You are currently viewing Best Wireless Workout Headphones
JBL Reflect Aero

     Nothing kills your workout momentum quicker than your earbuds falling out or lacking intuitive controls. Luckily, all the choices on this list of our favorite wireless workout headphones have everything you need to DJ your fitness routine right!

OUR TOP PICKS:
Wireless Workout Headphones

Best Overall

JBL Reflect Aero

JBL Reflect Aero True Wireless Earbuds Best Wireless Workout Headphones
  • Water/Dust Rating – IP68
  • Battery Life – 8 hours/24 hours with charging case
  • Driver Size – 6.8mm
  • ANC/Transparency Mode – Yes
  • Bluetooth Version – 5.2

     Besides headphones made specifically for swimming, the JBL Reflect Aero TWS earbuds provide best-in-class waterproof and dustproof ratings. To keep them secure, you have a choice of more than 10 combinations of ear tips and ear wings (Powerfins™). Plus, the impressive Adaptive Noise Cancelling and Smart Ambient modes keep you safe and aware of your surroundings.

     Combined with the great battery life and JBL Signature Sound quality, these are easily one of your best choices for wireless workout headphones. Not to mention JBL’s intuitive headphone app that allows you to customize the EQ and on-ear controls to get the very most out of your audio experience!

Best For iPhone Users

Beats Fit Pro

  • Water/Dust Rating – IPX4
  • Battery Life – 6 hours/24 hours with charging case
  • Driver Size – 9.5mm
  • ANC/Transparency Mode – Yes
  • Bluetooth Version – Apple H1 Chip

     While the 6-hour battery life, IPX4 waterproof rating, and one-size-fits-most design keep the Beats Fit Pro away from the top spot, there’s still plenty to love. The large 9.5mm drivers produce top-notch sound quality, and Apple’s exclusive Spatial Audio provides a truly unique audio experience (when connected to iPhones).

     Featuring the Apple H1 chip, the Beats Fit Pro wireless workout headphones offer all of the other luxury Apple features you’re used to, like Automatic Switching, Audio Sharing, and more! They’re essentially the workout version of the AirPods Pro. Plus, you have an awesome selection of color options, like the new Volt Yellow, Tidal Blue, and Coral Pink.

Beats Fit Pro Full Review

Best For Extreme Athletes

JBL Endurance Peak 3

  • Water/Dust Rating – IP68
  • Battery Life – 10 hours/40 hours with charging case
  • Driver Size – 10mm
  • ANC/Transparency Mode – Transparency Mode Only 
  • Bluetooth Version – 5.2

     Equipped with huge 10mm dynamic drivers, IP68 dust/waterproof rating, and a unique ear hook design, the JBL Endurance Peak 3’s are made for extreme athletes. Whether you’re hitting the trail, the slopes, or the waves, they’re designed to stay in your ear and keep you in the zone.

     Thanks to JBL’s signature sound and headphone app, you’re able to adjust the EQ to fit your listening style and customize the touch options for easier phone-free music control. Plus, the custom transparency modes help keep you safe and aware in any environment.

Best On-A-Budget

Anker Soundcore Sport X10

  • Water/Dust Rating – IPX7
  • Battery Life – 8 hours/32 hours with charging case
  • Driver Size – 10mm
  • ANC/Transparency Mode – Yes
  • Bluetooth Version – 5.2

     Wow! Another set of Soundcore by Anker headphones slides into a “best of” list! First of all, the Soundcore Sport X10 have some of the best audio quality in the biz, and the 10mm drivers offer top-of-the-line “bump.”

     On top of that, Soundcore by Anker has one of the best headphone apps that gives you 20+ EQ presets along with plenty of custom EQ save slots. The Sport X10’s also feature some of the coolest ear hooks we’ve tested. They’re adjustable, discreet, and provide a uber-secure fit. It’s amazing that they were released with a price tag of just under $80!

Toughest / Most Durable

Jaybird Vista 2

  • Water/Dust Rating – IP68
  • Battery Life – 8 hours/24 hours with charging case
  • Driver Size – 6mm
  • ANC/Transparency Mode – Yes
  • Bluetooth Version – 5.2

     The Jaybird Vista 2’s are a durable yet luxurious set of wireless workout headphones. Not only do the earbuds feature a military-grade IP68 waterproof/dustproof rating, but the charging case boasts an impressive IP54 durability rating. They also give you a snug and comfortable fit thanks to the nice selection of ear tip and ear wing sizes.

     The notable luxuries include a wireless charging case and a headphone app that’s packed with features. Even though they only have 6mm drivers, the custom EQ allows you to squeeze every drop of sound quality out of them. Other luxury features include custom controls, adjustable ambient noise levels, and an in-app map that tracks the location of your lost earbuds and charging case.

Best Fit w/o Ear Hooks/Wings

Jabra Elite 7 Active

  • Water/Dust Rating – IP57
  • Battery Life – 8 hours/30 hours with charging case
  • Driver Size – 6mm
  • ANC/Transparency Mode – Yes
  • Bluetooth Version – 5.2

     The Jabra Elite 7 Active check most of the boxes to make them a top-notch set of workout earbuds. The main reason they didn’t make it to the top 5 is their lack of fit security. To their credit, Jabra dedicated a huge amount of research and development on creating a one-size-fits-most design without the use of ear wings or over-ear hooks.

     I’ll be the first to admit that they have an amazing fit and level of comfort that’s rarely seen in something that you shove into your ear. On the other hand, when it comes to working out and other vigorous activities, nothing compares to the added security of ear wings or hooks, so we had to dock a few points off.

     With that said, if you’re using them for walking, treadmills, and other medium-to-light exercises, their sound quality and additional luxury features keep them easily in the top ten of ALL wireless workout headphones.

Best Audio Range

Sennheiser Sport

  • Water/Dust Rating – IP54
  • Battery Life – 9 hours/27 hours with charging case
  • Driver Size – 7mm
  • ANC/Transparency Mode – Transparency Mode Only
  • Bluetooth Version – 5.2

     Their best-in-class frequency response of 5Hz – 21kHz provides an impressive audio experience that Sennheiser is known for. The lack of active noise cancellation and IP54 durability rating dropped them lower on our list, but their above-average 7mm drivers and excellent battery life keep them easily in the top 10 of all wireless workout earbuds.

     Out of the box, the audio can sound a little compressed, but it can be easily fixed using the custom EQ and other audio settings in their handy headphone app. If you’re a pop music fan, you’ll especially love how these sound. Plus, they come with an extra set of ear tips designed specifically to improve the Ambient Aware mode so you’ll stay safe and aware during road workouts.

Best Audio Quality

Bose Sport Earbuds

  • Water/Dust Rating – IPX4
  • Battery Life – 5 hours/15 hours with charging case
  • Driver Size – 6mm
  • ANC/Transparency Mode – Transparency Mode Only
  • Bluetooth Version – 5.1

     With the Bose name usually comes premium sound, and these wireless workout headphones don’t disappoint. They easily have the best audio quality of any set of earbuds we’ve tested, let alone workout earbuds. The main reason they dropped so low on our list is because of a few glaring weaknesses.

     I guess since Beats got away with saying IPX4 sweat and water resistance is good enough for sport headphones, Bose thought they could too. The truth is, if you sweat a lot, you’re probably better off with the JBLs or Jaybird Vista 2’s.

     Even though the lack of active noise cancellation is a bummer, they make up for it with a great Transparency Mode, which is what you really need for road workouts anyways.

     The last big issue we have with these is the 5-hour battery life. With these being one of the bulkiest sets of earbuds on the list, it seems like that should’ve translated into larger batteries. On the other hand, since the average person doesn’t work out for more than a few hours, it’s an easy tradeoff for the best-in-class audio quality.

F.A.Q. and More...

Is it better to workout with headphones or earbuds?

     For most people, earbuds make the most sense. They’re more portable, sweat resistant, and comfortable to wear. Some light workouts like walking, jogging, and weightlifting can be enjoyable with the immersive experience of full-size over or around-the-ear headphones.

What type of headphones are best for exercise?

     Everyone’s ears are different, so finding workout earbuds with the most secure fit is one of the most important aspects of earbud selection. If you sweat a lot, always look at the dust/waterproof rating. A rating of IP65 is considered waterproof, so heavy sweaters should shoot for that rating as a minimum.

     Also, if you run, walk, or bike on roadways, you should consider earbuds with a good transparency or ambient mode. That way, you’ll always hear traffic and other dangers associated with roadway and other outdoor workouts.

Which headphone is best for gym?

     If you want to get into the zone, workout earbuds or headphones with active noise cancelling is your best choice. If you work out with a buddy or in a group, choosing headphones with a good transparent or ambient mode makes it easy to communicate while listening to your favorite jams.

     Fit security and comfort is another huge aspect of workout headphone selection. It’s annoying having to keep adjusting earbuds, and it can have a negative effect on your focus.

What is better Jabra or JBL?

     When it comes to durability, JBL is one of the best in the business. Their workout earbuds and portable speakers can take a beating, and they have great audio quality.

     On the other hand, Jabra offers similar audio quality, but their durability, while close, is not as good as JBL.

Do AirPods fall out while running?

     For running, AirPods Pros are just OK. They only offer IPX4 water resisitance, so don’t even think about using them if you sweat a lot. If you must have a set of Apple headphones, the Beats Fit Pro is your best choice by a long shot.

     The built in ear wings keep them much more secure compared to any model of AirPods. Plus, they have most of the luxury features you’ll find on AirPods Pros.

Are noise cancelling headphones good for gym?

     Unless you’re working out with others, noise cancelling headphones are one of the best ways to get in, and stay in, the zone. Most workout earbuds offer great passive noise cancelling, which is achieved by getting the best possible fit and seal from the ear tips.

     Active noise cancelling uses a great seal, along with software, to achieve even better isolation. Most noise cancelling headphones also feature an ambient/transparent mode that you can quickly switch to if you need to conversate with a fellow gymgoer. The rest of the time, you’ll be in your own world, feeling like the only person in the gym.

     The only drawback of headphones with ACTIVE noise cancellation is that the feature will drain the battery faster, so take that into consideration if you’re low on juice.

Are Beats or AirPods better for working out?

     With the Beats Fit Pro and the AirPods Pro having almost identical features, there’s really only one major difference that makes one better than the other for workouts. The ear wings.

     While some people may be able to get away with using the AirPods Pro for working out and running, the fit and security don’t come close to the Beats Fit Pro.

     Beats did a great job at developing an ear wing style that fits most people’s ears. Combined with the ear tip size that works for your ear canals and an AirPods-quality audio experience, they’re easily one of the best sets of workout earbuds available.

How We Choose The Best

     These are some of the main features and design aspects we consider when picking the best wireless workout headphones:

Water/Dust Rating

     This is an obvious design feature we look at when it comes to workout headphones. It doesn’t matter how good they sound, if they fall victim to sweat, rain, or spilled Gatorade, they’re useless.

     IP ratings can be confusing to people so here’s an easy way to look at it. The “IP” stands for Ingress Protection, and is an international standard used to rate electrical enclosures against water, dust, objects, and accidental contact.

     The “IP” is usually followed by 2 numbers. The first is the dust resistance rating and the second is the water resistance rating. Sometimes there is an “X,” which means ithasn’t been tested against that metric.

     For instance, the Beats Fit Pro have a rating of IPX4. That means that they haven’t been officially test against dust (X), and they have a water resistance rating of 4 (the bare minimum for wireless workout headphones). To make it easy, just pay attention to the last number. The higher, the better (9 is the best).

Battery Life

     We consider battery life an important factor because the last thing you want is for your earbuds to power off halfway through a workout or be dead on arrival. Most of our top choices will allow you to get a full week of workouts in between charges.

Driver Size

     Generally, the larger the drivers, the bigger the bass, which is great for helping you get pumped up during your workouts. Some brands are great at squeezing good bump out of average-sized drivers, like the 6.8mm drivers on the JBL Reflect Aero earbuds.

     Either way, we look for 6mm drivers or larger, and an adjustable EQ to tweak the sound to your musical genre.

ANC/Transparency Mode

     No matter what, all of our top picks have great noise isolation (Passive Noise Cancellation), but many feature some of the best active noise cancelling available.

     Active noise cancellation is a luxury that helps drowned out background noise and keep you in the zone. Even though it’s not a necessity, anything that makes your gym experience more enjoyable is a plus.

     Transparency or Ambient Mode is a little more important. If you’re in the gym or fitness studio, it’s a nice convenience for quick conversations or being able to hear instruction. If you like running, walking, or biking outdoors, it can be the difference between life and death.

     Not only can it help you hear oncoming traffic, but it’ll keep you aware of other dangers, including animals and people.

Fit and Comfort

     Fit and comfort always matter with anything we wear on or in our ears, but it’s even more important when picking wireless workout headphones.

► Some people like ear wings.

► Some people like ear hooks.

► Some people like to roll the dice with nothing but some snug-fitting ear tips.

     However you prefer your headphones to fit, we have a top pick for you!