The 10 Best Headphones For Exercise
This wiki has been updated 26 times since it was first published in March of 2018. If you exercise to music, you'll understand the frustration of having your earbuds fall out in the middle of a workout or training session. Treat yourself to a pair of headphones made specifically for use while you partake in sports or exercise. They're comfortable, sweatproof, and designed to stay put during any activity, including running, weightlifting, yoga, and even swimming. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Bose Sport
2. Jaybird Vista
3. Anker Soundcore Spirit X
Editor's Notes
January 22, 2021:
Our latest update to this ranking includes one set, the AfterShokz Titanium, that uses bone conduction technology. While these are not for everybody, their benefits are obvious for active sports and exercise, as they keep the ear canals free to let in ambient sounds. This reduces the likelihood of a traffic accident when jogging on roadsides, and can improve your awareness of pedestrians and other mobile hazards.
Our next two are upgrades, first replacing the Boltune BH020 with the newer and more compact Boltune BH021. This brand is making waves within the sports headphones niche, helped by the fact that they are highly water-resistant and provide an impressive 40 hours of playtime when used in conjunction with their charging case.
Lastly, we replaced the Bose SoundSport Free with their newer iteration, the Bose Sport. While similar in features, the latest generation are 40 percent smaller, include capacitive touch controls, and allow for dual-earbud calling, while also having better wireless reliability.
November 07, 2019:
One of the most interesting parts about modern headphone technology is how small, lightweight, and versatile today's models are. If you want the lightest and most advanced, the Bose SoundSport Free, Jaybird Vista, and Phiaton Bolt BT 700 should be near the top of your list. They're all true wireless in-ear models and they're all top-of-the-line, though they do have their slight differences. The Bose are a great all-around pair, the Jaybird are meant specifically for working out, and the Phiaton use advanced balanced-armature hardware to deliver just about the best sound quality of any in-ear model. The Boltune BH020 are another great pair of true wireless earbuds, and while they're much less expensive than the others, they just don't sound quite as nice.
If you're worried about such tiny earbuds falling out during an intense workout, no problem; there are plenty of options designed to stay even more securely in place. The Beats Powerbeats Pro are some of the most well-known, but oh boy, are they expensive. Meanwhile, the Anker Soundcore Spirit X and JBL Endurance Sprint provide quite good audio, and cost considerably less. And if you're not quite as worried about having hooks to keep them in place, the TaoTronics SoundElite 72 are some of the best-sounding budget-friendly models available. They even take advantage of the high-end AptX HD codec, which provides better-than-CD-quality audio over a typical Bluetooth connection, and almost all recent smartphones support it.
We also listed a couple AfterShokz models that use bone conduction rather than traditional speakers. The AfterShokz Aeropex are some of their most successful wireless headphones, while the AfterShokz Xtrainerz have zero wireless capabilities but do have built-in media storage, and as such they're ideal for use while swimming, when actual in-ear headphones can be problematic and Bluetooth connections simply won't work.
4. Phiaton Bolt BT 700
5. TaoTronics SoundElite 72
6. Beats Powerbeats Pro
7. JBL Endurance Sprint
8. AfterShokz Aeropex
9. Boltune BH021
10. AfterShokz Titanium
Having grown weary of working in office environments, music graduate Luke decided to trade the dismal skies of southern England for the far more agreeable climate of south Asia. Prior to writing for Ezvid Wiki, he established a small agency providing websites for clients all over the world. This enabled him to travel extensively, living for prolonged periods in a number of interesting countries and experiencing several different cultures along the way. When not playing or writing music, Luke likes to ride his motorcycle in far-flung regions where the air is thin and the roads are dusty. His areas of expertise are largely gleaned from his nomadic lifestyle and include travel, computers, automotive goods and accessories, musical instruments and gear, and boats.