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Small-but-mighty listening devices will inspire that extra mile.
LONG GONE are the days of running with wired workout headphones bouncing up and around with each step. These days the best running headphones come in earbud form and offer top-of-the-line fit and function, meaning they stay put in your ear no matter how many miles you log or how much sweat is pouring down your face.
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Another important factor is sound. For runners that rely on their playlist to keep their energy up throughout the entirety of their run, the sound quality in earbuds are crucial. Some models create a seal to block out all external noise, allowing you to really get in the zone. Others incorporate a little ambient sound, which is a much-appreciated safety precaution if you run out on open or urban roads and need to stay alert.
Last, consider the battery life and charging features. There's nothing like walking out the door for a run and realizing your earbuds are dead–or worse, you lose juice mid-run. Look to running headphones with extended battery life to avoid this, as well as pairs that come with portable charging cases to minimize the chance of them dying when you need them most.
Read more: Best Workout Headphones
We know every runner has their own preferences, so we curated the running headphones and earbuds below to cater to all types of individuals. No matter if you're searching for a high waterproof rating or looking for supreme sounds, there's bound to be something to fit your needs below.
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No drumroll here. We’re coming in hot with the winner of the all-around best running earbuds. You can sprint, leap, and even flip, and these babies will stay put, pumping out consistent sound you'll love. They last for 9 hours on a single charge with an additional 15 hours in their carrying case.
You get expansive, best-in-class listening (let’s be honest, Dr. Dre wouldn’t steer you wrong) and the same seamless iPhone connection as you would with regular AirPods. Powerbeats Pro come with an IPX4 rating, which translates to splash proof and weather resistant (just don’t submerge them entirely). The low profile and lightweight design fits most ear types without falling off or causing any pain, even on longer runs. With over-ear headphones, a common complaint is that they weigh down your ears over time, but these are too light for that to happen.
Plus, you can pick from a wide array of colors to express your personality. If you’re one to claim that AirPods never feel quite right in your ears, but love the ease of connectivity in them, these are for you.
“The true wireless earbud revolution has been terrific for fitness overall. But no pair matches the ear security and confidence delivered by the Powerbeats Pros, which let me comfortably do Superman pushups, power cleans, headstands, and sprints with ease.”-Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., Fitness Director
Read more: Powerbeats Pro Review
If you’re already an Apple AirPods fan, you probably can’t remember life without them. Now the 2nd generation Pros are here and they're better than ever. Not only will you get up to 30 hours of listening time (6 more hours than the 1st gen) but you also have a wider customized fit thanks to the four different sized ear pieces the headphones come with.
What shocks users the most about the new Active Transparency Mode, which drowns out impromptu noises that could be harsh on hearing (like a passing by firetruck or when you're walking by a construction site). They also have that IPX4 rating, so you can run and sweat in rain or shine with total peace of mind.
“I love the Apple AirPods Pro when I go out for a run because they tick all the boxes for me: fit, comfort, sound, and battery life. I can dial in the fit for a great seal that feels snug from the first step until I am taking them off. They stay comfortable and in place, no matter how cold it is when I start out or how sweaty I get by the end. And the sound is always so rich. The active noise cancellation lets me totally get lost in my run, while the ease of toggle allows me to switch it off in a snap when my run takes me into traffic. I give the case just one full charge a week. The rest of the time, they are always at the ready to grab-n-go.”-Jamie Prokell, Creative Director
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The 85Ts are the most advanced buds from Jabra to date. The popular AirPod alternatives come with Bluetooth multipoint connection, which means you can take an incoming call without having to manually switch your connectivity. What truly sets them apart from the rest is a new internal chip dedicated to active noise cancellation. Unlike other types of noise cancelling earbuds, you can control the feature on a slider via the Jabra app, thus giving you the opportunity to further customize your listening experience depending on where you're running.
Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds
The Beats Flex wireless headphones bring major bang for not a lot of buck. For just less than $70, you can get Beats quality sound in yet another minimal, sleek, neck-wired design. A common turn off to this kind of earbud is how easily they can pop out of your ears, but what’s not pictured here eliminates that fear. They come with 4 ear tips for custom sizing and ear-in-place security. Plus, the neck wire is another added layer of locked-in listening.
The Beats Flex even have an audio sharing option with other Apple-owned products, so you can listen together with a friend, but still on your own. The magnetic closer feels way more expensive than the actual price tag (so does the brand name). It’s worth noting this product doesn’t come with a full noise cancellation option or water-resistant capabilities.
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The Jaybird Vista 2s are some of the toughest pairs of earbuds on this list. These are the best running headphones for your most adventurous, rugged outdoor trails. Sure, they work perfectly great on the road, but they are made for so much more. The brand calls the construction EARTHPROOF, which means they can withstand the elements—shock, dust, water, sweat, you name it, these can handle it. They have an IP68 construction, after all.
On top of their durability, the new generations gets your 8 hours of uninterrupted listening (2 more than the 1st gen), and another 16 hours from their magnetic closure carrying case (6 more than the 1st gen). The major draw to these earbuds is how weightless they feel. You can have them in for the entire charge time and completely forget you have them in. If that sounds scary to you out of fear of losing them, you can rest assure knowing the wing tip gently hooks in the ear to lock it in place. But if you’re still nervous, maybe you should rethink the whole “true wireless” thing.
Don’t let the design of these wireless headphones fool you. Sure, they don’t look like your typical earbud, but the technology is pretty major, allowing for true ambient noise when you are running. These bone conduction wireless headphones deliver sound through your cheekbones, so you can enjoy an open-air flow of sound. Runners who hate the feeling of having something in their ears or can never find the right “fit in a bud” love this option. These headphones also bring on a major safety feature, especially for long distance runners. You can hear traffic, race coordinators, and even nature.
The sound quality is good, but with any pair of bone conduction headphones, you give up optimum bass listening. With that said, the Aftershokz Aeropex technology is pretty advanced. They use micromagnets to control the field of sound vibrations at a higher efficacy than competitors and previous models.
You’ll get 8 hours of music playback, voice prompt features, and these headphones have an IP67 waterproof rating, which means you can submerge them in 1 meter for 30 minutes.
“The Aeropex has become my go-to audio option for any type of workout I do outside near busy streets, especially if I'm riding my bike somewhere unfamiliar. I can get turn-by-turn audio directions while keeping my ears open, which makes me feel much safer on the road.” – Brett Williams, Fitness Editor
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While everyone with an iPhone is rushing to jump on the latest AirPods Pro, you should be doing the same for the Google Pixel Bud Pros. The top of the line for Google’s earbuds are the easiest Android-friendly pair of running headphones to set up and use on this list.
Beyond setup, they offer touch controls on the outside of each bud, so you can lower volume and change the song. And the sound brings great depth and base, comparable to that of the AirPods Pro. These have a higher sweatproof rating, longer battery life and more distinguished, comfortable design. What's great about the Pixel Pro's is they come with a quality noise cancellation that's going to help you stay locked in all through your run.
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Under $100 and offering up to 44 hours of battery life with the charging case, the Push Active is one of the best affordable running headphones on the market. Two features we love the most; the ear hooks and the accompanying Skullcandy app you can use to adjust your bass levels and other instrumentals to your liking.
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Master and Dynamic is an audiophile’s go-to listening brand. The attention to detail and design is unparalleled in everything they do. While they are typically known for their over-ear headphones, the MW08 Sport is tailor made for running and working out.
In terms of sound quality, these buds are outfitted with 11mm beryllium drivers to deliver crystal clear tunes for 12 hours on a full charge and up to 42 hours when using the charging case. What's great is you get 5 different sizes of silicone ear tips and 2 sizes of memory foam ear tips to give you a comfortable, custom fit.
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With a waterproof rating of IPX7 and more battery life of up to 30 hours, these rugged buds are a wallet-friendly option for your running tunes. Unfortunately they don't carry any noise cancellation but the ear hooks are great at keeping your buds in place and the headphone's overall design is made to last through all sorts of wear and tear. You can easily make these your dedicated running earbuds and then use a pair of high end headphones for your everyday use.
This small-but-mighty pair of headphones brings on a glorious range of listening without skimping on any treble or bass. With a customizable cinch adjustor, the neon tips convey a versatile fit to all sized ears. In fact, the reviews claim these are the best running headphones for both small and large ears alike.
They carry and IPX4 water-resistant rating, ideal for sweat, rain, and snow. You also get a built-in microphone, volume control, and every runner’s favorite: track navigation at the touch of a button. Say goodbye to losing seconds for scrambling with your phone when you're trying to switch the song (one major feature most runners don’t think about when headphones shopping.)
The claimed battery life is 6 hours, which is still good, but shorter than others on this list. But remember the comfort, weight, sound quality, and design are all boxes checked off with the Sennheiser CX Sport Wireless headphones. And all for a really good price.
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When you go for anything Bose-related, you know you aren’t skimping around, even if you kick in a few extra—and totally worth it—bucks. If you are looking for the highest quality, balanced, bass-happy sound, look no further than the SoundSport Frees for your next run. We deem these the best value on this list for audio snobs (please, wear that badge loud and proud).
Many “sport” headphones focus more on durability and design, and place actual audio quality on the back burner. But these live up to the iconic Bose name.
With an IPX4 rating and 5-hour battery life, they will thrive through your sweatiest, longest runs. The design runs on the larger side, so if you have big ears, these will hold up perfectly. They let in ambient noise, which is safest for runners to stay alert of their surroundings.
Another pair of running earbuds that seems to do it all are the T5 II True Wireless Sport Earphones from Klipsch. If you know anything about audio devices, you know that Klipsch is another major household name. The price point is pretty premium, but hear us out.
You get 8 hours of listening per charge, and 32 hours total with a charging case. If you’re someone whose devices always find a way to die, you might want to consider these. They even have a rapid 10-minute charge feature that can bring you almost 90 minutes of play time.
The Bose Sport Earbuds are made with the same high quality acoustics as the brand's other top performing models. It's true these don't come with noise cancellation, but what you get in return is an awesome price point. Lest we forget to mention the incredibly comfortable fit in-ear.
Just as their name entails, they provide a system called Lightform technology that is changing the game when it comes to custom fit. Once secured, you’ll feel the ear tips are filled with a gel that hardens when you activate the molding process on your phone. It’s sort of like a remote control. The process becomes permanent, so the mold fits snug into the personalized and detailed conch of your very own ear. If there is any pair of headphones that guarantee they will stay in your ears while running, it’s these. This system provides a natural, comfortable and pain-free fit, even after extended use. And on top of comfort, the custom fit acts as a seal to ambient noise, allowing for greater noise isolation. You’ll also get an 8-hour battery life with an additional 20 hours with the carrying case. To make runners even happier, this technology remains sweat proof and water resistant. This is the latest and greatest tech you’re going to want to try.
You won't have any problems with sweat and water resistance on the running headphones we curated above, however some are scored with a higher rating than others—which means they're going to be more durable.
When you see an "IP" rating what you are really reading is the Ingress Protection rating. A rating can be read by each number, the first being its dust protection and the second being its water protection. Most of the headphones above have an "X" as the first number. The X means there was no data collected on the dust protection. Sometimes it helps to know the dust protection, especially if you're running in trail environments. If you're a trail runner it's probably worth paying attention to the more rugged running headphones that have been given a dust rating too.
The second number can be read on a scale of how waterproof the headphones are. Zero is the lowest while 9K is the highest (you're unlikely to see a 9K on headphones because this level is only given to materials that can handle direct, high-temp and high-pressure water).
So what's a good number range to look for? We recommend anything between a four and six, but seven and higher would be a premium rating and capable of withstanding full water submersion. Most of what you will see are "IPX4", which is solid, but if you're really wanting a pair of running headphones that are made to handle high activity then look for a second number of seven or above.
For the past two years, we consulted with Men's Health's Fitness and Gear editors on the top running headphones. Experts including our fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. and senior commerce editor Christian Gollayan, put countless men's running headphones through the wringer at the gym to evaluate their fit, sound quality, and performance. We also considered top-reviewed running headphones that had at least 100 five-star customer ratings on e-commerce websites that we trust.