and have a 7mm driver and four mics inside. They have an IPX5 water-resistance rating, which means that sweat and rain won’t prove a problem. The case can be changed wirelessly via a Qi pad.

Sound Quality

As much as I liked the small size of the 1More ComfoBuds Mini, I worried that the sound quality would suffer as a result. That isn’t the case. The buds are powerful and the sound quality is clear across the audio spectrum, even when the volume was approaching the max. 

You can’t tinker with the EQ, but instead take a test to set up your own SoundID, which you can then enable. The test has a series of A or B questions where a track is played with two sound profiles, and you pick the one you prefer, or say there’s no difference. At the end of this I found my SoundID matched up to my preferences for the type of music I listen to most and I left it enabled at all times. It’s a good system for most people who don’t want to change settings all the time, though being able to easily change the EQ for different types of music would be a bonus.

The buds have three active noise cancellation (ANC) settings – strong, mild and a wind-noise reduction – as well as a transparency mode. I didn’t find the ANC particularly strong in any mode, and when running I found that turning the ANC off reduced the sound of the wind better than the wind-reduction mode. When travelling, the ANC will take the edge off the low-level hum of trains and planes, but the passive noise cancellation you get from the in-ear fit does most of the work. 

The transparency mode does its job in filtering in external sounds well, which can be useful when running or cycling in busy areas. It does bring in wind and reduce the sound quality of the buds, though, so I didn’t like to leave the mode on throughout a run.

Overall I was impressed with the sound quality of the 1More ComfoBuds Mini for sub-£100 headphones. You can get better audio on pricier headphones, but it’s not a substantial upgrade. These tiny buds punch above their weight on sound.

Controls

The downside of the small size is that using the touch panel controls is difficult. Holding your finger on the panel will switch the sound mode between ANC, transparency and off, and this was the one command that worked reliably for me. You can also set up double and triple taps to control playback or your phone’s voice assistant, but getting these taps to register reliably was hard when sitting at a desk, and nigh-on impossible when running and during workouts.

Battery Life

The ComfoBuds Mini last five hours with the ANC on and six hours with it turned off, which is again impressive given their size. There are truly wireless in-ear buds that last up to eight or nine hours, and ear hook headphones that offer double-digit battery life, but up to six hours is creditable and the case adds another 15-19 hours of battery, depending on your use of ANC.

You can also get 60 minutes of playback from a five-minute charge, and the headphones work independently, allowing you to extend overall playtime further by using one at a time.

Are the 1More ComfoBuds Mini Worth It?

I often struggle with the comfort of in-ear headphones and the design of the 1More ComfoBuds Mini makes them better than most on this front. They are remarkably full-featured buds given their size and the sound quality is great. If they match your budget they are definitely worth buying, especially if you have found larger buds uncomfortable to wear for long periods.

At £92.99, they are not that much cheaper than the Jabra Elite 4 Active at £120, which I consider the best-value sports headphones if you can get on with their wingless design. The Jabra buds offer even better sound, plus more impressive ANC and longer battery life. 

The Ear 1 headphones are the first product from London-based startup Nothing and arrive with a promising feature set and eye-catching design, with see-through sections on the buds revealing some of the tech within.

Unfortunately, while the headphones have strong points and offer good value, the fit is a worry for sports use, the sound quality is just OK, and the active noise cancellation just doesn’t do a great deal. They don’t reach the level of the best gym headphones and the best running headphones. 

Nothing Ear 1 Review: Price And Availability

The Nothing Ear 1 earbuds are priced at £99, but are available for £92.99 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Buy from Nothing | £99

Design

The Nothing Ear 1 buds have a distinctive look with see-through stems that allow you to see the tech within. The buds and ear tips are either white or black, and there is a red spot on the right headphone and a silver one on the left to make it easier to know which way they go into their carry case, which is also see-through.

At 4.7g apiece, the buds are lighter than Apple AirPods Pro, which have a similar design and weigh 5.4g. The Nothing headphones also have the same IPX4 rating as Apple’s buds, which makes them sweat- and water-resistant enough to use for exercise, if not fully waterproof like some sports headphones.

The stems on the headphones are touch-sensitive and you can control playback by tapping, change volume by sliding a finger up and down the stem, and switch between noise cancellation modes by holding a finger on the stem. These controls work well in general life but are fiddly to use when exercising, especially the volume slider. The buds can also sense when they are taken out of your ear and will pause automatically.

Fit

There are three sizes of ear tips included in the box, and one of the Nothing Ear 1’s best features is how comfortable they are to wear. However, that comfort is partly a result of the fact they have no wings or other protrusions that would make them more secure when exercising.

I found that while the buds never dropped out during my runs, I was constantly tinkering with them to make sure they stayed in place, and they would also come loose during energetic strength workouts. I had similar problems with the Apple AirPods Pro and other in-ear headphones that don’t have wings, so if you know that that kind of fit works for you while exercising, that will probably be the case with the Nothing buds, too.

Sound Quality

The sound of the Nothing buds was fine, and broadly what I’d expect from headphones around the £100 mark. They are loud enough but the bass lacks punch, even when the increased bass mode is activated in the partner app, and distortion crept in at high volumes. 

The Jabra Elite 4 Active have notably better sound at £120 and there are cheaper buds than the Ear 1 that match them for sound quality, like the JLab Epic Air ANC and the Creative Outlier Air.

I was unimpressed by the ANC, which didn’t make much of an impression on external sound when travelling, and wasn’t noticeable on the run. There are Light and Maximum modes to pick from, but the Light is essentially pointless in my experience. There is also an awareness mode, which was handy on occasion when running on roads.

Battery Life

The Nothing Ear 1 buds last four to six hours on a charge depending on your use of ANC, and the total with the case is 34 hours, or 24 with ANC. That’s towards the lower end of what you can expect from truly wireless buds these days, though broadly in line with the Apple AirPods range.

Are The Nothing Ear 1 Headphones Worth It?

Even for £99, the Nothing Ear 1 headphones left me underwhelmed. They are comfortable, sound OK and have an interesting design, but there’s nothing outstanding about them and for me the fit is too loose to use for sports reliably.

I would rather spend an extra £20 for the Jabra Elite 4 Active, especially since the in-ear design was more secure when exercising. If you are looking for a cheaper set of buds, the Tribute Flybuds 3 and JLab Go Air Pop are bargains at less than £50.

Bone-conduction headphones are undoubtedly very useful in certain circumstances. When exercising on or by busy roads it helps to have awareness of your surroundings, and they are also the only headphones allowed at some running events. These points alone mean you’ll always find a pair on our list of the best running headphones. 

However, they have always struggled with sound quality, offering less on this front than much cheaper in-ear options. As the leading name in bone-conduction buds, Shokz is trying to set new standards for sound with the OpenRun Pro headphones, with enhanced bass in particular. 

Unfortunately, the Pro headphones didn’t significantly outperform the sound of Shokz’s other bone-conduction headphones, and I’d recommend sticking with cheaper options.

Shokz OpenRun Pro: Price And Availability

The OpenRun Pro went on sale in the UK on 28th February and cost £159.95, which is £30 more than the standard OpenRun headphones. Shokz also has the entry-level OpenMove headphones in its range for £79.95.

Design

The OpenRun Pro headphones look the same as the OpenRun, though they weigh slightly more at 29g vs 26g. The headphones are lightweight and sit securely in place so it’s easy to forget you’re wearing them, especially when you’re also sporting a hat and running sunglasses – they fit perfectly fine with all this extra headwear.

You hook the headphones over your ears so the pads sit on your cheeks to deliver audio via your bones, leaving your ears clear to hear the world around you. It’s a design that’s become familiar to runners and cyclists, allowing greater awareness than in-ear buds, even those that have a dedicated awareness mode to filter in external sound. 

On the right-hand pad you have two buttons to turn the volume up and down, as well as turning the headphones on and off, and changing audio modes – press both buttons at once to switch between standard and vocal boost. On the left side there is a multifunction button you can use to control music playback and start up your voice assistant.

To improve the sound quality there are two added bass enhancers on the OpenRun Pro. By the nature of their design, bone-conduction headphones struggle to match the power of in-ear buds to generate bass frequencies and that is still the case with the OpenRun Pro, although they are a little bassier than rival bone-conduction buds.

The OpenRun Pro headphones have a water resistance rating of IP55, which is more than enough to withstand sweat and rain, but is lower than the waterproof IP67 rating on the standard OpenRun. This drop in rating is due to the change in design around the cheek pads, with a mesh section on the Pro.

Sound Quality

The OpenRun Pro headphones do offer a little more bass than other bone-conduction headphones, but they aren’t a major improvement in sound quality. For one, when running outside or in other loud environments I couldn’t discern any difference between them and the standard OpenRun headphones. When listening to music at home the sound actually seemed slightly less clear than on the OpenRun, perhaps as a result of the punchier bass.

It is also still hard to hear music and podcasts when running by or cycling on busy roads, a common problem with bone-conduction headphones that hasn’t been solved by the Pro. You still get a cheek tickle when listening to bassy tracks at high volumes too, though I for one quite like that.

As with other Shokz headphones, there’s a vocal booster mode, which should make podcasts and audiobooks a little clearer. I didn’t really notice a huge difference between this and the standard mode when listening to podcasts while running.

All that said, the OpenRun Pro headphones don’t sound bad, and if you’re not hugely concerned with audio quality they will more than get the job done during exercise. However, outside of exercise they leak a bit too much sound and are too quiet to use on public transport as everyday headphones.

And there’s no getting away from the fact that you get much better sound from in-ear buds that cost less than £100, so I’d suggest that the best option is to get the cheapest bone-conduction headphones you can and use them occasionally when the need arises, and then buy in-ear headphones to use most of the time.

Battery Life

One definitive advantage the OpenRun Pro headphones have over the OpenRun is two extra hours of battery life. The Pro headphones last 10 hours on a charge compared with eight on the OpenRun, and a five-minute charge nets you 90 minutes of playback. When you turn the headphones on you get a one-word rating of the remaining battery – high, medium or low – and when you near zero the voice will cut into your audio to plead “charge me”. 

Are The Shokz OpenRun Pro Worth It?

The bass and battery boost will be enough to tempt some people to upgrade, but I would stick with the standard OpenRun headphones. The sound quality is comparable and they still lasted me a week of training. 

As mentioned above, I’d also consider going for the cheapest Shokz model – the OpenMove – and using the money you save to get some in-ear buds for better sound quality when required. 

Another bone-conduction option is the Naenka Runner Pro headphones, which have both Bluetooth and MP3 playback. The latter is very handy for swimming and also running races when you don’t want to carry your phone with you. The Naenka headphones cost £110.35, and are reduced to £88.28 at the time of writing. 

Shokz also has a set of MP3 headphones in its line-up, the OpenSwim (formerly known as the Xtrainez – Shokz loves changing names). These don’t also offer Bluetooth playback but offer six to eight hours of battery, while the Naenka buds drop to around two to four hours in MP3 mode.

Adidas has released three sets of sports headphones in the past few months, with the new FWD-02 buds sitting in between the ZNE 01 and ZNE 01 ANC in the range. The FWD-02 headphones offer the best fit for exercise of the trio and have the longest battery life too. However, they lack the active noise cancellation available on the ZNE 01 ANC, which cost £30 more, and are considerably more expensive than the open-fit ZNE 01 buds, which cost £90.

While the FWD-02 headphones stand out as the best choice to wear while exercising in Adidas’s range, largely thanks to the secure fit, you can certainly find better options for gym headphones or running headphones from other brands, which include ANC and superior sound quality, for £140 or less.

Adidas FWD-02 Sport Headphones Review: Price And Availability

The FWD-02 headphones were announced in late 2021 and went on sale in February 2022 in the UK. They cost £139.99.

Design

The FWD-02 headphones have in-ear tips that block out external sound passively and wings to keep them in place. There are four different sizes of ear tips in the box and five different sizes of wings so most people will be able to get a secure and comfortable fit. 

The water resistance rating is IPX5, which means the buds are not fully waterproof but will easily cope with regular exposure to sweat or use in the rain. They have 6mm drivers and both buds have a force touch panel on the side to control music playback. 

These panels work well. You can’t accidentally set off the controls when adjusting the fit of the buds – it takes a deliberate touch – but it’s also easy to use the controls when you mean to, even when wearing gloves.

The case is IPX4 rated, which means it's splash-proof, but I struggle to see how this can be the case given that the lid has a large fabric section. Adidas says this is to let your buds “air out” after use, something which doesn’t seem necessary, given that headphones can be dried in seconds before popping them back in the case. 

When splashed the fabric to see what would happen and it immediately let water soak through which was then held against the buds inside. This fabric section feels like a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist, and in fact introduces another problem, because the headphones inside are less well protected.

Another quirk is that the lid is only connected to the rest of the case by magnets, rather than a hinge. The magnets are strong, but there have been a couple of occasions when the lid has detached from the case and the headphones have tumbled free. Again, it strikes me as a strange design decision that hinders rather than helps.

There is an Adidas Headphones partner app to adjust the EQ and change the controls on the buds. Connecting to this app was often a pain though, and I had to completely uninstall it at one point to get the FWD-02 buds to pair with it, even though they were able to link to my phone without problems.

Fit

This is undoubtedly the strongest feature of the FWD-02 headphones. The fit is secure for all types of exercise, and they are also comfortable to wear for long periods. The variety of wings and tips in the box mean you can get a reliable fit without having to opt for an uncomfortably large or intrusive wing, and I found that even during sweaty indoor runs and workouts the buds stayed firmly in place with no need to adjust them.

Sound Quality

The sound quality on the FWD-02 headphones is by no means bad, but I did find it a little underwhelming compared with other buds I’ve been testing lately. There is a lack of clarity in the higher ranges, with instruments muddying together slightly, and the bass isn’t all that powerful. Adjusting the EQ in the partner app didn’t produce a huge effect either.

While ANC is not always that useful during exercise, it is now such a common feature that it’s surprising that the FWD-02 buds don’t have it, especially for £140. The in-ear tips do block out noise passively, but you can find solid headphones for under £100 with ANC.

The awareness mode on the buds is useful when exercising in busy areas, though I found it did have an impact on the quality of the audio. There was a slightly scratchy, almost white-noise, sound when it was in use.

There was nothing glaringly wrong with the sound quality and options on the FWD-02 buds in isolation, but they fall short of the standard set by other buds, including cheaper options like the Jabra Elite 4 Active.

Battery Life

You get six hours of playback from the FWD-02 buds and another 19 from the case, and the quick charge feature will net you an hour of playtime from 15 minutes of charging. These are all solid, if unremarkable, numbers, and I found that the specs matched my experience.

Are The Adidas FWD-02 Sport Worth It?

While the FWD-02 are a solid all-round set of sports headphones and the best option in Adidas’s range, there are better options around and even below their price. If you can afford to spend £20 more, then the JBL Reflect Flow Pro offer more features, including ANC, as well as better sound quality and battery life. The Jabra Elite 4 Active headphones are £119.99 and superior to the FWD-02 buds on most fronts, though the wingless design will mean that they don’t have a perfect fit for everyone.

It seems like just yesterday I was hailing the Jabra Elite 7 Active as the best running headphones going, thanks to the balance of price and features they offer. However, Jabra has outdone itself with the new Elite 4 Active buds, which have all the key features of the 7 Active for £50 less.

The Elite 4 Active headphones don’t just undercut Jabra’s own top sports buds either. The premium feature set they offer means you no longer need to consider £150-plus models like the Jaybird Vista 2 or JBL Reflect Flow Pro for gym headphones with active noise cancellation, impressive sound quality and a long battery life.

Jabra Elite 4 Active Review: Price And Availability

The Elite 4 Active headphones are available now on the Jabra website and cost £119.99 – that’s £50 cheaper than the Elite 7 Active buds and £40 more than Jabra’s entry-level truly wireless headphones, the Elite 3, which don’t offer ANC.

Design

The Elite 4 Active are in-ear headphones that don’t have wing tips or an earhook, instead relying on their light weight (5g per bud) and shape to stay in your ear during exercise. They have a similar design to the Jabra Elite 3 and Elite 7 Active headphones, though lack the 7 Active’s ShakeGrip silicone coating that increases the security of the fit.

Each bud has a multi-function button on it. These are easy to use during exercise though slightly stiffer than the buttons on the 7 Active in my experience, and the range of controls available is extensive. Along with controlling playback and volume, you can turn the buds off – a surprisingly uncommon feature on truly wireless headphones – switch between the ANC and HearThrough mode and, if on Android, get one-tap access to Spotify.

The buds are IP57 rated, which is the same rating as the Elite 7 Active but higher than the IP55 on the Elite 3 buds, which points to the active focus of the Elite 4s. They are waterproof up to depths of one metre for 30 minutes, and while the IP55 rating of the Elite 3 is enough for sports use, withstanding sweat and rain comfortably enough, extra protection on this front is never a bad thing.

The Elite 4 Active’s case is larger and less sleek than the Elite 7 Active’s case, but still small enough to pop in a pocket or running belt and forget about. There are three colours available – black, navy, and mint green – and in-ear tips in three sizes in the box.

Fit

With no wings or ear hooks, the Jabra Elite 4 Active buds will undoubtedly not stay in place during exercise for some people. However, I have always found Jabra’s wingless design to be remarkably secure, and the lack of other protrusions means that their buds are more comfortable to wear for long stretches than most of those that do have wings or hooks.

This remains the case with the Elite 4 Active buds, which have stayed comfortably in place for me through outdoor and indoor runs and cycles, strength workouts and yoga sessions. Sometimes the left bud needed adjusting during sweaty indoor runs in particular, but I cannot fault the fit, and I was surprised that it felt very nearly as secure as the Elite 7 Active buds, which have the ShakeGrip coating for a little extra stickiness.

Sound Quality

Powered by the same 6mm drivers you find in the Elite 7 Active buds, the sound quality on the Elite 4 Active headphones is impressive. One feature that is on the Elite 7 Active but not on the  Elite 4 Active is a hearing test that then sets up a personalised sound profile. However, you can adjust the EQ on the Elite 4 Active buds via sliders or by picking presets like Bass Boost, and overall I found the quality matched up to the Elite 7 Active. 

The bass is powerful and there is clarity across the range, and while you can find truly wireless sports buds that sound better if you spend over £200, the Elite 4 Active are as good as almost anything I’ve tested under that price, including the Jaybird Vista 2 or Bose Sport Earbuds. Sony’s WF-SP800N buds are one set that sound better, but I couldn’t get them to stay in my ears while exercising.

There are ANC and HearThrough modes on the Elite 4 Active buds too, and you can customise these within the app. You need to be in a noisy area to set up the ANC so you can set up how much sound to filter out, and after that you can toggle between ANC and HearThrough with a tap on the left headphone button.

The ANC is OK, filtering out some low-level noise when travelling in particular, but it’s not outstanding and the passive noise cancellation provided by the in-ear fit isn’t a huge drop-off. The HearThrough mode is more useful for me – it allows in more external noise so you’re more aware of your surroundings when running or cycling on the road. 

You can adjust how much external noise is let in via a slider that pops up in the Jabra app when you have HearThrough turned on. One quirk here is that you cannot do the same with the ANC mode, whereas a slider does appear when using the Elite 7 Active. That £50 upgrade has to give you something extra, I guess.

Battery Life

The Elite 4 Active headphones last seven hours on a charge while using ANC, and the case contains another 21 hours of juice. That’s slightly less than the Elite 7 Active, which last eight hours on a charge and have 22 more in the case, and the pricier buds also have a faster quick charge feature. It takes five minutes of charging to get 60 minutes of playback with the Elite 7 Active, whereas it takes 10 minutes of charging for the Elite 4 Active to last an hour, which is the same as in the Elite 3 buds.

You can use each of the headphones by itself and charge the other at the same time, which can also extend the play time available overall.

Are The Jabra Elite 4 Active Worth It?

The Elite 4 Active are now the best-value pick in Jabra’s range for sporty people, and if you get on with the wingless design they’re the best-value sports headphones on the market. I also used the Elite 7 Active buds while testing the Elite 4 Active and for the most part I couldn’t tell you which was in my ears at any given time: the upgrades on the 7 are fairly minimal in the real world in my experience, though that ShakeGrip coating does help a little with fit.

Given that I rated the Elite 7 Active headphones as the best all-round sports headphones available, getting pretty much the same experience from headphones that cost £50 less is delightful and makes the Elite 4 Active easy to recommend. My only gripe would be that it does a disservice to those who bought the Elite 7 Active headphones late last year that the Elite 4 Active came out hot on their heels offering most of the same features for less.

If you do need a wing tip to keep buds in your ears then the Jaybird Vista 2 or JBL Reflect Flow Pro would be my top alternatives, though they both cost considerably more than the Elite 4 Active at £189.99 for the Vista 2 and £159.99 for the Reflect Flow Pro.

The OpenRun headphones are the first launched since the company changed its name to Shokz from AfterShokz. The addition of a quick charge feature offers a modest improvement on the previously top-of-the-range Aeropex.

Other than that, the OpenRun impress with a lightweight design and solid sound quality. They're certainly among the best running headphones out there, and the audio is as good as any I’ve come across on bone-conduction headphones, if still short of what you get from in-ear buds, the style of choice for most of the best workout headphones.

Shokz OpenRun: Price And Availability

The OpenRun headphones are available to buy now from the Shokz website and cost £129.95,  which is £30 less than the OpenRun Pro, £50 more than the entry-level OpenMove, and £10 less than the OpenSwim, which are MP3 headphones that can store music, but don’t offer Bluetooth connectivity.

The OpenRun are available in the UK from Shokz and Amazon UK. Other Shokz retailers like Wiggle don’t appear to have the OpenRun immediately after launch in January 2022.

Design

The OpenRun weigh just 26g and the slim, flexible frame sits comfortably over the ears even when wearing glasses and a hat. The open design allows for greater awareness when exercising, which is why  bone-conduction headphones are the only type allowed for runners at many races. They also help cyclists and runners stay alert to traffic in busy areas.

With an IP67 rating, the OpenRun headphones are waterproof to depths of one metre for up to 30 minutes, so they easily shrug off the rain and sweat from your exercise. However, without any MP3 storage, they aren’t suitable for swimming because Bluetooth won’t work when underwater – if you’re looking for swimming headphones from Shokz, the OpenSwim offer music storage.

The headphones have volume controls on one side, with the volume up button doubling as the power and pairing button. On the other side there is a multi-function button you can use to play/pause and skip music, and activate your phone’s voice assistant. The controls are pretty easy to operate while moving, though sometimes I found it a bit tricky to double-tap the multi-function button to skip a track while running or cycling.

There are four colours available – black, blue, grey and red – and the headphones have a proprietary open charging port which enables that IP67 waterproof rating without needing to be covered with a silicone tab.

Battery Life

The OpenRun headphones last eight hours on a single charge and can be charged from empty to 100% in 90 minutes. The quick charge feature nets you 90 minutes of playback from 10 minutes of charging and is a welcome upgrade on the Aeropex for all of us who regularly forget to keep our headphones topped up.

When you turn the OpenRun headphones on you are given a simple battery rating of high, medium or low so you know if you need to give them a quick charge before your workout. I found that they lasted me a week of training easily enough, even with the volume at the max level for all my outdoor runs.

Sound Quality

It’s important to temper expectations when it comes to the sound quality of bone-induction headphones, since the open design cannot hope to match in-ear buds. However, the OpenRun impress on their own terms; along with the Aeropex headphones they offer the best sound quality I’ve come across from bone-conduction buds.

The OpenRun headphones have Shokz’s PremiumPitch 2.0 tech, which is designed to add more power and bass and reduce sound leakage. They still tickle the cheeks when a particularly bassy track comes on, though I’ve never minded a little cheek tingle.

While I prefer in-ear headphones for better audio quality when not exercising, the OpenRun sound good enough that it's not unpleasant to use them all day long.

When using the headphones in particularly noisy environments they do lack a little volume, and when running by very busy roads I found I’d have to switch from podcasts to music as the former were often inaudible. I’m talking about especially loud roads like London’s North Circular though, rather than general traffic, when you can hear music and podcasts well enough.

You can change the EQ on the headphones from standard (best used for music) to vocal boost (for podcasts) by holding both volume buttons simultaneously. I didn’t find this change made much of a difference though.

Are The Shokz OpenRun Worth It?

For a short period the OpenRun were the top option in Shokz’s range and were the clear best-in-class pick. The introduction of the OpenRun Pro muddies the water, but of the two I’d still recommend the OpenRun, since the upgrades you get on the Pro are small and cost an extra £30.

There are also cheaper options than the OpenRun available, including Shokz’s own OpenMove headphones at £79.95. There are also the Naenka Runner Pro headphones, which offer both Bluetooth and MP3 playback, and are generally reduced from their RRP of £111.02 to under £100 (they’re £88.82 at the time of writing).

The OpenRun headphones sound better and offer more battery life than these alternatives, but the cheaper headphones do deliver on the promise of bone-conduction headphones – providing more awareness of your surroundings while playing audio.

Finally, it is worth considering the OpenSwim headphones at £139.95 if you do want MP3 playback. They don’t offer Bluetooth as well, as the Naenka headphones do, but the OpenSwim sound better and last six to eight hours on a charge, whereas the Naenka battery drops to around two to four hours in MP3 mode.

Beats Fit Pro: Release Date And Price

The Beats Fit Pro were available in the US before the UK, but eventually crossed the Atlantic to go on sale in the UK on 28th January. They cost £199.99 and come in four colours – black, white, grey and purple.

Buy from Beats By Dre | £199.99

Design

The Fit Pro earbuds add a new design to Beats’s range of other truly wireless buds. While the small Studio Pro just have an in-ear tip and the Powerbeats Pro have an ear hook, the Fit Pro have an in-ear tip combined with a flexible wing tip. That means they offer a more secure fit than the Studio Pro while being smaller than the Powerbeats Pro.

Each bud has a multifunction button on the side and these perform the same operations on both sides, allowing you to play/pause, skip tracks and switch between sound modes. There is no volume control though.

Like Beats’s (and Apple’s) other headphones the Fit Pro buds have an IPX4 rating, meaning they are water- and sweat-resistant but not waterproof. I have never had a problem using IPX4 buds for sports myself, but generally it’s comforting to have the waterproof design you can get with running headphones from the likes of Jaybird and Jabra.

The Fit Pro’s case is fairly small and shaped to easily slip into a pocket. A little too easily in fact – it’s pretty slippery and can slide out of running belts if not positioned carefully. Jaybird and Jabra have buds with smaller cases, and the cases for the AirPods and AirPods Pro are also a little more pocket-friendly.

Fit

There are three sizes of silicone in-ear tips in the box, but the Fit Pro’s wing tip comes in only one size. To insert the buds you twist them back and then tuck the tip in to press against your inner ear to hold the headphones in place.

This method works. The headphones have stayed in place for me during a variety of workouts, including indoor and outdoor runs, cycles, strength sessions and yoga. I did sometimes have to tuck the wing tip in again on the run when it came loose, but overall I’d rate the fit of the Fit Pro as reliable for sports use.

However, the wing tip fails my comfort test. If I wear the Fit Pro for a couple of hours at a time my ear gets sore where the tip presses in. It’s not extremely painful, but it is noticeable, and it counts against the buds as an option to wear for long stretches at work as well as for exercise.

The trade-off between comfort and security is tricky to balance for all buds with wing tips, but others are more comfortable than the Fit Pro while still staying in place, such as the Bose Sport Earbuds and Jaybird Vista 2.

Sound Quality

Beats is known for its bass-forward sound profiles, and that is still the case with the Fit Pro, but it’s not as excessive as on past headphones. The bass is certainly powerful and is the most noticeable element in the mix, but it doesn’t overwhelm everything and there is still enough clarity in the instruments and vocals.

I prefer a little less bass myself, but overall I rate the sound quality on the Fit Pro highly and comparable to other top sports headphones like the Jaybird Vista 2, Jabra Elite 7 Active and Bose Sport Earbuds.

The Beats Fit Pro offer spatial audio on Apple Music (and Apple TV and FaceTime), although this only works on iOS devices. This creates a more immersive feel for music and films by tracking your head movement and adjusting the sound based on your head position. I was surprised how much I enjoyed spatial audio on the Fit Pro and the Airpods 3 when testing those, but having also used the Fit Pro with Spotify extensively the buds still sound great without it.

One omission from the Beats Fit Pro experience is the ability to change the EQ to suit your preferences, something you can do with many other headphones from the likes of Jabra, Jaybird and JBL.

Active Noise Cancellation And Transparency Mode

You can switch between ANC and transparency modes with a long hold on either button, and also turn both modes off. When travelling, the ANC was particularly good, blocking out a fair bit of extra noise over the passive noise cancellation already provided by the ear tip.

When running, however, I got a fair bit of wind noise with the ANC turned on, and generally preferred to turn it off or have the transparency mode on. The transparency mode is good though, allowing in noise like traffic without too much wind, and it’s handy to have available when exercising on or by busy roads.

Battery

When using ANC the Beats Fit Pro will last six hours on a charge, with another 18 hours in the case. A fast charge feature will net you an hour of playback from five minutes of charging too. If you turn the ANC off you’ll eke a little more juice out of the buds, but overall they are about par for the course for truly wireless headphones. Among its rivals, though, the Jabra Elite 7 Active offer more at eight hours with ANC, the Powerbeats Pro take advantage of their larger design to give nine and the JBL Reflect Flow Pro buds trump the lot with 10.

Controls

While it’s a shame that there are no volume controls on the Fit Pro, the multifunction button generally works well, and you can activate Apple’s voice assistant just by saying “Hey Siri” – another feature that’s not available on Android. You can then change the volume via Siri, but I’d still like the button option too.

The button is also a tad oversensitive, and if you move the headphones around in your ear to adjust the fit you can expect to pause your music, because I think I did it every single time I tweaked their position. That’s quite annoying, and not something I experience with other truly wireless buds – even very small ones.

Are The Beats Fit Pro Worth It?

There’s a lot to like about the Beats Fit Pro, but there are also some cons to consider. The main one is the discomfort caused by the wing tip when you wear the buds for hours at a time, and this would be enough to make me look elsewhere.

The competition is so fierce that it’s also hard to recommend the Fit Pro at £199.99 when you can get the Jabra Elite 7 Active, Jaybird Vista 2 or JBL Reflect Flow Pro for less. All those buds match the Beats Fit Pro’s strong points for me, while offering more comfort, longer battery life and better controls, plus the ability to adjust the EQ of the buds to suit your preferences. If comfort is your priority, the Bose Sport Earbuds also merit consideration – most companies could learn a thing or two from Bose about how to make a wing tip you can wear for hours without noticing it.

Within the Beats and Apple range, the Powerbeats Pro are probably still the best sports headphones thanks to the reliable fit provided by the earhook; though they are more expensive than the Fit Pro at £219.99, they have often been available in sales for around £150. The AirPods Pro are more comfortable, but substantially more expensive and I did find they came loose at times when exercising.

Adidas may not be the first brand you think of when it comes to headphones, but it has quietly been releasing some surprisingly impressive buds in the past year or two. The RPD-01 wireless headphones – with 12 hours of battery life, a secure neckband fit and offering decent value at £85 – are the pick of these. At least, they were until now.

This year Adidas has moved into true wireless buds with three new sets of headphones – the Z.N.E. 01, Z.N.E. 01 ANC, and FWD-02 SPORT. The Z.N.E. 01 are the entry-level buds at £85 and have an open-fit design, while the Z.N.E. 01 ANC are in-ear buds with active noise cancellation that cost £170. The forthcoming FWD-02 SPORT cost £139.99 and have an in-ear tip, a wing for an extra secure fit, increased water resistance and an IPX5 rating (the Z.N.E. 01 models are rated IPX4).

While the names are, in my opinion, a confusing mess, I was keen to test the Z.N.E. 01 in particular, because they could potentially be a great alternative to the Apple AirPods, offering the same open-fit design.

Well, not quite the same. The Z.N.E. 01 do have an unobtrusive earbud, which doesn’t have an in-ear tip or wing, but the silicone coating on the headphones should make for a more secure fit than you get with AirPods or other smooth open-fit buds like the Huawei Freebuds 4.

Although I have no problems with those smoother buds, many do, and adding a silicone coating to the Z.N.E. 01 is a smart move by Adidas. I found the buds stayed in place reliably through runs, cycles and strength workouts.

Using the Z.N.E. 01 headphones is pleasingly simple as well. They are comfortable to wear, since they have no wings or tips that might cause irritation to your ear, and they have connected reliably to my phone when using the buds together or independently.

As well as the auto-pause feature that kicks in when you remove the headphones from your ear, they have controls that are simple to use – one tap on the top of the stem of either bud for play/pause, two for skip, three for skip back. There are no volume controls, and you can’t customise either the controls or the EQ, but it’s an enjoyably faff-free experience to use the buds.

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At five hours in the buds plus 20 more in the case, the battery life is good, if not great, despite the case itself being chunkier and less pocket-friendly than many others, including the AirPods’ and the Huawei Freebuds 4’s.

Where the Z.N.E. 01 buds fall down is the sound quality. It’s passable, with no significant distortion, but the sound lacks power, there’s not a great deal of bass, and I found that the instruments and vocals mashed together.

They’re not awful to listen to, and in general I don’t expect wonders from the sound quality of open-fit buds, but both the Freebuds 4 and especially the AirPods 3 sound much better. If you want an open-fit design and don’t want to compromise too much on sound quality, the Apple buds are the best option.

However, at £169 the AirPods 3 are much more expensive than the Z.N.E. 01 buds. Even the cheaper AirPods 2 are £119, and the Freebuds 4 are £130 (though often reduced to £110). If you’re looking for a simple set of buds that are comfortable and fit securely for sports and don’t like using wings, in-ear tips or earhooks, the Z.N.E. 01 are certainly a good-value option.

Just like the first two generations of AirPods, the AirPods 3 don’t look like sports headphones. The lack of ear tips, wings or hooks for a secure fit give them the feel of general-use buds rather than something designed for workouts.

Despite the outward appearance, I’ve found that – just like their predecessors – the AirPods 3 are great to use when exercising. The fit was surprisingly secure, with the lightweight buds sitting neatly in my ear during runs, strength workouts and even yoga sessions with inversions.

The sound is also better than I expected for buds with an open design, and even though you don’t get active noise cancellation or a true awareness mode, the open fit does allow you to hear ambient noise, which can be handy when exercising outside.

The spatial audio setting manages to create an impressive atmospheric feel, especially when you turn on head tracking – where the sound adjusts to the position of your head to create a cinema-style feel – and watch a film. The buds will also adjust the EQ automatically to produce what it determines the best results for you, though you can’t customise the EQ yourself, which is a shame. In general the sound quality is good, but not great, partly because of the more open design compared with in-ear buds.

As someone who uses a range of Apple products, the AirPods 3 are also convenient, switching seamlessly between my laptop, tablet, phone and watch depending on what I’m listening to. They can be fussy about switching to the laptop at times though.

The new, smaller design mimics the AirPods Pro but without the silicone ear tips. These also offer a small improvement on the original AirPods when it comes to fit. The AirPods 3 get the squeeze controls on the stem, which are the same as on the AirPods Pro, and the battery life is also longer at six hours, with the case adding another 24. In addition, five minutes of charging nets you one hour of playback.

They aren’t fully waterproof, with an IPX4 rating, but the AirPods 3 will withstand sweat and rain, and I never had problems with past versions suffering on this front after extended use.

There is a huge caveat to any praise for the AirPods 3, though, and that’s the price. At £169 the AirPods 3 cost around the same as some of the best all-round sports headphones available, like the Jabra Elite 7 Active, JBL Reflect Flow Pro and Jaybird Vista 2.

All those headphones offer better waterproofing, a more secure fit, ANC and awareness modes, longer battery lives and more impressive sound quality that includes adjustable EQs. On features and real-world performance the AirPods 3 simply can’t compete.

Even if you prefer an open-fit design – all of the buds mentioned above have in-ear tips – the AirPods 3 struggle to match the competition. The £130 Huawei Freebuds 4, which can generally be found for £110, offer a similar design to the AirPods. The AirPods 2 are also now £119 and although they’re a bit larger and don’t have spatial audio, the convenience of connectivity and open-fit design they offer are similar to the new buds.

Another new option is the Adidas Z.N.E. 01 buds, which cost £85 and have an open-fit design with a silicone cover on the buds to make the fit a little more secure. While the AirPods 3 sound a little better and have a longer battery life at six hours vs five in the buds, the Adidas Z.N.E. 01 headphones are much cheaper and do a similar job all round.

The AirPods 3 probably exceeded my expectations on every front, even as a fan of the original AirPods. The fit is good, they are light and enjoyable to use, and the sound is impressive for open-fit buds. However, it is still very hard to recommend them at the high price of £169, especially if you are looking for sporty buds because you can pick up superior options for the same price – or even significantly less.

Buy from Apple | £169

While we have no qualms about calling the Apple AirPods surprisingly good all-round sports headphones, it’s a stretch to say that they offer good value. The new AirPods 3 are £169 and even the older AirPods 2 are still £119.

If you want a set of open-fit headphones that work well for exercise and general use but can’t stomach those prices, the Huawei Freebuds 4 are an excellent alternative, especially since they have been reduced to well under £100 in Huawei’s early Black Friday sale.

The Freebuds 4 have an RRP of £129.99, but are usually available for around £110. The sale has cut the price down to £84.99 – that’s a very attractive price for a set of headphones that we rated highly when we reviewed them.

The overall sound quality impressed us. Open-fit buds tend to lack a little compared with in-ear or over-ear headphones, but the Freebuds 4 delivered powerful and clear sound. They can’t match the bass you get from in-ear buds, and in truth the AirPods 3 do sound better, but the Freebuds 4 still exceeded our expectations when listening to both music and podcasts.

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• Huawei Freebuds 4 Bluetooth Headphones Review: Comfortable AirPods Alternatives
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There are some shortcomings with the Freebuds 4. The battery life is just four hours on the headphones plus another 18 in the case – enough for exercise but not enough to cover a working day. Those numbers drop to just 2.5 hours and 11.5 hours if you use the active noise cancellation (ANC).

We were also unimpressed by the ANC. It filtered out very little in the way of external sounds during our testing, so we found that turning it off and saving battery was the better option.

Both the ceramic white and silver frost colours of the Freebuds 4 are reduced as part of Huawei’s early Black Friday sale, which has kicked into gear well ahead of Black Friday, which falls on 26th November in 2021. If you’re looking for headphones with an in-ear fit then both the Freebuds Pro and Freebuds 4i are also reduced in the sale, with the 4i offering the cheapest option at £49.99 down from their RRP of £79.99.

Buy from Huawei | £84.99 (RRP £129.99)

For the past couple of years our all-round best sports headphones have been the Jabra Elite Active 75t. In recent months Jaybird released the terrific Vista 2 buds and JBL launched the Reflect Flow Pro headphones, both of which offer a similarly excellent experience to the 75t.

But here come the Elite 7 Active buds, which, with absolutely no regard for how numbers work, are Jabra’s successors to the Elite Active 75t. The Elite 7 Active buds aren’t a radical departure from the 75t, but improve in a number of small ways to nudge Jabra ahead of the competition once again.

The Elite 7 Active buds improve the battery life with eight hours in the buds with active noise cancellation (ANC) turned on and a total of 30 in the case, up from 7½ hours on the 75t buds and 28 total. The design has also been tweaked to provide a more secure fit and the price has dropped to £169.99 – the Elite Active 75t were £179.99 at launch, though they have been available for £129.99 at times.

Other key features are the same. Both sets of buds have ANC and an awareness mode; there’s the same IP57 rating, meaning they are waterproof (up to a point, they can withstand depths of up to one metre for 30 minutes); and they both have Jabra’s ShakeGrip silicone coating on the outside of the headphones to make the fit more secure.

This coating is a key difference from Jabra’s other new truly wireless headphones, the Elite 7 Pro, which are built more for general use and offer better call quality than the Elite 7 Active. The Pro buds also cost £199.99, and for our money a more secure fit and saving £30 is more attractive than improved call quality.

The fit of Jabra’s sports and running headphones has always been exceptional. Indeed they are the only in-ear headphones that don’t have wings or an ear hook that reliably stay in my ears. The Elite 7 Active buds outperform Jabra’s older models, with the new design nestling into the ear even more securely. During runs, strength workouts and yoga sessions with inversions they haven’t come loose once, and normally in-ear buds like this squirm free of my ears the moment I start running.

The sound the Elite 7 Active buds generate is similarly impressive. The standard set-up offers a prominent amount of bass, and the sound is clear and powerful across the range, then you can adjust the EQ in the partner app to suit your preferences. I’d say the range of customisation available is smaller than you get with Jaybird’s app, but the overall sound quality is comparable to the Vista 2 buds, and along with the Bose Sport Earbuds it’s the best I’ve come across on sports headphones in the £150-£200 bracket.

The HearThrough awareness mode is handy at times. You can adjust the amount of ambient noise you want let in via a slider in the app, and it’s worth dialling this down when running outside otherwise the wind masks the sounds you actually want to hear.

The ANC has to be set up in the Jabra app first and it has to be done in a noisy environment, which is understandable but also a bit of a faff. You can adjust the amount of ANC in the app as well, though I found it needed to be turned all the way up to make a substantial difference in filtering out the sound of traffic or when travelling by train.

Overall, the ANC is OK on the Elite 7 Active – it outperforms the Vista 2, but only marginally. You get better ANC on the Sony WF-SP800N, though I did find the Sony headphones didn’t fit securely enough for running.

Jabra has retained the control set-up on the Elite Active 75t, with a multifunction button on the side. This is easy to use even during intense exercise and you can customise your controls and pick what commands you want for single, double and triple taps on each side. You can also control the volume by holding the right button for up and the left button for down, and turn off the headphones by pressing both at the same time. That last control might not sound like much, but a lot of truly wireless buds can only be turned off by being placed back in their case, which I find annoying.

There really isn’t anything I can truly fault about the Elite 7 Active buds. You can find better sound on the Master & Dynamic MW08 Sport or B&O Beoplay E8 Sport, but they are much more expensive at £300-plus, and the fit and battery life aren’t as good. If you’re looking for the perfect balance of price and features, the Elite 7 Active buds offer it: they just edge out the Jaybird Vista 2 and JBL Reflect Flow Pro headphones in all-round excellence. That said, if you can find the Elite Active 75t in a sale at a substantial discount, I’d buy them because the updates on the Elite 7 Active, while useful, are not essential.

Buy from Jabra | £169.99

There is a lot going on in JBL’s eight-strong range of sports headphones. There are three sets of truly wireless Reflect buds, with the Pro coming in above the entry-level Reflect Flow and mid-range Reflect Mini NC. Then there are a few pairs of headphones that have arisen from partnerships with Under Armour and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, plus assorted other options to suit different budgets and preferences.

To cut to the chase, the Reflect Flow Pro buds are the best set of sports headphones JBL makes. They’re a stand-out option beyond JBL’s range too, challenging the likes of the Jaybird Vista 2 and Jabra Elite Active 75t for the crown of best all-round sports headphones.

As with the Vista 2 and Elite Active buds, the appeal of the Reflect Flow Pro headphones is that they hit the sweet spot of features for the price. There are certainly good options available at lower price points, and if your budget gets nearer £300 you’ll find some truly stellar headphones, but for £159.99 the JBL buds more or less nail every key feature you need for exercising and they are great for general use as well.

That starts with the fit, which is as solid as it gets for in-ear buds. The headphones come with three sizes of ear tips, plus four sizes of wings for extra security during intense exercise. Whether I was running, doing strength work, yoga or cycling, the Reflect Flow Pro didn’t budge.

I was also surprised by how comfortable the wings felt over extended periods of wear. I generally find the secure fit wings afford comes at the cost of comfort, and that they start to irritate my ears after an hour or two. But I wore the Reflect Flow Pro on a run and then all afternoon at my computer without any significant irritation. They’re not as comfortable as the Bose Sport earbuds, but are fine for long stretches of general use alongside sports.

The buds last for 10 hours on a charge, or eight hours if you use the active noise cancelling (ANC) feature. The case provides another 20 hours of juice, and while it’s a little larger than ideal – the Vista 2 case in particular is much smaller – it does have a useful loop on it allowing you to attach it to running belts and backpacks.

When running outside I generally had to turn off both the ANC and awareness modes, since neither does a good job of filtering out wind, so wind is mostly what you hear. However, when exercising indoors or travelling the ANC was impressive, almost completely cutting out the sound of an indoor bike or a train.

There are two different awareness modes, Ambient Aware and TalkThru: the former is better for allowing general sounds from your environment in and the latter is designed to allow you to have a conversation without taking out your headphones. I’d still take out my headphones when talking to someone – it just seems rude not to – but you can hear people and your surroundings pretty clearly in either mode, as long as it’s not too windy.

The sound profile of the Reflect Flow Pro is bass-heavy and provides plenty of punch on that front. You can change the EQ in the partner app to one of several presets or set up your own.

I was impressed with the sound. It leans a little too bassy for me as standard, but it was simple to set up an EQ that suited my preferences better, and whether exercising, or using the headphones at work or when travelling it was enjoyable to use the Reflect Flow Pro. I found the sound as good as the Jaybird Vista 2 and Jabra Elite Active 2, and I only marginally prefer the Bose Sport earbuds, though those don’t have a customisable EQ so it’s blind luck that the sound profile suits me so well.

The JBL buds have some of the best touch controls I’ve come across. Every time I tapped either bud my command registered. I also liked that when switching between ANC and awareness modes, a voice tells you which mode you are in after each tap. You can also customise the controls in the app.

See related

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The Reflect Flow Pro buds kept a reliable connection with my phone, but switching between devices was a faff and I had to forget them on my phone to pair them to my laptop. This is something the Jabra Elite Active 75t headphones are much better at.

The Reflect Flow Pro buds are rated IP68 so rain, sweat or dust won’t damage them. If you use the Google voice assistant you can activate it using only your voice, and you can fire up Siri or Alexa using a long press.

It’s a complete set of features and the real-world performance is excellent. At £160 the Reflect Flow Pro buds aren’t cheap, but they are a little cheaper than their Jaybird and Jabra rivals (on RRP at least – the Elite Active 75t can often be found for around £150).

I do prefer the Vista 2 and Elite Active 75t overall. The cases are smaller, the fit is slightly more comfortable, and the ANC and awareness modes are less windy when running. There’s really not much in it, though, so if you do find the JBL buds for less then they’re a great choice – and they offer more battery life too.

Buy from JBL | £159.99

There is a lot going on with the Amazfit Powerbuds Pro. They are the most feature-rich truly wireless buds I’ve come across, offering rarely seen things like automatic exercise tracking and posture alerts, alongside the more common features like active noise cancellation and an awareness mode.

You get all this for just £119.99, a relative snip for truly wireless buds with this many features. That price isn’t achieved by sacrificing sound quality or battery life either. The sound is impressive, as is the battery life: the buds last up to nine hours per charge, or 5hr 45min with active noise cancelling (ANC) on, and the case contains another 21 hours.

These Powerbuds do have an achilles heel, which is the fit. The in-ear tips were simply not secure enough for sport and I barely made it 20 steps into a run without them falling out. The headphones come with four sizes of silicone ear tips, but no wings, which would make a real difference.

Of course, this might not be the case for everyone, and even if you, like me, find that they won’t stay in your ears during exercise there are workarounds. I slipped some generic silicone wings bought off eBay on the buds and that fixed the loose fit for running and other workouts.

It might be worth looking for such a workaround given the overall quality of the Powerbuds Pro, and the value you’re getting for £120. Even if the extra features aren’t that useful, the sound quality, solid ANC and battery life are the equal of far more expensive sets.

You can adjust the EQ on the buds in the partner app and I was impressed by the depth and clarity of the sound, even at high volumes – and these go enjoyably loud. There’s a “hearing health” alert if you turn up the volume too high for an extended period, although you can turn that alert off.

I kept the cervical health reminder on, though (your cervical spine is your neck). If you wear the headphones for long periods at your desk, the alert reminds you to move your neck around and relax your spine.

In the Zepp app you can also see what your normal head-lowering angle is, and how healthy that is. For example my habitual angle is 25°, and this means my cervical vertebrae bear a weight equivalent to that of a cat. A comparison that made me laugh out loud, not least because my cat is pretty plump.

Along with these insights, the headphones can track your heart rate during exercise and will automatically detect and record runs, and you can even programme the buds to boost the beats and bass when you’re exercising.

The actual run tracking is completely useless – the distances logged were several kilometres out from what I actually ran – but the heart rate tracking is fairly accurate. That said, it’s still short of accuracy compared with a chest strap or even many optical wrist monitors, so these features don’t add much to the Powerbuds Pro.

You can customise the controls in the app as well. A long press on the stem of either bud will switch the listening mode between ANC, Thru Mode or off. You can also choose what kind of ANC mode you’d like. There are modes for travel, workouts and indoor settings, which each block out certain noises, or you can choose an adaptive mode that filters out sounds depending on your environment.

That long press is a fixed control, but you can change what happens when you single, double and triple press on the stems, although the available options don’t include volume controls, which is annoying.

Also annoying is the way the controls respond when exercising. I found it was all but impossible to get the right amount of presses when running, especially when trying to do the long press. In fact, I have only been able to use the controls when very still.

Furthermore, while I found the ANC useful and effective when travelling or working, during outdoor exercise it let in a lot of wind noise. The same was true of the awareness mode, so when I turned that on to hear traffic coming up behind me when running on a country road, mostly what I heard was wind. Not ideal. I almost always turned both modes off when exercising outdoors, especially since doing so saves a considerable amount of battery life.

See related

• The Best Gym Headphones
• The Best Running Headphones

As general headphones I rate the Amazfit Powerbuds Pro highly, especially given the relatively low price, but they fall short on the sports front. The fit isn’t secure enough, and the controls and ANC become more of a frustration than a feature while exercising.

I found that the extra features are generally not that useful either, aside from the posture alerts. If you want to track the distance of your runs or heart rate, I’d recommend investing in a cheap watch or fitness tracker for more accuracy instead.

They are OK for sports use if you don’t have a problem with the fit, but there are better options on that front at a range of prices – the Beats Powerbeats are a similar price if you don’t mind a wire, and there are truly wireless options like the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC or Creative Outlier Air v2 for under £100.

The Amazfit Powerbuds Pro have great sound and impressive ANC (when not running) for the price, plus a host of novel features, but they’d be better sports buds if they swapped all those novel features for easier-to-use controls and some wings to improve the fit.

Amazfit PowerBuds Pro Active Noise Cancelling Earbuds, True Wireless Bluetooth 5.0 Headphones with 6-Mic, Multi Music Modes, Sports and Health Monitoring, IP55 Waterproof for Gym Workout

Buy now